NFL News: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson and 49ers shake up playoff race after wild Week

NFL News coming out of this week is all about power shifts at the top: Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs survived another late-game thriller, Lamar Jackson kept Baltimore firmly in the AFC No. 1 seed mix, and the 49ers reminded everyone why they are still the most complete Super Bowl contender in football. From walk-off field goals to dominant defensive stands, this slate felt more like January than midseason.

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The tone was set early on Sunday: high?stakes football, thin margins, and quarterbacks either cementing MVP cases or watching them slip away. Every drive in the fourth quarter seemed to have playoff picture implications, from the Chiefs grinding out first downs in the Red Zone to the Eagles and Cowboys trading haymakers in a primetime heartbreaker.

Mahomes, Chiefs grind out a statement win

Patrick Mahomes did not put up a cartoonish box score, but his command in the two-minute drill was the difference. He manipulated coverages, escaped a collapsing pocket, and repeatedly found Travis Kelce on option routes to move the chains. The Chiefs offense finally looked like it could finish drives instead of settling for long field goal attempts on the edge of field goal range.

One pivotal sequence came late in the fourth quarter. Facing third-and-long near midfield, Mahomes slid in the pocket, waited out a blitz, and fired a dart to Rashee Rice just past the sticks. The stadium erupted; it felt like a playoff atmosphere in October. A few snaps later, Isaiah Pacheco bulldozed into the end zone to cap a 10?play, clock?draining drive that effectively iced the game.

Afterward, head coach Andy Reid praised Mahomes for staying patient instead of forcing hero-ball throws downfield. The Chiefs defense held up its end, generating pressure with four and closing the night with a crucial sack to knock their opponent out of realistic field goal range on the final drive.

Lamar Jackson keeps Ravens in the AFC driver’s seat

Lamar Jackson’s MVP race narrative picked up steam again. He was poised in the pocket, lethal on designed runs, and ruthless on third down. Several times, he extended plays outside structure, forcing defenders to choose between stepping up to stop his legs or staying with receivers in scramble drill mode. They usually guessed wrong.

The Ravens offense repeatedly flipped the field with explosive plays. A deep shot off play action, a well-timed tight end seam route, and a sideline back-shoulder throw to Zay Flowers had the defense on skates. With the ground game humming and the defense swarming, Baltimore never really felt threatened, building a cushion that let them lean on their pass rush in the second half.

Defensively, Baltimore continued to look like the unit no one wants to see in January. They brought simulated pressures, dropping edge rushers into shallow zones and sending nickel blitzes late in the snap clock to create confusion. The result: sacks, hurried throws, and a late pick that effectively qualified as a dagger, even if it was not a literal pick?six.

49ers remind everyone who runs the NFC

While Kansas City and Baltimore wrestle over AFC supremacy, the San Francisco 49ers continue to play bully ball on the NFC side. Their latest win was vintage Kyle Shanahan: scripted drives slicing through the defense, motion and misdirection creating open grass, and Christian McCaffrey turning routine touches into chunk gains.

Brock Purdy looked comfortable and efficient, delivering timing throws in rhythm and taking the easy completions that Shanahan’s scheme manufactured. He did not need to be Superman, but his pocket presence held up whenever protection wobbled. Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk repeatedly won after the catch, punishing missed tackles and keeping the Niners ahead of the sticks.

The defense, led by Nick Bosa and a ferocious front, lived in the opposing backfield. They compressed running lanes, forced third-and-longs, and earned multiple drive?killing sacks. The back end closed the night with a late fourth?down pass breakup in the Red Zone that had Levi’s Stadium roaring. In terms of overall balance, San Francisco once again looked like the NFC’s most complete roster.

Other statement wins, upsets and heartbreakers

Elsewhere around the league, the Eagles and Cowboys delivered yet another tense chapter in their rivalry. Jalen Hurts fought through pressure and a physical Dallas front, delivering clutch throws on third down and converting key sneaks in short-yardage. But Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb answered with explosive plays of their own, including a sideline toe?tap that will live on highlight reels all week.

The game swung on small details: a missed block in pass protection here, a defensive holding penalty on third down there. In classic NFC East fashion, the matchup came down to the final drive inside the two-minute warning, with Dallas either knocking on the door for a game?tying score or stalling just outside field goal range. It was the kind of prime-time heartbreaker that will fuel talk radio until next Sunday.

There were upsets, too. A supposed bottom?tier team punched a playoff hopeful in the mouth, forcing turnovers and stealing a win with a late field goal after a clock?milking drive. That result could loom large in tiebreakers down the stretch and is already being circled in every updated playoff simulator.

Playoff picture: Seeds start to crystallize

With this week’s results in the books, the playoff picture tightened on both sides. The AFC’s top tier feels like a three?horse race among the Chiefs, Ravens and another surging contender, while the NFC runs through the 49ers, Eagles and Lions for now. Behind them, a traffic jam of Wild Card hopefuls is forming, where one slip in December might be fatal.

Here is a compact look at the current division leaders and top wild card contenders based on the latest NFL standings across AFC and NFC:

The No. 1 seeds are especially critical this season. With only one first?round bye per conference, every late November and December game effectively becomes a seeding war. The Chiefs and Ravens cannot afford slip?ups against sub?.500 opponents, and the 49ers know that a single off Sunday could flip home?field advantage to Philadelphia.

On the bubble, teams like the Bills and Bengals (AFC) or the Seahawks and Vikings (NFC) are living week to week. One blown coverage or missed kick could be the difference between a wild card spot and an early start to draft season.

MVP race: Mahomes, Lamar and McCaffrey up front

The MVP race is tightening, and this week only sharpened the conversation. Mahomes remains at the center of it. Even when the raw passing yards are not gaudy, the context matters: late-game drives, third?down conversion rate, and how often he turns busted plays into first downs with his legs or arm talent.

Lamar Jackson, though, is making a real push. His dual?threat impact shows up everywhere. When he posts a line in the neighborhood of 250+ passing yards with multiple touchdowns and adds 50+ on the ground, defenses have to play 11?on?11 in a way no other quarterback demands. The Ravens’ record, and their consistent wins over fellow contenders, bolster his case.

Christian McCaffrey is the non?QB who refuses to be ignored in the MVP conversation. Week after week, he piles up scrimmage yards, racks up touchdowns, and converts in the Red Zone. Whether it is a 20?carry workload on the ground or 8 catches on angle routes and screens, he is the engine that keeps San Francisco on schedule. His nose for the end zone and his reliability on third down give the 49ers a safety valve few teams can match.

Elsewhere in the race, Jalen Hurts keeps stacking gritty performances, even when the box score is not pristine. His rushing touchdowns and short?yardage dominance on the goal line add a unique dimension that does not always show up in traditional passing stats but absolutely impacts wins and losses.

Injury report: Contenders holding their breath

No week of NFL News is complete without an injury report that makes front offices and fan bases nervous. Several playoff hopefuls lost key starters, including impact pass rushers and top?two receivers. Even if some of these injuries are labeled as day?to?day, missing just one or two games in the heart of the wild card race can swing a season.

On offense, a couple of quarterbacks took big hits but managed to finish their games. Their status for next week will be monitored closely on the official league injury reports. A star wideout limped off with what was initially described as a lower?body issue and did not return, which immediately raised questions about his availability for a critical divisional matchup next Sunday.

Defensively, several secondaries are getting thin. Hamstring tweaks, shoulder issues and concussions are mounting, forcing coordinators to protect backup corners with softer zone shells. That could open the door for big weeks from top receivers in upcoming matchups, especially in prime-time windows where the lights burn a little brighter.

News, rumors and hot seats

Beyond the field, the rumor mill is churning. With the trade deadline in the rearview mirror, attention has shifted to coaching futures. A couple of head coaches on struggling teams are firmly on the hot seat after another round of listless performances. Local media in several markets are already debating whether an in?season change could spark a locker room that looks checked out on film.

Front offices, meanwhile, are quietly scouting practice squads and street free agents looking for depth at offensive line and cornerback. One or two midseason signings could turn into crucial playoff snaps if injuries pile up. Think of the veteran corner who suddenly finds himself playing 40 snaps on Sunday night because of two late?week downgrades on the injury report.

There are also whispers about extension talks for a couple of emerging stars who are still on rookie deals. Locking them in before they fully explode statistically could save cap space down the line, but every explosive game tilts the leverage toward the player.

Looking ahead: Must?watch matchups and Super Bowl angles

The coming week’s slate is loaded with games that will reshape both the standings and the Super Bowl contender narrative. Chiefs vs a surging AFC challenger will tell us if Kansas City’s offense has truly turned a corner or if they are still living on Mahomes magic. Ravens facing a physical defensive unit will be a litmus test for how sustainable their balanced attack is against playoff?caliber fronts.

In the NFC, 49ers vs another top?tier opponent has real implications for the No. 1 seed. Every snap will matter, from the opening drive script to the inevitable fourth?quarter chess match when defenses start disguising coverages and blitz packages. Eagles vs a tough road opponent will be another measuring stick for Jalen Hurts’ durability and Philadelphia’s ability to win outside their comfort zone.

From a Super Bowl outlook, the inner circle still feels like a small club: Chiefs and Ravens out of the AFC; 49ers and Eagles in the NFC, with the Lions and Cowboys hovering just outside that inner ring. But the NFL is chaos. One Sunday night injury, one upset in December, and suddenly a wild card team gets hot and crashes the party.

For fans, the marching orders are simple: keep one eye on the standings, another on the injury report, and clear your schedule for the next run of prime?time kickoffs. NFL News over the next few weeks will not just be about who won and lost; it will be about who is peaking at the right time, who is getting healthy, and who is quietly slipping out of the Super Bowl conversation while nobody is looking.

The only safe bet is that the next round of games will deliver more late?game drama, more MVP race twists, and another shuffle of the playoff deck. Do not miss Sunday Night Football, keep that streaming tab open to the official NFL hub, and stay locked in as this season’s storylines hit full boil.