Los Angeles Chargers 16-13 Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Chargers eliminated Kansas City Chiefs out of playoff contention when Derwin James deflected a pass from Gardner Minshew, who had just replaced the injured Patrick Mahomes, in the final seconds to preserve the win over the defending AFC champions.
Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, threw for 210 yards and a touchdown and the Chargers (10-4) secured back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 2006-07, capping a rare regular-season win over Kansas City. For the first time since 2014, the Chiefs missed the playoffs. During that time, they won three Super Bowls and reached the AFC Championship Game seven times.
Mahomes tried to rally the Chiefs in the final seconds, completing a series of passes and crossing midfield thanks to the two-minute warning. But on the next play, he was making his way to the Kansas City sideline and throwing the ball away when he was tackled to the ground by defensive lineman Da'Shaun Hand, leaving the two-time MVP clutching his left knee. Mahomes was briefly taken to the blue injury tent, then led into the locker room with a towel draped over his head.
Minshew took control and completed three straight passes, giving Chiefs fans hope on a day that started with nearly zero wind chill and their playoff chances looking about the same. But with 20 seconds left, Minshew completed a pass intended for Travis Kelce, and James — his longtime division rival — jumped up to knock it away, allowing Los Angeles to escape.
Mahomes was held to 189 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Kansas City (6-8) rushed for just 239 yards as a team. The Chargers beat the Chiefs in the opener in September in Brazil, setting each club on a different trajectory for the season.
Buffalo Bills 35–31 New England Patriots
Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and James Cook ran for two touchdowns and caught another as the Buffalo Bills rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat New England, preventing the Patriots from winning the AFC East title.
Allen finished 19 of 28 for 193 yards. Cook rushed 22 times for 107 yards for the Bills (10-4), who avoided losing to a division rival for the first time since 2019. Buffalo reached 10 wins for the seventh straight season. The Bills overcame double-digit deficits for the third time this year after rallies against Baltimore (down 15 points in the fourth quarter) and Cincinnati (down 10 points).
The Patriots (11-3) lost their first division game of the season and had their 10-game winning streak snapped. They haven't won the AFC East since 2019, but they still lead by one game with three games left. Drake May threw for a pair of touchdowns and TreVeyon Henderson ran for 52 and 65 yards. Henderson finished with 14 carries for 148 yards.
Trailing 35-31 with 2:43 to play, the Patriots had fourth-and-5 at their own 22. Maye floated out of the pocket and Joey Bosa picked off the pass. From that point on, the Bills ran out of time.
Washington Commanders 29-21 New York Giants
Jacorey Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown, rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards into the end zone and the Washington Commanders (4-10) ended an eight-game disastrous season with a win over the equally woeful New York Giants (2-12). The only one NFL This week's game, which has no playoff implications, has a much larger impact on the draft position. The Giants lost their eighth straight, moving one step closer to the No. 1 pick, last place in the NFC East and potential front office changes as the coaching search looms.
Arizona Cardinals 20–40 Houston Texans
C.J. Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns as the Houston Texans jumped out to an early victory over the faltering Arizona Cardinals. The Texans (9-5) have won six straight games for the first time since a nine-game winning streak in 2018, improving their playoff hopes. It was the sixth straight loss for the Cardinals (3-11), whose last win came Nov. 3 over the Cowboys. Houston immediately went to work, posting its best performance of the season when Stroud connected with Nico Collins for a 57-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. Collins took a short throw, eluded two diving defenders at the 40 and ran untouched into the end zone for the score.
New York Jets 20–48 Jacksonville Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence threw six touchdowns, including a career-best five passing yards, as the Jacksonville Jaguars crushed the New York Jets from start to finish. Lawrence's 136.7 passer rating was the best of his five-year NFL career. Jacksonville improved to 10–4 and scored touchdowns on its first three possessions for the first time since 1998. The Jaguars scored 40 points in three quarters for the first time since 2005. The Jets (3-11) have their most points since a 54-13 loss to New England in 2021.
Baltimore Ravens 24–0 Cincinnati Bengals
The Baltimore Ravens handed Joe Burrow the first shutout of his six-year career. Lamar Jackson threw two touchdown passes and Kyle Van Noy and Alohi Gilman combined for a 95-yard pick-six as the Ravens (7-7) beat the Cincinnati Bengals (4-10). Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries for the Ravens. Baltimore won its fourth straight road game and moved a half game back of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. The Steelers host Miami on Monday night. Cincinnati was eliminated from playoff contention. Burrow was sacked twice, completing 25 of 39 passes for 225 yards.
Cleveland Browns 3–31 Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams threw two touchdown passes and the Chicago Bears (10-4) beat Cleveland (3-11) in one of the coldest games ever at Soldier Field, although the Browns' Myles Garrett came within one season of the NFL record. The Bears warmed up early in the morning when the game temperature was 8F (-13C), scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter and opening the game with two more in the third. Garrett had 1.5 sacks, giving him 21.5 on the season and putting him one shy of the record of Michael Strahan and TJ Watt.
Las Vegas Raiders 0–31 Philadelphia Eagles
Jalen Hurts bounced back from his worst game in the NFL with three touchdown passes and Saquon Barkley added a two-yard touchdown run as the Philadelphia Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak. The Eagles are 9-5 and have finally shown signs of life under offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Early in the fourth quarter, Hurts threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to AJ Brown. The Raiders are 2-12 and have lost their eighth straight game. Kenny Pickett struggled in his first start at quarterback for the injured Geno Smith.
