The NFL has a unique challenge every May when it unveils its schedule. It’s a gamble, hoping that the “TBD” slots reserved for the Saturday of Week 18 will be filled by games that are worthy of their own broadcast windows. January 3 provided further evidence that the league knows what it’s doing—offering two matchups with significant postseason implications. Even then, the schedule makers managed another win—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 16-14 loss to the Carolina Panthers didn’t decide the NFC South title (more on that later). On the other side of the country, the Seattle Seahawks defeated the San Francisco 49ers 13-3 to claim the NFC West and the conference’s top seed.

Winners

Seattle Seahawks

Despite being a better team on the road over the past two seasons under coach Mike Macdonald, the ‘Hawks have also won five consecutive games at Lumen Field, one of the most energetic venues in the league. They’ve also won 10 of their last 11 postseason games at home, although they lost to the Rams five years ago in their most recent playoff appearance in the Pacific Northwest. Still, securing the No. 1 seed offers a crucial week off and spares the Seahawks from a long trip from the nation’s corner, forcing another team to take the long flight instead.

Sam Darnold

Who says he can’t win the big game? As Seattle linebacker Ernest Jones IV put it—well, we can’t repeat what he said—but job well done, Sam.

Mother Nature

Still undefeated. The footing at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium was poor, affecting player movement, kicks, and the overall quality of play in such a critical game.

Seattle Defense

The Seahawks limited the 49ers to just three points after San Francisco had averaged 42.3 over its previous three games. That speaks volumes.

ESPN

The home of “Monday Night Football” continues to expand its presence late in the season, broadcasting both of Saturday’s key matchups and another during the wild-card round of the playoffs. A year from now, ESPN will host the Super Bowl for the first time, though it will be simulcast on ABC. Disney’s NFL footprint is likely to grow further as it prepares to acquire NFL Network, RedZone Channel, and other media assets owned by the NFL, highlighting the growing crossover between the entities.

Los Angeles Rams

They could move ahead of the 49ers and claim the fifth seed by defeating the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. This would set up a matchup against the sub-.500 NFC South champion, which could be the Panthers. The Rams beat the Panthers a few weeks ago, but Matthew Stafford and his team are ready for real stakes.

Atlanta Falcons

A team eliminated from postseason contention weeks ago now has something tangible to play for on Sunday against the Saints. A four-game winning streak could save this coaching staff, and knocking off the Bucs would be especially sweet.

Lavonte David

In what might be the 14-year veteran’s final game with the Bucs, David recorded six stops Saturday, tying Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks as the franchise’s most prolific tackler.

Rico Dowdle

The Carolina running back, who ran for nearly 1,100 yards in 2024 for the Dallas Cowboys but was undervalued, matched that figure this season and earned a $1 million bonus by reaching 1,350 yards from scrimmage. Dowdle, who signed a $2.75 million contract with the Panthers before the season, should see more opportunities in the market soon.

Losers

Rico Dowdle

With Carolina in the Bucs’ red zone early in the fourth quarter and trailing by nine, Dowdle slipped while tossing the ball back to QB Bryce Young on an apparent flea flicker. The fumble essentially ended the game, and even though the Bucs didn’t convert the turnover into points, they burned nearly six minutes off the clock before getting a blocked field-goal attempt.

San Francisco 49ers

Not only did they fail to climb to the top of the NFC, they could drop to sixth by Sunday night. Worse, QB Brock Purdy suffered a stinger near the end of the loss to Seattle and only has a week to recover before the Niners hit the playoff road.

Christian McCaffrey

A player who was receiving a late MVP push was responsible for a late turnover—unable to catch a Purdy pass near the goal line in the fourth quarter that turned into an interception. “It’s a play that I absolutely have to make,” McCaffrey said afterward.

Jason Myers

Seattle’s kicker missed two field goals, from 47 and 26 yards—not the kind of momentum you want to carry into the Super Bowl tournament.

Third-quarter officiating in Tampa

Whether it was the lateral that was prematurely blown dead or the dubious offensive pass interference against Tetairoa McMillan, the officials were particularly unkind to Carolina as it tried to narrow a 13-6 halftime deficit.

49ers offense

Starting Saturday without injured starters like all-universe LT Trent Williams and WR1 Ricky Pearsall was hardly ideal for facing the mighty Seahawks defense with so much at stake.

All NFL news on and off the field. Sign up for USA TODAY’s 4th and Monday newsletter.