NFL roundup: Mahomes hurt as Chiefs miss playoff for first time since 2014 | NFL

Los Angeles Chargers 16-13 Kansas City Chiefs

The Los Angeles Chargers knocked the Kansas City Chiefs out of the playoffs when Derwin James caught a pass from Gardner Minshew – who had just replaced the injured Patrick Mahomes – in the final seconds to preserve the victory over the defending AFC champions.

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

Mahomes attempted to rally the Chiefs in the final seconds, completing a series of passes to cross midfield before the two-minute warning. But on the next play, he was rushing toward the Kansas City sideline and throwing the ball when he was knocked to the ground by defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand, leaving the two-time MVP clutching his left knee. Mahomes was briefly taken to the blue injured 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 the wind chill near zero and their playoff chances about the same. But with 20 seconds left, Minshew unloaded a pass intended for Travis Kelce, and James — his longtime division foil — leapt to collect it, allowing Los Angeles to escape.

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

Buffalo Bills 35-31 New England Patriots

Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and James Cook ran for two touchdowns 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 rushed 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 straight season. The Bills overcame a double-digit deficit for the third time this year after battling against Baltimore (down by 15 points in the fourth quarter) and Cincinnati (down by 10).

The Patriots (11-3) lost their league game of the season and ended their 10-game winning streak. They haven’t won the AFC East since 2019, but still lead the Bills by one game with three games remaining. Drake Maye passed for two touchdowns 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 left, the Patriots went on fourth and five at their own 22. Maye was kicked out of the pocket and had a pass batted away by Joey Bosa. The Bills ran out of time from there.

Washington Commanders 29-21 New York Giants

Jacory Croskey-Merritt ran for a touchdown, fellow Jaylin Lane returned a punt 63 yards to the end zone and the Washington Commanders (4-10) ended their skid that derailed the season at eight games by beating the equally dismal New York Giants (2-12). The only NFL game this week without playoff involvement has a much bigger impact on draft positioning. The Giants lost their eighth straight game, closing in on the top pick, a last spot in the NFC East and potential front office changes, with a coaching search already to come.

Arizona Cardinals 20-40 Houston Texans

CJ Stroud threw for 260 yards and three touchdowns and the Houston Texans jumped out to a big lead quickly 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. This is the sixth consecutive defeat for the Cardinals (3-11), whose last victory dates back to November 3 against the Cowboys. Houston immediately got going with its fastest score of the season when Stroud connected with Nico Collins on a 57-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Collins made the short throw, evaded two diving defenders near the 40 and ran untouched into the end zone for the score.

New York Jets 20-48 Jacksonville Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence threw for six touchdowns, including a career-high five passes, and the Jacksonville Jaguars dominated 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 its first three possessions for the first time since 1998. The Jaguars topped 40 points in 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 gave Joe Burrow the first shutout of his six-year career. Lamar Jackson threw 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 its fourth straight road game and found itself within a half-game of Pittsburgh in the AFC North. The Steelers host Miami on Monday night. Cincinnati was eliminated from the playoffs. Burrow was picked off twice while completing 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 in history at Soldier Field, even as the Browns’ Myles Garrett came within one sack of the NFL single-season record. The Bears warmed up early on a day when the game temperature was 8F (-13C), scoring two touchdowns in the first quarter and opening the game with two more in the third. Garrett had 1.5 sacks, giving him 21.5 this 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 game in the NFL by throwing three touchdown passes and Saquon Barkley added a two-yard touchdown run as the Philadelphia Eagles ended a three-game losing streak. The Eagles are 9-5 and have finally shown 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 have lost their eighth straight game. Kenny Pickett struggled in his first start at quarterback for the injured Geno Smith.