The regular season in the National Football League (NFL) ends with a real thriller for the last playoff spot.
05.01.2026, 10:21
05.01.2026, 11:00
SDA
In the decisive match for a place in the knockout round, the Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers won 26:24 (3:10) against the Baltimore Ravens and will host the Houston Texans next Monday.
Pittsburgh benefited from a missed field goal by Ravens kicker Tyler Loop two seconds before the end. A successful attempt from 44 yards (around 40 meters) would have given the Ravens a 27-26 victory and a place in the playoffs. Before that, both teams delivered a spectacular final phase with constant lead changes.
Pairings for first playoff round are set
In addition to the clash between the Steelers and Titans, the wild-card round in the AFC features the New England Patriots against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills.
In the NFC, the first round sees the second-placed Chicago Bears take on the injury-hit Green Bay Packers. The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles will face the San Francisco 49ers, and the Carolina Panthers will host the Los Angeles Rams in the first playoff match next Saturday.
The Detroit Lions with star defender Aidan Hutchinson missed the playoffs by one point in the strong NFC North. Hutchinson's great-grandfather Giuseppe Bernardi emigrated to the USA from Ticino. Dual citizen Aidan Hutchinson also proudly wears the Swiss cross on his NFL helmet. With an annual income of at least 28.5 million dollars, Hutchinson earns more than the best Swiss athletes.
Walk-through for Broncos and Seahawks
The Denver Broncos' 19-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers secured the AFC title with 14 wins from 17 games. Like the Seattle Seahawks, who also have 14 wins to their name, they will not enter the NFC until the second play-off round.
Both teams would play possible matches in their home arena until the Super Bowl on February 8 at the San Francisco 49ers' stadium in Santa Clara.
