Every matchup counts at this stage, with a number of huge results in week 14 that could settle play-off positions by the end of the year.
A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers dealt a big setback to the Baltimore Ravens' play-off aspirations, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback virtually finished Joe Burrow's chances. At the same time, the Houston Texans defence presented a huge challenge and may have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs season earlier than ever before in the Mahomes era.
The Breakdown: Division Showdowns Live Up To the Hype
Three huge rivalry games lived up to the hype.
Seasoned quarterback Aaron Rodgers, playing with a fractured wrist, guided his squad to a gritty 27-22 win in Baltimore. The future Hall of Famer scored his first running score in nearly three seasons, but it was his long passes to his top receiver that proved to be the difference.
Lamar Jackson seemed off rhythm as his team missed key opportunities—although they were angry by a fourth-quarter score being chalked off. These teams will meet again on the final weekend of the season.
In another, the longest-running rivalry in the league witnessed a thrilling contest. Even with touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defense had to thwart another late-game comeback from the opposing young quarterback in the freezing conditions.
This result handed one side a narrow lead in their NFC North, while the losers dropped from the NFC's top spot down to outside the playoff picture.
In-Depth Look: What Has Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Statistical models give the Chiefs only a fifteen percent probability of making the postseason. In all likelihood, this could be the initial missed playoffs for star quarterback Mahomes—and the first for the franchise in a decade.
In Mahomes' seven complete seasons as a starting quarterback, he has advanced to 7 AFC Championship games and 5 championship games. This indicates the club has played nearly each possible contest throughout his time.
Therefore, the reasons for this year's struggles are evident and were encapsulated during Sunday's defeat. Absences ravaged an already questionable O-line, with several key players missing.
Despite that, Mahomes gave his squad a fighting chance, but missed kicks and costly dropped passes—such as on a pivotal fourth-down play—confirmed their downfall.
In Focus: Is the Super Bowl Be Destined for the West?
Two top teams from the western conferences are making compelling cases for Super Bowl contention.
One team, leading their the AFC, won the last Super Bowl held at February's stadium. They are constructed on a stifling defense that tops the NFL in sacks and victories through grinding, time-consuming possessions.
The second contender, atop the other conference, demonstrated an dynamic offence capable of scoring from anywhere. They feature a formidable ground game to complement an elite aerial attack.
The question could be if the high-flying offense can solve the smothering pass rush of the elite defense—what would be a fascinating potential matchup.
Discussion: A Star Tight End Pondering Calling It Quits?
Amid the aftermath from the Kansas City's defeat, remarks from the quarterback about his longtime teammate fueled speculation about a possible departure.
Listening to him say, "each season... I try to cherish because you never know" definitely seemed like he was preparing for the veteran to hang up his cleats.
"The tight end will have the option to do whatever he chooses to do after this campaign," he continued. If the season concludes prematurely for the Chiefs, the three-time champion winner could choose to walk away.
Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen did it all once more for his team in a wintry win. Allen passed for three scores and ran for one more, accounting for a staggering portion of his team's overall scores this year.
He is the first quarterback in NFL annals with three thousand pass yards, 20 touchdown throws and ten running touchdowns in 3 straight seasons.
Next, he puts the team on his back again as they try to catch their division foes, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, that's exactly who they face this coming Sunday.
Key Upcoming Week Matchups:
- Bills @ New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions @ Rams
- Packers @ Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
This Week's Stats, Records & Notes
- A kickoff runback for a 100-yard score—the longest play of the year—kick-started a scoring blitz for one offense.
- A prolific receiver scored 2 touchdowns and is still tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season.
- A dominant defensive end recorded his 20th sack of the season, moving within reach of the single-season mark.
- An international kicker helped his squad in a surprise win in soggy weather.
- A offense that was held scoreless one week bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the next.
- A struggling team saw its star quarterback come back from an elbow issue, only to leave the contest again with a related injury.
