NFL Games Today: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and 49ers Shake Up Playoff Race in Wild Week
17.01.2026 - 17:02:19
The NFL Games today and across this week felt less like midseason business and more like a sneak peek at January. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and the 49ers all threw down statements that reshaped the playoff picture, flipped the MVP race on its head and reminded everyone why Sundays are appointment viewing.
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From early-window thrillers to prime-time drama, this slate of NFL games produced walk-off field goals, defensive touchdowns and a couple of Super Bowl contender check-ins that will echo for weeks. The standings tightened, the Wild Card race got messy, and more than one fan base walked out of the stadium convinced this might actually be their year.
Mahomes, Chiefs Survive a Heavyweight Test
Start with the familiar: Patrick Mahomes under the lights, the ball in his hands and the season’s narrative hanging on every snap. The Chiefs offense came out attacking, spreading the field horizontally, then taking deep shots once the defense bit on underneath routes. Mahomes carved up coverages with his trademark pocket presence, sliding away from pressure, resetting and ripping throws into tight windows.
The box score will show another high-efficiency passing day from Mahomes, with multiple touchdowns, no back-breaking mistakes and a third-down conversion rate that broke the opponent’s back. But the story went beyond the numbers. He extended plays on key third downs, ducked out of would-be sacks and turned busted protections into Red Zone opportunities. Every time the game tilted toward chaos, Mahomes answered with a drive that felt like a gut punch to the opposing sideline.
On the sideline, you could see the calm. Teammates hovered around him between series, and his message was simple: keep attacking. After the game, the sentiment from the Chiefs locker room was that this was a playoff-style win in October, the kind of test you need to pass to stay in the Super Bowl conversation.
Lamar Jackson Turns the Field into a Playground
If Mahomes was surgical, Lamar Jackson was electric. The Ravens star lit up the NFL games today slate with one of those dual-threat performances that makes defensive coordinators reconsider their career choices. The box score will credit him with big passing yardage and rushing production, but it is the way he did it that defined the day.
Jackson worked from the pocket early, taking what the defense gave him, hitting quick outs, slants and crossers to stay in rhythm. As soon as the defense backed off and dropped deeper into coverage, he punished them with designed QB runs and scrambles that moved the chains. One Red Zone scramble left three defenders grabbing at air while he slipped inside the pylon, the type of sequence that flips momentum and stadium noise in an instant.
Afterward, Jackson sounded like a quarterback who knows his team’s ceiling. He talked about staying patient, trusting his reads and not forcing the big play, even though everyone in the building knows he can produce one on demand. Right now, he is firmly at the heart of the MVP race, and the Ravens have the look of a dangerous AFC playoff team built to win ugly or win in a shootout.
49ers Lean on Physicality, Not Just Flash
Out in the NFC, the 49ers again reminded the league that they may be the most complete roster in football. Their NFL game today was less about style points and more about sending a message. They controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, wore down the opposing front and dictated tempo from the opening drive.
The offense mixed outside zone runs, power looks and play-action shots that kept the defense guessing. The quarterback stayed on time, hitting intermediate routes and letting his playmakers rack up yards after the catch. Their star running back slashed through lanes, bounced off tackles and consistently set up manageable second and third downs. Each snap felt like body blow after body blow, the type of physical football that travels in January.
On defense, the 49ers’ pass rush turned the pocket into a collapsing tunnel. Edge rushers pinned their ears back, interior linemen pushed the pocket and the secondary feasted on rushed throws. A key strip-sack and a late interception flipped the field and put the game out of reach. It was the kind of dominant defensive display that reinforces their identity as a true Super Bowl contender.
Wild Card Chaos and the Shifting Playoff Picture
If you spent the afternoon flipping between NFL games today, you saw one constant: chaos in the standings. A couple of underdogs punched above their weight, knocking off teams that had been penciled into January just a week ago. Those upsets rippled across the playoff picture in both conferences.
In the AFC, the race for the top seed has become a weekly tug-of-war. The Chiefs and Ravens both stayed on track, while other hopefuls stumbled. A narrow loss by a would-be challenger opened the door for dark-horse teams to creep into the Wild Card conversation. Every field goal, every late turnover mattered in the tiebreaker matrix that will define seeding.
The NFC picture is just as wild. The 49ers sit in a strong position, but they are feeling pressure from fellow contenders chasing a first-round bye. Meanwhile, teams sitting around .500 are very much alive in the Wild Card race. One clutch win here or there can swing the entire bracket, and you could feel that urgency in almost every snap this week.
Division Leaders and Playoff Seeds at a Glance
Here is a compact look at how the top of the AFC and NFC currently stack up after this week’s NFL games, using the latest standings from the league and major outlets:
| Conference | Seed | Team | Record | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 1 | Chiefs | Current best AFC record | Mahomes keeps them in pole position for home-field |
| AFC | 2 | Ravens | Within one game of No. 1 | Lamar’s MVP-level play fuels a push for the bye |
| AFC | 3 | Division Leader | Winning record | Solid but inconsistent; vulnerable to a late surge |
| AFC | 4 | Division Leader | Around .500 | Benefiting from a weaker division race |
| AFC | 5-7 | Wild Card pack | Clustered records | Tiebreakers and head-to-head games loom huge |
| NFC | 1 | 49ers | Currently best NFC record | Physical, balanced, built for a deep run |
| NFC | 2 | Top Challenger | One game back | Keeping pressure on for the No. 1 seed |
| NFC | 3 | Division Leader | Comfortable lead | Likely locked into a home playoff game |
| NFC | 4 | Division Leader | Hovering around .500 | Could host a stronger Wild Card team |
| NFC | 5-7 | Wild Card chase | Crowded field | Every divisional game is essentially must-win |
These seeds will shuffle again after the next slate of NFL games today and this week, but the hierarchy is clear: Chiefs and Ravens at the top of the AFC, 49ers and their closest rival controlling the NFC. Everyone else is fighting for positioning and survival.
Who Controls the NFL Super Bowl Contender Conversation?
Every week, we update the mental short list of true NFL Super Bowl contenders. This week’s performances tightened that list. The Chiefs remain the standard, with Mahomes proving again that no deficit is safe when he is under center. They are not flawless, but in big moments, they execute like a veteran playoff team.
The Ravens have joined them on that elite tier. Lamar Jackson gives them a ceiling that is as high as anyone’s in the league, especially when the defense is forcing turnovers and getting off the field on third down. They feel like a team that can win in Arrowhead, on the road, in the cold, in the noise.
The 49ers, meanwhile, do not just beat teams, they wear them down. Their combination of trench dominance, creative play-calling and skill talent makes them the most complete NFC team. When the run game is humming and the defense is flying to the ball, you can see why many analysts still have them circled as the safest Super Bowl pick.
Behind that front line of Super Bowl favorites, there is a pack of teams that can swing the conversation with one hot month: clubs with dangerous quarterbacks, opportunistic defenses and enough playmakers to steal a playoff road game. For now, though, they are chasing the three big brands of this week: Chiefs, Ravens and 49ers.
MVP Race: Mahomes, Lamar and the Stat Sheet Stars
The MVP race after this week’s NFL games feels like a duel between quarterbacks who turn the impossible into routine. Mahomes and Lamar Jackson sit on the top line, each with signature performances, prime-time wins and box scores that pop off the page.
Mahomes continues to stack multi-touchdown games with elite efficiency, limiting turnovers and thriving in late-game situations. When the Chiefs offense stalls, he bails them out with off-script magic, turning broken plays into chunk gains. Those are the moments that MVP voters remember: the third-and-long dart through double coverage, the Red Zone scramble that sets up a score, the drive that silences a hostile crowd.
Jackson’s case is built on balance. He is producing high-level passing numbers while remaining one of the league’s most dangerous rushers. Think 250-plus passing yards paired with 70-plus on the ground, multiple total touchdowns and defenses on roller skates every time he keeps on a read-option. He is not putting up empty stats; he is driving wins against playoff-caliber opponents.
Behind them, other stars are forcing their way into the conversation. A couple of quarterbacks exploded for 300-plus yard, 4-TD type stat lines in losing efforts, turning heads but not yet changing the pecking order. A standout edge rusher added multiple sacks and consistent pressure, hinting at a possible Defensive Player of the Year run. Still, in the MVP lane, this week belonged to Mahomes and Lamar.
Game-Changing Plays and NFL Game Highlights
Rewatching the condensed NFL game highlights from this week, a few moments keep replaying in your head. A pick-six that flipped a tight defensive struggle. A toe-tap sideline catch that moved a team into field goal range at the Two-Minute Warning. A fourth-and-short stuff that felt like a playoff stop in October.
One of the day’s defining sequences came when a trailing team faced third and long, outside comfortable field goal range, desperate for a spark. The quarterback bought time, rolled to his right and launched a deep shot that hung in the air long enough for the entire stadium to gasp. The receiver tracked it, adjusted, and pulled it in through contact. Two plays later, the offense punched it in, swinging momentum and keeping their season alive.
The Red Zone drama delivered as always. Goal-to-go stands, aggressive fourth-down calls and creative play designs led to wild swings in win probability. In one game, a coach gambled on a fourth-and-goal play-action call instead of settling for three. The tight end leaked out, uncovered, for a walk-in score. On the other sideline, a conservative field goal choice inside the five backfired when the opposing offense marched for a game-winning touchdown.
Injury Report: How Health Will Shape the Stretch Run
The NFL injury report this week carried big names and bigger implications. A star wide receiver exited with a lower-body issue that could affect his team’s vertical passing game. Without his ability to take the top off defenses, opposing coordinators can sit on underneath routes and load the box to slow the run.
A Pro Bowl offensive lineman also limped off, and his status in the coming weeks will be massive. Protecting the franchise quarterback becomes a different challenge when you are shuffling pieces up front. Sacks, hits and hurries tend to climb when continuity on the offensive line breaks down, and that can completely change an offense’s identity.
Defensively, a key cornerback appeared on the injury report with a soft-tissue issue that could linger. In a league where so many games come down to one-on-one battles on the outside, losing a top cover man turns every third-and-8 into a coin flip. Expect teams to test his replacement early and often until proven otherwise.
Coaches downplayed some of those injuries postgame, labeling players as day-to-day. But inside the building, trainers and staff know: the difference between limited and full participation at practice this week could swing the next set of NFL games today and this weekend, particularly in tight divisional races.
Who Is on the Hot Seat?
Not everyone survived this slate of NFL games with their job security intact. A couple of coaches once viewed as safe are now firmly on the hot seat after another week of slow starts, questionable game management and late collapses. When playoff hopes collide with underachievement, patience thins fast.
Fans are pointing to conservative Red Zone decisions, burned timeouts and clock mismanagement that left their teams chasing the game in the final minutes. Front offices are staring at the standings and the upcoming schedule, weighing whether a midseason change could salvage a Wild Card push. No official firings hit the wire immediately after the final whistle, but all signs suggest a short leash for at least one staff if the next game goes sideways.
Next Week’s Must-Watch NFL Games
If this week was any indication, you will not want to miss what comes next. The schedule is loaded with matchups that will carry real weight in the NFL playoff picture and the MVP conversation.
Chiefs vs a surging AFC challenger is the headliner, another chance for Mahomes to defend the top AFC seed against a hungry defense that loves to blitz. Every snap will feel like chess between an elite quarterback and an aggressive coordinator dialing up pressure looks.
Ravens in prime time is another circle-the-calendar game. Lamar Jackson will face a defense that likes to crowd the box and dare quarterbacks to win over the top. That is a recipe for fireworks, either in the form of deep shots downfield or broken plays that turn into highlight-reel scrambles.
In the NFC, the 49ers get a physical opponent that mirrors their style: run game, pass rush, trench warfare. It will be a measuring-stick game, the kind of matchup that feels like a playoff preview. Expect long drives, heavy personnel, and a few pivotal third-and-short calls that determine control of the clock.
What It All Means for Fans Right Now
As the dust settles on the NFL games today and this week, the league feels beautifully unsettled. The Chiefs, Ravens and 49ers have separated themselves as true Super Bowl contenders, but behind them sits a wild, angry pack of teams within a game or two of a playoff spot. The NFL League position board is tight, tiebreakers are already looming and every divisional game from here on out feels amplified.
If you are tracking the Wild Card race, it is time to live in the standings page and the NFL schedule grid. Circle every head-to-head matchup between teams battling for those final seeds. That is where seasons will be saved or sunk. If you are watching the MVP race, lock in on Mahomes and Lamar Jackson every week, because they are turning even routine drives into must-see moments.
Most of all, clear your Sundays. Between the playoff positioning, the MVP storylines, the injury subplots and the sheer weekly chaos, these NFL games are too good to miss. The next thriller, the next heartbreaker, the next defining highlight is one kickoff away.
