We are now in December, and the NFL regular season is approaching its final moments. In the next few weeks, teams will begin to make the playoffs, while others will be in the race for the number one pick. This week, the playoff races heat up, but for one team, one moment will change everything.
Let’s look back at Week 14 of the 2025 NFL season.
Houston ends all hope for the Chiefs
The Houston Texans have been able to play themselves back into contention for the AFC South title. The recent struggles of the Indianapolis Colts have also played a role in this rise. This week, they faced the Kansas City Chiefs, who came into this game with a 6-6 record. The Chiefs needed a win to stay in playoff contention. Could they get it?
The Chiefs had the first drive of the game, but were unable to do anything with it. In fact, the first three drives of the game all ended in punts. The Texans would be able to break this streak and take the early lead late in the first quarter. Led by C.J. Stroud, the Texans’ offense made its way down to the Chiefs’ 16-yard line, where the drive would stall. This set up Ka’imi Fairbairn with a 35-yard field goal attempt, which was successful.
Houston extended their lead on their next drive. From their 10-yard line, the team quickly reached the Chiefs’ nine-yard line. Here, Stroud found Woody Marks for the nine-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesThings went from bad to worse for the Chiefs on their next drive as Patrick Mahomes’ pass was intercepted by the Texans’ defense. Luckily, Houston was unable to use this new possession to further their lead. Kansas City had an opportunity to get itself onto the board just before halftime, when kicker Harrison Butker was faced with a 43-yard field goal attempt. However, this kick missed,
This meant that at halftime, the Texans had a 10-0 lead over the Chiefs.
Kansas City was able to get itself back into the game on its first drive of the second half. Starting from their 44-yard line, Mahomes and company were able to make their way down to the Texans’ two-yard line. Here, Kareem Hunt found the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
A few drives later, and the scores were level. Butker found the uprights from 36 yards out to make it 10-10 as the teams went into the fourth quarter.
This quarter began in the worst possible way for the Chiefs. Mahomes threw a second intercepted pass. But, as with his first, the Texans were unable to convert this into any points. However, Houston was able to break the deadlock on their next drive. Dare Ogunbowale found the endzone from five yards out to score a rushing touchdown to give them a seven-point lead with seven minutes to go.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Chiefs needed to find something on offense to keep them in contention for the win. With under four minutes to go, a pivotal play was made. Mahomes’ attempted pass to Travis Kelce was intercepted by the Texans’ defense on the edge of their red zone. This gave them the perfect opportunity to seal the win. A Fairnbairm field goal from 28 yards out was all they needed.
The Houston Texans had defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-10.
Houston has now won their last five games and improved to 8-5 for the season. They are now in a race with the Jacksonville Jaguars for the division title (for reasons we will discuss later). As for the Chiefs, they fall to 6-7 for the season. They are out of contention for the AFC West, and it is looking likely that they will miss the postseason for the first time since 2014.
Next week, Houston plays the Arizona Cardinals, while the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers.
Thriller at Lambeau
The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers share an intense rivalry that defines both fan bases. This year, the rivalry is more intense, as both teams are playing for the NFC North title. A win for either team would give them the lead in the conference and an advantage going into the few games left to play this season. But who would win?
The Bears had the first possession of the game but could not open the scoring. On the other hand, Green Bay was able to make it to the 50-yard line slowly. Then, the deep pass from Jordan Love was intercepted by the Bears’ defense. Luckily for the Packers, this mistake was not capitalized on, and they quickly got the ball back.
The first breakthrough would come in the second quarter. Another long drive from the Packers offense brought them to the edge of the Bears’ red zone. Here, Love found Christian Watson for a 23-yard touchdown pass to take the lead. Chicago was able to respond to this with a long drive of their own. But this stalled at the Packers’ 15-yard line, setting up Cairo Santos with a 33-yard field goal attempt. The kick was successful.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut this reduced lead did not last long, as Love found Bo Melton for a 45-yard touchdown pass just three plays later to extend Green Bay’s lead just before the break.
This meant that at halftime, the Packers had a 14-3 lead over the Bears.
Chicago reduced this lead on their first drive of the second half. Led by Caleb Williams, the offense made their way down the field to the Packers’ one-yard line. Here, Williams found Olamide Zaccheaus for the touchdown pass. The Bears then attempted and made a two-point conversion, reducing the Packers’ lead to three points.
This three-point lead was short-lived. On the following drive, Love found Watson for a 41-yard touchdown pass to again make it a 10-point lead. This became seven when Santos saw the uprights from 41 yards out.
The Bears came into the final quarter needing to score to stay in the game. Luckily, that is what they did. On a slow-moving 17-play drive, Williams was able to bring the Bears’ offense down to the Packers’ one-yard line. Here, the quarterback found Colston Loveland for the touchdown pass to level the scores with eight minutes to play.
Green Bay would immediately strike back on a drive that took four minutes of the clock. Josh Jacobs would score a two-yard rushing touchdown to give the lead back to the Packers. Chicago needed to match this to keep itself in the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Bears’ drive started on their 26-yard line, with the offense making it down to the Packers’ 14-yard line with 27 seconds left on the clock. A vital fourth-down attempt was ahead, with the Bears only needing one yard to keep possession. On the play, Williams tried to find Cole Kmet, but his pass was intercepted in the end zone by the Green Bay defense to seal the win.
The Green Bay Packers had defeated the Chicago Bears 28-21.
The win for the Packers puts them atop the NFC North, thanks to their early-season tie with the Dallas Cowboys. They improved to 9-3-1 for the season. The defeat for the Bears means they fall to 9-4 for the season, but are still in the race for the division title (they face the Packers again in two weeks), along with the Detroit Lions, who are one game behind.
Next week, the Packers face a tough test in the Denver Broncos, while the Bears face the Cleveland Browns.
Another Year, Same Daniel Jones
The Indianapolis Colts are in free-fall. They have started to lose games, and now their playoff spot is in doubt. This week, they faced the Jacksonville Jaguars, their biggest threat to the AFC South title. The Jags have been the “bogeyman” for the Colts in previous years, and they have become hot at just the right time. With Colts quarterback Daniel Jones playing another game with a fibula injury, can the Jags get the win and take the lead in the conference?
The Jaguars had the first possession of the game but quickly punted to the Colts. They were not without the ball for long, as on his first play of the game, Jones threw an interception. This mistake would be costly for Indianapolis, as a few plays later, Travis Etienne would find the endzone for a three-yard rushing touchdown.
The second drive from the Colts was more successful. Shaking off the interception, Jones led his offense down to the Jaguars’ one-yard line. Here, Jonathan Taylor found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to tie the game. But this tie did not last long. On the Jaguars’ next drive, quarterback Trevor Lawrence found Jakobi Meyers for a 14-yard touchdown pass.
It was after this touchdown that a pivotal moment in the Colts’ season would happen. Near the end of the first quarter, Daniel Jones left the game with an injury to his other leg. He would then be ruled out of the game and later the season. This is almost a yearly occurrence for Jones, and could spell the end of his NFL career after seven years. In his place, Riley Leonard (last year’s Notre Dame QB and a former Duke QB) came into the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesA few drives later, the Jags would extend their lead thanks to a 28-yard rushing touchdown from Etienne. Leonard took a while to warm to the Colts’ offense, but was able to send the ball into field goal territory on his first proper drive. Blake Grupe would find the uprights from 28 yards out to keep them in the game.
But, any hope that the Colts could launch a comeback was seriously in doubt just before halftime when Lawrence found Tim Patrick for a seven-yard touchdown pass. This meant that the Jags had a 28-10 lead as the teams returned to the locker rooms.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Colts were able to get something from it. Unfortunately for them, it was only a field goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesFor the rest of the game, the majority of the Colts’ drives did not end well. Their response to a Cam Little field goal was an intercepted pass. Leonard would be sacked in his own end zone for a safety, only exacerbating the problems they are now in. They were able to get something on their final drive of the game, Leonard finding the endzone for a six-yard rushing touchdown, but by then, any hope had left them.
The Jacksonville Jaguars had defeated the Indianapolis Colts 36-19.
With the win, the Jags improve to 9-4 for the season and now take the lead in the AFC South. The Colts fall to 8-5, and Jones’ injury will likely cost them a postseason spot. Riley Leonard is currently not the guy for them. However, the Colts have a plan and have brought back Phillip Rivers. He hasn’t played in five years and has been coaching a high school football team since retirement. This could be interesting.
Next week, the Jaguars face the New York Jets, while the Colts play the Seattle Seahawks.
What Happened in the Other Games?
The Detroit Lions are still in contention for the NFC North title. This week, they faced the Dallas Cowboys in what was an interesting game on Thursday night. Three touchdowns from Jahmyr Gibbs gave the Lions a much-needed 44-30 win.
The Seattle Seahawks kept up with the LA Rams in the NFC West with a win over the Atlanta Falcons. Seahawks QB Sam Darnold threw for three touchdowns and 249 yards in their 37-9 victory.
We had a snow game in Buffalo as Josh Allen faced Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. This was another classic that we have come to expect from these two quarterbacks, who combined for seven touchdowns in this game. However, a late flurry from the Bills helped seal a 39-34 win for them, keeping them in the race for the AFC wildcard spots.
Embed from Getty ImagesFocusing on the bottom of the league, the Tennessee Titans faced the Cleveland Browns. Tony Pollard had a game to remember, recording 161 rushing yards and scoring two touchdowns in the Titans’ 31-29 win, their second of the year.
The Minnesota Vikings have struggled at times this season. In their game against the Washington Commanders, they were near perfect. J.J. McCarthy threw for three touchdowns in their 31-0 win.
The Miami Dolphins faced the New York Jets this week. Third-string quarterback (and former Missouri Tiger) Brady Cook led the Jets for most of the game. He threw for two interceptions in the Dolphins’ 34-10 win.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been another team in free-fall. The New Orleans Saints only added to their woes this week with a 24-20 win. This puts the Buccs and Saints level on 7-6 in the division.
In a crucial battle for the AFC North title, the Pittsburgh Steelers met the Baltimore Ravens. A strong first half from Aaron Rodgers and his Steelers team was enough to give them a 27-22 win over the Ravens, putting them one game ahead of their rivals.
The Denver Broncos have been playing close football all season long. This was not the case in their game against the Las Vegas Raiders. This was an easy 24-17 win, putting the Broncos at 11-2 for the season.
The Los Angeles Rams kept themselves in a tight battle with the Seahawks after their win against the Arizona Cardinals. The bookies have the Rams as the favorites to win the Super Bowl, and it is clear to see why. Another strong performance from Matthew Stafford gave the Rams a 45-17 win over the Cardinals.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Philadelphia Eagles faced the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football in what was a very close affair. A late field goal from Cameron Dicker sent the game to overtime. A 54-yard kick from Dicker would be enough to give the Chargers a 22-19 win.
Next week’s slate is highlighted by the Bills meeting the Patriots in a pivotal AFC East matchup, the Packers and Broncos meeting, and Matthew Stafford facing his old team as the Rams face the Lions.