The New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys are headed to the NFL playoffs after victories in early games on the penultimate Sunday of the regular season.
The five-time Super Bowl champion Patriots (10-5) wrapped up their 10th consecutive American Football Conference (AFC) East title with a 24-12 win over the Buffalo Bills.
In doing so, they became the first franchise in NFL history to earn a playoff berth in 10 consecutive seasons.
With the strong running game, New England didn't need to rely on Tom Brady,who finished 13 of 24 passing for 126 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Brady's 48.3 quarterback rating was the seventh-lowest of his career.
"In #BUFvsNE, no body part, other than the hand or foot, touches the ground. The receiver is permitted to advance, and the play results in a TD." -AL pic.twitter.com/OxMBlTLY5o
— NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) December 23, 2018
The Cowboys (9-6) claimed the National Football Conference (NFC) East crown by turning back the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20.
The reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) kept their slim playoff hopes alive by upsetting the Houston Texans 32-30 on a 35-yard field goal as time expired.
Christian McCaffrey set the NFL record for the most receptions by a running back in the Carolina Panthers' loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
The second-year back ended the day with 12 receptions for 77 yards and now has 106 on the season with one game to play. He broke the record of 102 set by Matt Forte in 2014 with the Chicago Bears.
The playoffs begin on 5 January with the Super Bowl set for 3 February in Atlanta.
In the night's later games, the Bears earned their eighth win in nine games with a 14-9 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, guaranteeing at least the third seed in the NFC play-offs.
The New Orleans Saints, meanwhile, clinched the NFC top spot after rallying against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Drew Brees, who finished the game with 326 passing yards, found Michael Thomas with a two-yard pass with 1:25 left on the clock to close out the 31-28 win.
FINAL: The @Seahawks defeat the Chiefs! #Seahawks #KCvsSEA
— NFL (@NFL) December 24, 2018
(by @Lexus) pic.twitter.com/w8hArrz1MD
The Seattle Seahawks claimed an NFC wild-card berth with a 38-31 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.
With 7:31 remaining, Russell Wilson connected with Ed Dickson for his third touchdown to help lead the Seahawks back to the play-offs for the seventh time in nine seasons.
And the Los Angeles Rams (12-3) continued their impressive season form, thrashing the Arizona Cardinals 31-9. CJ Anderson, in place of injured Todd Gurley, proved his worth, rushing for 167 yards, just short of his career-high 168.
