Mark Chichester

With most starters resting, the Eagles fell 24-17 to Washington as Josh Johnson engineered a fourth-quarter comeback, costing Philadelphia the NFC’s No. 2 seed and dropping them to the No. 3 spot. Nick Sirianni accepted the short-term loss in exchange for rest, but the Super Bowl champions now open the playoffs at home without the bye they were chasing.

Jaxson Dart threw two touchdown passes as the Giants closed a lost season with a 34-17 win over the Cowboys, finishing on a two-game streak while slipping out of contention for a top-two draft pick. Dallas rested starters including Dak Prescott after halftime, ending a nine-game losing streak to New York and seeing a heated scuffle lead to an ejection in the second half.

Ja’Marr Chase caught a go-ahead touchdown late, but Browns rookie kicker Andre Szmyt redeemed an earlier miss by drilling a 49-yard field goal at the buzzer to give Cleveland a 20-18 win over Cincinnati. Myles Garrett set the NFL single-season sack record with his 23rd sack while the Browns capitalized on defensive scores to overcome Joe Burrow and spoil the Bengals’ finale.

Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes to set the Jaguars’ single-season scoring record as Jacksonville clinched the AFC South and a home playoff game with a 41-7 rout of Tennessee. The win capped a dominant division run for the Jaguars, while the Titans were overwhelmed and lost rookie quarterback Cam Ward to a shoulder injury early.

Seattle locked up the NFC’s No. 1 seed and the NFC West title by stifling San Francisco’s high-powered offense in a 13-3 win, leaning on a dominant defense and a balanced run game. The loss sends the 49ers on the road for the wild-card round after their lowest-scoring and lowest-yardage outing under Kyle Shanahan.

Baker Mayfield threw a touchdown to Cade Otton and Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals as the Buccaneers stayed alive with a sloppy 16-14 win over the Panthers in rainy Tampa. Tampa Bay now needs New Orleans to beat or tie Atlanta to clinch the NFC South, while Carolina can still win the division if the Falcons prevail.

Ole Miss continued its remarkable postseason surge, edging Georgia 39-34 in a thrilling College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl, proving the Rebels haven’t missed a beat since Lane Kiffin’s departure.

Behind three touchdown passes from Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza and a dominant performance in the trenches, the top-seeded Indiana Hoosiers (14-0) controlled the game from start to finish. Indiana jumped out to a 24-0 lead, outgained Alabama 407–193, and suffocated the Crimson Tide offense, holding them scoreless until a third-quarter field goal.

Oregon dominated Texas Tech 23-0 in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Orange Bowl, forcing four sacks and two interceptions while holding the Red Raiders to nine first downs. Dante Moore played efficiently and Jordan Davison scored twice as the Ducks advanced to the CFP semifinals, handing Texas Tech just the third shutout loss in playoff history.

Miami continued its stunning playoff run by upsetting defending national champion Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl, fueled by a 72-yard pick-six from Keionte Scott and a steady, mistake-free performance from Carson Beck. The Hurricanes, now in the CFP semifinals for the first time, advanced to the Fiesta Bowl as their opportunistic defense stifled Julian Sayin and ended the Buckeyes’ bid for a repeat title.

The Denver Broncos are in pole position, as Bo Nix and company win the Super Bowl in a league-best 17.0% of PFF simulations.

The Buccaneers fell 20-17 to the Dolphins, turning the ball over three times and failing to recover an onside kick after a late touchdown, but Carolina’s loss kept Tampa Bay alive in the NFC South race. At 7-9, the Bucs now head into a winner-take-all Week 18 matchup against the Panthers at home with the division title still within reach.

Trevor Lawrence ran for two touchdowns and Cam Little’s go-ahead 42-yard field goal lifted the Jaguars to a 23-17 win over the Colts, extending Jacksonville’s winning streak to seven and putting them one win away from the AFC South title. The loss eliminated Indianapolis from playoff contention, capped a historic collapse after a 7-1 start, and kept Philip Rivers winless since his return.

Shedeur Sanders threw for 186 yards and a touchdown as Cleveland’s defense shut out Pittsburgh in the end zone, lifting the Browns to a 13-6 win that denied the Steelers an AFC North clincher.

Joe Burrow and the Bengals rolled past the Cardinals 37-14, dominating both halves with long, methodical drives as Ja’Marr Chase found the end zone twice and Chase Brown powered in two second-half rushing touchdowns. Arizona showed little resistance outside of late stat-padding from Trey McBride, as Cincinnati controlled the game throughout and cruised to a comfortable home win.

Seattle’s defense shut down Carolina with a dominant performance, holding the Panthers to just 139 total yards and one conversion on 11 third downs in a 27-10 Seahawks win that stalled Carolina’s NFC South push.

Derrick Henry powered the Ravens’ playoff push with a historic night at Lambeau Field, rushing for a season-high 216 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-24 win over the Packers, the most rushing yards ever by a visiting player there. Baltimore dominated on the ground to keep its postseason hopes alive, while Green Bay’s third straight loss helped Chicago clinch the NFC North despite the Packers not punting for a second consecutive game.

C.J. Stroud threw two long touchdown passes on Houston’s first two drives, and the Texans held on for a 20-16 win over the Chargers to clinch a third straight playoff berth and their eighth consecutive victory. Los Angeles struggled to capitalize on turnovers and missed kicks as Houston’s defense pressured Justin Herbert throughout, snapping the Chargers’ four-game winning streak and handing the AFC West to Denver.

Bo Nix capitalized on a clever Sean Payton fourth-down playcall, throwing a go-ahead touchdown to R.J. Harvey after a Chiefs offsides penalty lifted the Broncos to a 20-13 win at Arrowhead. Denver’s defense sealed it late as the Broncos moved closer to clinching the AFC West while beating Kansas City there for the first time since 2015.

The Vikings forced six turnovers and got a 65-yard jet sweep touchdown from Jordan Addison to seal a 23-10 win over the Lions, eliminating Detroit from playoff contention on Thursday night.