NFL Games today: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and 49ers shake up playoff race in wild Week of upsets

The NFL games today did not just fill a Sunday; they ripped open the playoff race. Patrick Mahomes kept the Chiefs in the Super Bowl contender conversation, Lamar Jackson turned a supposedly routine matchup into an MVP statement, and the 49ers reminded everyone why nobody wants to see them in January. From early-window thrillers to prime-time heartburn, it felt like a playoff atmosphere across the league.

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With the regular season deep into its stretch run, every snap is about seeding, survival and statement wins. Division leads flipped, wild card hopefuls took body blows, and a couple of injured stars might have just changed the entire Lombardi Trophy roadmap.

Mahomes steadies Chiefs in gritty win

Patrick Mahomes did not put up a video-game stat line, but his command of the two-minute drill once again separated Kansas City from the rest of the AFC pack. Working behind a patchwork offensive line and a receiving corps that still struggles with drops, Mahomes moved the chains in crunch time, shredded man coverage on key third downs and put the Chiefs in easy field goal range on the final drive.

The box score will show solid, not spectacular numbers: efficient passing, multiple touchdowns, and, crucially, clean football in the red zone. But the tape shows something else: pocket presence, sliding away from pressure, manipulating safeties with his eyes and buying just enough time for his receivers to uncover. For a Chiefs team that has lived on the edge this season, this felt like one of those classic grind-it-out wins that top off a No. 1 seed resume.

Defensively, Kansas City again showed why it might be Mahomes best supporting cast since that first Super Bowl run. The pass rush collapsed the pocket late, the secondary closed throwing windows, and a fourth-quarter pick in the red zone flipped the entire tone of the game. One assistant coach summed it up after the final whistle, essentially saying the defense is playing "championship-caliber ball" right now while Mahomes takes care of the rest.

Lamar Jackson flips the MVP switch

Lamar Jackson walked into today on the short list of MVP candidates. He walked out with a pretty strong claim to the top spot. In a game his Ravens could not afford to drop, Jackson carved up the defense with a balanced attack: precision from the pocket in the intermediate zones and lethal scrambles every time the rush lanes opened.

By the time the game hit the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, Jackson had stacked impressive numbers across the board: well over 250 passing yards, multiple touchdown throws, and a rushing line that kept the chains moving on third-and-medium. His command of the offense in the red zone was the difference. No panic, no hero ball, just calculated decisions: take the underneath crosser, live for the next snap, and then hit the back-shoulder fade when the corner finally bites on the slant.

Teammates raved afterward about his leadership this late in the season. One lineman said it "feels like January football" already around Jackson, who spent much of the week preaching about details: hot reads, blitz pickups, motion timing. That attention to detail is exactly why Baltimore now sits right in the thick of the race for the AFCs top seed.

49ers flex, Eagles absorb a punch

If there was any doubt about which NFC roster is the most complete, the 49ers answered it again. Kyle Shanahans offense moved the ball at will, leaning on a ruthless mix of wide zone runs, motion-heavy play-action and back-breaking screens. Christian McCaffrey ripped through arm tackles and turned simple checkdowns into chunk plays, while Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk did the dirty work across the middle.

Brock Purdy continues to erase the "system quarterback" label with his efficiency and situational awareness. On third down he was nails, delivering balls on time into tight windows and trusting his reads even when pressure flashed in his face. The yardage and touchdown numbers mirror that of an upper-tier starter, and the Niners ability to stay in rhythm keeps opposing defenses gasping for air by the fourth quarter.

On the other sideline, Jalen Hurts once again showed why the Eagles are never out of a game. Even when the offense stalled early, Hurts used his legs to generate first downs, kept drives alive with scrambles on broken plays and found A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith in tight red zone windows. But the constant pressure, combined with short fields gifted to San Francisco, finally wore the Eagles down. The loss dents their NFL league position in the race for home-field advantage but does not knock them out of the top Super Bowl contender tier.

Statement wins and brutal upsets across the slate

Beyond the headliners, the NFL games today were loaded with landmines for would-be playoff teams. A couple of wild card hopefuls stepped directly on them.

One of the early-window shockers came when an underdog defense forced multiple turnovers from a veteran quarterback who has lived on the edge all year. A pick-six flipped momentum just before halftime, and a strip-sack in the fourth quarter sealed the upset. That loss sends another AFC hopeful tumbling down the wild card standings, dangerously close to the bubble.

In another stadium, a desperate NFC team fighting to stay alive in the wild card race finally found its ground game. A previously quiet running back exploded past the 100-yard mark, dominating between the tackles and punishing light boxes. The game never quite felt secure, but a clutch third-and-long conversion in the final minutes iced it, leaving their sideline celebrating like they had just won a playoff game.

Prime time delivered its own brand of chaos. A back-and-forth thriller turned on a special teams meltdown: a muffed punt deep in territory at the worst possible moment. The opponent capitalized instantly, hitting a red zone slant for a touchdown on the very next play. In the locker room afterward, the losing side talked about self-inflicted wounds and missed opportunities, the familiar language of teams drifting just outside the playoff picture.

Where the playoff picture stands right now

Pull up the standings and the first thing that jumps out is how tight the race is for the No. 1 seeds in both conferences. The latest NFL standings show small separation at the top, but a massive scrum in the wild card chase.

Here is a compact look at the current division leaders and top wild card contenders, based on the most recent results and official listings from NFL.com and ESPN. Records and seeds reflect the current NFL playoff picture heading into the next slate of games.

The exact seeding will continue to shuffle with each NFL game today and on Monday night, but the tiers are clear. The Ravens, Chiefs, 49ers and Eagles occupy that true Super Bowl contender shelf. Just below are teams like the Cowboys, Dolphins and Lions: dangerous, explosive, and one hot month away from making a run.

Then comes the hard reality: a middle class of teams hovering around .500, stuck in that NFL playoff picture sweet spot where every mistake is magnified. A missed tackle, a dropped deep ball, or a blown coverage in the red zone is the difference between grabbing the No. 7 seed and booking tee times in January.

MVP race: Mahomes, Lamar and McCaffrey headline the radar

The MVP race feels like a weekly referendum right now, and the NFL games today only intensified the debate.

Lamar Jackson strengthened his claim with a complete performance: north of 250 passing yards, multiple touchdown passes, and enough rushing yards to keep linebackers guessing. He took almost no negative plays, avoided the killer turnover and turned third-and-long into manageable situations with timely scrambles. That blend of efficiency and explosiveness keeps him at the center of the conversation.

Patrick Mahomes, meanwhile, delivered the kind of late-game mastery voters remember in January. The raw stats might not top the league leaders this week, but he walked off the field with another clutch game-winning drive on his resume. When your worst days stack up as efficient wins and your best days are 350-yard, four-TD shootouts, you stay on every MVP ballot.

Christian McCaffrey deserves his own lane in this discussion. His all-purpose yardage keeps climbing, and every defensive coordinator in the league builds a game plan around him. Today he added another multi-touchdown effort, catching passes out of the backfield, running between the tackles and stretching the edge on outside zone. Few players tilt the field like he does, and that impact is hard to quantify purely with box score lines.

Do not sleep on Jalen Hurts, either. Even in a loss, his combined passing and rushing production remains elite. The trademark power runs in the red zone, the deep shots to A.J. Brown and the calm under pressure all scream MVP-level play. If the Eagles can reclaim the No. 1 seed down the stretch, Hurts will have a strong narrative case.

Injury report: Super Bowl dreams on thin ice

As always, the darker side of the NFL games today showed up on the injury cart. Several key names were either ruled out mid-game or limped through the afternoon.

One star wide receiver for a contender left with a lower leg issue after getting twisted awkwardly on a sideline tackle. He did not return, and the team called it a precaution, but the replay had everyone holding their breath. Without him stretching the field, the offense tightened up and red zone spacing suffered. That is the kind of injury that can flip an entire Super Bowl window if it lingers.

A key pass rusher on another playoff hopeful exited with what the team initially described as a shoulder problem. Before leaving, he had already registered a sack and multiple pressures, repeatedly collapsing the pocket and forcing hurried throws. Depth on the edge is thin for that defense, and any extended absence would shift more double teams onto the interior linemen.

On the positive side, several big names returned from the injury report to make an immediate impact. A previously sidelined left tackle solidified a shaky offensive line, and it showed up in the stat sheet: fewer sacks allowed, cleaner pockets and a much more patient downfield passing game. Another returning cornerback grabbed a red zone interception, jumping a slant after baiting the quarterback with off-coverage technique.

Teams will spend the next 24 to 48 hours updating MRI results and tweaking practice plans. By midweek, the official NFL injury report will read like a roadmap to the next round of must-win games.

Film-room notes: QBs under pressure and coaches on the hot seat

Every Sunday pushes a couple of quarterbacks deeper under the microscope. Today was no different. One former first-rounder fighting to hold his job tossed a brutal interception in the red zone, forcing a throw late over the middle instead of taking the checkdown. The ensuing sideline shot told the story: head coach staring at the surface tablet, offensive coordinator shaking his head, backup quarterback warming up a little more seriously.

In another city, a veteran starter looked a half-beat slow against disguised coverages. The defense rotated safeties post-snap, baiting late throws to the sideline, and it produced two near-picks and one crushing turnover. That kind of performance sends fan bases straight into draft-mode, wondering if this is the offseason their team chases a rookie quarterback or swings a blockbuster trade.

Coaches are not safe, either. One staff is firmly on the hot seat after another listless performance, complete with poor clock management in the two-minute drill and head-scratching play calls on fourth-and-short. The postgame press conference was full of non-answers about adjustments and effort. In this league, that usually precedes a long meeting between ownership and the front office on Monday morning.

What is next: Must-watch games on deck

As wild as the NFL games today were, the schedule is not easing up. The coming week brings several must-watch matchups that will shape both the wild card race and the Super Bowl contender tiers.

Circle the next prime-time clash involving the Chiefs and a fellow AFC contender. Another stage for Mahomes to sharpen his MVP case and for Kansas City to either tighten or loosen its grip on a first-round bye. On the NFC side, the 49ers and Eagles both face tricky tests against physical defenses that can rush the passer and control the clock. Any stumble there reopens the door for the Cowboys or Lions to climb in the standings.

There is also a sneaky-important showdown between two teams sitting just on the wrong side of the NFL playoff picture bubble. The winner keeps realistic hopes of sneaking in as a No. 7 seed; the loser effectively starts thinking about draft position. These are the games where fan bases feel every missed field goal and every questionable flag.

From a pure entertainment standpoint, the next Sunday night and Monday night slots are loaded. Quarterbacks in contract years, coaches coaching for their jobs, and fan bases desperate for a signature win. Toss in the ongoing MVP race featuring Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, Christian McCaffrey and Jalen Hurts, and the storyline slate is as thick as it gets.

So if the chaos of the NFL games today left you wanting more, you are in the right season. Every drive is a data point in the Super Bowl race. Every hit can swing the MVP odds. And every win or loss reshuffles that fragile playoff picture. Do not blink, and do not miss the next kickoff.

For updated standings, live box scores, full NFL injury reports and extended game highlights, the league hub remains the same: the official NFL site has every angle covered as this season barrels toward its postseason climax.