Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley will not countenance a "complicit" tie should such a result benefit both his team and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.

The AFC playoff picture is an intriguing one heading into Week 18 and a favourable result at Allegiant Stadium could take both teams into the postseason.

If the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Baltimore Ravens, and the Jacksonville Jaguars – fresh from a 50-10 blowout defeat to the New England Patriots – upset the 9-7 Indianapolis Colts, the scenario in Nevada becomes straightforward.

Should those results fall into place, a tie between the Raiders and Chargers would send both to the playoffs at the expense of the other remaining challengers.

However, Staley is not prepared to engage in any such approach regardless of the bigger picture come kickoff.

"That's a pretty loaded scenario," he told The Rich Eisen Show. "That is an all-time coffee shop scenario. I feel like I'm with my buddies at the University of Dayton.

"I think we all respect the game and the NFL shield and the integrity of this game far too much to be complicit in something like that. This game matters too much to too many people, and we want to play our best and be proud of the result one way or another.

"We're going to do everything we can to go win this game, and play the way we're capable of playing. I hope all the fans and everybody who loves the NFL will be proud of the game on Sunday.

"What makes it so special is the competition and the level of integrity and respect that it stands for."

The Chargers and Raiders head into the contest evenly matched, both standing at 9-7 with Las Vegas on a three-game winning streak.

Melvin Gordon has expressed his frustration after the Denver Broncos missed out on the playoffs despite having what he believes is a roster good enough to reach the Super Bowl.

The Broncos host the Kansas City Chiefs in their final game of the 2021 season on Saturday sitting at 7-9, certain to miss the postseason and end up with a losing record.

They lost 34-13 to the Los Angeles Chargers last week, part of a three-game streak which also contained losses to the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders, scuppering their hopes of reaching the playoffs.

Gordon will be a free agent at the end of the season, with head coach Vic Fangio also facing an uncertain future, and the running back cannot believe how the season is ending.

"You sit back and get frustrated because we are so much better than what our record shows," Gordon said to SI.com. 

"It's frustrating. It's frustrating as a player, as coaches, as an organization. It's frustrating. 

"We're such a good football team. So talented across the board it is ridiculous. For us to be sitting here and not having a chance for the playoffs, all that work you put into the offseason, it's tough to say the least.

"After the Raiders game, I was so mad, just because I was thinking about from the D-line, from the secondary, from our receivers, tight ends, the linemen we have – young but yet a lot of moxie.

"Running backs, even the ones, the twos, the threes, even the guys that don't get as much love, the linebackers – it was so frustrating because it's such a well-built team. It's a Super Bowl team."

Gordon has formed a strong rushing attack with rookie Javonte Williams – both players rank in the top 13 in the NFL for rushes of 10+ yards – while the team's defense has only allowed 268 offensive points in 16 games, good for second in the NFL behind only the New England Patriots (250).

But the quarterback position and passing attack has again proved problematic for the Broncos.

After Drew Lock's struggles in 2020, this year's starting QB Teddy Bridgewater's yards per attempt rate of 7.16 ranks in the bottom half (17th) of the league and Courtland Sutton is the team's top receiver with just 763 yards.

The Chiefs (11-5), meanwhile, will go into Saturday's game still in with a chance of being the number one seeds in the AFC.

They must beat the Broncos and will then be reliant on the Tennessee Titans dropping their game at the Houston Texans one day later.

Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin refused to get caught up in his own record-breaking history after sealing 15 consecutive seasons without a losing record.

The Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 26-14 on Monday to keep alive their playoffs hopes with a 8-7-1 record with one game left.

The victory also meant Tomlin will avoid a losing season for the 15th consecutive year, which exceeds Marty Schottenheimer's streak from 1984 to 1997 to begin an NFL career.

"Not as I sit here today, and I say that humbly," Tomlin told reporters when asked if the record meant anything to him. "Our agenda, this year, is to get into the single-elimination tournament and then pit our skills against others in that single-elimination tournament in an effort to win the world championship.

"That's our mentality every year and so with that mentality, it's just certain hardware that you expect to pick up along the way. If you don't, you'd be seriously disappointed. That's just an expectation that we have here in Pittsburgh."

Pittsburgh are second in the AFC North with the Cincinnati Benglas having seal the divisional title on Sunday.

Tomlin's Steelers face divisional rivals the Baltimore Ravens in the final regular season game on Sunday as both chase a victory to be in contention for an AFC wild card berth.

Tomlin remains the youngest head coach to win the Super Bowl, when he led the Steelers to the title in 2009 at 36-years-old.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts says Sunday's railing collapse at FedEx Field "could have been so much worse" and wants changes made.

Hurts was exiting the field after Sunday's 20-16 win at the Washington Football Team when railing on the side of the tunnel collapsed with fans falling and spilling on to the ground.

The Eagles QB narrowly avoided being crushed by the fall and assisted fans to their feet and posed for pictures with them but insisted it cannot happen again.

"I tried to handle the situation with a lot of poise and show compassion for the people that fell down, really, but I know it could have been so much worse," Hurts said during a news conference.

"It kind of didn't hit me until after the fact, having some time to reflect on it and think about it. I just wanted to see what could be done to make sure it doesn't happen again. That's all I really care about."

Hurts has penned a letter to the Washington Football Team seeking clarification on what safeguards can be put in place to ensure it never happens again.

"What follow-up action is being considered in response to the near-tragic incident that took place at FedEx Field on January 2, 2022," Hurts wrote.

"Through the initial shock, my first reaction was to assist those involved. However, while I displayed a calm composure, I understand the severity of what happened and am extremely concerned for the well-being of the fans and media.

"As a result, I would like to know what safeguards the NFL and the Washington Football Team are implementing to prevent this from ever occurring in the future.

"The resources of the NFL and team organizations ensure our safety through playing this physical sport, but what happened Sunday put both fans and players unnecessarily at risk long after the final whistle. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter."

There have been reports of minor injuries from those involved in the fall but Washington released a statement following the incident on Sunday which said: "To our knowledge, everyone involved was offered onsite medical evaluation and left the stadium of their own accord."

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield is set to have surgery on his injured shoulder as soon as possible, ruling him out of action against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mayfield revealed after Monday's defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers that he would undergo an operation on the torn labrum in his non-throwing left shoulder – an issue he has carried since Week 2 -  in the offseason.

"I've continued to lay it out on the line when I haven't been healthy and tried to fight for our guys," said Mayfield post-game. "Now it's time for me to start looking at what's in the best interest of me and my health."

Initially, Mayfield's status for the Week 18 home game with the Bengals was uncertain.

But Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced on Tuesday that his starting quarterback will miss the game on Sunday in a bid to complete his surgery as soon as possible.

Stefanski added that both parties came to a mutual decision to end Mayfield's season a week early, with Cleveland (7-9) already out of postseason contention as they sit fourth in AFC North.

Case Keenum is in line to replace Mayfield for the game against the Bengals (10-6), who have already clinched the division title and still have an outside chance of claiming the number one seed in the conference.

The Browns were already out of the running for the playoffs before the loss to the Steelers (8-7-1), in which Mayfield was sacked nine times in a performance that summed up his difficult campaign.

Mayfield has been sacked on 43 occasions across 14 games, up from 26 sacks in 16 outings last season, while he has also been intercepted five more times (13 to eight).

Only two quarterbacks, Joe Burrow (51) and Ryan Tannehill (46), have been sacked more than the Browns QB this year. 

His 3,010 passing yards is the lowest haul of his career, with his tally of touchdown passes also a low mark (17), while only four players in the league have a worse interception percentage than his 3.1.

Next season could be Mayfield's last given his current Cleveland deal expires at the end of the 2022 campaign, with the Browns having already exercised the fifth-year option on his rookie deal.

Cooper Kupp is closing in on what he concedes would be an "incredible" achievement of earning the NFL triple crown.

The Los Angeles Rams wide receiver leads the league in catches, touchdown receptions and receiving yards going into Week 18 of the regular season.

Only three players in the Super Bowl era have ever finished top of the standings in all three categories in the same year: Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe and Steve Smith. It is 16 years since the feat was last achieved.

Kupp has 138 receptions for 1,829 yards, totals which look highly unlikely to be caught in the last week of action before the playoffs.

His total of 15 touchdowns also looks strong, although the Cincinnati Bengals' rookie sensation Ja'Marr Chase has closed to within two behind him in that category after finding the endzone three times against the Kansas City Chiefs last time out.

Kupp's shot at history will come when the Rams host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, the team still looking to wrap up the NFC West title with the Arizona Cardinals in hot pursuit behind them.

"It would be a pretty incredible thing," Kupp said, per ESPN, of the prospect of earning the triple crown.

"There are a lot of good football players in this league, a lot of really good receivers who I've got a ton of respect for, so it would be very cool."

Kupp will also have the chance to set the single-season receiving yards record, which is currently held by Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (1,964 in 2012).

The 28-year-old could also surpass the receptions record set by Michael Thomas (149) two years ago.

But Kupp concedes those records would come with an asterisk given the NFL is now playing a 17-game regular season.

"We're in a new age of football here," he said. "We're playing 17 games of football a year, and a lot of the stuff that happened before that, those records hold a different weight, being played in those 16 games.

"What those guys did in 16 games, it wouldn't seem right to, I don't know, for those to be broken in 17 games.

"It wouldn't hold the same weight to me as it does for guys that have done that in a 16-game season and the accomplishments those guys had and the seasons they put together. 

"Those are incredible things, incredible accomplishments. You kind of have to separate the two.

"I just have an incredible respect for what those guys were able to do, what they were able to accomplish, what they were able to produce for their teams in those 16 games."

The Rams are assured of a place in the playoffs regardless of the outcome against the Niners, but the prize of a home playoff game in Wild Card Weekend and a division title mean the stakes are still high.

"My priorities are going out and winning this game this week, whatever it takes to win it," added Kupp, when asked if setting records were his priority.

"If it means spending more time blocking defensive ends and being able to get [running back] Sony Michel sprung for some big gains, that would be huge. 

"I just want to do my job, whatever they ask of me, I just want to do my job over and over again and be a part of helping this team win."

The Rams face a Niners team who are looking to seal their own postseason berth. 

To progress, Kyle Shanahan's team must win or tie against the Rams or hope the New Orleans Saints fail to beat the Atlanta Falcons.

The Washington Football Team has announced that it will unveil a new name and logo on February 2.

Team President Jason Wright released a statement on Tuesday saying, despite the preference appearing to be to use the name Wolves, trademarks by other teams meant that this, and the variation RedWolves, were not feasible.

"Early on we understood Wolves - or some variation of it - was one of our fan favourites," he said. "As I've said all along, we take feedback from our fans seriously, and because of your interest in this name, we put Wolves on a list of options to explore fully.

"Once we began looking into Wolves, however, we became aware of a notable challenge: trademarks held by other teams would limit our ability to make the name our own. And without Wolves, variations like RedWolves wouldn't have been viable either for these and other reasons.

"We can't wait to hit the ground running with our team name and identity on a clear path - one without distracting obstacles, legal or otherwise.

"And while we've always understood it would be a nearly impossible task to select a name that all of our fans would identify with as their first pick, we are very excited about our final selection, which aligns with our values, carries forth our rich history, represents the region and, most importantly, is inspired and informed by you, our fans."

Washington have been known simply as the Washington Football Team since July 2020 after dropping the previous name of the "Redskins".

The organization had been called the Redskins since 1933, but in July 2020, a group of 87 investment firms and shareholders signed three separate letters to Nike, FedEx and PepsiCo threatening to end relationships with the team unless it dropped the racially insensitive moniker.

FedEx, which sponsors the team's stadium, requested that action be taken by the franchise, and a review began the following day that ended with the decision to drop the name and seek a new one, which is finally set to be announced next month.

Washington sit third in the NFC East and out of playoff contention on a record of 6-10 after losing 20-16 to the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.

Their final game of the season is a trip to the New York Giants on Sunday.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield revealed after defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers that he will undergo shoulder surgery during the offseason.

Mayfield has carried the problem – a torn labrum in his non-throwing left shoulder – since Week 2 of the season.

The 26-year-old has endured a difficult campaign, and was sacked nine times against the Steelers on Monday as Pittsburgh kept their playoff hopes alive. The Browns were already out of postseason contention before the game at Heinz Field.

Mayfield has been sacked 43 times across 14 games, up from 26 sacks in 16 appearances last season, while he has also been intercepted on five more occasions (13 to eight).

Only two quarterbacks – Joe Burrow (51) and Ryan Tannehill (46) – have been sacked more times this term.

His 3,010 passing yards is the lowest total of his career, with his tally of touchdown throws also a low mark (17), while his interception percentage of 3.1 ranks as the fifth-worst in the league.

Mayfield's season may now be over, with discussions set to take place within his camp on whether he will be available for the Browns' final game of the season against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have already clinched the AFC North.

"I'm an extremely competitive guy," Mayfield told reporters after Monday's game, in which he at one stage failed to complete a pass on 10 consecutive throws.

"Now it's time for me to start looking at what's in the best interest of me and my health. It's not gonna always be pretty or smooth, but I'm a fighter.

"If anybody ever questions how much I want it, just turn on this tape. It wasn't pretty, but I kept going, kept swinging; that's who I am, and that's what I will continue to be.

"I've continued to lay it out on the line when I haven't been healthy and tried to fight for our guys. Right now, I'm pretty damn beat up, to be honest with you. There's no way around it. I gave it everything I had tonight."

Next season could be Mayfield's last with the Browns. His rookie contract runs through the 2022 campaign.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger struggled to rein in his emotions as he reflected on what seems likely to be his final home game.

Roethlisberger is all set to retire at the end of the season, but he gave the Steelers fans another reason to laud his name as he helped Pittsburgh to a vital 26-14 win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday.

Pittsburgh are now 8-7 in the AFC North, and will need to beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 18, whole relying on the Jacksonville Jaguars to do them a favour against the Indianapolis Colts, to make the playoffs.

Should the Steelers clinch a postseason berth, it will be the 12th time they have reached the playoffs in Roethlisberger's 18 seasons with the team.

The 39-year-old threw for one touchdown, 123 yards and a touchdown on what was his last regular-season start at Heinz Field, which he has called home since 2004.

He has thrown for 69,478 yards across his 18-season career so far (both regular and postseason), ranking him third among NFL quarterbacks during that time, behind Tom Brady (85,046) and Drew Brees (80,111), who are also the only QBs to have tallied up more appearances than Roethlisberger's 269.

Roethlisberger ranks fourth during that timespan for touchdown passes (450), behind Aaron Rodgers (492), Brees (579) and Brady (629). Only eight quarterbacks to have played over 100 games have registered a higher touchdown percentage than the Steelers veteran (4.9).

In a postgame, on-field interview with ESPN, Roethlisberger could not hold back the tears.

"It's funny. Probably not the way you wanted it, other than the win, and that’s all that really matters, that's kind of been the story of my career," he began.

"Not always pretty but we find a way. Man, did our defense step up tonight and it was just so much fun to be out here. These players, this place.

"I didn't think I was going to take the field again, but it's the best play as an offensive player in football, to take a knee. I'm glad I got to do it one last time."

Asked what it felt like leaving Heinz Field, Roethlisberger replied: "I don't know, with a win."

"I'm just so thankful for the fans, my family obviously," he added.

"The good Lord has blessed me in so many ways. We’ve still got another game obviously, excited for that but this is just an awesome place."

"Probably about now," he said when asked if the occasion had sunk in. "This is the end of it, having the chance to go back out there.

"I'm just so excited for these fans and this place, there's not another place like it.

"I'm so thankful and blessed to be able to call this place home for almost half my life. In front of these fans, seeing all the signs, all the jerseys. I've been so blessed and I'm just so thankful."

The night may have belonged to Roethlisberger, who walked to the midfield logo alone for the opening coin toss, on what was his 135th start at Heinz Field.

However, Najee Harris was the star man for the Steelers, running in a career-best 188 yards and a touchdown, with Chris Boswell kicking four field goals and Defensive Player of the Year candidate T.J. Watt sacking Cleveland quarterback Baker Mayfield four times.

Watt is now on 21.5 sacks for the season, one short of the NFL record set by Michael Strahan in 2001.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians insisted he had "no regrets" over signing Antonio Brown following his bizarre walk-off during the clash with the New York Jets on Sunday.

With the Buccaneers down 24-10 and just over three minutes left in the third quarter, Brown appeared to be talking to team-mate Mike Evans on the sidelines before removing his jersey and shoulder pads, taking off his under-shirt and throwing it into the crowd, and then waving as he jogged towards the tunnel.

The 33-year-old had taken three receptions for 26 yards before leaving the game, which the Bucs went on to win 28-24 and move to a 12-4 record in the NFC.

Speaking after the comeback victory, Arians told reporters: "He is no longer a Buc. That's the end of the story. Let's talk about the guys that went out there and won the game."

The Bucs signed Brown in October 2020 after a short stint at the New England Patriots in 2019.

Arians had initially called Brown a "diva" and said "there's no room" for him at the Bucs.

But despite an eight-game suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy after punching a delivery truck driver, they did eventually sign him. 

He served another three-game ban this season after an NFL investigation found that he had produced a fake COVID-19 vaccine card.

Arians is happy with his decision to sign Brown, however, and hopes this latest incident can act as a turning point for the 33-year-old. 

"I have no regrets [over signing him]. I just hope the best for him," he told a media conference.

"It was very hard. I wish him well. If he needs help, I hope he gets some. It's very hard because I do care about him; I care about him a bunch. I hope that he's OK."

Asked if Brown told him he was injured, Arians said: "No. It's pretty obvious what happened. He left the field and that was it. We had a conversation, and he left the field."

Brown had played in just six games this season prior to Sunday, managing 39 receptions for 519 yards and four touchdowns.

Kyle Shanahan praised an efficient and at times explosive performance from Trey Lance but did not rule out Jimmy Garoppolo returning and starting for the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18.

With Garoppolo sidelined due to torn ligaments in his thumb, rookie third overall pick Lance got the start and recovered from a shaky first half to help the 49ers to a 23-7 win over the Houston Texans.

Lance tossed a bad interception in the first half but appeared more settled after a field-goal drive to end the second quarter and subsequently threw a pair of touchdowns, including a 45-yard strike to Deebo Samuel, to put the Niners a win away from a playoff berth.

He finished the game 16 of 23 passing for 249 yards and also ran for a further 31 yards.

The Niners will reach the postseason for the second time in three seasons if they beat the 12-4 Los Angeles Rams in Week 18 or if the New Orleans Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons. Should San Francisco lose and the Saints beat the Falcons, the Niners will miss out on the postseason.

That places the situation at quarterback into sharp focus, with head coach Shanahan leaving the door open to Garoppolo making a quick return despite reports he will need surgery after the season.

Asked if Garoppolo tried throwing on Saturday or Sunday, Shanahan replied: "I don't know if he threw today [Sunday]. I didn't even ask, just talking to him yesterday I had a pretty good idea that we weren't going to even push it today.

"I think he'll be able to do it this week. Still, that's just me giving you guys an honest guess. Hopefully, I'll have a better idea by Wednesday.

"If Jimmy's a hundred per cent healthy and could do everything, like perfect, then I would definitely go with Jimmy. I'm not just going to throw a guy in after one game like this, when Jimmy's been doing it for us all year.

"I think it's going to be hard for Jimmy to be a hundred percent, which is how most people are right now at this time of year. But Trey did a good job, if Jimmy can't go, we won't hesitate at all. But if we feel Jimmy can go and play confident, then Jimmy will be out there."

Assessing Lance's performance, Shanahan said: "I think he did some real good things, besides the bad interception, I thought he protected the ball real well.

"That was a big thing going into this game and he did a good job on all those except for one play. I think he was very efficient, just looking at his numbers. That big play at the end was huge. For the most part, he made some pretty good decisions running the ball.

"I thought the defense and special teams played really well. Holding them to three yards per play on defense, special teams, we've been down here over this last month and this at least felt like that was one of our better games in a while.

"I think that allowed us to be more comfortable on offense, start to get into a rhythm and not really press and just let it happen naturally."

Ryan Tannehill insisted the Tennessee Titans are "just getting started" after they clinched the AFC South title and moved into the one seed in the conference.

Tennessee punched their ticket to the postseason as division champions with a 34-3 rout of the Miami Dolphins, who were eliminated from playoff contention.

With the Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Cincinnati Bengals, the Titans' victory saw them jump to the top of the AFC, meaning they will clinch a first-round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a Week 18 win over the lowly Houston Texans.

While the Titans donned AFC South champion t-shirts in the locker room after the game, Tannehill conceded he was struggling to find a balance between celebrating that achievement and focusing on what they still have to do.

"That was a battle I was having in [the locker room] myself," the Titans quarterback said. "I'm thinking: Try to enjoy the moment and celebrate, but I'm going around telling the guys that we're just getting started.

"It's a big step and enjoy it, but we're just getting started. We've got a long way to go and that was kind of my message going around to the guys.

"Definitely try to enjoy the moment and celebrate today for what it is, but just knowing in the back of our minds that our ultimate goals aren't done yet.

"We've still got a long way to go."

Tannehill's top target, wide receiver A.J. Brown, added: "We had to worry about ourselves and we had to win today.

"We are not really worried about anyone else no matter what cards we were dealt. We had to win today, and we got the win today.

"Next week, it's going to be winning next week, against Houston. We know that right now, it's playoff football. And we are already trying to get in form, because it gets tougher."

The Green Bay Packers have the number one seed in the NFC, and their MVP quarterback appears to be getting healthier.

Green Bay clinched the top seed in their conference with a 37-10 rout over the Kirk Cousins-less Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Back in Week 11, the Packers lost a 34-31 shootout to the Vikings, with quarterback Rodgers revealing afterward that he was battling a severe toe injury.

He has continued to play through the problem and was once again in imperious form as the Packers ripped off their fifth straight win and improved to 14-3.

Rodgers completed 29 of his 38 passes for 288 yards and two touchdowns in a performance that helped ensure the NFC playoffs will go through Lambeau Field.

And further encouragement that this could be Green Bay's year came in Rodgers' post-game comments about the health of his toe.

"This is a first game that my toe got through the game without any issues," Rodgers said. "No pre-game painkiller shot. I'm feeling good. I'm happy about it.

"There was definitely a time a few weeks ago when I started to project out and think if we can get the one seed, it could be two-plus weeks of rest.

"I'm going to play next week, and I expect Davante to play and our guys to play. So, we're looking forward to finishing off the season on a high note and then getting the bye."

Though they have nothing to play for, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur indicated he would play his starters for at least some of their regular-season finale at the Detroit Lions.

But, with the bye week secured, Rodgers will have the chance to rest his seemingly improving toe ahead of another push for the second Super Bowl title of his stunning career.

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