Seahawks, Patriots Secure Home Field Advantage in NFL Playoffs

— -- The NFL playoff picture has taken shape.

With Week 17 action complete, the postseason field has been set.

In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks secured the top seed with a 20-6 victory against the St. Louis Rams. The Seahawks, Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys all finished with identical 12-4 records, but Seattle and Green Bay earned first-round byes because of better conference records.

Other NFC playoff teams include the Carolina Panthers -- which won the NFC South Division despite a 7-8-1 record -- and the wild card Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions, each at 11-5.

The AFC’s top team is the New England Patriots, which secured the top spot despite a 17-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills, dropping to 12-4 on the season. The Denver Broncos, also at 12-4, received a first-round bye as the No. 2 seed, followed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts at 11-5, and the Cincinnati Bengals (10-5-1) and Baltimore Ravens (10-6).

NFL postseason action begins Saturday when the Cardinals play the Panthers in the NFC, and rivals Baltimore and Pittsburgh face off in the AFC. Sunday’s match-ups feature Cincinnati at Indianapolis in the AFC and Detroit at Dallas in the NFC.

The playoffs will continue until Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1, held at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.