The San Francisco 49ers will host the Seattle Seahawks in the opening game of the Wild Card round.

San Francisco progressed to the postseason as the NFC second seed, and have home field advantage in the first game of this season's playoffs, which will take place on Saturday.

The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in their final regular-season game and were subsequently handed a favour by the Detroit Lions, who eliminated the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers from playoff contention.

In Saturday's second game, the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who clinched the AFC South title with a 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

A day later, the Buffalo Bills, who beat the New England Patriots in an emotional game on Sunday, will host the Miami Dolphins.

The Cincinnati Bengals, whose January 2 game against the Bills was suspended and subsequently cancelled altogether following Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest, go up against the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's final game, after the New York Giants have taken on the Minnesota Vikings.

The Wild Card round concludes with the Dallas Cowboys' trip to face Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Philadelphia Eagles earned the top seed in the NFC and a first-round playoff bye after defeating the New York Giants 22-16 on Sunday.

Despite the contest finishing as a one-score game, the Eagles were comfortably in control throughout as three Jake Elliott field goals and a Boston Scott touchdown run gave Philadelphia a 16-0 lead in front of their home fans at half-time.

It was also a memorable first half for receiver A.J. Brown, who came into Week 18 needing just nine yards to break the Eagles' single-season record set by Mike Quick back in 1983 (1409 yards).

Brown got it done on his first catch, going on to finish with four receptions for 95 yards to set the new mark at 1496.

The Giants tried to make a game of things late, with a Davis Webb rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown to Kenny Golladay in the fourth period, but it was too little, too late for a New York team who already booked their ticket to the playoffs last week.

With the win, Philadelphia joined the Kansas City Chiefs as the only teams in the league to win 14 games, with those two teams earning the right to host all of their playoff games leading up to a potential Super Bowl.

Seahawks keep playoff hopes alive

The Seattle Seahawks will be eagerly awaiting the final result of the regular season after defeating the Los Angeles Rams 19-16 in overtime to hold up their end of the bargain.

Seattle came into the final week needing to beat the Rams, as well as needing the Detroit Lions to beat the Green Bay Packers in the night game to sneak into the playoffs.

The Seahawks almost blew it, hitting the upright with a potential game-winning field goal in regulation, but secured an interception in overtime to set up Jason Myers for redemption, nailing a 32-yarder to finish it.

In the process, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw for 213 yards, bringing his season total to a new franchise-record of 4282.

The NFL has been in shock this week, following the terrible scenes in Monday's game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills.

Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest on the field has sent shockwaves through the sport, though it appears the 24-year-old is making progress in his recovery.

While Hamlin's health remains the league's priority over the rescheduling of that game from Week 17, there is also focus on the final round of fixtures.

There's plenty still be decided in Week 18, and Stats Perform has used Opta data to preview some of the key matchups.

SATURDAY (all times EST)

Chiefs (13-3) at Raiders (6-10) - 4:30pm

With the Bills and the Bengals having yet to finish the game that was rightly suspended on Monday, the AFC picture is not entirely clear. As things stand, a Kansas City Chiefs win in Las Vegas would mean they remain in with a chance of claiming the top seed, pending a decision on the Bengals-Bills game and the outcome of Buffalo's Week 18 clash against the New England Patriots.

The Chiefs have scored 28 or more points in nine consecutive games against the Raiders. The only longer streak of such games against a single opponent in NFL history is 10 by the Los Angeles Rams against the Green Bay Packers, and that came way back in 1949 to 1953. 

Jerick McKinnon caught two touchdowns in Kansas City's 27-24 win over the Denver Broncos and has seven touchdown catches in the Chiefs' last five games. That is the most receiving touchdowns by a running back over a span of five team games in the Super Bowl era. 

The Chiefs have scored 264 points on the road this season, averaging 33.0 points per game. If they hit their average on Saturday, they will finish with the third-most road points in a single season in NFL history, behind only the 2007 New England Patriots (314) and their own effort in 2018 (306).

Patrick Mahomes has 5,000 passing yards (5,048) and 250 rushing yards (329) in a single season for the second time in his career, also doing so in 2018.

Titans (7-9) at Jaguars (8-8) - 8:15pm

It will be winner-take-all in the AFC South when the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Tennessee Titans face off. The victor will clinch the division and become the fourth seed in the playoffs. While Jacksonville would still be able to make the postseason via a wild card should they lose, Tennessee must win if they are to avoid elimination.

The Jaguars are looking to sweep the season series with the Titans for the first time since 2005. The only other NFL teams that have gone that long since they last swept a current divisional opponent are the Cleveland Browns, who last swept the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1988, and New York Jets, who last swept the Patriots in 2000 (the Browns also have a chance to end their drought this week).

Jacksonville could become the first team in NFL history to make the playoffs immediately following back-to-back 14-loss seasons.

Meanwhile, the Titans are looking to avoid joining the 1994 Eagles as the only teams in league history to have at least seven wins before ending the season on a seven-game game losing streak.

SUNDAY

Giants (9-6-1) at Eagles (13-3) - 4:25pm

The Philadelphia Eagles have been the team to beat in the NFC all season, yet after successive defeats in the absence of Jalen Hurts, they now need a win to clinch the top seed.

Should they lose to the New York Giants, both the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers will have to suffer defeats in order for the Eagles to be guaranteed home advantage in the playoffs.

The omens are good for the Eagles, who have won eight straight home games against the Giants, tied for the second-longest home win streak against a single opponent in team history. It trails only their active 10-game home win streak against the Steelers that started in 1966. 

A win against the Eagles would give the Giants 10 wins after having just four last season. It would be the first time New York earned double-digit wins in a season after having four or fewer wins since doing so in 1933 (11 wins after a 4-6 record in 1932).

Lions (8-8) @ Packers (8-8) - 8.20pm

Given the NFC East will get two of the conference's three wild cards, matters are relatively simple for the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. A Packers victory sends them through to the playoffs, while Detroit need to win and hope the Los Angeles Rams defeat the Seattle Seahawks.

The Packers are coming off a 41-17 win over the Vikings in which they had four takeaways and no giveaways. Green Bay are now 50-0-1 in the Super Bowl era (including playoffs) with a turnover margin of +4 or better in a game.

Green Bay's record at home against the Lions is 61-27-4, the most home wins by any team against a single opponent.

With another win, Aaron Rodgers would be the first QB in NFL history to have two seasons where his team was multiple games under .500 immediately before going on a five-or-greater game winning streak to end the regular season. 

But the Lions have scored at least 20 points while throwing no interceptions in eight straight games, tied for the longest streak in NFL history (regular season) with the 2005 Broncos, 2010 Patriots and 2018-19 Ravens.

Elsewhere...

New England will clinch a playoff spot should they defeat the Bills, who are of course recovering from that incident involving Hamlin. The Bills have won their last two games against the Patriots and are looking for three straight wins in the series for the first time since 1999-2000.

The Miami Dolphins have lost five in a row but can make the playoffs should they beat the Jets. The matchup is perfectly balanced all-time at 56 wins apiece with one tie entering this game. 

A run of five wins from six games has put the Steelers in playoff contention. They will have to beat the Browns and need results elsewhere go their way. Cleveland won against the Steelers in Week 3 this season. The Browns have not won multiple games against Pittsburgh in a season since the 1988 season.

The 49ers can still claim the top seed in the NFC by beating the Arizona Cardinals. San Francisco beat Las Vegas in Week 17, 37-34, despite trailing by 10 points in the third quarter. It was the Niners' second-largest comeback victory in the second half under Kyle Shanahan.

It has been a terrible season for the Rams (5-11), but they are 7-3 in their last 10 games against Seattle. The Seahawks got a 27-23 win in Inglewood in Week 13, the closest game between these teams since a 30-29 Seahawks win in Week 5, 2019. 

New York Jets quarterback Mike White described his side's elimination from the playoff race as "gut-wrenching" after suffering their fifth straight loss in Sunday's 23-6 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Jets had been primed for postseason action for the first time since the 2010 season after sitting at 7-4 following a 31-10 rout of the Chicago Bears in late November.

But their season fell apart amid an awkward period that saw White take over as starting QB from the struggling Zach Wilson.

White had been sidelined for two games due to a rib injury but his return against the Seahawks was not enough to lift the Jets, who have not had a winning season since 2015 (10-6).

Their 12-year playoff drought is the longest active streak in the NFL and now the franchise's longest ever as well, leaving White crestfallen.

"It stings," he told reporters. "It's tough. It's gut-wrenching. It's all of the above. You can use any adjective you want to use to describe it."

White failed to complete a touchdown pass against the 8-8 Seahawks at Lumen Field, completing 23 of 46 passes for 240 yards with two interceptions, while he was sacked four times.

"I was cleared to play by the doctors," he said. "The guys in that locker room deserve a certain standard. I knew what I was signing up for.

"I was cleared by the doctors, I practiced all week. Basically, what I'm saying is, there's a standard those guys deserve. I didn't live up to that standard today."

The game marked two in a row without a touchdown, which White described as "shocking", leaving question marks about the Jets' struggling offense.

Head coach Robert Saleh conceded the situation hurt but was eager to point out some of the positives in his second season in charge after going 4-13 last year.

"No one is hurting more than the people in the locker room, especially me," Saleh said.

"At the same time, I know it's hard to see light at the end of the tunnel, but there are a lot of really cool things to look at for this season. But right now it stings big time."

A host of teams can start 2023 on a high note by clinching an NFL playoff place in an eagerly awaited Week 17.

There are also divisional titles to be won on New Year's Day, with Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers within touching distance of winning the NFC South ahead of a clash against the Carolina Panthers.

The Seattle Seahawks and the New York Jets lock horns scenting a spot in the postseason, while the Miami Dolphins could seal a playoff berth when they do battle with the New England Patriots.

Here Stats Perform used its data to preview the biggest games with plenty at stake at the beginning of a new year.


SUNDAY (all times EST)

Panthers (6-9) at Buccaneers (7-8) 1pm

The Buccaneers can clinch the NFC South title for a second straight season if they beat the Panthers, a feat they have never previously achieved.

After a 21-3 win in Week 7, the Panthers are going for the season sweep of the Buccaneers for the first time since 2017. That was also the last season they made the playoffs.

Tampa Bay beat the Arizona Cardinals 19-16 in their final game of 2022. The Buccaneers have scored 21 or fewer points in all seven of their wins this season. 

Carolina overcame the Detroit Lions 37-23 in Week 16 behind 320 yards rushing and 250 yards passing. They were the first NFL team with 300 rush yards and 250 pass yards in a game since the San Francisco 49ers in Week 12, 2012.

Jets (7-8) at Seahawks (7-8) 4.05pm

The Seahawks have dominated the Jets in recent years, winning all four games against them since 2005 and conceding only 30 points in the process. That is just 7.5 points per game, which is the fewest allowed by any NFL team against a single opponent over that time.

Pete Carroll is in his 17th season as an NFL head coach and has never missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons. The Seattle boss is the only head coach in NFL history to coach at least 15 seasons in the league and never have consecutive seasons in which he did not lead his team to the playoffs.

DK Metcalf has had at least five receptions in eight straight games, tied with John L. Williams (1989-90) and Brian Blades (1995) for the longest streak in Seahawks franchise history.

The Jets are allowing 10.8 fewer points per game than they did last season (29.6 to 18.8), on pace to be the second-largest season-to-season improvement in the NFL in the past 40 years behind the 2000-01 Rams (29.4 to 17.1, -12.3). 

Dolphins (8-7) @ Patriots (7-8) - 1pm

New England are due a win over the Dolphins, who have beaten them in four consecutive games - the last of which was a 20-7 success in Week 1.

Miami are the only team to beat the Patriots four times in a row since Bill Belichick took over as head coach of the Patriots in 2000. With a loss this week, Miami would join Tennessee as the only teams this season with a winning streak of at least five games and a losing streak of at least five games.

Tua Tagovailoa posted a career-high 12.4 yards per pass attempt in last week's loss to the Green Bay Packers. It was the highest yards-per-attempt in a loss by a starting Dolphins quarterback in team history. He misses out this week due to concussion, though, so Teddy Bridgewater steps in.

New England’s comeback bid fell short in a 22-18 loss to the Bengals last week. The Patriots have lost nine straight games when trailing after three quarters, with only the Panthers (41 straight losses) and Seahawks (13 straight) having longer active streaks.

MONDAY

Bills (12-3) @ Bengals (11-4) - 8.30pm

The Bills know they will get a first-round bye in the playoffs if they see off the Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs lose to the Denver Broncos. Following Cincinnati's win over the Bills in the 1988 AFC Championship Game, the Bills won 10 straight in this series. Since then, Cincinnati are 4-2 against Buffalo, with the most recent meeting resulting in a 21-17 Buffalo win in Week 3, 2019.

The Bills beat the Bears 35-13 in Chicago last week, extending their winning run to six games. Buffalo have scored at least 20 points in each of those wins – they have just two longer streaks of wins with 20+ points – a nine-game streak in 1964 and a seven-game streak in 1990.

The Bengals' road win over the Patriots extended their winning streak to seven games, one shy of tying the franchise record of eight – achieved in the first eight games of the 2015 season (also an eight-game streak spanning the 1970 and 1971 seasons).

Joe Burrow had 375 passing yards last week, his second-highest total of the season. It was his seventh career game with at least 350 passing yards, fourth most in the NFL since 2020 behind Tom Brady (13), Patrick Mahomes (12) and Josh Allen (9). 

Elsewhere...

The Denver Broncos start life after Nathaniel Hackett with a tough trip to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in their first game since the head coach's firing. The Chiefs have won 14 straight games against the Broncos dating back to the 2015 season. Just five teams in NFL history have beaten another team 15 times in a row, with the last team to do so being the Patriots against the Bills from 2003 to 2010.  

The Philadelphia Eagles host the New Orleans Saints knowing they can clinch the NFC East and the number one seed in their conference with a win.

The Eagles are 11-3 (.786) all-time at home against the Saints, which includes an active three-game winning streak. That is the Eagles' third-best home record against any opponent all-time (3-0 versus the Texans and 6-1 versus the Broncos). 

A playoff place is in the New York Giants' sights as they prepare to take on the Indianapolis Colts. 

The Colts have won four straight games against the Giants, with the most recent win coming in Week 16 of 2018 with a 28-27 home victory.

There appears to be no stopping the San Francisco 49ers, who can win a ninth game in a row when they take on the Las Vegas Raiders. The 49ers are the only NFL team in the Super Bowl era to win eight straight games in a single season while holding their opponents to fewer than 80 rushing yards in each victory.

We are firmly in the business end of the 2022 NFL season.

Seven teams have already clinched their place in the postseason and a further seven will join them in the final three weeks of the campaign.

This is the time of year when room for error is diminished in games that have a huge bearing on how the final playoff field shakes out.

As such, festive feeling will be thin on the ground for those teams playing in such encounters during this weekend's Christmas schedule who come up short.

So often, though, these contests are decided by the game within the game, and here Stats Perform looks at three of the most important Week 16 clashes and the personnel matchups that could decide them.

New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals

Win Probability: Patriots 52.0 per cent

Key Matchup: Matthew Judon and Josh Uche vs. Bengals offensive line

The Patriots' hopes of claiming a Wild Card berth took a massive blow in bizarre circumstances last week as Jakobi Meyers' inexplicable last-second lateral landed in the grateful arms of Las Vegas Raiders pass rusher Chandler Jones, who stiff-armed Mac Jones into the turf and raced into the endzone to deny New England a chance of an overtime win.

At 7-7, they are still just a game behind the Miami Dolphins and must climb off the mat, though they are this week tasked with doing so against one of the hottest teams in football.

The 10-4 Bengals have a one-game edge over the Baltimore Ravens in the race for the AFC North division title, yet there is a matchup the Patriots can look to exploit in this one.

While Cincinnati's offensive line has improved in terms of preventing pressure on Joe Burrow, it remains in the bottom half of the NFL in pass block win rate, in which the Bengals rank 24th.

In Judon and Uche, the Patriots possess a pair of pass rushers who can cause the Cincinnati O-Line huge problems. Judon is second in the NFL in sacks (14.5), behind only Nick Bosa of the San Francisco 49ers, while Uche has 10.5, all of which have come across his last seven games.

Both Judon (40.08 per cent) and Uche (42.38 per cent) possess pass rush win rates way above the average for edge players of 28.74 per cent, and if they are at their best, they could help eradicate the advantage the Bengals have at quarterback and tilt the game in New England's favour.

Seattle Seahawks @ Kansas City Chiefs

Win Probability: Chiefs 80.4 per cent

Key Matchup: Seattle defensive backs vs. Chiefs receivers

Like the Patriots, the Seahawks' prospects of reaching the postseason are in significant jeopardy.

Their hopes of winning the NFC West are gone after the 49ers clinched the division title in Seattle by completing their first sweep of the Seahawks since 2011 in Week 15.

That leaves Seattle fighting for a Wild Card, and the odds are very much against them in this one against a Chiefs team who are in a battle for the AFC's one seed with the Buffalo Bills.

Part of the reason why the Seahawks are still in the mix is the play of their young but talented secondary, which ranks 13th in the NFL in pass coverage win rate according to Stats Perform's matchup data.

Rookie cornerback Tariq Woolen has enjoyed an outstanding first season for Seattle, with his combined open percentage allowed across man and zone coverage of 22.75 the seventh-best among corners with at least 100 total matchups.

The Chiefs' pass-catchers are 13th in terms of winning their coverage matchups in 2022, a year in which the loss of Tyreek Hill has undoubtedly had an impact.

Yet with 82.1 per cent of Patrick Mahomes' throws this season going to an open target, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid continues to excel at scheming receivers into space.

For the Seahawks to have any hope of pulling off a sizeable upset, their secondary must limit the chances for the Chiefs' receivers to enjoy such freedom.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys

Win Probability: Cowboys 59 per cent

Key Matchup: Eagles offensive line vs. Cowboys pass rush

This NFC East matchup may have lost some of its lustre with the Eagles needing a meltdown to surrender the division title to the Cowboys and Jalen Hurts out because of a shoulder injury.

But that should not take away from the true heavyweight fight this game provides in the trenches.

Micah Parsons may be losing ground in the Defensive Player of the Year race, but he remains the headline act for a defense that is first in the NFL in pass rush win rate.

That would normally give the Cowboys a clear edge in a matchup with every offensive line, but not with this one.

Philadelphia's O-line leads the league in pass block win rate, with the Eagles allowing a pressure rate of 32.9 per cent that is the fourth-best in the NFL.

The Eagles maintaining their strength up front against Parsons and Co. will obviously be critical to Philadelphia as they seek to overcome the absence of Hurts.

There is no substitute for the value Hurts brings in the run game, but the Cowboys' defense has shown enough vulnerability to suggest backup quarterback Gardner Minshew can have success against Dallas, provided the offensive line wins the battle up front and allows the Eagles to stay on schedule.

The Philadelphia Eagles may have already won the NFC East and will enter Week 16 without quarterback Jalen Hurts, but a clash with the Dallas Cowboys remains the standout game on the slate.

While the Cowboys' attempts to stick with the Eagles this year were hampered by their road form, Dallas are strong at home and will hope to send a warning to their division rivals ahead of a playoff campaign in which both teams will hope to feature prominently.

Elsewhere, the Kansas City Chiefs have work to do still as they aim, like the Eagles, to secure a bye with the number one seed in the AFC.

But it is not all about the NFL's leading lights, with the battle for position ahead of the postseason ongoing – with a big game in store in Charlotte.

Stats Perform picks out the key facts ahead of a busy Christmas weekend...
 

Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) @ Dallas Cowboys (10-4)

In beating the Chicago Bears last week, the Eagles secured a 13th win in a single season for only the third time in franchise history. On the two previous occasions, Philly finished with a 13-3 record and reached the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots in the 2004 season and beating the same team in 2017.

The Eagles have never won 14 games in a regular season and will be without injured QB Hurts as they aim to end a four-game losing streak in Dallas.

But the Cowboys are coming into this big home game on a downer, having blown a 17-point lead against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week for their first loss in five.

That game also again showed big QB performances can sometimes prove immaterial, with Dak Prescott throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns. The Cowboys are 1-2 this season when Prescott has thrown three or more TD passes and only 7-6 since 2020. Prior to that, they were 13-3 in such games.

Seattle Seahawks (7-7) @ Kansas City Chiefs (11-3)

Patrick Mahomes and Geno Smith each earned Pro Bowl selections this week – a fifth for Mahomes but only a first for Smith. Both were well deserved, with the pair third and second respectively for passer rating among qualifying players this year (Smith, 105.3, and Mahomes, 105.0).

However, Mahomes will look to do something he has never done before on Saturday: beat the Seahawks. Having lost 38-31 to Seattle in his only previous such clash in 2018, they are one of just two teams Mahomes has played but never beaten (also 0-2 against the Indianapolis Colts).

Smith, who has never faced the Chiefs, leads the NFC with 26 touchdown passes as he aims to follow Russell Wilson (2017 and 2018) and Matt Hasselbeck (2005) as the only Seahawks to lead the conference across a season. However, with eight interceptions and four fumbles lost by Smith, Seattle are the sole team in the league to have committed a turnover in every game this year.

Detroit Lions (7-7) @ Carolina Panthers (5-9)

The Lions' stunning 6-1 run, including an active three-game winning streak, has them firmly in playoff contention in the NFC. The last time they won six out of seven games in a single season, back in 2016, was also the last time they made the postseason.

However, the Lions have a miserable history against the Panthers. Their 3-7 record in this matchup is their worst against any current NFC franchise, while Detroit are 0-5 on the road against the Panthers since winning on their first trip in 1999.

With Jared Goff in the best form of his career, the Lions will hope to snap that streak. He has gone six games without an interception, which ties the longest such streak by a Lions QB since the statistic was first tracked in 1960. Goff had never previously gone more than three games without throwing a pick.

Elsewhere...

The Bears this week face the Buffalo Bills, the only team in the Super Bowl era to have lost more consecutive games with 125 or more rushing yards in each loss. Chicago have lost seven in a row, but the 1976 Bills were defeated in 10. With 2,616 rushing yards but a 3-11 record, the Bears are on course to become the first team to lead the league in rushing yards yet have one of the worst two records since the 1932 Staten Island Stapletons.

Recent history suggests the Minnesota Vikings will follow up last week's record-breaking comeback against the Colts with another win over the New York Giants. The Vikings' 7-2 record against the Giants since 2005 is their best against NFC opposition and New York's worst.

The Patriots will have to upset the Cincinnati Bengals to get their playoff bid back on track, yet they have won their past seven home games in this matchup, including the last four while scoring at least 35 points. The last team to win five in a row at home to any one team while scoring 35 points or more were the San Francisco 49ers against the Atlanta Falcons between 1992 and 1996.

Tua Tagovailoa will be relieved this week's game against the Green Bay Packers is in Miami and not Wisconsin. Following last week's defeat to Buffalo, the Dolphins QB is 0-4 in starts when the weather is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit; he is 17-7 when the temperature is at least 50 degrees.

Christian McCaffrey reflected on riding a "wild rollercoaster" this season after he helped the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in just his eighth game with the team.

All-Pro running back McCaffrey joined the 49ers in a blockbuster trade from the Carolina Panthers back in October.

His arrival has served as a catalyst for a surge from San Francisco that has seen them win seven successive games to move to 10-4 and clinch the division title for the first time since 2019, despite losing top two quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance to injury and being forced to turn to rookie Brock Purdy.

McCaffrey was the focal point of the attack as the 49ers sealed the NFC West with a 21-13 road win over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

He rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries and added another 30 yards receiving on six catches.

The former eighth overall pick finds himself in the thick of the Super Bowl hunt, having been traded from a Panthers team that started 1-5.

Asked about his campaign, McCaffrey said: "It's hard to put into words. It's been a wild rollercoaster, and obviously we still have a lot more left.

"But it's nice to be able to celebrate this one with an amazing group of guys, and I'm just so fortunate to be a part of this team."

While the 49ers enjoyed raucous celebrations and sported their division title hats and t-shirts, they still have many more mountains to scale in pursuit of an elusive sixth Super Bowl title.

"This isn't our final goal by any means," head coach Kyle Shanahan said.

"I'm very proud of our team and what we accomplished throughout the year to get to this.

"Our goal is to get into the tournament [the playoffs], and we accomplished that today, but now it's all trying to set that up to be the best situation we can and hopefully get some of our guys back, too, in the process."

Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll "cannot fathom" playing without wide receiver Tyler Lockett after he suffered a broken index finger.

Lockett sustained the injury on the final offensive drive of the Seahawks' 21-13 loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday.

The win clinched the NFC West for 10-4 San Francisco and served as a further dent to Seattle's hopes of securing a Wild Card berth at 7-7.

Seattle's prospects of reaching the postseason now appear to be further diminished by the loss of the former first-team All-Pro and two-time second-team All-Pro Lockett.

The Seahawks are still deciding how to treat the injury, with surgery an option for Lockett, who could return in two weeks, according to Carroll.

"There's a couple different ways that they can do the surgery," Carroll said. "One of the ways gives him a chance to be back.

"Remember [running back] Rashaad Penny... had an injury similar, very similar.

"So they've already floated that thought and they're going to talk about all the options and all that and we're going to love him up and take care of him. Whatever the right thing to do to take care of him, we're going to do.

"I can't fathom playing without Tyler. I got a chance to hang with him, just to try to express what it's like to be working with a guy like this for so long.

"He's such an incredible player. He's not in tremendous pain. He's got a broken hand.

"You feel sorry for him, but he's such a magnificent football player and a member of the team and member of the community and our area and our fans ... that we're gonna miss the heck out of him for whatever he misses."

Since entering the NFL as a third-round pick in 2015, Lockett has racked up 7,031 receiving yards and 53 receiving touchdowns, which are tied for the seventh-most in the league in that span.

The Seahawks visit the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Eve before finishing their regular season with games against the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.

Kyle Shanahan described Brock Purdy as 'the most poised rookie I've ever had" after he fought through injury to help the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in Thursday's 21-13 win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Purdy, who was the last pick of this year's NFL Draft, started his second consecutive game after taking over following the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the second game in a row, Purdy did not commit a turnover, finishing with 17 completions from 26 attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

He also helped star tight end George Kittle have his best game of the season, catching four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, after entering the contest with only four touchdowns in 11 games.

With the victory, the 49ers clinched the NFC West and at least one home playoff game, improving their record to 10-4 on the back of a seven-game winning streak.

Purdy was questionable during the week due to oblique and rib injuries, but 49ers head coach Shanahan believes his young quarterback levelled up in the eyes of the locker room as he battled through it.

"It was definitely another level," he said. "It was another level for me, just watching someone do it. 

"The injury he had last week, and for him to be ready to go today – and you could tell in pre-game warmups there were a number of things that were really tough for him. We had a number of plays we weren't going to call today because of where he was at.

"So for him to be able to play, let alone play the way he did… this team had a lot of respect for him before this game, but they have a lot more now.

“He's definitely the most poised rookie I've ever had. He's been like that since he got here. From what I hear about him in college, he was very similar, starting as a freshman. He's been great, he was poised all week even when he was unsure about whether he could go or not.

"I think that was uneasy for him, because he didn't know what to expect until he got in the game.

"Under our circumstances, we didn't have any other options, or choices. We were going to see how long he could last, and we were ready to go with [backup quarterback] Josh [Johnson], but he got comfortable, and got better as the game went on – it was pretty unbelievable."

Purdy himself did his best to deflect a lot of the positive sentiments towards his team-mates, particularly injured quarterbacks Garoppolo and Trey Lance.

"It's special and everything, but honestly, I'm just another component," he said. "I'm another piece to this team, in terms of a guy coming in, just doing what [is asked of him]. 

"I'm the quarterback, I have to make decisions. I trust in how the coaches teach me throughout the week, and I just try to get the ball out to the guys on time.

"Honestly, man, I don't think Jimmy and Trey get enough credit for what they've done. I'm just now coming on the scene where these guys have been here, throughout the offseason for Trey, and Jimmy coming in and leading these guys, and winning.

"So, for me to come in, I just want to continue what they got rolling. So a big credit to Jimmy and Trey for what they've done, especially in the quarterback room, for the team, and I'm just trying to do my part in terms of where we're at now in the season."

Kyle Shanahan called the performance of rookie quarterback Brock Purdy "unbelievable" after he fought through injury to help the San Francisco 49ers clinch the NFC West title in Thursday's 21-13 win against the Seattle Seahawks.

Purdy, who was the very last pick of this year's NFL Draft, started his second consecutive game after taking over following the injury to Jimmy Garoppolo.

For the second game in a row, Purdy did not commit a single turnover, finishing with 17 completions from 26 attempts for 217 yards and two touchdowns.

He also helped star tight end George Kittle have his best game of the season, catching four passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns, after entering the contest with only four touchdowns in 11 games.

With the victory, the 49ers clinched the NFC West and at least one home playoff game, improving their record to 10-4 on the back of a seven-game winning streak.

Purdy was questionable during the week due to oblique and rib injuries, but 49ers head coach Shanahan believes his young quarterback levelled up in the eyes of the locker room as he battled through it.

"It was definitely another level," he said. "It was another level for me, just watching someone do it. 

"The injury he had last week, and for him to be ready to go today – and you could tell in pre-game warmups there were a number of things that were really tough for him. We had a number of plays we weren't going to call today because of where he was at.

"So for him to be able to play, let alone play the way he did… this team had a lot of respect for him before this game, but they have a lot more now."

Shanahan was not finished there with his praise, calling him "the most poised rookie I've ever had".

"From what I hear about him in college, he was very similar, starting as a freshman," he said. "He's been great, he was poised all week even when he was unsure about whether he could go or not.

"I think that was uneasy for him, because he didn't know what to expect until he got in the game.

"Under our circumstances, we didn't have any other options, or choices. We were going to see how long he could last, and we were ready to go with [backup quarterback] Josh [Johnson], but he got comfortable, and got better as the game went on – it was pretty unbelievable."

Purdy himself did his best to deflect a lot of the positive sentiments towards his teammates, particularly injured quarterbacks Garoppolo and Trey Lance.

"It's special and everything, but honestly, I'm just another component," he said. "I'm another piece to this team, in terms of a guy coming in, just doing what [is asked of him]. 

"I'm the quarterback, I have to make decisions. I trust in how the coaches teach me throughout the week, and I just try to get the ball out to the guys on time.

"Honestly, man, I don't think Jimmy and Trey get enough credit for what they've done. I'm just now coming on the scene where these guys have been here, throughout the offseason for Trey, and Jimmy coming in and leading these guys, and winning.

"So, for me to come in, I just want to continue what they got rolling. So a big credit to Jimmy and Trey for what they've done, especially in the quarterback room, for the team, and I'm just trying to do my part in terms of where we're at now in the season."

The San Francisco 49ers are officially NFC West champions with three games to spare after a 21-13 victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

It was another strong start at quarterback for the last pick in this year's NFL Draft, as Brock Purdy remained without a turnover through his first two starts.

Purdy completed 17 of his 26 passes for two touchdowns and no interceptions, leading a touchdown drive in each of the first three quarters.

He was helped out with some terrific performances from his skill-position players, with tight end George Kittle getting on the receiving end of both touchdown passes, finishing with four catches for 93 yards.

Elite running back Christian McCaffrey was at his best as well, handling 26 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown on the ground, while also adding six catches for 30 yards through the air – with five of those catches coming in the first quarter.

The Seahawks scored their only touchdown of the game when Geno Smith connected with Noah Fant on an 11-yard pass with 3:35 remaining to cut the margin to one score, but the 49ers could have added another touchdown of their own in the final seconds, instead deciding to kneel it out from the two-yard line.

With the win, the 49ers improved their record to 10-4, continuing their incredible run of seven consecutive wins after opening the season 3-4.

The San Francisco 49ers can clinch a first NFC West title since the 2019 season with a road victory over the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, and will almost certainly look to the ground game to help them do so.

San Francisco crushed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-7 in Week 14 in a dream first start for rookie quarterback Brock Purdy. That victory, combined with the Seahawks' surprise home loss to the Carolina Panthers, gave the 9-4 Niners a two-game lead atop the division.

The 49ers beat the Seahawks 27-7 way back in Week 2, their largest win over Seattle since a 38-7 triumph in Week 4 of the 1988 season. If they complete a season sweep of Seattle for the first time since 2011, the 49ers will have a three-game lead and the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks with three games remaining, securing them a second successive trip to the postseason.

Kyle Shanahan's team went all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season, surrendering a fourth-quarter lead to the Los Angeles Rams, and the 49ers look to have the potential to contend for the Super Bowl again this year, even after losing their top two quarterbacks, Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo, and being forced to turn to Brock Purdy, the last pick in this year's draft.

The Niners are on a six-game winning streak, with their last four victories each coming by at least 13 points. They are the only team to win four straight games, all by 13+ points, this season.

In the 28-point win over the Tom Brady-led Bucs, Purdy became the first quarterback to beat a former Super Bowl-winning QB by more than 10 points while making his first career start. Purdy is looking to be the sixth Niners QB to win his first two career NFL starts.

Purdy picked up where he left off in the 49ers' Week 13 win over the Miami Dolphins, in which he replaced the injured Garoppolo, going 16 of 21 for 185 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for another score. He continued to display poise, decisiveness, accuracy and the ability to defeat pressure. Through just under two full games, Purdy has a well-thrown rate that is superior to that of Jalen Hurts, Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence, the former Iowa State signal-caller delivering an accurate, well-thrown ball on 83.3 per cent of his pass attempts.

But in the famously raucous road environment in Seattle, the 49ers have plenty of reason to take the game off the arm of Purdy against a Seahawks run defense that has allowed 677 rushing yards over its last three games.

The 49ers averaged 6.1 yards per rush last week against the Bucs, with Christian McCaffrey and rookie Jordan Mason each excelling on the ground.

McCaffrey had 119 yards rushing and a touchdown on 14 carries, as well as two receptions for 34 yards and a touchdown, while Mason averaged 5.1 yards per carry as the 49ers cruised in the second half after building a 35-0 lead.

Since his debut for the 49ers in Week 7, McCaffrey is averaging 106 scrimmage yards per game, the seventh-most in the NFL. With versatile wide receiver Deebo Samuel out with a high ankle sprain, McCaffrey is the undisputed focal point of the offense.

On a short week in what is sure to be a hard-fought divisional game, the 49ers might not be able to rely too heavily on McCaffrey, meaning Mason may see a larger share of the workload. 

The Niners clinched the NFC West and the number one seed in the conference in the regular-season finale in Seattle in 2019 with a dramatic late goal-line stand.

They will need their defense, ranked first in the NFL by success rate (35%) to stand tall again versus a dangerous Seahawks' offense led by Geno Smith, but if the 49ers can control possession and move the ball on the ground against a defense that appears ill-equipped to stop McCaffrey and company, San Francisco will be a strong position to punch their ticket to the postseason.

Shaq Thompson feels the Carolina Panthers' backing of interim head coach Steve Wilks is proving key following Sunday's 30-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks.

Wilks took charge of the team following the axing of Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the season and has had a dramatic stint in charge of the team.

After trading away star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers before the deadline and then releasing Baker Mayfield last week, the Panthers have had a turbulent spell of change.

But, sitting 4-4 under Wills, they are making an unlikely push for the playoffs after their win in Seattle.

Wilks is receiving a lot of support in his bid to land the head coach job on a permanent basis and linebacker Thompson has made it clear the players are in his corner.

"We ride behind Wilks," he told the team's website after the Panthers forced Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith into two interceptions.

"He came in here, he's a true alpha, he's a true leader, and guys follow behind him. He's done amazing. Look what we've been going through."

Victory in Seattle put the Panthers just one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South, with Thompson believing the team's bye week provided a push to secure the win.

"Once we had that first day of practice, we knew what type of team we were going to be [in this game]," he added.

"We talk about playoff mentality, and I told them boys last night, I talked to the team, I said, 'If you want to be a playoff team, these are the games you got to win — in these environments'.

"And these guys showed up, they played, we created turnovers and got the offense the ball back in great field position."

Meanwhile, the Seahawks endured their third defeat in four games, having won four in a row prior to that streak, with head coach Pete Carroll disappointed in the performances against sides who sit under .500 this season.

"It's the manner [of the loss]," he said after the game. "This really happened on the ground.

"I'm really disappointed in that because I pride myself in thinking we can scheme our way into all kinds of good things to offset that, and I've got to do better."

The Seahawks face a tough end to the regular season, facing division rivals the 49ers in Week 15 before tackling AFC top-seed contenders the Kansas City Chiefs, then bringing the season to a close against the New York Jets and Los Angeles Rams.

Carolina, meanwhile, will next host the Pittsburgh Steelers, who also hold a 5-8 record.

With just six weeks left of the regular season schedule, the drama in the NFL continues to ramp up.

The playoff picture is wide open and Week 13 action presents clashes between a number of sides who each boast a winning record this season.

Victories this week would provide a considerable boost for those teams' hopes of continuing beyond the regular campaign.

A huge divisional rivalry between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants is the pick of the action, while there is also a rematch from last season's AFC Championship game with the Kansas City Chiefs seeking redemption against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (9-2)

The Jets head to Minnesota with an 8-3 record against the Vikings, though have lost the last two meetings – including a 37-17 loss in the last meeting in 2018, which marked the most ever points scored by the Vikings in this series.

Defensive strength has been key for the Jets this season, with last week's 31-10 victory over the Chicago Bears being the fourth time this year where they have held their opponents to 10 or fewer points – the last time they had such a sequence was five games in 2010, which was also their last season with a trip to the playoffs.

The Jets defense will be tested against the Vikings' aerial threat, however, with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen each catching touchdown passes in the Thanksgiving win over the New England Patriots – the ninth time each player has had a receiving TD in the same game, which marks the most of any NFL teammates since Jefferson's 2020 debut.

A win against the Jets would see head coach Kevin O'Connell join Jim Caldwell and Jim Harbaugh as the only men this century to earn 10 wins in 12 or fewer games to start their career as an NFL head coach.

Washington Commanders (7-5) @ New York Giants (7-4)

A series sweep for Washington last season was the franchise's first against the Giants since 2011, leaving the Commanders looking for their first win streak of at least three games against New York since a four-game streak that ended in 2000.

Four consecutive wins on the road have seen Washington hold their opponents to 54 points total in those contests, marking the first time they have won four straight road games while allowing fewer than 60 points since 2001.

The Giants head into the contest having lost their last five against divisional opponents, standing just 1-7 in that regard over the past two seasons. That makes them just one of two teams without multiple wins in divisional games over that span (also Denver Broncos, 1-8).

Saquon Barkley remains the biggest threat for the Giants and sits just eight rushing yards short of his third 1000-yard season, where he would join Tiki Barber (6), Rodney Hampton (5) and Joe Morris (3) as the only Giants with at least three such seasons for the team.

Tennessee Titans (7-4) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)

Philadelphia host the Titans on the back of a six-game winning run against AFC opponents dating back to last season, matching the Eagles' longest such streak in franchise history.

Last time out against the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles scored a touchdown in four of their five trips to the red zone – with Philadelphia leading the NFL in touchdown efficiency in the red zone this season, scoring in 29 of 40 trips (72.5 per cent).

Tennessee, meanwhile, have rushed for fewer than 100 yards in each of their last three games, matching their longest streak since Mike Vrabel became head coach in 2018.

In the 20-16 loss to the Bengals last time out, Derrick Henry fumbled but was it was recovered. Of the 39 players with at least 200 offensive touches since the beginning of last season, Henry, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey are the only three to have not lost a fumble.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)

Two meetings last season saw the Bengals win by three points in both contests, including in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, with the Chiefs' last road win against the Bengals coming in 1984 – losing six straight since.

A 26-10 home victory against the Los Angeles Rams last week saw Travis Kelce catch his 12th touchdown pass of the season, with no other tight end having more than five this term. The largest all-time gap between a league leader and second place stands at six (Rob Gronkowski in 2011 and Antonio Gates in 2004).

The Bengals overcame the Titans 20-16 on the road last week, giving Cincinnati their first three-game winning streak of the season. Since 2018, they stand 3-34 when scoring 20 or fewer points in a game, but two of those wins have come against Tennessee.

Cincinnati have converted 78.1 per cent (25-for-32) of their third downs this season when needing fewer than four yards, the best mark in the league. However, they've also allowed opponents to convert such third downs at a 76.5 per cent rate (26-for-34), the worst record in the league.

Elsewhere…

The Miami Dolphins head to San Francisco with a 4-3 record on the road against the 49ers, the second-best such record by any team behind the Carolina Panthers (7-4).

The Los Angeles Rams host the Seattle Seahawks having won eight of the last 10 clashes between the two divisional rivals, with Seattle's last victory on the road in this matchup coming in Week 5, 2017.

An overtime victory over the Seahawks last week was the second in a row for the Las Vegas Raiders, having beaten the Denver Broncos in OT in Week 11. No NFL team has ever won three consecutive games in overtime going into the Raiders' latest battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dallas Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts on the back of a four-game spell with at least 400 net yards, with only one longer streak in team history – running eight games in that regard in 2016.

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