Quarterback Peyton Manning came off the bench to help the Denver Broncos grab the top playoff seed in the AFC with a victory over San Diego Chargers on the final day of the National Football League regular season on Sunday.
Manning, returning from injury after being out for seven weeks with a foot injury, rallied Denver for 20 second-half points on the way to a 27-20 home win over the Chargers.
The result was huge for the 12-4 Broncos, who would have missed out on a first-round bye had they lost.
Instead, they will have a week off along with the New England Patriots (12-4), who were relegated to second seeds after losing 20-10 to the Miami Dolphins.
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns 28-12 to sneak into the playoffs as a wild card when the New York Jets lost to the Buffalo Bills.
The Jets controlled their own fate, with a win guaranteeing them a spot in the playoffs, but quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed his third interception of the game in the final minute to gift the Bills a 22-17 victory.
The result, coupled with Pittsburgh's win over Cleveland, left both teams with 10-6 records but the Steelers advanced on the tiebreaker.
The Houston Texans (9-7) claimed their third AFC South title in five years with a 30-6 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Texans will host wild card Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) in the first round, while the Steelers will visit the Cincinnati Bengals (12-4).
In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers (15-1) locked up the top seed and home field advantage, while the Arizona Cardinals (13-3) have the other first-round bye.
The Washington Redskins, Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks will all play next week but the matchups will be determined by the outcome of Sunday's late game between the Packers and Vikings.
(Reporting by Tim Wharnsby in Toronto; Editing by Andrew Both/John O'Brien)
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