Wild Week 14 TAKEAWAYS: What we learned | A to Z Sports All-NFL newsletter

Our All-NFL newsletter from December 9, 2025.

Adam Zientek — NFL News Writer

Dec 9, 2025 11:24 AM EST

Week 14 has come and gone with contenders turning into pretenders, and some teams rising to the occasion in some of the biggest moments. With the playoffs right around the corner, these games hold extra meaning and weight for teams attempting to get into the dance.

From Josh Allen and the Bills mounting a valiant comeback against the Bengals to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs falling to the Texans, here were some of the biggest takeaways from some of the top games of the Week 14 slate.

Josh Allen shines in the Bills’ comeback

The Buffalo Bills needed to beat the Cincinnati Bengals to keep their playoff hopes alive. Not as much as other teams across the league, but with the New England Patriots dominating the AFC East, it felt like a must-win game for Buffalo.

The snow was coming down hard at Highmark Stadium, adding a touch of magic to one of the final games played there, and what a farewell it was.

Joe Burrow and Josh Allen battled back and forth all game; it was a heavyweight bout, and it was a shame that the NFL didn’t have this as a primetime contest. Both quarterbacks combined for eight touchdowns in a thrilling matchup.

Ultimately, some huge plays from cornerback Christian Benford, along with Allen, helped seal the victory for Buffalo, with Allen making NFL history along the way. The Bills came back once again with a valiant fourth-quarter effort to seal the victory and keep their playoff hopes alive. For the Bengals, it just makes things that much more difficult for their playoff hopes. Fortunately for them, they play in a division where winning out could result in them stealing it from either the Baltimore Ravens or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Bills are sitting at around a 90% chance of making the postseason with a win, while the Bengals are sitting in the low digits, hoping for a miracle to make it to the dance.

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs fall to the Texans

Are the Kansas City Chiefs done for? All season, the talk of the town has been how the Chiefs are going to be able to bounce back and get out of the hole they put themselves in, with a monster matchup against the Texans slated for Week 14.

Unfortunately for Chiefs fans, Kansas City suffered a devastating loss thanks in part to the stout Texans defense, which just swallows up former MVPs and spits them out. The Chiefs are on a 10-year streak of making the playoffs, but in the loss, the odds are not in the Chiefs’ favor.

Arrowhead Stadium isn’t a place where opposing teams come in and beat up on the Chiefs, but that’s exactly what happened on Sunday as Mahomes threw three interceptions and the Texans won by double digits.

For the Texans, 12-5 is well within reach after starting the season 0-3. It’s been truly remarkable what they’ve been able to accomplish, and the defense alone is enough to terrify the rest of the field once the playoffs roll around.

The Chiefs are now sitting at around a 14% chance of making the playoffs, while the Texans are sitting at an 81% chance.

Colts’ playoff hopes might be crushed with injury to Daniel Jones

The Colts were red-hot at one point in the season, even earning top honors in one of our power rankings posts. They were that good, with the resurgence of Daniel Jones at quarterback, along with the dominant work that Jonathan Taylor has put in over the season. A game against Jacksonville was poised to be a great one until injuries came.

For Indianapolis, their season was flipped upside down after quarterback Daniel Jones suffered a non-contact injury that has since been confirmed to be a torn Achilles, ending his season and perhaps ending the Colts’ chances of making a deep playoff run.

The Jaguars handily took care of business, winning 36-19, and have many thinking that Liam Coen could be in consideration for coach of the year. The Jaguars clinched a winning record and took first place in the AFC South in the victory. Before this season, the Jaguars had lost 18 of their last 23 games, making their rise even more impressive.

The Colts’ playoff odds plummeted 21% in the loss, while the Jaguars saw a 12% rise.

Green Bay holds on in a huge victory over the Bears

The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears have been two of the best stories in the league this season. With Jordan Love ascending at his position and Caleb Williams leading the Bears to an impressive record, it had all the makings of an instant classic.

Love and the Packers took care of business, with the Packers quarterback even hearing some MVP discussion after his performance over the past few weeks. While he had an interception in the contest, he had three more touchdowns on Sunday. He’s been elite on the deep ball, as only he and Sam Darnold of the Seahawks have multiple passing touchdowns of more than 40 air yards on the season.

That’s not to say that Love and the Packers dominated, as this game came down to the wire. Williams had a chance late in the game to seal it for the Bears, but he had an interception in the red zone to seal the deal. Still, the Bears are sitting pretty at 9-4 and only saw their chances of making the playoffs drop 10% after the loss.

The Packers’ odds to make the postseason are sitting at around 93% after the win, while the Bears dropped down to 63% with their last-second defeat.

The Broncos are still disrespected despite yet another win

Despite having a record that’s tied for the best in the NFL, the Broncos still find themselves wildly disrespected at the national level. Quarterback Bo Nix and the offense have led some impressive fourth-quarter comebacks throughout the season, helping lead the team to its current impressive record.

Once again, the Broncos showed up and showed out against the Las Vegas Raiders, taking what the defense was giving them with Maxx Crosby wreaking havoc off the edge. In the win, the Broncos secured their 10th straight and also claimed tiebreakers over the Patriots if the two teams share the same record when the season ends.

Missed tackles hurt the Raiders, and their lack of efficiency on offense went against the defense with the most sacks in the league. The Raiders kept things interesting, but Denver once again found a way to win in the closing moments.

The Broncos nearly have a 100% chance of making the postseason after taking care of business through Week 14.