The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept their playoff hopes alive with a big win over the Carolina Panthers in Week 18 in the NFL, as the Seattle Seahawks also finished on a high note heading into the postseason.
But there was still plenty up for grabs across the rest of the AFC and NFC, with the Atlanta Falcons hoping to pick the Bucs to the divisional title, and the Houston Texans looking to extend their winning run to nine games heading into the playoffs.
Catch up with the scores, results and highlights from Week 18 in the NFL as 101GreatGoals.com looks back on 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 win 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 consecutive 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 fumble 17 yards for a touchdown to pad 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 their season on a high note, defeating 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 shovel pass-and-run and Tyrone Tracy, finishing 22 of 32 for 231 yards.
Despite injuries and illnesses, the Giants played their starters the full game, treating it seriously.
Dallas, by contrast, approached it as a light outing, with Dak Prescott exiting after halftime. Prescott completed seven of 11 passes for 70 yards and lost a fumble before being replaced by Joe Milton. He ended the season with 4,552 passing yards, second only to his 2019 total of 4,902.
Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah scored their first NFL rushing touchdowns for Dallas, who lost to New York for the first time since 2020, snapping 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 win over the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday.
Cleveland (5-12) scored both earlier touchdowns on defense, with Devin Bush returning an interception 97 yards and Sam Webb recovering a fumble for 47 yards. Sanders finished 11 of 22 for 111 yards, orchestrating the final 40-yard, 10-play drive after Ja’Marr Chase’s 4-yard touchdown had 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 back-to-back victories in two years.
New Orleans Saints 17-19 Atlanta Falcons
The Carolina Panthers ended a seven-year playoff drought Sunday, claiming the NFC South despite losing 16-14 to the Buccaneers.
Carolina benefited from the Falcons’ 19-17 win over New Orleans, giving the Panthers the division title with an 8-9 record and a 3-1 edge against the Saints and Falcons, including a 2-0 mark over Atlanta.
Carolina became the first team since at least 1990 to make the playoffs in the final week despite a losing record and a defeat 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 visit Charlotte; otherwise, San Francisco travels to Bank of America Stadium.
Green Bay Packers 3-16 Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings closed a frustrating season with a 16-3 win over a resting Green Bay Packers team Sunday.
J.J. 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 secured his sixth consecutive 1,000-yard season, becoming only the third receiver in NFL history to achieve the feat. C.J. Ham contributed a short rushing touchdown, while Dallas Turner had two of Minnesota’s four sacks, collectively setting Green Bay back 41 yards.
The Packers, with most starters resting and Clayton Tune making his second career start, managed just minus-7 passing yards. A late Brandon McManus field goal prevented a shutout. Minnesota finished 9-8, claiming their 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 total scores, as the team routed 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, claiming 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 into the fourth quarter to reach 4,000 passing yards for the third time in his career.
Tennessee’s 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, winners of eight straight, will wait to learn its playoff seeding and opponent, likely hosting Buffalo, Houston, or the Chargers.
