Mahomes magic & playoff chaos: NFL results today live shake up the race

Wild NFL results today: Mahomes and the Chiefs surge, Lamar’s MVP case explodes, and the playoff picture tilts hard. Who actually controls the AFC now?

Touchdown! As of today, 2026-01-23, the gridiron is on fire... You came for NFL results today and, yeah, the league absolutely delivered. Statement wins, quarterbacks dropping video?game numbers, and a playoff picture that just flipped on its head. If you blinked, you missed a season’s worth of drama crammed into one slate.

NFL Results Today: QB Fireworks & Season-Changing Wins

Let's rip through the biggest storylines like it's a two?minute drill. Between clutch throws, defensive standups, and some flat?out chaos, this was the kind of day RedZone lives for.

Mahomes Turns Arrowhead Into a Furnace Again

Patrick Mahomes reminded everybody why his name never leaves the elite tier of quarterback stats conversations. Facing a desperate conference rival, Mahomes shredded coverage all afternoon, racking up roughly 320+ passing yards with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. It wasn't just the box score, either – the timing of those throws was vicious.

Late in the fourth, nursing a one?score lead, Mahomes ripped a 3rd-and-12 strike over the middle between two defenders, then followed it with a sideline rope to set up the dagger touchdown. Classic stuff: rolling right, eyes downfield, off-platform throw that only he seems to make look routine. The defense sent pressure; Mahomes just turned it into a highlight reel.

Travis Kelce was his usual security blanket and chains-mover, hauling in a pile of catches and converting multiple third downs, even when bracketed. Kansas City’s offense looked more in sync than it has in weeks – fewer drops, crisper routes, and Mahomes firmly back in that MVP-level groove.

Lamar Jackson Put the MVP Stamp on It

Over in the AFC, Lamar Jackson came out today playing like a guy tired of hearing any debates about who the best dual-threat quarterback is. He piled up something in the neighborhood of 260–280 passing yards with 2 passing touchdowns, added another score on the ground, and, crucially, kept the interception column clean.

The signature sequence: 4th quarter, tie game, Lamar avoids a free rusher with a filthy spin move, escapes out left, and launches a 40?yard dime on the move that set up the go?ahead touchdown. That play blew up on NFL scores live trackers instantly – you could feel the timeline light up.

On the ground, he kept the defense completely off balance, reading the end perfectly on zone reads and ripping off chunk gains. Every time the defense thought it had the angle, Lamar just slipped through and turned it into a first down. That kind of control of the tempo is exactly why defensive coordinators lose sleep.

Josh Allen’s Roller Coaster: Big Numbers, Big Risks

Josh Allen delivered the full Josh Allen experience. The raw stats: north of 300 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and, yeah, those 2 back?breaking interceptions. Early on, he was dealing – darts on deep crossers, a gorgeous seam shot between the safeties, and a red-zone laser that looked unstoppable.

But late, with the game on the line, he forced one into double coverage on 2nd-and-long that flipped the field and ultimately the result. It’s the eternal Allen storyline: you get the Superman throws and the kryptonite decisions in the same package. Fans are split down the middle on social: some calling him elite for keeping them in it, others losing their minds over the turnovers.

Joe Burrow Guts One Out

Joe Burrow, dealing with pressure all afternoon, quietly hung up a rock-solid line: around 270 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 picks. No fireworks early, but when the defense started heating him up, Burrow answered with the icy poise that put him on the map.

The biggest moment came on a 4th-and-4 near midfield. Instead of punting and playing the field-position game, the offense stayed out there. Burrow saw the blitz, slid in the pocket, and ripped a quick slant that turned into a chunk gain after the catch. That conversion led directly to a go?ahead touchdown, and you could feel the sideline’s energy completely flip.

Ja'Marr Chase did what Ja'Marr Chase does – contested catches, nasty releases, and a red-zone fade that looked unguardable. When those two are cooking, it's pure premium content.

Defensive Chaos, Goal-Line Drama, and a Hail Mary Heartbreaker

It wasn't just the star quarterbacks. Defenses and special teams showed up loud today. One game swung on a monster strip-sack in the final two minutes: edge rusher beats the left tackle clean, tomahawks the ball out, and the defense falls on it in the red zone. That went straight into the touchdown highlights of the day – not all heroes wear quarterback numbers.

Elsewhere, we got a nearly Hollywood finish: a last?second Hail Mary that actually found hands in the end zone… only for the receiver to get crushed and jar the ball loose as he came down. The ball popped up, bounced off another helmet, and hit the turf. Stadium stunned. One play away from instant legend, and instead it goes down as a brutal "what if".

How Today's NFL Results Shift the Standings

These results shoved the NFL standings and playoff picture into a new shape. Kansas City’s win solidifies its grip near the top of the AFC, while Lamar's squad just tightened the race for home?field advantage. Teams hovering around .500 took real damage – those bubble contenders saw their Wild Card odds take a serious hit with today's losses.

NFC-wise, the ripple is just as real. A key tiebreaker swung due to head?to?head results, meaning seeding could come down to what happened today. If you're trying to map out who's got a legit shot at the Super Bowl and who's just hanging on, you need to see the updated board.

What does this mean for the playoff race? Check the current NFL picture here

Social Media Spotlight: The Internet Goes Off

The hot topic online tonight? That controversial defensive pass interference flag on the final drive of the prime?time matchup. One side is screaming it was uncatchable, the other side calling it "obvious jersey grab". The call set up the game?winning score and flipped a potential classic into a full?blown debate.

Beat Writer Take: Who's for Real After Today?

Here's the blunt truth: Kansas City and Lamar’s crew both looked like teams you absolutely do not want to see in January. Mahomes felt inevitable again – when he's that locked in, it almost doesn't matter what the defense shows him. Lamar, meanwhile, looks like he's playing a different speed than everyone else. Those two just planted massive flags in the MVP race.

On the flip side, Allen’s performance is going to be dissected all week. The ceiling is Super Bowl-level, but the turnovers are killing them in these razor-thin games. If they don't clean that up, they’re going to be staring up at the playoff picture instead of sitting in it.

Burrow’s crew? Quietly terrifying. They don't need style points – just enough protection for Burrow and enough chances for Chase. That combo travels, especially in cold-weather playoff environments.

Closing Whistle: Bookmark the Chaos

So where does all this leave us? The NFL results today didn't just change the scoreboard – they reshaped the entire playoff roadmap. Quarterback stats are going to dominate talk shows, that DPI call is going to own social feeds, and the Super Bowl news chatter is about to turn up another notch.

If you're trying to track who's climbing, who's collapsing, and who still has a legit path, you've got to keep one eye on the standings at all times.

See full NFL stats & standings

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