Week 14 of the NFL season is here, and suddenly everything feels a little weightier.
For some squads, it’s victory or bid farewell to the playoffs. For others, it’s an opportunity to seize control of their fate before the calendar flips to critical time.
Regardless, the stakes are genuine — and escalating quickly.
Here are five facts to consider heading into a packed Week 14:
If the postseason commenced today, the Chiefs wouldn’t merely miss the playoffs – they wouldn’t even be close. At 6-6, Kansas City sits 10th in the AFC, trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6), Houston Texans (7-5) and Buffalo Bills (8-4) for the final wild card slot.
Sunday night against Houston is as near to a “must-win” as the Patrick Mahomes tenure has witnessed. A defeat drops the Chiefs to 6-7 and awards the Texans the head-to-head tiebreaker. Kansas City has already lost tiebreakers to the Bills and Jacksonville Jaguars, so the room for error is practically nonexistent.
And this isn’t ideal timing for a required victory if you’re KC. Houston’s defense – spearheaded by Will Anderson Jr. and Derek Stingley Jr. – ranks No. 1 in yards permitted and points allowed per contest. The Texans don’t just stop you. They overwhelm you.
Can Mahomes conjure sufficient brilliance for one final effort? The Chiefs have advanced to at least the AFC championship game every year he’s been the starter. The last time Kansas City missed the playoffs was 2015.
The dynasty’s rear is officially against the boundary.
The Indianapolis Colts started the season brilliantly at 8-1. Now? They’ve slipped three of four and are observing the division escape their grasp. A loss Sunday to Jacksonville could remove Indy from first place and potentially out of the playoff picture altogether if the Texans prevail.
Quarterback Daniel Jones is still contending with a fractured fibula but intends to participate. But how effectively will Jones be able to move about? His agility was a major factor in the Colts’ strong beginning.
For the Jaguars, this is one of the most significant home contests in recent memory. A triumph puts them firmly in charge of the AFC South before a Christmas-week rematch in Indianapolis. Jacksonville has only secured the division twice in its history: 2017 and 2022.
In over a century of contests, the Bears have never triumphed at Lambeau twice in the same calendar year; Chicago defeated the Packers on January 5 to conclude last season.
Green Bay leads the all-time series 107-95-6, but this gathering arrives with even more at stake: the top spot in the NFC North.
The Bears arrive on their initial five-game winning streak since 2018, and Ben Johnson’s introductory year couldn’t be progressing better. Chicago hasn’t felt this vibrant since the team’s Super Bowl march almost twenty years ago.
The Packers, conversely, are refreshed and propelled by momentum following a 31-24 Thanksgiving victory over the Detroit Lions. These two teams will be weary of each other by Christmas – Sunday is the first of two matchups in the next three weeks.
Burrow’s Bengals are back (perhaps)
Joe Burrow returned to the NFL gridiron against the Baltimore Ravens on November 27.
Joe Burrow returned to the NFL gridiron against the Baltimore Ravens on November 27. Ishika Samant/Getty Images
Joe Burrow resumed last week for the first time since his Week 2 toe ailment – and instantly provided a surprise, guiding the Cincinnati Bengals to a 32-14 Thanksgiving night upset of the Baltimore Ravens.
Because the AFC North is presently the weakest division in football – no squad has a winning record – the 4-8 Bengals are somehow still in contention. Barely. To reach the playoffs, Cincinnati probably needs to maintain winning every game.
That commences with their most demanding remaining challenge: a journey to Buffalo to confront the Bills. After that, the schedule eases – Ravens at home, then the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns.
It’s been a tumultuous season in Cincy, but if Burrow racks up six consecutive victories to get the Bengals to 9-8 and into the postseason, it will be one of the most astounding turnarounds in recent memory.
Ravens vs. Steelers: Old adversaries, new uncertainties
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens fighting off Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens in the AFC wild card game on January 11.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens fighting off Baltimore Ravens cornerback Brandon Stephens in the AFC wild card game on January 11. Tommy Gilligan/Imagn
The Ravens and Steelers enter Sunday tied at 6-6 and locked in what feels like a season-defining clash in the AFC North.
Steelers supporters weren’t hesitant about their displeasure last week, booing the team off the field after a 26-7 defeat to the Bills – Pittsburgh’s fifth loss in the preceding seven games. Mike Tomlin didn’t avoid it, stating he concurred with the spectators and the squad “must perform better.”
Aaron Rodgers reached 42 this week, and the tackles he absorbed on Sunday made him appear every bit of it. He is managing an injured non-throwing wrist, and across his past three contests he’s accumulated merely 394 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Is a late-season Rodgers resurgence still achievable? The Steelers urgently require one. Otherwise, their season – and perhaps the division – could disappear in Baltimore.
Ravens supporters, meanwhile, are still attempting to discern what is occurring with Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP tossed just one touchdown in the entire month of November and never appeared entirely comfortable. Is he more hurt than the team is revealing?
Baltimore will require a classic Lamar performance if the Ravens wish to defeat Pittsburgh on Sunday and keep the Bengals at a distance in the AFC North.
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