NFL playoffs: Seahawks are inside meadow following Lions stun Packers

NFL playoffs: Seahawks are inside meadow following Lions stun Packers

The NFL™s Week 18 saved its finest drama for the final game of the weekend.

The Detroit Lions ” eliminated from playoff contention earlier Sunday when the Seahawks hit the Rams ” pushed past their disappointment accompanied by every one one other accompanied by played the small portion of a spoiler, rallying to hit Green Bay 20-16 on Sunday night. The go nearer earliest inside denied quarterback Aaron Rodgers accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the Packers a spot inside the postseason.

Instead of Green Bay, it™s the Seahawks who will exist the No. 7 seed inside the NFC. They™ll journey to face dividing competitor San Francisco inside following weekend™s wild-card round.

The relax of following weekend™s scheme is excessively set: In the AFC, it™ll exist the Miami Dolphins at the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens at the Cincinnati Bengals accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars. In the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings will host the New York Giants accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Bucs host the Dallas Cowboys.

The Lions™ upset go nearer earliest inside capped a weekend that saw the Dolphins build it spine to the playoffs for the earliest hour dated since 2016. The surprising Jaguars excessively return to the postseason for fair the following hour dated since 2007.

Seven of the 14 teams that certified for the playoffs didn™t build the meadow last season, including the Seahawks, Ravens, Jaguars, Chargers, Dolphins, Vikings accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Giants.

Among those headed home: The New England Patriots accompanied by every one one other accompanied by six-time Super Bowl-winning bus Bill Belichick, eliminated following a mislaying to the Bills.

The Lions didn™t have a a large amount of to amuse oneself for opposed to the Packers other than pride, nevertheless that was enough. They were knocked not here of playoff contention when Seattle™s Jason Myers kicked a 32-yard meadow goal to hit the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 inside overtime.

The No. 1 all-inclusive seed inside the AFC was claimed by Kansas City accompanied by its 31-13 go nearer earliest inside over Las Vegas on Saturday. The NFC™s top spot was taken by Philadelphia, which hit the New York Giants 22-16 on Sunday.

The AFC bracket could still exist affected by the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game following Hamlin™s injury. The Bengals avoided a coin flip for place of residence meadow following beating the Ravens 27-16, nevertheless there still could exist a neutral meadow AFC championship game if the Bills dash up opposed to the Chiefs.

Here™s a look at some other developments while the postseason approaches:

WHAT™S THE WILD-CARD SCHEDULE?

SATURDAY

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC

SUNDAY

Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET, CBS

New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings, 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m. ET, NBC

MONDAY

Dallas Cowboys at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC

WHAT™S THE FORMAT FOR THE PLAYOFFS?

This is the third unswerving year of the contemporaneous NFL playoff format, which includes the top septet teams from both the AFC accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the NFC.

The quartet dividing winners inside both conferences automatically obtain the top quartet seeds, anyway of record, accompanied by every one one other accompanied by at that hour dated the top trio teams accompanied by the finest record that didn™t go nearer earliest inside their dividing are the wild-card selections. That™s why it™s justly usual for a wild-card selection to have a better record ” nevertheless worse playoff seeding ” than a team that finished while a dividing winner.

The No. 1-seeded team inside every one one conference gets a bye into the following circular ” that™s the Chiefs accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Eagles ” while No. 2 hosts No. 7, No. 3 hosts No. 6 accompanied by every one one other accompanied by No. 4 hosts No. 5 all over wild-card weekend.

The NFL has a re-seeding policy following every one one playoff round. That means that no indeed indeed matter how the bracket started, the lowest-seeded team will always journey to the higher-seeded team.

There are quartet rounds to the playoffs: The wild-card circular is all over the upcoming weekend, the divisional circular is Jan. 21-22, the conference championship games are on Jan. 29 accompanied by every one one other accompanied by the Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 12 inside Glendale, Arizona.

WHAT CHANGED WITH THE BILLS-BENGALS CANCELLATION?

It™s been an eventful week for players accompanied by every one one other accompanied by fans, who watched inside horror Monday darkness as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the meadow accompanied by every one one other accompanied by had to exist specified CPR earlier to leaving the meadow inside an ambulance. A few days later, those same players accompanied by every one one other accompanied by fans have watched accompanied by joy while Hamlin recovers.

That made it a a large amount of easier to focus on Week 18 accompanied by every one one other accompanied by now the playoffs.

The Bills-Bengals game had greatest playoff implications inside the AFC, so the cancellation of the game due to Hamlin™s wound could ability some changes depending on playoff results.

The AFC championship game will exist played on a neutral location if the Chiefs accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Bills stretch not here that point.

Buffalo™s 35-23 go nearer earliest inside over New England on Sunday coupled accompanied by Kansas City™s 31-13 victory at Las Vegas on Saturday means the No. 1 seed Chiefs (14-3) can™t host the conference title game opposed to the Bills (13-3) since the teams played an unequal number of games.

NFL owners approved a intention Friday that implemented new rules for this postseason inside response to the cancellation of the Bills-Bengals game.

WHAT ELSE HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND?

In justly straightforward playoff drama, the Jaguars hit the Tennessee Titans 20-16 on Saturday darkness to go nearer earliest inside the AFC South for the earliest hour dated inside five seasons. The Titans needed a go nearer earliest inside to go forward to the postseason.

The Dolphins accompanied by every one one other accompanied by third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson squeezed past the Jets 11-6, snapping a five-game losing streak. Miami at that hour dated had to carry on accompanied by to exist a few minutes for Buffalo to complete off New England to build the Dolphins™ playoff appearance official.

We™re In was displayed on the videoboard at Hard Rock Stadium.

The Pittsburgh Steelers almost found a way to sneak into the postseason nevertheless couldn™t completely build it. They did their small part by beating the Browns 28-14 nevertheless needed the Patriots accompanied by every one one other accompanied by Dolphins to lose.

The Patriots obliged. The Dolphins did not.

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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi accompanied by every one one other accompanied by AP Sports Writer Alanis Thames contributed to this report.

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