The 2024 regular season of the NFL couldn’t have ended in a better way on Sunday night, with the Lions and the Vikings, both teams with a record of 14-2, vying to be the best team in the National Conference, the title of the North Division, home-field advantage throughout the postseason, and a week of rest by being free in the first round of the playoffs.
In a game where the defenses of both teams did not allow many points to be scored in the first three quarters, the victory went to the Lions by 31-9.
A victory that speaks of the resilience of a team that has lost almost 20 players this season due to injuries, especially on defense, but was able to shut down the Vikings in the red zone and limit them to 9 points, all field goals.
Thanks to this triumph, Detroit earned a week of rest and will have home-field advantage to try to reach the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise's history.
How will the first round of the playoffs in the National Conference be played?
- Green Bay Packers (7th) at Philadelphia Eagles. Sunday, January 12, 4:30 pm (EST) on FOX and FOX Deportes. The Eagles rested their starters against the Giants and hope to recover quarterback Jalen Hurts from a bruise. Meanwhile, the Packers, who lost to the Chicago Bears for the first time since 2018, are confident they will have quarterback Jordan Love available, who was injured during Sunday’s game.
- Washington Commanders (6th) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sunday, January 12th, 8 pm (EST) on NBC, Peacock, and Universo. Thanks to a dramatic victory against the Saints, in a game tougher than expected, the “Bucs” were crowned champions of the NFC South Division and secured a spot in the playoffs. They will host the surprising Commanders and their quarterback Jayden Daniels, the top candidate to be the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
- Minnesota Vikings (5th) at Los Angeles Rams. Monday, January 13th, 8 pm (EST) on ESPN, ABC, and ESPN Deportes. The Vikings went from fighting to be the best team in the NFC to playing in the first round as visitors in the playoffs. They have a better record than the Rams (14-3 against 10-7), but the NFL rules give home-field advantage to the conference champions.
Wild Card: Detroit Lions for being the best team in the NFC regular season.
How will the first round of the playoffs be played in the American Conference?
- Los Angeles Chargers (5th) at Houston Texans (4th). Saturday, January 11, 4:30 pm (EST) on CBS and Paramount+. It’s like a tradition that when the Texans are in the first round of the playoffs, they play at home on a Saturday. This time they will host the Chargers, who had a better regular season.
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (3rd). Saturday, January 11, 8 pm (EST) on Prime Video. One of the biggest rivalries in the NFL, the two teams that fought until the last week for the title of the AFC North Division will meet in the playoffs. The Steelers closed the season with four consecutive losses (one of them against Baltimore), while the Ravens did exactly the opposite.
- Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills. Sunday, January 12th, 1 pm (EST) on CBS and Paramount+. The Broncos had a surprising season, thanks to rookie Bo Nix and the offensive wisdom of coach Sean Payton. It will be Denver’s first playoff game since the 2015 season when, led by Peyton Manning, they won the Super Bowl. This Sunday, they were able to qualify as a wild card team thanks to a 38-0 victory against the Chiefs’ backups.
Wildcard: Kansas City Chiefs for being the best team in the AFC regular season.