Every game counts from here on in, with several massive conclusions in the fourteenth week that may decide postseason spots come the conclusion of the year.
A 42-year Aaron Rodgers struck a major setback to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason hopes, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but ended Joe Burrow's chances. At the same time, the Houston Texans defence presented a massive problem and may have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs season earlier than ever before in the Mahomes tenure.
The Breakdown: Divisional Showdowns Exceed the Hype
A trio of huge division clashes lived up to the hype.
Seasoned quarterback Rodgers, competing with a injured wrist, guided his squad to a gritty 27-22 success in Baltimore. He recorded his first rushing score in nearly three years, however it was his deep passes to his star receiver that made the difference.
Lamar Jackson seemed out of sync as Baltimore missed key chances—though they were frustrated by a late score being overturned. These teams will meet once more on the last weekend of the regular season.
Elsewhere, the oldest feud in the league saw a classic contest. Despite touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defense had to thwart another fourth-quarter comeback from the visiting rookie QB in the freezing conditions.
The result handed one team a narrow advantage in their NFC North, whereas the defeated team dropped from the NFC's number one seed down to outside the playoff picture.
Analysis: What Has Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Projections assign the Chiefs only a fifteen percent probability of making the play-offs. Realistically, this will be the first missed playoffs for star quarterback Mahomes—and the first for the franchise in a decade.
In Mahomes' 7 complete years as a starter, he has reached seven conference championship games and 5 Super Bowls. This means the team has played almost every available game during his tenure.
So, the reasons for this year's struggles are apparent and were highlighted during the recent loss. Absences ravaged an already dodgy O-line, with several starters out.
Despite that, the quarterback gave his team a fighting chance, however missed kicks and crucial drops—including on a pivotal fourth-down attempt—confirmed their downfall.
Spotlight: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US?
Two top teams from the western divisions are building compelling cases for championship contention.
One squad, leading their the AFC, claimed the most recent Super Bowl held at February's venue. They are built on a dominant defense that tops the league in quarterback takedowns and wins through grinding, long drives.
The second team, leading the other conference, demonstrated an high-powered offense capable of scoring from any situation. They feature a two-headed running game to pair with an elite passing game.
The question would be if the potent offence could handle the smothering pass rush of the elite defensive unit—a a fascinating potential matchup.
Talking Point: A Star Tight End Considering Retirement?
Amid the aftermath from the Kansas City's loss, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his star teammate sparked talk about a potential departure.
Hearing him say, "every year... I try to appreciate since you never know" definitely sounded like the QB was bracing for the 36-year-old to call it a day.
"He will have the choice to do what he chooses to do following this season," he continued. Should the season concludes early for the team, the 3x Super Bowl winner could choose to walk away.
Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. Patriots Highlights the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen did it all once more for Buffalo in a wintry victory. He passed for 3 scores and rushed for another, responsible for a staggering portion of his offense's overall scores this year.
Allen is the first player in NFL history with 3,000 pass yards, twenty TD passes and 10 running scores in 3 consecutive seasons.
Next, he tries to carry the team on his shoulders once more as they try to catch their division rivals, the Patriots—and, that's exactly who they play this coming Sunday.
Major Upcoming Week Matchups:
- Bills @ Patriots
- Detroit Lions @ Rams
- Green Bay Packers @ Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
This Week's Statistical Highlights
- 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 scores and is still tracking for a historic 2,000-yard season.
- A feared pass rusher recorded his twentieth QB sack of the season, moving within reach of the all-time record.
- An international placekicker helped his team in a surprise victory in soggy weather.
- A team that was held scoreless one week responded with a shutout of its own the following week.
- A struggling franchise saw its star QB return from an elbow issue, only to leave the game once more with a similar injury.
