The Cleveland Browns "fully expect" Baker Mayfield to be their starting quarterback in 2022 despite a difficult 2021 season as the side missed the playoffs.

The Browns finished their 8-9 season with a 21-16 win over the Cincinnati Bengals after a three-game losing skid which saw them fall out of postseason contention.

Mayfield started 14 games, completing 253 of 418 passes for 3,010 yards and 17 touchdowns with 13 interceptions and 43 sackings.

The 2018 NFL Draft first pick, however, played through a torn labrum in his left, non-throwing shoulder, with Case Keenum finishing the season as the Browns starting QB.

"It's easy to forget at this point of the year what we've seen with Baker over the past several years," Browns general manager Andrew Berry said.

"We've been with Baker for a long period - we know his work ethic, we know his drive, we've seen him [be] a talented passer in this league, and we're looking forward to him getting healthy and continue to make improvements."

Berry added: "We fully expect Baker to be our starter and bounce back."

Mayfield's completion rate of 60.5 percent was well down on the NFL's quarterbacks list, with teammate Keenum throwing at 65.3 percent in his two starts and seven games overall.

"We're looking forward to Baker getting healthy in the offseason," Berry said, "Then putting in good work through the spring and with his coaches for having the type of season that we know he can have."

Mayfield will undergo surgery on the torn labrum next week with a view to fully participating in preseason team activities in late May.

"Baker, he's team-oriented, he's a competitor, he's super tough," Berry said. "He truly wants what's best for the team and really to take the steps he needs to improve to become the quarterback that we know that he can become."

The New York Giants have fired Joe Judge as head coach after two seasons in charge.

Though general manager Dave Gettleman retired on Monday, Judge was expected to stay on despite a dismal 4-13 campaign in 2021.

That followed a 6-10 season in 2020 that had left some room for hope, the Giants producing a string of impressive displays on the defensive side of the ball.

However, the Giants never threatened to build on the performances of Judge's first year, and the franchise hierarchy opted to hit the reset button after a six-game losing streak and a series of bizarre comments in media conferences from Judge.

"[Co-owner] Steve [Tisch] and I both believe it is in the best interest of our franchise to move in another direction," said team president John Mara.

"We met with Joe yesterday afternoon [Monday] to discuss the state of the team. I met again with Joe this afternoon, and it was during that conversation I informed Joe of our decision. We appreciate Joe's efforts on behalf of the organisation.

"I said before the season started that I wanted to feel good about the direction we were headed when we played our last game of the season.

"Unfortunately, I cannot make that statement, which is why we have made this decision.

"We will hire a general manager and that person will lead the effort to hire a new head coach."

The Giants' final game of the season saw them suffer a 22-7 defeat to the Washington Football Team. They averaged just three yards per play while a decision to call a quarterback sneak from their own four-yard line in a meaningless game was widely ridiculed.

New York finished the season with the second-fewest offensive points (249) in the NFL. They scored more than 10 points just once over the final eight games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians says it would be a "travesty" if 44-year-old quarterback Tom Brady does not win the MVP award.

Brady had 485 completions from 719 passing attempts for 5,316 yards and 43 touchdown passes across the regular season, which was the league-best across all categories.

The Bucs QB becomes the third quarterback following Drew Brees (2018) and Peyton Manning (2013) to lead the league in all four major statistical categories since 1991. Brady's 485 completions was an NFL single-season record.

Brady produced a three-touchdown display in the Bucs' 41-17 win over the Caroline Panthers on Sunday to reinforce his credentials with the home crowd chanting "MVP!".

"I think if he doesn't get it, it's a travesty," Arians told reporters on Monday. "Most completions ever, 5,000 yards, touchdowns - the whole nine yards. To me, it's not even a close race."

Brady's 5,316 passing yards was also the third-most in NFL history, beating his own personal record of 5,235 yards from 2011.

Bucs tight end Rob Gronkowski said: "It just shows what his work ethic is, how dedicated he is to the game of football and just how talented he is.

"Just his determination week in and week out - it's just unbelievable. And it's just surreal how he's pulling it off at age 44 and just coming out here like he's in his 20s still, just winging that ball, zipping it where it needs to be, making fantastic throws week in and week out."

Gronkowski added: "Tom's the MVP every year. Just the way he adjusts on the fly to his personnel, just trying to get the ball into the best players' hands or the best matchup on that current play - he's just always ready to go no matter what the situation is. He's the MVP every year."

The Arizona Cardinals remain uncertain on the availability of running back James Conner for their Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams due to injured ribs.

Conner left Sunday's 38-30 defeat to the Seattle Seahawks nursing his ribs after 15 carries for 52 yards and two touchdowns.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury said the side's medical staff were still evaluating Conner's condition ahead of Monday's game.

"He’s still being evaluated . . . hopefully, it’s not too serious," Kingsbury told Arizona Sports 98.7. "But we won’t know for the next couple days."

Conner had missed the Cardinals' previous two games due to a heel injury before making his comeback against the Seahawks.

The 26-year-old finished the regular season with an NFC-high 18 touchdowns, 15 rushing and three receiving. He ranked third in the NFL, behind only Austin Ekeler and Jonathan Taylor (both 20).

Conner has had 202 carries for 752 yards this season along with 37 receptions for 375 yards.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Frank Reich says his side has been left with a "scar" after missing the playoffs following Sunday's shock 26-11 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Indianapolis needed only to beat a two-win Jaguars team to secure their place in the postseason but were humbled, allowing the Pittsburgh Steelers to clinch a playoffs spot.

Quarterback Carson Wentz was sacked six times in a game the Jaguars led the entire way, with the Colts having not won in Jacksonville since 2014.

The Colts finished the season with back-to-back defeats to slip to a 9-8 record and second in the AFC South behind the Conference-leading Tennessee Titans.

"It was hard to imagine after the Arizona game, we get to 9-6, we feel like we’re one of the two or three teams to beat, a team everybody’s talking about," Reich told reporters on Monday.

"When you think about how all this was going to end, certainly, no one including myself, really, ever thought it would end like it did the last two weeks.

"That’s something that can’t be undone. It’s part of our record. It’s part of my record. … It’s a scar."

Reich revealed that he met with team owner Jim Irsay and general manager Chris Ballard for several hours after the Jaguars defeat.

“It was a good conversation, a supporting conversation, but also demanding and wanting answers, [with Irsay] wanting to hold us accountable,” Reich said.

He added: "‘We’re going to get better.' … We walked out of there saying, ‘We’ve got a lot of the right pieces in place.'"

New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman has announced his retirement.

Gettleman took over as GM in 2017 but did not oversee a single winning season during his time at the helm.

He leaves his post with the Giants having gone a dismal 19-46 during his tenure, Gettleman shouldering a huge amount of the blame for their struggles following a series of questionable personnel decisions.

The selection of running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in 2018 and quarterback Daniel Jones with the sixth overall pick in 2019 have backfired, while the hiring of Joe Judge as head coach has come under considerable scrutiny this season.

Sunday's defeat to the Washington Football Team saw the Giants finish 4-13, but Judge appears set to hold on to his job for a third season in charge.

Gettleman's time is over, however, with co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch set to lead the search for a new GM.

"It was a privilege to serve as the general manager of the New York Giants the last four years and to have spent so many years of my career with this franchise," said Gettleman.

"We obviously have not had the on-the-field success I expected, and that is disappointing. However, I have many fond memories here, including two Super Bowl victories, and I wish the team and organisation only the best moving forward.

"There are many good people here who pour their souls into this organisation. I am proud to have worked alongside them."

Mara said in a statement: "This will be a comprehensive search for our next general manager. We are looking for a person who demonstrates exceptional leadership and communication abilities, somebody who will oversee all aspects of our football operations, including player personnel, college scouting and coaching."

Tisch added: "It is an understatement to say John and I are disappointed by the lack of success we have had on the field.

"We are united in our commitment to find a general manager who will provide the direction necessary for us to achieve the on-field performance and results we all expect."

Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace have been fired by the Chicago Bears after the conclusion of a disappointing 6-11 season for the team.

The Bears confirmed on Monday they have opted to move on from both their head coach and general manager after missing out on the playoffs in 2021.

A 31-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday proved to be the final NFL game with the team for Nagy and Pace, though their positions have been under scrutiny throughout the campaign.

Pace took the GM job in 2015 and spent seven seasons with the Bears, hiring two coaches - John Fox and Nagy - during his tenure.

Nagy, meanwhile, has had to fend off questions about his job security throughout the season and has now had his fate confirmed after the worst of his four years in charge.

The franchise looked to be heading in the right direction when Nagy, in his first campaign, led the Bears to a 12-4 record in 2018 and was named NFL Coach of the Year.

But as former second overall pick Mitchell Trubisky struggled, two consecutive 8-8 seasons added to the pressure going into this year.

Pace had previously traded up in the draft to select Trubisky in 2017 and took another shot at a first-round quarterback in 2021 when he swooped to take Justin Fields at 11.

Notable other moves included a huge trade for pass-rusher Khalil Mack in 2018 and bringing in Super Bowl winner Nick Foles at QB, which failed to have the desired effect.

The big move to land Fields in the draft, which excited the fanbase, was seen to provide a possible path to both men saving their jobs and leading the Bears into the future, but the Bears went 2-8 in 10 starts for the rookie.

It will therefore be a new regime that decides how to build around Fields in a bid to end an 11-year drought without a win in the playoffs.

Chicago lost Super Bowl XLI to the Indianapolis Colts after the 2006 season and reached the NFC Championship Game - where they were beaten by the Green Bay Packers - in 2010, both under the guidance of Lovie Smith.

But they are winless from just two postseason appearances since as the Packers continue to dominate the NFC North.

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross ruled out an approach for Jim Harbaugh after the team surprisingly fired Brian Flores as head coach.

The Dolphins announced Flores' dismissal on Monday after another season in which they missed the playoffs came to an end.

However, Flores' exit came as a shock given the Dolphins finished the year 9-8, marking their second successive winning season.

Miami went 10-6 in 2020 but missed out on the postseason with a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills in their season finale. In 2021, they recovered from a 1-7 start to become the first team to lose seven successive games and then win seven straight in the same season.

However, talk of an internal power struggle with general manager Chris Grier and a deteriorating relationship with quarterback Tua Tagovailoa appears to have played a role in Flores' departure.

Harbaugh led the San Francisco 49ers to three NFC Championship Game berths, and a narrow defeat in Super Bowl XLVII, in four seasons during his sole NFL head coaching stint. He is said to be interested in a return to the pros.

After his exit from the Niners, Harbaugh took over as head coach of the University of Michigan and guided them to a College Football Playoff berth this season.

The Dolphins pursued Harbaugh back in 2011 when he was hired by San Francisco but Detroit-born Ross, an alumnus of Michigan, does not want to prise him away from the Wolverines.

"I'm not going to be the person to take Jim Harbaugh from the University of Michigan - I hope he stays there," Ross said.

Earlier, a statement from the Dolphins owner read: "I made a decision today to part ways with Brian Flores.

"After evaluating where we are as an organisation and what we need going forward to improve, I determined that key dynamics of our football organisation weren't functioning at a level I want it to be and felt that this decision was in the best interest of the Miami Dolphins.

"I believe we have a talented young roster in place and have the opportunity to be much better in 2022. I want to thank Brian for his hard work and wish him nothing but the best in his future."

The Minnesota Vikings have fired head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman.

Zimmer and Spielman have been dismissed from their roles after the Vikings missed the playoffs for the second straight year and the third time in four seasons.

The Vikings went 8-9 in 2021, ultimately finishing a game out of the NFC Wild Card places.

That proved too familiar of a tale for the Vikings' hierarchy to handle. Since Zimmer was hired in 2013, they have won at least seven games in all but one year but have only won two playoff games in that time.

Minnesota reached the NFC Championship game in the 2017 season but missed out on playing a Super Bowl at their home stadium as they were blown out by eventual champions the Philadelphia Eagles.

It was hoped the decision to sign quarterback Kirk Cousins to a fully guaranteed contract in 2018 would get them over that final hurdle, yet a trip to the NFC Divisional Round in the 2019 campaign is the best the Vikings have managed with him under center.

Cousins' decision not to receive a coronavirus vaccine proved critical in the Vikings missing the playoffs, as he returned a positive test ahead of their Week 17 encounter with the Green Bay Packers, forcing him to miss their penultimate game in which they were eliminated from postseason contention.

Entering the final year of his contract with $35million guaranteed, Cousins' future will be the most pressing issue for the new Vikings regime.

Spielman, who had served as vice president of player personnel for the Vikings since 2006 and became general manager in 2012, departs with a 132-123-2 record as an executive with the franchise.

Zimmer, meanwhile, leaves with a 72-56-1 record in the regular season and, should he wish to coach in 2022, will likely be a popular candidate for defensive coordinator jobs.

 

Tom Brady was thrilled to see the Tampa Bay Buccaneers claim the number two seed in the NFC as he set his sights on the playoffs after reaching a host of new landmarks in Week 18.

The defending Super Bowl champions responded to a turbulent week following the release of Antonio Brown with a comprehensive 41-17 home win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

It meant the Bucs finished at 13-4, a franchise record for victories, and were 7-1 at home, their overall record tying that of the Green Bay Packers for the best in the NFL.

The win, coupled with a defeat for the Los Angeles Rams against the San Francisco 49ers, meant the Bucs improved their seeding in the last game of the season.

While some teams opted to rest their star players going into the playoffs, Brady stayed on the field until the fourth quarter, completing 29 of 37 passes for three touchdowns.

The quarterback's 5,316 passing yards for the 2021 season is his best career total – and the third-highest tally ever recorded in NFL history - while his 43 TDs for the year set a new Bucs record.

Brady became only the second QB in history, along with Drew Brees, to have multiple 5,000-yard seasons.

He also broke a record previously held by Brees (471 in 2016) for the most pass completions in a season, finishing up with 485.

With history made, Brady will now set his sights on the Bucs repeating as Super Bowl champions, which would give him a historic eighth world title if achieved.

They start against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round, and moving ahead of the Rams means they would also be at home in the Divisional Round should they progress. 

"In the end it's a great achievement to get the two-seed and it just felt good to win," said Brady.

"With other teams, you can't ever control any of those things. Even thinking ahead for the next game [in the playoffs] – you are worrying about two games from now. 

"Even if the Rams had won, I'm not worried about two games from now, I'm worried about one game from now, which is the Eagles.

"We've still got the Eagles and that's going to be the biggest game of our season. If we win, whoever we play, wherever we play, we are still going, and that's what we want to do."

On the win over the Panthers, he added: "We got off to a little bit of a rough start but we found a way to get some rhythm, and when we do that it's pretty good. 

"We did a good job of taking care of the football, did a good job with penalties, good job in the red area, good job on third downs. We're going to have to keep it going."

Brady was not the only Bucs player to reach a significant milestone in Week 18.

Wide receiver Mike Evans (six catches for 89 yards and two TDs) extended his own record for the most consecutive seasons (eight) with at least 1,000 receiving yards to begin a career in the NFL.

Tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had seven catches for 137 yards, now has 32 career games with 100+ receiving yards, meaning he now stands alone above Tony Gonzalez atop the all-time list for his position.

Gronkowski had equalled Gonzalez last week and this was the first time since Weeks 5-6 in the 2016 season that he recorded back-to-back 100-yard games.

It is a timely run of form with star wideout Chris Godwin out injured and Brown no longer on the team.

"It's amazing the records [they set]," added Bucs coach Bruce Arians. "It seemed like there were five or six records every week.

"Thirteen wins and it hasn't been easy. We've had a lot of guys down all season so I can't say enough about our front office having a great roster."

The Las Vegas Raiders sideline discussed settling for a tie before completing their dramatic playoff-clinching win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Concluding an incredible Week 18 in the NFL, the Raiders sealed their first playoff berth since the 2016 season as Daniel Carlson's game-winning field goal settled a 35-32 classic as time expired in overtime.

The kick sent the Raiders and the Pittsburgh Steelers to the postseason and knocked out the Chargers, who had earlier recovered from 15 points down in the fourth quarter.

A stunning victory for the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Indianapolis Colts earlier on Sunday opened up the possibility of both the Raiders and Chargers settling for a tie in their winner-take-all season finale and sending both to the postseason at the expense of the Steelers.

The topic had been hotly discussed leading up to the game, with Chargers coach Brandon Staley emphatically ruling out such a scenario.

But that possibility suddenly looked likely as the game remained tied in the final minute of the extra period after both teams traded field goals.

There was a final twist, though, as Josh Jacobs' 10-yard run on third down, after a controversial decision by Staley to call a timeout and stop the clock with 38 seconds left, put Carlson in position to boot the Chargers out of the postseason with a 47-yard kick. 

The Raiders acknowledged they had pondered the prospect of settling for a tie as the game progressed and thought the Chargers were doing the same given they had not called timeout on a previous Jacobs run in overtime.

"We were going to take the field goal and try to win it," said Raiders interim coach Rich Bisaccia.

"But we were certainly talking about it [settling for a tie] on the sideline.

"We ran the ball there [near the end of OT], and they didn't call timeout, so I think they were probably thinking the same thing." 

Bisaccia hailed the Raiders' spirit after the team won their final four games against the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Colts and Chargers by a total of just 12 points.

He said: "We just found a way to have a chance to win at the end and we have been in this situation before.

"Derek Carr has been in two-minute situations before; he's been in four-minute situations before. Our defense has had to come up with stops at the end of the game.

"So you just can't say enough about how this team prepares. I just know they believe in each other when they go out there. They don't blink."

Asked whether the Raiders would have punted or taken a knee on fourth down if Jacobs had not got them into field goal range, Bisaccia said, "I don't know – it didn't happen!" before smiling and leaving his exchange with reporters.

Staley, meanwhile, was left to explain his thinking with the timeout after the Chargers fell agonisingly short.

"We needed to get in the right grouping, we felt like they were going to run the ball, so we wanted to get our best 11 personnel run defense in," said Staley.

"Make that substitution so that we could get a play where we would deepen the field goal."

"I had never been rooting for a tie more in my life,'' added Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, who racked up 64 pass attempts, completing 34 for 383 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.

"That's the unfortunate part of being so close.''

The Raiders will face the Cincinnati Bengals on Wild Card weekend when the Steelers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Carr, who threw for two touchdowns, will finally play in a playoff game for the first time after starting 127 games in the regular season.

"I'm excited, thinking about the next team we play, and then everything hurts," he said.

"It feels cool, it's awesome, but we've got to play a team that already beat us [the Bengals], so it's going to be tough.

"I just have this weird feeling in my heart like, 'The job's not done.' Like my favourite player, Kobe [Bryant], said, 'Job's not done'."

The Las Vegas Raiders sealed their first playoff berth since the 2016 season as Daniel Carlson's game-winning field goal settled a 35-32 classic and sent them and the Pittsburgh Steelers to the postseason and knocked out the Los Angeles Chargers.

A stunning victory for the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Indianapolis Colts earlier on Sunday opened up the possibility of both the Raiders and Chargers settling for a tie in their winner-take-all season finale and sending both to the postseason at the expense of the Steelers.

Chargers coach Brandon Staley emphatically ruled out such a scenario earlier in the week and it appeared as if a stalemate would not be a possibility when the Raiders led by 15 in the fourth quarter.

But Chargers Pro Bowl quarterback Justin Herbert led them back to set up overtime and the game remained tied in the final minute of the extra period after both teams traded field goals.

There was a final twist, though, as Josh Jacobs' 10-yard run on third down, after an inexplicable decision by Staley to call a timeout and stop the clock, put Carlson in position to boot the Chargers out of the postseason, which he did with a 47-yard kick. 

The Raiders will face the Cincinnati Bengals on Wild Card weekend when the Steelers will take on the Kansas City Chiefs.

Las Vegas surged into a 10-0 first-quarter lead but a pair of touchdowns from Austin Ekeler flipped things in the Chargers' favour.

A scoring drive that saw the Chargers allow the Raiders to convert on third down and 23 and Las Vegas benefit from a contentious pass interference penalty enabled the hosts to respond through Josh Jacobs' touchdown plunge before half-time.

Staley paid the price for a dubious decision to go for it on fourth down from Los Angeles' own 18-yard line as the Raiders tacked on a third-quarter field goal.

The Chargers' hopes were circling the drain after Hunter Renfrow caught his second touchdown pass and Herbert was intercepted by former Charger Casey Hayward, the Raiders then adding another field goal to make it 29-14.

But Herbert connected on a 23-yard dart to Josh Palmer and succeeded with the subsequent two-point conversion, before leading the Chargers on a Herculean 19-play drive that ended with him hitting Mike Williams for a 12-yard score as time expired to force overtime.

Carlson restored the Raiders' advantage with his leg, only for the Chargers to respond in kind after a drive on which they became the first team in 30 years to convert sixth fourth downs in the same game.

Yet Herbert's remarkable efforts were undone as poor run defense and worse clock management teed up Carlson to end the Chargers' season.

Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco 49ers revelled in a win they won't forget for a long time after claiming a dramatic 27-24 overtime triumph over the Los Angeles Rams to punch their ticket to the postseason.

The Niners went into Sunday's clash at SoFi Stadium knowing a victory would clinch a place in the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. A loss would have allowed the New Orleans Saints, who cruised past the Atlanta Falcons, to sneak in at their expense.

Quarterback Garoppolo, playing with a torn ligament in his left thumb, struggled early and the Niners fell into a 17-0 hole, a Robbie Gould field goal all San Francisco could muster before half-time.

But Deebo Samuel ran for a touchdown and then threw one to Jauan Jennings on a trick play to tie things up, with the same receiver on the end of a pass from Garoppolo to force overtime after Jalen Ramsey's endzone interception followed by Matthew Stafford's touchdown strike to Cooper Kupp had put the Rams back on top 24-17.

The 49ers won the coin toss and Garoppolo led a 12-play drive that ended in a Robbie Gould field goal to give them their first lead of the game, one they clung on to as rookie Ambry Thomas intercepted a Stafford deep shot intended for Odell Beckham Jr. to give San Francisco a sixth successive win over the Rams, securing a Wild Card matchup with the Dallas Cowboys.

Garoppolo was limited in practice throughout the week after missing the 23-7 win over the Houston Texans in Week 17, but felt his hand improved over the course of an instant classic.

Asked about his thumb, Garoppolo told a media conference: "It feels great right now, after a win of course. It got better as it went I would say.

"Obviously with injuries like that your body's just learning and adapting the whole time. Early on it was pretty numb so it felt alright and then just got better and better as it went and I think my arm just kind of learned how to adapt to it.

"[There were] a lot of emotions, throughout the whole game, getting off to a slow start and just coming back like we did.

"It took everything, we say that a lot of weeks but this one really did. I felt it after the game I know a lot of guys in that locker room did, it was one of those games that you won't forget anytime soon."

Shanahan, who said Garoppolo's strong week of practice made it an easy decision to start him over rookie Trey Lance, echoed his quarterback's sentiments.

"Our guys are real resilient, I've been very proud of them," Shanahan said. 

"I'm just glad we get to go into the tournament and be a part of it because regardless of what happened today I was going to be very proud of those guys.

"Our goal every year is to get into the tournament so you've got a chance at the ultimate one. I think it's real hard when you have a season where you lose four in a row [as the Niners did Weeks 3-7].

"Most places when you lose four in a row it's tough to keep guys together. The character in our building and the players and everyone around it makes easy, you can just focus on your job and keep fighting and that's what our guys have done all year, they've just kept fighting, not worried about it anything else, in the meantime I think we've gotten better each time doing that and we've been able to overcome some injuries too."

The San Francisco 49ers punched their ticket to the postseason as Ambry Thomas' overtime interception clinched a dramatic comeback win over the Los Angeles Rams.

San Francisco went into the Week 18 clash knowing a win would see them reach the playoffs for the second time in three seasons. A loss would allow the New Orleans Saints, who cruised past the Atlanta Falcons, to sneak in and claim the final Wild Card berth.

The latter outcome looked the more likely when the Rams surged to a 17-0 lead and, even though the Niners got a field goal before half-time, San Francisco still faced an uphill battle.

However, Deebo Samuel scored a touchdown on the ground and then threw another to Jauan Jennings on a trick play to tie things up.

A juggling interception of Jimmy Garoppolo by Jalen Ramsey in the endzone followed by a Matthew Stafford strike to Cooper Kupp put the Rams in a seemingly commanding position at 24-17.

However, Garoppolo - playing with a torn ligament in his right thumb - led a five-play, 88-yard drive that finished with him connecting with Jennings, forced overtime at SoFi Stadium.

The 49ers won the coin toss and a 12-play, 69-yard drive on which Jennings featured heavily set up a Robbie Gould field goal to give San Francisco the lead for the first time.

And it was an advantage they held as Stafford's deep shot for Odell Beckham Jr. was plucked out of the air by rookie cornerback Thomas to set up a mouth-watering Wild Card matchup with the Niners' historic rivals the Dallas Cowboys.

For Los Angeles, it is a sixth successive defeat to the 49ers, though they still won the NFC West after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Arizona Cardinals, whom the Rams will host in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Jacksonville Jaguars helped the Pittsburgh Steelers virtually secure a playoff place as they stunned the Indianapolis Colts in their regular-season finale.

Indianapolis needed only to beat a two-win Jaguars team to secure their place in the postseason.

History, however, was against Frank Reich's team, the Colts having not won in Jacksonville since the 2014 season.

And the Jags' home hoodoo over the Colts continued as Indianapolis quarterback Carson Wentz imploded in a 26-11 defeat.

Wentz was sacked six times in a game the Jaguars led the entire way, rookie first overall pick Trevor Lawrence throwing multiple touchdowns for the first time since Week 1.

The dagger effectively came when Lawrence capitalised on Wentz's lone interception, the former Philadelphia Eagle picked by Jags linebacker Damien Wilson in the third quarter.

Lawrence then successfully handled a high snap from center, rolled to his right and lofted a three-yard pass to Marvin Jones Jr, who made a leaping grab in the back of the endzone.

The Colts were eliminated from the playoffs after the Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens in overtime. The Steelers will qualify unless the Los Angeles Chargers' game with the Las Vegas Raiders ends in a tie.

Despite the win, the Jaguars claim the number one pick in the 2022 draft by virtue of the Detroit Lions' win over the Green Bay Packers, who rested players for much of the game.

Titans take one seed

The Kansas City Chiefs kept the pressure on the Titans with their win in Denver on Saturday, but Tennessee did not waste the opportunity to clinch the one seed, though they received a scare from the lowly Houston Texans.

Tennessee surged to a 21-0 lead, only for the Texans to respond with 18 unanswered points of their own. Ryan Tannehill's fourth touchdown pass, on which he hit Julio Jones for the receiver's first touchdown as a Titan, gave them breathing room that proved enough as they hung on for a 28-25 win after Danny Amendola's second touchdown reception frayed the nerves.

Watt ties sack record as Steelers stay alive

Ben Roethlisberger bid a tearful farewell to Heinz Field in the Steelers' home finale on Monday, but his likely final season in the NFL looks like being extended into the Wild Card round.

The Steelers fought back from 10-3 down to lead 13-10 on a Roethlisberger pass to Chase Claypool and, though Justin Tucker's field goal forced overtime, the leg of Chris Boswell had the final say, giving the Steelers a 16-13 victory in a game that saw T.J. Watt tie Michael Strahan's single-season sack record as he took his tally to 22.5.

With Chargers head coach Brandon Staley saying they would not play for a tie that would punch the postseason ticket for them and the Raiders, the Steelers' spot seems virtually assured.

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