This was FINALLY the week that teams started clinching spots in the playoffs. In the early games, the Vikings could have punched their ticket with a win, but they fell to the Panthers, who showed us a little bit of everything.
NFL scores 2017: Live results, highlights, and more from Week 14
Two teams punched their playoff ticket on Sunday.
Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images
The Patriots and Steelers were in if the Bills lost or tied the Colts — and that almost happened. The game, which was played in a miserable-looking snowstorm went to overtime. With just a couple minutes left, LeSean McCoy trudged through the snow for a walkoff touchdown for Buffalo.
That wasn’t the only overtime game in the early window. The Browns blew a 14-point lead -- and another chance for their first win of the season -- against the Packers. The possibility of 0-16 is looking even more realistic.
The Chiefs finally got back in the win column this week, and they looked like the team they were in September.
In the late afternoon, the Eagles became the first team to clinch a spot in the playoff. They beat the Rams in a matchup that felt like a playoff game. But the bad news is that Carson Wentz may have torn his ACL.
The Steelers became the first AFC team to make the postseason with their comeback win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football.
Catch up with all the biggest news and best highlights from Sunday:
News
Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence says “f*** them refs” after a lack of holding calls vs. the Giants.
DeShone Kizer said he had a game-winning TD lined up before his pick vs the Packers. He was right.
James Harrison says he wouldn’t have signed with the Steelers if he knew he was just going to be “an insurance policy.”
Highlights
Eli Manning received a standing ovation from Giants fans in his first start back from his benching.
Josh Gordon’s first touchdown in four years gave the Browns hope again.
Adam Vinatieri’s FG attempt was no match for Buffalo’s heavy snow.
This fan video shows just how ridiculous the Bills snowstorm game is.
Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is the Texans’ newest cheerleader (for one week).
The Browns wide receivers are celebrating touchdowns with “deal with it” sunglasses.
The Colts forced OT against the Bills with an amazing curveball extra point in the snow.
LeBron James live-tweeted the Browns crumbling against the Packers.
The Eagles celebrated a touchdown with The Mighty Ducks-inspired Flying V.
The Titans lost the AFC South lead, largely because of this dumb fake punt try.
Fights erupted left and right at the end of Seahawks vs. Jaguars game. Sheldon Richardson and Quinton Jefferson were both ejected.
The Seahawks’ comeback bid vs. Jaguars ended on an inexplicable no-call.
Carson Wentz got hurt, then ran four plays that ended in a touchdown.
The Ravens ran out of time vs. the Steelers because a fumble can’t stop the clock.
Injuries
Tom Savage left with an injury against the 49ers. He was later diagnosed with a concussion and ruled out. T.J. Yates took over at quarterback for the Texans.
Nathan Peterman exited with an injury and Joe Webb replaced him at quarterback.
Josh McCown, coming off his best game of the season, left after breaking his hand against the Broncos. Bryce Petty entered the game at quarterback.
Carson Wentz was taken to the locker room against the Rams with a knee injury and did not return. The Eagles fear it’s a torn ACL.
Week 14 scores and schedule (all times Eastern)
Buffalo Bills 13, Indianapolis Colts 7 (OT)
Carolina Panthers 31, Minnesota Vikings 24
Green Bay Packers 27, Cleveland Browns 21 (OT)
Kansas City Chiefs 26, Oakland Raiders 15
Dallas Cowboys 30, New York Giants 10
Denver Broncos 23, New York Jets 0
Los Angeles Chargers 30, Washington 13
Jacksonville Jaguars 30, Seattle Seahawks 24
Philadelphia Eagles 43, Los Angeles Rams 35
Pittsburgh Steelers 39, Baltimore Ravens 38
The top stories from Sunday’s NFL action
Before the games
With just four weeks left in the regular season, NFL teams are either fighting for a playoff spot or draft position, depending on their place in the standings. We have multiple clinching scenarios in Week 14, with several teams getting a shot to punch their ticket to the postseason.
The biggest game of the early afternoon features the Panthers taking on the Vikings, with Minnesota hoping to keep the No. 1 seed after the Eagles stumbled last week. The Panthers are still alive in the NFC South, but with the Falcons creeping up behind them, they won’t have any margin for error.
Another early game with playoff implications features the Chiefs, who are suddenly in a three-way tie for the AFC West lead after blowing a 5-0 start. They face the Raiders, who staged a memorable comeback to beat KC back in October. Both teams will be desperate for a win, especially with the Chargers getting a beatable Washington team later in the day.
The late afternoon features two massive matchups in Eagles-Rams and Seahawks-Jaguars. The Seahawks are traveling cross-country to Jacksonville, with MVP candidate Russell Wilson going up against a fearsome Jags pass rush. Another MVP contender, Carson Wentz, gets his shot at the Rams defense, while Jared Goff tries to keep the Rams ahead of Seattle in the standings. Both of these games could end up having a big impact on the playoff picture.
Finally, on Sunday night we have an AFC North grudge match with the Steelers and Ravens, which hopefully won’t have as many gruesome injuries as the Steelers’ win last week. Pittsburgh clinches the division title with a win, though the Ravens still have firm control of a Wild Card spot.
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