NFL Standings shake-up: Mahomes, Hurts and Lamar Jackson ignite wild playoff race
04.02.2026 - 02:00:32
The NFL Standings just got a serious jolt. After a wild slate of games that felt every bit like January football, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts and Lamar Jackson pushed their teams deeper into the Super Bowl contender tier, while several bubble squads watched their playoff hopes take a hit in gut-punch fashion.
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From last-second field goals to red zone stands that decided division leads, this week changed the shape of the NFL standings across both conferences. The margin between hosting a playoff game and watching the Wild Card round from the couch has rarely felt thinner.
Mahomes and the Chiefs remind everyone they are still the standard
Patrick Mahomes once again proved why the road to the Lombardi Trophy still runs through Kansas City. In a primetime thriller, the Chiefs offense finally looked like the fully synced machine fans have been waiting for, with Mahomes carving up coverages, extending plays outside the pocket and flashing his trademark off-platform throws.
In key moments, he repeatedly found Travis Kelce on option routes over the middle and connected with his speed threats on deep crossers that stretched the defense horizontally and vertically. The Chiefs finished with a balanced attack, mixing just enough ground game to keep the pass rush honest and stay ahead of the chains.
Mahomes did not need a 400-yard box score to tilt the AFC playoff picture. What mattered was situational dominance: third-down conversions, clutch throws in the two-minute drill and complete control of the tempo. The Chiefs now sit firmly atop the AFC West and remain in the hunt for the No. 1 seed, tightening the race at the top of the NFL standings.
In the locker room afterward, the tone was confident but not complacent. Coaches emphasized that the offense finally "played to our standard" and players talked about how the chemistry is starting to peak at the right time of the season. For defensive coordinators scouting Kansas City, that is a chilling thought heading into the stretch run.
Lamar Jackson’s Ravens send a message in the AFC
If there was any doubt about the Ravens being a true Super Bowl contender, Lamar Jackson and his defense answered it with authority. Jackson diced up coverages with sharp timing throws and then ripped off chunk runs when the pocket collapsed, putting defenders in constant conflict in the read-option game.
The Ravens offense lived in field goal range for most of the night, but what separated them was ruthless efficiency in the red zone. Designed quarterback runs near the goal line, quick slants to trusted targets and well-timed play-action shots had the defense guessing, and Jackson punished every hesitation.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens pass rush feasted. Edge rushers collapsed the pocket, interior linemen won one-on-one matchups and the secondary baited an interception on a late desperation drive, essentially a game-sealing pick-six opportunity that underscored how suffocating this unit can be when playing with a lead.
Jackson’s MVP race narrative gained serious steam. His dual-threat profile has always terrified defenses, but this season the decision-making and patience from the pocket have leveled up. If the Ravens stay near the top of the AFC standings, his case for MVP will be impossible to ignore.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles outlast another heavyweight
In the NFC, Jalen Hurts led the Eagles through yet another heavyweight bout that felt like a postseason preview. Playing behind an offensive line that controlled the line of scrimmage for long stretches, Hurts orchestrated methodical drives and hit explosive plays off RPO concepts and play-action shots.
Philadelphia once again leaned on its identity in short yardage. The much-debated quarterback sneak package dominated the red zone and extended multiple late-game drives, chewing clock and forcing the opponent to burn timeouts before the two-minute warning. It was classic Eagles football: physical, efficient and utterly demoralizing for a tired defense.
The win keeps the Eagles perched near the top of the NFC in the NFL standings and cements them as one of the clearest Super Bowl favorites. The combination of a deep defensive front, a stacked skill-position group and Hurts’ toughness in high-leverage snaps makes them a nightmare matchup in any playoff seeding scenario.
Game highlights: Heartbreakers, upsets and statement wins
Beyond the headliners, several games reshaped the Wild Card race. One contender pulled off a late comeback fueled by a two-minute-drill masterclass from its quarterback, capped by a field goal as time expired that sent the stadium into chaos. Another supposed favorite stumbled in a trap game, turning the ball over in the red zone and missing a potential game-tying field goal that clanged off the upright.
Defenses also stole the spotlight. A dominant front posted multiple sacks, forced a strip-sack in the fourth quarter and turned it into instant points. In another matchup, a cornerback jumped a quick out route for a pick-six that flipped the momentum and effectively buried a division rival’s playoff hopes.
Fans got the full spectrum: overtime drama, nail-biter finishes decided by special teams execution and classic field-position battles where every punt, every pin inside the 10 and every third-and-short felt like a season-defining moment.
The playoff picture: Who controls the AFC and NFC right now?
With this week in the books, the top of both conferences has started to crystallize, even as the Wild Card race remains pure chaos. The latest NFL standings highlight a clear top tier of Super Bowl contenders and a crowded middle class battling for survival.
Here is a compact look at key division leaders and top seeds across the league based on the current playoff picture:
| Conference | Seed | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 1 | Ravens / Chiefs tier | In pole position for first-round bye |
| AFC | 2-4 | Chiefs, Dolphins, Jaguars/Browns mix | Division leaders, chasing No. 1 seed |
| AFC | 5-7 | Top Wild Card contenders | On track, but little margin for error |
| NFC | 1 | Eagles / 49ers tier | Favorites for home-field advantage |
| NFC | 2-4 | 49ers, Lions, Cowboys-type teams | Division leaders, jockeying for seeding |
| NFC | 5-7 | Wild Card bubble teams | Every loss could be fatal |
Again, the exact ordering will shuffle week to week as tiebreakers evolve, but the structure is clear: elite quarterbacks at the top, bruising defenses lurking and a jam-packed Wild Card race where point differential and conference records might decide who plays in January.
In the AFC, the battle for the No. 1 seed is effectively a sprint between high-octane offenses and battle-tested defenses. One slip, one ill-timed upset, and that coveted bye week could flip to a rival. In the NFC, the path to the Super Bowl likely runs through a cold-weather outdoor stadium or a deafening home dome where communication for visiting offenses becomes a nightmare.
Wild Card race: life on the bubble
For teams hovering around .500, every snap now feels like a season referendum. Coaches are going for it more often on fourth down, leaning into analytics and trusting their stars rather than settling for long field goals outside comfortable field goal range.
Quarterbacks under the brightest spotlight are the ones turning the ball over in critical situations. A single red-zone interception or a strip-sack inside their own 20 can swing not just a game, but the entire Wild Card race. Several bubble teams this week learned that lesson the hard way when late turnovers immediately translated into opponent touchdowns.
On the flip side, opportunistic defenses have kept fragile playoff hopes alive. Timely sacks, forced fumbles and clutch pass breakups on fourth down have given struggling offenses just enough margin to survive. In this environment, style points are irrelevant. Stacking ugly wins matters more than chasing blowouts.
MVP race: Mahomes, Lamar, Hurts lead the conversation
With the latest week in the books, the MVP race feels like a three-way heavyweight battle headlined by Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts. Each quarterback brings a different flavor, but all three have the same through line: they are the primary reason their teams sit near the top of the NFL standings and firmly in the Super Bowl contender conversation.
Mahomes continues to post elite passing efficiency, slicing up defenses in the intermediate zones and putting up multi-touchdown performances even on nights when the box score does not show gaudy yardage. His command of pre-snap reads and post-snap adjustments remains unmatched.
Jackson’s case is built on total offense. His combined passing and rushing output routinely pushes toward elite numbers, with multiple total touchdowns per game and chunk-yardage scrambles that break defensive structure. The Ravens rely on his legs to keep linebackers frozen and his arm to punish single-high looks.
Hurts, meanwhile, thrives in high-leverage spots. He has stacked game-winning drives, red zone precision and short-yardage dominance that transforms every third-and-1 into an almost automatic conversion. His toughness playing through hits and pressure has become the heartbeat of the Eagles locker room.
Non-quarterbacks are still in the conversation, particularly dominant pass rushers and versatile skill players racking up touchdowns, but the voting reality historically leans toward elite quarterbacks on top seeds. If these three continue to produce and their teams stay perched atop their conferences, the MVP race could come down to the final two weeks.
Injury report: how health could decide the Super Bowl race
No week passes without a major injury storyline, and this one was no different. Multiple teams saw key starters limp off, and while official designations will be clarified on this week’s injury report, the immediate impact on game plans was obvious.
An offense missing its WR1 suddenly struggled to separate on the outside, forcing the quarterback into tighter-window throws and limiting yards after catch. A contender that lost a starting left tackle had to reconfigure protections on the fly, using more chips and quick-game concepts to protect its franchise quarterback and avoid drive-killing sacks.
Defensively, the absence of a Pro Bowl-caliber cornerback changed how a unit could play coverage. Without the ability to lock down one side of the field, safeties had to shade help more often, opening seams for tight ends and slot receivers to feast between the hashes.
Coaches know the harsh truth: the difference between lifting the Lombardi and exiting on Wild Card weekend often comes down to who is healthiest in late December and early January. The next few weeks of injury reports might quietly reshape the Super Bowl odds as much as any box score.
Looking ahead: must-watch matchups and Super Bowl angles
The upcoming slate is loaded with games that will tilt both the NFL standings and the broader Super Bowl narrative. A marquee AFC showdown featuring Mahomes against another top-tier quarterback could swing the race for the No. 1 seed. A physical NFC clash between two bruising defenses will test whether run-heavy attacks can still bully their way through elite fronts.
Circle the prime-time windows. Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football over the next stretch feature multiple head-to-head battles between current playoff teams, turning each contest into a mini playoff picture referendum. Win, and you stay in striking distance of a higher seed. Lose, and you might be staring at a road Wild Card game in a hostile environment.
Fans should keep one eye on the scoreboard and another on the injury updates and snap counts. How many touches star running backs get, how often elite pass rushers are rotated to stay fresh and whether banged-up quarterbacks are limited in designed runs will all hint at how coaching staffs are prioritizing short-term seeding versus long-term health.
As the regular season barrels toward its final weeks, the theme is clear: the NFL standings are more volatile than ever, but the familiar names are still on top. Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts have their teams firmly in the Super Bowl contender lane, while bubble squads cling to every possession in a brutal Wild Card race. Buckle up, clear your calendar for the prime-time windows and do not miss a snap, because the next swing in momentum could define this entire season.
