Playoff picture takes shape, Packers and Steelers join the mix

[January 08, 2024]  (Reuters) - The National Football League playoff picture came into sharper focus on Sunday as the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers kept their respective seasons and Super Bowl hopes alive.

The final day of the 18-week regular season began with 11 teams vying for the final four of 14 playoff spots available across the American Football Conference and National Football Conference, with four of the eight division titles up for grabs.

Jan 7, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) makes a catch past Chicago Bears safety Eddie Jackson (4) during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Houston, who closed out their regular season with a win on Saturday, clinched the AFC South title for the first time since 2019 and the conference's fourth seed thanks to the Jacksonville Jaguars' surprise loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Houston, led by standout rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud, will host the Cleveland Browns next week when the playoffs begin.

The Jacksonville loss also sent the Bills and Steelers, who kept their playoff hopes alive with a win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, into the postseason.

Tampa Bay, in their first season without record-setting quarterback Tom Brady, beat the Carolina Panthers 9-0 to secure their third consecutive NFC South title and fourth consecutive playoff appearance.

The Buccaneers enter the postseason as the NFC's fourth seed and will host last year's Super Bowl runner-up, the Philadelphia Eagles, in their playoff opener.

The final playoff spot went to Green Bay, whose 17-9 win over the Chicago Bears ended the playoff hopes of the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints.

The Dallas Cowboys had already secured a playoff berth but with their 38-10 rout of the Washington Commanders on Sunday also locked up the NFC East title and will host their playoff opener against the Packers.

The AFC's Baltimore Ravens and NFC's San Francisco 49ers, who last week secured their respective conference's top seed - giving them a bye and home-field advantage for the postseason - will face the lowest-seeded team remaining in the Divisional Round.

A crucial prime-time clash between Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins was defined by a 21-14 win for the Bills, putting them at the top of the AFC East division late on Sunday and securing a fourth consecutive AFC East title.

Miami's loss meant they drop to the sixth seed and open the playoffs against the third seed and defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Additional reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Christopher Cushing)

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