Five playoff berths are up for grabs as the NFL season concludes this weekend with the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans among those chasing places in the post-season title hunt.
The Texans visit Indianapolis on Saturday with the winner clinching a playoff spot and the loser eliminated while Buffalo visits Miami on Sunday to decide an AFC East division winner.
The Bills, on a four-game win streak, could become a second seed or miss the playoffs if other results go against them.
“We’re stepping into a very hostile and dangerous situation in terms of the AFC East on the line,” Allen said. “Everything we want to accomplish is still in front of us. We’ve just got to win this game.
“We’ve taken the mindset of ‘We’ve been in the playoffs’ (for weeks). It has been survive and advance, win or go home. It’s no different this week.”
It’s the final drama in a four-month fight to decide 14 playoff berths, seven each in the AFC and NFC, in the quest to reach Super Bowl 58 on February 11 in Las Vegas.
Baltimore, a league-best 13-3, has clinched the AFC top seed and a first-round bye while San Francisco, 12-4, has secured the NFC top seed and bye.
Defending champion Kansas City, Miami and Cleveland have claimed AFC playoff berths while Dallas, Detroit, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Rams have clinched NFC playoff spots.
That leaves three AFC and two NFC positions unclaimed.
Jacksonville (9-7) will win the AFC South division with a victory Sunday at Tennessee (5-11) but if the Jaguars lose, the Indianapolis-Houston winner claims the spot.
“We didn’t come this far just to get this far,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “We have a lot to still play for that’s ahead of us.”
Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, the second overall pick in last year’s NFL Draft, has thrown 21 touchdown passes with only five interceptions. He hopes to extend a magical rookie campaign.
“The time is now,” Stroud said. “It’s not next year. It’s not the year after that. It’s right now. We have the opportunity to control our own destiny. I’m excited to do that.”
The Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) visit Baltimore on Saturday seeking a victory that would put them in the playoffs if Buffalo or Jacksonville lose. A Pittsburgh loss would give Buffalo a playoff spot ahead of the Sunday showdown against the Dolphins, who lost 48-20 at Buffalo in October.
“We don’t want to rely on anybody else,” Allen said. “In our minds, it’s a must-win game. We’ve got to go get this done.”
Packers in with win
The Green Bay Packers (8-8) clinch an NFC playoff berth with a home victory Sunday over Chicago (7-9) while a loss opens the door for Seattle and Minnesota.
Tampa Bay (8-8) will clinch the AFC South division crown with a victory at league-doormat Carolina (2-14).
“You have to understand that… it could be our last time together,” said Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. “It’s just a matter of us doing our job right, knowing this is our one opportunity to make the playoffs and let’s go do it.”
If the Bucs stumble, the AFC South title and playoff berth goes to the Atlanta-New Orleans winner. That is the only path visiting Atlanta (7-9) has to reach the playoffs.
Teams who have already locked in their playoff spots are resting some top players and avoiding any injury risk, with Baltimore benching star quarterback Lamar Jackson against the Steelers and Kansas City resting reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Patrick Mahomes when the Chiefs visit the Los Angeles Chargers.
Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco will not play when the Browns visit Cincinnati on Sunday.
