The Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers entered the final Sunday of the NFL’s 2024 season knowing what they had to do to get into the playoffs – win.

For the Broncos, a loss would have meant a ninth consecutive season without a postseason. The Bucs also could have gotten in if the Atlanta Falcons lost on Sunday, which they did 44-38 in overtime to the Carolina Panthers. But by that time, Tampa Bay already had beaten the New Orleans Saints 27-19.

Denver made sure it went to the playoffs instead of the Cincinnati Bengals by beating the Kansas City Chiefs 38-0.

The schedule for the Super Wild-Card Weekend of the NFL playoffs (with all times CST):

Saturday, Jan. 11

• AFC: No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (11-6) at No. 4 Houston Texans (10-7), 3:30 p.m. (CBS)
• AFC: No. 6 Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7) at No. 3 Baltimore Ravens (12-5), 7 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday, Jan. 12

• AFC: No. 7 Denver Broncos (10-7) at No. 2 Buffalo Bills (14-3), noon (CBS)
• NFC: No. 7 Green Bay Packers (11-6) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (14-3), 3:30 p.m. (FOX)
• NFC: No. 6 Washington Commanders (12-5) at No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-7), 7 p.m. (NBC)

Monday, Jan. 13

• NFC: No. 5 Minnesota Vikings (14-3) at No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (10-7), 7 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)

Earning first-round byes as the No. 1 seeds for each conference were the Detroit Lions (15-2) in the NFC and the Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) in the AFC.

The Lions defeated the Vikings 31-9 on Sunday night in the final game of the regular season to secure the NFC’s No. 1 seed. If Minnesota had won, the Vikings would have gotten the conference’s first-round bye.

The top two seeds in each conference begin postseason play in the Divisional Round on Jan. 18 and 19. The schedule for that round will be determined after the Super Wild-Card Weekend.

The conference championship games will be played on Jan. 26.

Super Bowl LIX is scheduled be played at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. FOX will televise the game.

The 14 teams in the field that will decide the Super Bowl LIX champion have 65 players from Alabama high schools and colleges on their active rosters.

There also are 14 players with Alabama football roots on the postseason teams’ practice squads. Each team is allowed to elevate two practice-squad players to active status for each game.

There are seven state players on injured reserve on the rosters of the 14 teams.

The players with Alabama football roots on the rosters of the playoff teams include:

AFC

Baltimore Ravens

Reserve/injured: Jalyn Armour-Davis, cornerback, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Alabama

Practice squad: Malik Cunningham, wide receiver, Park Crossing

Practice squad: Darrian Dalcourt, guard, Alabama

Derrick Henry, running back, Alabama

Marlon Humphrey, cornerback, Hoover, Alabama

Michael Pierce, defensive tackle, Daphne, Samford

Buffalo Bills

Amari Cooper, wide receiver, Alabama

Tylan Grable, offensive tackle, Jacksonville State

Practice squad: Kareem Jackson, safety, Alabama

Practice squad: Tyrell Shavers, wide receiver, Alabama

Javon Solomon, edge, Troy

Denver Broncos

Kris Abrams-Draine, cornerback, Spanish Fort

Zach Cunningham, linebacker, Pinson Valley

Bo Nix, quarterback, Pinson Valley, Auburn

Drew Sanders, linebacker, Alabama

Tremon Smith, cornerback, Saks

Jarrett Stidham, quarterback, Auburn

Patrick Surtain II, cornerback, Alabama

Houston Texans

Will Anderson Jr., defensive end, Alabama

Nico Collins, wide receiver, Clay-Chalkville

Reserve/injured: Tank Dell, wide receiver, Alabama A&M

Christian Harris, linebacker, Alabama

Tytus Howard, offensive lineman, Monroe County, Alabama State

Kamari Lassiter, cornerback, American Christian

John Metchie III, wide receiver, Alabama

Irv Smith Jr., tight end, Alabama

Henry To’oTo’o, linebacker, Alabama

Reserve/injured: Jimmie Ward, safety, Davidson

Practice squad: Kilian Zierer, offensive tackle, Auburn

Kansas City Chiefs

Practice squad: Chris Oladokun, quarterback, Samford

Practice squad: Justyn Ross, wide receiver, Central-Phenix City

Los Angeles Chargers

Bradley Bozeman, center, Handley, Alabama

Justin Eboigbe, defensive lineman, Alabama

Josh Harris, long snapper, Auburn

Practice squad: Eddie Jackson, safety, Alabama

JK Scott, punter, Alabama

Kimani Vidal, running back, Troy

Pittsburgh Steelers

Montravius Adams, defensive tackle, Auburn

Minkah Fitzpatrick, safety, Alabama

Practice squad: Zyon Gilbert, cornerback, Jeff Davis

Practice squad: Eku Leota, linebacker, Auburn

Jeremiah Moon, linebacker, Hoover

Najee Harris, running back, Alabama

George Pickens, wide receiver, Hoover

Corliss Waitman, punter, South Alabama

Practice squad: Quez Watkins, wide receiver, Athens

NFC

Detroit Lions

Terrion Arnold, cornerback, Alabama

Brian Branch, defensive back, Alabama

Reserve/injured: Carlton Davis, cornerback, Auburn

Jahmyr Gibbs, running back, Alabama

Brodric Martin, defensive lineman, Northridge, North Alabama

Za’Darius Smith, defensive end, Greenville

Jameson Williams, wide receiver, Alabama

Green Bay Packers

Josh Jacobs, running back, Alabama

Xavier McKinney, safety, Alabama

Kadeem Telfort, offensive tackle, UAB

Malik Willis, quarterback, Auburn

Colby Wooden, defensive lineman, Auburn

Los Angeles Rams

Darious Williams, cornerback, UAB

Minnesota Vikings

Practice squad: Travis Bell, defensive tackle, Jeff Davis

Practice squad: Bobby McCain, defensive back, Oxford

Nick Mullens, quarterback, Spain Park

Will Reichard, kicker, Hoover, Alabama

Cam Robinson, offensive tackle, Alabama

Dallas Turner, linebacker, Alabama

Philadelphia Eagles

Reed Blankenship, safety, West Limestone

Practice squad: Khari Blasingame, fullback, Buckhorn

Reserve/injured: James Bradberry, cornerback, Pleasant Grove, Samford

Landon Dickerson, guard, Alabama

Jack Driscoll, offensive lineman, Auburn

Bryce Huff, defensive end, St. Paul’s Episcopal

Jalen Hurts, quarterback, Alabama

Eli Ricks, cornerback, Alabama

DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Alabama

Tyler Steen, offensive lineman, Alabama

Reserve/injured: C.J. Uzomah, tight end, Auburn

Reserve/injured: Byron Young, defensive tackle, Alabama

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Practice squad: Marcus Banks, safety, Alabama

Chris Braswell, outside linebacker, Alabama

K.J. Britt, linebacker, Oxford, Auburn

Jamel Dean, cornerback, Auburn

Practice squad: D.J. Williams, running back, Auburn

Washington Commanders

Jonathan Allen, defensive tackle, Alabama

Noah Igbinoghene, cornerback, Hewitt-Trussville, Auburn

Daron Payne, defensive tackle, Shades Valley, Alabama

Jeremy Reaves, defensive back, South Alabama

Brian Robinson Jr., running back, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Trent Scott, offensive lineman, Lee-Huntsville

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 X at @AMarkG1.