It all came down to this.
The final week of the 2022 regular season arrived with playoff positioning on the line across the league. There were still three postseason berths up for grabs, and only two of the 14 playoff seeds were locked in through 17 weeks.
With Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football done for the season, Week 18 was a hectic weekend of action. Two games were played on Saturday ahead of a jam-packed Sunday with 14 games.
Here’s a full rundown of the Week 18 schedule, with every game between division rivals:
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
Week 18 Saturday Games
Week 18 began with two crucial games on Saturday.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
First up, the Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) topped the Las Vegas Raiders (6-11) 31-13 to kick off the weekend on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET. Even though Las Vegas was already eliminated from playoff contention, Kansas City was fighting for the No. 1 seed – which it clinched with a win.
Later that evening, the Jacksonville Jaguars (9-8) put on a show for the home crowd. Jacksonville came from behind to beat the Tennessee Titans (7-10) and clinch the AFC South. The win not only secured their first playoff berth since 2017, but home-field advantage in the wild card round.
Week 18 Sunday Early Afternoon Games
There were eight games in the 1 p.m. ET window on Sunday, including five that could impact playoff seeding.
The Buffalo Bills (12-3) beat the New England Patriots (8-8) in their first game since Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on Monday. Buffalo secured the No. 2 seed, while New England was eliminated from postseason contention.
The Cincinnati Bengals (12-4) earned the AFC's No. 3 seed with a win over the Baltimore Ravens (10-7). Other key games on Sunday afternoon included the Miami Dolphins (9-8) edging the New York Jets (7-10) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-8) beating the Cleveland Browns (7-10). Miami will now head to Buffalo for the wild card round.
The Chicago Bears (3-14) are now on the clock after earning the No. 1 pick. They earned the selection with their loss to the Minnesota Vikings (13-4) combined with the Houston Texans' (3-13-1) wild win over the Indianapolis Colts (4-12-1).
Week 18 Sunday Late Afternoon Games
The 4 p.m. ET slot on Sunday had five games, all involving teams fighting for playoff seeding or qualification.
The Philadelphia Eagles (14-3) locked up the No. 1 seed with a win over the New York Giants (9-6-1), while the Dallas Cowboys (12-5) fell flat against the Washington Commanders (8-8-1).
There will also be two NFC West matchups, including the San Francisco 49ers (13-4) earning the No. 2 seed with a win over the Arizona Cardinals (4-12). The Seattle Seahawks (9-8) needed a win over the Los Angeles Rams (5-12) plus a Green Bay Packers loss to make the postseason, and that's exactly what they got.
Sunday Night Football: Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers
Speaking of those Packers (8-9), they were featured in the final Sunday Night Football broadcast of the regular season against the Detroit Lions (9-8). Though the Lions were eliminated from playoff contention before the game even kicked off, they ensured their rival would also miss the postseason by earning a 20-16 victory at Lambeau Field.
