Each game is crucial from here on in, with several huge conclusions in week 14 that may decide postseason spots by the end of the campaign.
A 42-year Aaron Rodgers struck a big blow to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason hopes, while Josh Allen virtually finished the Cincinnati Bengals' hopes. At the same time, the Houston Texans defence posed a significant challenge and may have finished the Kansas City Chiefs season sooner than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes tenure.
Divisional Analysis: Divisional Deciders Live Up To the Anticipation
Three critical divisional battles lived up to the hype.
Veteran signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, competing with a fractured wrist, steered his team to a tough close victory in Baltimore. The future Hall of Famer scored his first running touchdown in almost three seasons, however it was his deep passes to his top receiver that proved to be the difference.
Lamar Jackson seemed out of sync as his team missed crucial chances—though they were left fuming by a fourth-quarter score being nullified. The two teams are scheduled to face off once more on the final weekend of the regular season.
In another, the oldest rivalry in the NFL saw a thrilling contest. Even with touchdown deep passes, an worn-out defensive unit had to stop another fourth-quarter rally from the visiting young quarterback in the frigid weather.
This result handed one team a narrow lead in their division, while the defeated team dropped from the NFC's number one seed down to outside the playoff picture.
In-Depth Look: What Has Gone Wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs?
Statistical models assign the Chiefs only a 15% chance of making the postseason. Realistically, this could be the initial missed playoffs for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a decade.
During Mahomes' seven full seasons as a starter, he has reached 7 conference championship games and 5 Super Bowls. That means the team has played almost every available contest throughout his tenure.
So, the reasons for this year's struggles are apparent and were summed up during the recent defeat. Absences ravaged an already dodgy O-line, with multiple starters missing.
Despite that, Mahomes provided his squad a fighting chance, however missed field goals and crucial drops—including on a key fourth down play—sealed their fate.
In Focus: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US?
Two top contenders from the West Coast conferences are making strong cases for championship favorites.
One squad, atop their the AFC, won the most recent title held at this year's venue. They are built on a dominant defense that tops the league in quarterback takedowns and victories through grinding, long drives.
The second team, leading the NFC, showcased an explosive offense capable of scoring from anywhere. They boast a two-headed running attack to pair with an elite passing game.
A key matchup would be whether the potent offense can withstand the smothering pass rush of the top defense—what would be a fascinating playoff matchup.
Talking Point: A Star Tight End Considering Retirement?
Amid the aftermath from the Kansas City's defeat, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his star tight end sparked talk about a potential departure.
Hearing him say, "every season... I try to cherish since you never know" certainly sounded like the QB was preparing for the 36-year-old to hang up his cleats.
"The tight end will have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season," he added. Should the season concludes early for the Chiefs, the three-time Super Bowl winner could choose to retire.
Preview: Buffalo vs. Patriots Headlines the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen did it all again for his team in a snowy victory. Allen passed for three touchdowns and ran for another, accounting for a remarkable portion of his team's total touchdowns this year.
He is the only quarterback in league history with three thousand passing yards, 20 TD passes and ten rushing scores in 3 consecutive campaigns.
Next, he puts the Bills on his back once more as they try to catch their AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, that's precisely who they play 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 kick-off runback for a 100-yard score—the longest play of the season—kick-started a scoring blitz for one offense.
- A prolific receiver caught two scores and is still on course for a record-breaking 2,000-yard receiving.
- A dominant pass rusher recorded his 20th sack of the season, closing in of the all-time record.
- An international placekicker played a key role for his team in a upset win in rainy weather.
- A offense that was shutout one week bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the following week.
- A struggling team watched its star quarterback come back from an elbow issue, only to leave the contest again with a related injury.
