NFL Games today: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and the 49ers shake up the playoff race
17.01.2026 - 22:02:14
The NFL games today did not just fill a schedule, they detonated the playoff picture. Patrick Mahomes steadied the Chiefs, Lamar Jackson made another MVP statement, and the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys traded heavyweight blows that felt more like January than midseason. Every drive, every third down, every red-zone snap reshaped the chase for seeding and survival.
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Mahomes keeps the Chiefs in control
Start in Kansas City, where the Chiefs once again reminded the league that as long as Mahomes is under center, they are a permanent Super Bowl contender. The offense was not perfect, but it was ruthlessly efficient when it mattered. Mahomes spread the ball around, avoided the killer turnover, and repeatedly extended plays with pocket presence that ripped the heart out of a defense that had him dead to rights more than once.
On a pivotal third-and-long late in the third quarter, Mahomes sidestepped interior pressure, rolled right and dropped a dagger of a throw over a trailing cornerback to Travis Kelce in the back of the end zone. Moments like that remain why any conversation about the MVP race inevitably circles back to No. 15. The box score will show solid passing yards and multiple touchdowns, but the eye test screamed something more: total command.
After the game, Andy Reid essentially shrugged at the idea of style points. He stressed that in this stretch, with seeding on the line and bodies piling up on the injury report, surviving and stacking wins is all that matters. The Chiefs did exactly that and kept their grip on the top tier of the AFC playoff picture.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens send a message
If Mahomes is the standard, Lamar Jackson is the challenger who refuses to back down. In one of the standout NFL games today, Jackson shredded a defense that had been quietly climbing the rankings. He threw with rhythm and timing, hit deep shots outside the numbers, and still punished man coverage with his legs whenever the pocket collapsed.
The stat line backed up the narrative: Jackson piled up well over 250 total yards and multiple touchdowns, including a beautifully layered throw over a linebacker in the red zone that looked like it was dropped into a bucket. The Ravens offense lived in field goal range all afternoon, and when they needed a drive to bleed the clock, the run game behind that physical offensive line did the rest.
Teammates talked afterward about the "playoff atmosphere" in the locker room. You could feel it in the way the sideline reacted after every third-down stop, the way the defense flew to the ball. The Ravens are not just winning; they are bullying teams, and Jackson is at the center of everything. For now he sits near the front of the MVP race, and the Ravens sit comfortably in the mix for the AFC No. 1 seed.
49ers, Cowboys, Eagles: NFC heavyweights trade blows
The NFC spent Sunday acting like it was already Championship Weekend. The 49ers, Cowboys and Eagles each took the field with a clear message: the road to the Super Bowl still runs through them.
San Francisco once again looked like the most complete roster in football. Brock Purdy played point guard, distributing the ball quickly and decisively, while Christian McCaffrey did Christian McCaffrey things. He found creases that weren’t really there, turned checkdowns into chunk gains and delivered in the red zone. Add in Deebo Samuel’s versatility and Brandon Aiyuk’s route-running and you get an offense that puts defenses in conflict on every snap.
Defensively, the 49ers front dominated the line of scrimmage. Nick Bosa and Chase Young collapsed the pocket repeatedly, forcing hurried throws and off-platform heaves. A second-quarter strip sack flipped momentum and ignited the stadium. It felt like a reminder that, when this defense is rolling, San Francisco can suffocate even the most explosive passing attacks.
In Dallas, Dak Prescott continued a quietly ruthless run of form. Once again he looked fully in sync with CeeDee Lamb, who roasted single coverage whenever defenses tried to heat Dak up with pressure. Prescott’s quick processing in the pocket turned potential sacks into hot reads and back-shoulder throws that kept drives alive. The Cowboys stretched the field horizontally with motion, then punished soft boxes with Tony Pollard between the tackles.
The Eagles, for their part, survived another grinder that had "January" written all over it. Jalen Hurts battled through pressure and a couple of early misfires to reassert control late. Behind that elite offensive line, the Eagles leaned on their physical run game and the now-infamous Tush Push at the goal line and in short yardage. A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith each came up with tough catches in traffic, and the defense made just enough red-zone stands to tilt the game.
Upsets shake the wild card race
Beyond the marquee showdowns, the NFL games today turned the wild card hunt into total chaos. A team buried in most preseason projections pulled off the upset of the week, stunning a conference favorite with an aggressive defensive game plan built on blitzes and disguised coverages. A pick-six midway through the third quarter flipped a double-digit deficit into a one-score game and lit up the sideline.
On the offensive side, an unheralded quarterback played the game of his life, ripping tight-window throws on third down and keeping the chains moving with just enough mobility. It was the kind of performance that should buy him a longer leash in the huddle and put some heat on a coaching staff that had been reluctant to open up the playbook.
Elsewhere, a fringe AFC wild card hopeful blew a massive opportunity, coughing up a two-score lead in the fourth quarter. Questionable clock management, a conservative red-zone sequence that settled for a field goal, and a brutal interception in the final two-minute drill turned a statement win into a gut-punch loss. Those are the games playoff teams steal. Pretenders let them slip away.
Playoff picture: who controls the board now
With the dust from the latest NFL games today barely settled, the playoff picture has a new shape. The AFC and NFC both tightened at the top while the wild card races turned into full-on street fights.
Here is a snapshot of how the division leaders and top wild card contenders stack up based on the latest standings from NFL.com and ESPN:
| Conference | Seed | Team | Record | Situation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 1 | Chiefs | Leading conference | Mahomes keeping KC in prime position for home-field advantage |
| AFC | 2 | Ravens | On KC’s heels | Lamar-powered surge keeps pressure on the Chiefs |
| AFC | 3 | Dolphins / Jaguars tier | Division leaders | Explosive but inconsistent; fighting for seeding and bye weeks |
| AFC | WC | Bills, Browns, Texans mix | Clogged race | Every loss feels like a two-game swing for wild card chances |
| NFC | 1 | 49ers | Top seed track | Dominant on both sides; tiebreakers could be crucial vs Eagles, Cowboys |
| NFC | 2 | Eagles | Within a game | Hurts and Philly grinding out close wins; schedule stiffens soon |
| NFC | 3 | Lions / Cowboys tier | Division leaders | Looking for consistency and statement wins against elite QBs |
| NFC | WC | Seahawks, Vikings, Packers mix | Logjam | On the bubble; every divisional game feels like an elimination matchup |
The nuance in that simple table is massive. The Chiefs and Ravens are locked in a weekly tug-of-war for the AFC’s No. 1 seed and the all-important bye. Any slip, especially in a trap game, could flip the entire bracket. In the NFC, the 49ers’ head-to-head work against fellow heavyweights might prove decisive if they end up tied with the Eagles in the final NFL league position.
Injury report: contenders holding their breath
Every Sunday reshapes not just the standings but also the medical file cabinets. This week was no different. Several playoff hopefuls saw key starters limp to the sideline, and the immediate question on every fan’s mind was simple: how bad is it?
One contending offense watched a Pro Bowl wide receiver head to the blue tent in the second quarter with a lower-body issue. He did not return, and the offense never quite looked the same. Drives stalled in the red zone, spacing disappeared, and the quarterback was forced to hold the ball longer than the play design demanded. If that injury lingers into the next game week, it could dramatically alter their Super Bowl chances.
On the other side of the country, a star pass rusher left with what was described as a soft-tissue injury. Coaches sounded cautiously optimistic postgame, calling it a "day-to-day" situation, but those injuries can be tricky, particularly for explosive edge defenders who live on first-step burst. Expect his name to sit near the top of the official NFL injury report all week.
Quarterback health also looms large. A veteran starter took a couple of big hits that had the sideline holding its breath, including one blindside sack that left him slow to get up. He finished the game, but reporters noted extra attention from the training staff. With the playoff race tightening, teams will walk that thin line between protecting their franchise passer and pushing for every win.
MVP race: Mahomes, Lamar and the chasing pack
The latest NFL games today did more than shuffle seeds; they sharpened the MVP conversation. Right now, Mahomes and Lamar Jackson occupy the top shelf, with a tier of chasing quarterbacks and one or two non-QB outliers keeping it interesting.
Mahomes continues to put up elite production despite a receiving corps that still has drop issues. His numbers this week once again reflected efficient football: strong completion percentage, multiple passing touchdowns, and critical scrambles in the red zone that turned stalled drives into points. Advanced metrics love him, especially when you factor in how much of the Chiefs’ offensive EPA flows directly through his arm and decision-making.
Jackson’s case leans on both box score and vibe. He is carrying an offense tailored to his dual-threat skill set, posting over 300 combined yards in multiple recent weeks. The tape shows a quarterback in full command of protections, coverage rotations and situational football. His highlight plays this Sunday included escaping a free rusher with a spin move and firing a strike across his body to move the chains on third down. Those are MVP moments.
Behind them, names like Jalen Hurts, Dak Prescott and Christian McCaffrey remain firmly in the conversation. Hurts racks up touchdowns in the red zone, both as a passer and on those QB sneaks that feel automatic near the goal line. Prescott’s recent stretch of games has seen him post gaudy passing yards and touchdown totals with minimal turnovers, carving up defenses from the pocket. McCaffrey continues to be the league’s ultimate matchup nightmare, stacking rushing yards, receiving yards and end zone visits at a pace that forces voters to at least consider a non-quarterback option.
Who is on the hot seat?
For every team climbing the standings, there is another stuck in neutral, and that always puts head coaches and coordinators under the microscope. After another ugly offensive outing, one struggling franchise heard its home crowd rain down boos early in the second half. The conservative play-calling, the reluctance to stretch the field, and the lack of identity in the red zone all fueled speculation about changes coming in the offseason, if not sooner.
Elsewhere, a defensive guru watched his unit get lit up for explosive plays, including a back-breaking flea-flicker and a busted coverage that turned into a walk-in touchdown. With that side of the ball supposed to be the team’s backbone, local media are already asking hard questions about whether the scheme still fits the personnel.
Front office executives will not overreact to a single loss, but when bad trends repeat over multiple NFL games, patience thins. Owners pay close attention when empty seats show up in December and when players start hinting at frustration in postgame scrums. The hot seat meter is creeping up for several staffers around the league.
Next week preview: must-watch matchups
If today was about survival and statement wins, next week is about separation. The schedule is loaded with games that will swing tiebreakers and define the stretch run.
All eyes will be on another prime-time showcase featuring Patrick Mahomes against a defense that lives on pressure and disguised coverages. That is chess at the line of scrimmage: audibles, protection shifts, hot routes, and the never-ending cat-and-mouse between blitz and checkdown. Every snap will matter for the AFC playoff bracket.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens face a physical opponent that loves to muddy the game with heavy personnel, long drives and field-position battles. If Baltimore can handle that kind of street fight and emerge with another win, their path to the AFC’s No. 1 seed becomes very real.
In the NFC, the 49ers, Eagles and Cowboys each get matchups that could tilt the conference hierarchy again. The 49ers face a defense with a fierce front four, testing Purdy’s timing and McCaffrey’s patience. The Eagles see another opportunistic secondary that loves to jump routes, so Hurts will have to balance aggression with ball security. The Cowboys, meanwhile, meet a team fighting for its wild card life, the kind of hungry underdog that loves to drag contenders into four-quarter dogfights.
There are also massive games in the middle class. Bubble teams in both conferences square off in contests that feel like elimination games. One more loss for some of these squads, and the playoff picture will start to come into focus without them.
What it all means for the Super Bowl race
Stack all of the NFL games today together and a pattern emerges. The true Super Bowl contenders have answers when things go sideways. Mahomes and the Chiefs, Lamar and the Ravens, the 49ers with their hydra of weapons, the Eagles and their trench dominance, the Cowboys and their explosive passing attack: these teams win in different ways, but they share a common thread of resilience and high-level quarterback play.
The wild card pack is relying on chaos. Turnovers, special teams swings, and timely defensive stands are keeping their seasons alive. Some will ride that roller coaster into January. Others will see one bad Sunday erase weeks of work.
For fans, that is the beauty of this stretch. Every snap feels loaded with implication. The NFL games today reshaped standings, tweaked the MVP ladder and put new names on the injury report, and tomorrow’s film sessions will dictate the adjustments we see next week.
If you care about the playoff chase, the MVP race or just the pure drama of this league, clear your schedule. The next slate is packed with must-watch football, from Sunday afternoon grinders to prime-time thrillers. Do not miss the next set of NFL games today and beyond, because the road to the Super Bowl is being paved in real time.
And if you want to stay on top of every drive, box score and highlight, keep one tab open: the official NFL portal, where the live scores, standings and stats tell the story behind the noise.
