NFL News: Mahomes, Lamar Jackson shake up playoff picture in wild Week

NFL News this week is all about quarterbacks rewriting the script on the playoff race. Patrick Mahomes dragged the Chiefs through another late-game thriller, while Lamar Jackson put on a clinic that screamed MVP as the Ravens tightened their grip on contender status and sent a clear message to the rest of the league.

[Check live NFL scores & stats here]

The Chiefs did what the Chiefs do: they survived a scare and turned chaos into control. Mahomes dissected coverages in the two-minute drill, extending plays outside the pocket and punishing defenses every time they slipped in the Red Zone. Kansas City once again looked like a true Super Bowl contender, even if the road there has been bumpier than in past seasons.

On the other side of the AFC, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens just bullied another opponent off the field. Jackson spread the ball to three different receivers for chunk plays, then gashed the front seven with designed keepers and read-options. Every drive felt like a coin flip between a 40-yard strike and a back-breaking scramble on third and long.

Across the league, Sunday and Monday delivered upset wins, blown leads, and clutch defensive stands that reshaped the playoff picture. From underdog teams stealing road victories to heavyweights flexing late, the Wild Card race tightened and seeding at the top of both conferences became a weekly tug-of-war.

Game recap & highlights: Chiefs, Ravens, and a wild Sunday

The Chiefs game turned into a textbook Mahomes masterclass in situational football. He finished with another efficient line in the box score, spreading the ball to his tight end and a rotating cast of receivers. On a pivotal late fourth-quarter drive, Mahomes navigated pressure, climbed the pocket, and fired a strike over the middle to set up the go-ahead score. The stadium erupted as Kansas City punched the ball in from inside the 5, cashing in on a perfectly timed play-action look.

Afterward, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid essentially said what everyone was thinking: as long as No. 15 is under center, they believe they are never out of a game. The defense did just enough, mixing pressure looks and closing out with tight man coverage when it mattered most in the final two possessions.

In Baltimore, Lamar Jackson turned the afternoon into a statement. The Ravens offense started hot, with Jackson hitting quick game concepts early to get in rhythm before opening up the vertical passing attack. Once the defense had to respect the deep ball, Baltimore leaned into its run game. Jackson repeatedly kept the ball on zone reads, slipping past linebackers and sliding just before big hits to stay upright for the stretch run.

His performance kept him right in the thick of the MVP race, pairing highlight-reel plays with the ruthless efficiency coaches obsess over. Teammates talked postgame about how calm the huddle was, even on third-and-long and during the two-minute warning. That composure is what separates box score stats from genuine MVP value.

Elsewhere, several games swung the Wild Card race. One NFC team pulled off a gritty road win by leaning heavily on its ground game, pounding out first downs and chewing clock behind a dominant offensive line. Another fringe AFC squad shocked a division rival with a late pick-six, flipping what looked like a painful home loss into a season-saving upset in the final minutes.

Defensively, pass rushers across the league made life miserable for quarterbacks. Multiple edge rushers stacked multi-sack games, collapsing pockets, and forcing hurried throws that never gave receivers time to complete their routes. In a league obsessed with quarterbacks, this week was a reminder that the guys hunting them still control the narrative on plenty of Sundays.

The playoff picture: seeds, pressure, and the Wild Card race

As the season barrels toward the final stretch, the playoff picture is starting to crystallize, even if the seeding is anything but settled. Current division leaders and top seeds in both conferences have a razor-thin margin for error, and one bad afternoon could send a supposed Super Bowl contender tumbling into Wild Card traffic.

Here is a compact look at the key positions in the playoff race, focusing on division leaders and primary Wild Card threats based on the latest standings from official league sources:

The AFC feels like a weekly referendum on who truly owns the conference. The Ravens currently hold the inside track to the No. 1 seed, but the Chiefs are looming, and that battle for the bye is everything for teams dreaming of a Super Bowl run. One slip against an underdog could force a powerhouse into playing on Wild Card weekend, where anything can happen.

In the NFC, the top tier is stacked with heavyweights that look built for January football. A dominant front seven here, an elite offensive line there, and enough explosive playmakers on the perimeter to flip a game on a single snap. The difference may come down to health: whichever roster gets to the postseason with its key stars on the field will have the inside lane in the Super Bowl race.

On the bubble, several teams are living week-to-week. One loss drops them behind tiebreakers, one win vaults them ahead of a rival. Coaches are already talking like it is playoff season, emphasizing situational football, turnover margin, and special teams execution. That is where close games in December are often won or lost.

MVP radar: Lamar, Mahomes, and the stars making the difference

Right now, the MVP race feels like a duel between style and substance, and Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes are managing to bring both. Jackson has piled up total yards with a blend of efficient passing and explosive rushing. His box scores keep stacking up with multiple total touchdowns and minimal turnovers, the exact recipe voters love when choosing an MVP over a pure stat compiler.

Mahomes, meanwhile, continues to anchor a Chiefs team that leans heavily on his arm talent and pocket presence. Even when the supporting cast is inconsistent, he keeps delivering when the game is in the balance. Big-play throws outside of structure, third-down lasers, and red zone precision continue to shape Kansas City into a perennial Super Bowl contender.

Beyond the quarterbacks, a handful of wide receivers and defensive stars are hanging around the MVP conversation and at the core of every serious NFL News discussion. A top-tier receiver in the NFC keeps tilting coverages his way, putting up massive yardage totals and clutch touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Defensive pass rushers are also making their case with multi-sack performances, forced fumbles, and constant pressure that never shows fully in simple box score stats but turns drives into three-and-outs.

Coaches around the league are quick to point out that MVP-level output is about more than highlights. It is how the offense looks when that player touches the ball, how the defense shifts when he is on the field, how opposing coordinators build entire game plans around slowing him down and often still fail.

Injury report and big-picture fallout

The latest injury reports are quietly shaping the remainder of the season. Several contenders are dealing with key players on the sideline: star wideouts nursing hamstring issues, starting running backs managing ankle sprains, and cornerstone offensive linemen battling through lower-body injuries just to stay in the lineup.

Teams know that one more setback to a franchise quarterback, shutdown corner, or elite pass rusher could swing their Super Bowl odds overnight. Medical staffs are walking a tightrope between pushing for seeding and protecting their roster for when the stakes are highest in January.

Some clubs have already turned to next-man-up depth charts. Backup quarterbacks are getting meaningful reps, young receivers are being trusted in critical third-down situations, and rotational defensive linemen are playing starter-level snaps to preserve veterans for the stretch. Those subtle tweaks may not trend on social media, but they often decide who survives the grind of the final month.

Looking ahead: must-watch games and Super Bowl stakes

The coming week is loaded with matchups that feel like playoff previews. The Chiefs are heading into another primetime spotlight, with Mahomes facing a defense that loves to blitz and disguise coverages before the snap. How Kansas City handles pressure looks will say a lot about their readiness for postseason defensive game plans.

The Ravens, meanwhile, have a physical test on deck against a team that prides itself on winning the line of scrimmage. If Jackson and the Baltimore ground game can control tempo and stay ahead of the chains, they will strengthen their grip on the AFCs top seed and keep the road to the Super Bowl running through their home stadium.

In the NFC, heavyweight showdowns between top seeds and upstart Wild Card hopefuls will shape the bracket. One marquee matchup features an elite pass rush trying to hunt down a mobile quarterback who routinely turns broken plays into game-changing scrambles. Another pits a power running team against a finesse defense that relies on speed and coverage versatility more than brute strength.

For fans, the message is simple: clear your calendar. The next slate has multiple must-watch games with real playoff and Super Bowl implications. Every snap in the Red Zone, every missed field goal, every overturned replay challenge is going to ripple through the standings and the entire NFL News cycle.

As teams fight for seeding, home-field advantages, and simple survival in the Wild Card race, the league is entering that sweet spot of the year where every drive feels like a referendum on a season. The Chiefs, Ravens, and the NFCs elite are trying to separate themselves, but the gap from contender to collapse has never felt thinner.

Stay locked in, track the shifting playoff picture, and watch how the MVP race evolves with every prime-time performance. The stretch run is here, and the NFL News wave is only going to get louder from snap to snap.