🔗 Share this article Rodgers Sustains Postseason Aspirations Alive, But Could This Be The Conclusion for the Chiefs? Highlights from NFL the Fourteenth Week Every contest matters down the stretch, with a number of enormous conclusions in week 14 that might determine postseason berths by the conclusion of the season. A 42-year veteran quarterback dealt a big blow to Lamar Jackson's play-off hopes, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but finished the Cincinnati Bengals' hopes. At the same time, the Houston Texans defense presented a significant challenge and may have finished the Kansas City Chiefs season sooner than ever before in the Mahomes era. The Breakdown: Division Showdowns Live Up To the Hype A trio of huge divisional battles lived up to the hype. Veteran signal-caller Rodgers, playing with a fractured wrist, guided his squad to a tough 27-22 victory in on the road. He recorded his first rushing touchdown in almost three years, however it was his long passes to his star receiver that made the deciding factor. The Ravens' quarterback seemed off rhythm as his team failed to capitalize on crucial opportunities—though they were angry by a late touchdown being nullified. The two franchises will meet once more on the last weekend of the regular season. In another, the oldest feud in the league witnessed a epic encounter. Even with touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defense had to halt another late-game rally from the opposing young quarterback in the frigid weather. This outcome gave one side a slender lead in their NFC North, while the losers dropped from the conference's number one seed down to outside the playoff picture. Analysis: What Has Gone Wrong for the Chiefs? Statistical models assign the Kansas City only a 15% chance of reaching the play-offs. In all likelihood, this could be the first missed playoffs for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first for the organization in a ten years. In his 7 full years as a starter, he has advanced to 7 conference championship games and 5 championship games. This means the team has played nearly each available game during his tenure. So, the reasons for this year's failure are apparent and were encapsulated during the recent defeat. Injuries ravaged an already dodgy O-line, with multiple key players out. Despite that, the quarterback provided his squad a fighting chance, but failed field goals and crucial dropped passes—including on a pivotal fourth-down play—sealed their fate. In Focus: Could the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US? A pair of top contenders from the West Coast conferences are making compelling arguments for Super Bowl contention. One squad, leading their conference, won the last Super Bowl held at February's stadium. They are constructed on a stifling defence that leads the league in quarterback takedowns and wins through methodical, long possessions. The other contender, atop the other conference, showcased an high-powered offence capable of scoring from any situation. They feature a two-headed running attack to pair with an elite passing attack. A key matchup would be if the potent offence can handle the relentless pressure of the top defense—what would be a must-watch potential showdown. Discussion: A Star Tight End Considering Retirement? Amid the fallout from the Kansas City's loss, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his longtime tight end fueled speculation about a potential retirement. Listening to him state, "each year... I try to cherish since you never know" definitely sounded like the QB was preparing for the veteran to hang up his cleats. "The tight end will have the choice to do whatever he wants to do following this campaign," Mahomes continued. Should the season concludes prematurely for the team, the 3x Super Bowl winner might decide to retire. Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate The Bills' quarterback put on a show again for Buffalo in a wintry victory. He threw three scores and ran for another, responsible for a remarkable portion of his offense's total scores this year. Allen is the first player in league annals with 3,000 passing yards, twenty TD passes and 10 rushing scores in 3 consecutive campaigns. Next, he puts the team on his back once more as they aim to chase down their division rivals, the New England Patriots—and, that's exactly who they play this coming Sunday. Key Upcoming Week Matchups: Bills @ Patriots Detroit Lions @ Los Angeles Rams Packers @ Broncos Los Angeles Chargers @ Chiefs This Week's Stats, Records & Notes A kick-off return for a 100-yard touchdown—the biggest scoring play of the season—sparked a scoring blitz for one team. A star receiver caught 2 scores and remains tracking for a historic 2,000-yard receiving. A dominant defensive end notched his twentieth sack of the season, moving within reach of the all-time record. An overseas kicker played a key role for his team in a surprise win in soggy conditions. A offense that was shutout one game bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the following week. A reeling team saw its franchise quarterback come back from an elbow issue, only to leave the contest once more with a similar injury.