Daniel Carlson kicked a dramatic field goal as time expired in overtime as the Las Vegas Raiders clinched a spot in the NFL playoff field by holding on for a 35-32 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday night.
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr completed 20 of 36 passes for 186 yards as Las Vegas won their last four games to earn a trip to Cincinnati for a wildcard game on Saturday.
Adding to the drama was the fact a tie would have put both teams in the playoffs at the expense of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
DANIEL CARLSON FOR THE WIN.
— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2022
What a way to end the 2021 season! #LACvsLV #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/LpERrW7WQ6
That outcome looked increasingly likely until Chargers head coach Brandon Staley called a timeout which altered the dynamic of the game in the last minute.
"We were certainly talking about it on the sideline."@Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia on going for the tie. pic.twitter.com/rui0buOzqu
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) January 10, 2022
The San Francisco 49ers also reached the playoffs via a field goal in overtime, with Robbie Gould converting a 23-yard attempt to earn his side a wildcard spot in the NFC with a come-from-behind 27-24 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
Devin Singletary scored two touchdowns, one rushing and one receiving, as the Buffalo Bills won their second straight AFC East title by pounding the New York Jets 27-10 in Orchard Park.
Jaylen Waddle broke the NFL rookie single-season record for receptions, finishing with 104, and Xavien Howard scored on a pick-six as the Miami Dolphins upset the playoff-bound New England Patriots 33-24.
Another playoff side came a cropper when the Arizona Cardinals were defeated 38-30 by the Seattle Seahawks.
The New Orleans Saints needed to see off the Atlanta Falcons to keep their playoff hopes alive and recorded a 30-20 victory, but they were eliminated from the playoff picture when the 49ers prevailed against the Rams.
Elsewhere in the late window, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Minneapolis Vikings registered wins.
Every touchdown from NFL RedZone in Week 18! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/z6Y0NDgTZf
— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2022
The Tennessee Titans secured the number one seed in the AFC with a hard-fought 28-25 victory over the Houston Texans.
The win took Tennessee's record to 12-5 and ensured they will receive a bye next week and enjoy home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed 23 of 32 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns, the final score to Julio Jones effectively sealing the win after the Texans had threatened to come back from 21-0 behind.
The Green Bay Packers had already clinched the number one seed in the NFC and faced a Detroit Lions side knowing that a defeat could help secure the top draft pick for next season, but it was the Lions that came out 37-30 winners.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 14 of 18 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in the first half, while replacement Jordan Love initially struggled before finding Josiah Deguara with a short pass that Deguara took 62 yards for a touchdown.
That gave the Packers a 30-27 lead but a D'Andre Swift touchdown run put the Lions in front and Love’s interception on the next drive set up a field goal for the home side in the final minute.
Detroit’s win means the top draft pick will go to the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-14) despite their 26-11 win over the Indianapolis Colts, who surprisingly missed out on the playoffs.
Chris Boswell kicked a 36-yard field goal in overtime to give the Pittsburgh Steelers a crucial 16-13 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
The Cleveland Browns ended their season with a 21-16 win over AFC North winners the Cincinnati Bengals, while the Washington Football Team beat the New York Giants 22-7 and the Minnesota Vikings eased to a 31-17 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Which #SuperWildCard game are you most looking forward to? pic.twitter.com/C2f3R4VZ6A
— NFL (@NFL) January 10, 2022
