Houston Texans Safety Calen Bullock (21) celebrates Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The NFL finalised its schedule for the wild-card round of the playoffs after results from the late-afternoon window put most of the final puzzle pieces into place.
The Los Angeles Chargers, by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 34-20, finished the season 11-6 and secured the No. 5 seed in the AFC over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Chargers' AFC West foes from Denver took care of business against a resting Chiefs team, winning 38-0 to lock up the conference's seventh and final bid.
The Steelers, who lost four straight games to end the regular season, must face the rival Baltimore Ravens for a third time in the AFC's No. 3 vs. No. 6 game. The teams split their season series but the Ravens won the AFC North by two games.
On the NFC side, the Los Angeles Rams lost 30-25 to the Seattle Seahawks, pushing them behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the pecking order. Tampa Bay, which clinched the NFC South earlier in the day by beating the Saints 27-19, took over the No. 3 seed and the Rams settled for No. 4.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in the AFC and Detroit Lions and Philadelpha Eagles in the NFC get a first round bye.
The following is the schedule for the first round of the NFL postseason. The only determination left to make will be the No. 5 seed in the NFC. That will go to the loser of the Minnesota Vikings-Detroit Lions game on "Sunday Night Football" as the winner claims the NFC North crown, the top seed and the first-round bye.
Saturday, Jan. 11 (US time)
No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 4 Houston Texans (10-7).
No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5).
Sunday, Jan. 12 (US time)
No. 7 Denver Broncos (10-7) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (13-4).
No. 7 Green Bay Packers (11-6) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3).
No. 6 Washington Commanders (12-5) at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7).
Monday, Jan. 13 (US time)
No. 5 Minnesota Vikings OR Detroit Lions at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7).
-Reuters
