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Every game matters at this stage, with a number of massive conclusions in week 14 that may determine postseason spots come the end of the campaign.

A 42-year-old veteran quarterback dealt a big blow to Lamar Jackson's postseason aspirations, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback virtually ended the Cincinnati Bengals' hopes. At the same time, the Houston defense posed a huge challenge and may have finished the Chiefs' season earlier than ever in the Patrick Mahomes era.

The Breakdown: Division Deciders Exceed the Expectations

A trio of massive division clashes lived up to the hype.

Veteran signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, competing with a injured wrist, led his team to a gritty 27-22 success in Baltimore. He recorded his first running score in almost three years, however it was his deep passes to his top receiver that proved to be the deciding factor.

Lamar Jackson seemed out of sync as Baltimore failed to capitalize on key opportunities—though they were frustrated by a late score being overturned. These teams will meet again on the last day of the regular season.

In another, the longest-running rivalry in the NFL witnessed a epic contest. Even with touchdown bombs, an worn-out defensive unit had to stop another fourth-quarter comeback from the opposing young QB in the freezing conditions.

This result gave one side a slender advantage in their division, while the defeated team dropped from the conference's number one seed all the way to seventh.

Analysis: Where Has It Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs?

Projections assign 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 for the organization in a ten years.

During Mahomes' 7 full years as a starting quarterback, he has reached 7 conference championship contests and 5 championship games. This indicates the team has played nearly each available contest throughout his tenure.

So, the reasons for this year's failure are apparent and were encapsulated during Sunday's loss. Absences ravaged an already questionable O-line, with several starters out.

Despite that, Mahomes provided his team a fighting chance, but missed kicks and critical dropped passes—such as on a pivotal fourth-down attempt—sealed their downfall.

In Focus: Is the Super Bowl Be Heading for the Western US?

Two powerhouse teams from the West Coast divisions are building strong arguments for championship contention.

One team, atop their the AFC, won the most recent title held at February's stadium. They are built on a dominant defense that leads the NFL in sacks and wins through grinding, long drives.

The second team, leading the other conference, showcased an high-powered offence capable of putting points on the board from anywhere. They boast a formidable running game to pair with an elite passing attack.

A key matchup could be if the high-flying offense can handle the smothering pressure of the elite defensive unit—what would be a must-watch potential matchup.

Talking Point: A Star Tight End Pondering Retirement?

Amid the fallout from the Chiefs' defeat, remarks from the quarterback about his star teammate fueled talk about a possible departure.

Listening to Mahomes state, "each season... I try to appreciate since you never know" definitely sounded like he was preparing for the 36-year-old to call it a day.

"He will have the choice to do whatever he chooses to do after this season," Mahomes added. Should the season concludes early for the Chiefs, the three-time champion veteran could choose to retire.

Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. Patriots Headlines the Upcoming Slate

Josh Allen put on a show again for Buffalo in a wintry victory. Allen passed for three scores and ran for another, accounting for a staggering portion of his team's total touchdowns this season.

Allen is the only quarterback in NFL annals with 3,000 passing yards, twenty touchdown passes and ten rushing scores in three consecutive seasons.

Now, he tries to carry the Bills on his back again as they try to catch their division rivals, the Patriots—coincidentally, that's exactly who they face this coming Sunday.

Key Upcoming Week Matchups:

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

This Week's Stats, Records & Notes

• A kickoff runback for a 100-yard touchdown—the longest play of the season—sparked a second-half onslaught for one offense.
• A prolific wide receiver scored two touchdowns and is still on course for a historic 2,000-yard season.
• A dominant defensive end notched his 20th QB sack of the season, moving within reach of the single-season record.
• An international kicker helped his team in a surprise victory in soggy conditions.
• A team that was held scoreless one week responded with a clean sheet of its own the following week.
• A reeling team watched its star quarterback return from an elbow issue, only to exit the game again with a related injury.