Just a single additional domino stays in the NFL season finisher race as the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers fight for the NFC West title.
Heading into the last seven day stretch of the normal season, two postseason offers stayed available to all.
The Tennessee Titans verified the last AFC special case compartment with a triumph over the Houston Texans, which denied the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers the chance to challenge for a Super Bowl title.
The Philadelphia Eagles additionally caught the NFC East by beating the New York Giants. He was most likely in transit out as of now, yet missing the end of the season games is in all likelihood the last nail in Jason Garrett’s box as the Dallas Cowboys’ lead trainer.
In front of Sunday night’s down, here’s the postseason picture in the AFC and NFC, with title chances accessible through the Caesars sportsbook.
AFC
- Baltimore Ravens, 14-2 (+200)
- Kansas City Chiefs, 12-4 (+300)
- New England Patriots, 12-4 (+1800)
- Houston Texans, 10-6 (+4000)
- Buffalo Bills, 10-6 (+3500)
- Tennessee Titans, 9-7 (+7500)
NFC
- Green Bay Packers, 13-3 (+700)
- New Orleans Saints, 13-3 (+350)
- San Francisco 49ers, 12-3 (+350)
- Philadelphia Eagles, 9-7 (+4500)
- Seattle Seahawks, 11-4 (+900)
- Minnesota Vikings, 10-6 (+4000)
In addition to deciding the NFC West, San Francisco and Seattle are looking to avoid a road game against the Eagles in the Wild Card Round. These are the four matchups on deck in one week, with the full field available on NFL.com:
AFC Wild Card Round
- Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots
- Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans
NFC Wild Card Round
- Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks/San Francisco 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks/San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles
Looking ahead to the playoffs, the obvious question is whether anybody can stop the Baltimore Ravens.
With the AFC North and No. 1 seed in the AFC already wrapped up, Baltimore rested a few key players for Sunday’s game against the Steelers.
That afforded Mark Ingram an extra week to heal from what head coach John Harbaugh confirmed was a “mild to moderate” calf strain. He told reporters Thursday he expects to be ready when the Ravens return to action in the divisional round.
Ingram ran for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns in 15 games. Although MVP front-runner Lamar Jackson has deservedly received the most credit for the Ravens’ explosive offense, Ingram’s impact can’t be overlooked.
For the first time since 2009, the New England Patriots will participate in Wild Card Weekend. They lost to the Miami Dolphins when Ryan Fitzpatrick hit Mike Gesicki for a five-yard touchdown pass with 24 seconds left in the game.
That result, combined with the Kansas City Chiefs’ win over the Los Angeles Chargers, catapulted the Chiefs into the AFC’s No. 2 seed.
Although nobody will be surprised if New England makes another Super Bowl run, the dynasty may finally be approaching the twilight stage.
The Titans won’t be an easy out as Ryan Tannehill is enjoying a career renaissance and Derrick Henry continues to play like the running back who gave SEC defenses nightmares in college.
Like the Patriots, the New Orleans Saints are hopeful of delivering one more ring to their Hall of Fame-bound quarterback.
Drew Brees broke Peyton Manning’s career passing yards in October 2018 and then moved passed Manning in touchdown passes earlier this month. Although he wasn’t considered one of the NFL’s 10 greatest quarterbacks, Brees’ legacy is already secure. Adding a second championship would be the cherry on top.
They might be conference rivals, but the Saints could use a favor from the 49ers. Were Seattle to win, New Orleans would remain the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Getting at least a divisional-round matchup at Mercedes-Benz Superdome would allow the Saints a slightly easier path to Miami Gardens, Florida, for Super Bowl LIV.
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