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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive with a big win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 18 NFLas the Seattle Seahawks also ended on a high note heading into the postseason.
But there was still plenty up for grabs in the rest of the AFC and NFC, with the Atlanta Falcons hoping to pick off the Bucs for the division title and the Houston Texans looking to extend their winning streak to nine games heading into the playoffs.
Catch up with results, scores and highlights from Week 18 NFL while 101GreatGoals.com looks back at the action.
Houston Texans 38-30 Indianapolis Colts
C.J. Stroud threw for a touchdown and ran for another, and Ka’imi Fairbairn’s 43-yard field goal with 12 seconds left lifted the Houston Texans to a 38-30 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, extending Houston’s winning streak to nine games and securing the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs.
The Texans won their third straight postseason berth despite resting key starters in the second half, including Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley. Rookie Riley Leonard had 270 passing yards with two TDs and one rushing score for Indianapolis, but also threw an interception and lost a fumble.
Alec Pierce added 132 receiving yards with two touchdowns before being ejected late in the third quarter.
Defensive tackle Tommy Togiai returned Leonard’s punt 17 yards for a touchdown to give Houston the lead. Jonathan Taylor finished with 1,585 rushing yards on the season, second in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys 17-34 New York Giants
The New York Giants closed out their season on a high note, defeating the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 to finish with back-to-back victories.
Rookie quarterback Jackson Dart threw his 14th and 15th touchdown passes, connecting with Daniel Bellinger on a shovel pass and run and Tyrone Tracy, finishing 22 of 32 for 231 yards.
Despite injuries and illnesses, the Giants played their starters the entire game, taking it seriously.
Dallas, on the other hand, approached it as a soft exit, with Dak Prescott leaving after halftime. Prescott completed seven of 11 passes for 70 yards and lost one fumble before being replaced by Joe Milton. He finished the season with 4,552 passing yards, second only to his 2019 total of 4,902.
Jaden Blue and Phil Maffa scored their first NFL rushing touchdowns for Dallas, which lost to New York for the first time since 2020, snapping a nine-game hitting streak against the Giants.
Cleveland Browns 20-18 Cincinnati Bengals
Myles Garrett set an NFL single-season sack record with his 23rd sack, and Shadeur Sanders led a late drive that ended with Andre Schmidt’s 49-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cleveland Browns a 20-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Cleveland (5-12) scored both of its earlier touchdowns on defense, with Devin Bush returning an interception 97 yards and Sam Webb returning a fumble 47 yards. Sanders finished 11 of 22 for 111 yards, orchestrating the final drive of 40 yards and 10 plays after Ja’Marr Chase’s 4-yard touchdown put Cincinnati ahead 18-17 with 1:29 left.
Joe Burrow was 29 of 39 for 236 yards with three TDs and one interception, while Chase had eight catches for 96 yards. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski’s future remains uncertain, with a decision expected Monday.
The win marked Cleveland’s first straight win in two years.
New Orleans Saints 17-19 Atlanta Falcons
The Carolina Panthers ended a seven-year playoff drought Sunday, capturing the NFC South despite a 16-14 loss to the Buccaneers.
Carolina took advantage of the Falcons’ 19-17 victory over New Orleans, giving the Panthers the division title with an 8-9 record and a 3-1 advantage against the Saints and Falcons, including a 2-0 over Atlanta.
Carolina became the first team since at least 1990 to make the playoffs in the final week despite losing their last game.
The Falcons secured the win after Dee Alford returned an interception 59 yards to set up Zane Gonzalez’s field goal, and Atlanta recovered an onside kick after a late Saints touchdown.
The Panthers now await their NFC wildcard opponent. If the Los Angeles Rams beat Arizona, they visit Charlotte; otherwise, San Francisco travels to Bank of America Stadium.
Green Bay Packers 3-16 Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings capped off a disappointing season with a 16-3 victory over the rested Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
JJ McCarthy had a strong first half, going 14 of 23 for 182 yards before leaving in the third quarter with a right hand injury.
Backup Max Brosmer finished at quarterback, helping Justin Jefferson reach 100 yards for the first time in 12 games.
Jefferson also secured his sixth straight 1,000-yard season, becoming just the third receiver in NFL history to accomplish the feat. C.J. Hamm contributed a short rushing touchdown, while Dallas Turner had two of Minnesota’s four sacks, collectively turning Green Bay back 41 yards.
The Packers, with most starters rested and Clayton Thune starting for the second time in his career, managed just minus-7 yards passing. A late field goal by Brandon McManus prevented a shutout. Minnesota finished 9-8, earning its fifth straight win to end the year.
Tennessee Titans 7-41 Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, setting the Jacksonville Jaguars’ single-season record for passing yards, as the team defeated Tennessee 41-7 to win the AFC South and secure a home playoff game.
The Jaguars (13-4) beat the Titans for the third time in four seasons, winning their third division title in nine years and surpassing 12 wins for just the second time in franchise history.
Lawrence completed 22 of 30 passes for 255 yards, finding Brenton Strange, Parker Washington and Quintin Morris for scores, and had a fourth-quarter game to reach 4,000 yards for the third time in his career.
Tennessee rookie Cam Ward left early with a shoulder injury and backup Brandon Allen was ineffective, throwing an interception that was returned 58 yards by Antonio Johnson.
Jacksonville, winner of eight straight games, will wait to learn its playoff seeding and opponent, likely hosting Buffalo, Houston or the Chargers.
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