The NFL playoffs begin this weekend. Saturday at 4:35pm the Kansas City Chiefs will host the Tennessee Titans in an AFC Wild Card matchup. Sunday at 1:05pm, Jacksonville will host Buffalo in the other AFC Wild Card game. For Buffalo, their appearance snaps a 17-year postseason drought, which was the longest in North America’s four major professional sports. In the NFC: The Los Angeles Rams will host the Atlanta Falcons Saturday at 8:15pm. New Orleans will host Carolina Sunday at 4:40pm.
The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots received AFC first-round “byes”. The Steelers will host their second-round game at 1:05pm Sunday, January 14th. The Steelers will meet the highest seed remaining from the first round, either Jacksonville, Kansas City or Tennessee.
The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-24 Sunday in their final regular-season game. A number of the Steelers starters sat for the game. Quarterback Landry Jones made his first start of the season and went 23-of-27 for 239 yards. He threw a touchdown and an interception. Stevan Ridley rushed 17 times for 80 yards.
Juju Smith-Schuster had nine catches for 143 yards and a touchdown. He also returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown.
The Steelers defense had six sacks in the game, and gave them 56 sacks this season, a new Steelers record.
With the loss, Cleveland ended their season 0-16. They are the first team since Detroit in 2008 to go winless in a 16-game season.
Five NFL coaches have been fired. Jim Caldwell was let go by Detroit after the Lions missed the playoffs. Jack Del Rio is out in Oakland after three seasons. John Fox was fired by Chicago. Chuck Pagano was fired in Indianapolis. The New York Giants had already fired Ben McAdoo.
Former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has decided to retire. He spent five seasons with the Cardinals, and was a two-time Coach of the Year.