Los Angeles Chargers 16-13 Kansas City Chiefs

The Los Angeles Chargers eliminated the Kansas City Chiefs from playoff contention when Derwin James picked off a pass by Gardner Minshew – who had just taken over for the injured Patrick Mahomes – in the closing seconds to preserve victory over the reigning AFC champions.

Justin Herbert, playing through a broken left hand, threw for 210 yards and a touchdown, and the Chargers (10-4) ensured consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since 2006-07 by completing a rare regular-season sweep of Kansas City. It is the first time since 2014 that the Chiefs have missed the playoffs. During that span, they have won three Super Bowls and reached the AFC Championship Game seven times.

Mahomes was trying to rally the Chiefs in the closing seconds, completing a series of passes to get across midfield by the two-minute warning. But on the next play, he was scrambling toward the Kansas City sideline and throwing the ball away when he was spun to the ground by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP clutching his left knee. Mahomes was taken briefly to the blue injury tent, then helped to the locker room with a towel draped over his head.

Minshew took over and completed three straight passes, giving Chiefs fans hope on a day that began with wind chills near zero and their playoff chances about the same. But with 20 seconds to go, Minshew unloaded a pass intended for Travis Kelce, and James – his longtime divisional foil – leaped up to pick it off, allowing Los Angeles to escape.

Mahomes was held to 189 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. Kansas City (6-8) managed just 239 yards as a team. The Chargers beat the Chiefs in their opener in September in Brazil, setting each of the clubs on their season-long trajectory.

Buffalo Bills 35–31 New England Patriots

Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes, and James Cook ran for two TDs and caught another as the Buffalo Bills rallied from a 21-0 deficit to beat New England, preventing the Patriots from clinching the AFC East title.

Allen finished 19 of 28 for 193 yards. Cook ran 22 times for 107 yards for the Bills (10-4), who avoided being swept by a division opponent for the first time since 2019. Buffalo reached 10 wins for the seventh consecutive season. The Bills overcame a double-digit deficit for the third time this year after previously rallying against Baltimore (down 15 points in the fourth quarter) and Cincinnati (down 10).

The Patriots (11-3) lost their first division game of the season and their 10-game win streak ended. They haven’t won the AFC East since 2019 but still lead the Bills by one game with three games left. Drake Maye had a pair of touchdown runs, and TreVeyon Henderson ran for scores of 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-five on their own 22. Maye was flushed out of the pocket and had a pass batted down by Joey Bosa. The Bills ran out the clock from there.

Washington Commanders 29-21 New York Giants

Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown, fellow rookie Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards to the end zone and the Washington Commanders (4-10) ended their season-derailing skid at eight games by beating the similarly woeful New York Giants (2-12). The only NFL game this week with no playoff implications has a far bigger bearing on draft positioning. The Giants lost their eighth in a row, moving a step closer to the top pick, a last-place finish in the NFC East and potential front-office changes, with a coaching search already coming.

Arizona Cardinals 20–40 Houston Texans

CJ Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns and the Houston Texans jumped out to a big early lead and cruised to victory over the slumping Arizona Cardinals. The Texans (9-5) have won six straight games for the first time since a nine-game winning streak in 2018 to improve their playoff hopes. It’s the sixth straight loss for the Cardinals (3-11), whose last win came on 3 November against the Cowboys. Houston got going immediately with their fastest score of the season when Stroud connected with Nico Collins on a 57-yard touchdown on the second play of the game. Collins took the short throw, escaped two diving defenders at around the 40 and ran untouched into the end zone for the score.

New York Jets 20–48 Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence accounted for six touchdowns, including a career-high five passing, and the Jacksonville Jaguars overwhelmed the New York Jets from start to finish. Lawrence’s passer rating of 136.7 was the best of his five-year NFL career. Jacksonville improved to 10-4 and scored touchdowns on their first three possessions for the first time since 1998. The Jaguars topped 40 points through three quarters for the first time since 2005. The Jets (3-11) allowed their most points since a 54-13 loss to New England in 2021.

Baltimore Ravens 24–0 Cincinnati Bengals

The Baltimore Ravens have handed Joe Burrow the first shutout of his six-year career. Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns, and Kyle Van Noy and Alohi Gilman teamed up for a 95-yard pick-six as the Ravens (7-7) blanked the Cincinnati Bengals (4-10). Derrick Henry rushed for 100 yards on 11 carries for the Ravens. Baltimore won their fourth straight road game and pulled within a half-game of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. The Steelers host Miami on Monday night. Cincinnati were eliminated from playoff contention. Burrow was picked off twice as he completed 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 even though the Browns’ Myles Garrett moved within a sack of the NFL’s single-season record. The Bears heated up early on a day when the gametime temperature was 8F (-13C), scoring two first-quarter touchdowns and breaking the game open with two more in the third. Garrett had 1.5 sacks, giving him 21.5 on the season and leaving him one shy of the record shared by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt.

Las Vegas Raiders 0–31 Philadelphia Eagles

Jalen Hurts bounced back from his worst NFL game by throwing 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 finally showed signs of life under offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Hurts threw a 27-yard touchdown to AJ Brown early in the fourth quarter. The Raiders are 2-12 and lost their eighth straight game. Kenny Pickett struggled in his first start at quarterback for the injured Geno Smith.