NFL results today live: Playoff race shakes as Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers flex
23.01.2026 - 23:22:55
Ravens light it up: Lamar goes video-game mode
The headliner of the night came out of Baltimore, where the Ravens offense looked like it hit a cheat code. Lamar Jackson put up a monster line: roughly 320+ passing yards, 3 passing TDs, and another rushing score. He was ripping lasers over the middle, dropping deep posts into the bucket, and absolutely cooking outside the pocket.
Early in the third quarter, he uncorked a rolling-left, across-body dime to his wideout in the back of the end zone — the kind of throw that makes defensive coordinators want to spike their tablets. That touchdown pushed Baltimore ahead by two scores and completely flipped the momentum.
Defensively, Baltimore pinned their ears back late. A furious fourth-quarter stand featured a crucial 4th-and-3 stop on a quick slant that got jumped by the corner. One more time, the Ravens leaned on Lamar to close shop: a cold-blooded 3rd-and-9 scramble where he broke a sack, spun out, and dove just past the sticks. That first down basically sealed it and had M&T Bank Stadium sounding like a playoff game.
Chiefs steady the ship: Mahomes back to surgeon status
Over in Kansas City, the Chiefs reminded everyone why you never count out a dynasty. Patrick Mahomes stacked up another elite night: around 290 passing yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, and a completion percentage hovering in the high 60s. After a choppy first quarter, he settled in and absolutely dissected the coverage with layered throws to the intermediate middle.
The signature sequence came late in the fourth. Protecting a one-score lead, Mahomes converted back-to-back 4th-down situations on the same drive — one on a sidearm laser across the field, another on a fade to the back pylon that only his receiver could grab. That drive didn't just chew clock; it broke the opponent's spirit.
Travis Kelce was his usual chain-moving monster, stacking 80+ yards on clutch grabs, while the Chiefs defense came up huge with a red-zone stand, forcing a field goal after a long drive. No turnovers from Mahomes, efficient red-zone work, and clean situational football — it was classic Kansas City playoff-caliber stuff.
49ers flex physicality: Purdy stays icy, CMC grinds defenses down
On the West Coast, the 49ers leaned right into their identity: physical, suffocating football. Brock Purdy kept his mistake count low, tossing for roughly 250 yards and 2 TDs with 0 picks. He wasn't putting up wild numbers, but his efficiency on third down was killer.
Christian McCaffrey did exactly what you expect: 100+ total yards and a touchdown, constantly forcing missed tackles in space. One of the signature plays of the night was a brutal 4th-and-1 toss where McCaffrey bounced outside, stiff-armed a linebacker, and ripped off a 25-yard gain down the sideline. That run set up a short Purdy TD strike on a perfectly timed slant.
Defensively, Nick Bosa and that front wrecked the pocket repeatedly, stacking multiple sacks and hits that clearly got into the opposing quarterback's head. A late strip-sack in the final minutes shut the door on any hope of a comeback.
Other stars and storylines: Allen & Burrow battle the variance
Josh Allen put up the definition of a chaos stat line: 300+ passing yards, 2 TDs, but also 2 INTs. When he's on, he looks unstoppable — ripping deep posts and throwing darts into tiny windows. But tonight, a forced ball into double coverage in the red zone turned into a brutal interception that swung the entire feel of the game.
Joe Burrow, meanwhile, played more of a slow burn. Around 260 yards, 1 TD, no interceptions, but his offense sputtered in key spots. A dropped fourth-quarter deep shot and a missed pass protection on 3rd-and-long killed two drives that could've changed the result. Burrow didn't melt down, but for a QB of his caliber, you could feel the frustration of leaving points out there.
How tonight's results shake the playoff picture
These NFL results today didn't just rack up fantasy points — they shoved the postseason puzzle pieces around in a big way. With the Ravens and 49ers stacking statement wins and the Chiefs reasserting control, seeding pressure is off the charts for the chasing pack.
Baltimore's win keeps them firmly in the hunt for a top seed, Kansas City stays right in the mix near the top of the AFC, and San Francisco continues to look like the NFC's measuring stick. Teams like Buffalo and Cincinnati, after uneven performances, are suddenly staring at a much tighter margin for error in the NFL standings heading down the stretch.
What does this mean for the playoff race? Check the current NFL picture here
Social Media Spotlight: fans lose their minds over the Lamar show
If you hopped online after the final whistles, your feed was wall-to-wall Lamar Jackson and Ravens takes. The big conversation? That absurd off-platform touchdown and whether this version of Lamar is about to run away with the MVP again.
The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans going wild over Lamar's MVP-level TD scramble and that insane off-platform throw
Beat writer take: one team just planted its Super Bowl flag
Here's the blunt truth: this felt like a night where pretenders and contenders separated themselves. The Ravens, Chiefs, and 49ers all played like legit Super Bowl threats. The execution on third down, the poise under pressure, and the star power at quarterback — that's the stuff that travels in January.
To me, Lamar's performance stands out above everyone else. The combination of arm talent and escapability he showed tonight looked exactly like the version of him that owns playoff defenses. If Baltimore can keep that offensive rhythm and stay healthy, this absolutely looks like a team that can run the table.
On the flip side, teams like the Bills and Bengals are officially on "prove it" watch. The splash plays are there, but the turnovers, missed protections, and red-zone stalls are the kind of flaws that get you sent home early. The margin between a bye and a wild-card road trip is razor thin, and tonight's gaps in execution were glaring.
Final whistle: keep your eyes on the standings
The fireworks from today's action aren't just highlight-reel fodder — they're live ammo for the playoff race. Every touchdown Lamar, Mahomes, Purdy, Allen, or Burrow throws from here on out is going to tilt seeding, tiebreakers, and who has to go on the road in January.
If you're trying to track who's rising, who's fading, and which team just turned into a legit Super Bowl favorite, you have to keep one eye on the scoreboard and one eye on the table.
See full NFL stats & standings
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