NFL Standings shake-up: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and Hurts redefine the Super Bowl race
24.01.2026 - 22:34:05
The NFL Standings just got a serious jolt. With Patrick Mahomes carving up coverages, Lamar Jackson turning broken plays into game-breaking moments, and Jalen Hurts bulldozing through the red zone, the race for playoff seeding and true Super Bowl contender status tightened across both conferences.
This week felt less like a midseason grind and more like an early playoff preview, with heavyweight clashes, upset alerts, and wild swings in the Wild Card race. Every snap carried seeding implications, and the margins at the top of both the AFC and NFC look razor-thin.
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Mahomes and the Chiefs remind everyone they are never out of it
Patrick Mahomes once again proved why Kansas City will remain in every Super Bowl conversation until further notice. After a sluggish opening quarter and a rare early interception, Mahomes settled in, sliding in the pocket, manipulating safeties with his eyes, and dissecting blitz looks like a surgeon.
His connection with Travis Kelce looked as sharp as ever, especially on third down and in the red zone. Kansas City repeatedly converted long third-and-8 or third-and-10 situations, flipping field position and wearing down the opposing pass rush. The Chiefs offense still is not the 40-burger machine it once was, but the efficiency and situational mastery are back.
One sequence summed it up. Late in the third quarter, Mahomes escaped a collapsing pocket, rolled left, and fired a rope across his body to a receiver dragging along the back of the end zone. It was the kind of no-margin-for-error throw only a handful of quarterbacks in football would even attempt, let alone complete. On the sideline, you could see the defense exhale; they knew that touchdown changed the game script.
Postgame, Andy Reid talked about the offense finally syncing up: he emphasized timing, spacing, and how Mahomes trusted his checkdowns early to set up explosives late. It felt like a quiet but clear message to the AFC: the Chiefs might not chase style points anymore, but they absolutely still chase Lombardis.
Lamar Jackson keeps the Ravens in the AFC No. 1 seed hunt
On the other side of the AFC, Lamar Jackson kept his MVP case and the Ravens playoff aspirations front and center. Defenses continue to load the box and send delayed blitzes, hoping to keep him in the pocket. It has not mattered. Jackson stood tall, delivered strikes between the hashes, and then, when the pocket finally fractured, he turned scramble drills into backbreaking chunk gains.
The Ravens run game complemented him perfectly. With the offensive line creating just enough daylight and the backs punishing arm tackles at the second level, Baltimore repeatedly stayed ahead of the chains. That allowed offensive coordinator Todd Monken to lean into play-action, sucking in linebackers and freeing up tight ends over the middle.
What stood out most was Jacksons composure in the two-minute drill before halftime. Down a score, he marched the Ravens into field goal range with precise sideline throws and quick tempo. Then, with the defense in man coverage and a spy sitting shallow, he broke contain on third down and ripped off a long run that flipped the entire feel of the game. The stadium erupted as he popped up, pounding his chest, and teammates swarmed him in the end zone.
In the locker room, veterans kept talking about how calm Jackson has been in high-leverage spots this year. That poise, paired with an aggressive defense, keeps Baltimore firmly in the AFC Super Bowl contender tier.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles lean into their identity
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles did what they do best: win in the trenches and lean on their quarterback’s physicality when it matters most. The passing game was not always pretty, but Hurts repeatedly bailed the offense out on third downs with his legs and his toughness over the middle.
The Eagles offensive line once again controlled the line of scrimmage, giving Hurts enough time to push the ball deep when opportunities presented themselves. When the defense dropped two safeties and forced long drives, Philadelphia was happy to grind. Inside the 5-yard line, the now-infamous quarterback sneak, backed by that hulking offensive front, remained virtually automatic.
After the game, Hurts downplayed his numbers and instead spoke about details: pre-snap communication, hot reads versus pressure, and trusting the defense to get stops when the offense stalled. It was classic Hurts: even in a clear statement win, he framed everything as a step on a longer journey.
Game Highlights: Statement wins and near-upsets
Across the league, the slate delivered drama in every window. In the early games, several underdogs punched above their weight, forcing contenders into uncomfortable, one-score finishes. One high-profile favorite needed a late field goal after a blown coverage turned into a long touchdown that ignited the home crowd and flipped momentum.
Another thriller came down to a final drive in the late-window slot. Trailing by less than a touchdown with under two minutes to play, a young quarterback navigated the length of the field, hitting back-shoulder throws outside the numbers and threading a seam route just past a leaping linebacker. The offense reached the red zone with seconds left but stalled when a fourth-down blitz forced an off-platform heave that sailed just beyond his receivers outstretched hands.
Defensively, a few pass rushes stole the spotlight. Edge rushers consistently collapsed the pocket, and one defense turned a perfectly-timed corner blitz into a highlight-reel strip-sack that swung a game from trailing to leading in an instant. That play will run on NFL Films all week: a blindside shot, ball squirting loose, and a big man rumbling inside the 10 as the sideline went berserk.
Injury report: contenders holding their breath
Injury news always shapes the playoff picture as much as box scores, and this week was no different. Several key starters either left games or played through visible discomfort that will land them on the midweek injury report.
One top-tier wide receiver limped off with a lower-body issue after taking a shot on a deep ball. Another contender saw a starting offensive lineman exit with what looked like a shoulder or elbow problem, forcing a backup into action and changing the way the team called protections. On defense, a starting corner was evaluated on the sideline, and coaches quickly adjusted coverages to protect a less experienced replacement.
Coaches, as usual, were vague in their postgame comments, promising more information after imaging and evaluations. Still, you could hear the concern between the lines, especially from teams with thin depth at premium positions. For true Super Bowl contenders, one key injury at quarterback, left tackle, or corner can turn a dominant September into a shaky December.
Playoff Picture and NFL Standings: the race tightens
With this week’s results locked in, the NFL Standings at the top of both conferences tightened just enough to keep every contender on edge. A couple of teams protected their hold on division leads, while others slid closer to the pack, inviting rivals back into the conversation.
Here is a compact look at how the division leaders and primary Wild Card hunters stack up right now, based on the latest records and tiebreaker scenarios:
| Conference | Seed | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| AFC | 1 | Chiefs | Conference leader, in control of No. 1 seed |
| AFC | 2 | Ravens | Chasing bye, strong tiebreaker profile |
| AFC | 3 | Division Leader | Comfortable cushion but not clinched |
| AFC | 4 | Division Leader | Neck-and-neck with closest rival |
| AFC | 5 | Wild Card | Top Wild Card, within one game of top seeds |
| AFC | 6 | Wild Card | On track, but minimal margin for error |
| AFC | 7 | Wild Card | Holds final spot on tiebreaker |
| NFC | 1 | Eagles | Conference leader, home-field advantage path |
| NFC | 2 | Top Contender | Within striking distance of No. 1 |
| NFC | 3 | Division Leader | Likely to clinch within weeks |
| NFC | 4 | Division Leader | Hovering just above .500 |
| NFC | 5 | Wild Card | Legit Super Bowl threat out of Wild Card slot |
| NFC | 6 | Wild Card | Hot team nobody wants to face |
| NFC | 7 | Wild Card | On the bubble every single week |
Behind those seeds, a cluster of teams in both conferences sits one game back, living on the wrong side of the tiebreaker math. These franchises know the margin is microscopic: a missed field goal here, a dropped interception there, and an entire season can swing from playoff run to early vacation.
Coaches framed it bluntly this week: every drive, every third down, every red-zone trip now doubles as a playoff rep. Lose the discipline or the physical edge for even a quarter, and the standings will expose you.
MVP Race: Mahomes, Lamar, Hurts set the pace
The MVP Race continues to crystallize around the usual suspects, with Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Jalen Hurts all delivering the kind of narrative-friendly performances voters remember in January.
Mahomes added another efficient, multi-touchdown outing with minimal turnovers, continuing to stack numbers that do not always pop in fantasy box scores but absolutely matter to scouts and coaches. His sack avoidance, pocket presence, and ability to convert in the two-minute drill remain unmatched.
Jackson, meanwhile, pairs his passing production with rushing numbers that defenses still cannot solve. He has piled up total yards and red-zone scores in ways that warp game plans. When he stays clean and protects the football, the Ravens feel almost inevitable in close games.
Hurts brings a different flavor. His stats might trail slightly in some passing categories, but his short-yardage dominance and knack for game-deciding drives keep him firmly in the MVP mix. Voters love signature moments, and Hurts keeps producing them: fourth-quarter comebacks, brutal QB sneaks on fourth-and-1, and deep shots that flip field position out of nowhere.
Defensive stars also belong in the conversation. Dominant pass rushers and lockdown corners continue to post game-wrecking lines, racking up sacks, forced fumbles, and pick-six moments that transform field position. Still, as history has shown, a defender needs a season that borders on mythical to steal the hardware away from elite quarterbacks.
Super Bowl Contender tiers: who is real, who is on the bubble?
Based on the latest NFL Standings, on-field performances, and the evolving injury report, the current Super Bowl contender tier looks something like this:
Tier 1 – True heavyweights: Teams led by Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Hurts anchor this group. They combine elite quarterback play with physical offensive lines and opportunistic defenses. They can win shootouts, grind-out slugfests, and bad-weather rock fights.
Tier 2 – Dangerous but flawed: Several teams in this band boast explosive skill players or top-five defenses but remain inconsistent in situational football. Whether it is red-zone efficiency, third-down conversion rate, or turnovers in the two-minute warning, something keeps them from fully breaking through.
Tier 3 – On the bubble: These are the squads hovering around the final Wild Card spots. They have enough talent to scare anyone for 60 minutes but have yet to prove they can stack three or four playoff-caliber performances in a row. Health, depth, and late-season weather could decide their fate.
Looking ahead: next week’s must-watch games
The schedule ahead sets up beautifully for fans and brutally for coaches trying to manage bodies and game plans on short rest. Several potential playoff previews are already circled.
One marquee showdown features Mahomes and the Chiefs against another AFC contender with a ferocious pass rush and a creative secondary. Expect plenty of pre-snap motion, empty sets, and blitz disguises as both sides test each other’s football IQ as much as physical talent.
In the NFC, Hurts and the Eagles are staring down a stretch of games that will define their path to the No. 1 seed. A prime-time clash against a high-powered offense could turn into a shootout, especially if early defensive stops are hard to come by. The Eagles cannot afford slow starts against top-tier opponents; fall behind by two scores, and even their dominant run game and red-zone efficiency may not be enough.
Do not sleep on the Ravens upcoming test, either. Lamar Jackson will face a defense that loves to send simulated pressure, dropping ends into coverage and bringing linebackers from depth. How quickly Jackson diagnoses those looks and avoids the one backbreaking turnover will go a long way toward preserving their positioning near the top of the AFC bracket.
Throw in a couple of classic rivalry games with Wild Card implications, and every viewing window has at least one matchup you simply cannot skip.
Bottom line: buckle up for a chaotic stretch run
The combination of tightening NFL Standings, a crowded Wild Card race, and a high-stakes MVP Race sets the league up for a chaotic, can’t-look-away stretch run. Every week from here on out will reshape the playoff picture, nudge Super Bowl contender tiers up or down, and fuel fresh debates about who truly deserves the MVP hardware.
If you are a fan, do not wait for January. The playoff atmosphere is already here. Flex your Sunday schedule, clear your Monday night, and lock in. With Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts and a chasing pack of hungry contenders all throwing haymakers, the next few weeks promise fireworks from the opening kickoff to the last desperate Hail Mary.
