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Every contest is crucial down the stretch, with several enormous conclusions in week 14 that may determine postseason spots by the end of the season.

A 42-year-old veteran quarterback struck a big setback to the Baltimore Ravens' postseason aspirations, while Josh Allen virtually ended Joe Burrow's chances. At the same time, the Houston defense posed a significant challenge and could have finished the Chiefs' campaign sooner than ever before in the Patrick Mahomes era.

The Breakdown: Division Deciders Exceed the Anticipation

Three huge divisional battles did not disappoint.

Seasoned signal-caller Aaron Rodgers, playing with a fractured wrist, led his squad to a tough close victory in Baltimore. He scored his initial rushing score in almost three seasons, however it was his deep passes to his star wideout that proved to be the deciding factor.

Lamar Jackson seemed off rhythm as Baltimore missed crucial chances—though they were left fuming by a late score being overturned. These teams will meet once more on the last weekend of the regular season.

In another, the longest-running feud in the NFL witnessed a epic encounter. Despite touchdown deep passes, an exhausted defense had to stop another late-game rally from the opposing young QB in the frigid conditions.

The outcome handed one team a narrow advantage in their NFC North, while the losers plummeted from the conference's number one seed down to outside the playoff picture.

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

Projections give the Chiefs only a fifteen percent chance of reaching the postseason. Realistically, this could be the initial missed post-season for franchise QB Mahomes—and the first such for the franchise in a ten years.

In his seven complete seasons as a starter, he has reached 7 conference championship contests and five championship games. This means the team has competed in nearly each possible game throughout his tenure.

Therefore, the causes for this year's failure are evident and were summed up during Sunday's defeat. Absences ravaged an already struggling O-line, with multiple starters missing.

Even then, Mahomes provided his squad a chance, but missed kicks and costly dropped passes—such as on a key fourth down attempt—confirmed their fate.

Spotlight: Is the Super Bowl Be Destined for the West?

A pair of top contenders from the West Coast divisions are building strong arguments for Super Bowl favorites.

One team, leading their the AFC, won the most recent title held at February's venue. They are built on a stifling defense that tops the league in sacks and victories through methodical, time-consuming drives.

The second contender, atop the other conference, demonstrated an high-powered offence capable of putting points on the board from any situation. They boast a formidable running attack to pair with an exceptional aerial game.

A key matchup would be if the high-flying offense can solve the relentless pressure of the top defensive unit—a a must-watch potential showdown.

Discussion: Travis Kelce Considering Retirement?

Amid the aftermath from the Chiefs' defeat, comments from the quarterback about his star tight end sparked talk about a possible retirement.

Hearing Mahomes state, "every season... I try to cherish because you never know" certainly sounded like the QB was preparing for the veteran to call it a day.

"The tight end will have the choice to do whatever he chooses to do after this campaign," he added. Should the year ends early for the team, the 3x champion veteran could choose to walk away.

Preview: Buffalo vs. Patriots Headlines the Upcoming Slate

Josh Allen did it all once more for Buffalo in a snowy win. Allen passed for 3 touchdowns and rushed for one more, accounting for a staggering portion of his team's overall scores this year.

He is the only quarterback in NFL history with three thousand pass yards, 20 touchdown passes and 10 rushing scores in 3 consecutive seasons.

Next, he tries to carry the Bills on his back once more as they try to catch their division rivals, the Patriots—and, they are exactly who they play next.

Major Upcoming Week Matchups:

• Bills @ New England Patriots
• Detroit Lions @ Rams
• Packers @ Broncos
• Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs

This Week's Stats, Records & Notes

• A kickoff runback for a 100-yard touchdown—the longest play of the season—sparked a second-half onslaught for one offense.
• A prolific receiver caught 2 scores and is still tracking for a record-breaking 2,000-yard receiving.
• A dominant defensive end notched his twentieth sack of the campaign, closing in of the single-season record.
• An overseas kicker helped his team in a upset victory in soggy weather.
• A team that was shutout one week responded with a shutout of its own the next.
• A struggling franchise saw its star quarterback come back from injury, only to exit the game again with a related injury.