CNN
—

With the playoffs getting closer and closer, almost every NFL game takes on significance this time of year.

And on Saturday there were three games that shaped the playoff picture: The Los Angeles Chargers secured their spot in the postseason, while the Cincinnati Bengals kept their season alive with a wild overtime win and the Los Angeles Rams their own playoff place came closer and closer.

The Los Angeles Chargers completely dominated the New England Patriots, winning 40-7 on the road and securing their spot in the playoffs.

They dominated from start to finish on both sides of the ball, gaining nearly 250 more total yards than the Patriots and allowing just 11 first downs.

The connection between quarterback Justin Herbert and rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey was central to the dominant offensive performance, as they combined for 94 yards and two touchdowns on eight completions, setting both records in the process.

With his 281 yards, Herbert surpassed Peyton Manning’s record for most passing yards in the first five years of his career, while McConkey set new Chargers rookie season records for receptions and yards on Saturday.

“It’s a testament to all the hard work we’ve put in this offseason,” Herbert said on the franchise’s website afterward. “The way things went, it was an honor to play with this team. We had a huge chance today and we took advantage of it.”

Reaching the playoffs validates the Chargers’ turnaround under Jim Harbaugh, which has transformed a franchise that won just five games last season.

For the Patriots, however, a crushing home defeat only compounded their woes and saw them booed off the field by their fans.

With just over a minute of overtime remaining and the score tied, it seemed as if the Bengals’ slim playoff hopes were fading away.

They needed a win against the Denver Broncos on Saturday to maintain hopes of reaching the postseason – a difficult task against a team that could also punch its own ticket to the playoffs with a win.

But after a wild fourth quarter and OT period, quarterback Joe Burrow drove the Bengals 63 yards and finished the play with a three-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins to secure a 30-24 victory.

“This (game) is one of the crazier ones I’ve been a part of in the NFL,” Burrow said afterward, according to NFL.com. “It feels like we’ve had a few of those this year. It’s nice to suddenly be ahead.”

He threw 39 of 49 for 412 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Bengals to their fourth straight win as they continue their late run into the playoffs.

The game was tied after three quarters, but then things got crazy. The Bengals scored with a 10-yard TD pass from Burrow to Higgins, but the Broncos responded with a spectacular 51-yard TD pass from Bo Nix to Marvin Mims Jr.

With just 89 seconds left in the game, Burrow ran a QB sneak one yard for the touchdown and gave Cincinnati a 24-17 lead. But the Broncos answered again with another incredible TD from Nix to Mims, this time from 25 yards, to tie the game at 24 yards, leading to wild cheers.

After the teams traded punts in overtime, the Bengals had a chance to win the game with a 33-yard field goal by Cade York, but his attempt failed and missed, and possession went back to the Broncos.

A tie would have favored Denver and doomed the Bengals’ dreams, but the Broncos escaped with a three-and-out victory with just 23 seconds left.

This time, Burrow wouldn’t leave the game to the kicker, and his connection to Higgins kept Cincinnati’s season alive. It was also a fairytale ending to Higgins’ final home game at Paycor Stadium as he enters this offseason as a free agent.

“That’s what I was just thinking as I was just walking into the stadium,” Higgins said, according to NFL.com. “It’s a possibility. You never know what’s going to happen in the future, but I could just go out with a bang if that were to happen.”

The Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs still depend on other outcomes – they have to win next week and hope the Broncos lose, and hope the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins lose at least one of their next two games.

The Los Angeles Rams moved ever closer to a playoff spot on Saturday, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 13-9 after Akhello Witherspoon threw a last-minute interception off Kyler Murray to secure the victory.

With less than a minute left, the Rams were up 13-9 but were defending at their own 5-yard line. Arizona quarterback Murray, under pressure, threw toward the end zone, but his deflected pass landed in the arms of a diving Witherspoon, who hung on to the ball to ensure the Rams’ win.

“It was just a friendly reminder that the game is never over,” Witherspoon said afterward, according to NFL.com.

It’s LA’s fifth straight win and they were led by Matthew Stafford’s 189 receiving yards as well as Puka Nacua’s 129 receiving yards. Kyren Williams contributed 56 yards and a touchdown on the ground.

The Rams’ playoff hopes are slowly growing as they host division rival Seattle Seahawks next week to conclude the regular season. However, they could complete the NFC West division before then if the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings, Washington Commanders and San Francisco 49ers achieve three wins or two wins and a tie between them, according to ESPN.