Most of the postseason bracket was set before Sunday Night Football. However, the Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions game determined the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed. The losing team would enter the wild-card round as the No. 5 seed, meaning two critical spots were still undecided.
Kyle Shanahan Discusses 49ers’ Blowout Loss to Cardinals
The Lions secured their second consecutive division title with four touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs.
With the defeat, the Vikings became the first 14-win wild-card team in history, an unfortunate distinction after such a strong season. Meanwhile, the Lions earned a bye week and home-field advantage leading up to the Super Bowl.
NFC
Wild-card round:
No. 7 Green Bay Packers at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles, 4:30 p.m. Sunday
For the second straight year, Green Bay is the No. 7 seed and will play on the road in the wild-card round. The Packers defeated Dallas last year and pushed the San Francisco 49ers to the edge in the divisional round.
This wild-card game is a rematch of the season opener in Brazil. The Eagles won 34-29, with Packers quarterback Jordan Love suffering a knee injury in the final minute. Love missed only two games after that Week 1 loss.
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams, 8 p.m. Monday
Winning 14 games this season earns the Vikings a trip to Los Angeles to take on Matthew Stafford and the NFC West champion Rams.
Minnesota’s last defeat before Week 18 came against Stafford and the Rams. Now, the Vikings face the reality of a 14-4 season, with losses to only Detroit and L.A.
No. 6 Washington Commanders at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:20 p.m. Sunday
Jayden Daniels has led the Commanders back to the playoffs, a challenging achievement for a rookie quarterback. Washington will visit the Buccaneers, who just secured their fourth consecutive AFC South title.
Divisional round
No. 1 Detroit Lions – vs. lowest remaining seed
AFC
Wild-card round
No. 7 Denver Broncos at No. 2 Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. Sunday
Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has brought the Broncos back to the playoffs for the first time in ten years. Their reward is a January trip to Buffalo to face Josh Allen and the Bills. The two teams have not played each other this season.
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers at No. 4 Houston Texans, 4:30 p.m. Saturday
Two young star quarterbacks will face off in a thrilling wild-card game in Houston. Jim Harbaugh, coming off a national championship win at Michigan, led the Chargers to the playoffs in his first year. The Chargers and Texans did not meet during the regular season.
No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens, 8 p.m. Saturday
Get ready for fireworks. No matter how often these teams face off, it always feels like a marquee event. Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and the Ravens form a powerhouse but face a tough divisional opponent. The AFC North rivals split their season series, with each team winning at home.
Divisional round
No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs vs. lowest remaining seed
