Cowboys capture NFC East; Ravens, Jets reach playoffs

Dallas won a division title, Baltimore and the New York Jets earned wild-card spots, and the Super Bowl champs were eliminated on the final day of the NFL season.

Next week's first round will include three rematches of games Sunday. The playoffs won't include the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers, who lost out tiebreakers.

They will include the Jets, who beat two teams already in the postseason to secure the No. 5 seed in the AFC. The Jets routed the AFC North champion Bengals 37-0 in probably the final game at Giants Stadium, one week after the Colts benched many starters in the second half and saw New York rally to beat them.

So the Jets (9-7) will head to Cincinnati for a replay next Saturday to open the playoffs. New York's win denied Houston a berth.

The Ravens (9-7) grabbed an AFC spot when they beat Oakland 21-13. Baltimore will visit AFC East winner New England on Sunday.

The AFC playoff picture was all jumbled going into the day. It got sorted out very cleanly - the two win-and-in teams, Baltimore and the Jets, both won.

- Associated Press