Read the reports of the games played on Sunday in the NFL.
Chase McLaughlin made three field goals and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers blanked the Panthers 9-0 to secure a playoff spot on Sunday.
The Buccaneers (9-8) were facing a tough game, but they won the National Association South title for the third year in a row.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was held to 137 air yards in his return to North Carolina, but the defense did enough to keep the Panthers from getting on the board.
The Panthers became the first NFL team since at least 1991 to not run a fourth-quarter lead play all season.
Bryce Young completed 11 of 18 passes for 94 yards and the Panthers (2-15) saw two potential touchdowns called back.
The North Carolina team became the first team since the Cleveland Browns in 2008 to be shut out in two games in a row. They lost 26-0 to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
The Panthers finished the season with the worst record in the NFL, but they won’t be able to cash in on the No. 1 overall pick because he was traded to the Chicago Bears to select Young.
Mayfield spent last season with the Panthers, but went 1-5 as a starter and was released. He played through sore ribs, completing 20 of his 32 attempts through the air.
Steve Reed, Associated Press
The Steelers in the playoffs thanks to the Titans’ victory
PHOTO MATT ROURKE, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Isaac Seumalo (73) and Jaylen Warren (30)
Left behind in mid-December, the Pittsburgh Steelers will finally be in the playoffs.
The Pennsylvania team earned its ticket by virtue of the Tennessee Titans’ 28-20 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday in Nashville.
Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars are consequently eliminated.
The Steelers (10-7) had lost three games in a row, including two against the New England Patriots and the Arizona Cardinals, which placed them in a precarious situation a few weeks ago.
Head coach Mike Tomlin turned the offensive unit over to Mason Rudolph after a loss to the Indianapolis Colts on Dec. 16, and the quarterback responded by helping the club post three straight wins to close out the regular season.
The Steelers will finish sixth or seventh in the American depending on other results on Sunday. They could cross swords with the Miami Dolphins, the Kansas City Chiefs or the Buffalo Bills next week.
The Steelers last made the playoffs during the 2021 season. They have lost their last four playoff games.
Associated Press
Saints win 48-17 against Falcons and stay alive for now
PHOTO STEPHEN LEW, USA TODAY SPORTS VIA REUTERS CON
Derek Carr (4) and AT Perry (17)
Derek Carr threw four touchdown passes to give the Saints a 48-17 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, which allowed the New Orleans club to maintain a slim chance of making the playoffs.
To extend their season, the Saints had to hope for defeats by the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers later Sunday.
The Saints (9-8) would have won the National South Division title if the Buccaneers had lost their match of the day against the Carolina Panthers. However, the Tampa club won 9-0.
Jamaal Williams ran a one-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes as the Saints looked to run out the clock by kneeling on the ground. The Falcons – and Saints head coach Dennis Allen – appeared upset by the play.
Carr passed for 264 yards and freshman receiver AT Perry reached the end zone twice with aerial plays to double his touchdown total this season.
In the Falcons locker room after the game, speculation swirled around the future of head coach Arthur Smith, who suffered a third straight losing season since taking over the club.
Receiver Rashid Shaheed caught a 39-yard pass for the touchdown, while his teammate Chris Olave crossed the 26 yards separating him from the goal line. Kendre Miller scored the other major with a three-yard run.
With Taylor Heinicke out due to an ankle injury, Desmond Ridder got his 13e start of the season. The highlight of his day was a 71-yard pass to Bijan Robinson for a touchdown in the first quarter.
Ridder, however, committed two turnovers which led to major blows from the Saints in the second half. Alontae Taylor had an interception at his expense in the third quarter, then the quarterback lost the ball in the fourth.
Ridder completed 22 of 30 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns, Robinson caught seven balls for 103 yards.
Brett Martel, Associated Press