The Baltimore Ravens appear increasingly likely to be without star quarterback Lamar Jackson for Sunday's AFC Wild Card game against the Cincinnati Bengals after he missed practice again.

Jackson has been absent for 16 straight practice sessions due to a sprained PCL in his left knee that has seen him not play since Week 13.

The 2019 NFL MVP has missed the Ravens' past five games, where they have gone 2-3 and scored 13 points per game, which is the second-worst record in the NFL.

Ravens head coach John Harbaugh has been reluctant to discuss Jackson's status over the past fortnight and simply replied "no updates at this time" when asked on Wednesday.

The situation is further complicated by top backup Tyler Huntley dealing with tendonitis in his right throwing shoulder. Huntley did not throw during the media portion at practice on Wednesday.

"He's doing a lot better," Harbaugh told reporters about Huntley. "He was out there in practice today and took a bunch of plays. I'd say he's on schedule, hopefully, and we'll see where it goes."

If Jackson and Huntley are both unavailable then undrafted rookie Anthony Brown, who has one career NFL start, would step in.

Ravens tight end Mark Andrews added: "You look at the two other guys [Huntley and Brown], there is so much trust in both of them.

"We know with whoever we put out there – Lamar, Snoop [Huntley] or AB – we'll be all right and ready to go."

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.

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.

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.

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."

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is unhappy with the NFL's alterations to the playoffs, which could cost his team home-field advantage.

On Friday, NFL owners voted to approve proposed changes after the Bengals' game against the Buffalo Bills on Monday, in which Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest, was cancelled.

Those changes would include a coin toss to decide who would host a Wild Card round clash between the Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens if Cincinnati lost to their AFC North rivals in their final regular season game this week.

Meanwhile, a neutral venue will be used for the AFC Championship Game if it is contested between two teams who have played different numbers of regular season games and the lower-seeded team could have been the number one seed by playing a full 17-game season.

Taylor, who preferred the Bengals to be judged simply by their winning percentage, believes the outcome is unfair as Cincy are dealt "only negatives" by the decision.

"What's in front of us is to win this weekend and reclaim the opportunity to have a home-field Wild Card game. That's the task that's at hand in front of the team," the Bengals coach told reporters on Friday.

"As far as I'm concerned, we just want the rules to be followed and when a game is cancelled that you just turn to winning percentage to clarify everything, so we don't have to just make up the rules.

"There's several instances this season where the club is fined or people in our building are fined and we are being told to follow the rules. It's black and white in the rulebook.

"Now, when we point out the rules, you are told we are going to change that. I don't want to hear about fair and equitable when that is the case.

"What this team will do is all we can control, going into a game this weekend and doing our best to win. We are going to channel our energy into that.

"Opportunities are lost for us that we had a chance to control; now we don't. It seems like there are positives for a lot of teams and just negatives for us.

"We have the opportunity to play for a coin flip that can only negatively impact us; we don't have the opportunity to play for a coin flip that positively impacts us.

"Let's just follow the rules; we accept that. We just have to turn our focus to getting ready for Baltimore and doing everything we can to control what we can control at that point."

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."

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is yet to resume practice and head coach John Harbaugh will not be drawn on his postseason availability.

The 2019 NFL MVP has not played since sustaining a knee injury against the Denver Broncos on December 4, with Tyler Huntley starting in his absence.

Jackson missed a 13th straight practice on Wednesday raising concerns about his playoff availability for the Ravens, who are 10-6 and guaranteed of an AFC Wild Card ahead of their regular-season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

"I'm just probably going to leave all that stuff alone," Harbaugh told reporters.

"I'm going to focus on the game and just get ready to coach our guys and have our guys get ready to play the game."

The Ravens offense has averaged 12.3 points and scored only three touchdowns in the past four games since Jackson's injury, yet have won two of those games on the back of their defense.

Baltimore have been held to 17 or fewer points in five straight games, the first when Jackson was injured.

"They're not challenges that we're going to sit here and say we can't overcome or we can't win games with," Harbaugh said about his offense.

"We've got to try to do everything we can to make those plays in the next game. That's all you can do in this league."

Huntley is also dealing with soreness in his right throwing shoulder ahead of the Cincinnati game, which could determine who wins the AFC North, pending the decision made on the suspended Bengals-Buffalo Bills game.

The Bengals would have clinched the AFC North with victory against the Bills on Monday, but the game was suspended after Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest. If the game is resumed and the Bengals lose, the Ravens could still claim the AFC North with victory on Sunday.

The NFL has not yet made a decision on when, how or if the Buffalo Bills' game against the Cincinnati Bengals will be completed while "everything is being considered".

Monday's game was postponed after Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed in the first quarter.

Hamlin had collided with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins and suffered a cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated on the field, then rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

The Bills player has remained in hospital in critical condition, but the NFL has started to look at potential resolutions for the suspended game.

Troy Vincent, executive vice president of football operations for the NFL, ran through various considerations in a conference call with reporters on Wednesday.

While looking at all options, Vincent said the league would be guided by Bills head coach Sean McDermott.

"My concern is making sure the men have what they need to function," Vincent added.

Sean McDermott set the tone for the response to Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest, according to Cincinnati Bengals coach Zac Taylor.

Buffalo Bills safety Hamlin collapsed during the first quarter of Monday's game against the Bengals following a collision with wide receiver Tee Higgins.

Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field, before being rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he has remained in critical condition.

An unprecedented incident saw the NFL community rally around Hamlin, although the procedure in the immediate aftermath was understandably unclear.

That was where Bills coach McDermott came in, Taylor has revealed, with his focus on supporting Hamlin as the game was suspended.

"I always knew Sean. We've never worked together, never had a meal together, but I had respect for him," Taylor said.

"Seeing the way he led his team deepened that respect for him and verified everything I thought he was about as a man."

He added: "I don't want to disclose any of the private conversations Sean and I had except this.

"When I got over there, the first thing he said was, 'I need to be at the hospital with Damar, I shouldn't be coaching this game'. That to me provides all the clarity.

"'Unprecedented' is the word that gets thrown around a lot in this situation, because that's what it is. In that moment, he really showed who he was.

"All his focus was just on Damar and being there for him, being there for his family, at the hospital.

"At that point, everything trended in the direction it needed to trend. The right decisions were made.

"I really felt Sean McDermott led in that moment. He was there for his players, he processed the right way, which was incredibly difficult, and really helped us get to the solution we needed to get to."

Damar Hamlin remains in critical condition after suffering a cardiac arrest during Monday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, which the NFL says will not resume this week.

Bills safety Hamlin collapsed on the field in the first quarter of Monday's game at the Paycor Stadium after making a tackle on Bengals receiver Tee Higgins.

The Bills subsequently announced Hamlin was in critical condition after being rushed to a nearby hospital, and an update issued on Tuesday confirmed he remained in intensive care.

A statement from the Bills read: "Damar Hamlin spent last night in the intensive care unit and remains there today in critical condition at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

"We are grateful and thankful for the outpouring of support we have received thus far."

Meanwhile, the NFL has ruled the game – which was stopped with just under six minutes played – will not be resumed this week, confirming no decision regarding a possible rescheduling had been made.

"The NFL continues to be in regular contact with the medical team caring for Damar Hamlin, and also the Bills and Bengals organisations and the NFL Players Association," the league said.

"After speaking with both teams and NFLPA leadership, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell informed the clubs today that the Bills-Bengals game will not be resumed this week.

"The NFL has made no decision regarding the possible resumption of the game at a later date. The league has not made any changes to the Week 18 regular season schedule.

"We will continue to provide additional information as it becomes available."