NFL Week 18 scores: Lions finish off Packers; Eagles win to clinch No. 1 seed

The NFL has reached its regular-season finale. It’s been a whirlwind 2022 campaign for several teams in the league. Week 18 offered a chance to evaluate and reset for the upcoming months.

On Saturday, the Jacksonville Jaguars locked up the AFC South with a narrow 20-16 win over the Titans, while the Kansas City Chiefs earned the AFC's No. 1 seed with a 31-13 rout of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles won Sunday to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC East and a first-round bye.

The AFC playoff picture is complete as the Buffalo Bills paid tribute to Damar Hamlin and locked in the second seed with a win over the New England Patriots, knocking them out of the postseason. The Miami Dolphins punched their ticket to the playoffs with a win over the New York Jets.

The Seattle Seahawks clinched the seventh and final seed in the NFC after an overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams and with help from the Detroit Lions, who beat the Green Bay Packers.

More than playoff contention was at play as the Houston Texans gifted the Chicago Bears the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft with a win over the Indianapolis Colts.

POWER RANKINGS: Bengals usurp Eagles as top team heading into Week 18

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Unprecedented outcomes possible after Bills-Bengals game canceled

WEEK 18 PICKS: Can the Detroit Lions vanquish the Green Bay Packers?

Here's a rundown of all the Week 18 action around the NFL.

Kansas City Chiefs 31, Las Vegas Raiders 13

Briefly: The Chiefs had full control of the game en route to a decisive victory that yielded them the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was 18 for 26 passing for 202 yards and a touchdown in the win. Isiah Pacheco, Ronald Jones II and Kadarius Toney all scored rushing touchdowns for Kansas City.

One highlight to know: The touchdown was called back, but the Chiefs deployed a spinning huddle that led to a wildcat snap and horizontal passing play.

Next up: The Chiefs received a first-round bye in the playoffs. The Raiders were already eliminated from postseason contention.

Jacksonville Jaguars 20, Tennessee Titans 16

Briefly: Defense was the story of this de-facto AFC South championship game that netted the Jaguars their first playoff berth since 2017 and their fourth division title in franchise history. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence was solid, but the Jacksonville offense left some opportunities out on the field. Instead, it was the defense that sealed the game — and a trip to the postseason — for the Jaguars. Meanwhile, the Titans ended the season with seven straight losses.

One highlight to know: Titans QB Josh Dobbs lost a fumble with Jaguars defender Josh Allen collected the loose fumble and returned it for a touchdown that gave Jacksonville a lead it would not relinquish.

Next up: The Jaguars won the AFC South and claimed the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Titans were eliminated with the loss.

Miami Dolphins 11, New York Jets 6

Briefly: Jason Sanders kicked a game-winning field goal from 50 yards out as Miami clinched its first playoff berth since 2016. In a game dominated by the two defenses, Jets QB Joe Flacco and Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson both struggled to get in a rhythm.

One highlight to know: Sanders' field goal punched the Dolphins' postseason ticket.

Next up: The Dolphins locked up the seventh and final seed in the AFC playoffs. The Jets had been previously eliminated.

Buffalo Bills 35, New England Patriots 23

Briefly: The Bills took care of business in their first game action since Damar Hamlin went down on Monday Night Football nearly a week before. The win eliminated the Patriots from postseason contention. Special teams was huge in this game, as Nyheim Hines ran back a pair of kickoff returns for touchdowns, including one on the opening kickoff of the game.

One highlight to know: Hines found the end zone on the game's opening kickoff.

Next up: The Bills locked up the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs. The Patriots were eliminated.

Atlanta Falcons 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

Briefly: Falcons QB Desmond Ridder threw for a pair of scores as Atlanta took down its division rival by a two-touchdown margin in the regular-season finale. The Buccaneers, who already clinched the NFC South, elected to rest some of their starters throughout the game. Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier had 24 rushes for 135 yards.

One highlight to know: Ridder found Olamide Zaccheaus for a 3-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a third-quarter lead they would not relinquish.

Next up: The Buccaneers previously clinched the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Falcons had already been eliminated.

Minnesota Vikings 29, Chicago Bears 13

Briefly: Kirk Cousins and the Vikings rolled over a Bears team without many of its starters, including standout second-year QB Justin Fields. The short-handed Bears struggled to produce much of anything on offense and finished a disappointing season on a down note.

One highlight to know: Cousins found wide receiver Adam Thielen for a 4-yard touchdown to open the game's scoring.

Next up: Minnesota had already clinched the NFC North and one of the conference's top four seeds in the playoffs. The Bears were previously eliminated.

Cincinnati Bengals 27, Baltimore Ravens 16

Briefly: The Ravens committed four turnovers and slid down in the playoff seeding with a loss to the Bengals, who clinch the No. 3 seed in their first game after witnessing Damar Hamlin suffer a cardiac arrest. Rookie quarterback Anthony Brown got his first start and threw two interceptions in Baltimore's fifth game without Lamar Jackson. For Cincinnati, Joe Burrow was 25-of-42 for 215 yards and a touchdown to Ja'Marr Chase.

One highlight to know: Joe Mixon scored a 1-yard touchdown in the first quarter to put the Bengals up 10-0. He celebrated with a coin toss. The NFL had previously announced that the playoff sites could come down to a coin toss since the Bengals-Bills game was canceled.

Next up: The No. 6 seed Ravens will have a rematch against the No. 3 seed Bengals in the first round of the playoffs.

Houston Texans 32, Indianapolis Colts 31

Briefly: The Texans got their third win of the season but gave up the No. 1 draft pick with a win over the lowly Colts. It wasn't pretty as both Davis Mills and Sam Ehlinger both threw a pair of interceptions. Texans wideout Brandin Cooks, after a disgruntled season, was the team's leading receiver with five catches for 106 yards and he caught the opening touchdown.

One highlight to know: On fourth-and-20 and down 31-24, Mills connected with Jordan Akins for a 28-yard touchdown. The two then joined forces for the two-point conversion with 50 seconds left in the game that gave Houston the victory.

Next up: The season is over for both teams.

Carolina Panthers 10, New Orleans Saints 7

Briefly: The Panthers ended their season on a high note, getting a last-second field goal to take down the Saints in a Week 18 finale in New Orleans. The Panthers completed only five passes in the game but ran for 171 yards as a team.

One highlight to know: The Panthers blocked a 55-yard field goal attempt by Saints kicker Will Lutz. Carolina would get its game-winning kick on the subsequent possession.

Next up: Both teams were previously eliminated from postseason contention.

Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Cleveland Browns 14

Briefly: Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin has never finished a season with a losing record, including this year, finishing with a four-game winning streak. But the Steelers will miss the playoffs despite beating the Browns. Kenny Pickett went 13-of-29 for 195 yards and a touchdown and was helped by 84 rushing yards and a touchdown from Najee Harris. Deshaun Watson was 19-of-29 for 239 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was sacked seven times, 2.5 of which came from Alex Highsmith.

One highlight to know: Damontae Kazee snagged Watson's second interception of the day. On third-and-18, the quarterback threw downfield for David Bell, who was closely covered by Kazee, who grabbed the ball. The play set up a touchdown that put the Steelers up by two scores.

Next up: The season is over for both teams.

Philadelphia Eagles 22, New York Giants 16

Briefly: Jalen Hurts returned from injury to will the Eagles to a win and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture. The quarterback went 20-of-35 for 229 yards and an interception while running back Boston Scott added a rushing touchdown. A.J. Brown had four receptions for 95 yards and passed Mike Quick to take the franchise record for most receiving yards in a season. The Giants sat most of their starters since they clinched their first playoff spot since 2016 last week. They came back after being down 19-0, but didn't have enough fire power, or reason to play for the win.

One highlight to know: With Hurts still hindered, Scott stepped up and scored the Eagles' lone touchdown of the game. It was an eight-yard run in the first quarter where he rumbled through the Giants defense to reach the end zone.

Next up: The Eagles are off next week as they clinch the NFC's bye. The No. 6 Giants face the No. 3 Minnesota Vikings in a wild-card matchup.

Washington Commanders 26, Dallas Cowboys 6

Briefly: Rookie Sam Howell went 11-of-19 for 169 yards, two total touchdowns and an interception in his first start as he led the Commanders to a victory in their season finale. The Cowboys had only 182 yards of total offense and two turnovers as they saw their chances at the No. 1 seed in the NFC slip away.

One highlight to know: Howell's first pass of the game was also his first career touchdown. On second-and-6 from the Dallas 16, he found star receiver Terry McLaurin for the score.

Next up: The Commanders' season is over. The Cowboys have the No. 5 seed in the playoffs and take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the wild-card round.

Denver Broncos 31, Los Angeles Chargers 28

Briefly: Russell Wilson and company go out on a high note as the Broncos defeated the Chargers, who, despite already securing the No. 5 seed in the playoffs, played their starters throughout the game. Wilson looked like the quarterback the team paid $245 million for as he went 13-of-24 for 283 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Latavius Murray added 103 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. For the Chargers, Keenan Allen scored two touchdowns after missing the middle of the season with a hamstring injury, but fellow wideout Mike Williams exited the game with a back injury.

One highlight to know: Wilson's second touchdown of the day was a special one for rookie running back Tyler Badie, who the Broncos signed off the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad and was playing in his first professional game. On second-and-4 in the third quarter, Wilson threw across his body and found Badie in the backfield. The 22-year-old turned upfield and sprinted into the end zone for his first career touchdown.

Next up: The Broncos' season is over. The No. 5 seed Chargers will travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars in the wild-card round.

Seattle Seahawks 19, Los Angeles Rams 16 (OT)

Briefly: The Seahawks survived to see if they get a trip to the playoffs as they defeated the Rams in overtime. Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield combined for three interceptions, but both of their running backs each had 100-yard games with Kenneth Walker III finishing with 114 yards and Cam Akers rushing for 104. There were seven total field goals in the game, including Jason Myers' 32-yard game-winner. Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner had seven tackles in his homecoming game.

One highlight to know: After the Seahawks offense went three-and-out on the first possession of overtime, safety Quandre Diggs swooped across the field to intercept Baker Mayfield and give Seattle the opportunity to win.

Next up: The Seahawks await the result of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers game. They need the Lions to win in order for them to make the playoffs. The Rams' season is over.

San Francisco 49ers 38, Arizona Cardinals 13

Briefly: The 49ers locked in the No. 2 seed in the NFC with another dominating performance and their 10th straight win to close out the regular season. Rookie quarterback Brock Purdy went 15-of-20 for 178 yards and three touchdowns, two of which went to George Kittle. Elijah Mitchell had 55 yards and two touchdowns rushing while Christian McCaffrey added 45 yards on the ground and 34 receiving. The Cardinals played two quarterbacks, David Blough and Trace McSorley, who combined for four turnovers. J.J. Watt finished with five tackles, including two sacks as the sun set on his career.

One highlight to know: Purdy's second touchdown of the day came at the end of the first half with the 49ers up by only a point. He threw across his body to find Kittle, who made a fingertip catch in the corner of the end zone to put San Francisco up by two scores to enter the half.

Next up: The 49ers, with the No. 2 seed, will host the Seattle Seahawks to open up the playoffs. The Cardinals' season is over.

Detroit Lions 20, Green Bay Packers 16

Briefly: With the Seattle Seahawks winning earlier in the day, the Lions had nothing to play for except for pride points, which is exactly what they got Sunday night. Detroit running back Jamaal Williams had 72 yards and two touchdowns as he broke Barry Sanders' franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers was 17-of-27 for 205 yards, one touchdown and one interception as he will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Rookie linebacker Quay Walker was ejected in the fourth quarter for pushing a Lions trainer while he was treating D'Andre Swift.

One highlight to know: Williams scored his second touchdown in the fourth quarter on third-and-1. He powered through the Packers' defensive line to reach the end zone for his 17th score of the season. He dedicated his record-breaking day to his great-grandfather.

Next up: The season is over for both teams.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NFL scores, schedule: Latest info for all Week 18 games