Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Green Bay Packers EDGE Micah Parsons both suffered torn ACLs in their teams’ losses on Sunday, ending their seasons, while 44-year-old Philip Rivers made a surprising return to the NFL and threw a touchdown pass for the Indianapolis Colts.

Bills Rally to Stun Patriots, Keep AFC East Race Alive

The Buffalo Bills erased a 21-point deficit in sub-freezing conditions to defeat the New England Patriots 35-31, snapping New England’s 10-game winning streak and tightening the AFC East race.

“What makes this team this team — we’re never out of it,” Bills quarterback Josh Allen said. “We’re going to fight one play at a time, no matter what the score is.”

Allen, the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player, led five consecutive touchdown drives after Buffalo fell behind 21-0. The comeback temporarily halted the Patriots’ attempt to reclaim the division title from Buffalo for the first time in five years and reinforced the Bills’ status as a strong Super Bowl contender despite an inconsistent season.

“Obviously the last five-ish years we’ve had sustained success, but haven’t been able to punch our ticket to the Super Bowl,” Allen said. “That’s the goal for every team.”

New England dominated early, as quarterback Drake Maye rushed for two touchdowns in the snow and rookie TreVeyon Henderson broke free for a 52-yard touchdown run to build a 21-0 lead.

Buffalo responded before halftime with touchdown passes from Allen to James Cook and Dawson Knox. Cook then stretched across the goal line for a third touchdown, initially ruled short before review overturned the call. Allen later gave Buffalo the lead with a powerful 14-yard strike to Knox.

Henderson briefly put New England back in front with a stunning 65-yard touchdown run, but Cook powered through the Patriots’ defense for the game-winning score.

Despite the loss, the Patriots still lead the Bills by one game atop the AFC East with three regular-season games remaining.

Chiefs Eliminated as Mahomes Goes Down

The Kansas City Chiefs’ slim playoff hopes officially ended with a 16-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, combined with other results around the league. The defeat ensures Kansas City will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014.

To compound matters, Mahomes limped off the field with a left knee injury that was later diagnosed as a torn ACL, ending his 2025 season. Kansas City, which has won three Super Bowls and reached five since 2020, endured a sharp decline this year.

“It doesn’t look good,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. “The guys are down. They busted their butt to win the game… it’s not a great feeling.”

Ravens, Jaguars Roll

The Baltimore Ravens eliminated Cincinnati from playoff contention with a dominant 24-0 shutout. The Ravens’ defense stifled Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, while Lamar Jackson completed eight of 12 passes for 150 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Baltimore rushed for 189 yards, led by Derrick Henry’s 100 yards on 11 carries. Defensive standouts Kyle Van Noy and safety Alohi Gilman delivered key plays in a commanding performance.

In Jacksonville, Trevor Lawrence accounted for six total touchdowns — five through the air — as the Jaguars overwhelmed the New York Jets 48-20. Travis Etienne Jr. caught three touchdown passes and finished with 73 receiving yards while adding 51 rushing yards and a fourth total score.

Jacksonville totaled 428 yards of offense, forced three turnovers, and secured the No. 3 seed in the AFC.

Rivers Returns; Late Drama in Seattle

Fresh off Hall of Fame eligibility, Philip Rivers un-retired to start for the Colts and nearly led Indianapolis to a road upset over the Seattle Seahawks. Rivers finished 18-of-27 for 120 yards with one touchdown and one interception in an 18-16 loss.

Colts kicker Blake Grupe connected on all three of his field-goal attempts, including a 60-yarder with 47 seconds remaining to give Indianapolis a one-point lead.

Seattle responded quickly, driving into range for Jason Myers, who drilled a 57-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to seal the victory. The Seahawks improved to 11-3, while the Colts dropped their fourth straight game and fifth in six weeks.

Rams Rally, Broncos Roll On

The Los Angeles Rams came from behind to defeat the Detroit Lions 41-31 after trailing 24-14. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the season’s MVP frontrunner, threw two touchdown passes to lead the comeback.

The win was overshadowed by a hamstring injury to star wide receiver Davante Adams. Adams expressed optimism about playing Thursday night, but head coach Sean McVay said his availability “doesn’t look good.”

In Denver, moments after Packers linebacker Micah Parsons exited with what was later reported as a torn ACL, the Broncos surged ahead with a rushing touchdown from rookie RJ Harvey, his 10th of the season.

Denver extended its winning streak to 11 games and now holds sole possession of the No. 1 seed in the AFC.