Every contest matters from here on in, with several huge results in the fourteenth week that may settle postseason berths by the end of the campaign.
A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers dealt a major setback to Lamar Jackson's play-off aspirations, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but finished the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. Meanwhile, the Houston defense posed a massive challenge and may have finished the Chiefs' campaign earlier than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes era.
The Breakdown: Division Deciders Exceed the Expectations
Three huge divisional battles lived up to the hype.
Veteran signal-caller Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, led his team to a tough close victory in Baltimore. He scored his first running score in nearly three years, but it was his long passes to his top wideout that proved to be the deciding factor.
The Ravens' quarterback was out of sync as his team missed crucial chances—though they were left fuming by a late score being chalked off. The two teams will meet again on the final day of the regular season.
In another, the oldest rivalry in the NFL saw a thrilling contest. Despite touchdown deep passes, an worn-out defensive unit had to halt another late-game comeback from the visiting rookie quarterback in the freezing conditions.
The result gave one team a narrow lead in their NFC North, while the losers plummeted from the NFC's number one seed down to seventh.
In-Depth Look: Where Has It Gone Awry for the Chiefs?
Projections assign the Chiefs only a 15% probability of making the play-offs. Realistically, this could be the first missed post-season for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the franchise in a ten years.
In his 7 complete years as a starter, he has reached seven conference championship games and 5 Super Bowls. That means the club has played almost each possible game during his time.
So, the reasons for the current struggles are apparent and were highlighted during the recent defeat. Injuries ravaged an already dodgy O-line, with several key players missing.
Even then, the quarterback gave his team a fighting chance, however failed kicks and costly dropped passes—including on a decisive fourth down play—sealed their downfall.
Spotlight: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the West?
A pair of top contenders from the West Coast conferences are making strong arguments for Super Bowl contention.
One squad, leading their conference, claimed the most recent title held at this year's stadium. They are built on a stifling defence that leads the league in sacks and victories through grinding, long drives.
The second team, atop the other conference, demonstrated an dynamic offense capable of putting points on the board from any situation. They boast a formidable running attack to complement an exceptional aerial attack.
A key matchup would be whether the high-flying offence can withstand the relentless pressure of the elite defense—what would be a fascinating potential showdown.
Talking Point: Travis Kelce Considering Retirement?
Amid the fallout from the Chiefs' loss, remarks from Patrick Mahomes about his longtime teammate fueled talk about a potential retirement.
Listening to him say, "each season... I try to cherish since you never know" certainly seemed like he was bracing for the veteran to hang up his cleats.
"He will have the choice to do whatever he chooses to do after this season," he continued. Should the year concludes early for the team, the 3x champion winner could choose to walk away.
Looking Ahead: Bills vs. Patriots Highlights the Upcoming Slate
Josh Allen did it all again for Buffalo in a snowy victory. Allen passed for three touchdowns and rushed for one more, accounting for a remarkable portion of his team's overall scores this season.
Allen is the only quarterback in NFL history with three thousand passing yards, twenty touchdown passes and 10 running scores in three consecutive seasons.
Now, he tries to carry the team on his shoulders once more as they try to chase down their division rivals, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, they are exactly who they play next.
Key Upcoming Week Games:
- Bills @ New England Patriots
- Detroit Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
- Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
- Chargers @ Chiefs
Week 14 Stats, Records & Notes
- A kick-off return for a 100-yard touchdown—the biggest play of the season—sparked a second-half onslaught for one team.
- A star wide receiver scored two scores and remains tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season.
- A dominant pass rusher notched his twentieth QB sack of the season, closing in of the all-time mark.
- An overseas placekicker helped his squad in a surprise win in rainy weather.
- A team that was held scoreless one week bounced back with a shutout of its own the next.
- A reeling team saw its star quarterback return from an elbow issue, only to exit the game again with a similar injury.
