🔗 Share this article Rodgers Sustains Postseason Aspirations Afloat, But Could This Be The Conclusion for the Chiefs? Top Stories from NFL the Fourteenth Week Every matchup counts from here on in, with several enormous results in week 14 that might settle play-off spots by the conclusion of the campaign. A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers dealt a significant blow to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason hopes, whereas Josh Allen all-but terminated the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. Meanwhile, the Houston defense posed a huge challenge and could have finished the Kansas City Chiefs campaign earlier than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes tenure. The Breakdown: Divisional Deciders Live Up To the Hype A trio of critical rivalry games lived up to the hype. Seasoned signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, playing with a fractured wrist, guided his squad to a gritty 27-22 win in Baltimore. He recorded his first running touchdown in almost three seasons, but it was his long passes to his star receiver that proved to be the deciding factor. Lamar Jackson seemed off rhythm as his team failed to capitalize on crucial opportunities—though they were frustrated by a fourth-quarter score being chalked off. The two franchises will meet again on the last weekend of the season. In another, the longest-running rivalry in the NFL witnessed a classic contest. Despite touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defensive unit had to halt another late-game comeback from the opposing rookie quarterback in the freezing weather. The result handed one side a slender advantage in their division, whereas the defeated team plummeted from the conference's number one seed all the way to seventh. Analysis: What Has Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs? Projections give the Kansas City only a 15% probability of making the play-offs. Realistically, this will be the first missed post-season for franchise QB Mahomes—and the first such for the franchise in a ten years. In his 7 full years as a starting quarterback, he has reached seven conference championship games and five Super Bowls. This indicates the team has competed in almost each available game throughout his time. So, the causes for this year's failure are evident and were highlighted during Sunday's defeat. Absences decimated an already struggling offensive line, with multiple key players missing. Despite that, Mahomes gave his team a chance, but failed field goals and costly drops—including on a decisive fourth-down play—confirmed their fate. Spotlight: Could the Super Bowl Be Destined for the Western US? A pair of top contenders from the western conferences are making strong cases for championship favorites. One squad, leading their conference, claimed the last title played at this year's venue. They are constructed on a dominant defence that leads the league in quarterback takedowns and victories through grinding, time-consuming drives. The other contender, atop the NFC, showcased an dynamic offence capable of putting points on the board from anywhere. They boast a two-headed ground game to complement an elite aerial game. A key matchup could be if the high-flying offense can handle the relentless pressure of the top defense—a a fascinating playoff matchup. Talking Point: A Star Tight End Pondering Retirement? Amid the aftermath from the Kansas City's loss, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his star teammate fueled rumors about a potential departure. Listening to Mahomes state, "every year... 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 following this season," Mahomes continued. Should the year ends early for the Chiefs, the three-time Super Bowl veteran might decide to walk away. Preview: Bills vs. Patriots Headlines Week 15 Josh Allen did it all again for Buffalo in a wintry victory. He passed for 3 scores and rushed for another, responsible for a staggering percentage of his offense's total scores this year. Allen is the first player in NFL history with three thousand pass yards, twenty touchdown passes and 10 running scores in 3 straight campaigns. Next, he tries to carry the Bills on his back once more as they aim to catch their division rivals, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, that's precisely who they face next. Major Week 15 Games: Buffalo Bills @ Patriots Lions @ Los Angeles Rams Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos Los Angeles Chargers @ Chiefs This Week's Stats, Records & Notes A kickoff return for a 100-yard score—the biggest scoring play of the year—sparked a scoring blitz for one team. A star receiver scored 2 scores and remains tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season. A dominant pass rusher recorded his twentieth QB sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season record. An international placekicker helped his squad in a surprise win in rainy weather. A team that was shutout one week bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the next. A struggling franchise saw its franchise quarterback return from injury, only to leave the contest once more with a similar injury.