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Every contest is crucial down the stretch, with a number of huge results in week 14 that might settle postseason spots by the conclusion of the campaign.

A 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers struck a major blow to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason aspirations, while the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but finished Joe Burrow's chances. Meanwhile, the Houston defence posed a huge challenge and could have concluded the Kansas City Chiefs campaign sooner than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes tenure.

The Breakdown: Divisional Showdowns Exceed the Hype

A trio of massive division clashes delivered.

Seasoned quarterback Aaron Rodgers, playing with a fractured wrist, led his squad to a tough close success in Baltimore. The future Hall of Famer recorded his initial running touchdown in almost three seasons, however it was his deep throws to his top receiver that made the deciding factor.

The Ravens' quarterback seemed out of sync as his team missed crucial opportunities—though they were frustrated by a late score being overturned. These franchises will meet once more on the last weekend of the regular season.

Elsewhere, the longest-running rivalry in the league saw a epic contest. Despite touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defense had to thwart another fourth-quarter comeback from the visiting rookie QB in the frigid conditions.

This result gave one team a slender lead in their division, while the defeated team dropped from the NFC's top spot all the way to seventh.

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

Statistical models give the Chiefs only a fifteen percent probability of reaching the postseason. In all likelihood, this will be the first missed post-season for franchise QB Patrick Mahomes—and the first for the organization in a decade.

During his 7 full seasons as a starter, he has reached 7 conference championship contests and five championship games. This indicates the club has played almost every possible contest during his time.

So, the causes for this year's failure are clear and were highlighted during Sunday's loss. Injuries ravaged an already dodgy offensive line, with multiple starters missing.

Even then, Mahomes provided his squad a chance, but failed kicks and critical dropped passes—including on a decisive fourth-down attempt—confirmed their downfall.

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

A pair of top contenders from the West Coast divisions are making strong arguments for Super Bowl favorites.

One squad, leading their conference, claimed the last Super Bowl held at this year's venue. They are built on a dominant defence that leads the league in sacks and victories through methodical, long possessions.

The other contender, leading the NFC, demonstrated an dynamic offense capable of scoring from anywhere. They boast a formidable running attack to complement an elite passing attack.

The question would be if the high-flying offense could withstand the relentless pressure of the elite defense—a a fascinating potential showdown.

Discussion: Travis Kelce Pondering Calling It Quits?

Among the aftermath from the Chiefs' loss, remarks from Patrick Mahomes about his star teammate sparked talk about a potential departure.

Listening to him state, "each year... I try to appreciate since you never know" definitely sounded like the QB was preparing for the 36-year-old to hang up his cleats.

"The tight end will have the option to do what he wants to do after this season," Mahomes continued. Should the season ends early for the Chiefs, the 3x champion veteran might decide to walk away.

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

The Bills' quarterback put on a show once more for his team in a wintry win. Allen passed for three scores and rushed for one more, responsible for a remarkable percentage of his offense's total touchdowns this season.

Allen is the only quarterback in NFL history with 3,000 pass yards, twenty TD throws and 10 rushing scores in 3 consecutive seasons.

Next, he puts the team on his shoulders again as they try to catch their division rivals, the Patriots—and, they are exactly who they play this coming Sunday.

Key Upcoming Week Games:

• Buffalo Bills @ Patriots
• Lions @ Rams
• Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
• Chargers @ Chiefs

This Week's Stats, Records & Notes

• A kick-off return for a 100-yard score—the biggest scoring play of the season—sparked a scoring blitz for one team.
• A star receiver scored 2 touchdowns and is still on course for a historic 2,000-yard receiving.
• A dominant defensive end recorded his twentieth sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season mark.
• An overseas placekicker helped his team in a upset victory in rainy conditions.
• A team that was held scoreless one week responded with a shutout of its own the following week.
• A struggling franchise saw its franchise quarterback return from injury, only to leave the game again with a similar injury.