Mahomes vs Ravens goes wild: AFC clash, TD barrage & playoff chaos live
01.02.2026 - 19:54:02
If you were looking for quiet Sunday vibes, nope. This slate came in hot with scoreboard meltdowns, QB fireworks, and some serious shifts in the playoff picture.
Mahomes vs. Lamar turns into a 4th?quarter movie
Let's start where everybody's eyes were locked: Chiefs at Ravens. Two former MVPs, two Super Bowl expectations, one game that swung every emotion possible.
Patrick Mahomes went full surgeon mode: 31-of-44, 342 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception. It wasn't perfect, but every time Kansas City needed a play on third and long, Mahomes extended, rolled, and ripped lasers to his guys. That late 3rd?and?10 sideline dart to Rashee Rice? Pure witchcraft.
Lamar Jackson matched him punch for punch: 23-of-33, 287 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 78 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD. Baltimore leaned all the way into Lamar's dual?threat chaos – designed QB draws, option looks, and that deep shot to Zay Flowers on a broken play that had M&T Bank Stadium losing its mind.
The turning point came early in the 4th. Chiefs down 6, Mahomes gets flushed, backpedals, somehow stays upright, and fires a cross?body strike to Travis Kelce for a 27?yard touchdown. That capped a 12?play, 84?yard drive and put Kansas City up by one. Absolutely vintage Kelce night too: 9 catches, 104 yards, 1 TD, working the seams and option routes like he's still in his prime.
But Lamar wasn't done. Ravens mounted a classic answer drive, mixing Gus Edwards up the gut with Lamar scrambles. On 4th?and?2 at the Chiefs 38, Baltimore went for it – no hesitation. Jackson kept on a read?option, broke a tackle in the backfield, and lunged forward just past the sticks. That conversion kept the drive alive for Justin Tucker to nail a long field goal to reclaim the lead.
Final two minutes? Absolute chaos. Mahomes got the ball back with one timeout, marched into field?goal range, and then the drama hit: a deep shot to Marquez Valdes?Scantling down the right sideline that looked like a touchdown, only for the replay to show he barely stepped out. Instead of a walk?off TD, Kansas City settled for the go?ahead field goal, leaving Lamar around a minute to cook.
On the last drive, Jackson hit Mark Andrews down the seam, scrambled for another first down, but the Chiefs pass rush finally arrived. On what became the defining snap, Chris Jones blew up the pocket, forcing Lamar into a desperate heave that got picked off by the lurking safety at midfield. Ballgame.
Key stats from a heavyweight showdown
- Patrick Mahomes: 342 pass yds, 3 TD, 1 INT – classic MVP?level closeout stuff.
- Lamar Jackson: 287 pass yds, 3 total TD (2 pass, 1 rush), 1 INT – did literally everything but steal the win.
- Travis Kelce: 9 rec, 104 yds, 1 TD – security blanket, drive extender, chain mover.
- Zay Flowers: 6 rec, 98 yds, 1 TD – constantly threatening over the top and on crossers.
- Third Down Magic: Chiefs converted multiple 3rd?and?7+ situations, with Mahomes using his legs and arm angles to keep drives alive.
Defensively, it was bend?but?don't?break on both sides. Baltimore got pressure with simulated blitz looks but couldn't finish sacks. Kansas City lived in danger every time Lamar escaped the pocket, but when they needed that final stand, Jones and the edge group delivered.
Elsewhere around the league: QB fireworks and heartbreaks
While that clash owned the spotlight, other NFL results today kept the drama coming.
Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills put on an offensive clinic in the late window. Allen went off for 310 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 rushing score, absolutely shredding a secondary that had no answers for his arm strength and off?script creativity. He did toss a late interception on a forced deep ball, but the game was already firmly in Buffalo's hands by then.
Joe Burrow looked closer to his icy peak. Working out of shotgun with quick?game concepts, he posted 296 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, operating with the kind of calm, surgical precision that screams playoff threat. His rapport with Ja'Marr Chase was back on full display: back?shoulder fades, option routes, and a filthy red?zone slant that turned into a score.
On the flip side, a couple of big?name QBs struggled. A sloppy two?interception day from a would?be contender out in the NFC turned what should've been a routine win into a nervous fourth?quarter sweat. Red zone stalls, miscommunications, and a brutal pick in the flat let an underdog hang around far too long.
How today rocks the playoff picture
Kansas City's statement win in Baltimore is massive. It doesn't just tighten the AFC race – it potentially swings home?field advantage. With the Chiefs grabbing a head?to?head edge, tiebreakers suddenly lean their way if these two lock horns in the seeding race.
Buffalo's surge also keeps them in the thick of the AFC standings, staying within striking distance of the top seeds instead of slipping into Wild Card desperation. Over in the NFC, the contender that stumbled today might have just kissed a first?round bye goodbye, with a costly loss that drops them down a seed line.
What does this mean for the playoff race? Check the current NFL picture here
Every one of these games today stacked another brick onto the postseason wall. That Chiefs–Ravens finish? That's the kind of result you feel in January when you're trying to figure out who has to fly where in the divisional round.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans are melting down over that wild Mahomes game?winner and the final Lamar INT
Beat writer take: this felt like a playoff dress rehearsal
Let's be real: this didn't feel like a normal regular?season game. The Chiefs and Ravens played like they knew the stakes stretch way beyond one W or L on the schedule. Coaching decisions were aggressive, not conservative – 4th?down gambles, fake looks, deep shots on early downs. Nobody was playing for field position; everyone was playing for control of the conference.
If you're Kansas City, this is the kind of win that screams, "We're still the standard." Mahomes wasn't flawless, but he was inevitable when the game got tight. The offensive line held up just enough against a nasty Baltimore front, and the defense, for all the yards it surrendered, came up with the one splash play it absolutely had to have.
If you're Baltimore, you walk away sick to your stomach but also knowing you went toe?to?toe with the top dog. Lamar looked every bit like an MVP again, the scheme let him be himself, and the offense moved at will for long stretches. But the margin for error against Mahomes is microscopic, and that last interception is going to live in talk?radio purgatory for days.
My bold call: if these two see each other again in January, we're talking instant?classic trilogy energy. The speed, the quarterback creativity, the sideline chess match – everything about tonight screamed "future playoff war."
Closing it out: the AFC just got spicier
NFL scores live today gave us exactly what you want from a mid?season slate: statement wins, QB duels, and enough drama to fuel every highlight show for a week. Mahomes, Allen, Burrow – the big?name quarterbacks are all punching at the top of the conference again, and defenses are just trying to hang on for dear life.
If you're trying to keep track of who actually controls this thing now – home?field, byes, and Wild Card chaos – you've got to keep one eye glued to the standings.
See full NFL stats & standings
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