The road to the Super Bowl in the NFC goes through Seattle. The NFC South champion will be decided by the two teams that aren’t in the race for the division title.
The Seahawks secured the No. 1 seed and won the NFC West with a 13-3 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night in a showdown that had major ramifications. The 49ers could have won the division but instead will be the NFC's No. 5 or 6 seed.
Earlier Saturday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers 16-14 to stay alive in the playoff race. The Buccaneers (8-9) need New Orleans (6-10) to beat or tie Atlanta (7-9) on Sunday to clinch a fifth straight NFC South championship.
If the Falcons beat the Saints, the Panthers will secure their first division title since coach Ron Rivera and quarterback Cam Newton led them to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl appearance 10 years ago.
The Buccaneers hold a two-team tiebreaker over the Panthers. But Carolina holds the three-team tiebreaker over Tampa Bay if Atlanta also finishes 8-9.
While Sam Darnold and the Seahawks (14-3) earned a first-round bye, Brock Purdy, Christian McCaffrey and the injury-depleted 49ers (12-5) missed an opportunity to play at home the rest of the way. Levi's Stadium, which is San Francisco's home field, hosts the Super Bowl on Feb. 8.
Twelve of the 14 playoff berths have been secured and four teams are battling for the final two spots. The AFC's No. 1 seed is still up for grabs and there’s a winner-take-all game for the AFC North between the Ravens and Steelers.
The Broncos (13-3), Patriots (13-3), Jaguars (12-4), Texans (11-5), Chargers (11-5) and Bills (11-5) have secured playoff spots in the AFC.
The Seahawks (14-3), Bears (11-5), Eagles (11-5), Rams (11-4), 49ers (12-5) and Packers (9-6-1) are heading to the NFC playoffs.
AFC East
New England won its first division title since Tom Brady led the franchise to 11 straight from 2009-19. The Patriots would secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a win over Miami and a loss or tie by Denver against the Chargers or a tie against the Dolphins and a loss by the Broncos. The Patriots could finish with the No. 1, 2 or 3 seed.
Buffalo’s run of five consecutive division crowns ended, but the Bills will be the No. 5, 6 or 7 seed.
AFC North
The Steelers beat the Ravens 27-22 at Baltimore on Dec. 7. They have to beat them again or tie them on Sunday night without wide receiver DK Metcalf to get into the playoffs.
Derrick Henry and backup quarterback Tyler Huntley led the Ravens to a win at Green Bay last Saturday night that kept Baltimore in the race and made Pittsburgh’s loss to Cleveland the next day matter. Lamar Jackson is expected to return from a back injury to start for the Ravens, who are 3 1/2-point favorites on the road, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The division winner will be the No. 4 seed and host a wild-card game.
AFC South
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Jacksonville wins the division with a win or tie against the Titans or a loss coupled with Houston losing or tying the Colts. The Jaguars can end up with the No. 1 seed if the Broncos and Patriots lose. The Jaguars will finish with the No. 1, 2 or 3 seed.
The Texans would win the division with a victory over the Colts and a loss by the Jaguars. Houston can end up with the No. 3, 5, 6 or 7 seed.
AFC West
The Broncos have already won the division, ending Kansas City’s nine-year run. Denver can secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed with a win against the Chargers or a loss by New England to Miami. If the Broncos lose, they could fall to No. 2 or 3.
Los Angeles will be the No. 5, 6 or 7 seed.
NFC East
The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles became the first team to win this division in consecutive seasons in two decades. They’ll be the NFC’s No. 2 or 3 seed. If Philadelphia, which is resting key starters, beats Washington and Chicago loses to Detroit, the Eagles will be the No. 2 seed.
NFC North
The Bears clinched their first division championship since 2018. They will be the No. 2 seed with a win over the Lions. If they lose, they'll need the Eagles to lose to the Commanders.
The Packers are locked into the No. 7 seed.
NFC South
The Panthers or Buccaneers will clinch depending on the outcome of the Saints-Falcons game Sunday.
NFC West
The Seahawks earned the No. 1 seed.
The Rams and 49ers will be the No. 5 and No. 6 seeds. If Los Angeles beats Arizona, the Rams will be the 5 and the 49ers the 6. If the Rams lose, San Francisco gets the fifth seed.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
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