🔗 Share this article Aaron Rodgers Sustains Postseason Dreams Alive, But Is It The End for the Kansas City Chiefs? Key Moments from National Football League the Fourteenth Week Every game matters down the stretch, with some massive conclusions in week 14 that could determine postseason spots by the conclusion of the season. A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers dealt a big blow to the Baltimore Ravens' play-off hopes, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback virtually ended Joe Burrow's hopes. At the same time, the Houston Texans defense posed a huge challenge and could have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs season earlier than ever before in the Mahomes era. The Breakdown: Divisional Showdowns Live Up To the Hype Three critical rivalry games lived up to the hype. Seasoned signal-caller Rodgers, playing with a fractured wrist, steered his team to a tough close success in on the road. He scored his initial running score in almost three years, however it was his long passes to his star receiver that proved to be the deciding factor. The Ravens' quarterback was out of sync as his team failed to capitalize on key chances—though they were angry by a fourth-quarter score being chalked off. The two teams are scheduled to face off again on the last weekend of the season. Elsewhere, the longest-running feud in the NFL saw a thrilling contest. Despite touchdown bombs, an exhausted defense had to stop another fourth-quarter rally from the visiting rookie QB in the freezing conditions. This outcome handed one side a slender advantage in their division, whereas the losers plummeted from the NFC's number one seed down to seventh. In-Depth Look: What Has Gone Wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs? Statistical models assign the Chiefs only a 15% probability of reaching the play-offs. Realistically, this will be the initial missed post-season for franchise QB Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a ten years. In Mahomes' 7 full seasons as a starter, he has reached seven conference championship contests and five Super Bowls. This means the team has played almost every available contest during his time. Therefore, the causes for the current struggles are evident and were summed up during Sunday's defeat. Injuries decimated an already dodgy offensive line, with several starters missing. Even then, the quarterback provided his squad a chance, but missed field goals and costly dropped passes—such as on a pivotal fourth down attempt—confirmed their downfall. In Focus: Could the Lombardi Trophy Be Destined for the Western US? A pair of powerhouse contenders from the western conferences are building strong arguments for Super Bowl favorites. One team, leading their conference, claimed the last title played at this year's stadium. They are constructed on a dominant defence that leads the NFL in quarterback takedowns and wins through grinding, time-consuming possessions. The second team, leading the NFC, demonstrated an dynamic offence capable of scoring from any situation. They feature a formidable running attack to complement an elite aerial attack. The question would be whether the high-flying offense could solve the relentless pressure of the top defensive unit—a a fascinating playoff showdown. Talking Point: A Star Tight End Considering Retirement? Amid the fallout from the Chiefs' loss, comments from the quarterback about his star teammate fueled talk about a potential departure. Listening to him say, "each season... I try to cherish since you never know" certainly sounded like he was preparing for the veteran to call it a day. "The tight end will have the option to do whatever he wants to do following this season," he added. If the year ends prematurely for the team, the 3x Super Bowl veteran could decide to retire. Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Headlines Week 15 The Bills' quarterback did it all again for Buffalo in a wintry victory. He threw three scores and rushed for one more, responsible for a staggering percentage of his offense's total touchdowns this year. He is the only quarterback in league annals with three thousand pass yards, twenty TD passes and ten running touchdowns in 3 straight seasons. Next, he puts the team on his back once more as they try to chase down their division foes, the Patriots—coincidentally, that's precisely who they play next. Key Upcoming Week Matchups: Bills @ New England Patriots Lions @ Los Angeles Rams Packers @ Denver Broncos Chargers @ Chiefs Week 14 Statistical Highlights A kick-off runback for a 100-yard score—the biggest play of the season—sparked a scoring blitz for one team. A prolific wide receiver scored two scores and remains tracking for a historic 2,000-yard receiving. A dominant defensive end recorded his 20th QB sack of the campaign, moving within reach of the single-season record. An international kicker played a key role for his team in a surprise victory in rainy conditions. A team that was held scoreless one week responded with a shutout of its own the following week. A reeling franchise saw its franchise QB come back from injury, only to exit the game once more with a similar injury.