NFL Games today: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and 49ers steal the spotlight in wild playoff push

NFL Games today delivered playoff-level drama as Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, the 49ers and Eagles reshaped the postseason race with clutch drives, statement wins and MVP-level fireworks.

The NFL Games today felt less like a regular-season Sunday and more like an early playoff slate. Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and a ruthless 49ers squad all put their stamp on a chaotic week that flipped the playoff picture, shook up the MVP race and left a handful of supposed Super Bowl contenders suddenly looking vulnerable.

Mahomes flips the script in a late-game thriller

Whenever you talk about NFL Games today, Mahomes and the Chiefs still move the needle first. After weeks of questions about the offense’s inconsistency and their place among true Super Bowl contenders, Kansas City responded with the kind of grind-it-out performance that reminds everyone why you never count out No. 15.

Mahomes worked the short game early, taking what the defense gave him, then started attacking downfield once the pass protection settled. He finished with over 250 passing yards, multiple touchdowns and, most importantly, command of the tempo in the fourth quarter. It was classic Mahomes: climbing the pocket, sliding away from pressure, turning broken plays into back-breaking conversions on third-and-long.

“We just stayed patient,” Mahomes said afterward, echoing what you could feel from the sideline. “When the game tightened up, nobody flinched.” That lack of panic is what separates a good team from a battle-tested champion.

The Chiefs defense again played fast and physical, flying to the ball and tightening in the Red Zone. Opponents are moving the chains between the 20s, but Steve Spagnuolo’s group keeps forcing field goals instead of giving up touchdowns. In a season where offensive fireworks are more spread out across the league, this version of Kansas City wins ugly but wins often.

Lamar Jackson keeps the Ravens on the AFC’s top line

If Mahomes is the standard, Lamar Jackson is the one pushing hardest to redefine it. In one of the most complete NFL Games today, the Ravens’ franchise quarterback once again looked like the most dangerous dual-threat weapon in football. Baltimore’s offense flowed through his arm and legs, with Jackson ripping intermediate throws over the middle and gashing the defense on designed keepers and scrambles.

Jackson crossed the 250-yard passing mark with multiple touchdown throws and added significant rushing yards, constantly putting linebackers in conflict. Every time the defense squatted on short routes, he dropped a deep shot over the top. When they bailed into two-high shells, he punished them on the ground, sliding safely after moving the sticks.

“It felt like a playoff atmosphere out there,” one Ravens veteran said postgame. “When 8 gets rolling like that, everybody feeds off it.”

With this win, Baltimore strengthened its hold near the top of the AFC, keeping pace in the race for the No. 1 seed and the all-important first-round bye. In a tight AFC playoff picture, that single week off could be the difference between a gassed roster and a rested Super Bowl contender.

49ers flex as the league’s most complete roster

The 49ers might not always be featured in the flashiest NFL Games today, but when they are locked in, no team looks more complete. From the first drive, San Francisco played like a team that understands its window is wide open right now.

Brock Purdy orchestrated Kyle Shanahan’s offense with calm efficiency, spreading the ball to Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle while letting Christian McCaffrey do his damage on the ground and in the screen game. Purdy’s numbers once again backed up his growing MVP buzz: efficient completion rate, multiple touchdown tosses and almost no dangerous throws.

On defense, Nick Bosa and the pass rush collapsed the pocket repeatedly, forcing hurried throws and killing drives before they truly got started. A late-game sack on third down had the stadium erupting, a reminder that this front can take over in any high-leverage moment.

Right now, the 49ers look like the NFC’s measuring stick. Everyone else is chasing their balance: an offense that can score from anywhere on the field and a defense that can erase your best player for four quarters.

Eagles grind out another one-score war

The Eagles once again found themselves in a one-score tug-of-war, and once again Jalen Hurts and that veteran locker room found a way to close. It was not always pretty – the passing game went cold in stretches, and the offensive line took more pressure than usual – but Philadelphia continues to live on the edge and survive.

Hurts made the timely plays when it mattered, including critical third-down scrambles and one vintage deep shot to A.J. Brown that flipped field position in the fourth quarter. The defense, anchored by its front, made just enough stands in the Red Zone to hold on.

There is an uneasy balance with this Eagles team. The talent screams Super Bowl contender, but the margin for error in so many of their wins has been razor thin. You can feel that the coaching staff knows they need cleaner football as the NFC playoff race tightens.

Other NFL Games today that shook the standings

This week’s slate didn’t just showcase the heavyweights. It also featured a couple of genuine upsets that might come back to haunt favorites in the final NFL League Position shakeout.

One fringe contender stole a road win with a late field goal after a brutal turnover in the final two minutes by a young quarterback who has been flirting with a breakout. Another team in the thick of the Wild Card race rode its defense, turning a Red Zone stand into a game-changing goal-line takeaway that had their sideline losing its mind.

These aren’t just random box scores. In a conference where tiebreakers decide who plays in January and who heads home early, that one extra win or loss this week could decide playoff seeding, travel schedules and even coaching futures.

Current playoff picture: Who controls the bracket?

With the latest NFL Games today in the books, the playoff picture is starting to harden at the top while staying chaotic in the middle. Here is a snapshot of the current conference leaders and top Wild Card contenders based on the most recent standings from NFL.com and ESPN.

Conference	Seed	Team	Status
AFC	1	Ravens	No. 1 seed, bye in sight
AFC	2	Chiefs	Division leader, chasing top seed
AFC	3	Dolphins	Explosive offense, pacing AFC East
AFC	4	Jaguars	South favorite, but under pressure
AFC	5	Browns	Wild Card, elite defense
AFC	6	Steelers	Wild Card, winning ugly
AFC	7	Texans	On the bubble, rookie QB surge
NFC	1	49ers	No. 1 seed, complete roster
NFC	2	Eagles	Chasing 49ers, stacked lineup
NFC	3	Lions	North leader, physical identity
NFC	4	Buccaneers	South leader, but shaky
NFC	5	Cowboys	Top Wild Card, explosive offense
NFC	6	Rams	Wild Card, sneaky dangerous
NFC	7	Packers	Bubble team, young QB growth

The top lines in both conferences feel relatively stable. The Ravens and Chiefs in the AFC, plus the 49ers and Eagles in the NFC, all look like locks to be hosting playoff games unless something stunning happens down the stretch.

But from the five seed down, chaos reigns. A short losing streak could drop a Wild Card squad from “team nobody wants to face” to “needs help in Week 18.” And for those on the outside looking in, every remaining matchup feels like an elimination game.

Wild Card race: thin margins, massive stakes

In the AFC, the Browns and Steelers are winning with defense, special teams and just enough offense. They are not blowing anyone out, but they make you earn every yard. One missed kick or tipped ball can swing their entire afternoon.

The Texans, meanwhile, are one of the league’s best stories. A rookie quarterback has turned them from a rebuilding afterthought into a legitimate Wild Card threat. His poise in the pocket, willingness to push the ball downfield and ability to navigate two-minute situations have made Houston must-watch TV every week.

In the NFC, teams like the Rams and Packers are quietly tightening the screws. The Rams lean on Matthew Stafford’s arm talent and a resurgent ground game, while the Packers are being dragged forward by the development of a young quarterback who is finally stacking quality starts. One more big national-stage win could tilt public perception from “cute story” to “dangerous in January.”

MVP race: Mahomes, Lamar, Purdy and the stat chase

Every round of NFL Games today doubles as another chapter in the MVP race. Right now, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are in every serious conversation, with Brock Purdy forcing his way into the mix thanks to his efficiency in a loaded 49ers offense.

Jackson continues to post MVP-level efficiency. Across his recent stretch, he has stacked 250-plus yard passing performances with rushing lines that look like a starting running back’s box score. Multiple games with two or more touchdown passes and clean turnover sheets are making his case stronger by the week.

Mahomes, on the other hand, is navigating a version of the Chiefs that does not always give him layups. He is throwing to a rotating cast of receivers and still regularly finishing with solid numbers – around 250–300 passing yards, multiple touchdowns – and leading late scoring drives. His value is felt in how different this offense looks any time he is forced to play perfect football.

Purdy’s argument is more polarizing. The raw stats are there: a high completion percentage, strong touchdown-to-interception ratio and several games nudging or surpassing the 300-yard mark in an offense that punishes defenses at every level. Critics point to the system and weapons; supporters point to the tape and his calm in pressure moments.

A handful of other names linger on the outskirts – quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts, plus offensive stars like Christian McCaffrey and Tyreek Hill – but unless someone catches absolute fire over the final weeks, this feels like a three-man race with Jackson slightly in front after the latest slate.

NFL Injury Report: who is limping into the stretch run?

Every week that brings highlight-reel NFL Game highlights also reshapes the NFL Injury Report. The hits are wearing on key contenders, and some locker rooms are bracing for life without major stars.

A top wide receiver exited early with a lower-body injury, leaving his offense searching for answers on third down. Early indications from the team suggest more testing is coming, and his status for next week is very much in doubt. Without him, that passing game loses its primary deep threat and coverage dictator.

Elsewhere, a Pro Bowl-caliber offensive lineman left with what looked like a significant arm injury. If scans confirm a multi-week absence, his team will be reshuffling the protection unit at the worst possible time, just as the schedule tightens against playoff-caliber pass rushes.

There were also positive updates. A star cornerback who had been sidelined for weeks finally returned, immediately tightening up his team’s coverage on the outside and allowing the coordinator to blitz more aggressively. Credit to the training staffs around the league; this is the time of year when “playing hurt” becomes the norm, not the exception.

Coaching hot seats and brewing storylines

Whenever the playoff race heats up, so does the coaching carousel talk. A couple of head coaches on underperforming teams woke up Monday feeling the seat underneath them grow warmer.

One offense-first coach is taking heavy criticism for red-zone decision-making after settling for field goals in a game where touchdowns were mandatory. Another defensive-minded coach, whose unit keeps giving up explosive plays, is facing questions about whether the message has gone stale.

Front offices around the league are already thinking about the next wave of hires: young offensive minds, proven culture builders and veteran coordinators ready to take the next step. How the next three or four games go for those teetering on the edge might decide more futures than just those of the players on the field.

Looking ahead: must-watch NFL Games next week

If the NFL Games today were a statement, next week feels like the reply. The schedule is loaded with matchups that will further define the playoff picture and the Super Bowl contender pecking order.

All eyes will again be on Mahomes and the Chiefs as they face another physical defense in a nationally televised window. Can Kansas City stack consistent offensive performances, or will the drops and miscommunications return?

Jackson and the Ravens have a heavyweight showdown coming against a fellow AFC contender that loves to shorten the game and lean on its run game. That matchup has “January rehearsal” written all over it, with tiebreakers and seeding implications baked into every snap.

In the NFC, the 49ers and Eagles continue their indirect tug-of-war for the No. 1 seed. Any slip from either side opens the door for the Lions or Cowboys to sneak into a more favorable bracket path. It is not just about making the dance; it is about avoiding a cross-country trip on Wild Card weekend.

Circle the prime-time slots. Late-season Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football games now feel like weekly elimination bouts. One bad quarter can undo three months of work.

Super Bowl contender hierarchy after this week

Stacking up the field after the latest NFL Games today, a rough Super Bowl contender tier board looks something like this:

Tier 1 – True favorites: Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers, Eagles. These are the teams that can win in multiple styles, travel on the road, and survive a bad series or quarter without losing their identity.

Tier 2 – Dangerous if they get hot: Dolphins, Cowboys, Lions, a surging AFC Wild Card like the Browns or Texans. These squads have high ceilings but lingering questions, whether it is pass protection, defensive consistency or injury depth.

Tier 3 – Need help and health: Bubble teams hanging on in the Wild Card chase. If they sneak in, no one will be excited to see them, but they still need everything to break right to make a Lombardi run.

As always, this pecking order is written in pencil. A single statement win, a key injury or a stunning upset in prime time can vault a team up or knock them down a tier.

Fans’ marching orders

If you are trying to keep up with the madness, lock in now. The margin between hosting a Divisional Round game and boarding a plane as a six seed is shrinking by the week. The NFL Games today reminded everyone how quickly the narrative can flip: a single tipped pass, a missed kick or a blown coverage can echo all the way into January.

Bookmark the official league hub, track every updated NFL Injury Report and double-check the standings daily. This is the stretch where legends are made, MVP cases are sealed and Super Bowl dreams either sharpen into reality or fade into what-if territory.

The season has officially hit playoff mode. Do not miss a snap.