New York Jets

Jets loss to Bills sends Pittsburgh into AFC playoffs

Published Jan. 3, 2016 6:20 p.m. ET

foxsports

Leave it to Rex Ryan to continue the New York Jets' playoff drought.

Ryan and the Buffalo Bills stopped the Jets from making the playoffs Sunday and gave the Pittsburgh Steelers the final playoff spot in the AFC.

The Bills beat the Jets 22-17, while Pittsburgh knocked off Cleveland 28-12, the only results that would have gotten the Steelers into the postseason. Pittsburgh will be the No. 6 seed and travel to the No. 3 seed.

''I've got a lot of friends over there, and I want them to be successful, but not at my expense,'' Ryan said.

Ryan has plenty of friends in the Steel City now.

''A lot of thanks to coach Ryan and the rest of the Bills and everybody in Buffalo,'' Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said. ''I know they're excited about 8-8 and we're excited they got us in.''

Home-field advantage in both conferences remained in question because of Miami's upset of New England. Denver will remain home for the playoffs if it can beat San Diego. Carolina can wrap up the home field in the NFC with a victory over Tampa Bay, but a loss would give Arizona a chance at the No. 1 seed.

''Wherever we play, we play,'' Patriots coach Bill Belichick said.

Houston also clinched the AFC South with its win over Jacksonville and will host the No. 5 seed next week. That No. 5 seed could end up being Kansas City or Denver depending who ends up winning the AFC West.

All of the playoff teams in the NFC are set, but the seeds are still unknown for Nos. 3, 5 and 6. Seattle will finish as either fifth or sixth, but won't know its opponent until after completion of the Sunday night game between Minnesota and Green Bay to decide the NFC North champion. Losing to Arizona would lock the Seahawks into the No. 6 spot and a matchup against the winner of the NFC North.

Houston avoided the headache of possibly having to look at eight different tiebreakers by beating Jacksonville 30-6 to win the AFC South, making Indianapolis' victory over Tennessee moot. The Colts entered the day with the slimmest of chances to win the division, but a Texans loss was needed. Houston is the fourth seed.

''We are not happy with just winning the AFC South,'' Houston wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins said. ''There are bigger goals ahead of us.''

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