Every contest counts down the stretch, with several massive conclusions in the fourteenth week that may determine postseason berths by the end of the year.
A 42-year Aaron Rodgers dealt a significant blow to the Baltimore Ravens' play-off hopes, while Josh Allen virtually finished the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans defense posed a massive problem and could have finished the Kansas City Chiefs campaign sooner than ever before in the Mahomes tenure.
Divisional Analysis: Divisional Showdowns Live Up To the Anticipation
Three huge rivalry games lived up to the hype.
Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, steered his team to a hard-fought close success in on the road. He notched his initial running score in almost three years, but it was his long throws to his star receiver that proved to be the deciding factor.
Lamar Jackson was out of kilter as Baltimore missed crucial chances—though they were frustrated by a late touchdown being chalked off. These teams will meet again on the last weekend of the regular season.
In another, the longest-running feud in the league witnessed a thrilling encounter. Despite touchdown bombs, an exhausted defensive unit had to halt another fourth-quarter rally from the visiting rookie QB in the frigid weather.
This result handed one side a narrow advantage in their division, while the defeated team plummeted from the conference's top spot down to seventh.
In-Depth Look: Where Has It Gone Awry for the Chiefs?
Projections give the Kansas City only a fifteen percent chance of making the postseason. In all likelihood, this will be the first missed post-season for star quarterback Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a decade.
During Mahomes' 7 complete years as a starter, he has advanced to seven AFC Championship contests and 5 Super Bowls. This indicates the team has played almost each available game throughout his tenure.
So, the causes for the current struggles are evident and were highlighted during Sunday's defeat. Injuries ravaged an already struggling O-line, with several key players missing.
Even then, Mahomes gave his squad a chance, but failed field goals and costly drops—such as on a key fourth-down play—confirmed their fate.
Spotlight: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US?
A pair of top contenders from the western divisions are building strong arguments for Super Bowl contention.
One squad, atop their the AFC, claimed the most recent Super Bowl held at February's stadium. They are built on a stifling defense that tops the league in sacks and victories through grinding, long possessions.
The other contender, atop the NFC, demonstrated an explosive offence capable of putting points on the board from anywhere. They feature a formidable ground attack to pair with an exceptional passing attack.
A key matchup could be if the high-flying offense could solve the smothering pass rush of the elite defensive unit—what would be a fascinating potential showdown.
Discussion: A Star Tight End Considering Calling It Quits?
Among the fallout from the Chiefs' loss, comments from the quarterback about his longtime tight end sparked talk about a possible departure.
Listening to him state, "every year... I try to appreciate because you never know" definitely sounded like the QB was preparing for the veteran to call it a day.
"The tight end will have the choice to do whatever he wants to do following this campaign," he continued. Should the year concludes early for the team, the three-time champion veteran might choose to retire.
Preview: Buffalo vs. Patriots Highlights the Upcoming Slate
The Bills' quarterback did it all again for Buffalo in a wintry victory. He passed for 3 touchdowns and ran for one more, responsible for a staggering percentage of his offense's overall touchdowns this year.
He is the only quarterback in NFL annals with 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown throws and ten rushing touchdowns in three straight seasons.
Now, he puts the team on his shoulders once more as they try to catch their AFC East foes, the New England Patriots—and, that's precisely who they face this coming Sunday.
Major Week 15 Matchups:
- Buffalo Bills @ Patriots
- Lions @ Rams
- Packers @ Denver Broncos
- Chargers @ Chiefs
Week 14 Stats, Records & Notes
- A kick-off return for a 100-yard touchdown—the biggest scoring play of the season—kick-started a second-half onslaught for one team.
- A star wide receiver scored 2 scores and is still tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season.
- A feared pass rusher notched his 20th sack of the campaign, closing in of the all-time mark.
- An international placekicker helped his team in a surprise win in rainy weather.
- A offense that was shutout one game responded with a shutout of its own the following week.
- A struggling franchise saw its star QB return from an elbow issue, only to exit the contest once more with a related ailment.
