Four teams clinched NFL playoff berths in Week 17

The New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 24-12 to secure the AFC East title for the 10th straight time and 16th in 18 seasons. The Dallas Cowboys won the NFC East for the second time in three years by beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27-20.

The Houston Texans won the AFC South, even though they lost 32-30 to the Philadelphia Eagles. And the Seattle Seahawks garnered a wild-card bid by holding off the Kansas City Chiefs 38-31 in a wildly entertaining game.

In addition, the New Orleans Saints earned home-field advantage through the NFC playoff bracket by defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-28.

The key matchup of Week 18 will pit the Indianapolis Colts against the Tennessee Titans. The victor earns a wild-card berth and the loser goes home. That game will be played in Nashville on Sunday at 8:20 p.m. on NBC.

Key stats:
Eagles tight end Zach Ertz set a record for his position with 113 receptions this season.

Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers threw for two touchdowns, ran for two TDs and passed for 442 yards in the Packers’ 44-38 overtime win over the New York Jets.

Colleges:
In basketball, No. 18 Arizona State beat No. 1 Kansas 80-76 on Saturday, defeating the Jayhawks for the second straight year. No. 19 Kentucky upended No. 9 North Carolina 80-72. Monday’s new poll will likely have Tennessee in the top spot.

Army set a school record with its 11th football victory, crushing Houston 70-14 in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army rushed for 507 yards and eight touchdowns while throwing only three passes (all of them complete).

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman