In a thrilling conclusion to the NFL regular season, several teams made history and secured their spots in the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers led the Steelers to an AFC North title, while the Panthers claimed their first NFC South championship in a decade. The Broncos also solidified their position as the AFC’s top seed.

The Steelers’ victory over the Ravens was a nail-biter. With just 55 seconds left on the clock, Rodgers found Calvin Austin III for a 26-yard touchdown pass, giving Pittsburgh a 26-24 win. The Ravens’ Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal at the end of the game, sealing the outcome. Rodgers expressed his emotions, stating, “It’s pretty emotional. I’m thankful for these guys. … It’s been an absolute blessing to be here.”

Meanwhile, the Carolina Panthers clinched their division title when the Falcons defeated the Saints 19-17, eliminating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from playoff contention. This marks the Panthers’ first NFC South title in 10 years. The team is making its first playoff appearance under owner David Tepper and since 2017, when they lost a wild-card game after a 15-1 season.

Denver also had a strong finish, securing a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 19-3 win over the Chargers. Seattle earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed by defeating the 49ers 13-3.

The Jaguars had a standout performance, winning the AFC South with a 41-7 rout of Tennessee. Under rookie coach Liam Coen and quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars experienced a major turnaround after finishing 4-13 in 2024.

Wild-card weekend will feature several exciting matchups:

• Los Angeles Rams (12-5) vs. Carolina Panthers (8-9), Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
• Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) vs. Chicago Bears (11-6), Saturday, 8 p.m.
• Buffalo Bills (12-5) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4), Sunday, 1 p.m.
• San Francisco 49ers (12-5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6), Sunday, 4:30 p.m.
• Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) vs. New England Patriots (14-3), Sunday, 8 p.m.
• Houston Texans (12-5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), Monday, 8 p.m.

Led by second-year coach Dave Canales and third-year quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers are making their first playoff appearance since 2017. Canales shared his excitement, saying, “I’m so grateful to have one more opportunity to get back to work where we can get on the grass, go through the preparation and have our meetings. Once we are in cleats and on that grass it’s like the next thing becomes clear, the focus of what we are doing. … It’s like here we go, we get one opportunity and let’s make this statement true: 1-0 with a chance to win a championship. How long can we keep that statement true?”

The Buccaneers, despite a late-season win over Carolina, failed to secure a playoff spot. They lost a three-team tiebreaker with the Falcons, who also finished 8-9. Tampa Bay started the season strong with a 6-2 record but struggled down the stretch, missing out on their fifth consecutive division title.

Sam Darnold and the Seahawks earned a first-round bye, while the 49ers, led by Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, missed an opportunity to play at home for the rest of the playoffs. Levi’s Stadium, which hosts the Super Bowl on February 8, will not be the site of the 49ers’ games.

AFC East

New England won its first division title since Tom Brady led the team to 11 straight titles from 2009 to 2019. The Bills, however, saw their five-year division title streak come to an end, and they will face the road in the playoffs.

AFC North

The Steelers claimed their first division title since 2020.

AFC South

Jacksonville won the division for the first time since 2022, when first-year coach Doug Pederson guided them to a 9-8 record and a wild-card playoff victory over the Chargers.

The Texans secured the No. 5 seed with a 38-30 win over Indianapolis. Houston is in the playoffs for the third consecutive season under coach DeMeco Ryans and QB C.J. Stroud.

AFC West

The Broncos ended Kansas City’s nine-year run. Denver has not been the No. 1 seed since Peyton Manning and a stifling defense beat Carolina in the Super Bowl 10 years ago. The Chargers are in the playoffs for the second straight season under Jim Harbaugh.

NFC East

The defending Super Bowl champion Eagles became the first team to win this division in consecutive seasons in two decades. They missed a chance to be the No. 2 seed when they rested starters and lost 24-17 to Washington.

NFC North

The Bears clinched their first division championship since 2018. They lost 19-16 to Detroit but secured the No. 2 seed because the Eagles lost.

The Packers were locked into the No. 7 seed after Week 17.

NFC South

The Panthers backed into a division title but are ahead of schedule in their rebuilding process.

NFC West

The Seahawks earned the No. 1 seed for the fourth time in team history. They reached the Super Bowl the first three times, winning once. The Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals 37-20 to secure the No. 5 seed and a rematch at Carolina. The Panthers beat them 31-28 on November 30.

After falling to secure a bye, the 49ers dropped to the No. 6 seed and will face Philadelphia in a rematch of the NFC championship game following the 2022 season.