NFL playoffs set after thrilling regular season finale

by Seth Udinski

Seth Udinski, FISM News

 

The 2021 NFL regular season has come to an end, and NFL fans are now turning their attention to the postseason and the road to Super Bowl LVI after a thrilling week 18 regular season finale.

In the NFC, the San Fransisco 49ers needed a win against their division rival LA Rams to punch their ticket, and they got it with under two minutes remaining in overtime. After kicker Robbie Gould gave the team a 27-24 lead, the 49ers picked off quarterback Matthew Stafford to steal the win and seal a postseason spot:

The Green Bay Packers clinched the #1 seed, home field advantage, and a first-round bye with their win in week 17. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dallas Cowboys, and LA Rams earned the top spot in their respective NFC divisions and will host a playoff game next weekend during the Wild Card round. Tampa Bay will host the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas will play the San Fransisco 49ers, and LA will match up against their division rivals, the Arizona Cardinals.

In the AFC, several overtime finishes determined the playoff seeding yesterday. The Pittsburgh Steelers outlasted the Baltimore Ravens 16-13 to clinch a wildcard spot, so long as the other playoff-deciding contest between the LA Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders did not finish in a tie. Kickers Chris Boswell booted the game winner in overtime:

As irony would have it, the Chargers and Raiders almost tied, leaving Pittsburgh fans on edge of their seats all the way through the Sunday night contest to determine the final AFC wildcard spot. The two AFC West rivals battled deep into overtime until Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson played the hero and drilled the game winning field goal with 2 seconds left in overtime:

Had the two teams tied, both would have gotten into the playoffs and Pittsburgh would have been eliminated, but the Raiders win knocked the Chargers from contention.

The Tennessee Titans clinched the #1 seed in the AFC, home field advantage, and a first-round bye. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals are the other AFC divisional winners. During wildcard weekend, Kansas City will host Pittsburgh, the Bills will play their division rival New England Patriots, and the Bengals will face off against the Raiders.

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