The NFL finalized its schedule for the wild-card round of the playoffs Sunday evening after results from the late-afternoon window put most of the final puzzle pieces into place.
The Los Angeles Chargers, by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 34-20, finished the season 11-6 and secured the No. 5 seed in the AFC over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chargers’ AFC West foes from Denver took care of business against a resting Chiefs team, winning 38-0 to lock up the conference’s seventh and final bid.
The Steelers, who lost four straight games to end the regular season, must face the rival Baltimore Ravens for a third time in the AFC’s No. 3 vs. No. 6 game. The teams split their season series but the Ravens won the AFC North by two games.
On the NFC side, the Los Angeles Rams lost 30-25 to the Seattle Seahawks, pushing them behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the pecking order. Tampa Bay, which clinched the NFC South earlier in the day by beating the Saints 27-19, took over the No. 3 seed and the Rams settled for No. 4.
The following is the schedule for the first round of the NFL postseason. The only determination left to make will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC. That will go to the loser of the Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions game on “Sunday Night Football” as the winner claims the NFC North crown, the top seed and the first-round bye.
Saturday, Jan. 11
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 4 Houston Texans (10-7), 4:30 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5), 8 p.m. ET, Amazon Prime Video
Sunday, Jan. 12
No. 7 Denver Broncos (10-7) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (13-4), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
No. 7 Green Bay Packers (11-6) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), 4:30 p.m. ET, FOX
No. 6 Washington Commanders (12-5) at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), 8 p.m. ET, NBC
Monday, Jan. 13
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings OR Detroit Lions at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7), 8 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC
–Field Level Media
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