NFL FOUR DOWNS: Aaron Rodgers leads Steelers to playoffs after WILDEST finish to NFL regular season

KING OF THE NORTH

The 272nd and final game of the regular season between Pittsburgh and Baltimore had an insane ending befitting the wildest NFL year in recent memory.

A bitter rivalry with a division on the line. No love lost. Legacies on the line. Storied coaches on the hot seat. It doesn’t get much better.

After an arm-wrestle through three quarters, the game exploded with a 27-point final stanza, headlined by a comeback touchdown pass in the final minute by future Hall of Fame Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to go up 26-24.

But the door was left slightly ajar when a Steelers kicker who’d made the previous 89 attempts missed the extra point.

Two-time MVP QB Lamar Jackson capitalised with an incredible fourth-and-seven completion with 21 seconds on the clock to put the Ravens in position for a walk-off field goal.

Only to have Ravens kicker Tyler Loop miss wide right on the final snap of the game, dooming Baltimore to an offseason of very hard questions about the franchise’s future.

For Pittsburgh, the postseason awaits and a home game against wildcard Houston (12-5) and arguably the NFL’s most feared defence.

LOOK AHEAD

With many teams resting starters in Week 18, it’s less interesting to unpack those games as it is to cast our minds forward to the juicy matchups in store for us in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs and beyond.

Denver (14-3) locked up the top seed in the AFC and gets the bye, with the Broncos set to face the lowest-seeded victor the following week.

If New England (14-3) take care of business against the Chargers (11-6), this could mean Denver faces either the No.5 Texans or No.6 Bills (12-5), who have very real chances of upsetting the No.4 Steelers and No.3 Jaguars (13-4) respectively.

The Broncos’ D is championship calibre, but is anyone backing their offence to keep pace with Bills QB Josh Allen?

Over in the NFC, the Seahawks (14-3) own the No.1 seed and could come back from a first-round playoff bye to face a division rival in the No.5 Rams (12-5), who drew the middling No.4 Panthers (8-9) in the Wildcard Round.

Of course, it could also be either the No.7 Packers (9-7) or No.6 49ers (12-5), if those teams upset the Bears (11-6) and Eagles (11-6) respectively.

No matter what happens, it’s going to be a wild ride to the finish line.

YOU’RE FIRED

It’s Black Monday in the NFL, as the annual tradition of firing underperforming head coaches kicks off.

Last season, a total of seven head coaches got their marching orders, with three of those (Robert Saleh, Dennis Allen, and Matt Eberflus) getting relieved of their duties midseason.

This time around, there’ve been two midseason dismissals (Giants coach Brian Daboll and Titans coach Brian Callahan), with Falcons coach Raheem Morris joining them after the regular season ended.

Atlanta won their last four games, but it wasn’t enough to save Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot after consecutive 8-9 seasons.

Also expected to get the boot is Raiders coach Pete Carroll and Browns coach Kevin Stefanski looks to be done in Cleveland, but Miami might keep Mike McDaniel.

Could the Ravens part ways with long-standing coach John Harbaugh? Stranger things have happened.

PANIC INDEX

HIGH: The Eagles have scored more than 25 points just four times in the past 13 games. If the offence can’t keep pace with the Niners in the Wildcard Round, it’s gonna get ugly in Philly.

HIGH: The Falcons now have no coach, no GM and no great option at QB for next season. Yikes.

LOW: A lot of pundits slammed the Seahawks for moving on from QB Geno Smith in favour of younger journeyman Sam Darnold. That decision now looks like the best move of the offseason.