The San Francisco 49ers will host the Seattle Seahawks in the opening game of the Wild Card round.

San Francisco progressed to the postseason as the NFC second seed, and have home field advantage in the first game of this season's playoffs, which will take place on Saturday.

The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in their final regular-season game and were subsequently handed a favour by the Detroit Lions, who eliminated the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers from playoff contention.

In Saturday's second game, the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who clinched the AFC South title with a 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

A day later, the Buffalo Bills, who beat the New England Patriots in an emotional game on Sunday, will host the Miami Dolphins.

The Cincinnati Bengals, whose January 2 game against the Bills was suspended and subsequently cancelled altogether following Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest, go up against the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's final game, after the New York Giants have taken on the Minnesota Vikings.

The Wild Card round concludes with the Dallas Cowboys' trip to face Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Sean McDermott expected something special from kickoff after the Buffalo Bills' difficult week and Nyheim Hines duly delivered with a remarkable return touchdown.

The Bills endured the most challenging of weeks after Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest on the field forced last Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals to be suspended and ultimately abandoned.

Hamlin has remained in a critical condition but has made significant progress in recent days, and watched Sunday's game against the New England Patriots from hospital.

The Bills claimed a 35-23 victory to clinch their playoff spot, with the first piece of action being a storybook 96-yard opening kickoff return TD from Hines. That marked the Bills' first kickoff return touchdown since 2019.

"To be honest, I thought in the days leading up to the game wouldn’t it be special if we could take that opening kickoff," coach McDermott told reporters.

"When it happened, respectfully, I wasn't surprised just by the way the week has gone."

Hamlin tweeted "OMFG!!!!!!" after the stunning move.

Hines sensationally achieved a second kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter when the Bills trailed 17-14.

Bills QB Josh Allen was emotional when he spoke about Hines' opening TD: "I can't remember a play that touched me like that. It's probably number one.

"You can't draw that one up any better. I just got told it's been three years and three months since the last kickoff return so pretty cool."

Buffalo cornerback Tre'Davious White offered an insight into the challenge for the players returning to action for the first time, given the trauma from Hamlin's on-field collapse and subsequent resuscitation.

"I don't know how some of us did it because some of us had a different view of what went on and that's traumatising," White said.

"I was telling someone earlier I've seen traumatic things in my life, just growing up where I grew up at, and in the environment I've been raised in, but it was always the end result of me walking up and seeing it.

"It was never a time I saw every event, everything transpire until the end. It's tough, man. It's a lot."

McDermott added that Hamlin would not only inspire the Bills' postseason push, having secured a Wild Card game at Highmark Stadium against the seventh seed Miami Dolphins, but also the wider community.

"I think we would all agree, that guy's hand is in this and has been in it from the first moment," he said.

"I think, I should say this, when you watch how, at times, divided we can be as a country and a world, I think the thing we all recognised this week is when people can put love first and people first and come together, how powerful this country and this world can be for the good."

The San Francisco 49ers will host the Seattle Seahawks in the opening game of the Wild Card round.

San Francisco progressed to the postseason as the NFC second seed, and have home field advantage in the first game of this season's playoffs, which will take place on Saturday.

The Seahawks defeated the Los Angeles Rams in overtime in their final regular-season game and were subsequently handed a favour by the Detroit Lions, who eliminated the Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers from playoff contention.

In Saturday's second game, the Los Angeles Chargers travel to Florida to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, who clinched the AFC South title with a 20-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.

A day later, the Buffalo Bills, who beat the New England Patriots in an emotional game on Sunday, will host the Miami Dolphins.

The Cincinnati Bengals, whose January 2 game against the Bills was suspended and subsequently cancelled altogether following Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest, go up against the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday's final game, after the New York Giants have taken on the Minnesota Vikings.

The Wild Card round concludes with the Dallas Cowboys' trip to face Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel will be "forever loyal" to the team after they ended a six-year wait for a playoff place with a Week 18 win against the New York Jets.

The Dolphins' 11-6 win saw them seal a first postseason appearance since the 2016 campaign as the New England Patriots fell to an emotionally charged 35-23 defeat against the Buffalo Bills in their opponents' first game since Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest.

While that result eliminated the Patriots, it ensured the Dolphins will face the Bills in the wild-card round, which they last progressed beyond in the 2000 season.

Having become just the fifth Dolphins head coach to make the playoffs in his first season in charge, McDaniel expressed his gratitude to the franchise for taking a punt on him.

"I'm not one to feel entitled to anything," he said. "My walk of life has led to me having an infinite memory. Any time someone takes a chance on me, I'm very loyal to that. 

"I know how many other teams were interviewing me – the answer is zero. It feels good that didn't matter, that this is the right fit for everything we're trying to do here. I'll forever be loyal to that.

"It feels tremendous. That doesn't mean the goal was just to get to the playoffs. 

"However, you're talking about a fan base that hasn't seen their team go to the playoffs since 2016, it's very fulfilling for the way it happened."

One of the main focuses in the build-up to the game against the Bills will be the condition of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who remains subject to the league's concussion protocol.

"We'll continue to take it day by day," McDaniel said. "I will not even think about any sort of game, whether that's this year or next year, until he's fully ready to do so, with medical clearance.

"There will be some question marks, but fortunately this team has been proven not to blink with any sort of question mark either way. 

"We have guys that we really believe in, and we'll go with the healthiest group up to Buffalo and play a very good football team."

Damar Hamlin watched on from hospital as the Buffalo Bills claimed an emotionally charged 35-23 win over the New England Patriots in their first game since his cardiac arrest.

Hamlin remains in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center after collapsing following a collision with Tee Higgins in the Bills' game with the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday. That game will not be resumed.

The safety has shown continued signs of improvement and was able to speak to his team-mates via videocall in the build-up to the game.

He was a keen viewer as, after pre-game shows of support for Hamlin that included Buffalo emerging from the tunnel and huddling at midfield, the Bills made an extraordinary start.

Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown. New England responded well, and touchdown throws from Mac Jones to Jakobi Meyers and DeVante Parker, sandwiched by a Dawson Knox touchdown, sent the teams into half-time tied at 14-14.

New England, needing only to win to qualify for the postseason, took the lead with a Nick Folk field goal after a Devin Singletary fumble.

However, Hines struck again, taking the subsequent kickoff back 101 yards, becoming the first player since Leon Washington in 2010 to return two kickoffs for a touchdown in the same game.

A stunning 42-yard throw on the move from Josh Allen to John Brown stretched the Bills' lead and, though Parker responded for New England, another pinpoint deep ball from Allen to Stefon Diggs proved the decisive blow, with a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions from Jones ending the Patriots' hopes.

It means the Bills, following agreed changes to the AFC playoffs following the cancellation of their game with the Bengals, will not have to play a postseason road game. As the second seed, they have home-field advantage for the first two rounds and, should they face the one seed Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, it will be held at a neutral site.

That first home game will be against the Miami Dolphins, who took advantage of the Patriots' loss by squeaking by the New York Jets 11-6 to clinch a playoff spot. The Pittsburgh Steelers, who beat the Cleveland Browns 28-14, were also eliminated.

Bengals avoid coin flip

The Bengals also prevailed in their first game since Monday's traumatic scenes, beating the Baltimore Ravens 27-16. Despite being the AFC North champions, the Bengals would not have been guaranteed a home game against the Ravens in the playoffs had they lost this second regular-season meeting, with the venue being decided by a coin flip as part of the agreed changes.

It rarely looked as if they would face such a fate in a game Cincinnati controlled throughout. The Bengals' win means they will reunite with Baltimore in the playoffs next week, and it will be in Cincinnati. The Bengals had made no secret of their displeasure at the coin flip decision, and running back Joe Mixon pretended to flip a coin after scoring Cincinnati's first touchdown.

Texans win, but lose number one pick

The Houston Texans would have locked up the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft with a loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but their current crop of players showed no regard for the long-term future in a thrilling finale.

On fourth down and 20 in the last-chance saloon, quarterback Davis Mills heaved a 28-yard touchdown to Jordan Akins, who then caught a two-point conversion to seal a 32-31 win what could be head coach Lovie Smith's final game. The victory saw the number one pick go to Smith's former team, the Chicago Bears, who lost at home to the Minnesota Vikings.

The Buffalo Bills returned the opening kickoff against the New England Patriots for a touchdown in their first play since Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest.

Nyheim Hines 96-yard kick return came in an emotionally charged game in Buffalo, with Hamlin taking to social media to confirm he was watching on from hospital.

Hamlin has shown improvement across the week, though he remains in critical condition.

Ahead of kickoff in the Bills' regular-season finale at Highmark Stadium, the 24-year-old sent a good luck message to his team-mates as they prepared for their last game before the playoffs.

"Game day," he tweeted. "Nothing I want more than to be running out [of] that tunnel with my brothers.

"God [is] using me in a different way today. Tell someone you love them today! Let's go."

Players warmed up in shirts sporting Hamlin's number three ahead of kick-off, with tributes on and off the field from players and supporters as they showed their support for the safety.

The Buffalo Bills returned the opening kick-off against the New England Patriots for a touchdown in their first play since Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest.

Nyheim Hines 96-yard kick return came in an emotionally charged game in Buffalo, with Hamlin taking to social media to confirm he was watching on ahead of the game.

Hamlin has shown improvement across the week, though he remains in critical condition, ahead of the Bills' final regular season game on Sunday.

Ahead of kick-off at Highmark Stadium, the 24-year-old took to social media to wish the best of luck to his team-mates as they prepared for their last game before the playoffs.

"Game day," he tweeted. "Nothing I want more than to be running out [of] that tunnel with my brothers.

"God [is] using me in a different way today. Tell someone you love them today! Let's go."

Players warmed up in shirts sporting Hamlin's number three ahead of kick-off, with tributes on and off the field from players and supporters wishing messages of good luck to the safety.

The Buffalo Bills have guaranteed Damar Hamlin's full contract after he was placed on injured reserve, reports state.

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest in the Week 17 clash against the Cincinnati Bengals, which will not resume, and was administered CPR on the field before being rushed to hospital.

In an update on Saturday, the Bills stated Hamlin had excellent neurological function but remains in critical condition, while the player himself took to social media to express his gratitude for the support he has been given.

With Hamlin being placed on injured reserve, his split rate was due to fall from $825,000 to $455,000 but the NFL Network's Ian Rapoport has stated the Bills have ensured he will receive the full amount, despite not being on the active roster.

The Bills have reportedly worked out an agreement with the NFL and the NFLPA in order to be able to do so.

On Sunday, the Bills' final regular season game against the New England Patriots will include a special acknowledgement for the medical staff pregame and '3' hats on the sidelines.

Hamlin, who remains at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, will watch the game from his hospital bed.

Damar Hamlin is thankful for the "overwhelming" love he has received since the Buffalo Bills safety suffered a cardiac arrest on Monday.

Hamlin's message came in his first social media post since collapsing after tackling Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins in the first quarter of Monday's game.

The 24-year-old was resuscitated on the field and remains in a critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, though updates from the hospital have been positive, revealing he is breathing unaided and has spoken to his Bills team-mates.

After the Bills confirmed Hamlin was showing further improvement on Saturday, Hamlin shared an Instagram post expressing his gratitude for the support he has been given.

"When you put real love out into the world it comes back to you three times as much," Hamlin said. "The love has been overwhelming.

"But I'm thankful for every single person that prayed for me and reached out. We brung the world back together behind this.

"If you know me you know this only gone make me stronger. On a long road keep praying for me!"

After the Bengals-Bills game was suspended following Hamlin's collapse, the NFL confirmed on Friday the matchup would not be resumed, with owners approving plans for changes to the playoffs.

Damar Hamlin continues to make steady progress as he recovers from his cardiac arrest even as the Buffalo Bills safety remains in a critical condition.

The 24-year-old collapsed after colliding with wide receiver Tee Higgins during Monday's NFL encounter with the Cincinnati Bengals, and had to be resuscitated on the field.

Fears for the 2021 sixth-round pick have been calmed by regular updates, revealing he is breathing unaided and has spoken with team-mates.

The Bills offered another update on Saturday, confirming Hamlin continues to show improvement.

"Per the physicians at UC Medical Center, Damar is making continued progress in his recovery yet remains in critical condition," a Bills statement read.

"He continues to breathe on his own and his neurological function is excellent."

The NFL confirmed the Bengals-Bills match would not be resumed after it was originally suspended and then postponed following Hamlin's exit at Paul Brown Stadium.

Buffalo, who are first in the AFC East with a 12-3 record, head into their final regular match of the season against the New England Patriots on Sunday, with plans approved by owners for playoff changes.

NFL owners voted on Friday to approve a possible change to this year’s playoff format, allowing for a neutral-site AFC championship game if the participants were affected by Monday's cancelled game betweeen the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals.

The ruling comes a day after the proposed changes were approved by the league's competition committee.

Monday's game between the Bills and Bengals was suspended after Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field and needed to be resuscitated, shocking the sporting world and leaving the NFL with questions about how to proceed.

On Thursday, the NFL said it would not finish the game and officially ruled it as a no contest, leaving the Bills and Bengals – both AFC contenders – with one fewer game played than the rest of the league.

If Cincinnati or Buffalo qualify for the AFC Championship game as the road team and could have been the home team with one more win, this new provision would move the game to a neutral site.

The rule also allows for a coin flip to decide the host of a potential Wild Card round game between the Bengals (11-4) and Baltimore Ravens (10-6) if the Ravens win the matchup between the teams in the regular-season finale on Sunday.

The new procedures are not without controversy and have already received some criticism from fans of the Kansas City Chiefs (13-3), who can secure the AFC's top seed and first-round bye with a Week 18 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. There are scenarios, however, in which the Chiefs would lose the right to host an AFC title game at Arrowhead Stadium against the Bills (12-3).

The league's policy manual says that "a team's standing in its division or in its conference” is to be decided by winning percentage in the case of a disparity in games played, but the league deemed Monday's cancellation extraordinary enough to warrant a new ruling.

It is the first time since 1935 that NFL teams will have played different numbers of games in a season, leaving no modern precedent on which the league could lean.

While the NFL has been tweaking its playoff format, Hamlin has gradually made progress during his four days at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Hamlin, whose heart was re-started twice Monday, is now able to breathe on his own and had his breathing tube removed overnight. The 24-year-old even joined his team-mates briefly on a video call Friday with a simple message: “Love you boys.”

In a Friday statement, the Bills said Hamlin's "neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team."

Damar Hamlin can breathe without assistance and is improving "remarkably" after his cardiac arrest, with the Buffalo Bills revealing he has already spoken to his team-mates.

The latest uplifting development arrived on Friday as Hamlin continues his recovery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC), where he was taken on Monday after collapsing mid-game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Hamlin joined the Bills' Friday team meeting on FaceTime and told the group: "Love you boys."

UCMC's Dr Timothy Pritts spoke on Thursday of how Hamlin had "won the game of life" by surviving, after it was revealed the safety wanted to know whether the Bills had won against the Bengals.

As it happens, that game was abandoned and will not resume, with the NFL recognising its outcome would not impact any team's qualification or elimination from the postseason.

Hamlin's future in the NFL is unclear for now, with doctors saying on Thursday it was too soon to talk about the prospect of him playing again, but the 24-year-old is making significant day-by-day progress in hospital.

The Bills said in a statement: "Per the physicians at UCMC, Damar's breathing tube was removed overnight. He continues to progress remarkably in his recovery.

"His neurologic function remains intact and he has been able to talk to his family and care team.

"Damar Hamlin FaceTimed into our team meeting today to talk to players and coaches.

"What he said to the team: 'Love you boys.'"

Reports said Hamlin has also spoken individually to a number of team-mates, yet another encouraging sign.

It had been revealed on Thursday he was able to communicate by writing notes, and to be speaking and breathing without a tube a day later is another major step towards being discharged.

Hamlin collapsed after a collision with wide receiver Tee Higgins and had to be resuscitated on the field.

He received "textbook" medical attention at the stadium, Pritts' colleague Dr William A. Knight said.

The NFL has confirmed the suspended Cincinnati Bengals-Buffalo Bills' Week 17 game will not resume, with teams to consider a neutral side for the AFC Championship game.

The Bengals-Bills game was suspended after Damar Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter due to a cardiac arrest. Hamlin was resuscitated on the field, then rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he has remained in intensive care, but encouragingly has made "substantial progress" in the past 24 hours.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell explained the decision had "no perfect solution", which comes ahead of the final regular season round of fixtures with significant playoff implications, and was based on three key factors.

Goodell stressed that the game's cancellation would not impact any team's qualification or elimination from the postseason, while he was eager to have the playoff scenario clarified for all sides ahead of Week 18. He added that delaying the playoffs one week to play the game was unfair on all other clubs, which guided their decision-making.

The statement revealed that NFL team owners will attend a Special League Meeting on Friday to consider a resolution recommended by the Competition Committee to have the AFC Championship game played at a neutral site if the participating teams could both have mathematically been the No.1 seed if they had played an equal number of games.

That decision affects the Bills (12-3) and Bengals (11-4) along with the Kansas City Chiefs (13-3). The NFL stated three scenarios whereby the AFC Championship game being played on a neutral site would come into effect.

- If Buffalo and Kansas City both win or tie, a Bills-Chiefs championship game will be at a neutral site.

- If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Baltimore wins or ties, a Bills-Chiefs championship game will be at a neutral site.

- If Buffalo and Kansas City both lose and Cincinnati wins, a Bills or Bengals v Chiefs championship game will be at a neutral site.

The Baltimore Ravens (10-6) may also be impacted if they win against the Bengals in Week 18, leading to a match-up in an AFC Wild Card game, with the site to be determined by coin flip.

"As we considered the football schedule, our principles have been to limit disruption across the league and minimise competitive inequities," Goodell said in the statement.

He added: "This has been a very difficult week. We continue to focus on the recovery of Damar Hamlin and are encouraged by the improvements in his condition as well as the tremendous outpouring of support and care for Damar and his family from across the country.

"We are also incredibly appreciative of the amazing work of the medical personnel and commend each and every one of them."

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen is adamant his side will be ready to take the field on Sunday against the New England Patriots in honour of Damar Hamlin's request.

The Bills returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since Monday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals was suspended mid-game after Hamlin collapsed having suffered a cardiac arrest on the field.

Hamlin had to be resuscitated on the field and has been in intensive care in hospital in a critical condition since, but the Bills provided a medical update stating he was showing "remarkable improvement" on Thursday.

Hamlin's father Mario spoke to the Bills players and insisted that he and his son want them to play on Sunday.

"He didn't tell us, he demanded us," Allen told reporters. "You can't not honour his request to go out there and charge forward to the best of our abilities.

"Obviously, we'll be playing with less heavy hearts now, knowing that today's news was a lot of tears of joy. To know that's what he wants and that's what his dad wants, I think guys are excited to get out there."

Allen said "I do" when asked if he believed the Bills' players would be ready to take to the field on Sunday as scheduled.

"For every person it's going to be a little different. Putting that helmet back on today was really good for our team to go through that progress," Allen said.

"Some people are going to be changed forever after being on that field and feeling those emotions. The updates that we keep getting on Damar are lifting our spirits. Leaning on each other. We've had some open, honest and deep talks.

"We've had some unbelievable embraces as men, just hugging somebody, you need every bit of it. The fact we keep hearing good news about Damar keeps pushing us forward."

Allen conceded it would be difficult not to let the Hamlin situation enter his mind when they enter the field on Sunday, but insisted they had to shut it out.

"It's hard not to let it creep into your mind," he said. "We've been reassured this is the freakiest of freak accidents.

"The mental aspect of it, going out on that field, if you have that thought, that's putting yourself at risk even more.

"Coach [Sean McDermott] has done a great job making sure guys understand that and that mentally you need to be bought into.

"As humans, it's hard not to feel that way, but just to know the track record of the league. Obviously, there's injuries, that's part of sport and this is the worst possible case you can think of."

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott believes assistant trainer Denny Kellington is the "real hero" after the cardiac arrest of Damar Hamlin on Monday.

The Bills' safety collapsed on the field following a hit on Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and Kellington gave Hamlin life-saving CPR before he was taken to hospital.

Doctors shared a significant update on Thursday, stating the 24-year-old had "won the game of life" in further explanation of a Bills statement that declared Hamlin to be "neurologically intact".

The quick actions of Kellington to administer CPR prevented a tragedy and McDermott took a moment to hail his actions in the team's first media availability since Hamlin's collapse.

"To give it context, Denny is one of our assistant trainers. Just like our team, their team go through mock exercises for these sorts of things, but we're not around for those. As they say, practice pays off," he told reporters.

"For an assistant to find himself in that position and take charge and step up like he did, it's nothing short of amazing.

"The courage that took, you talk about a real leader and a real hero, for saving Damar's life. I admire his strength."

The Bills are unlikely to complete the suspended Week 17 clash against the Bengals but are back in action this weekend against the New England Patriots as the regular season comes to a close.

Playing so soon after such a traumatic event will be a difficult scenario, but McDermott said Hamlin's father, Mario, had told them it is what his son would have wanted.

"I feel strongly that as his dad Mario had mentioned to us, that this is what Damar would have wanted. We owe that to Damar and to his family," he added.

The Bills sit 12-3 for the season, already clinching the AFC East, but have an outside chance of securing the No. 1 seed in Sunday's finale, with the NFL's decision on the suspended Bengals game pending too.

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