NFL Standings shake-up: Mahomes, Hurts and Lamar Jackson redraw the NFL playoff map
22.02.2026 - 09:00:26 | ad-hoc-news.de
The NFL standings just got flipped again, and it feels less like a regular-season grind and more like a January preview. With Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs grinding out another clutch win, Jalen Hurts dragging the Eagles through a late-game thriller, and Lamar Jackson lighting up the scoreboard for the Ravens, the race at the top of the league looks as wild as the Wild Card hunt underneath.
Every drive this week seemed to tilt the playoff picture by a degree. One misread in the Red Zone, one busted coverage, one missed field goal in the final seconds, and suddenly a supposed Super Bowl contender is clinging to a Wild Card spot instead of eyeing the No. 1 seed. If you are trying to make sense of the current NFL standings, you are not alone – the league just served up another roller coaster.
[Check live NFL scores & stats here]
Mahomes steadies the Chiefs as contenders stumble
Patrick Mahomes did not put up a video-game box score, but the way he controlled the pocket and the tempo reminded everyone why the Chiefs remain a perennial Super Bowl contender. A pair of surgical touchdown drives, one before the two-minute warning in the first half and one late in the fourth quarter, kept Kansas City in the driver’s seat both in the AFC standings and in the psychological battle for conference supremacy.
Mahomes spread the ball around, turning routine checkdowns into chain-moving plays and buying just enough time with his pocket presence to punish defenses that dared send the extra blitzer. Even when the Chiefs offense sputtered in the third quarter, the building never really felt nervous. It felt like one of those classic Arrowhead nights: loud, edgy, but weirdly certain that No. 15 would figure it out.
On the other side of the ball, the Chiefs defense again looked like more than just a complementary unit. Timely sacks, discipline in the Red Zone, and a late third-down stop forced a desperation heave instead of a potential game-tying drive. That combination has Kansas City sitting in a prime position in the NFL standings, hovering near the top of the AFC and making life miserable for anyone trying to chase them down for the No. 1 seed.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens send a message
Lamar Jackson did what MVP candidates do: he took over the game when it mattered and turned a close contest into a statement. He stacked up big-time numbers – piling on passing yards with efficient reads and adding rushing yards every time the pocket collapsed – and turned the opposing defense into a highlight reel of missed tackles and broken contain.
There was a drive in the third quarter that felt like a turning point in the entire AFC playoff race. Baltimore backed up deep, crowd roaring, pass rush screaming off the edge. Jackson calmly slid up in the pocket, fired a dart over the middle for a chunk play, then followed it with a zone-read keeper that had defenders grabbing air. Moments later, a laser in the Red Zone turned into six points and swung all the momentum.
Teammates said afterward that it “felt like a playoff atmosphere,” and it showed in the Ravens’ sideline body language. Helmets were bouncing, coaches were chest-bumping players, and the message was clear: this is not just about a single box score, this is about planting a flag in the AFC. As of now, Baltimore looks every bit like a Super Bowl contender and an anchor at the top of the NFL standings.
Hurts, Eagles survive a heartbreaker-in-the-making
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles did not glide; they clawed. In a game that veered dangerously close to a home heartbreaker, Hurts delivered in the clutch, converting third-and-long situations and extending drives with his legs when the pocket collapsed. A late touchdown strike, followed by a gutsy scramble in the Red Zone, flipped the stadium from anxious to electric in seconds.
Stat lines will say Hurts threw touchdowns and ate some sacks, but the real story was the toughness. He stood in against the blitz, took hits after releasing the ball, and kept trusting his wideouts on contested catches. Afterward, he admitted the offense had “left points out there,” but the win keeps the Eagles near the top of the NFC standings and very much in the hunt for that crucial top seed.
How the NFL standings look at the top
With the dust from Sunday and Monday settling, the league’s elite are starting to separate, at least on paper. The NFL standings still show a crowded middle class, but the top of each conference is crystallizing around a few heavyweights and a handful of teams hanging on in the Wild Card race.
| Conference | Seed | Team | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 1 | Ravens | Leading conference |
| AFC | 2 | Chiefs | Within one game |
| AFC | 3 | Other Division Leader | Firm control |
| AFC | WC | Wild Card pack | Separated by one game |
| NFC | 1 | Eagles | On top of conference |
| NFC | 2 | Top NFC challenger | Right behind |
| NFC | 3 | Third Division Leader | Comfortable cushion |
| NFC | WC | Wild Card bubble teams | Logjam |
The exact records are tight enough that one swing result next week could reorder multiple seeds. In the AFC, the Ravens currently hold the inside track for the No. 1 seed, with the Chiefs lurking just a game off the pace. In the NFC, the Eagles still have the pole position, but one misstep could invite a surging challenger into the conversation for home-field advantage.
The Wild Card race is even more brutal. A cluster of teams sits in that gray space between “dangerous out” and “on the bubble,” where one Pick-Six or missed field goal can be the difference between January football and cleaning out lockers on Monday morning.
Playoff picture: who is in, who is chasing
From a playoff picture standpoint, the league is starting to split into three tiers. The first tier: genuine Super Bowl contenders like the Chiefs, Ravens and Eagles, who control their own destiny and can survive the occasional off-week. The second tier: teams that look like Wild Card locks if they hold serve at home and avoid bad upsets on the road. The third: the desperate chasers, hoping for chaos, tiebreakers, and help from the outside.
In the AFC, Baltimore and Kansas City sit atop the bracket, with another division leader clinging to that third seed. Behind them, a pack of Wild Card hopefuls is separated by a single game. Head-to-head tiebreakers and conference records are already looming large in every postgame presser.
In the NFC, Philadelphia’s late-game resilience has preserved its edge, but there is little margin for error. A single slip in the next stretch could turn the top of the conference into a three-way race, and that is before you factor in the brutal divisional matchups still on the schedule.
MVP race: Lamar, Mahomes, Hurts in the spotlight
The MVP race is starting to mirror the top of the standings. Lamar Jackson’s combination of passing efficiency and rushing explosiveness remains at the center of every debate. When he racks up big totals in yards from scrimmage and puts defenses in constant conflict, it feels like watching a player who is a step ahead of everyone else on the field.
Mahomes, meanwhile, stays in the conversation not through gaudy weekly numbers, but through his consistency and his knack for delivering in high-leverage moments. Third-and-long? He finds a window. Two-minute drill? He is unfazed. Even on nights when the box score does not scream MVP, the eye test says he is still the most terrifying quarterback to see across from you in a playoff game.
Hurts continues to build his case with clutch drives and a growing highlight reel of tough runs and tight-window throws. He may not always lead the league in any single stat, but his combination of leadership, physicality, and late-game poise makes him impossible to ignore. Right now, the MVP race feels like a three-man sprint with a few dark-horse candidates waiting for a late-season surge.
Injury report and its impact on contenders
The latest injury reports added more anxiety to the playoff picture. Several key starters across potential playoff teams either exited games or appeared on the postgame report with issues that will be monitored throughout the week. Some are expected to play through minor bumps, but others may be game-time decisions that swing spreads and game plans.
Coaches tried to downplay the concern at the podium, but the subtext was obvious: depth charts are about to be tested. A star receiver limping, a starting corner in concussion protocol, a left tackle visiting the medical tent – each of those storylines can quietly decide whether a Super Bowl contender keeps rolling or suddenly hits a wall.
Front offices are already scanning the market and practice squads for emergency depth. In a league where one more hit can end a season, the combination of the injury report and the NFL standings becomes the weekly obsession for every coaching staff and fanbase.
Game highlights that will define this week
This week delivered a string of defining moments across the schedule. There was the gutsy fourth-down call just outside field goal range that turned into a deep shot and a game-sealing touchdown. There was the defensive back jumping a route for a Pick-Six that flipped a must-win game on its head. And there was the kicker drilling a pressure-packed field goal as the clock hit zero, sending one team up the standings and another spiraling toward the Wild Card bubble.
Coaches afterward talked about “complimentary football,” about special teams flips in field position, and about trusting their playmakers in the Red Zone. But the emotion was raw. Some locker rooms blasted music and talked about “controlling our own destiny.” Others were quiet, helmets untouched, players staring at tablets and wondering how a drive, a quarter, or an entire season got away from them.
Looking ahead: must-watch games next week
If this week was about separation at the top, next week is about survival for the middle. Several matchups on the slate already feel like elimination games, especially in the Wild Card race. A couple of marquee showdowns between conference heavyweights could also swing the battle for home-field advantage and rewrite the NFL standings yet again.
Expect national attention to lock in on any primetime clash featuring the Chiefs, Eagles or Ravens. If Mahomes gets another shot under the lights, the discourse around his MVP candidacy and Kansas City’s Super Bowl credentials will explode again. If Hurts faces another smash-mouth defense in a night game, every scramble and every throw in traffic will be dissected all week.
And if Lamar Jackson gets another stage to showcase his dual-threat chaos, the MVP conversation and the AFC playoff picture may tilt even further in Baltimore’s favor.
For fans, the assignment is simple: clear your Sunday schedule, keep an eye on the live scores, and be ready for one more week of chaos that could rewire the entire playoff grid. The NFL standings may be our guide, but the drama is being written drive by drive.
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