National Football League

NFL Week 18 Top Plays: Raiders drop Chargers in thriller, 49ers top Rams

Updated Jan. 10, 2022 1:01 a.m. ET

The final Sunday of the NFL's inaugural 18-week regular season was a wild one.

The Minnesota Vikings kicked things off with an impressive win over the Chicago Bears, while Case Keenum helped guide the Cleveland Browns to a home victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Elsewhere, the Green Bay Packers fell to the Detroit Lions, the Jacksonville Jaguars upset the Indianapolis Colts, and the Tennessee Titans narrowly escaped the Houston Teans to secure the top seed in the AFC for the first time since 2018.

In the afternoon slate, the San Francisco 49ers overcame a 17-point deficit to defeat the Los Angeles Rams in OT and secure a playoff berth, while the Buffalo Bills clinched their second consecutive AFC East title after dropping the New York Jets.

In Sunday's finale, it was an AFC West thriller, as the Las Vegas Raiders outlasted the Los Angeles Chargers in overtime.

Here are the top plays from Sunday's games.

Las Vegas Raiders 35, Los Angeles Chargers 32 (OT)

Raider Nation

It was a rocky start for Las Vegas, as Foster Moreau fumbled out of bounds right at the goal line on the Raiders' opening possession and Vegas settled for a field goal. On their ensuing drive, the Raiders recovered a muffed punt at the Chargers' 23-yard line, which resulted in a quick TD for the home team and a 10-0 lead.

Bolt Up

Austin Ekeler made a tough catch off the deflection before finding the end zone on a 14-yard rush to keep the Raiders within arm's reach at 10-7 early in the second.

Then, Justin Herbert connected with Ekeler again to give the Chargers the lead, 14-10.

With his second score of the game, he joined Priest Holmes (2002 and 2003) as the only undrafted players in NFL history to have 20-plus touchdowns in a single season.

Ground game

With 40 seconds to spare before the break, the Raiders got in one more score to regain the lead, 17-14.

On the hunt

The Raiders added a field goal in the third, followed by a short TD pass from Derek Carr to Hunter Renfrow to extend Las Vegas' lead and make it a 12-point game.

Then, the Raiders' defense picked off Herbert, which resulted in a field goal and a 29-14 lead for Las Vegas.

Seven-point game!

After nearly missing out on the first down, the Chargers made the most of the opportunity by turning a fourth-and-long into a TD, and after a successful two-point conversion, it was a one-score game at 29-22.

Knotted up

As time expired, Mike Williams caught the game-tying TD in the end zone from Herbert to send things into overtime.

After trading off field goals in extra time, it was a stalemate at 32 apiece as the final minutes ticked down, but the Raiders had the last word. With the loss, the Chargers were eliminated from playoff contention.

San Francisco 49ers 27, Los Angeles Rams 24 (OT)

Right on time

Matthew Stafford hit Tyler Higbee early in the second quarter as the Rams jumped out to a 10-0 lead at home.

So nice, he did it twice!

Higbee was on a roll in the first half, snagging his second touchdown of the day to give the Rams a 17-0 edge.

One-score game

Deebo Samuel came up big for the 49ers, punching it in on a 16-yard rush to cut the Rams' lead to 17-10.

And just like that …

The 49ers pulled off one of the best trick plays of the day, as Samuel tossed a TD to a wide-open Jauan Jennings to knot things up at 17 apiece.

Snatched

The San Francisco defense did its part, coming up with a massive turnover as Stafford took a shot downfield.

Playmakers gonna play

It didn't take long for the Rams to return the favor. Jalen Ramsey miraculously kept his focus for the entirety of this jaw-dropping, bobbling interception.

The turnover resulted in a Cooper Kupp TD after the star receiver put the finishing touches on a nine-play, 92-yard drive.

Coming up clutch!

Jimmy Garoppolo connected with Jennings with 26 seconds to spare to tie things up once again and send the game to overtime, where the 49ers came out on top.

New Orleans Saints 30, Atlanta Falcons 20

Marching in

The Saints set the tone early, as Adam Trautman reeled in this 18-yard pass from Taysom Hill to take the lead.

Doubling down

After back-to-back field goals from the Falcons, the Saints extended their lead after Trevor Siemian connected with Tre'Quan Smith on this huge play to make it an eight-point game.

One-handed wonder

With momentum on their side, the Saints came up with a huge play on defense after picking off Matt Ryan, which resulted in a field goal for New Orleans.

Third time's the charm

The Saints punched in their third TD of the first half with two seconds to spare, thanks to Juwan Johnson.

Dirty Birds

The Falcons were the first to strike in the second half, as Qadree Ollison broke off a 19-yard score to cut Atlanta's deficit to 24-13.

Then, Russell Gage punched one in late in the fourth to make it a 10-point game, but things ended there.

Seattle Seahawks 38, Arizona Cardinals 30

Scoop-and-score!

What a way to start things off. Arizona wasted no time putting points on the board after turning a Russell Wilson fumble into six points.

Moon ball

The Seahawks got something going when Wilson found Tyler Lockett on this wild pass over the middle.

And again!

What's better than one Lockett touchdown? Two.

Tie game!

Kyler Murray moved the Cardinals downfield with ease, and James Conner finished the drive with six for the home team.

Clipped wings

The Cardinals' defense showed up in a big way, picking off Wilson early in the third. The turnover resulted in a quick TD for Arizona — Connor's second score of the day — and a 24-17 advantage.

Right back in it!

Wilson connected with Freddie Swain to knot things up once again and keep it close in the desert. Then, Wilson put Seattle ahead, 31-24, early in the final frame.

Next, Rashaad Penny turned on the jets and took off for a 62-yard house call to give Seattle a 38-27 edge.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 41, Carolina Panthers 17

Coming through!

Oh, this? Just DJ Moore doing DJ Moore things.

Bucs roll

Tampa Bay came up with back-to-back touchdowns to extend its lead to 17-7 at the top of the third.

History: Made

The Buccaneers extended their lead thanks to a short TD grab by Mike Evans, who made a little history in the process. Tom Brady, at age 44, set a new career-high in passing yards with 5,309.

Dynamic duo

Brady found Evans once again as the Bucs turned up the heat late in the fourth and pulled away for good.

Miami Dolphins 33, New England Patriots 24

Hit the Waddle!

Jaylen Waddle got the Dolphins on the board early with this dazzling toe tap in the end zone.

With his third reception on the opening drive, Waddle hit 102 catches on the season, breaking Anquan Boldin's NFL rookie receptions record (101 receptions in 2003).

Pick-six!

Miami's defense came up with a massive play just as the Patriots were attempting to cross midfield, picking off Mac Jones and taking it to the house to extend the lead to 14-0.

Pats answer

New England finally got on the board after falling in a 17-0 hole, thanks to the hustle from Brandon Bolden.

Fins make a splash

Duke Johnson blew past the Patriots' defense on his way to the end zone, giving Miami a double-digit lead.

Too little, too late

The Patriots added two scores late in the fourth, courtesy of Bolden and Damien Harris, but it wasn't enough to spark a comeback …

… And a defensive touchdown was the nail in the coffin for New England.

Buffalo Bills 27, New York Jets 10

Don't doubt Diggs

Stefon Diggs got the scoring started in Buffalo, as the Bills jumped out to an early 10-0 lead in the first half.

Bombs away!

The Jets got in on the action when Keelan Cole turned this 40-yard bomb from Zach Wilson into New York's first score of the day.

Déjà Vu

In the fourth, Devin Singletary came up with two TDs to secure the win for Buffalo and clinch the AFC East title for the second year in a row.

Detroit Lions 37, Green Bay Packers 30

Home run hitter

Aaaron Rodgers was going to play today no matter what. He continued to sharpen his MVP case with an early touchdown dart to Allen Lazard.

Trick play alert!

Despite being down several starters, the Lions answered right back with some trickery! Wide receiver Tom Kennedy took a pitch and then connected with Kalif Raymond for a huge 75-yard touchdown.

Best in the game?

Speaking of big plays, Davante Adams makes a ton of them. He etched his name into the record books in the first quarter, becoming Green Bay's single-season receiving yards leader.

Hey, rook!

Detroit didn't come to mess around. The Lions took a surprise lead in the second quarter, courtesy of this tough grab by wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown.

Juggle act

Lazard reeled in his second TD of the day on a nice play-action play … But he nearly bobbled the touchdown on the way to the ground.

Key word: Nearly.

Trick play alert! Pt. 2

Detroit just did it again. The Lions took a 24-13 lead on this trick play that could've confused even the viewing audience.

Jordan Love time!

After a stellar first half, Rodgers exited the game and Love entered. The 2020 first-round pick hooked up with Josiah Deguara for a 62-yard touchdown to keep things close.

Packers' Jordan Love connects with Josiah Deguara for a 62-yard touchdown

Green Bay Packers QB2 Jordan Love connected with Josiah Deguara for a 62-yard touchdown in their Week 18 matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Game. Set. Match.

Just when it looked like the Packers were going to wrap up the win, the Lions came storming back as D'Andre Swift took this handoff 14 yards to the house, putting the Lions on top for good.

Minnesota Vikings 31, Chicago Bears 17

Dalton dimes

A touchdown didn't come until late in the second quarter, but this Bears' score broke things open heading into halftime. Andy Dalton slung a rope to Damien Williams, who trekked up the sideline untouched to give Chicago a 13-0 advantage.

Over the top

Kirk Cousins made a little magic happen in the second half. He brought Minnesota within four with this deep shot to Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

Jettas!

"Justin Jefferson's down there somewhere." – Cousins, probably.

Sealing the deal

After Jefferson knotted things up early in the fourth, the Vikings rode that momentum to close things out.

First, K.J. Osborn came up with a 21-yard snag from Cousins to give Minnesota the edge. Then, cornerback Patrick Peterson sealed the Vikings' win after picking off Dalton and returning it 66 yards to the house.

Patrick Peterson picks off an Andy Dalton pass and takes it 66 yards to the house for a touchdown

Patrick Peterson picked off an Andy Dalton pass and took it 66 yards to the house for a touchdown as the Minnesota Vikings beat the Chicago Bears, 31-17.

Cleveland Browns 21, Cincinnati Bengals 16

Record-breaker!

Ja'Marr Chase wasted no time getting his name on the stat sheet. A pair of early receptions helped him break Chad Johnson's franchise record for receiving yards in a season.

Reservations for six

Chase etched his name into the record books, but it was Jarvis Landry and the Browns who struck first in this AFC North showdown. Late in the first, he caught a pass from Case Keenum and took it 26 yards to the house.

Rumble in the jungle

The Bengals pride themselves on ruling the jungle, but it was the Browns who set the tone early on. This punch up the gut from D'Ernest Johnson put the Browns up two scores.

Rule the backfield

Cincy's offense sputtered to a near standstill in the first half, but it did get a big momentum boost from its defense. This strip-sack and fumble returned for a TD kept the Bengals in the matchup just ahead of the break.

Trayvon Henderson's scoop-and-score puts the Bengals on the board

Trayvon Henderson recovers the fumble and takes it 29 yards for a Cincinnati Bengals touchdown.

Rookie route

Rookie running back Demetric Felton helped extend the Browns' lead and secure the win on a short scamper for six late in the fourth.

Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Baltimore Ravens 13 (OT)

All-time great

T.J. Watt accomplished what he set out to do today. Late in the first half, he sped around the edge, and bum-rushed Tyler Huntley to tie Michael Strahan's single-season sack record, with 22.5.

He's gone!

After going without a touchdown in the first half, Baltimore crossed the pylon in the second, on the back of Latavius Murray.

Thought you had it!

The Steel Curtain defense looked outmatched during Baltimore's opening drive of the fourth quarter, but Pittsburgh came away on top, stepping in front of a pass headed toward the end zone for a clutch INT.

After the Ravens weren't able to get it done on their first possession in extra time, Big Ben & Co. came up with a crucial fourth-down conversion to put the Steelers deep in enemy territory, which resulted in the game-winning field goal. With the loss, the Ravens have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.

Tennessee Titans 28, Houston Texans 25

Going through the progressions

It took a while for Tennessee to get going, but the Titans found life in the second quarter, going on an 11-play, 94-yard drive capped by this Ryan Tannehill dime to Anthony Firkser.

Touchdown Brown!

Once this Tennessee team gets rolling, it's incredibly hard to stop its momentum. A.J. Brown rumbled into the end zone to put the Titans up 13-0 before the halftime break.

3 for Mr. T

If you're counting with us, that's three touchdown throws for Mr. Tannehill … In the first half.

Flea flicker!

Houston wasn't completely out of it, though. The Texans got on the board the hard way in the third quarter, carving up a little trickery for their first points of the game.

Three-point game

Houston had plans to spoil Tennessee's AFC party, making it a three-point game early in the fourth quarter.

Cash money

Veteran receiver Julio Jones reeled in this short pass to extend the Titans lead midway through the final frame.

Double trouble

The Texans added a score themselves — Danny Amendola's second TD of the day — but it was too little, too late, and things ended there.

Jacksonville Jaguars 26, Indianapolis Colts 11

On the board!

The Jaguars opened the game with a beautiful 12-play, 75-yard drive, which ended with Trevor Lawrence connecting with Laquon Treadwell for a touchdown.

Defensive party

Lawrence balled out in the first half, and in the second, Jacksonville came away with a huge strip-sack and recovery to regain possession near its own end zone.

The Jaguars followed that play by swiping a pair of interceptions from Carson Wentz.

On the prowl

Jacksonville was having its way in this game. Lawrence found the end zone again on a play that looked disastrous from the jump, but ended in six and victory formation for the Jaguars.

With the loss, the Colts have been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Jaguars officially clinch the first overall pick in the NFL Draft for a second straight season.

Washington Football Team 22, New York Giants 7

Beginning of the end

The Giants elected to run a QB sneak on third-and-9 from their own 4-yard line, and it ended exactly how you'd imagine.

Giants run QB sneak on third-and-long from own four-yard line

The New York Giants made an odd play call in their loss to the Washington Football Team, going for a QB sneak on third-and-9 backed up close to their own goal line.

Take it to the crib!

Bobby McCain had himself a day in the secondary. He helped guide his team's efforts with this pick-six in the third quarter on WFT's way to defeating the Giants.