Every matchup is crucial at this stage, with a number of huge results in week 14 that might determine play-off berths by the end of the campaign.
A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers landed a big blow to Lamar Jackson's play-off hopes, while Josh Allen all-but terminated Joe Burrow's chances. At the same time, the Houston defense posed a huge problem and could have concluded the Chiefs' season earlier than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes tenure.
The Breakdown: Division Showdowns Live Up To the Anticipation
Three huge divisional battles lived up to the hype.
Veteran quarterback Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, guided his squad to a tough close win in on the road. The future Hall of Famer recorded his first rushing score in nearly three years, but it was his long passes to his top wideout that made the deciding factor.
The Ravens' quarterback was out of kilter as Baltimore failed to capitalize on key chances—although they were angry by a fourth-quarter score being overturned. These franchises will meet once more on the last day of the season.
Elsewhere, the oldest rivalry in the NFL saw a thrilling contest. Even with scoring bombs, an exhausted defensive unit had to stop another fourth-quarter comeback from the visiting young quarterback in the freezing weather.
This result gave one side a slender advantage in their division, while the losers fell from the conference's top spot down to outside the playoff picture.
In-Depth Look: What Has Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Statistical models assign the Kansas City only a fifteen percent chance of reaching the play-offs. In all likelihood, this will be the first missed post-season for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the franchise in a decade.
During his 7 complete seasons as a starting quarterback, he has reached seven conference championship games and five championship games. This means the club has competed in nearly each possible contest during his tenure.
So, the reasons for this year's struggles are clear and were summed up during Sunday's loss. Injuries decimated an already struggling O-line, with multiple starters out.
Despite that, Mahomes provided his squad a fighting chance, however failed kicks and critical dropped passes—such as on a pivotal fourth down attempt—confirmed their downfall.
In Focus: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US?
A pair of top teams from the West Coast conferences are making strong arguments for Super Bowl contention.
One team, atop their conference, won the most recent Super Bowl held at February's stadium. They are built on a dominant defence that tops the league in sacks and wins through grinding, time-consuming drives.
The second team, leading the NFC, showcased an high-powered offense capable of putting points on the board from anywhere. They boast a formidable running game to pair with an exceptional aerial game.
A key matchup would be whether the potent offense could solve the relentless pressure of the elite defensive unit—what would be a must-watch potential showdown.
Discussion: A Star Tight End Pondering Retirement?
Among the fallout from the Chiefs' defeat, remarks from the quarterback about his longtime tight end fueled speculation about a possible departure.
Hearing Mahomes state, "each year... I try to cherish because you never know" definitely sounded like he was preparing for the veteran to call it a day.
"The tight end will have the choice to do whatever he chooses to do after this campaign," he continued. If the year ends early for the Chiefs, the three-time Super Bowl veteran might choose to retire.
Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Headlines the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen did it all again for his team in a wintry victory. He threw 3 scores and ran for one more, responsible for a remarkable portion of his team's total scores this season.
He is the only quarterback in league history with 3,000 pass yards, 20 touchdown passes and 10 running scores in 3 consecutive seasons.
Now, he puts the team on his shoulders again as they try to chase down their AFC East foes, the Patriots—and, that's precisely who they face this coming Sunday.
Major Week 15 Games:
- Bills @ Patriots
- Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
- Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
- Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Week 14 Stats, Records & Notes
- A kickoff return for a 100-yard score—the biggest scoring play of the season—kick-started a second-half onslaught for one team.
- A prolific wide receiver scored 2 scores and is still on course for a historic 2,000-yard receiving.
- A dominant pass rusher recorded his 20th sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season record.
- An overseas kicker helped his team in a upset win in rainy weather.
- A team that was held scoreless one week bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the next.
- A reeling franchise watched its star quarterback return from an elbow issue, only to leave the game once more with a related injury.
