Every contest matters at this stage, with some enormous outcomes in week 14 that may decide play-off berths come the end of the season.
A 42-year Aaron Rodgers struck a major blow to Lamar Jackson's postseason aspirations, whereas Josh Allen all-but terminated the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. At the same time, the Houston Texans defense presented a huge problem and may have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs season earlier than ever before in the Mahomes tenure.
Divisional Analysis: Divisional Deciders Exceed the Hype
Three massive divisional battles lived up to the hype.
Veteran quarterback Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, steered his squad to a hard-fought close win in on the road. The future Hall of Famer scored his initial running score in nearly three years, however it was his deep passes to his top receiver that proved to be the deciding factor.
The Ravens' quarterback was out of kilter as his team failed to capitalize on crucial chances—although they were left fuming by a late score being nullified. The two teams will meet once more on the final weekend of the season.
Elsewhere, the oldest rivalry in the NFL witnessed a thrilling contest. Even with touchdown bombs, an exhausted defensive unit had to stop another late-game comeback from the visiting rookie quarterback in the freezing weather.
The outcome gave one team a narrow lead in their NFC North, while the losers dropped from the NFC's top spot all the way to seventh.
Analysis: What Has Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Projections assign the Kansas City only a fifteen percent probability of making the postseason. Realistically, this will be the first missed post-season for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first for the franchise in a decade.
During his seven complete years as a starting quarterback, he has advanced to 7 conference championship games and 5 Super Bowls. That indicates the club has competed in nearly each possible game during his time.
Therefore, the causes for this year's failure are apparent and were summed up during Sunday's defeat. Absences decimated an already struggling offensive line, with several key players missing.
Even then, the quarterback gave his squad a chance, but missed field goals and costly drops—including on a pivotal fourth down play—confirmed their downfall.
In Focus: Is the Lombardi Trophy Be Heading for the Western US?
Two powerhouse contenders from the western conferences are building compelling cases for championship favorites.
One squad, atop their conference, claimed the most recent Super Bowl held at this year's stadium. They are built on a stifling defense that tops the NFL in quarterback takedowns and wins through grinding, time-consuming drives.
The second team, leading the other conference, demonstrated an dynamic offense capable of scoring from any situation. They feature a two-headed ground game to complement an elite passing attack.
The question could be whether the potent offense could solve the smothering pressure of the top defense—a a fascinating potential showdown.
Discussion: A Star Tight End Pondering Retirement?
Among the aftermath from the Kansas City's defeat, remarks from Patrick Mahomes about his star tight end fueled rumors about a possible departure.
Listening to him say, "every season... I try to appreciate since you never know" certainly sounded like the QB was bracing for the veteran to hang up his cleats.
"The tight end will have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this campaign," he continued. Should the year ends early for the Chiefs, the 3x champion veteran might choose to retire.
Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Headlines the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen put on a show again for his team in a wintry win. Allen passed for 3 scores and ran for one more, accounting for a staggering percentage of his offense's overall scores this year.
Allen is the first player in league annals with three thousand passing yards, 20 TD passes and ten rushing scores in 3 straight campaigns.
Next, he puts the team on his back again as they aim to catch their AFC East foes, the Patriots—coincidentally, they are precisely who they face next.
Major Upcoming Week Matchups:
- Bills @ Patriots
- Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
- Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
- Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
This Week's Stats, Records & Notes
- A kick-off runback for a 100-yard score—the biggest scoring play of the season—kick-started a second-half onslaught for one offense.
- A prolific wide receiver scored two touchdowns and remains tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard receiving.
- A feared defensive end recorded his 20th QB sack of the season, moving within reach of the all-time mark.
- An international placekicker helped his team in a upset win in rainy conditions.
- A team that was shutout one game bounced back with a shutout of its own the following week.
- A reeling team watched its franchise quarterback come back from an elbow issue, only to exit the contest again with a related injury.
