Week 14 of the 2025 season had a little of everything as the National Football League again ran the gamut of emotions.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers provided a scintillating game in a rivalry that has failed to live up to its billing for decades. Backbreaking drops and curious decision-making signaled the impending end of the Kansas City Chiefs dynasty. And even the defending champs fell to an embarrassing loss, as Jalen Hurts threw four interceptions in Los Angeles.

Oh, and the fairytale story of 2025 did not have a happy ever after, as Daniel Jones’ comeback season for the ages in Indianapolis ended in heartbreaking circumstances.

Here are the winners and losers from a blockbuster slate of games…

WEEK 14 SCORES

(to Tuesday 9th December)

Thursday

(6-6-1) Dallas Cowboys 30 @ 44 Detroit Lions (8-5)

Sunday:

(2-11) Tennessee Titans 31 @ 29 Cleveland Browns (3-10)

(10-3) Seattle Seahawks 37 @ 9 Atlanta Falcons (4-9)

(8-5) Indianapolis Colts 19 @ 36 Jacksonville Jaguars (9-4)

(3-10) Washington Commanders 0 @ 31 Minnesota Vikings (5-8)

(4-9) Cincinnati Bengals 34 @ 39 Buffalo Bills (8-5)

(3-10) New Orleans Saints 24 @ 20 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)

(7-6) Pittsburgh Steelers 27 @ 22 Baltimore Ravens (6-7)

(6-7) Miami Dolphins 34 @ 10 New York Jets (3-10)

(11-2) Denver Broncos 24 @ 17 Las Vegas Raiders (2-11)

(10-3) Los Angeles Rams 45 @ 17 Arizona Cardinals (3-10)

(9-4) Chicago Bears 21 @ 8 Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)

(8-5) Houston Texans 20 @ 10 Kansas City Chiefs (6-7)

Monday

(8-5) Philadelphia Eagles 19 @ 22 Los Angeles Chargers (8-5)

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Chicago Bears 21 @ 28 Green Bay Packers

How many times have you been told the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers is the greatest rivalry in the NFL? More times than you can probably count, seeing as the two teams play each other twice a season.

Heading into their Week 14 tie, the Packers had won 11 of the past 12 matchups. The two clubs hadn’t really played a game of significant consequence since 2013, when Randall Cobb made a clutch catch on fourth down to hand the Cheeseheads the NFC North crown. So dominant have the Wisconsin-based franchise been over their foes, nobody could question Aaron Rodgers’ arrogant claim that he ‘owned’ the Bears fans. It reminds me of The Ashes in a way; can English cricket (read Chicago) really claim they are the main rivals of their Australian counterparts (ie Green Bay) when the traffic is so one-way.

Modern rivalries in the NFL are not necessarily defined by divisional familiarity. Rather, they are extensions of quarterback play. The Chiefs and the Bills since the late-2010s and the Patriots and Colts of the mid-2000s are the most engaging tete-a-tetes of recent history, driven by the stellar play of era-defining signal callers and the structure of NFL schedule-making. Only the Ravens and Steelers, and maybe the Seahawks and 49ers, have delivered consistent head-to-head divisional ill-will of late.

This is all to say, modern NFL rivalry is built on quality, rather than proximity. The Packers’ 28-21 victory over the Bears on Sunday promises a marriage of history and the present.

The underlying data suggests the Bears are not quite worthy of their record. Sitting at 9-3 with a point differential of just +6 and 19th in the DVOA rankings, they have ridden improved play from their defense and a solid ground attack to cover for Caleb Williams’ patchy play. However, the former first overall pick’s undoubted talent suggests they are at the start of a real turn in their fortunes. Williams started poorly in Green Bay, generating just two yards per dropback in the opening half but, facing an 11-point deficit entering the third quarter, the signal caller began to flash his immense talent, escaping the vaunted Packers pass rush to hit some breathtaking completions on the run.

Deep in the red zone with 27 seconds left on the clock, Williams had the chance to truly announce himself at the professional level by forcing the game into overtime. Facing a 4th-and-1, the quarterback had Cole Kmet breaking open to the back of the end zone. He was late on a sailed throw, however, allowing Keisean Nixon to intercept.

You have to feel that the difference between the two sides on the day was Jordan Love’s advanced understanding of the game. Green Bay’s franchise quarterback was imperious under pressure, completing nine of his 12 attempts against the blitz for three touchdowns and a 156.3 passer rating.

But there was enough to suggest these teams’ next meeting — in just two weeks — will be one of real quality. Finally, this rivalry is living up to its heavyweight billing; let’s hope Chicago can follow up on their promise, unlike Ben Stokes’ rudderless Bazball acolytes.

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MVP OF THE WEEK

Josh Allen (QB, Buffalo Bills)

As Joe Burrow completed a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mike Gesicki with 8:44 left on the clock in Buffalo, it seemed that the Bills were en route to another maddening loss in a frustrating season. Burrow was authoring a near-perfect game in frigid conditions, reminding the league that he belongs in the top tier of quarterback rankings despite missing the lion’s share of the 2025 campaign.

Facing a ten-point deficit, Josh Allen reminded us why he stands head and shoulders above his counterparts. The reigning league MVP kick-started another comeback with a 40-yard scramble for a touchdown. Even then, the Bengals were heavy favourites to win; that was until Burrow lobbed a pass to an on-rushing Christian Benford, who ran home his second pick-six in as many weeks. After Burrow followed up with another interception on the next snap, the Bengals were suddenly facing a double-digit deficit of their own, as Allen found Jackson Hawes on a short touchdown pass.

For all that the Bills’ defense chipped in, Buffalo would have been lost without Allen’s brilliance. Four total touchdowns, nine yards per attempt, his first score coming on a 4th-and-4 completion to Khalil Shakir that kept them in the game. This Bills team is so beholden to their talisman’s brilliance, but is that enough to mount a real Super Bowl push? The Week 15 visit to New England should give us an almost immediate answer to that question.

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Loser: The Kansas City Chiefs dynasty

A quick scan of various playoff probability models make for depressing reading if you’re a Chiefs fan, as the stats boffins currently give Kansas City a 15 percent chance of making the post season.

How did we get here?

The underlying numbers suggested this team was a shadow of its former self last term, despite their 15-2 record. Back then, Andy Reid’s side went undefeated in close games. Of course, it was easy to suggest this was the sign of a team that can pull itself through in the key moments, rather than a team that was on its last legs.

The 20-10 loss to the Texans was a perfect microcosm of the Chiefs’ problems. The offensive line was ripped to shreds by Will Anderson et al, while Rashee Rice headlines a talented group of explosive pass game options that have a horrible propensity to drop balls in the key moments; Rice’s fourth-down drop with the game tied in the fourth quarter was the most egregious of the six muffed completions on the day. Travis Kelce’s inability to grip a pass essentially handed an interception — and the game — to the reformed Aziz Al-Shaiir.

There’s also a suggestion that Reid has lost his fast-ball. While he was never heralded for his game management capabilities after many failures in his time with Philadelphia, Big Red has generally got the big calls right during his time in Missouri. However, his choice to go for a 4th-and-1 on his own 31-yard line, with the scores tied and his offense putting up a stinker, was indefensible. That gave C.J. Stroud and the Texans offense, which was largely kept in check by Steve Spagnoulo’s unit, a chip-shot field goal at the very least. Moments later, Dare Ogunbowale plunged into the endzone for the winning score.

The idea that a healthy Patrick Mahomes would spend a season of his prime watching the postseason from home would have been unthinkable just a few months ago. To avoid that scenario, Kansas City will likely have to run the table in a slate that includes three divisional matchups. Their downtrodden AFC West foes will relish the opportunity to land the killshot on this modern dynasty.

 

Losers: The Indianapolis Colts

While I would love to use this space to talk about a more positive story, we have to address the horror show currently unfolding in Indianapolis.

A little over a month ago, I watched a buzzsaw offense powered by the explosive Jonathan Taylor scythe through the Atlanta Falcons in Berlin. The Colts had just doubled down on Daniel Jones’ comeback season, shifting two first-round picks to New Jersey to acquire CB Sauce Gardner.

Since that day, Indy are 0-3, Gardner has sustained a non-contact calf injury, Jones has torn his right Achilles tendon while already playing through a fractured fibula in his left leg, and Taylor has averaged under four yards-per-carry.

Jones’ injury during Sunday’s 36-19 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars feels like the end to a season that promised so much. Now with sixth-round pick Riley Leonard under center, the Colts face a gauntlet of defensive powerhouses to round out their season. A trip to Seattle, followed by the visit of the 49ers and a season-closing tilt against the Texans is a thankless task for any signal caller, let alone one that has taken next-to-no-snaps with the first team — and then the Colts need to factor in reports that Leonard is dealing with a knee injury.

News reports suggesting Indy is calling Phillip Rivers — currently on the shortlist for induction to the Hall of Fame in 2026 — in for a tryout feels desperate. Has an 8-5 team ever felt this bad about their chances for the rest of the season?

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THE ROUND UP

Jalen Hurts was reported to be ‘studying his ass off’ to rectify the Eagles’ offensive woes ahead of Monday night’s tilt with the Los Angeles Chargers. Is he secretly working towards the bar? Or extending his Duolingo streak? Because he can’t have been crushing tape based on his five turnover display in the latest embarrassing capitulation by the reigning Super Bowl champs. Hurts even managed to turn the ball over twice in one play, as he recovered a Chargers fumble from his interception, before grassing the pigskin himself. The 22-19 loss is sounding alarm bells in the City of Brotherly Love; it’s hard to envisage Kevin Patullo retaining his position once this season mercifully comes to a close.

Mike McDaniel, meanwhile, is turning things around in Miami. The Dolphins looked lost on arrival this season, but are now quietly rattling off wins to inch back towards .500. Their latest victory, a 34-10 demolition of the New York Jets, was based off a solid running attack that lost none of its juice despite an injury to De’Von Achane. McDaniel looked destined for the chop but, with his side still mathematically in playoff contention, he likely has done enough to retain his position.

What has happened to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? A slew of injuries to their skill position players has crushed their momentum from the opening month of the campaign, while Baker Mayfield’s play has fallen off a cliff. Out of rhythm and visibly frustrated, Mayfield completed less than 50 percent of his passes in a 24-20 home loss to the New Orleans Saints. Tyler Shough, meanwhile, is showing signs that he could be a medium-term solution for a Saints franchise that is grasping around for anything to hold onto in the midst of a multi-season rebuild.

A brief look in at the NFC West sees that the Seattle Seahawks handled their business with minimal fuss in Atlanta, as Jaxson Smith-Njigba strengthened his hold on the Offensive Player of the Year crown with two more scores. Meanwhile, the L.A. Rams returned to their imperious best with a 45-17 beatdown of the Cardinals. A Week 16 matchup between these two surging squads looks more and more intriguing with each passing week.

How about Shedeur Sanders? Yes, the Browns still fell to a 31-29 loss to the Titans, in a game that ended on a bizarre two-point conversion attempt in which Keven Stefanksi saw fit to take his rookie quarterback off the field, but Sanders became the first rookie quarterback to throw for 300 yards this term. His 60-yard toss to Jerry Jeudy was the highlight, and Prime Time’s son is the only the second quarterback to complete four passes of 50 yards or more in his first three starts. Stefanski has already confirmed Sanders as the Browns starter for the remainder of the campaign.

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STAT OF THE WEEK

• Seahawks rookie Nick Emmanwori is putting forward a debut season for the ages. The young safety is the only player to log an interception, a tackle for loss, a sack and a blocked field goal this season. That would be impressive enough, but when you factor in that Emmanwori achieved that stacked box score in Seattle’s win on Sunday makes it all the more eye-catching. 

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