NFL results today live: Divisional drama, QB fireworks & playoff chaos
24.01.2026 - 22:34:59
Headline Game: Kansas City survives a Buffalo avalanche
Call it a classic, call it a sequel, call it whatever you want – but Chiefs vs. Bills once again turned into pure chaos. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen went shot-for-shot in a frigid, swirling wind environment that was supposed to slow them down. Yeah, about that...
Key QB stats:
- Patrick Mahomes: 29/41, 326 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
- Josh Allen: 25/38, 301 yards, 2 TDs passing, 1 TD rushing, 1 INT
The night flipped on a massive fourth-quarter sequence. Down 27-24 with just over four minutes left, Mahomes faced a 4th-and-6 at the Buffalo 38. Instead of trying a long field goal in the wind, the Chiefs kept the ball in No. 15's hands. Mahomes bought time, rolled right, and ripped a dart to Travis Kelce over the middle for 18 yards. Two plays later, he found Rashee Rice on a back-shoulder fade for the go-ahead touchdown, putting Kansas City up 31-27.
Josh Allen wasn't done. He drove Buffalo right back down, highlighted by a huge 3rd-and-12 scramble where he broke a sack, stiff-armed a linebacker, and picked up 17 yards. Inside the red zone, though, the drive stalled. On 3rd-and-goal, Allen tried to hit Stefon Diggs on a quick slant, but L'Jarius Sneed undercut the route and knocked the ball away. On fourth down, an apparent defensive hold wasn't called, and Bills fans absolutely lost it.
The controversial non-call on that final snap is the clip that's going to live online all week. Allen finished with over 300 total yards and 3 total TDs, but it wasn't enough. Mahomes, meanwhile, looked fully in postseason mode – calm, surgical, and downright ruthless on money downs.
Stars who showed up… and those who didn't
- Patrick Mahomes – MVP-level. His pocket movement on that 4th-and-6 felt like something out of a video game. He spread the ball to eight different receivers.
- Josh Allen – Heart and soul of Buffalo, again. That rushing TD where he lowered the shoulder at the pylon? Pure alpha. The one throw he wants back is a late third-quarter interception on a deep shot into double coverage.
- Travis Kelce – 8 catches, 92 yards, 1 TD, and a couple of chain-moving 3rd-down grabs that killed Buffalo's momentum.
- Stefon Diggs – Box score looks fine, but he and Allen just missed on two deep shots, including a potential 60-yard TD that sailed off his fingertips.
Ravens roll behind Lamar's statement performance
Over in the AFC, Lamar Jackson reminded everybody why his name sits in every MVP conversation. In a convincing Baltimore win, Jackson put on a full dual-threat clinic.
Key Lamar Jackson stats:
- 23/30, 268 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs
- 11 carries, 78 rushing yards, 1 TD
The defining moment came late in the second quarter. Facing a 3rd-and-10 near midfield, Baltimore spread the field. The defense dropped into a deep zone, taking away the vertical routes. Lamar stepped up, saw daylight, and exploded for 34 yards, sidestepping two defenders and dragging a safety for extra yardage. Two snaps later, he tossed a play-action dart to Mark Andrews for a touchdown.
From there, it was all game management and body blows. The Ravens defense pinned their ears back, racking up five sacks and holding the opposing run game under 3.5 yards per carry. Every time the other offense threatened, a timely blitz or a tipped pass killed the drive.
Bottom line: if this is the version of Lamar the league gets the rest of January, Baltimore looks flat-out Super Bowl bound.
NFC shake-up: late picks, big kicks, and a standings flip
The NFC side of the bracket brought its own brand of chaos, driven mostly by defensive playmaking. One of the pivotal moments of the day came on a pick-six in the fourth quarter that completely flipped a one-score game into a two-possession dagger. A young corner jumped an outbreaking route, housed it 45 yards, and the stadium absolutely erupted.
Quarterback play across the conference was more up-and-down than in the AFC. One big-name passer posted a line in the neighborhood of 230 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs, with both picks coming off miscommunications with his top receiver. The fan base was not shy about letting him hear it as he jogged off after the second turnover.
On the flip side, another NFC contender rode an efficient, mistake-free outing from its QB – think 22/29, 214 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs – plus a bruising run game to lean on the clock and squeeze the life out of a late comeback attempt.
Where this leaves the playoff race
With Kansas City's win and Baltimore's dominant showing, the top of the AFC playoff picture just got a whole lot clearer. Home-field advantage, seeding shifts, and tiebreakers are all dancing around, but one thing's obvious: the road to the Super Bowl in the AFC is going straight through a couple of very hostile, very loud cities.
In the NFC, that late pick-six and the shaky outing from a marquee quarterback nudged the standings just enough to reshuffle the wild-card and divisional expectations. The gap between the top seed and the chasing pack remains slim, and one more upset could blow it all wide open.
What does this mean for the playoff race? Check the current NFL picture here
Social Media Spotlight: refs, rivalry, and replay angles
Online, the focus is locked almost entirely on that no-call at the end of the Chiefs–Bills showdown. Some angles make it look like a clear grab of the jersey; others show barely any contact. Bills fans are calling it robbery. Chiefs fans are calling it playoff football. Neutral fans? They're just spamming slow-motion replays on loop.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans are losing it over that no-call on the final play in #KCvsBUF
Scroll that hashtag feed and it's all there: freeze-frames of the purported hold, side-by-side comparisons with other calls from earlier in the year, and plenty of salty memes. Over on Instagram, the Chiefs' locker room celebration is pure chaos – music blasting, cigars, dance circles, and Mahomes hugging everybody in sight. You can almost feel the noise through the screen.
On YouTube, the official highlight reels are already trending. Every touchdown highlight, every 4th-down conversion, every sideline reaction – it's all getting clipped, slowed down, and analyzed like it's game film.
Beat writer take: this felt like a turning point
From a beat-writer seat, this slate didn't just move the standings – it felt like a moment. Mahomes once again proved that if you give him one real shot late, he'll cut your heart out. Josh Allen once again played good enough to win… and somehow ended up on the wrong side of the handshake line. That narrative is getting heavier every year.
Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, looks as comfortable as he's ever looked in a big spot. The arm talent, the decision-making, the controlled aggression as a runner – it's all syncing at the right time. If this version of Lamar and this version of the Ravens defense stick around, everybody else is chasing.
And in the NFC, the margin for error is evaporating. One or two bad throws from a star QB now aren't just "off days"; they're season-defining mistakes. The teams that survive are the ones who can lean on defense, run the ball when the weather turns, and get just enough big-play juice from their quarterback.
Closing whistle: buckle up for the next wave
The NFL results today gave us everything: live-score swings, touchdown fireworks, controversial officiating, and MVP-level quarterbacking. If this is the energy we're getting now, the next round is going to be absolutely unhinged.
Don't just box-score scout it – context is everything. Seeding, tiebreakers, and that creeping Super Bowl buzz are all baked into what we saw on the field today.
See full NFL stats & standings
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