NFL playoffs 2022: National Football League playoff picture, schedule, brackets and teams involved - explained

Week 18 of the NFL season took place over the course of the weekend and finalised the teams that have made it through to the 2022 playoffs.

It was a roller-coaster of a weekend with huge upsets and great excitement. The Raiders became the final team to earn a spot in the playoffs as they beat the Chargers in a exhilarating 35-32 overtime win.

That final match of Week 18 epitomised what had been a thriller of a day with the Jaguars beating the Colts 26-11 and a huge comeback by the 49ers.

The weekend also consisted of three wild overtime wins by the Steelers, the Raiders and 49ers that completely turned over the landscape of the playoffs.

The Jaguar’s win over the Colts enabled Pittsburgh to make it through to the playoffs and while the Steelers had helped themselves in their 16-13 win over the Ravens, but it wasn’t until the Raiders beat the Chargers on Sunday 9 January that their playoff berth was sealed.

If the Raiders and Chargers had drawn, the Steelers would not have been able to go through but the Las Vegas team pulled off the win with a 47-yard (just under 43 metres) field goal from Daniel Carlson just as the time was expiring in overtime.

In the National Football Conference, the 49ers fought back as they were trailing by 17-0 to the Rams but were magically able to seal the win 27-24 in overtime.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for whom Tom Brady plays, secured a convincing 41-17 win over their opponents the Panthers. They are set to face the Eagles in the next round of the NFL Playoffs.

Brady did not play an uncontroversial game on Sunday as he defied his coaches orders in order to help teammate Rob Gronkowski earn an additional $500,000 bonus.

With just six minutes to go in the final quarter, Brady re-entered the game, despite a 14-point lead and connected with Gronkowski who caught the 55th pass needed to unlock his bonus. The 44-year-old then exited the game in favour of the backup quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

Here are all the results from the weekend and when the teams are playing next.

What were the results from Week 18 of the AFC and NFC?

• The Chiefs beat the Broncos 28-24;
• Cowboys smashed the eagles 51-26
• Washington beat the Giants 22-7
• Browns beat the Bengals 21-16
• The Steelers stole the win over the Ravens, 16-13
• The Lions beat the Packers 37-30
• Jaguars beat the Colts 26-11
• The Vikings beat the Bears 31-17
• Titans beat the Texans 28-25
• The Saints beat the Falcons 30-20
• Seahawks beat the Cardinals 38-30
• Bills beat the Jets 27-10
• Buccaneers smashed the Panthers 41-17
• Dolphins beat the Patriots 33-24
• The 49ers beat the Rams 27-24
• The Raiders beat the Chargers 35-32

Which teams are competing in the NFL Wild Card Round?

• Cincinnati Bengals v Las Vegas Raiders
• Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Philadelphia Eagles
• Dallas Cowboys v San Francisco 49ers
• Kansas City Chiefs v Pittsburgh Steelers
• Los Angeles Rams v Arizona Cardinals 

What is the schedule for the NFL season?

The matches for next playoffs will be played over the weekend Saturday 15 January and Sunday 16 January 2022.

The NFL Divisional rounds will then be played on Saturday 22 January and Sunday 23 January before the NGL Conference Championships are played on Sunday 30 January 2022.

The Pro Bowl takes place on the 6 February and the Super Bowl will be played on 13 February 2022.

How to watch the NFL in the UK

The NFL is available to watch through the Sky Sports NFL Channel. The matches are therefore also available to watch through NOW TV.

Subscription for NOW Sports Membership costs £33.99/month. Go to our article on How to watch the NFL to find out more information.

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