🔗 Share this article

Each matchup is crucial at this stage, with a number of enormous results in week 14 that might settle postseason spots come the end of the campaign.

A 42-year Aaron Rodgers landed a significant blow to Lamar Jackson's postseason hopes, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback virtually terminated the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. At the same time, the Houston defense posed a huge problem and could have ended the Kansas City Chiefs campaign sooner than ever before in the Mahomes era.

The Breakdown: Divisional Deciders Exceed the Expectations

A trio of huge rivalry games lived up to the hype.

Seasoned signal-caller Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, steered his squad to a tough 27-22 win in on the road. The future Hall of Famer notched his first rushing touchdown in almost three seasons, but it was his long throws to his star receiver that made the deciding factor.

Lamar Jackson was out of kilter as his team missed crucial opportunities—though they were angry by a fourth-quarter touchdown being nullified. The two teams will meet again on the final day of the regular season.

In another, the longest-running rivalry in the NFL witnessed a thrilling encounter. Even with scoring deep passes, an worn-out defense had to halt another fourth-quarter rally from the opposing young quarterback in the frigid weather.

The result handed one team a narrow advantage in their division, while the defeated team plummeted from the conference's number one seed down to seventh.

Analysis: Where Has It Gone Awry for the Chiefs?

Projections assign the Kansas City only a 15% probability of reaching the postseason. Realistically, this could be the first missed post-season for franchise QB Patrick Mahomes—and the first for the organization in a ten years.

In Mahomes' seven full years as a starter, he has advanced to 7 conference championship contests and 5 Super Bowls. This indicates the team has competed in nearly every possible game throughout his time.

So, the reasons for the current struggles are clear and were summed up during Sunday's loss. Absences decimated an already dodgy offensive line, with several key players missing.

Despite that, the quarterback provided his team a fighting chance, however failed kicks and costly dropped passes—including on a pivotal fourth down attempt—confirmed their fate.

In Focus: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US?

Two powerhouse contenders from the West Coast conferences are building compelling cases for championship contention.

One team, leading their the AFC, claimed the most recent title played at this year's stadium. They are built on a dominant defense that leads the NFL in sacks and victories through grinding, long drives.

The second contender, atop the NFC, demonstrated an dynamic offence capable of scoring from any situation. They boast a two-headed running attack to complement an exceptional passing game.

A key matchup would be whether the high-flying offence can solve the smothering pass rush of the top defensive unit—a a must-watch potential matchup.

Discussion: Travis Kelce Pondering Calling It Quits?

Amid the fallout from the Chiefs' loss, remarks from the quarterback about his longtime teammate fueled talk about a possible retirement.

Hearing Mahomes say, "every year... I try to cherish because you never know" definitely seemed like the QB was bracing for the 36-year-old to hang up his cleats.

"The tight end will have the option to do what he wants to do following this campaign," he continued. If the season concludes prematurely for the team, the 3x Super Bowl veteran could choose to retire.

Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate

The Bills' quarterback put on a show once more for his team in a snowy win. He threw 3 touchdowns and ran for one more, responsible for a remarkable portion of his offense's total scores this year.

Allen is the only quarterback in NFL annals with three thousand passing yards, twenty touchdown passes and ten rushing touchdowns in 3 straight campaigns.

Now, he tries to carry the Bills on his back again as they try to catch their AFC East rivals, the Patriots—and, they are exactly who they face this coming Sunday.

Key Upcoming Week Matchups:

• Bills @ New England Patriots
• Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
• Packers @ Broncos
• Chargers @ Chiefs

This Week's Stats, Records & Notes

• A kickoff return for a 100-yard score—the longest play of the year—kick-started a scoring blitz for one team.
• A star receiver scored two touchdowns and remains tracking for a historic 2,000-yard receiving.
• A feared defensive end notched his twentieth sack of the campaign, moving within reach of the all-time mark.
• An overseas kicker played a key role for his team in a surprise win in soggy conditions.
• A team that was held scoreless one week bounced back with a shutout of its own the next.
• A struggling team saw its star quarterback return from injury, only to exit the contest once more with a related ailment.