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Every contest matters from here on in, with a number of enormous results in week 14 that might settle postseason berths come the conclusion of the campaign.

A 42-year Aaron Rodgers struck a major setback to Lamar Jackson's postseason aspirations, whereas the Buffalo Bills quarterback all-but finished the Cincinnati Bengals' chances. Meanwhile, the Houston defense presented a significant problem and may have ended the Chiefs' season sooner than ever in the Mahomes era.

Divisional Analysis: Division Showdowns Live Up To the Expectations

Three huge rivalry games lived up to the hype.

Seasoned signal-caller Rodgers, competing with a injured wrist, steered his squad to a tough close win in Baltimore. The future Hall of Famer recorded his initial rushing touchdown in nearly three years, but it was his long passes to his star wideout that made the difference.

The Ravens' quarterback seemed off rhythm as Baltimore missed crucial chances—although they were frustrated by a fourth-quarter touchdown being chalked off. The two franchises are scheduled to face off once more on the final weekend of the regular season.

In another, the oldest rivalry in the NFL saw a thrilling encounter. Despite touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defense had to thwart another fourth-quarter rally from the visiting young quarterback in the freezing weather.

This result gave one team a slender advantage in their division, while the losers plummeted from the NFC's number one seed all the way to outside the playoff picture.

In-Depth Look: What Has Gone Wrong for the Kansas City Chiefs?

Projections give the Kansas City only a fifteen percent probability of reaching the postseason. Realistically, this could be the first missed post-season for franchise QB Patrick Mahomes—and the first such for the organization in a ten years.

During Mahomes' seven complete years as a starter, he has reached 7 AFC Championship contests and 5 championship games. This indicates the club has competed in nearly each possible contest throughout his time.

So, the reasons for this year's failure are apparent and were encapsulated during Sunday's defeat. Absences ravaged an already questionable O-line, with multiple key players missing.

Even then, Mahomes provided his squad a fighting chance, however missed kicks and costly dropped passes—including on a decisive fourth-down play—sealed their downfall.

In Focus: Is the Super Bowl Be Destined for the Western US?

A pair of top contenders from the West Coast divisions are making strong arguments for championship contention.

One squad, leading their the AFC, claimed the last Super Bowl played at this year's venue. They are constructed on a dominant defense that tops the NFL in sacks and victories through methodical, long drives.

The other contender, atop the other conference, demonstrated an explosive offense capable of putting points on the board from any situation. They boast a two-headed ground game to pair with an exceptional aerial attack.

The question would be if the high-flying offense can withstand the relentless pass rush of the elite defensive unit—what would be a must-watch playoff showdown.

Talking Point: Travis Kelce Pondering Retirement?

Amid the fallout from the Kansas City's defeat, comments from Patrick Mahomes about his star tight end sparked rumors about a potential departure.

Hearing him say, "each season... I try to cherish because you never know" definitely sounded like the QB was preparing for the 36-year-old to call it a day.

"The tight end will have the option to do what he chooses to do after this season," Mahomes added. Should the season ends prematurely for the Chiefs, the three-time Super Bowl winner could choose to walk away.

Preview: Buffalo vs. New England Highlights the Upcoming Slate

The Bills' quarterback did it all once more for his team in a snowy win. He passed for three scores and ran for one more, accounting for a remarkable percentage of his team's overall scores this year.

He is the only player in league history with 3,000 passing yards, twenty TD passes and ten running touchdowns in 3 consecutive seasons.

Now, he puts the Bills on his shoulders again as they aim to chase down their division rivals, the New England Patriots—coincidentally, they are exactly who they play this coming Sunday.

Major Week 15 Games:

• Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots
• Lions @ Los Angeles Rams
• Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
• Los Angeles Chargers @ Chiefs

This Week's Stats, Records & Notes

• A kickoff return for a 100-yard score—the longest play of the season—sparked a second-half onslaught for one team.
• A star receiver caught 2 touchdowns and is still on course for a record-breaking 2,000-yard season.
• A feared defensive end recorded his 20th sack of the season, closing in of the single-season mark.
• An overseas kicker played a key role for his squad in a surprise victory in rainy weather.
• A team that was held scoreless one game bounced back with a clean sheet of its own the next.
• A struggling team watched its star quarterback come back from an elbow issue, only to exit the contest again with a related injury.