Every contest counts from here on in, with several enormous results in week 14 that could decide postseason berths by the end of the campaign.
A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers struck a significant setback to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason aspirations, whereas the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but terminated Joe Burrow's hopes. Meanwhile, the Houston defense presented a huge problem and may have finished the Kansas City Chiefs season sooner than ever in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Divisional Analysis: Division Showdowns Exceed the Anticipation
A trio of huge division clashes delivered.
Veteran signal-caller Rodgers, competing with a fractured wrist, guided his squad to a hard-fought 27-22 victory in Baltimore. He scored his initial running score in nearly three seasons, however it was his long passes to his top receiver that made the deciding factor.
Lamar Jackson seemed off rhythm as Baltimore missed key opportunities—though they were frustrated by a late touchdown being nullified. The two franchises will meet again on the final weekend of the season.
In another, the oldest feud in the NFL witnessed a thrilling encounter. Even with touchdown deep passes, an worn-out defensive unit had to halt another late-game comeback from the visiting rookie quarterback in the freezing conditions.
This outcome gave one team a slender advantage in their division, whereas the defeated team plummeted from the conference's number one seed all the way to seventh.
Analysis: Where Has It Gone Wrong for the Chiefs?
Projections give the Chiefs only a 15% chance of making the postseason. In all likelihood, this could be the first missed playoffs for star quarterback Mahomes—and the first for the organization in a decade.
During Mahomes' 7 full seasons as a starting quarterback, he has advanced to 7 AFC Championship games and 5 Super Bowls. That indicates the team has played almost each available game throughout his tenure.
So, the reasons for the current failure are evident and were highlighted during the recent loss. Injuries ravaged an already struggling offensive line, with several starters out.
Despite that, Mahomes gave his team a chance, but missed kicks and critical drops—including on a key fourth-down play—sealed their fate.
In Focus: Could the Super Bowl Be Destined for the West?
Two top teams from the West Coast divisions are making compelling cases for Super Bowl favorites.
One team, leading their the AFC, claimed the most recent Super Bowl played at February's venue. They are built on a dominant defense that leads the league in sacks and wins through methodical, long possessions.
The second team, atop the other conference, demonstrated an dynamic offence capable of scoring from any situation. They feature a two-headed ground attack to pair with an elite aerial attack.
A key matchup could be whether the high-flying offense could handle the relentless pass rush of the top defensive unit—what would be a must-watch potential showdown.
Talking Point: A Star Tight End Considering Retirement?
Amid the fallout from the Chiefs' loss, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his longtime teammate sparked talk about a possible retirement.
Hearing him say, "every season... I try to cherish because you never know" certainly sounded like he was preparing for the 36-year-old to hang up his cleats.
"He will have the choice to do whatever he chooses to do after this campaign," Mahomes added. Should the year concludes prematurely for the team, the 3x champion winner might decide to walk away.
Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. Patriots Highlights the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen did it all once more for Buffalo in a wintry win. Allen threw three touchdowns and rushed for one more, responsible for a staggering percentage of his offense's total scores this season.
Allen is the only quarterback in league annals with three thousand pass yards, 20 touchdown throws and 10 running touchdowns in three straight campaigns.
Next, he puts the team on his shoulders again as they aim to chase down their division rivals, the Patriots—coincidentally, they are precisely who they face next.
Major Week 15 Matchups:
- Buffalo Bills @ Patriots
- Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
- Green Bay Packers @ Broncos
- Chargers @ Chiefs
This Week's Stats, Records & Notes
- A kick-off runback for a 100-yard score—the longest play of the season—kick-started a scoring blitz for one offense.
- A star receiver scored 2 scores and is still tracking for a historic 2,000-yard receiving.
- A feared pass rusher notched his 20th QB sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season mark.
- An international kicker played a key role for his squad in a surprise win in rainy conditions.
- A team that was held scoreless one game bounced back with a shutout of its own the next.
- A struggling team watched its star QB come back from injury, only to exit the game again with a related injury.
