San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens end NFL regular season with top playoff slots
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Seattle Seahawks by a matter of inches on Sunday night, and their 26-21 win ended the NFL's regular season and gave the 49ers the NFC West title, the conference's top seed, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. NFC North champions the Green Bay Packers have also clinched a berth in the conference semifinals, as have the AFC top seed Baltimore Ravens and AFC West champs the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Philadelphia Eagles won the NFC East title against the New York Giants on Sunday, securing a spot in the playoffs along with NFC South champs the New Orleans Saints. The Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings both have NFC wild card slots. In the AFC, the New England Patriots' shocking loss to Miami on Sunday leaves them with the AFC East title and a wild card berth, along with AFC South champs the Houston Texans, the Buffalo Bills, and the Tennessee Titans.
ESPN's Kevin Seifert gives the 49ers a 49.3 percent chance to make it to Super Bowl LIV and the Ravens a 53 percent shot. The Bills and Texans will face off next Saturday, as will the Titans and the Patriots. On Sunday, the Vikings and Saints play each other, and Seattle faces off against the Eagles. San Francisco and Baltimore will host the winners on Jan. 11, and Kansas City and Green Bay will each take the field on Jan. 12.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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