Kansas City Chiefs will miss the NFL playoffs for the first time since 2014 after being officially eliminated on Sunday. Andy Reid’s side lost 16-13 to the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead while victories for the Buffalo Bills, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars sealed their fate. The Chiefs had visited five of the last six Super Bowls and made the playoffs in 10 straight seasons, winning nine consecutive AFC West titles.
Patrick Mahomes exited late in the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury after being spun to the ground by Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand. He grabbed his left knee and was taken to the injury tent, then to the locker room. Reid said Mahomes would undergo an MRI and it “didn’t look good”; NFL Network later reported a torn ACL, ending his season. Mahomes was held to 189 yards with no touchdowns and an interception; Kansas City managed just 239 yards as a team. Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, threw for 210 yards and a touchdown as the Chargers (10-4) completed a rare regular-season sweep of Kansas City. With 20 seconds to play, Gardner Minshew’s pass intended for Travis Kelce was intercepted by Derwin James to seal the win.
Buffalo Bills 35-31 New England Patriots
Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes while James Cook ran for two scores and caught another as Buffalo rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat New England, preventing the Patriots from clinching the AFC East. Allen finished 19 of 28 for 193 yards; Cook ran 22 times for 107 yards. The Bills (10-4) avoided being swept by a division opponent for the first time since 2019 and reached 10 wins for the seventh consecutive season. The Patriots (11-3) had their 10-game win streak ended. Drake Maye had two rushing touchdowns and rookie TreVeyon Henderson scored on runs of 52 and 65 yards (finishing with 14 carries for 148 yards). Trailing 35-31 with 2:43 to play, the Patriots faced fourth-and-five on their own 22 and Maye’s pass was batted down by Joey Bosa.
Green Bay Packers 26-34 Denver Broncos
Bo Nix tied his career high with four touchdown passes and Denver’s defense stifled Jordan Love in the second half as the Broncos won 34-26. With their 11th consecutive victory, the Broncos (12-2) clinched a playoff berth and moved a game ahead of New England for the AFC No. 1 seed. Denver cornerbacks Pat Surtain II and Riley Moss recorded interceptions; Denver sacked Love three times and held Green Bay to one touchdown in four red-zone trips.
Cincinnati Bengals 0-24 Baltimore Ravens
Lamar Jackson threw two touchdowns and the Ravens turned a Joe Burrow interception into a 95-yard pick-six as Baltimore blanked Cincinnati 24-0 — the first time Burrow has been shut out in his six-year career. Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries. The Ravens (7-7) won their fourth straight road game and pulled within a half-game of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. Cincinnati were eliminated from playoff contention; Burrow completed 25 of 39 for 225 yards with two interceptions.
Jacksonville Jaguars 48-20 New York Jets
Trevor Lawrence accounted for six touchdowns, including a career-high five passing, leading Jacksonville to a 48-20 rout of the Jets. Lawrence completed 20 of 32 for 330 yards, ran for 51 yards and a score, and played turnover-free for the third straight game. The Jaguars (10-4) scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and reached double-digit wins for only the second time in 18 seasons.
Indianapolis Colts 16-18 Seattle Seahawks
Jason Myers kicked a franchise-record six field goals, including a 56-yarder with 29 seconds left, as Seattle edged the Colts 18-16. Philip Rivers, 44, came out of retirement to start for Indianapolis and threw a touchdown; Blake Grupe’s 60-yard field goal briefly gave the Colts the lead late. Sam Darnold engineered the Seahawks’ final drive to set up Myers. The Seahawks improved to 11-3.
Detroit Lions 34-41 Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford passed for 368 yards and connected with Colby Parkinson for two touchdowns as the Rams rallied for a 41-34 win over the Lions. Kyren Williams rushed for two scores for Los Angeles, who secured a playoff berth with the victory. Amon-Ra St. Brown had 163 yards and two touchdowns for Detroit.
Philadelphia Eagles 31-0 Las Vegas Raiders
Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes and Saquon Barkley added a short rushing score as Philadelphia snapped a three-game losing streak with a 31-0 win over Las Vegas. The Eagles (9-5) topped 21 points for the first time in six games, with Hurts also completing a 44-yard pass to DeVonta Smith on a key drive.
Tennessee Titans 24-37 San Francisco 49ers
Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes as San Francisco scored on its first five possessions in a 37-24 victory over Tennessee. The 49ers (10-4) got touchdown catches from Jauan Jennings and George Kittle and a rushing score from Christian McCaffrey, converting seven of their first seven third-down attempts.
Chicago Bears 31-3 Cleveland Browns
Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes and the Bears beat the Browns 31-3 in frigid conditions at Soldier Field. The Bears (10-4) built an early lead and extended it in the third quarter. Browns star Myles Garrett had 1.5 sacks to reach 21.5 on the season, one shy of the single-season record.
Houston Texans 40-20 Arizona Cardinals
C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns as Houston cruised to a 40-20 win over Arizona. The Texans (9-5) have won six straight games and improved their playoff positioning. Nico Collins opened the scoring with a 57-yard touchdown catch on the second play of the game.
New York Giants 21-29 Washington Commanders
Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown and rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards for a score as Washington beat New York 29-21, snapping an eight-game skid. With Jayden Daniels out, Marcus Mariota started and connected with Terry McLaurin on a 51-yard catch-and-run touchdown in the fourth quarter. The Giants (2-12) lost their eighth straight.