Three of the four quarterbacks who have led their teams to their conference's championship game have been named finalists for the NFL's Most Valuable Player Award.

Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes, Philadelphia Eagles' Jalen Hurts and Cincinnati Bengals' Joe Burrow are among the five finalists announced on Wednesday.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson were also tabbed as finalists.

Mahomes, the current betting favourite to win the honour for the second time in his career, Hurts and Jefferson are also finalists for Offensive Player of the Year along with Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

The 2018 NFL MVP led the league with 5,250 passing yards and 41 touchdown passes while helping the Chiefs to an AFC-best 14-3 record. Top-seeded Kansas City will host Burrow's Bengals in the conference title game on Sunday.

Hurts compiled 3,701 passing yards, 760 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns to lead the Eagles to a 14-3 record and the NFC's No. 1 seed. Philadelphia will host a San Francisco 49ers team guided by quarterback Brock Purdy, one of three finalists for Offensive Rookie of the Year, in Sunday's conference championship.

Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 draft who has gone 7-0 since replacing an injured Jimmy Garoppolo, is joined by Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker and New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson as finalists.

San Francisco's stout defence was also represented with end Nick Bosa one of three finalists for Defensive Player of the Year. Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Micah Parsons, the runner-up for the award last season, and Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones are also up for the honour.

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was also named a finalist for NFL Coach of the Year along with the New York Giants' Brian Daboll and Jacksonville Jaguars' Doug Pederson, both of whom directed their teams to playoff appearances in their first seasons.

San Francisco garnered two other award finalists in running back Christian McCaffrey and defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans. McCaffrey joins Giants running Saquon Barkley and Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith as candidates for Comeback Player of the Year, while Ryans is a finalist for Assistant Coach of the Year.

Eagles offensive coordinator Shane Steichen and Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson are the other Assistant Coach of the Year finalists.

The Defensive Rookie of the Year award will go to either Jets cornerback Ahmad "Sauce" Gardner, Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson or Seahawks corner Tariq Woolen.

All of this season's winners will be announced at the NFL Honors event in Phoenix on February 9, three days before Super Bowl LVII will be held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizozna.

Voting was conducted before the start of the playoffs by a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league.

Josh Allen confirmed he will not undergo offseason surgery on his troublesome elbow as he reflected on the Buffalo Bills' season after crashing out of the playoffs against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Allen suffered his elbow injury in the Bills' Week 9 loss to the New York Jets in early November, and despite trying to tough his way through it, it clearly affected his play.

The month of November was easily his worst of the season, throwing only four touchdowns with five interceptions over four games while also sporting a passer rating of 75.9 – far below the 98.8 figure he either reached or eclipsed in September, October, December and January.

Although his stats rebounded in the lead-up to and during the playoffs, Allen still appeared to be struggling with his elbow on certain throws, and he could only lead the Bills to one touchdown in the 27-10 elimination loss at home to the Bengals.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Allen acknowledged the pain in his elbow messed with his throwing mechanics but said the rehabilitation plan is simple.

"Rest and recovery is going to be really good for it," he said. "I mean, there was a period, obviously, right after, for a few weeks, where it was pretty bothersome – but again, it didn't affect me all that much.

"I just felt like maybe I was trying to throw it a little differently mechanically, had to change a few things and got away a little bit from how I'm used to throwing the ball. That's just a by-product of that.

"I think, really, two weeks ago is when I felt like I got back to mechanically what I like. Being the rotational thrower, it's very elbow prevalent, and maybe I got a little bit to more of a linear-type deal because I just couldn't really use all that much force and flicking it out there, but, again, just adapting."

When asked about what will stick with him from the 2022 season, Allen said he was proud of how his team came together during a string of traumatic events – including a deadly blizzard in Buffalo and the cardiac arrest of safety Damar Hamlin.

"The adversity that this team [has] overcome," he said. "There's a lot of stuff that happened to a football team that I don't know if it's ever happened before. 

"Just battling through that with the guys in this locker room and us trusting each other. Obviously, we want to win, make no mistake about it. But I'm proud of how this team was able to fight through some of the stuff that we went through."

That sentiment was echoed by defensive leader Von Miller, who said: "It's an honour to be a Buffalo Bill. I've never been on a team that handled as much adversity in a season."

Patrick Mahomes is set on playing in the AFC Championship Game despite his ankle injury, says Andy Reid.

Mahomes sat out the second quarter on Saturday as the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional round.

He sustained a right ankle injury while being tackled by two Jaguars defenders towards the end of the first quarter.

The MVP favourite was listed as questionable but returned for the second half and, despite struggling to move freely, helped Kansas City win 27-20 and reach the conference title game for a fifth successive season.

Mahomes said after the game he would be "good to go" when the Chiefs face the Cincinnati Bengals.

And coach Reid told reporters on Monday the 27-year-old had done "amazing things with limited time" as he looks to ensure he can feature.

"He's worked hard in the treatment and is doing okay," Reid told reporters.

"He told you guys. He mentioned to you that he's going to play. That's his mindset. Then we'll just take it day by day and see how he does.

"As far as the reps, I'll have to see how he feels as we get ready for practice."

Reid also suggested the injury is not as serious as that Mahomes suffered at the start of the 2019 season, also against the Jaguars.

The Cincinnati Bengals revelled in causing problems for those who had formed plans for a neutral site AFC Championship Game as they defeated the Buffalo Bills to secure another road game at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Victory for the Bills on Sunday, due to the cancelled regular season game between the teams when Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest, would have seen them meet the Chiefs in Atlanta.

The NFL had even set in motion ticket sales, which did great business with the game just a week away, but the alternative plan will not now be required after the Bengals won 27-10 in Buffalo.

Joe Burrow had the Bengals in control from the outset, and he had advice for those who had planned to see the Bills play the Chiefs.

"Better send those refunds," he told CBS.

Coach Zac Taylor added at a news conference with a grin: "We had our minds set to go and play in Kansas City.

"It is tough, because they have to formulate the plans for coin tosses, they have to formulate the plans for neutral site games, and we just keep screwing it up for everybody.

"I hate that for the people who have to endure all those logistical issues. We just keep screwing it up, so I'm sorry."

The Bengals won in Kansas City in last year's AFC Championship Game, and Taylor has no doubts they are capable of a repeat.

"We're built for this," he said. "It doesn't matter what anybody thinks about us.

"We don't care who's favourite and who's not; we're built for this. We're excited to go on the road to Kansas City."

The Bills had been 13-1 in home playoff games in the Super Bowl era, but that record merely provided a source of motivation for Taylor's team.

"In our whole team, you just look at the leadership in every position," he said.

"We talked about last night how they were 13-1 in the playoffs, the best home winning percentage in NFL history. I wanted to show that to the team, because I knew what that would do to them.

"It wouldn't put fear in them that 'oh my God, we're walking into an environment that people don't win in', it was completely the opposite for our guys. It was."

Burrow completed his first nine passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns, putting the Bengals 14-0 up before the Bills had a first down.

"He's the greatest," Taylor said. "He does a great job leading this team, managing situations. The bigger the moment gets, the calmer he gets, and the team feeds off that."

But Burrow was keen to deflect praise onto the offensive line, which was missing key personnel but ensured the quarterback took only a single sack.

"It was one of their best games of the year – rushing, pass blocking," Burrow said. "It might be our most complete game of the year as a team."

Burrow, like Taylor, is confident of the team's chances against the Chiefs, believing they are better now than they were when winning that game last year.

"I think we're a more complete team, I think we're a better team," he explained. "We just seem to make plays when it counts. That's all there is to say.

"I think our O-line is better, I think our run game is better, I think our defense is better, I think our special teams is better. We're just overall a much better team than we were last year."

The Cincinnati Bengals will again play the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game after going to the Buffalo Bills and winning 27-10 in the Divisional round on Sunday.

The Bengals went to their third Super Bowl last year after upsetting the Chiefs in the conference title game, and they will get the opportunity to repeat that feat next week.

Damar Hamlin, recovering after his cardiac arrest in the regular season meeting between the teams, was in the building to see the Bills, but Joe Burrow kept his cool with a clinical display in snowy conditions to cut short Buffalo's season.

The Bengals had made a bright start to that Week 17 game before it was halted and did so again in this encounter, taking control before the end of the first quarter.

Burrow completed his first nine passes across two drives for 105 yards and two touchdowns – including a 28-yard TD pass to Ja'Marr Chase – while the Bills had to wait until the second quarter for a first down.

That belated drive ended with Josh Allen running in to score, before a second Chase TD was taken off the board following a marginal review.

But a Bengals challenge after halftime resulted in a Joe Mixon TD when he was initially adjudged to have been halted at the goal line following a six-minute drive, and the lead was out to 17 points early in the fourth quarter.

Still Allen could not get the Bills offense to fire, with his last desperate effort an interception thrown to Cam Taylor-Britt to seal the Bengals' 10th straight win.

Damar Hamlin met with his Buffalo Bills team-mates ahead of their AFC Divisional playoff clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, three weeks on from his cardiac arrest.

The safety collapsed during the first quarter of the pair's Week 17 clash on January 2, and was hospitalised in serious condition after receiving treatment on the field.

But the 2021 draft pick has continued to show a remarkable improvement since, with coach Sean McDermott revealing earlier this week that he had been attending the team's training facility.

Now, Hamlin has gone one step further after missing last week's opening playoff win against the Miami Dolphins in making the trip to Highmark Stadium for the Bills' crunch clash.

Video footage posted on social media showed him in attendance alongside members of his family, ahead of kick-off in the Sunday encounter.

In Hamlin's absence, Buffalo won a taut opening playoff encounter with Miami last week, running out 34-31 victors at Orchard Park.

Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns in all, with the hosts holding their nerve to keep their visitors at bay in the final quarter.

The winner of the Bills-Bengals match will meet the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game next weekend.

An emotionally charged encounter is on the cards when the Buffalo Bills host the Cincinnati Bengals in the Divisional round given the events when the two sides met just over two weeks ago.

In the Week 17 contest in Cincinnati, Damar Hamlin's collapse and cardiac arrest brought the NFL to a standstill.

Now, the Bills will continue to be spurred on by news of Hamlin's improving health throughout the playoffs – not that they have needed much help of late.

A 34-31 Wild Card victory against the Miami Dolphins was the third playoff game in a row in which they have scored at least 34 points. Prior to this run, the Bills had tallied 34 or more points in just five of their first 34 playoff games.

Buffalo are 11-2 in the postseason when scoring at least 28 points, compared to a 7-17 record when scoring 27 or fewer.

The Bills will have confidence in Josh Allen to lead them to another big score after his latest impressive playoff showing. His 352 passing yards against the Dolphins last week represented the third-best such performance by a Bills quarterback in the playoffs, behind only Jim Kelly (405 in the 1989 Divisional round) and Doug Flutie (360 in the 1998 Wild Card round).

It was Allen's fourth playoff game with at least 300 passing yards and multiple touchdown passes, making him one of only 10 players in NFL history to have at least four such games. He has only played seven playoff games in total.

The Bengals might represent a step up, however, with this the first game at the Divisional round or earlier in NFL history to have both teams entering on winning streaks of at least eight games.

Both previous playoff encounters between the sides have gone in the Bengals' favour, although their last postseason meeting was in the 1988 season.

The Bengals reached this stage with a 24-17 victory against the Baltimore Ravens, which made this the first time they have had wins in back-to-back postseasons.

Even so, they have a knack for close playoff games, with their last six all decided by seven or fewer points.

To come out on top in another tight matchup, the Bengals will need to do a better job of protecting Joe Burrow, who was sacked four times against the Ravens and has been sacked 23 times in his five career playoff games, tied with Wade Wilson from 1987 to 1989 for the most through a QB's first five playoff starts since at least 1970.

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott revealed Damar Hamlin has returned to visiting the team's facility "almost daily", offering a major boost ahead of their AFC Divisional round game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Hamlin was discharged from hospital last week after being in a critical condition having suffered a cardiac arrest in the January 2 game against the Bengals in Cincinnati.

The Bills safety continues to progress on his road to recovery, which McDermott outlined ahead of their rematch against the Bengals for the first time since the incident.

"Damar is in the building now, almost starting daily," McDermott told reporters. "So that's good news. As he continues to improve, that certainly helps.

"That experience, we'll carry that with us. There's a challenge to that, but there's also a lot of good that comes with that. Right now, we need to focus on the positives that came out of that as opposed to the other piece of that."

McDermott said Hamlin's participation was still "limited", not partaking in team meetings or anything physical.

"He comes in and really just started today or yesterday and just trying to get back to a little bit of a routine and just get himself acclimated again and taking it one step, one baby step at a time here," he said.

"Kind of get himself dipping his toe back in here and you know, getting on the road to just getting back to himself."

It remains unclear if Hamlin will attend Sunday's game at Bills Stadium, having watched Sunday's 34-31 victory over the Miami Dolphins remotely.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen added that the players were boosted by Hamlin's return and the emotional trauma of the incident was easing to an extent.

"I think there's honestly not too much left over," he said. "Obviously with guys being able to see Damar, guys being able to see him and talk with him, that alleviates most of that.

"I'm not saying there's going to be none, I can't speak for everyone on the team, but we're extremely focused right now, having a good week of preparation. We'll try to go out there on Sunday and execute."

The Bengals enter the Divisional round game on a nine-game winning streak, seeking back-to-back AFC Championship Game appearances. Since Week 9, Cincinnati have the third best points per game and second best points per game differential in the NFL.

Despite that, the Bills are regarded as favourites for the game, given their emotional lift, home ground advantage and having finished as the AFC second seed, but Bengals head coach Zac Taylor does not view his side as underdogs.

"We know that we're the defending AFC champions," Taylor told reporters. "There's an edge to this team, we're not an underdog. That's been the feeling the whole season. We know we belong in the field with every team."

Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Jonah Williams sustained a dislocated left kneecap during a playoff victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

Williams did the damage in the second quarter of a 24-17 Wild-Card round win and was replaced by Jackson Carman.

The 25-year-old was on Monday listed as week-to-week by the Bengals, who battle the Buffalo Bills in the Divisional round at Highmark Stadium on Sunday.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said it was "hard to tell" if Williams will recover in time to take on the Bills but was impressed with the way Carman stepped in.

"I thought he did a nice job, especially being thrust in there," Taylor said. "He's gotta practice both sides during the week.

"He's practised a lot of guard this year as well. I thought given the opportunity that he had, against a tough defensive line, I thought he handled it really well."

Alex Cappa missed the game against the Ravens due to an ankle injury, but Taylor was encouraged to see him in attendance wearing a protective boot.

"I saw him curling a towel in there with his toes and he looked good," Taylor said. "It seemed like that was progress when I walked in. That was exciting for the room."

Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh refused to criticise Tyler Huntley but says he failed to execute the play design leading to Sam Hubbard's game-winning fumble return TD on Sunday.

The Ravens were eliminated from the postseason 24-17 by the Cincinnati Bengals, with Hubbard's touchdown marking a 14-point swing with Baltimore pressing for a go-ahead score at the time.

The Bengals' defense held on, before Huntley tried a QB sneak on a third-and-goal, leaping into the air with both hands on the ball, but it was knocked out by Logan Wilson allowing defensive end Hubbard to recover it and race away for a 98-yard touchdown, which was the longest fumble return TD in NFL playoff history.

"We felt we had a good call," Harbaugh told reporters. "It's a push sneak play.

"It wasn’t executed. Tyler went over the top. It's a burrow play, he needs to go low on that. That's the way the play is designed. We felt like that was the best call, we just didn’t execute it right."

Huntley, starting in the absence of injured former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, kept the Ravens in the contest with a strong performance that was praised by Harbaugh. The Ravens lost four of six games this season that Jackson did not start.

The Ravens QB threw 17-of-29 passes for 226 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, along with 54 rushing yards having had injury concerns coming into the game. Huntley's career-best 35-yard run had got the Ravens within the goal line before Hubbard's TD.

"Tyler Huntley coming in and playing the way he played coming off the shoulder and wrist injuries and fighting his way back on to the field," Harbaugh said. "Just giving it everything he had, that kind of performance.

"We didn’t win the game, we're disappointed in that, but I've got nothing but admiration for our guys."

Cincinnati's win means Zac Taylor is 4-1 in playoff games as Bengals head coach. The Bengals scored 14 points off two Ravens' turnovers, with QB Joe Burrow held to 209 yards on 23-of-32 passing.

"That's why you just never give up on a drive," Taylor said. "Even when it's down there, inside the two, that's what our defense, the whole redzone really over the last couple of years has been awesome from our defense. Today was no different.

"For Logan to knock that ball out, Sam to finish that off 98 yards, it really changed the momentum of the game. You're looking at a 14-point swing there, going down seven, going up seven.

"It was a challenge on offense. It's one of the better defenses we faced all year. We knew that going in and our defense really carried us in the fourth quarter. We needed that."

Sam Hubbard scored a record-breaking go-ahead 98-yard fumble return touchdown to earn the Cincinnati Bengals a thrilling 24-17 win over the Baltimore Ravens in their AFC Wild Card Game on Sunday.

Defensive end Hubbard raced clear for the longest go-ahead TD in NFL postseason history as the Ravens pressed for the lead on a third-and-goal on Tyler Huntley's QB sneak, as he leapt up to break the plane of the goalline, only for Logan Wilson to knock it out.

Hubbard's go-ahead touchdown, scored with 11:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, was also the longest fumble return TD in NFL playoff history.

Baltimore had been mounting the pressure with scores locked 17-17 with Huntley's 35-yard run, the longest of his career, pushing them to the goalline, but the Bengals' defense held up, before the fumble return TD ignited Paul Brown Stadium.

Huntley threw a final-second pass on fourth-and-20, which James Proche got a hand on, but could not hold. The Ravens QB, starting in the absence of injured former MVP Lamar Jackson, had kept his side in the game on 17-of-29 passing for 226 yards with two TD passes and one interception, adding 54 rushing yards.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow completed 23-of-32 passes for 209 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown, but was sacked four times. Ja'Marr Chase had nine receptions for 84 yards.

It was a seesawing encounter with the Bengals dominating the first quarter led by Chase, before Burrow connected with the wide receiver to cap a six-minute, 10-play drive.

The Ravens hit back in the second to lead 10-9 at halftime, with Huntley finding J.K. Dobbins to score, while Burrow was sacked three times in the first half.

The two sides traded touchdowns in the third, with Burrow slithering across after Hayden Hurst thought he had scored yet fell half a yard short, before Huntley threw a 41-yard TD pass for Demarcus Robinson.

The Baltimore Ravens' trip to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday's Wild Card clash presents both franchises with the opportunity to improve upon their postseason records in the first playoff clash between the teams.

While the Bengals marched all the way to the Super Bowl before a narrow 23-20 defeat to the Los Angeles Rams last year, the 2021 season marked the first time in 30 years that Cincinnati celebrated a victory in the playoffs – having lost seven Wild Card clashes in a row previously.

Meanwhile, the Ravens have won just two playoff clashes since their victory in Super Bowl XLVII a decade ago, losing four of six postseason clashes since.

Home field advantage for the Bengals will not matter to Baltimore, however, who stand as the only franchise in NFL history to boast a winning record in road playoff games at 11-7.

Without Lamar Jackson due to a knee injury, the Ravens go in as underdogs and may look towards their running game to provide a breakthrough.

They have excelled this season on the ground, earning a first down on 31.7 per cent of their rushing attempts this season – the highest such percentage in a single season by any team in the Super Bowl era.

Though most of those yards have come through Jackson himself (764 yards), J.K. Dobbins has tallied 520 yards from 92 carries and Kenyan Drake leads the Ravens with four rushing touchdowns, while only the Chicago Bears (3,014) had more rushing yards in the regular season than the Ravens (2,720).

The Bengals' most effective outlet in response is likely to be star quarterback Joe Burrow, who boasts a career completion percentage of 68.3 in playoff matches – the second highest among NFL quarterbacks with at least 100 postseason pass attempts.

In the 2022 regular season, Burrow's completion percentage also stood at 68.3, behind only the Seattle Seahawks' Geno Smith (69.8), while 35 touchdown passes ranked as the third highest across the NFL.

Victory against the Ravens would also extend Cincinnati's current win streak to nine, which would set a franchise record. The Bengals are the only NFL team who have not recorded at least one winning streak of at least nine games in their history.

Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins will be instrumental to the Bengals' hopes, with the pair both boasting over 1,000 receiving yards this season and having a combined receiving touchdown total of 16 – almost half of the Bengals' team total in 2022 (35).

The two sides met only last week, where the Bengals emerged 26-17 victors, and the all-time series record stands at 28-26 in favour of the Ravens.

With the Bengals and Ravens having never previously met in the playoffs, the rivalry is now set to see a new chapter written.

It's time for the Wild Card round on the road to Super Bowl LVII.

Things kick-off on Saturday when the in-form San Francisco 49ers welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Levi's Stadium, while the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A trio of games on Sunday see the Buffalo Bills host the Miami Dolphins, the Minnesota Vikings facing the New York Giants and the Cincinnati Bengals going up against the Baltimore Ravens, before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys bring the round to a close on Monday.

Stats Perform has taken a look at the more pertinent stats heading into what should be another exciting three days of NFL action as the playoffs begin.

Seattle Seahawks (9-8) @ San Francisco 49ers (13-4)

This will be just the second playoff game ever between the Seahawks and 49ers (Seattle won the other in the 2013 NFC Championship Game).

The 49ers are on a 10-game winning streak, the 13th team in the Super Bowl era to enter the postseason on a double-digit winning streak. The previous 12 teams to do so were 7-5 in their first playoff game that season.

San Francisco won both regular season meetings but have never beaten a single team three times in one campaign (including playoffs).

Geno Smith led the NFL in completion percentage this season, becoming just the second Seahawk ever do so after Dave Krieg in 1991. With 30 touchdown passes, Smith became the third Seahawk to lead the NFC in that category, joining Matt Hasselbeck (2005) and Russell Wilson (2017 and 2018).

Christian McCaffrey has scored an offensive touchdown in each of his last six games, tied for the second-longest streak in the NFL this season. The last Niner to have a longer streak (including the playoffs) was Terrell Owens in 1998 (nine).

Miami Dolphins (9-8) @ Buffalo Bills (13-3)

The Dolphins have lost their last four games in the postseason, scoring just 24 points over those games. Only one team has scored fewer points over a four-game span in the playoffs in postseason history, the Giants from 1939 to 1944 (16 points).

Miami's hopes of improving on that poor record were reduced when starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) was ruled out of this playoff contest.

But they still have Tyreek Hill, who caught 119 passes for 1,710 yards this season – both career highs. No Dolphin had ever had more than 1,400 receiving yards in one season, with the next closest being Mark Clayton in 1984 with 1,389 receiving yards.

For the Bills, Josh Allen has thrown one interception in 228 career passing attempts in the postseason, the lowest rate in NFL playoff history.

This season, the Dolphins' offense led the league, averaging 6.85 yards on first down plays, while the Bills were third (6.13). The teams were close on defense on first down plays as well, with the Dolphins 14th (5.27 yards allowed per play) and the Bills 15th (5.39).

New York Giants (9-7-1) @ Minnesota Vikings (13-4)

This is the Vikings' 31st playoff appearance, currently tied with the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz for the most by any MLB/NBA/NFL/NHL team that has never won a championship.

Kirk Cousins finished with 25 or more TD passes and fewer than 15 interceptions for the eighth straight season. The only other QB in NFL history to have a streak as long is Tom Brady (10 straight, 2009-18).

The Giants are 8-2 in playoff games since the start of the 2007 season, the best record by any NFL team in that time. Four of the Giants' 16 previous playoff appearances in the Super Bowl era have ended in a Super Bowl victory (25.0 per cent), the highest percentage for any team.

Earlier this season, Daniel Jones became the second QB in NFL history to have 3000+ passing yards, 500+ rushing yards and no more than five interceptions in a season, along with Robert Griffin III in his 2012 Offensive Rookie of the Year campaign.

Elsewhere...

This will be the Chargers' first playoff appearance since 2018, when they beat Baltimore before falling to New England. The Chargers have won at least one playoff game in four of their last five appearances. They are also 3-0 against AFC South teams in the playoffs since the division was created in 2002.

The Bengals have won eight consecutive games, which is tied for the longest win streak in team history. The Bengals are the only current NFL team without at least one winning streak of at least nine games in their franchise history (regular season and playoffs).

Buccaneers star Tom Brady has thrown for 13,049 yards in his playoff career, nearly 4,000 more than the combined career total for the other 13 projected playoff starting quarterbacks this season (9,184 combined passing yards).

The NFL announced that Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host a potential AFC Championship Game between the number two seed Buffalo Bills and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.

In a statement released on Thursday, the NFL confirmed that the game would be played on Sunday January 29, with Atlanta only used as the venue if those two sides are matched up.

That came following the cancellation of the Week 17 game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals after Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field in the first quarter and went into cardiac arrest.

The NFL had already confirmed that in the event of a Bills-Chiefs' AFC Championship Game matchup that the contest would be played at a neutral site, given both sides played an unequal number of regular season games due to the Bills-Bengals' cancellation.

The Bills are due to host the seventh-seed Miami Dolphins on Sunday at Highmark Stadium in the Wild Card round, while the Chiefs have a bye and will face the lowest AFC seed remaining in the Divisional round.

"We are heartened by the continued improvement and progress of Damar Hamlin in his recovery, and Damar and his family remain top of mind for the entire NFL community," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in the statement.

"We are also grateful to Arthur Blank and the Atlanta Falcons for agreeing to host the AFC Championship Game in Atlanta should the Bills and Chiefs advance. We thank both of those clubs for their assistance in the planning process."

Mercedes-Benz Stadium was opened in 2017 and has an American Football capacity of 71,000.

The Baltimore Ravens haven’t had starting quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field in over a month and it does not appear he will be ready to play Sunday's Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Jackson missed his 17th straight practice Thursday and then posted on social media that his left knee "remains unstable," putting his availability for Sunday in serious doubt.

"Thank you everyone for your support and concerns regarding my injuries," Jackson posted to Twitter. "I want to give you all an update as I am in the recovery process. I’ve suffered a PCL grade 2 sprain on the borderline of a strain 3. There is still inflammation surrounding my knee and my knee remains unstable.

"I’m still in good spirits, as I continue with treatments on the road to recovery. I wish I could be out there with my guys more than anything but I can’t give 100% of myself to my guys and fans I’m still hopeful we still have a chance."

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has not officially ruled out Jackson returning Sunday, but he has not practiced with the team since December 2, and has not appeared in a game since a 10-9 win over the Denver Broncos on December 4.

With Jackson likely unavailable, Huntley would be in line to start, but he has been battling shoulder and wrist injuries that kept him sidelined for the regular-season finale at Cincinnati last weekend.

Huntley resumed throwing at practice Thursday and was officially listed as a limited participant. It was the first time since January 1 that he was seen throwing passes.

"He looked good," Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman said. "It’s day-to-day. He’s making progress. We take stock on it every day."

Rookie Anthony Brown started the final game of the regular season and was 19 of 44 for 286 yards with two interceptions in his only career start, a 27-16 loss to the Bengals.

Baltimore went 8-4 and averaged 23.1 points in games Jackson started this season, and were 2-3 while averaging 13 points in games without him.

"Obviously, Lamar is Lamar," Ravens linebacker Patrick Queen said. "You can’t replace that kind of guy, but I do still think that we have quarterbacks who can go out there and get the job done and play at a high level."

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