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Every contest is crucial at this stage, with a number of massive conclusions in week 14 that could determine play-off positions by the conclusion of the campaign.

A 42-year veteran quarterback dealt a significant blow to Lamar Jackson's play-off hopes, whereas the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but finished Joe Burrow's hopes. Meanwhile, the Houston Texans defense posed a significant problem and could have finished the Chiefs' campaign earlier than ever before in the Mahomes tenure.

The Breakdown: Division Showdowns Live Up To the Anticipation

Three huge division clashes delivered.

Seasoned signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, playing with a injured wrist, steered his team to a hard-fought close victory in Baltimore. He recorded his initial rushing score in nearly three seasons, but it was his deep passes to his star receiver that proved to be the deciding factor.

Lamar Jackson seemed out of sync as Baltimore missed crucial chances—although they were frustrated by a fourth-quarter touchdown being chalked off. These teams will meet again on the last day of the season.

In another, the oldest feud in the league witnessed a classic contest. Even with scoring deep passes, an worn-out defense had to halt another fourth-quarter rally from the visiting young quarterback in the frigid weather.

This result handed one team a slender advantage in their division, whereas the losers plummeted from the NFC's number one seed all the way to seventh.

In-Depth Look: What Has Gone Wrong for the Chiefs?

Projections assign the Chiefs only a fifteen percent chance of making the postseason. In all likelihood, this will be the initial missed post-season for franchise QB Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a ten years.

During Mahomes' seven full years as a starter, he has advanced to 7 conference championship contests and 5 Super Bowls. This indicates the team has played almost each available game during his tenure.

So, the causes for this year's failure are evident and were encapsulated during the recent loss. Absences ravaged an already questionable O-line, with multiple key players out.

Despite that, Mahomes gave his squad a chance, however missed kicks and critical dropped passes—including on a key fourth-down attempt—sealed their fate.

Spotlight: Is the Lombardi Trophy Be Destined for the Western US?

A pair of top contenders from the West Coast conferences are making strong cases for championship favorites.

One squad, atop their the AFC, won the most recent title played at this year's stadium. They are built on a dominant defence that tops the league in sacks and wins through methodical, long drives.

The other contender, leading the NFC, showcased an explosive offence capable of putting points on the board from any situation. They boast a formidable ground game to pair with an elite passing game.

A key matchup would be if the potent offence could withstand the relentless pass rush of the top defensive unit—a a fascinating potential matchup.

Discussion: A Star Tight End Considering Calling It Quits?

Among the fallout from the Kansas City's loss, comments from the quarterback about his longtime tight end sparked speculation about a potential retirement.

Listening to Mahomes state, "each year... I try to cherish because you never know" certainly sounded like the QB was preparing for the veteran to hang up his cleats.

"He 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 3x champion winner could choose to retire.

Preview: Bills vs. Patriots Headlines the Upcoming Slate

The Bills' quarterback did it all once more for Buffalo in a snowy win. He threw three scores and ran for one more, accounting for a staggering percentage of his team's total scores this season.

Allen is the first player in NFL history with 3,000 pass yards, 20 touchdown throws and 10 running scores in 3 straight campaigns.

Now, he puts the team on his shoulders once more as they aim to catch their division foes, the Patriots—and, that's exactly who they play this coming Sunday.

Key Upcoming Week Games:

• Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
• Detroit Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
• Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
• Chargers @ Chiefs

This Week's Statistical Highlights

• A kickoff runback for a 100-yard score—the longest scoring play of the year—kick-started a scoring blitz for one team.
• A prolific wide receiver caught two touchdowns and is still on course for a historic 2,000-yard receiving.
• A dominant pass rusher notched his 20th QB sack of the season, closing in of the all-time record.
• An international kicker played a key role for his squad in a upset win in rainy weather.
• A team that was held scoreless one game responded with a clean sheet of its own the next.
• A struggling team saw its franchise QB come back from injury, only to exit the contest once more with a similar ailment.