Every matchup is crucial at this stage, with several massive outcomes in week 14 that may determine postseason spots come the conclusion of the year.
A 42-year-old veteran quarterback landed a big setback to Lamar Jackson's postseason hopes, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback virtually ended Joe Burrow's chances. Meanwhile, the Houston defence presented a massive challenge and may have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs campaign earlier than ever in the Patrick Mahomes tenure.
The Breakdown: Division Deciders Exceed the Expectations
A trio of massive division clashes delivered.
Veteran quarterback Rodgers, competing with a injured wrist, steered his squad to a hard-fought close success in Baltimore. He scored his initial running touchdown in almost three seasons, but it was his deep throws to his star receiver that made the difference.
The Ravens' quarterback was out of kilter as Baltimore missed crucial chances—though they were frustrated by a late score being overturned. These franchises will meet again on the last weekend of the regular season.
In another, the oldest feud in the league witnessed a thrilling encounter. Even with scoring deep passes, an exhausted defensive unit had to halt another late-game comeback from the opposing rookie quarterback in the freezing weather.
The result handed one side a slender advantage in their NFC North, while the losers plummeted from the NFC's number one seed down to outside the playoff picture.
In-Depth Look: Where Has It Gone Wrong for the Chiefs?
Projections give the Chiefs only a fifteen percent probability of reaching the play-offs. Realistically, this will be the initial missed playoffs for star quarterback Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a ten years.
During Mahomes' 7 full seasons as a starter, he has reached 7 conference championship contests and five Super Bowls. That indicates the club has competed in almost each available contest during his tenure.
Therefore, the reasons for the current struggles are clear and were summed up during the recent loss. Injuries decimated an already dodgy offensive line, with multiple starters out.
Despite that, Mahomes gave his squad a fighting chance, however failed kicks and critical drops—such as on a decisive fourth-down attempt—sealed their fate.
Spotlight: Could the Lombardi Trophy Be Destined for the Western US?
A pair of powerhouse contenders from the West Coast divisions are making strong cases for Super Bowl contention.
One squad, leading their conference, won the most recent Super Bowl played at February's stadium. They are built on a stifling defence that tops the NFL in quarterback takedowns and wins through methodical, time-consuming drives.
The other contender, leading the other conference, demonstrated an dynamic offence capable of scoring from anywhere. They feature a two-headed ground attack to complement an exceptional aerial attack.
The question would be if the potent offense could withstand the relentless pass rush of the top defense—a a fascinating playoff matchup.
Discussion: Travis Kelce Considering Retirement?
Amid the aftermath from the Kansas City's defeat, remarks from Patrick Mahomes about his longtime tight end fueled talk about a potential retirement.
Hearing Mahomes state, "each season... I try to cherish because you never know" certainly seemed like he was preparing for the 36-year-old to call it a day.
"The tight end will have the choice to do whatever he wants to do following this campaign," he continued. Should the season concludes early for the team, the three-time champion veteran could decide to walk away.
Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen put on a show again for his team in a wintry win. He passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one more, responsible for a remarkable portion of his team's overall scores this season.
He is the first quarterback in league annals with 3,000 passing yards, 20 TD throws and 10 running touchdowns in 3 straight seasons.
Next, he puts the Bills on his shoulders once more as they try to catch their division foes, the Patriots—and, that's exactly who they face next.
Key Upcoming Week Games:
- Bills @ Patriots
- Detroit Lions @ Rams
- Packers @ Denver Broncos
- Chargers @ Chiefs
This Week's Stats, Records & Notes
- A kick-off return for a 100-yard score—the longest scoring play of the year—kick-started a second-half onslaught for one offense.
- A star wide receiver caught two touchdowns and is still on course for a historic 2,000-yard receiving.
- A feared pass rusher notched his 20th QB sack of the campaign, closing in of the all-time mark.
- An international kicker helped his team in a upset win in rainy conditions.
- A offense that was shutout one week responded with a clean sheet of its own the following week.
- A reeling franchise saw its franchise quarterback come back from an elbow issue, only to leave the contest once more with a similar injury.
