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THE Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive with a big win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 18 of the NFLwhile the Seattle Seahawks also finished on a high note heading into the playoffs.
But there was still plenty to gain in the rest of the AFC and NFC, with the Atlanta Falcons hoping to lead the Bucs back to the division title, and the Houston Texans looking to extend their winning streak to nine games heading into the playoffs.
Find scores, results and highlights from Week 18 in the NFL as 101GreatGoals.com takes a look back at the action.
Houston Texans 38-30 Indianapolis Colts
CJ Stroud threw one 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 clinched a third straight playoff berth despite resting key starters in the second half, including Stroud, Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley. Rookie Riley Leonard totaled 270 passing yards with two touchdowns and a 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 fumble 17 yards for a touchdown to extend Houston’s lead. Jonathan Taylor finished with 1,585 rushing yards for 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, beating the Dallas Cowboys 34-17 to finish with back-to-back wins.
Rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart threw his 14th and 15th touchdown passes, connecting with Daniel Bellinger on a pass and run and Tyrone Tracy, finishing 22 of 32 for 231 yards.
Despite injuries and illnesses, the Giants played the entire game with their starters, taking it seriously.
Dallas, on the other hand, approached it as a light outing, with Dak Prescott coming out after halftime. Prescott completed seven of 11 passes for 70 yards and lost a fumble before being replaced by Joe Milton. He finished the season with 4,552 passing yards, just behind his 2019 total of 4,902.
Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah scored their first NFL rushing touchdowns for Dallas, which lost to New York for the first time since 2020, ending a nine-game winning streak against the Giants.
Cleveland Browns 20-18 Cincinnati Bengals
Myles Garrett set the NFL single-season sack record with his 23rd sack, and Shedeur Sanders led a late drive capped by Andre Szmyt’s 49-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Cleveland Browns a 20-18 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.
Cleveland (5-12) scored the previous two touchdowns on defense, with Devin Bush returning an interception 97 yards and Sam Webb recovering a fumble 47 yards. Sanders finished 11 of 22 for 111 yards, orchestrating the final 40-yard drive in 10 plays after Ja’Marr Chase’s 4-yard touchdown run put Cincinnati ahead 18-17 with 1:29 left.
Joe Burrow finished 29 of 39 for 236 yards with three touchdowns and an interception, while Chase had eight catches for 96 yards. Browns coach Kevin Stefanski’s future remains uncertain, with a decision expected Monday.
The victory marks Cleveland’s first consecutive victory in two years.
New Orleans Saints 17-19 Atlanta Falcons
The Carolina Panthers ended a seven-year playoff drought on Sunday, winning the NFC South despite losing 16-14 to the Buccaneers.
Carolina benefited from the Falcons’ 19-17 victory over New Orleans, giving the Panthers the division title with an 8-9 record and 3-1 leads against the Saints and Falcons, including a 2-0 mark against Atlanta.
Carolina became the first team since at least 1990 to make the playoffs in the final week despite a losing record and a loss in their final game.
The Falcons secured their victory 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 wild-card opponent. If the Los Angeles Rams beat Arizona, they will travel to Charlotte; otherwise, San Francisco will travel to Bank of America Stadium.
Green Bay Packers 3-16 Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings closed out a frustrating season with a 16-3 victory over a resting Green Bay Packers team on Sunday.
JJ McCarthy had a strong first half, going 14 of 23 for 182 yards, before exiting 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 recorded his sixth straight 1,000-yard season, becoming only the third receiver in NFL history to achieve the feat. CJ Ham contributed a short rushing touchdown, while Dallas Turner had two of Minnesota’s four sacks, collectively putting Green Bay back 41 yards.
The Packers, with most of the starters rested and Clayton Tune making his second career start, managed just minus-7 passing yards. A late basket by Brandon McManus prevented a shutout. Minnesota finished 9-8, earning its fifth straight victory to end the year.
Tennessee Titans 7-41 Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdown passes, setting the Jacksonville Jaguars’ single-season record for total scores, as the team defeated Tennessee 41-7 to win the AFC South and secure a home playoff game.
The Jaguars (13-4) swept the Titans for the third time in four seasons, winning their third division title in nine years and surpassing 12 wins for only 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 played in the fourth quarter to reach 4,000 passing 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 returned 58 yards by Antonio Johnson.
Jacksonville, winner of eight straight games, will wait to find out its seeding and playoff opponent, likely hosting Buffalo, Houston or the Chargers.
