The Patriots will host a home playoff game for the first time since 2020

Bo Nix has led his team to the #1 seed in the AFC playoffs.

The Patriots defensive tackle Cory Durden help limit the Dolphins to 21 yards rushing.

The NFL playoff picture was decided in the final seconds of a dramatic game between the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. The two bitter rivals staged a heart-stopping finale to the NFL regular season.

The Steelers escaped with a 26-24 triumph and became the last team to qualify for this year’s NFL Playoffs. Ravens running back Derrick Henry got things off to a flying start on the first play from scrimmage with a 41-yard run. From that moment, you had the feeling this game was going to keep you in suspense.

It did just that. In the fourth quarter, the teams exchanged leads. The Ravens went up 17-10 when quarterback Lamar Jackson shrugged off two Steeler pass rushers and hit wide receiver Zay Flowers, a former Boston College player, for a 51-yard touchdown. That gave the Ravens a 17-13 lead.

The Steelers replied on their next possession, capping a 60-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Gainwell for a 20-17 lead with 3:49 left in the fourth quarter. The Ravens responded right away. Jackson faked a pitch to Henry on third and one, then threw a 63-yard touchdown to Flowers for a 24-20 lead with 2:20 left.

The Steelers fought back. Aaron Rodgers led them downfield and threw a 27-yard touchdown to Calvin Austin III with 55 seconds left. Steelers kicker Chris Boswell missed the extra point (just his second miss in four years), making it 26-24. Jackson led the Ravens down the field, putting them in position to win the game, the division title and a playoff spot. But rookie kicker Tyler Loop missed a 44-yard field goal as time expired.

The Steelers head to the playoffs, saving head coach Mike Tomlin’s job. The Ravens’ season ends, and the 18-year tenure of John Harbaugh.

The rest of the NFL Playoff picture became clear on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos capture the number one seed in the AFC (American Football Conference) and receive a first-round bye. This is the Broncos first number one seed since 2015-16, the year they won Super Bowl 50.

Quarterback Bo Nix said of the Brocos winning the top seed: “Two home games is where we want to be. It’s better than having to play on the road, and it’s better than having to play an extra game. The Patriots are the number two seed and will host the seventh-seeded Los Angeles Chargers in the ‘Wild Card’ game at Gillette Stadium on January 11 at 8 p.m. The third-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars will host the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bills. The fourth-seeded Steelers will face the fifth-seeded Houston Texans in Pittsburgh.

The NFC (National Football Conference) Playoff format is as follows: The Seattle Seahawks earned the top seed (and first-round bye) for the fourth time in franchise history. *Historical note: the Seattle Seahawks reached the Super Bowl in three previous instances.

The surprising Chicago Bears hold down the second seed and will host the number seven Green Bay Packers in a Black and Blue division rubber match. The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will play host to the six-seeded San Francisco 49ers. The fourth-seeded and NFC South champion Carolina Panthers are getting the home-field advantage in their wild-card game against the number five-seeded Los Angeles Rams.

The race to this year’s Super Bowl is going to be a wide-open affair for the first time in the last five years, with no clear cut favorite to choose from either the AFC or NFC. The Patriots have a solid chance to challenge for Super Bowl LX. Patriots first-year coach Mike Vrabel is a viable candidate for Coach of the Year honors, with second-year quarterback Drake Maye a favorite in the voting for NFL Most Valuable Player award. But the Patriots had a hiccup in the first half playing the Dolphins, and Vrabel addressed that after the game: “We set out to improve; I know we did. We took a little nap there in the second quarter, but we came out in the second half determined to improve — and you did.”

The Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh was more blunt on his team’s goals vs. the Patriots, stating, “Put up or shut up time.”

But while the team takes bows for its current on-field success, the disturbing news of domestic violence charges pending against Pats wide receiver Stefon Diggs and defensive lineman Christian Barmore is a major public relations blow to the franchise in its turnaround season. Neither man may be with the Patriots next season; Diggs will want too much money for his services, and Barmore may be jettisoned due to the nature of his alleged/reported domestic violence against a pregnant woman.

Their back-to-back 4-13 seasons under Bill Belichick and Jerrod Mayo are a distant memory. This year, they won 14 games, though they faced one of the easiest schedules. Their path resembles that of the Jaguars, who were also 4-13. The Bears and the Panthers rebounded from 5-12 campaigns.

The Patriots and Chargers will kick off at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The winner will advance to the AFC Divisional Round. This is the first home playoff game in Foxborough in six years. Fans hope a deep run carries the Patriots to the ultimate February game in Santa Clara, California.