The Albany Gazette - Packers and Buccaneers into playoffs, Jags crash out

The Packers' win secured them the last available wildcard spot in the NFC while in the AFC, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ground out victory over the Carolina Panthers to book their place in the postseason.

Packers quarterback Jordan Love, in his first full season as a starter after replacing Aaron Rodgers, found Dontayvion Wicks with a 12-yard pass in the third quarter to put the Packers 14-6 up.

The Bears could only manage a fourth quarter field goal in response and then Anders Carlson calmed any nerves at Lambeau Field with a 25-yard field goal to secure the win and send Green Bay into the post-season.

The Packers take the seventh seed spot and will travel to face the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys in wildcard weekend, a classic match-up of two of the league's historic franchises.

Dallas took care of business, winning the NFC East and the second seed with a 38-10 win over the Washington Commanders.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns as Dallas ended with a 12-5 record for the third straight season under head coach Mike McCarthy.

The Los Angeles Rams, who beat the San Francisco 49ers 21-20, take the sixth seed and will face the Lions in Detroit, a game which curiously pits both teams' quarterbacks against their former clubs.

The Rams took Matthew Stafford from the Lions in 2021 and sent Jared Goff to Detroit as part of the trade.

The 49ers, who had already secured the top seed in the NFC and a bye-week, rested starting quarterback Brock Purdy and the Rams also kept Stafford out of action.

- Eagles stumble again -

Stafford's back-up, Carson Wentz won the game with a 12-yard rush with 4:56 left in the fourth quarter.

The Lions, already qualified for the playoffs, claimed the third seed with a 30-20 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

The other NFC wildcard game will see Tampa Bay host the Philadelphia Eagles after three field goals from Chase McLaughlin sealed a dour 9-0 win for Tampa Bay in Charlotte.

The win ensured the 2021 Super Bowl champions advance to the postseason as NFC South divisional winners -- their third straight crown.

The Eagles lost 27-10 at the New York Giants, the fifth defeat in their last six games for last season's Super Bowl runners-up.

As the Bucs celebrated, the Jacksonville Jaguars were eliminated after a 28-20 defeat to Tennessee in Nashville that completed a miserable late season collapse.

Jacksonville looked to be cruising towards the postseason in late November after leading their division with an 8-3 record.

But the Jaguars' season imploded with five defeats in their final six regular season games as the fast-improving Houston Texans overtook them to clinch the AFC South.

The Titans – already eliminated from playoff contention -- took control of Sunday's clash in the third quarter when DeAndre Hopkins gathered a Ryan Tannehill pass for a six-yard touchdown completion that made it 28-13.

Jacksonville looked to launch a fourth quarter rally after Evan Engram's touchdown from Trevor Lawrence cut the gap to 28-20.

But after regaining possession, the Jags' bid for a potentially game-tying touchdown score faltered when Lawrence's attempt to reach into the end zone on fourth down was stopped just short to give possession back to the Titans.

Jacksonville had one last attempted drive but Lawrence was unable to make any headway – tossing an attempted throw on fourth down well beyond reach of his intended receiver -- as the Titans closed out the win.

Jacksonville's defeat means both the Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers clinched their playoff places.

The Bills face the Miami Dolphins later Sunday where a win will see them clinch the AFC East division, while the Steelers – winners over a depleted Baltimore on Saturday – have also squeezed into the wild card round despite finishing third in the AFC North.

In New England meanwhile, what could turn out to be the final game of the Bill Belichick era ended in defeat as the once-mighty Patriots slumped to a 17-3 loss against the New York Jets.

The defeat condemned the Patriots to a 4-13 regular season record – the worst of Belichick's 24-year reign in New England.

(M.Scott--TAG)