NFL: Patriots seal AFC's top seed, Browns finish 0-16 and more - as it happened

So that’s that. Thanks for your company. Check back here later where you’ll find reports from the late games as teams compete for the three remaining play-off places. Have a wonderful evening wherever in the world you are and happy new year!

With the early slate in the books, here’s the final scores from the 1pm ET games:

Packers 11-35 Lions

Texans 13-22 Colts

Bears 10-23 Vikings

Jets 6-26 Patriots

Washington 10-18 Giants

Cowboys 6-0 Eagles

Browns 24-28 Steelers

New England seals the top seed in the AFC for the third time in the four years with a win over the New York Jets. Tom Brady finished the day 18/37 for 190 yards and two touchdowns. He and his teammates will enjoy next week off on the bye before the Divisional play-offs in two weeks.

This was a fun one and for a while Cleveland looked capable of springing a surprise win to avoid a 0-16 season. It wasn’t to be. Corey Coleman had the perfect opportunity to keep Cleveland’s final drive alive but couldn’t bring the ball in. The 2017 Browns will go down as the second team in NFL history to finish 0-16. For Pittsburgh, today’s game was almost a sideshow. Mike Tomlin chose to rest Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell with the postseason in mind. The Steelers finish 13-3 and look set for a blockbuster meeting with New England in January.

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And the Vikings seal the No2 seed in the NFC and finish 13-3 on the year. Their stadium will host the Super Bowl on 4 February. Will Mike Zimmer’s team be there to enjoy the party? I wouldn’t bet against it.

What an opportunity for Cleveland! The Browns trail 28-24 and need a touchdown to avoid losing their 16th in a row. It’s fourth and two from the Pittsburgh 27 with less than two minutes to go. Kizer scrambles, escapes the pressure and delivers a perfect pass to Corey Coleman near the sideline. Coleman inexplicably lets the ball drop straight through both his hands. Pass incomplete. There’s 90 seconds left and that looks like 0-16.

Final score in New Jersey: Washington 10-18 Giants.

Could we have seen Eli Manning for the final time in a Giants jersey? If so, it was a victorious end for the two-time Super Bowl MVP. Manning had a day to forget going 10/28 with one touchdown and one interception. Manning is emotional as he leaves the field and Giants fans cheer him as he exits down the tunnel.

Final score in Indianapolis: Texans 13-22 Colts.

The Colts get a win to finish their season at 4-12. The only real note of the afternoon was Frank Gore becoming only the fifth player in NFL history to rush for 14,000. He joins Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, Barry Sanders and Curtis Martin.

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Final score in Philadelphia: Cowboys 6-0 Eagles.

Well, that was one to forget. It’s the lowest-scoring game in history between those two teams. No matter. The road to the Super Bowl goes through Philadelphia and the Eagles will get the bye next week. Can they get their offense into gear in time though?

Tom Brady is still playing in Foxboro with the Patriots leading 24-6 and in control. There’s around eight minutes left to play. I’m a little surprised to see Brady still out there. Maybe Bill Belichick just really wants to lay it on the Jets.

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It’s still 28-24 in the Cleveland-Pittsburgh game. The Browns have the ball with 8:30 remaining.

Elsewhere, the Texans-Colts and Cowboys-Eagles games are at the the two-minute warning. Indianapolis and Dallas lead 19-13 and 6-0, respectively.

The Lions add another touchdown to make it 35-11 over the Packers with 7:16 remaining in the fourth quarter. A bit of trickery follows with the extra point attempt as Detroit direct snaps the ball to Golden Tate who throws to Matthew Stafford for the two-point conversion. The Lions are toying with the Packers. Slightly bizarre to watch.

I haven’t seen an awful lot of the Bears-Vikings game today but that Minneapolis defense looks very stingy. They’ve just stopped Chicago in the red zone to keep the score at 23-7. The Bears are 1/9 on third down and have just 135 yards so far today. Defense wins championships, as they say, and with Philadelphia struggling offensively, Minnesota look prime for a Super Bowl run.

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As we enter the fourth quarter in the league, here’s how things stand:

Packers 3-27 Lions

Texans 13-16 Colts

Bears 7-23 Vikings

Jets 3-24 Patriots

Washington 10-18 Giants

Cowboys 6-0 Eagles

Browns 24-28 Steelers

So the Vikings, barring an incredible Chicago turnaround, will get the bye next week. The only real question left to be answered is whether Cleveland can avoid 0-16.

Finally! Dak Prescott connects with Brice Butler on a 20-yard touchdown pass to give the Cowboys the first points of the day in Philadelphia. Dan Bailey misses the extra point so it’s 6-0 to Dallas. The Eagles already have the NFC’s No1 seed wrapped up so it doesn’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things.

The Lions are running away from the Packers in Detroit. Matthew Stafford has just thrown a 71-yard TD to Golden Tate to put the Lions up 27-3 over their NFC North rivals. Stafford is 18/27 for 289 yards and three touchdowns.

It’s still scoreless in Philadelphia. Nate Sudfield is in at quarterback for the Eagles and is 10/12 for 58 yards. The last 11 drives, not including the half, have ended in punts. The game is into the final quarter at 0-0 now, amazingly.

And just like that the Browns trail again. Smith-Schuster takes the ball from the ensuing kick-off, decides to return it, makes a move to the right sideline and beats the coverage. Pittsburgh is back in front and Smith-Schuster has 249 all-purpose yards so far today.

Cleveland draws level in Pittsburgh. Kizer finds David Njoku for 34 yards to set up first and goal from the nine yard line. The Browns try and pound it in unsuccessfully with Isaiah Crowell before Kizer throws to Higgins on third down. The PAT ties it up at 21-21. But..

Indianapolis’ Marlon Mack scores on a one-yard carry to give the Colts a 14-13 lead over the Texans. Indy’s head coach Chuck Pagano is expected to leave his position in the off-season, according to multiple reports today. The Colts are 3-12 before today’s game.

Want to see the Cleveland Browns score a 56-yard touchdown? Of course you do.

The 2008 Detroit Lions are the only team in NFL history to go 0-16. Cleveland must beat Pittsburgh today to avoid becoming the second.

And as it’s half-time, let me know who you like in the play-offs. Common thought would suggest that while the NFC is relatively open, Pittsburgh v New England looks nailed on for the AFC Championship Game. I suspect Jacksonville’s defense would have something to say about that though.

Who have you got for the Super Bowl? Tweet me @jamescaroll or email james.caroll@theguardian.com

It’s pretty much at half-time across the league. As expected, the Patriots appear likely to seal the top seed in the AFC. They lead the Jets 21-3 following a Tom Brady touchdown pass to Dion Lewis. The Eagles have struggled to get anything going offensively and are 0-5 on third down so far today. And the Cleveland-Pittsburgh game has been great fun. Cleveland recovered a fumble just before half-time. DeShone Kizer then takes a sack to bring up third and 17. The Browns don’t convert and that will do it for the half.

Scores:

Packers 3-20 Lions

Texans 13-7 Colts

Bears 7-16 Vikings

Jets 3-21 Patriots

Washington 10-15 New York Giants

Cowboys 0-0 Eagles

Browns 14-21 Steelers

The Cowboys @ Eagles game is scoreless at half-time. It’s the first NFL game to be 0-0 at half-time since the Bears and Broncos met in week 14 in 2011, according to ESPN.

Tom Brady has his first touchdown pass of the day with a five-yard toss to Brandin Cook. New England leads the New York Jets 14-3 with less than two minutes of the first half remaining.

The Steelers did regain a two-touchdown lead over the Browns following Stevan Ridley’s four-yard dash. But then DeShone Kizer responds for Cleveland with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Rashard Higgins. Kizer has only completed four passes but thrown for 125 yards! He’s not giving up on 1-15 just yet. It’s 21-14 to Pittsburgh and a lot of fun.

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Trick play alert! The Bears’ punt return unit completely fakes out the Vikings’ coverage team and Bryce Callahan takes it to the house for the touchdown. Chicago 7-14 Minnesota.

The Lions also now lead the Packers 10-3 after Matthew Stafford connects with Kenny Golladay for a 54-yard touchdown.

Duke Johnson scores Cleveland’s first points of the day with a two-yard scamper into the end zone. It was all made possible by a DeShone Kizer bomb to Josh Gordon for 56 yards earlier in the drive, video below. Pittsburgh still leads 14-7 but there’s hope for the Browns.

Well it was probably a question of when not if Philadelphia would pull Nick Foles from the game today given the Eagles are locked in as the No1 seed in the NFC. But surely Philadelphia would have hoped Foles would leave the field after a better showing than this. Foles went 4/11 for 39 yards with an interception and no touchdowns. It’s still scoreless in their game with Dallas.

Minnesota’s Latavius Murray gets his second touchdown of the day to put the Vikings 14-0 up over Chicago. He has eight carries for 34 yards on the day.

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All the early games are now in the second quarter. Here’s the state of things:

Packers 3-3 Lions

Texans 3-7 Colts

Bears 0-7 Vikings

Jets 3-7 Patriots

Washington 7-15 Giants

Cowboys 0-0 Eagles

Browns 0-14 Steelers

Pittsburgh’s JuJu Smith-Schuster scored on a 20-yard pass from Landry Jones as I was updating this entry.

Here’s the Orleans Darkwa touchdown that put the Giants up over Washington:

The Browns defense steps up after the Steelers get the ball down to the one yard line. After no gain, Pittsburgh goes for it on fourth and goal but Cleveland stands strong to turn the ball over on downs. The offense takes over.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles throws an interception on their third possession against Dallas. It’s still scoreless after their first drive ended with a turnover on downs and the second with a punt. Eagles fans will no doubt hope Nick Foles can find some rhythm before the postseason gets underway. Philadelphia is 7-0 at home this year.

The Vikings also lead 7-0 over the Bears. Running back Latavius Murray with the 1-yard finish following a 70-yard opening drive from Minnesota. As it stands the Vikings will finish the year as the No2 seed in the NFC.

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An interesting start in the Packers @ Lions game. Green Bay recovered an onside kick from the opening kick-off. So a nice start for the Packers but the drive ended with a Brett Hundley interception. The Packers now lead 3-0 through a Mason Crosby field goal.

Week 17 is off to a fast start. The Patriots are 7-0 up on the Jets thanks to Dion Lewis’ 3-yard rush. The Giants then extend their lead to 12-0 over Washington. Kirk Cousins is picked off before Eli Manning finds Hunter Sharp for New York’s second touchdown of the day. New York goes for the two-point conversion but it is unsuccessful.

Who needs Le’Veon Bell? Darrius Heyward-Bey goes 29 yards to the house to get Pittsburgh off to a flying start at home against the Browns. The extra point makes it 7-0 to the Steelers. Just the start Cleveland didn’t want.

We have our first TD of the day and it comes in New Jersey where Orleans Darkwa goes 75 yards for the Giants on the second play from scrimmage. It’s the perfect start for New York in what could be Eli Manning’s final game for the club. Well, nearly perfect, the Giants missed the PAT.

The teams are out and we’re underway in the seven early games. Will the Patriots clinch home-field advantage? Will the Vikings get the bye? Can the Browns avoid a winless season. Let’s go.

It is cold in Massachusetts. -11C (13F) to be precise. Tom Brady is apparently wearing a scuba suit under his uniform.

It could all get a bit complicated so let’s look at the current play-off picture.

As already mentioned New England and Pittsburgh will be the top two seeds in the AFC. They’ll both enjoy next weekend off.

Jacksonville and Kansas City have already won their respective divisions and so are in the postseason. This leaves two spots open in the AFC. Tennessee and Baltimore currently occupy those berths with the LA Chargers and Buffalo also in contention should the Titans or the Ravens slip up.

In the NFC, Philadelphia is confirmed as the No1 seed and Minnesota currently holds the No2 spot. A freak set of results can usurp the Vikings from the second seed but it’s unlikely. The LA Rams, Carolina and New Orleans have all secured their play-off places with Atlanta and Seattle vying for the final berth. For the Falcons it’s simple: win and they’re in. If they fail and the Seahawks beat the Cardinals, Seattle’s in.

Got all that?

Pittsburgh has named Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell on its list of inactive players today, saving them for the postseason. Roethlisberger is not even dressed to play, according to NFL Network. Let the debate over whether to play or sit starters commence.. Does this have an adverse effect on ‘momentum’ going into the play-offs? Or is it simply a no-brainer to save your best players for the biggest games in January?

Any thoughts? Email me or send me a tweet @jamescaroll

Here’s the full schedule for today, with seven early games and nine late kick-offs:

1pm ET/6pm GMT

Packers @ Lions
Texans @ Colts
Bears @ Vikings
Jets @ Patriots
Washington @ Giants
Cowboys @ Eagles
Browns @ Steelers

4.25pm ET/9.25pm GMT

Panthers @ Falcons
Chiefs @ Broncos
Jaguars @ Titans
49ers @ Rams
Bills @ Dolphins
Raiders @ Chargers
Cardinals @ Seahawks
Saints @ Buccaneers
Bengals @ Ravens

Interestingly, the NFL decided not to schedule a prime-time game today. The official reason given was to avoid giving any teams a competitive advantage in vying for remaining play-off spots. Some suggest it may have more to do with New Year’s Eve.

Welcome! Who remembers September? Back then, in the opening game of the 2017 season, the New England Patriots were blown away 42-27 in their own stadium by Alex Smith and the Kansas City Chiefs. Tom Brady, now playing at 40 years old, failed to throw a single touchdown pass in the loss and the Patriots’ defense began the year looking like one of the worst in the league. New England gave up 128 points in its first four games of the season and ranked behind the Bills and Jets in the AFC East standings after another home defeat to Carolina Panthers in week four. Was this the beginning of the of end of the Belichick-Brady era in Foxboro?

Nope. New England went on to win 10 of its next 11 games, moving to 12-3, and today has the opportunity to seal the No1 seed in the AFC for the third time in the last four years. Standing in the way is the 5-10 New York Jets. If the Jets can spring an upset then Pittsburgh will hope to steal the top seed but the Steelers need to make sure they win their own game against the Cleveland Browns. That looks a foregone conclusion: Cleveland is yet to win this season and hoping to avoid the distinctly embarrassing honour of becoming only the second 0-16 team in NFL history.

There’s this plus plenty, plenty more to look forward to on the final day of the 2017 regular season. I’ll be here for the early slate of games, keeping tabs on the Super Bowl frontrunners from both the AFC and NFC.

The action gets underway at 1pm ET/6pm GMT. Until then, do read this superb Barry Glendenning piece on the Ice Bowl: