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Jackson, Ravens Crush Texans

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Ravens QB Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more on Saturday as top-seeded Baltimore pulled away from the visiting Houston Texans in the second half for a 34-10 victory in an AFC divisional playoff game.

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The Ravens will host either the Bills or Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game. Buffalo and Kansas City are set to play today in the other AFC semifinal.

Baltimore broke the game open with 24 unanswered points in the second half, finding the end zone on each of its first three possessions following the break.

Jackson snapped a 10-10 tie with a 15-yard scoring run less than three minutes into the third quarter, capping a 55-yard drive. He made it 24-10 on the second play of the fourth quarter, rolling right and flipping a 15-yard touchdown pass to Isaiah Likely to finish a 93-yard drive that lasted 7:03.

Jackson sealed the victory with 6:20 left in the game, running 8 yards for a TD to complete a march that ate up 7:10. He completed 16 of 22 passes for 152 yards while gaining 100 yards on 11 carries for the game.

Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled with the Baltimore defense. He hit on 19 of 33 passes for 175 yards and failed to get the Houston offense into the end zone for the second time in as many meetings with the Ravens. Yet the Texans, who routed the Cleveland Browns in the wild-card round, nearly led at halftime.

Houston answered Jackson’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Nelson Agholor with 9:14 left in the second quarter with some special-teams magic. Steven Sims grabbed a line-drive punt at his 33, burst up the middle, broke a weak tackle attempt and sprinted 67 yards for a game-tying touchdown at the 4:17 mark of the second.

The Texans threatened to take the lead late in the quarter, but Ka’imi Fairbairn, who connected on a 50-yard field goal with 28 seconds left in the first quarter, pushed a 47-yard attempt wide right with 32 seconds remaining.

Justin Tucker opened the scoring for Baltimore with a 53-yard field goal at the 8:36 mark of the first quarter. He also closed the scoring with a 43-yarder.

–Field Level Media

Patriots: Time for Jerod Mayo Impact

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jerod Mayo plans to take the lessons he learned from his predecessor and make the Patriots his own.

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Mayo was introduced as head coach in New England on Wednesday, his first day in the seat previously occupied by six-time Super Bowl championship coach Bill Belichick.

“For me, I’m not trying to be Bill, I’m not trying to be Bill. I think that Bill is his own man, if you can’t tell by now, I’m even a little bit different up here,” said Mayo. “But what I will say is, the more I think about the lessons that I’ve taken from Bill, hard work works, right? Hard work works. And that’s what we’re all about.”

Mayo was drafted by the Patriots and worked as an assistant coach under Belichick. He has never played for or coached any other NFL team.

The Patriots were 4-13 and again finished outside of the playoff picture in the AFC, leading to a “mutual” parting between Belichick and owner Robert Kraft after 24 years and nine Super Bowl appearances.

Mayo, who won a Super Bowl with New England as an inside linebacker, joined the Patriots’ coaching staff in 2019. He was quickly promoted to head coach under terms of his contract that named him as the successor to Belichick.

He hinted at changes, some of which will align the Patriots with traditional NFL coaching staff structure to include official titles of defensive coordinator and offensive coordinator. There will be movement on the personnel side, too. The Patriots own the No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft.

Mayo was clear about what he’s looking for on his roster and sounds ready to tackle reshaping the offense

“First of all, just the energy, the passion, the leaders on the offensive side of the ball,” Mayo said. “I think you have to get that stuff in place, and honestly, as the season starts to roll, well this season when it ends, we start in the weight room. I think the weight room is one of the most important areas in the building to really evaluate the people you have on your team. And one thing we don’t want to do is have people who are complainers, or finger-pointing, or things like that.”

Belichick could continue coaching and interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons this week.

–Field Level Media

NFL Playoff Predictions

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LAS VEGAS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The NFL playoffs run all weekend through Monday night as the league spreads the wealth for its fans.

Speaking of spreads, that Buffalo line feels a little high. And that Rams-Lions matchup just might have the wrong team favored.

See how this primary wager developed, along with a bonus play and a player prop below.

SUNDAY HEADLINERS

Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills (-10), 1 p.m. ET on CBS
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (-3), 8 p.m. ET on NBC

We will use adjusted lines to produce a two-leg parlay on this pair of playoff games.

First up: The case for a closer-than-expected, bad-weather matchup between flawed teams.

By now, sports-betting fans are not fooled by the Buffalo Bills. This is a flashy-looking team with middling results that needed a punt return TD to help win its Week 18 game in Miami.

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Josh Allen is an elite quarterback who will throw into small windows and risk interceptions. His legs provide the extra element in his array of tools; there’s no doubt he’s entertaining to watch.

The issue is whether his Bills can maintain an adequate ground attack, which should be an easier task against the Steelers’ addled defense (all-world linebacker TJ Watt is injured and will miss Sunday’s game).

But Pittsburgh has prospered by using a cold-weather offense with running back Najee Harris’ physical presence leading the ground attack. This not only will provide some scoring opportunities, but also will help shorten the game — and lessen the chances for a blowout.

It’s been snowing all week in Buffalo and flurries are expected Sunday, but the wind gusts of 20-30 miles per hour would conspire to keep Allen somewhat grounded.

Buffalo is good enough to pound out a victory; the Steelers gained only 289 yards last week against a Baltimore Ravens team resting its top defensive players.

Against all odds, though, Mason Rudolph has quarterbacked Pittsburgh to some success the past few weeks and isn’t likely to be rattled by playoff pressure.

Pressure is something the Lions will say has no effect on their Sunday matchup with the Rams, but LA knows about Detroit QB Jared Goff.

Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris has plenty of research and options to exploit Goff’s shortcomings.

The LA offense, though, has been a shining reason for the Rams’ 7-1 record to close the regular season.

Matthew Stafford is the better QB in this matchup, Kyren Williams is the top running back and although Detroit’s Amon-Ra St. Brown is arguably the top talent at wide receiver, the Rams’ receiver room is the better of the two teams.

Cooper Kupp has seen his health and production improve, and LA has benefited from a shocking rookie season from Puka Nacua. There are just too many options for the Lions to handle.

Want trends? According to Action Network, home teams winning their last game in the regular season by 10 points or fewer — as Detroit did — stand 17-30-3 (36 percent) against the spread (ATS) in their first playoff game (trend covers the past 20 years).

The Rams have to feel as if they are playing with house money. The Lions have to feel excited just to be back in the playoffs, along with a mix of anxious desperation to please a very hungry city without a home playoff win in 30 years.

On that note, home playoff teams that failed to make the prior season’s playoffs are only 13-29 (31 percent) ATS in the first playoff game.

The bet: Two-leg parlay featuring adjusted line, the Steelers +17.5 with the Rams +7.5 (-118 at DraftKings.)

THEY SAID IT

“I so badly want to win a playoff game for this city, that hasn’t had one in so long. That’s so much more important than anything personally for me.”

–Lions quarterback Jared Goff

BONUS PLAY

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:15 p.m. ET Monday.
Eagles -3, total 44

The Eagles are grasping for an explanation; the Bucs have a banged-up quarterback.

Baker Mayfield is preparing to play through ankle and rib injuries for Tampa Bay against Philadelphia, which went 1-5 to finish the season.

This Monday game provides dessert after a five-course NFL weekend meal, but it’s not terribly tasty. In fact, the play here is to fade the excitement.

A trend to spotlight comes from the laboratory at Vegas Insider, which found this game’s total to have encouraged enough “under” betting action to qualify.

The past season and a half, when 56 percent or more of the money is showing up on the “under,” the bet has a mark of 45-29 ATS (60.8 percent) to the “under.”

It’s not just sharp money, either. The number of bets (at 56 percent or better), too, brought a record of 35-22 (61.4 percent) to the under.

Both “under” stats were qualifying as of Thursday.

The bet: Eagles-Buccaneers UNDER 44.

PROP CORNER

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin will gladly try to shove Harris down the Bills’ throats.

If the wind kicks up in Buffalo, this will be an even better option. Grab the “over” 15.5 carries as soon as you can.

Prop play: Steelers running back Najee Harris “over” 15.5 carries. (-114 at FanDuel.)

–Field Level Media

Guess Kraft Thinks He Can Do Better?

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New England Patriots’ franchise owner Robert Kraft said he dreamed about an opportunity to own the team from the metal bleachers as a fan in 1971 and figured he had a greater chance to be a starting quarterback.

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“Never imagined we would go to the Super Bowl 10 times,” the New England Patriots team leader told media members on Thursday afternoon, standing alongside Bill Belichick in a joint press conference to confirm they are going their separate ways.

During the parting-of-the-ways press conference, Kraft called Belichick the “greatest coach of all time.”

Later, he said there was no power struggle despite reports that personnel control was at the root of the divide in the organization. Kraft said he simply came to the conclusion that the past three seasons weren’t good enough. He said he and Belichick weren’t on the same page regarding how to get the Patriots back to contender status, which led to discussions about Belichick leaving New England after 24 seasons.

A Monday meeting with Belichick took place prior to the decision to part, which both parties said was mutual, and embrace change.

Kraft said he will quickly shift toward finding a new coach, with inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo handling the coaching duties to start the offseason.

“We’re looking for someone who can help us get back to the playoffs and win,” Kraft said. “Believe me, after my family, this is one of the most important assets in my life. I promise you I’ll be focused to do the best we can do to put ourselves in the best long-term position to win for many years.”

The Patriots were 4-13 in 2023 after going 8-9 in 2022. Kraft said he knew something “wasn’t right,” but needed to discuss with Belichick whether it was coaching or personnel.

While neither shared the exact conclusion or answer to that question, the end result is Belichick hitting the exits.

Kraft said he might’ve allowed Belichick to have too much power over personnel matters as New England’s Lombardi Trophy collection expanded. But Kraft believed he earned it.

“I don’t think it happened until after the third Super Bowl, he earned it and it worked pretty well most of the time,” Kraft said. “I think it’s good to have checks and balances.”

Belichick plans to coach again and chase Don Shula for the NFL’s all-time wins record, Kraft said.

“The last three years have been pretty tough and isn’t what we want. And we have a responsibility to fix it to the best of our ability,” Kraft said.

In discussions about possibly trading Belichick, Kraft said he felt it wasn’t the right thing to do, harkening back to the same decision made when Tom Brady was allowed to leave in free agency and choose his own destination.

“Given what they’ve done for the franchise, I think they’ve earned that right,” Kraft said.

Belichick and Brady went to nine Super Bowls together, winning six.

–Field Level Media

Belichick Out as Patriots’ Coach

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FOXBOROUGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Coach Bill Belichick, the architect of six Super Bowl-winning teams with the New England Patriots, is ending his 24-year run as the team’s head coach, multiple outlets reported today. ESPN reported the two sides have agreed to mutually part ways after “productive talks resulted in a mutual decision that left both sides comfortable and at ease.”

A team press conference is scheduled for Noon, January 11th. – (Breaking Story with Follow-up)

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While Belichick has one year remaining on his contract, ESPN reported that the Patriots will not attempt to trade him to another team and will allow him to pursue other head-coaching opportunities.

Belichick becomes the third coaching legend in two days to depart his role. Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks split Wednesday after 14 seasons. Alabama head coach Nick Saban — a close friend of Belichick’s — also announced his retirement after 17 seasons and six national titles in Tuscaloosa and seven overall.

Seven other NFL teams have openings for a head coach, and the 71-year-old Belichick is expected to draw interest from some of those franchises. Speculation is that the Atlanta Falcons, who fired head coach Arthur Smith on Sunday, will be at the head of the line to talk to Belichick.

Belichick leaves New England with a 266-121 record in the regular season, plus a 30-12 mark in the postseason. His NFL head-coaching career began with the Cleveland Browns (1991-95), where he was 36-44 in the regular season and 1-1 in the postseason.

His 333 career wins are second only to Don Shula’s 347. Belichick, George Halas and Curly Lambeau are the only NFL coaches with six titles.

In Belichick’s 24 seasons, the Patriots won 17 AFC East titles, went to 13 AFC championship games and played in nine Super Bowls.

“This is the best coach that ever lived,” former Patriots linebacker Tedy Bruschi said Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up.”

“Bill Belichick could get every drop of physical ability, mental ability, football-playing ability out of you somehow, some way … and if you were a player that wanted to win championships, that’s exactly what you wanted.”

Belichick turned around a middling franchise that never had won a title and created a dynasty.

In his first season with the Patriots, in 2000, the team was 5-11. The next season, after quarterback Drew Bledsoe was injured, Belichick inserted second-year player Tom Brady into the lineup, and the duo won its first of six Super Bowls with a 20-17 victory over the then-St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.

Brady left the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 in free agency, and the Patriots were 29-38 without him, including 4-13 this season.

Finding Belichick’s replacement will be the next step for Kraft. Among the early leading candidates is believed to be 37-year-old Jerod Mayo, who played linebacker for the Patriots from 2008-15 and has been on Belichick’s staff since 2019.

–Field Level Media

NFL: Coaching Round-Up

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Names of assistant coaches who could make the rounds in interviews for NFL head coach openings began to emerge Monday, with three playoff-bound assistants topping the list.

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The Washington Commanders, who fired coach Ron Rivera on Monday, reportedly requested permission from the Detroit Lions to interview offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Reports also said they asked for the OK to talk to Raheem Morris, the DC of the Los Angeles Rams.

All three work for teams in the NFL playoffs, meaning they can interview virtually after this weekend’s wild-card round, but the interviews need to be conducted before the divisional round on Jan. 21.

The Lions and Rams will meet Sunday in Detroit.

Johnson has been credited as the architect of an offense that led the Lions to a 12-5 record and their first division title in 30 years.

Glenn was named the best defensive coordinator in the NFL in a survey released last week by the NFL Players Association.

Morris has head coaching experience and a 21-38 record with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2009-11) and Atlanta Falcons (2020).

In other news of assistant coaches:

–Three assistant coaches are leaving the New York Giants, head coach Brian Daboll said.

Offensive line coach Bobby Johnson and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey were dismissed, and Daboll said running backs coach Jeff Nixon has been hired as offensive coordinator at Syracuse.

“I respect both of those guys (Johnson and McGaughey) and their commitment to the team. But we wanted to make a change,” Daboll said.

Daboll said he expects coordinators Wink Martindale (defense) and Mike Kafka (offense) to return.

–Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen said in his season wrap-up news conference that he does not anticipate any significant changes to his coaching staff.

That applies to defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, whom he was asked about specifically.

“I believe in continuity,” Steichen said. “I’ve got a ton of confidence in Gus.”

The Colts’ defensive line tallied 51 sacks this season, the most since the franchise relocated to Indianapolis in 1984.

–Field Level Media

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Here Are the ’24 NFL Playoffs

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BALTIMORE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Baltimore Ravens haven’t been to the Super Bowl since the 2012 season and the San Francisco 49ers have had some close calls in recent years while chasing their first Super Bowl title since the 1994 campaign.

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The two clubs are in the favorite’s roles with first-round byes as the NFL’s 14-team playoff field came closer into focus on Sunday.

The Ravens are the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the 49ers are the top seed in the NFC as the competition for the Lombardi Trophy heats up.

The Dallas Cowboys earned the No. 2 seed and will host the No. 7 seed Green Bay Packers next weekend. The Cowboys perennially receive a lot of attention but the club hasn’t played in the Super Bowl since the 1995 season when quarterback Troy Aikman, running back Emmitt Smith and receiver Michael Irvin were all superstars.

The Detroit Lions are the No. 3 seed and will host the red-hot No. 6-seed Los Angeles Rams in what will be the first playoff game held in Detroit in 30 years. The No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the No. 5 Philadelphia Eagles, the defending NFC champions who are spiraling downward with five defeats in six games.

The AFC matchups won’t be fully known until the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills complete their Sunday night showdown. The AFC matchups won’t be fully known until the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills complete their Sunday night showdown. If the Dolphins win, they would host the Bills again next week, and the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs would host the Pittsburgh Steelers. If the Bills win, they would host the Steelers next week and the Dolphins would travel to play the Chiefs.

The one fully known matchup in the AFC is that the No. 4 Houston Texans will host the No. 5 Cleveland Browns. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud leads the Texans into battle against veteran Joe Flacco of the Browns.

Baltimore can rest this week and ponder why it has just two playoff victories since winning the Super Bowl. The 49ers have won six playoff games while qualifying in three of the past four seasons, but have failed to win it all despite three NFC title game appearances, one prior to a Super Bowl loss.

Green Bay Packers (9-8) at Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
Dak Prescott has yet to lead the Cowboys to more than one win in a single postseason. This time around, Dallas has a chance at two home games as it holds the tiebreaker edge over the Lions (oh yeah, the failure to report controversy). Jordan Love has quickly shown that the Packers can be viable without the departed Aaron Rodgers, who failed to come through on last season’s win-and-in contest while Love did get the job done Sunday.

Los Angeles Rams (10-7) at Detroit Lions (12-5)
Matthew Stafford went 0-3 in the playoffs in 12 seasons with the Lions and will now be looking to keep his former team winless in the postseason since the Barry Sanders-led club beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 season. While “Restore the Roar” is real in Motown behind former Los Angeles QB Jared Goff, the Rams have won seven of eight games since their Week 10 bye. Los Angeles used a similar hot stretch drive two seasons ago en route to the Super Bowl crown.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-6) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8)
Baker Mayfield directed a ragged 9-0 victory over the Panthers on Sunday that sent the Buccaneers home to welcome the Eagles in a wild-card matchup. Philadelphia won just once since Thanksgiving, going 1-5 to crumble down the stretch and surrender the NFC East division lead to the Cowboys. The Eagles are facing huge injury questions surrounding the health of QB Jalen Hurts (finger) and WR A.J. Brown (right knee) after both exited Sunday’s loss to the Giants. But can Mayfield pull off a Tom Brady impersonation?

Cleveland Browns (11-6) at Houston Texans (10-7)
Stroud quickly revived the atmosphere around the Texans with a stellar rookie season that saw Houston almost equal its victory total (11) of the past three seasons. Cleveland is thriving behind Flacco, a former Super Bowl MVP who is 4-1 as the starter. Pretty ironic that Houston is hosting the Browns in a playoff game and former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson isn’t on the field. The player infamous in Houston for sexually harassing massage therapists is out for the season with a shoulder injury.

–Field Level Media

Bills Take East; NFL Round-Up

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MIAMI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Josh Allen passed for 359 yards and two touchdowns and Deonte Harty set a franchise record for the longest punt return touchdown as the Buffalo Bills notched a 21-14 victory over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night at Miami Gardens, Fla., to win the AFC East for the fourth straight season.

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Allen tossed the go-ahead touchdown to Dawson Knox midway through the final quarter as Buffalo (11-6) won its fifth straight contest. Taylor Rapp sealed the victory with an interception with 1:13 remaining.

Trent Sherfield also caught a touchdown pass and Khalil Shakir had 105 receiving yards for the second-seeded Bills, who will host the seventh-seeded Pittsburgh Steelers in next Sunday’s playoff contest.

Allen rushed for 67 yards and also completed 30 of 38 passes with two interceptions. He improved to 11-2 as a starter against Miami (including last season’s playoff victory) and has thrown 36 touchdown passes in those 13 games.

Tua Tagovailoa completed 17 of 27 passes for 173 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions for the Dolphins (11-6). Tyreek Hill caught seven passes for 82 yards and a touchdown and De’Von Achane added a rushing score.

Miami lost for the third time in five games while playing without running back Raheem Mostert (knee, ankle) and receiver Jaylen Waddle (ankle) for the second consecutive game. The sixth-seeded Dolphins will visit the third-seeded Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday night.

The Bills outgained Miami 473-275.

Buffalo’s only offensive touchdown in the second half was the decisive score to cap an eight-play, 74-yard drive. Allen connected with Knox on a 5-yard throw to give the Bills a 21-14 lead with 7:16 remaining.

The Dolphins went three-and-out on their next possession and didn’t see the ball again until 1:53 remained. But Rapp’s pick 40 seconds later ended any suspense.

Buffalo tied the score at 14 on Hardy’s 96-yard punt return with 13:42 left in the contest. The old team mark was 91 yards by Keith Moody against the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 23, 1977.

Hardy caught the ball at his own 4-yard line and exploded up the middle and moved into the clear as Miami players Cameron Goode and Alec Engold got tangled up. Hardy navigated to his left and raced down the sideline without any Dolphins in his vicinity.

The Dolphins struck first when Achane broke a 25-yard TD run with 8:51 left in the first half.

Buffalo tied the game when Sherfield caught a 6-yard scoring pass with 4:31 remaining in the half. Allen’s throw hit the helmet of Miami’s Andrew Van Ginkel and ricocheted high in the air and Sherfield was able to grab it in the back of the end zone while getting both feet down.

Miami took a 14-7 lead when Tagovailoa threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Hill with 1:43 to go before halftime.

Green Bay Packers 17, Chicago Bears 9

Jordan Love threw two touchdown passes and the host Green Bay Packers jumped into the NFC playoffs with a 17-9 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Entering the regular-season finale needing a win to earn a wild-card berth, the Packers (9-8) punched their ticket as the No. 7 seed and will travel to Dallas to meet the No. 2 Cowboys next weekend.

Love went over 300 yards with his 26th completion of the game with 3:08 to play, and running back Aaron Jones clicked over 100 yards rushing for the third consecutive game on the game-sealing possession. He finished with 111 yards on 22 carries.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields left the game for one play in the fourth quarter to be checked for a concussion, but returned and finished the contest. He completed 11 of 16 passes for 148 yards and rushed for 27 yards on eight carries. Chicago finished the season 7-10.

Cowboys 38, Commanders 10

Dak Prescott threw four touchdown passes as Dallas clinched the NFC East title with a victory over Washington in Landover, Md.

Prescott completed 31 of 36 passes for 279 yards and CeeDee Lamb had 13 receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns for the Cowboys (12-5).

Sam Howell completed 19 of 27 passes for 153 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for Washington (4-13). The loss gives the Commanders the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Jets 17, Patriots 3

Breece Hall rushed for 178 yards and a touchdown as New York beat New England for the first time since Dec. 27, 2015, a streak of 15 losses, in the season finale for both teams in Foxborough, Mass.

Sunday also potentially marked the end of Bill Belichick’s tenure as coach of the Patriots. Belichick is reportedly set to meet with New England owner Robert Kraft this week to discuss his future with the organization.

Hall had a career-high 37 carries for the Jets (7-10) in snowy, frigid conditions. New York quarterback Trevor Siemian completed 8 of 20 passes for 70 yards. Bailey Zappe finished with 88 yards and two interceptions on 12-for-30 passing for the Patriots (4-13), who lost at least 13 games in a single season for the first time since the 1992 campaign.

Buccaneers 9, Panthers 0

Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals of 36, 57 and 39 yards and Tampa Bay clinched the NFC South for the third season in a row by defeating Carolina in Charlotte, N.C.

The Buccaneers (9-8) won five of their last six games in the regular season. Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield, who began last season playing for Carolina, was 20-for-32 for 137 passing yards as the Buccaneers completed the season sweep.

Carolina (2-15) finished with the worst record in the NFL. Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 overall pick in last spring’s draft, was 11-for-18 for 94 yards and was sacked three times. Running back Chuba Hubbard gained 83 yards on 23 carries.

Bengals 31, Browns 14

Andrei Iosivas caught two touchdown passes and Joe Mixon ran for one score and caught another as host Cincinnati ended its season with a win over Cleveland, ensuring all four AFC North teams finished the season with a winning record.

Jake Browning threw for three touchdowns for the Bengals (9-8), finishing 18-of-24 passing with 156 yards and one interception before being replaced by AJ McCarron late in the third quarter.

The Browns (11-6) rested many of their starters, including quarterback Joe Flacco, with the fifth seed in the AFC sewn up. Jeff Driskel started and played the entire game, going 13 of 26 for 166 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Lions 30, Vikings 20

Jared Goff passed for 320 yards and two touchdowns, including a 70-yard strike to Amon-Ra St. Brown, as Detroit defeated visiting Minnesota.

St. Brown caught seven passes for 144 yards for the NFC North champion Lions (12-5), who will host the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round. Tight end Sam LaPorta caught a 2-yard touchdown pass but injured his knee late in the first half after making another catch.

Nick Mullens passed for 396 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for the Vikings (7-10), who were officially eliminated from postseason contention. Justin Jefferson caught 12 passes for 192 yards and a touchdown.

Saints 48, Falcons 17

Derek Carr threw a season-high four touchdown passes and host New Orleans defeated Atlanta.

Carr passed for 264 yards while Kendre Miller had his biggest workload of the season in the absence of injured Alvin Kamara and rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Despite picking up the victory, New Orleans (9-8) was eliminated from playoff contention when the Packers beat Chicago.

Desmond Ridder, starting in place of injured Taylor Heinicke (ankle), passed for 291 yards with two touchdowns and an interception for the Falcons (7-10). Bijan Robinson rushed for just 28 yards, but he caught seven passes that went for 103 yards and a touchdown.

Titans 28, Jaguars 20

Derrick Henry rushed for 153 yards and a touchdown in what might have been his last game for Tennessee as the Titans quashed Jacksonville’s hopes of a second straight AFC South title in Nashville.

Ryan Tannehill completed 17 of 26 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns with an interception in what was probably his last game for Tennessee (6-11). Both Henry and Tannehill become free agents in March.

Trevor Lawrence hit 29 of 43 attempts for 280 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions for Jacksonville (9-8). It was a disappointing end to a highly anticipated season for the Jaguars, who lost five of their last six games to miss the playoffs.

Seahawks 21, Cardinals 20

Geno Smith threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett with 1:54 remaining, then found Lockett in the back of the end zone for a two-point conversion, as Seattle defeated Arizona in Glendale, Ariz.

Despite the victory, the Seahawks (9-8) missed the playoffs, as they also needed a Green Bay loss to Chicago in the regular-season finale.

Arizona’s Matt Prater missed a 51-yard field-goal attempt on the game’s final play. Prater also was wide right on a 43-yard try with 2:59 left that would’ve given the Cardinals (4-13) a 10-point lead. Smith completed 16 of 28 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns.

Raiders 27, Broncos 14

Aidan O’Connell threw for 244 yards and two touchdowns to lift Las Vegas over visiting Denver in the season finale.

Jakobi Meyers caught a touchdown pass and ran for another score and Zamir White rushed for 112 yards on 25 carries for the Raiders (8-9), who won their eighth in a row against the Broncos.

Jarrett Stidham started his second straight game for Denver (8-9) and completed 20 of 34 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Chiefs 13, Chargers 12

Harrison Butker kicked a 41-yard field goal with 49 seconds left, enabling Kansas City to edge Los Angeles in Inglewood, Calif.

Kansas City (11-6) trailed by two points after Cameron Dicker made his fourth field goal of the day, a 20-yarder with 4:06 remaining that gave Los Angeles (5-12) its only lead of the game. But Blaine Gabbert ran for gains of 25 and 14 yards to put Butker in range for the game-winner.

The Chiefs rested quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and many other regulars in a game that didn’t affect their playoff seeding. Kansas City will be the AFC’s third seed. Chargers quarterback Easton Stick hit on 28 of 47 passes for 258 yards and also rushed for 77 yards on 13 attempts.

Giants 27, Eagles 10

Saquon Barkley rushed for two touchdowns and New York dominated struggling Philadelphia in the regular-season finale for both teams at East Rutherford, N.J.

Tyrod Taylor passed for 297 yards and one touchdown as the Giants (6-11) snapped a five-game losing streak against the Eagles. Xavier McKinney had two interceptions as New York defeated Philadelphia for just the third time in the past 16 meetings.

Jalen Hurts was just 7-of-16 passing for 55 yards and one interception before being pulled in the second quarter for the Eagles (11-6), who lost for the fifth time in six games. Philadelphia is an NFC wild-card team, and the No. 5-seeded Eagles will visit the No. 4 Buccaneers next week in the playoffs.

Rams 21, 49ers 20

Carson Wentz threw for two touchdowns and rallied Los Angeles by rushing for a late score and completing a pass for the two-point conversion in a win over San Francisco in Santa Clara, Calif.

The game was laden with reserves as both teams were assured of playoff berths. The 49ers (12-5) were locked in as the top seed in the NFC, and the Rams (10-7) locked down the No. 6 seed with the win.

Not sitting out Sunday was Los Angeles star wide receiver Puka Nacua. Nacua played into the third quarter, just long enough to set rookie records on consecutive catches. A 7-yard reception pushed his yardage total past the 1,473 mark of rookie Bill Groman of the Houston Oilers in 1960. On the next play, Wentz and Nacua connected for the fifth time, giving Nacua 105 catches, one more than the Miami Dolphins’ Jaylen Waddle in 2021.

–Field Level Media

Niners Installed as Favorites

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SANTA CLARA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After falling to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship Game a season ago, the San Francisco 49ers are the favorites to go all the way this time around.

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San Francisco locked down the No. 1 seed in the NFC back in Week 17, doing so via a 27-10 victory over the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia’s 35-31 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

The 49ers rested most of their regulars and dropped a 21-20 decision to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but that setback wasn’t nearly enough to dissuade the books from installing a new favorite.

FanDuel is offering the most bettor-friendly odds for those who plan on taking the Niners, as San Francisco sits at +230. BetMGM has the 49ers listed at +225, and DraftKings puts the line at +220.

Prior to Sunday’s loss, the Niners had won seven of their past eight games. They finished the regular season 12-5.

The Ravens, who went 13-4 and captured the top seed in the AFC, have the second-shortest odds on DraftKings (+310), BetMGM (+325) and FanDuel (+350). Then, there is a steep drop-off.

AFC East champion Buffalo has the third-best odds to bring home its first Super Bowl title at +650 on all three aforementioned books. The Dallas Cowboys are listed at +750 on DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM, with FanDuel and BetMGM both putting defending champion Kansas City at +900. The Chiefs are at +1000 on DraftKings.

Losers of five of their last six games of the regular season, the Eagles come in at +1300 on FanDuel and BetMGM and +1600 on DraftKings.

The underdogs of this year’s postseason? The Steelers. Pittsburgh snuck into the playoffs, first beating the Ravens 17-10 on Saturday before getting help Sunday from the Tennessee Titans, who defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 28-20.

Pittsburgh has the longest odds at +13000 on FanDuel, +12500 on BetMGM and +12000 on DraftKings.

–Field Level Media

NFL Final Weekend: Searching for a Diamond on a 100-Yard Field

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MIAMI GARDENS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Miami Dolphins barely bothered to show up last week against the Baltimore Ravens, failing to cover the expanded +10.5 and scuttling a tasty three-team parlay.

It’s those spiraling Dolphins we’ll target this week in an epic Sunday night matchup to decide the AFC East champ.

See how this primary wager developed, along with a bonus play and a player prop below.

THE HEADLINER

Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins, NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET, Bills -3.

NFL fans are well aware that Buffalo needs a victory to take the AFC East title, and that provides sufficient motivation for the Bills.

The betting line has inched consistently toward Buffalo, landing at -3 by midweek.

Adding to the motivation equation is the fact that quarterback Josh Allen and company might need to win the game just to make the playoffs.

By any measure, though, a victory to seize the AFC’s No. 2 seed is the Buffalo target in South Florida Sunday night.

The Dolphins are trending downward. According to Action Network numbers, Miami gave up .54 expected points added (EPA) per play in last week’s 56-19 submission in Baltimore.

Although they beat Dallas on a last-second field goal the week before, that Dolphins effort landed in the bottom third of all defenses. Over the past month, Action reports Miami is 24th in defense.

Not good.

Coach Mike McDaniel’s offense isn’t bailing out the defense, either, ranking 16th in offensive EPA/play over the past month, again per Action Network numbers.

The Bills’ improving defense isn’t going to make it easy on the Dolphins offense.

Over its past four games, Buffalo’s defense gave up an average of only 17.5 points per game (No. 4 in the NFL during that span), 277 total yards per game (fourth) and a 66.7 passer rating (third best).

“I think it’s the rush and coverage working together and the communication that we’re developing with the back seven … ” Bills coach Sean McDermott said.

“I credit those guys on the back end but also the front with their ability to rush the passer.”

Working in Miami’s favor is Allen’s underwhelming passing numbers recently – a development largely the result of his offensive line’s failure to provide much time to throw.

Working against Miami? The absence of its top two pass rushers, Jaelen Phillips (Achilles) and Bradley Chubb (ACL).

Allen is ready to enjoy a little more time to find open targets as he did in the Week 4 meeting in Buffalo. He threw four TD passes in the 48-20 rout and added a rushing touchdown.

In addition to Phillips and Chubb, the Dolphins don’t expect starting corner Xavien Howard (foot) and No. 2 wideout Jaylen Waddle (ankle) to play.

And Miami deeply missed running back Raheem Mostert (ankle, knee) against the Ravens.

The bet: Bills -3 (DraftKings.)

THEY SAID IT

“We’ve talked about this for the last five, six weeks of how our season can go and what we want to do and what we want to accomplish and everything that we want to accomplish is still in front of us. But again, it’s going to take a group effort in all three phases to go get a victory on Sunday in a hostile environment.”

— Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

BONUS PLAY

Eagles at Giants, Cowboys at Commanders, 4:25 p.m. ET

The Eagles are stumbling; the Cowboys are riding good fortune in the wake of their last-gasp survival against the Detroit Lions.

If Philadelphia wins and Dallas loses, the Eagles claim the NFC East crown. The Cowboys just need to defeat the lowly Commanders to earn the division title.

This makes for a nice first-half opportunity. Both teams should be able to carve out a lead before halftime.

The bet: Parlay the Cowboys’ first-half moneyline (-380) with the Eagles’ first-half moneyline (-175) for a -102 wager. (DraftKings)

PROP CORNER

The debate continues in Chicago regarding quarterback Justin Fields’ status with the Bears, who own the top pick in the 2024 draft.

Has Fields done enough to cement his position as the starter, or will Chicago grab a QB with the No. 1 selection?

Take a swing with Fields in a game the Bears would love to win. They haven’t beaten Green Bay in more than five years, so there’s your motivation – and Fields should deliver a top effort.

Prop play: Bears QB Justin Fields’ 175 or more adjusted passing yards parlayed with 40 or more adjusted rushing yards. (+100 at FanDuel.)

–Field Level Media

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