The Kansas City Chiefs have been eliminated from NFL playoff contention for the first time since the 2014 season after a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. This defeat, coupled with victories by the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars, sealed their fate. The team had a strong playoff history, having reached the playoffs for 10 consecutive seasons.
Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes suffered a torn ACL in the fourth quarter and will miss the remainder of the season. He was injured while scrambling and was taken to the locker room after showing signs of distress. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, despite a broken left hand, threw for 210 yards and led the Chargers to a regular-season sweep over Kansas City. The Chiefs finished the game with just 239 total yards and Mahomes recorded 189 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
Buffalo Bills 35-31 New England Patriots
Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and James Cook scored two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown as the Buffalo Bills overcame a 21-0 deficit to defeat the New England Patriots, preventing New England from clinching the AFC East title. Allen completed 19 of 28 passes for 193 yards, while Cook ran for 107 yards on 22 carries. This victory marked the Bills’ seventh consecutive season with at least 10 wins. The Patriots, who suffered their first division loss of the season, saw their 10-game win streak come to an end and still lead the Bills by one game in the standings. In another game, Drake Maye had two rushing touchdowns, with TreVeyon Henderson contributing with significant scoring runs. The Patriots faced a crucial fourth-down situation late in the game, but Maye’s pass was batted down by Joey Bosa.
Green Bay Packers 26-34 Denver Broncos
Bo Nix matched his career-high with four touchdown passes, leading the Denver Broncos to a 34-26 victory over the Green Bay Packers, who lost Micah Parsons to a knee injury. With this win, the Broncos secured their 11th consecutive victory, clinching a playoff berth and securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Packers, who were ahead 23-14 in the third quarter, suffered their first loss by more than three points and fell behind Chicago in the standings. Denver’s defense performed well, with cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss each getting interceptions, and the Broncos restricting the Packers to one touchdown in four red zone attempts.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-24 Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and Kyle Van Noy and Alohi Gilman combined for a 95-yard pick-six, leading the Baltimore Ravens to a shutout victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, marking the first time Joe Burrow has been blanked in his career. Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards, continuing his strong season as the Ravens improved to 7-7, winning their fourth straight road game and closing in on the Steelers in the AFC North. Jackson completed 8 of 12 passes for 150 yards, with touchdowns to Rasheen Ali and Zay Flowers. Burrow, frustrated with the Bengals’ season, was intercepted twice and finished with 225 yards passing, as Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention.
Jacksonville Jaguars 48-20 New York Jets
Trevor Lawrence led the Jacksonville Jaguars to a dominant victory over the New York Jets, accounting for six touchdowns, including a career-high five passing. He completed 20 of 32 passes for 330 yards with no turnovers, achieving a passer rating of 136.7. Lawrence also rushed for 51 yards and a touchdown. The Jaguars scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and exceeded 40 points in just three quarters, marking a significant achievement for the team as they secured their second double-digit win in 18 seasons.
Indianapolis Colts 16-18 Seattle Seahawks
Jason Myers set a franchise record by kicking six field goals, including a 56-yarder late in the game, leading the Seattle Seahawks to an 18-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Philip Rivers, coming out of retirement at 44 to make his first start in nearly five years, threw a touchdown and helped set up a 60-yard field goal by Blake Grupe. However, Sam Darnold responded by driving the Seahawks downfield, culminating in a kick from Myers. Rivers, who had recently been coaching high school football, completed 18 of 27 passes for 120 yards, with a touchdown and an interception on his final throw, intercepted by Coby Bryant.
Detroit Lions 34-41 Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford threw for 368 yards and two touchdowns to Colby Parkinson, leading the Los Angeles Rams to a 41-34 comeback victory over the Detroit Lions and clinching a playoff spot. Kyren Williams and Blake Corum contributed with rushing touchdowns as the Rams scored 20 unanswered points to finish the game, marking their eighth win in nine contests. This marks the third consecutive year the Rams will reach the playoffs under coach Sean McVay. For the Lions, Amon-Ra St. Brown had an impressive game with 163 yards and two touchdowns, while Jared Goff passed for 338 yards and three touchdowns. Detroit’s playoff hopes are uncertain as they continue to alternate wins and losses.
Philadelphia Eagles 31-0 Las Vegas Raiders
Jalen Hurts bounced back from a poor performance to throw three touchdown passes, while Saquon Barkley contributed with a two-yard touchdown run, helping the Philadelphia Eagles end a three-game losing streak against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Eagles improved their offense under coordinator Kevin Patullo, scoring over 21 points for the first time in six games in snowy conditions. Hurts also connected with Dallas Goedert for a shovel pass touchdown and threw a 44-yard pass to DeVonta Smith, leading to a field goal for a 10-0 advantage. He later added a four-yard touchdown pass to Goedert, extending the lead to 24-0.
Carolina Panthers 17-20 New Orleans Saints
Tyler Shough led the New Orleans Saints to a 20-17 comeback victory over the Carolina Panthers, scoring two drives in the last five minutes. Charlie Smyth, a former Gaelic football player, sealed the win with a 47-yard field goal in the final seconds. Shough, drafted 40th overall, completed 24 of 32 passes for 272 yards and a touchdown pass to Chris Olave. He also rushed for a team-high 32 yards. His final carry set up the winning kick, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty that moved the ball closer for Smyth. The Panthers fell to 7-7, while the Saints improved to 4-10.
Tennessee Titans 24-37 San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy led the San Francisco 49ers to a 37-24 victory over the Tennessee Titans, throwing three touchdown passes, two to Jauan Jennings and one to George Kittle. The 49ers, coming off a bye week, scored on their first five possessions, showcasing a strong offensive performance despite Christian McCaffrey contributing only 87 yards from scrimmage. Purdy completed 23 of 30 passes for 295 yards. On the Titans’ side, rookie Cam Ward threw two touchdown passes, one to Gunnar Helm and another to defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons, finishing with 170 yards passing.
Chicago Bears 31-3 Cleveland Browns
Caleb Williams led the Chicago Bears to a victory over the Cleveland Browns in frigid conditions at Soldier Field, with a gametime temperature of -13°C. He threw two touchdown passes, helping the Bears (10-4) score multiple touchdowns in both the first and third quarters. Myles Garrett of the Browns had a strong performance, recording 1.5 sacks and moving closer to the NFL single-season sack record, now with 21.5 sacks this season, just one shy of the record held by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt. Garrett has had at least one sack in eight consecutive games.
Houston Texans 40-20 Arizona Cardinals
CJ Stroud led the Houston Texans to a decisive victory over the Arizona Cardinals, throwing for 260 yards and three touchdowns. The Texans improved to 9-5 and extended their winning streak to six games, enhancing their playoff prospects. The Cardinals, on a six-game losing streak, last won on November 3 against the Cowboys. Houston started strong with a 57-yard touchdown pass from Stroud to Nico Collins on the game’s second play, followed by Woody Marks scoring on a one-yard run, making it 17-0 in the first quarter.
New York Giants 21-29 Washington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt scored a touchdown, and rookie Jaylin Lane had a 63-yard punt return for a touchdown, leading the Washington Commanders to end their eight-game losing streak by defeating the New York Giants. This match had significant implications for draft positioning, as the Giants fell to a 2-12 record and closer to the top pick in the draft. With Jayden Daniels sidelined, Marcus Mariota stepped in as the quarterback, throwing a 51-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin despite completing only 10 of 19 passes for 211 yards and fumbling once.
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