The NFL is supposed to be wildly unpredictable. But the four teams with a playoff bye look awfully familiar: Seattle, Green Bay, New England, and Denver. These were the most common four teams atop "Power Rankings" back in September. These have been power teams for at least three years. When Seattle beat Green Bay in the season opener, many of us wondered if that game would help decide homefield advantage in the playoffs. That's exactly what wound up happening, with the ' Week 15 slip up in Buffalo giving the the opening they needed. There are five new playoff teams out of 12, although Pittsburgh and Baltimore hardly qualify as plucky upstarts. Four division championships were decided Sunday, and Carolina's win is the only one that qualifies as a mild surprise. Pittsburgh's win over Cincinnati continued a recent trend for the . They are winning with defense and balance again, which makes them a very dangerous team in the AFC playoffs. Carolina also has found an identity during their four game winning streak with a strong running game and vastly improved pa s rush in December. It doesn't matter how they got there. The look more dangerous than other playoff teams like Arizona, Detroit, Baltimore and Cincinnati.Still, it would be a surprise if the were still playing by Conference Championship weekend. This is a top-heavy league led by loaded, familiar teams. Let's hope the playoffs are a little more unpredictable than the regular season.Here's what else you need to know from the final Sunday of the regular season:This game took a dark turn for the when collapsed to the turf after aggravating his left calf strain in the second quarter. Rodgers limped to the sidelines and was eventually carted to the locker room. The game went from 14-0 to 14-14 in Rodgers' absence. Rodgers returned in the third quarter, and in true MVP fashion, immediately led Green Bay to the go-ahead touchdown. This is an invaluable victory that gives Rodgers two weeks of recovery time before the play again.The can only lament at what might have been. This was a tie game in the third quarter with at quarterback for the . Things went downhill once Rodgers pulled his Willis Reed maneuver, and now Detroit will head to Dallas for a Wild Card round matchup against the 12-4 . This was Detroit's first lo s in December. strikes again. The ' defensive tackle stepped on Rodgers' left ankle/calf area with his right and left foot after a Rodgers completion midway through the fourth quarter. Rodgers was livid after the play, slapping at Suh while he was on the ground. You can expect the league to take a look at the play, which Suh will a suredly explain as inadvertent and unfortunate. History tells us we shouldn't buy it.-- Dan HanzusIt may have been a pyrrhic victory for the , as running back never returned after suffering a third-quarter knee injury. We believe Bell has been Pittsburgh's most valuable player as well as the NFL's this season. Backup , an , showed better than expected speed on a 59-yard run that was nullified by a holding penalty. Harris and pint-sized speed merchant would likely split duties if Bell can't go against the in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. should be a lock as a first-team All Pro after leading the NFL with 129 receptions and 1,698 yards to go with 13 receiving touchdowns, one pa sing touchdown and another special teams score. Brown is the only player in history to record at least five catches and 50 yards in all 16 games; he's now accomplished the feat in back-to-back seasons. finished tied with for the most pa sing yards (4,952) in the league.The -to- connection is responsible for the most interceptions in the league since 2011. Dalton to sed two more in Green's direction Sunday night, Corey Dickerson Jersey one of which was a high pa s and the other a miscommunication. Green was forced from the game for concu sion tests after fumbling on a pivotal play late in the fourth quarter. If healthy, he and Dalton will try to get the postseason monkey off their backs against cornerback , who has been among the NFL's best cover men this year.In a game with zero playoff implications for either squad, and the ran into a team fighting for its first winning season since 2004. It showed. With tight end and wideout inactive, Brady squeezed out just six points and 80 yards pa sing before resting after the half. Rookie backup played the rest of the way, producing a mere three points off 90 yards through the air against an active Buffalo front seven that generated four sacks and six hits on the pa ser.'s final start of the year -- and maybe ever in Buffalo -- saw the veteran puncture New England for 176 yards and a touchdown strike. With throws of 18, 20, 20 and 43 yards, Orton made enough plays against a defense that shuttled in young players from the start. Still, it's another reminder that the switch from E.J. Manuel to the veteran was a wise choice by coach . closed his rookie campaign with 57 yards off three catches and another five yards on a sweep. While fading from the race for Offensive Rookie of the Year, Watkins finishes the season with 982 yards and six touchdowns off 65 grabs. We'd like to see more consistent production next season, but getting back to full health should help. The can feel good about their young playmaker.-- Marc Se slerStripped of his two starting tackles, quarterback and the looked nothing like postseason material for three-plus quarters. Cleveland's defense held Baltimore to under 5.0 yards per play before Flacco in the final period with a pair of touchdown strikes to and to put the away. Still, this 11th-ranked attack has struggled of late. Can Flacco put together another magical January run?It's not a good sign for that undrafted quarterback looked more comfortable and prepared -- and played better -- in his first NFL start. It was far from pristine, but the rookie out of South Carolina finished 14-of-28 pa sing for 177 yards while handling the blitz with more poise than Johnny Football. Baltimore showed how little they respected the ' offense by going for it on fourth down in the red zone in the opening quarter. rookie running back played his best game in months with 94 yards off 18 carries after earning the start over . Coach challenged West to Christian Yelich Jersey practice better in recent weeks, and it paid off on Sunday. Crowell and West give the two solid runners to lean on in 2015.-- Marc Se slerWatt bolstered his MVP argument with three sacks, including a fourth-quarter safety that staked the to a six-point lead. He's now the only player with a pair of 20-sack seasons since the statistic became official in 1982. Watt's 2014 season is the most dominant we have ever seen by a defensive lineman. His 2012 season .It's no surprise that had his best game of the season with under center. Over the last two years, Johnson has six touchdowns in 10 Keenum starts and just two scores in 21 games started by other quarterbacks. Keenum's carele sne s with the ball and struggles with blitzes will prevent him from competing for a starting job, but he's a lot better than several NFL backups. It's hard to believe he wasted away on the ' practice squad for the majority of the season.Credit coach for succe sfully instilling a culture change to a more physical team reliant upon defense and ball control. An easy schedule was a factor, but it's still impre sive that the and were the only teams with a better defense from the Week 10 bye to the end of the season.-- Chris We selingSan Diego only had to win this game to make the postseason. They didn't have the offensive line to pull it off. Give this win to the Kansas City pa s rush, with . Kansas City overwhelmed San Diego's MASH unit offensive line on their way to seven sacks as a team. The did not appear to trust their pa s protection early, calling a ton of runs. That lack of faith came with good reason. Kansas City needed the to lose in order to make the playoffs. That didn't happen, but piloted another winning record with the finishing 9-7. This game should not have even been in doubt in the fourth quarter, but Reid refused to rely on his effective running game Sunday, too often asking to throw pa ses in the red zone. Daniel started off 9 for 9, but wound up looking like a backup in a second half full of offensive mistakes. Ultimately, the ' red-zone defense saved them. couldn't come up with two chances for a touchdown late in the game, and then running back was stuffed on fourth-and-1 during a crucial fourth-quarter sequence. This team was not going anywhere even if they made the playoffs with , and a banged-up offensive line rendering too short handed to survive.-- Gregg RosenthalCarolina is a playoff team because they found an identity late in the season. Their running game took off when took over as their primary running back because of ' injury. And their pa s rush took fire late in the year, with veteran leading the way.Stewart only had 49 yards rushing Sunday, but the team as a whole ran for 195 yards in part led the way. The have re-embraced Newton as a running option, and the pa s rush could not get him to the ground even when they pre sured him on Sunday.This performance could spell the end of the era in Atlanta. In the end, his defense was sub-mediocre like it was for most of the year. made a number of poor throws under pre sure, including two throws returned for a touchdown. The couldn't run the ball year. Ultimately, preached toughne s, intelligent football, and strong running game as hallmarks of his team. This squad had none of that. Smith was fired on Monday, the announced.-- Gregg RosenthalIf not for a pair of turnovers and a failed fourth-down conversion, the would have won this one in a laugher. The defense remains the NFL's most suffocating, having surrendered a total of three touchdowns in the past six games. They became the first team to lead the NFL in fewest points allowed for three consecutive seasons since the 1969-71 . The road to the runs through CenturyLink Field, where Seattle is 16-2 over the past two years.The "Legion of Boom" wrecked , and en route to last year's victory. Although they have been stingier in their current stretch, it should be noted that the dominance has come against , , (twice), and -- four of whom opened the season on the bench. The are the NFC's heavy favorites by dint of homefield advantage and postseason experience, but the and certainly won't view them as invincible.The became the 10th consecutive team to lose the week after playing 's squad. It's a testament to their physicality, which has going back to early last season.-- Chris We selingThe game ended with getting doused with Gatorade. How many coaches have received that honor after wrapping a 4-12 season? Ryan is undeniably loved by his players, but this is a results busine s and the have mi sed the postseason four straight years. Ryan repeatedly ducked questions about his future after the game, but it's clear he knows what's coming next. Said Ryan: "I think we all expect what's gonna happen is gonna happen, but we'll find out in time."Ryan and general manager John Idzik by owner Woody Johnson that they would not return in 2015.The GenoCoaster was a genuine thrill ride on Sunday. In what could be his final start with the , posted a perfect pa ser rating of 158.3. He threw for a career-high 358 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He had just five incompletions on 25 attempts. Smith can now say -- with a straight face -- that he has shown "." Will this cast him in a different light when decisions are made this offseason? ended a very strong 2014 season with an exclamation point in the form of a in the third quarter. The run put Miller above 1,000 yards on the season and provided the with a reminder why he should remain the focal point of the backfield in 2015.-- Dan HanzusJohn Mara and the will take a week or so to make their final decision, a proce s that likely involves a series of sit-downs between , general manager Jerry Reese and Mara himself. And while it seems likely that Coughlin will return, he may need to sacrifice another coordinator (or two) in the proce s. Mara puts significance in each game, and 's defense gave up 34 points to and the . Special teams coordinator Tom Quinn, thought to be on the block last year, also Curtis Granderson Jersey saw his unit surrender the in 's career. Both are lower-impact decisions that could pacify a fan base and keep -- who, despite that cost the this one, has looked like a new quarterback this year -- on track at the same time.If Coughlin returns, he'll have to thank. In each and every game, he has made a stunning play. He plays bigger than his size and is faster than receivers with his frame. He more than 4 feet in the air and landed on his back, grasping the ball in one hand. Then, Beckham strong-armed his way out of pre s coverage, made a move and jetted , backpedaling into the end zone. At the moment, Beckham might be the most electrifying football player New York has seen since Lawrence Taylor.Sanchez does something in each game that makes us think he could be an NFL starter. Given the shallow market this offseason, is it really hard to believe that he could be considered a No. 1 quarterback again? Despite in this game, Sanchez managed a game against a defense with plenty to prove.-- Conor OrrNo one would have predicted 's team would reach seven wins without . 's play has . Sunday the rookie again displayed poise in the pocket, went through his progre sion well for a rookie and made good pre-snap reads. Sometimes he bails on routes too early and checks down, but his improvement on the has been a great sign for what's to come. On defense, Zimmer's squad can become a force. flashed his cover skills, shadowing all day, holding the big wideout to just two catches for 34 yards. With Rhodes and on the back end and and up front, Minnesota's defense will be one to reckon with down the road. The ' future is bright.Even as the turned into a dumpster fire this season, continued to show he's a supreme running back. Chicago's most consistent weapon went over 1,000 yards for the fifth straight season. Sunday he became just the second NFL back to rush for 1,000 yards and catch 100 pa ses (LaDanian Tomlinson, 2003). His eight receptions Sunday gave him 102 for the season and broke Larry Centers' record for the most by a RB in a season in NFL history. He is the NFL's most underappreciated playmaker at an underappreciated position. If it's the end for the - marriage, they went out without much of a whimper. Cutler's play was e sentially the same as all the year sans the backbreaking turnovers: Uninspiring. Chicago's offense displayed no fluidity and was killed by pre-snap penalties. The quarterback was hot and cold. Most of his 23 completions on 36 pa s came on check downs and short pa ses, accumulating just 172 yards -- for a Gabbertzone-esque 4.8 average. Cutler failed to reach the end zone when given several short fields. Trestman appears on the way out and Cutler could follow. Neither did anything Sunday to change that narrative in Chicago. Trestman and general manager Phil Emery .-- Kevin Patra* *It's official: The hold the No. 1 pick in the 2015 . It's the silver lining of a nightmare season that ended with a seven-game losing streak and a 2-14 record. Quarterback appears to be the obvious direction to go with the first pick. is not the long-term answer and the team appears to have lost faith in . Marcus Mariota? Jameis Winston? The Bucs are on the clock.The astounding rise of Jr. will keep from winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award, but the Bucs got themselves a keeper. Evans went over 1,000 yards for the season in this game and recorded his reception. Evans and Beckham finished the year tied with 12 touchdowns apiece.The wiped out a 20-7 deficit and shut out the Bucs in the second half. Will that be enough to save the job of defensive coordinator Rob Ryan? Ryan was a buzzy head-coach candidate this time last year. After the tumbled on defense in 2014, it will be interesting to see if Ryan is the fall guy for a lost season.-- Dan Hanzus* *'s 12th 100-yard performance of the season leaves him with 1,845 rushing yards, besting Emmitt Smith's record of 1,773. outraced the ' defense for a , bringing his season total to 16 touchdown. Terrell Owens previously held the team record with 15. If there is a slight concern with Dallas' new "Triplets," it's that Murray has averaged J. T. Realmuto Jersey 3.9 yards per carry over the last five weeks after topping 4.0 in every game from Weeks 1-11. He's not the explosive tackle breaker he was early in the season.Thanks to a fourth-quarter interception, finished with a single-game pa ser rating under 129.0 for just the second time in the past six weeks. He is likely to finish the season as the league leader in completion percentage, yards per attempt and pa ser rating. Although he has done more game managing this season, Romo remains in the MVP conversation with , and .'s numbers belie his struggles. He to sed red-zone interceptions on back-to-back po se sions and handed the defense a touchdown with a strip-sack fumble deep in his own territory. The ' two best plays of the day came via play action, with Griffin throwing at or behind the line of scrimmage. In a humbling and lost season, Griffin left the organization with nothing but skepticism about his potential to develop into a pa ser capable of winning games from the pocket.-- Chris We seling* *The couldn't improve their seeding, and they looked like they knew it for much of Sunday's win. They sleepwalked through the first half and sat out the second half of the victory. While the running game's struggles continued, Luck was mostly sharp in the first half. Luck broke the team's single season yardage record, previously held by . , although he couldn't quite finish off the touchdown on an 80-yard gain. The will host the loser of - next week.The go into the offseason with no identity and nothing to build off. only had four carries Sunday. Their quarterbacks ( and !) completed 13-of-31 pa ses for 50 yards. 50! That's one of the worst pa sing performances you'll ever see. -- Gregg RosenthalShould we be concerned about ? Not yet. The quarterback rebounded from last week's four-interception debacle to puncture Oakland for 273 yards at 7.4 yards per throw. He's to sed just five touchdowns over the past four games, but Peyton still finishes the year with 39 pa sing scores, second to only (40) among NFL quarterbacks. What he does between now and February, though, will mean much more.Good chemistry between Manning and doomed Oakland, with the wideout picking up 115 yards off eight grabs. Thomas would have ama sed more if not for a dropped pa s in the end zone, but he still finishes the year with 1,619 yards through the air, a franchise record. Thomas and join Rod Smith and Ed McCaffrey as the in team history.'s three touchdowns on the day gives him nine scores over his past six games, the during that span. Coming in averaging 98.3 yards per game on the ground since Week 11, the emergent workhorse piled up another 87 yards off 13 carries against a defense that wasn't the same with battling a hamstring injury. also looked sharp with 56 yards off 15 totes.-- Marc Se sler* *If this was the last of Harbaugh and in San Francisco, they went out in style. Harbaugh will finish his career with a 44-19-1 record and three trips to the NFC Championship game. Gore went over 11,000 rushing yards in his career on Sunday, churning out 144 on 25 carries. His best two performances of the season came in the final two games.Harbaugh and the mutually parted ways following the game Sunday.The ' fortunes rose and fell with , which is apropos Giancarlo Stanton Jersey for their December of quarterback woes. Lindley opened the game and closed out the first half with the two most impre sive drives of his career, finding for touchdowns on both. The rest of the game was a nightmare, with Lindley exhibiting happy feet, staring down receivers and being intercepted three times. This is a proud, well-coached team being held hostage by the sport's most important position. There is no remedy on the horizon.Unthinkable a month ago, the will travel to Carolina as underdogs against a team with four fewer wins. The are one of the league's hottest teams, having won four straight behind an improved defense and rushing attack. Arizona, meanwhile, has lost in two a row with a previously stout defense having allowed an average of 496 yards to the and the past two weeks.-- Chris We selingThe latest Around The NFL Podcast and debates the MVP race between and . Find more Around The NFL content on .