USA TODAY International Edition
Ravens 3rd in AFC North to clinch
CINCINNATI – The Ravens used a club- record 404 yards rushing Sunday to clinch a playoff spot, beating the Bengals 38- 3 as Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes and became the first NFL quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons.
The Ravens rolled up 525 total yards, and the 404 rushing yards were the most surrendered by a Bengals defense. Rookie J. K. Dobbins rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns, including a 72- yard scoring romp in the third quarter.
Baltimore ( 11- 5) won its fifth straight game and advanced to the postseason for a third consecutive season.
Jackson rushed for 97 yards and threw for 113 before taking a seat in the third quarter. He has run or passed for at least one touchdown in 36 straight starts, the longest active streak in the NFL.
PACKERS 35, BEARS 16: Aaron Rodgers threw for four touchdowns, breaking his franchise record for scoring passes in a season, and Green Bay clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC by beating playoff- bound Chicago.
The Packers ( 13- 3) earned a bye while winning their sixth in a row and beat Chicago ( 8- 8) for the 19th time in 22 games, counting the postseason. Rodgers joined Peyton Manning ( 2004 and 2013) as the only players to throw for at least 45 touchdowns in multiple seasons. He now has 48, surpassing his previous high of 45 in his first MVP season of 2011.
BILLS 56, DOLPHINS 26: Josh Allen and Buffalo placed an emphatic stamp on a breakout season with a rout of Miami in a game the Dolphins could have clinched an AFC playoff berth with a win. Instead, they’ll be home during the playoffs after the 1- 15 Jaguars could not upset the Colts. With the win, the Bills ( 13- 3) clinched the AFC’s No. 2 playoff seed in completing a season in which they matched a single- season record for wins, set in both 1990 and ’ 91, and won their first East Division title in 25 years.
TITANS 41, TEXANS 38: Tennessee won the AFC South on Sunday. All it took was Derrick Henry surpassing 2,000 yards rushing and rookie Sam Sloman’s 37- yard field goal that bounced off the upright and through against Houston. Henry ran for a careerhigh 250 yards in the victory that gave Tennessee ( 11- 5) its first AFC South title since 2008 and is the fifth straight loss for the Texans ( 4- 12). The Titans needed the air game to set up Sloman’s winner, though: a 52- yard reception by A. J. Brown moments after a 51- yard field goal by Houston tied it with 18 seconds left. Henry finished the regular season with a franchise- record 2,027 yards rushing to become the eighth player in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards. He passed Chris Johnson, who had 2,006 yards in 2009.
COLTS 28, JAGUARS 14: Jonathan Taylor rushed for a franchise- record 253 yards and two scores, capping Indianapolis’ playoff- clinching victory over Jacksonville with a 45- yard touchdown run with 3: 35 to go. Philip Rivers threw for another score and the Colts’ defense shut out the Jaguars over the final quarter to help preserve the victory. Indianapolis ( 11- 5) will make its first postseason appearance since 2018 and its second since 2015. Jacksonville ( 1- 15) lost its final 15 games and will have the No. 1 overall draft pick in April.
SAINTS 33, PANTHERS 7: Drew Brees threw for 201 yards and three touchdowns, the Saints had five inter
ceptions and New Orleans defeated Carolina to wrap up the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.
SEAHAWKS 26, 49ERS 23: Russell Wilson connected on two fourth- quarter touchdown passes to Tyler Lockett and Seattle rallied to defeat San Francisco to end the season on a four- game winning streak. Seattle ( 12- 4) had a chance to earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs but stayed at No. 3 after the Saints and top- seeded Packers both won.
GIANTS 23, COWBOYS 19: New York won. Then the Giants waited. Rookie Xavier McKinney intercepted Dallas’ Andy Dalton in the end zone with 1: 15 remaining, giving the Giants a victory over the Cowboys and a chance at an unprecedented, six- win playoff berth. New York’s postseason chances hung on the Eagles, who played Washington on Sunday night. Washington would claim the NFC East with a win or tie. Otherwise, the Giants ( 6- 10) will take it for the first time since 2011.
RAMS 18, CARDINALS 7: John Wolford passed for 231 yards and rushed for 56 more in his NFL debut, and Los Angeles is headed to the playoffs while eliminating Arizona. Troy Hill returned an interception 84 yards for a touchdown to lead yet another dominant defensive performance by the Rams ( 10- 6).
BUCCANEERS 44, FALCONS 27: Tom Brady threw for 399 yards and four touchdowns, helping playoff- bound Tampa Bay clinch the fifth seed in the NFC with a regular season- ending win over Atlanta. The victory – which means the Bucs ( 11- 5) will face the NFC East champion, Washington or the Giants, on the road in the club’s first postseason game in 13 years – might have come with a steep cost. Star receiver Mike Evans was carted to the locker room with a left knee injury late in the first quarter and did not return.
CHARGERS 38, CHIEFS 21: Justin Herbert threw for 302 yards and accounted for four touchdowns against a team of mostly Kansas City backups, as Los Angeles rolled.
PATRIOTS 28, JETS 14: Cam Newton had three touchdown passes and caught another, and New England rallied to beat New York. The win snapped a three- game losing streak for New England ( 7- 9), which earned its 10th straight win over the Jets ( 2- 14), but won’t be playing in the postseason for the first time since the 2008 season.
VIKINGS 37, LIONS 35: Kirk Cousins threw for 405 yards and three touchdowns, lifting Minnesota to a win over Detroit in a matchup of teams finishing disappointing seasons.
RAIDERS 32, BRONCOS 31: Darren Waller caught Derek Carr’s 2- point conversion pass with 24 seconds left as Las Vegas rallied to beat Denver despite committing four turnovers.