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The NFL is also celebrating the game’s overnight TV ratings, which revealed the matchup attracted the most viewers of any divisional playoff game in history. According to Fox Sports, an average of 48.5 million viewers watched the game, making it the most-viewed broadcast of any kind since last year’s Super Bowl. For comparison, the 28.2 overnight ratings for the game were higher than the 25.2 overnight for Game 7 of the 2016 World Series and Game 7 of the NBA Finals (18....

The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers have punched a postseason ticket in the AFC, while the Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have done so in the NFC. Five more teams could secure a postseason berth in the remainder of Week 16, as the playoffs picture becomes clearer. Here’s how they each could do it. AFC Kansas City Chiefs (13-1) The Chiefs have long clinched a playoff spot and a win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday will see the reigning Super Bowl champions secure the AFC’s No....

The New England Patriots are firmly on the way to another divisional title and few would bet against them meeting the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship for the second consecutive season, while the Cleveland Browns are yet to live up to the preseason hype. Fans of the Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets, meanwhile, are in all likelihood looking forward to the offseason after a string of dismal performances....

Seattle Seahawks They’re defending champs led by wily old Pete, returning that defense that’s oh-so sweet. They go into the season as the team to beat, but it’s unfortunately unlikely the Seahawks will repeat. San Francisco 49ers The 49ers have been right there but not fine enough. Still Harbaugh’s gang is always tough. Some defensive concerns might make it rough, but we’re about to see Kaepernick strut his very best stuff....

That’s why it remains a fun but also challenging exercise for The Sporting News to rank the starting quarterbacks in the NFL again in 2022. The rules are the same: Past performance carries good weight, but there’s more of an emphasis on upside and projections for the upcoming season. Looking to the near future, here’s looking forward to more than half the league having special talent at the most important position....

That said, the victory came with some controversy. The officiating was scrutinized, as the Bears fell victim to a few questionable calls during the game. MORE: Bears taunting penalty proves critical in “MNF” loss There were two calls, in particular, that seemed to swing the momentum in favor of the Steelers. The first came in the early stages of the third quarter when Justin Fields appeared to throw a 1-yard touchdown to tight end Jimmy Graham....

“If you ain’t cheating, you ain’t trying.” MORE: NASCAR controversies that could erupt in 2015 | Why Jeff Gordon decided to call it quits | Greatest drivers of all-time “Everyone is doing it, they just got caught.” “The quarterback (or driver) didn’t know that it was being done.” “Even if they bent the rules, it didn’t make a difference in the game.” “Why didn’t the officials notice?” “The conditions (weather or racetrack) caused it to get out of whack....

Brian McCarthy told ESPN.com the video — in which Fowler appears to be sanctioning a fight between his girlfriend and the mother of his child — was “disturbing” and that the league would review the matter. MORE: Disgraced athletes | Sex, sports and scandal: 11 who behaved badly The surveillance footage, obtained by TMZ, shows the women attacking one another outside an elevator. Fowler makes a gesture prior to the fight, but does not intervene....

A Patriots locker room attendant who was given a ball by an NFL employee tried to introduce an unapproved kicking ball, or K ball, during the AFC Championship Game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. But an interesting wrinkle: The league employee was in charge of collecting footballs for charity, which may not have been happening, after all. Schefter had more details about the now-fired official when he appeared on “Outside the Lines” on Wednesday evening....

Minnesota, which had fallen into a 21-7 hole in its Week 2 game at Green Bay, appeared to score a touchdown just before halftime when Kirk Cousins found Stefon Diggs on a 3-yard pass. However, the replay official reviewed the play for possible pass interference, and running back Dalvin Cook was caught blocking a Packers defender downfield, a move that was deemed to be offensive pass interference. Below is NFL senior vice president of officiating Al Riveron’s explanation of the overturned touchdown....

Watt was a first-round draft pick for the Texans in 2011, and has spent his entire career there. He earned NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors three times during his run with Houston, but his off-field impact was felt as well — most notably, his Hurricane Harvey relief fund, which raised more than $40 million in donations. According to KHOU, two years after the start of his relief fund, Watt’s efforts helped repair 1,183 homes and 971 childcare centers....

But at least for now, the league is fighting back. There is no easy way out for the NFL regarding how to best handle fallout from a small number of players who continue to kneel during the national anthem, a protest that has alienated part of the league’s fan base and contributed to a television-ratings decline since Colin Kaepernick began genuflecting in August 2016. The easiest way would be succumbing to President Donald Trump’s ongoing demand that the league force everybody to stand....

New England has re-signed Stephen Gostkowski to a two-year deal, the team announced Wednesday. While terms of the contract weren’t announced, ESPN reported Tuesday that it was for a two-year deal. The move comes after rumors started swirling that the 49ers were interested in signing Gostkowski. San Francisco already has placed the franchise tag on Robbie Gould, making its reported interest in Gostkowski intriguing. Gould and the 49ers reportedly could not agree on a multi-year deal, which resulted in the franchise tag....

As for the actual Oakland Raiders, they’re giving up a game in the Black Hole to play the Miami Dolphins in the White Fog of London in Week 4. For the first time, the NFL will play three games in the United Kingdom as part of its International Series. MORE: London should be doorway, not home, to football in Europe | Dolphins-Raiders betting preview | Tannehill trouble The Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons face off in Wembley Stadium on Oct....

But before that, 14 teams will take part in a single-elimination playoff tournament, one of the most grueling competitions in all of sports. This year’s postseason field features a wide array of stars, from wily veterans (Tom Brady) to young upstarts (Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow) to everything else in between. MORE: Sporting News’ NFL experts make their playoff, Super Bowl 57 picks Leading the respective conferences are the Chiefs (14-3) and Eagles (14-3), and while those teams naturally are among the favorites to win it all, they’ll certainly have their hands full once they take the field....

According to Nifty Games, NFL Clash will be an “innovative” title with “fast, yet deep” gameplay specifically designed for head-to-head matches on mobile devices. Rachel Hoagland, VP Head of Gaming and Esports for the NFL, said, “We’ve looked to bolster our offering on mobile devices and are thrilled at the built-for-mobile clash-style gaming that Nifty Games will deliver.” RELATED: Fortnite Brings Back NFL Skin for the Super Bowl Based on this information, players can likely expect a title similar to Clash of Clans, or the bevy of similar games that have come out in its wake....

One player won’t be around to see it firsthand after announcing his retirement Monday, while another notable absence from last week could come to an end soon. Three things that matter Arbitrator rules against Antonio Brown This isn’t the news Antonio Brown wanted to hear considering the Raiders wide receiver threatened to sit out this season if he isn’t allowed to wear his old helmet and reportedly vowed to hold the league liable for any future head injuries he may endure....

That includes a change that will take effect in 2022. NFL overtime will no longer be sudden death during the postseason. Both teams will be guaranteed a possession after the league ratified a rule change pushing for this outcome. The decision comes in wake of the Bills vs. Chiefs playoff game in January, which saw Kansas City mount a game-tying drive with 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter and get the ball first in overtime....

The Browns (2-6) enter the matchup with three consecutive losses and a 28-16 average margin of defeat. They’re looking to kick-start the offense with the unpredictable Johnny Manziel at quarterback. The 7-0 Bengals, meanwhile, are one of four undefeated teams in the NFL and have allowed an average of 19 points a game in their last three outings. MORE: Power Rankings | Fantasy advice | Betting lines, odds and trends...