Packers Clinch No. 1 Seed, Roll Vikings 45-20 in Week 18 Finale
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Green Bay Packers left no doubt in Week 18, steamrolling the Minnesota Vikings 45-20 on the road to lock up the NFC’s No. 1 seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
With everything on the line, Green Bay delivered its most complete offensive performance of the season. Tua Tagovailoa was sharp and aggressive, throwing for 342 yards and three touchdowns, consistently attacking Minnesota’s secondary and capitalizing on short fields created by the Packers defense.
The real dagger, however, came from Isiah Pacheco, who punished the Vikings all afternoon. The running back racked up 160 rushing yards and three touchdowns, repeatedly breaking tackles and draining any hope of a Minnesota comeback. By the fourth quarter, the outcome felt inevitable as Green Bay imposed its will in the trenches.
The win capped a dominant regular season for the Packers and erased any lingering doubt after last week’s stumble. At 13 wins and the conference’s top seed secured, Green Bay now turns its attention to a playoff run with championship expectations firmly intact.
Broncos Pull Away Late, Beat Chargers 34-13 as LA Settles for No. 4 Seed
DENVER (AP) — The Los Angeles Chargers saw their regular season come to a frustrating close Sunday, falling 34-13to the Denver Broncos on the road in a game that was far closer than the final score suggests.
Tied 13-13 midway through the third quarter, the Chargers appeared poised to make a push, but Denver seized control with a pair of long touchdown drives and a late defensive score to blow the game open. Los Angeles struggled to respond once momentum swung, managing just 79 total yards after halftime.
Despite the loss, the Chargers finish the regular season as the AFC’s No. 4 seed and will still host a playoff game next week. Head coach Bobby Slowik emphasized perspective afterward, noting that the goal now shifts entirely to postseason football.
“This one stings, but it doesn’t define us,” Slowik said. “Everything we want is still in front of us.”
After spending much of the year atop the AFC West, the Chargers enter the playoffs searching for consistency — but with a home crowd and postseason football secured, their season is far from over.
49ers Lock Up No. 2 Seed With 41-27 Win Over Seahawks as Warren Caps Breakout Season
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers closed the regular season in emphatic fashion Sunday, beating the Seattle Seahawks 41-27 to secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC and send a clear message heading into the postseason.
The engine once again was Jaylen Warren, who was unstoppable from the opening drive. Warren rushed for 171 yards, slicing through the Seahawks defense with burst and balance as San Francisco controlled the game on the ground and on the scoreboard.
If not for Christian McCaffrey’s historic season elsewhere in the league, Warren’s year would be the gold standard. The second-year back finishes the regular season with 1,703 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding 286 receiving yards and two more scores, ending just shy of 2,000 all-purpose yards.
“Jaylen has been the heartbeat of this offense all year,” head coach Kyle Shanahan said. “He’s earned every yard.”
San Francisco’s offense built a steady lead while the defense did enough to keep Seattle from threatening late. The win caps a strong finish for the 49ers, who enter the playoffs playing their best football at the right time.
Now, with the No. 2 seed secured, the path runs through Santa Clara — and with Warren running like this, the 49ers will be a problem for anyone who comes through it.
Texans Finish 13-4 With Rout of Colts, Lose Out on Top Seed Thanks to “Advanced NFL Math”
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Texans did everything they possibly could Sunday, steamrolling the Indianapolis Colts 49-28 at home to finish the regular season 13-4. Unfortunately, none of it mattered once the league’s mystifying, byzantine, and possibly fictional tiebreaking procedures were applied.
Despite the dominant win, Houston lost out on the top seed thanks to what sources confirmed involved a head-to-head tie, a division record tiebreaker, a conference record tiebreaker, a strength-of-victory tiebreaker, a common-opponents tiebreaker, a coin flip that wasn’t a coin flip, and at least one intern with a calculator who “felt pretty good about it.”
On the field, though, the Texans were unstoppable. Drake Maye capped his breakout season with another sharp performance, throwing for 252 yards and four touchdowns, continuing to validate GM TH’s faith in him as the franchise quarterback.
The real engine, once again, was Derrick Henry, who looked reborn down the stretch. Henry bulldozed the Colts for 188 rushing yards and two touchdowns, wearing down Indianapolis until resistance became optional. Since interim head coach Frank Ross took over, Henry has looked like a different player — fresher, faster, and angrier.
Ross has quietly implemented what teammates call “The Henry Recharge Program,” regularly giving the veteran back most of the second quarter off so he can return in the second half like a fully charged battering ram. The results have been undeniable.
“We’re pacing him,” Ross said. “Turns out letting Derrick Henry rest and then giving him the ball a lot… works.”
The Texans now enter the postseason confident, rolling, and slightly confused about how they didn’t earn the top seed. But if the last few weeks are any indication, Houston doesn’t care much about paperwork anymore.
They’ll let Derrick Henry handle the rest — preferably after a quick second-quarter breather.
