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NFL scores: Broncos sew up final AFC playoff spot, Rams tumble after loss to Seattle

The game was against the Chiefs' backups, but Denver was very sharp to close the regular season

DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 05: Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos tosses the ball in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on January 05, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - JANUARY 05: Bo Nix #10 of the Denver Broncos tosses the ball in the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field At Mile High on January 05, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

The Denver Broncos are the final team on the AFC playoff bracket after a dominant, 38-0 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Kansas City was resting a host of starters in the game and played a conservative, vanilla game plan as they await the results of wild card weekend with a first-round bye. Bo Nix nearly tossed a perfect game with a 152.4 rating on the day going 26-for-29 for 321 yards and four touchdowns. The Broncos are off to Buffalo to take on the Bills in Round 1.

In Los Angeles, the Rams came up short against the Seattle Seahawks, losing 30-25 on their home field. They were guaranteed a home game in the wild card round by virtue of winning the NFC West, but in falling behind the Buccaneers with that loss, they'll now host either the Lions or the Vikings next weekend.

In New York, Aaron Rodgers had one of his best games of the season, throwing four touchdown passes — including his 500th career TD pass — in a 32-20 win over Miami. Rodgers has not yet committed to playing a 21st NFL season in 2025, but has said he doesn't expect to return to the Jets next year.

Buccaneers 27, Saints 19
Panthers 44, Falcons 38
Eagles 20, Giants 13
Patriots 23, Bills 16
Colts 26, Jaguars 23
Texans 23, Titans 14
Bears 24, Packers 22
Commanders 23, Cowboys 19

Broncos 38, Chiefs 0
Jets 32, Dolphins 20
Cardinals 47, 49ers 24
Seahawks 30, Rams 25
Chargers 34, Raiders 20

Vikings vs. Lions — 8:20 p.m. ET | NBC

LIVE COVERAGE IS OVER43 updates
  • Seattle tops Los Angeles, knocks the Rams down a spot

    With the Seahawks win — and the earlier Buccaneers win — the Rams fall to the No. 4 seed in the NFC, and will host either the Lions or Vikings. The Buccaneers will host Washington in the wild-card round.

  • Jonnu Smith grabs a TD for the Fins to keep it close

    Miami is out of the playoff picture, but FIU product Jonnu Smith wound up getting a score in his final game of the season.

  • Chargers lock up No. 5 seed and finish AFC playoff puzzle

    Los Angeles will play at Houston in the wild-card round with an 11-6 record.

  • Brock Bowers closes his season with his 5th TD catch of the year

    It's the rookie's first touchdown at home this season. Four catches for 50 yards and this score as the Raiders make it 34-20.

  • Chargers are rolling with a head of steam into the playoffs

    This'll be a third-straight win for the Chargers to close the season, and they're scoring at will after a couple of uninspired performances on offense. 108 points for the Chargers over their last three games and just 51 points in the three games before that. This win will send the Chargers to Houston, and they'll avoid another Harbaugh Bowl in the first round.

  • Denver clinches the final AFC playoff berth with 38-0 win over Kansas City

  • This was a Rodgers to Adams classic

    The scrambling, the stopping Adams, the TD. Packers fans know this well. This is the 83rd time these two have connected for a touchdown.

  • Herbert to Quentin Johnston

    This is equal parts outrageous throw and outrageous catch. The chargers are going to be fun to watch in the playoffs. This throw put Herbert over 300 yards for the game — just his second 300+ yard passing game of the season.

  • Dolphins draw closer to the Jets

    De'Von Achane finishes the Dolphins' drive. He's got 10 carries for 118 yards and this score after this TD run to make the score 18-13.

  • BIG field goal for the Rams to go ahead of the Seahawks

    It bears repeating, a Rams win means they avoid the Vikings-Lions loser (or Vikings, in the event of a Sunday Night Football tie) in the first round of the playoffs. Not that Washington is a slouch, but the NFC has two 14-win teams and one of them will be on the road for at least the first two weekends of the playoffs.

  • The rout has been on in Denver, and the Broncos are just adding to the work for the scoreboard operator

    This'll be just Denver's second win over Kansas City in their last 19 meetings. Also, if the goose egg for the Chiefs holds, it'll be the first Denver shutout of Kansas City since 1984.

  • Josh Dobbs finds Kyle Juszczyk for a 49ers score

    He's really a Toofer ... because you get a fullback and a Harvard guy. Oh, and a pretty great offensive weapon to compliment the cache of weapons the 49ers have on offense. Oh what could have been if the injury bug didn't bite so much this year in San Francisco.

  • Justin Herbert picks up 41 to get the Chargers into scoring position

    Herbert has career highs in rushing yards and attempts this season, and this one will be on his rushing highlight reel for the 2024-25 season.

  • The tight end position is in GOOD hands for the future of the NFL

    Seeing him at Georgia, you kinda thought Brock Bowers might be a guy like this in the NFL. He's delivered, and then some, in his record-setting rookie season.

  • That's two scores for Marvin Mims Jr.

    The Broncos have one foot on the plane to Buffalo for next weekend. Kansas City has found some ways to win this season, but this one looks like it's all but over at the end of the third quarter with the Broncos ahead 31-0.

  • Calais Campbell picks up a sack and a nice bonus

    $300,000 for Campbell for his 5th sack of the season. Not bad for the 38-year-old, six-time Pro Bowl defensive end.

  • Chargers take 17-10 lead in Las Vegas

    With a win, the Chargers will lock in the No. 5 seed and book a trip to Houston for their playoff opener.

  • Jets pick off Huntley again

    The Broncos are way ahead of the Chiefs, but the Dolphins are having all kinds of trouble on offense. This is the second interception he's thrown in the game, and he's also lost a fumble.

    It's just a rough first half for the Dolphins, who are without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa due to a hip injury to close the regular season.

  • Denver is one half away from booking a flight to Buffalo for wild card weekend

  • Trey McBride is trying to turn this whole live blog into his personal highlight reel

    TD Cardinals, who are now up 17-10.

  • Make it 501 for Rodgers

    This one to an old Green Bay buddy Allen Lazard.

    It's a little late in the year, but Aaron Rodgers has been sharp in the first half with a couple of TD passes and the Jets defense has come up huge. They now lead 15-6 after a two-point conversion.

  • Trey McBride turning in a high-effort highlight in Week 18

    McBride entered Week 18 with 104 catches for 1,081 yards and one TD catch on the season. He was targeted 136 time over the first 16 games of the season. Marvin Harrison Jr., who was drafted to be the Cardinals' top target, had 57 catches over the first 16 games of the year.

    In fantasy football language — if you're in a keeper league or taking notes for your 2025 Yahoo Sports Fantasy Football league — that means: GO GET TREY MCBRIDE FOR NEXT SEASON.

  • Julian Love gets a pick for the Seahawks

    The Seahawks are looking to close Mike Macdonald's first season in Seattle with a bang, and the Seahawks D is is doing its part with this pick late in the 2nd quarter.

  • Rodgers and Adams sizzling like the old days

  • Aaron Rodgers joins 500 Club with TD pass to Tyler Conklin

    Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539), Brett Favre (508).

    Now Aaron Rodgers with 500 career touchdown passes joins the club. One of the more staggering notes about this quintet is that they were five of the six NFL Pro Bowl quarterbacks at the end of the 2009 season.

  • Devaughn Vele just scored one of the WILDEST deflection touchdowns you may ever see

    What the what?

    Kansas City has to give up the sticks 🎮. 21-0 and Denver is pouring it on.

  • D.K. gets on the board for Seattle

    It's the second TD pass for Geno Smith, who's at 101 yards for the game after that strike to Metcalf. He came into Week 18 needing 185 passing yards to set a new career-high of 4,282 or more and to hit a $2 million performance bonus.

    He also gets another $2 million bonus if the Seahawks win 10 games this season. They're at 9-7 heading into this showdown with the playoff-bound Rams.

  • Miami settles for another field goal after the big Achane run

    Miami is up 6-0, but a couple of deep red zone trips have resulted in the Jason Sanders field goals. Miami has 107 total yards on 18 plays which is about yards per play ... but 61 of them came on the Achane run. So the other 17 plays have netted just 46 yards — less than 2.8 yards per play.

  • De'Von Achane showing his WHEELS

    He's one of the fastest players in the league, and he's showing off in New York in Week 18. That's 61 yards on this MASSIVE gain to get Miami a 1st and Goal.

  • Cardinals emptying the special teams playbook in Week 18

    Both the Cardinals and 49ers are headed to the offseson after today, so why not have some fun with it? Reserve running back DeeJay Dallas with the big gainer on the fake punt.

  • Seattle gets on the board first in L.A.

    Seattle can't make the playoffs, but it can knock the Rams down a peg. With a loss, the Rams slip to the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs, which would mean a home date against either Detroit or Minnesota to open the playoffs next weekend.

  • Sutton follows up big play with TD catch

    Cincinnati and Miami fans wont like this...

    Just under five minutes to go in the first quarter and Bo Nix already has two touchdown passes, the second to Courtland Sutton, who's got eight TD receptions on the season after this one to put the Broncos up by two scores.

  • Kansas City is resting starters, but Denver is getting BIG chunks in the passing game early

    Courtland Sutton caught this rainbow from Bo Nix to get over 1,000 receiving yards for the season.

  • Safe to say this trickeration by the Jets DID NOT GO WELL

    Aaron Rodgers has completed LOTS of passes to Davante Adams over the years, but this is one he probably wants back.

    Ouch.

  • Miami needs a win and some help, and this is a good start

    The Dolphins pick off Aaron Rodgers and turn it into an early field goal against the Jets to go up 3-0. Miami would make the playoffs with a win and a Denver loss. If both were to lose today, the Bengals would claim the final wild card spot in the AFC.

  • Broncos race out to early lead

    Denver couldn't have asked for a better start. Bo Nix finds Marvin Mims for the 32-yard touchdown pass, and Denver is up 7-0 early with just under 12 minutes to play in the first quarter.

  • Broncos and Chiefs are underway in Denver

    For the Broncos it's simple — win and you're in (and in their classic uniforms) against the rival Chiefs.

  • The seven NFC playoff teams are set

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the champions of the NFC South, and will face the loser of the Vikings-Lions game — or the Vikings, in case of a tie — or the Commanders in the wild-card round.

  • 49ers-Cardinals Inactives

  • Dolphins-Jets Inactives

  • Seahawks-Rams Inactives

  • Chargers-Raiders Inactives

  • Chiefs-Broncos Inactives