New England left cornerback Jonathan Jones came up with a fumble recovery at the Buffalo Bills 11-yard line on Sunday with 8:34 left in the third quarter and the score tied in a game that was win-and-in for the Patriots.

But the New England offense couldn’t move, settled for a field goal and when Nyheim Hines ran back the ensuing kickoff for his second return touchdown of the game, the Patriots were on their way to a 35-23 defeat on the final Sunday of the NFL’s 2022 regular season.

Jones, who also made six tackles in the game, was one of the Auburn alumni who played for the six teams vying for the three open spots in the NFL playoff field during the schedule’s last weekend.

Only one made it – Jacksonville safety Daniel Thomas, who was on the field for 11 special-teams plays in the 20-16 victory over Tennessee that put the Jaguars in the playoffs and knocked Auburn alumnus Roger McCreary, a Titans cornerback, out of the postseason.

Other former Auburn players who played for contenders on the final weekend but didn’t make it through included Pittsburgh Steelers nose tackle Montravius Adams and Green Bay Packers safety Rudy Ford. The Steelers defeated the Cleveland Browns 28-14 on Sunday, but Pittsburgh only got one of the two other outcomes it needed to reach the postseason.

The postseason teams in the running for the Super Bowl LVII championship feature nine Auburn alumni on their active rosters.

In addition to Thomas, the playoff players include Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho, Los Angeles Chargers long snapper Josh Harris, Miami Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton, Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jack Driscoll and Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker K.J. Britt and cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean.

RELATED: NFL POSTSEASON FIELD SET FOR SUPER BOWL LVII TOURNAMENT

Thirteen former Auburn players got on the field on the 18th Sunday of the NFL’s 103rd season.

In the other Sunday games:

Atlanta Falcons 30, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17

· Buccaneers inside linebacker K.J. Britt (Oxford) made a career-high seven tackles.

· Buccaneers cornerback Carlton Davis was designated as a game-day inactive. Davis has missed two straight games because of a shoulder injury.

· Jamel Dean started at safety for the Buccaneers. Dean broke up a pass.

Minnesota Vikings 29, Chicago Bears 13

· Bears defensive tackle Angelo Blackson was designated as a game-day inactive. Blackson was sick and did not practice last week.

Cincinnati Bengals 27, Baltimore Ravens 16

· Ravens linebacker Josh Bynes is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Houston Texans 32, Indianapolis Colts 31

· Colts defensive tackle Byron Cowart played but did not record any stats.

· Braden Smith started at right offensive tackle for the Colts.

Miami Dolphins 11, New York Jets 6

· Dolphins cornerback Noah Igbinoghene (Hewitt-Trussville) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Carl Lawson started at defensive end for the Jets. Lawson made one tackle and registered two quarterback hits.

· Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood made two tackles.

· Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah was designated as a game-day inactive. Uzomah did not practice last week because of an ankle injury.

Carolina Panthers 10, New Orleans Saints 7

· Derrick Brown started at defensive tackle for the Panthers. Brown made seven tackles and registered two quarterback hits.

· Saints safety Smoke Monday is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Panthers linebacker Chandler Wooten was designated as a game-day inactive.

Pittsburgh Steelers 28, Cleveland Browns 14

· Montravius Adams started at nose tackle for the Steelers. Adams made two tackles.

· Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Denver Broncos 31, Los Angeles Chargers 28

· Chargers long snapper Josh Harris handled the snaps on five punts, two field goals and two extra points.

Philadelphia Eagles 22, New York Giants 16

· Jack Driscoll started at right offensive tackle for the Eagles.

· Eagles punter Arryn Siposs is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton played but did not record any stats.

Detroit Lions 20, Green Bay Packers 16

· Packers safety Rudy Ford (New Hope) made three tackles.

Week 18 started on Saturday, when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 31-13 and the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Tennessee Titans 20-16.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AmarkG1.