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Every contest matters at this stage, with some enormous conclusions in the fourteenth week that might settle play-off positions by the conclusion of the year.

A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers struck a significant setback to Lamar Jackson's postseason hopes, whereas Josh Allen virtually finished the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. Meanwhile, the Houston defense posed a massive problem and could have ended the Chiefs' campaign sooner than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes era.

The Breakdown: Division Deciders Exceed the Expectations

A trio of massive division clashes delivered.

Seasoned signal-caller Rodgers, competing with a injured wrist, guided his team to a tough close victory in Baltimore. The future Hall of Famer scored his initial rushing touchdown in nearly three seasons, but it was his deep passes to his star receiver that proved to be the difference.

Lamar Jackson was off rhythm as Baltimore failed to capitalize on key chances—though they were angry by a fourth-quarter score being overturned. The two franchises will meet once more on the last weekend of the regular season.

Elsewhere, the longest-running rivalry in the NFL saw a thrilling encounter. Despite touchdown bombs, an exhausted defense had to thwart another fourth-quarter comeback from the visiting young QB in the freezing conditions.

This result gave one side a slender lead in their NFC North, whereas the losers plummeted from the conference's number one seed down to outside the playoff picture.

In-Depth Look: Where Has It Gone Awry for the Kansas City Chiefs?

Statistical models give the Kansas City only a fifteen percent chance of reaching the play-offs. Realistically, this will be the initial missed post-season for star quarterback Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a decade.

In his seven full years as a starting quarterback, he has reached 7 AFC Championship contests and 5 Super Bowls. This means the team has competed in almost each available game during his tenure.

So, the causes for this year's struggles are evident and were highlighted during the recent loss. Absences decimated an already dodgy O-line, with multiple key players out.

Even then, the quarterback gave his team a chance, however failed kicks and costly drops—including on a decisive fourth-down play—sealed their fate.

In Focus: Is the Lombardi Trophy Be Heading for the West?

Two top teams from the western divisions are making strong cases for Super Bowl favorites.

One squad, atop their conference, claimed the last title played at this year's venue. They are built on a dominant defense that leads the league in quarterback takedowns and wins through grinding, time-consuming possessions.

The other contender, leading the NFC, demonstrated an high-powered offence capable of scoring from any situation. They feature a formidable running game to complement an exceptional passing attack.

The question could be if the high-flying offense can solve the smothering pressure of the elite defense—what would be a must-watch potential matchup.

Discussion: A Star Tight End Pondering Retirement?

Amid the aftermath from the Kansas City's defeat, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his longtime teammate fueled talk about a potential departure.

Listening to him state, "every season... I try to cherish because you never know" definitely seemed like the QB was preparing for the 36-year-old to hang up his cleats.

"The tight end will have the option to do whatever he chooses to do following this campaign," he added. If the year concludes prematurely for the Chiefs, the three-time champion winner might choose to walk away.

Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate

Josh Allen put on a show again for his team in a wintry victory. He threw three scores and rushed for another, responsible for a remarkable portion of his offense's total touchdowns this season.

Allen is the only quarterback in league annals with 3,000 pass yards, twenty TD passes and 10 running touchdowns in three consecutive campaigns.

Now, he puts the team on his shoulders once more as they try to catch their AFC East foes, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, they are exactly who they face this coming Sunday.

Key Upcoming Week Matchups:

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

This Week's Stats, Records & Notes

• A kickoff runback for a 100-yard score—the longest play of the year—kick-started a second-half onslaught for one team.
• A star receiver scored 2 touchdowns and is still tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season.
• A dominant defensive end recorded his 20th sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season mark.
• An overseas kicker helped his team in a surprise win in rainy weather.
• A offense that was held scoreless one week bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the following week.
• A reeling team saw its franchise QB return from an elbow issue, only to leave the game once more with a similar ailment.