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Each game matters from here on in, with a number of huge conclusions in week 14 that could decide postseason berths by the conclusion of the campaign.

A 42-year Aaron Rodgers struck a big blow to the Baltimore Ravens' play-off aspirations, whereas the Buffalo Bills quarterback virtually finished Joe Burrow's hopes. Meanwhile, the Houston defence posed a huge problem and could have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs campaign earlier than ever before in the Mahomes tenure.

The Breakdown: Division Deciders Live Up To the Anticipation

A trio of massive rivalry games lived up to the hype.

Veteran signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, competing with a injured wrist, guided his squad to a hard-fought close success in Baltimore. He notched his first rushing touchdown in almost three years, but it was his deep passes to his star wideout that proved to be the difference.

The Ravens' quarterback seemed off rhythm as his team failed to capitalize on key opportunities—though they were left fuming by a fourth-quarter touchdown being overturned. The two teams are scheduled to face off again on the last weekend of the regular season.

Elsewhere, the oldest feud in the NFL witnessed a classic encounter. Despite touchdown deep passes, an worn-out defense had to halt another late-game comeback from the opposing young QB in the freezing conditions.

The result handed one side a slender lead in their NFC North, whereas the losers plummeted from the conference's top spot all the way to outside the playoff picture.

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

Projections assign the Chiefs only a 15% probability of reaching the postseason. In all likelihood, this could be the first missed playoffs for star quarterback Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a ten years.

During his 7 full years as a starting quarterback, he has reached seven conference championship games and five Super Bowls. This indicates the club has competed in almost every available contest throughout his time.

So, the reasons for this year's failure are evident and were summed up during Sunday's loss. Injuries ravaged an already dodgy offensive line, with multiple starters out.

Despite that, the quarterback provided his team a fighting chance, but failed field goals and costly dropped passes—such as on a decisive fourth down play—sealed their downfall.

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

A pair of top contenders from the western divisions are building strong cases for Super Bowl favorites.

One squad, atop their the AFC, claimed the last Super Bowl played at this year's stadium. They are built on a stifling defense that tops the league in sacks and victories through grinding, long possessions.

The second team, leading the other conference, showcased an high-powered offense capable of scoring from anywhere. They boast a two-headed ground game to pair with an exceptional passing game.

The question could be whether the potent offence can solve the relentless pressure of the top defense—a a must-watch playoff matchup.

Discussion: Travis Kelce Considering Retirement?

Amid the fallout from the Chiefs' loss, remarks from Patrick Mahomes about his star tight end sparked speculation about a possible retirement.

Hearing him state, "every year... I try to appreciate since you never know" definitely sounded like the QB was bracing for the veteran to hang up his cleats.

"The tight end will have the option to do whatever he chooses to do following this season," Mahomes continued. Should the season ends early for the team, the three-time Super Bowl veteran could choose to retire.

Looking Ahead: Buffalo vs. Patriots Headlines Week 15

Josh Allen did it all again for his team in a snowy victory. Allen passed for three scores and ran for one more, accounting for a staggering portion of his offense's overall scores this year.

He is the only player in league history with three thousand passing yards, twenty TD passes and ten running scores in three consecutive campaigns.

Next, he tries to carry the team on his back again as they try to chase down their division rivals, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, they are precisely who they face this coming Sunday.

Major Upcoming Week Games:

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

Week 14 Stats, Records & Notes

• A kickoff return for a 100-yard score—the longest scoring play of the season—sparked a scoring blitz for one team.
• A star wide receiver scored two touchdowns and remains on course for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season.
• A feared defensive end notched his 20th QB sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season record.
• An international placekicker helped his team in a upset victory in soggy weather.
• A team that was shutout one game responded with a shutout of its own the following week.
• A struggling franchise watched its star QB return from an elbow issue, only to exit the contest once more with a related injury.