The Dallas Cowboys missed the chance to clinch a playoff berth as they suffered a stunning overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who claimed a thrilling 40-34 win on a pick-six from Rayshawn Jenkins.

Dallas led 27-10 in the third quarter with a postseason place within their grasp, and had the chance to punch their ticket late in regulation despite 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence leading a Jaguars turnaround with touchdown passes of 59 yards and three yards to Zay Jones, which were sandwiched by a 10-yard toss to Marvin Jones Jr.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott spun out of the pocket and found a diving Noah Brown for a 13-yard connection that marked Brown's second touchdown catch of the day and restored the Cowboys' lead with just over three minutes remaining.

Lawrence then fumbled on an 11-yard scramble as the Jaguars tried to respond to seemingly gift the game to Dallas, only for the Cowboys to quickly go three and out and hand the Jags a final chance to tie the game.

They did just that as Lawrence hit Zay Jones again for 19 yards with five seconds remaining to set up a 48-yard Riley Patterson field goal, which levelled matters at 34-34.

An engrossing quarterback duel between one of the NFL's best and one of its future stars was settled by an interception as Prescott's short third-down pass bounced off Brown's hands and into the grasp of Jenkins, who sprinted 52 yards the other way to seal a remarkable win.

The Jags improve to 6-8, just a game back in the win column of the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans, while the 10-4 Cowboys are still likely to make the playoffs but have a mountain to climb to win the NFC East, where they trail the Philadelphia Eagles by three games.

Chiefs, Eagles survive scares

The Kansas City Chiefs stunningly struggled to put away the one-win Houston Texans with the chance to clinch a seventh successive AFC West title.

It looked as if they may fall victim to the biggest upset of the season when Harrison Butker missed a game-winning 51-yard field goal to force overtime and Patrick Mahomes was sacked to give Houston the ball. However, Davis Mills fumbled the ball back to Kansas City on Houston's first offensive snap of the extra period, setting up Jerick McKinnon to seal a 30-24 win with a 26-yard walk-off touchdown run.

The Eagles were not pushed quite as far by the Chicago Bears, but another impressive dual-threat showing from Justin Fields meant the NFC's number one seed had to work hard for a 25-20 win, their 13th of a spectacular campaign, which was secured when A.J. Brown made his ninth catch of 181-yard display to convert on third down and allow Philadelphia to kill the clock.

Lions' surge continues as Jets let time run out

The Detroit Lions' hopes of an unlikely playoff berth were boosted once again as they claimed a dramatic sixth win in seven games to improve to 7-7.

Detroit dented the New York Jets' postseason prospects with a 20-17 win at MetLife Stadium, Jared Goff's 51-yard touchdown pass to Brock Wright on fourth down with 109 seconds remaining proving decisive.

The Jets, starting Zach Wilson once more in place of the injured Mike White, were left to rue poor clock management on the final drive, with Wilson's improvised 20-yard cross-field completion to Elijah Moore only progressing them to Detroit's 40-yard line with one second remaining. Greg Zuerlein's 58-yard field goal attempt drifted well wide, dropping the Jets to 7-7 after a 6-3 start.

There are four weeks remaining of the 2022 NFL season, meaning we are in the home stretch not only in the race for the playoffs, but also in the battle for the MVP.

Week 14 was one in which the race appeared to settle into one between four quarterbacks. Other positions are worthy of recognition, but since Adrian Peterson's win in 2012 the MVP has been solely a quarterback award, and there is a quartet who have separated themselves from the rest.

Tua Tagovailoa of the Miami Dolphins had received some hype as a potential MVP, but his successive disappointing displays against the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Chargers have likely removed him from the equation.

This has become a fight between the quarterback piloting the best team in the NFC and a trio of signal-callers each hoping to lead their respective rosters to the top seed in the AFC.

Right now, it is the former who stands as the favourite because of a near-perfect resume.

THE FRONTRUNNER: Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia Eagles

The competition with more established NFL stars has been fierce but, after recent devastating performances against the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants, it is difficult to dispute Hurts as the MVP frontrunner.

A week on from brushing past the Titans, the Eagles swatted the Giants aside at The Meadowlands with another display of effortless dominance powered by Hurts’ ability to hit the deep ball and his influence on an ultra-diverse run game.

Hurts connected with DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown for touchdowns of 41 and 33 yards, and also rushed for 77 yards and a score on seven carries. His 13 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards are the most in the NFL while his 10 rushing scores are the sixth-most, and two more than any other quarterback (Justin Fields, eight).

He now has 3,157 passing yards with 22 touchdown passes and 10 rushing touchdowns this season, becoming the the fourth quarterback ever with at least 3,000 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes & 10 rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Kyler Murray (2020), Cam Newton (2011 and 2015) and Kordell Stewart (1997).

Newton won the MVP in 2015 by posting such numbers for a 15-1 Carolina Panthers team that went on to reach the Super Bowl. The Eagles are on course to go 16-1 thanks to Hurts’ growth as a thrower – his well-thrown rate of 82.7 percent is a substantial improvement on his mark of 77.1 per cent from 2021. If they do so, there are unlikely to be many convincing counterarguments against Hurts as the MVP.

DON'T COUNT HIM OUT: Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs

A three-interception performance by Mahomes against the Denver Broncos may have helped tilt the MVP race in favour of Hurts, but the 2018 MVP is still performing at a level to be worthy of regaining the award.

Mahomes has 60 completions of at least 20 yards this season. No other quarterback has even reached 50, with Joe Burrow his nearest challenger on 46.

He ranks eighth among quarterbacks with a minimum of 200 attempts with a well-thrown rate of 83.5 percent, and has been extremely accurate when going deep.

Indeed, Mahomes' completion percentage of 50 on pass attempts of at least 21 air yards is fourth among quarterbacks with at least 10 such throws. On top of his downfield explosiveness, Mahomes has done an excellent job of creating yardage for himself on the ground, his yards per carry average on scrambles of 7.44 bettered by only Justin Fields (7.98) and P.J. Walker (8.67).

Recent issues with turnovers and the fact the Chiefs lost to Josh Allen's Buffalo Bills and Joe Burrow's Cincinnati Bengals may have dented his case but, with four games to go, Mahomes has built the foundations of an MVP resume and still has the chance to earn the prize for a second time if he can lift Kansas City to the one seed.

FADING FAST?: Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills

The resume in terms of achievements for Allen is pretty sparkling. If the season ended today, the Bills would be the number one seed in the AFC and he delivered the tiebreaking win over the Chiefs with a tremendous fourth-quarter performance at Arrowhead.

Allen's deep ball has been extremely impressive this season. No quarterback in the NFL has accounted for more yards on throws of at least 21 air yards than his 833. 

The Bills star is also on the right side of the ledger in terms of accuracy, delivering a well-thrown ball on 82 percent of his passes. The league average – minimum 50 attempts – is 81.4.

However, like Mahomes, Allen has 11 interceptions this season, and has a pickable pass rate of 4.89 percent that is nearly a full point above the average of 4.09%.

His carelessness with the ball has contributed to key defeats to the likes of the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, costing the Bills wins that would have given them clear separation atop the AFC.

Allen is clearly one of the league's premier quarterbacks and will be for many years to come, but the consistency has not been there for him to be considered the MVP at this point.

THE SLEEPER: Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

After a slow start, the man who spearheaded the Bengals' improbable charge to an AFC Championship is once again performing at a level that saw him elevate Cincinnati to the ranks of the elite.

Even in hard-fought Week 14 win over the Cleveland Browns with a Bengals' offense that has been one of the most productive in the NFL since Week 6 did not fire on all cylinders, Burrow's deadly precision was a difference-maker, most notably on a pinpoint 15-yard touchdown throw to Ja’Marr Chase on a post route to open the scoring.

Burrow delivered an accurate, well-thrown ball on 87.5 percent of his passes against the Browns. For the season, his well-thrown rate of 85.9 percent is fifth among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts. His pickable pass rate of just 1.52 percent is the NFL's best.

Burrow is outperforming Hurts, Mahomes and Allen when it comes to delivering accurately and taking care of the ball, and has a signature win over Mahomes to his name from Week 13.

If the Bengals go on to wrest the AFC North from the Baltimore Ravens, Burrow will have an excellent case for the MVP, one that will be even stronger if 9-4 Cincinnati manage to catch Kansas City and Buffalo in the race for the one seed.

The Philadelphia Eagles are on cloud nine after booking their spot in the playoffs with Sunday's 48-22 trouncing of the New York Giants, but head coach Nick Sirianni insists they have "way bigger goals".

Playing away in New York, the Eagles were dominant from the first whistle until the last, winning all four quarters after jumping out to a 21-0 lead early in the second frame.

Adding to his potential MVP case, Jalen Hurts was unstoppable with 217 passing yards, 77 rushing yards and three total touchdowns to go with no turnovers, while running back Miles Sanders added another two touchdowns and a career-high 144 yards on the ground.

It was a terrific game by the Eagles' defense as well, collecting seven sacks and one fumble recovery, led by Brandon Graham's three hits on the Giants' quarterbacks.

Graham said the camaraderie inside the Eagles' locker room is at an all-time high, and they have their sights set on a deep playoff run.

"We want the playoffs to come through Lincoln Financial Field," he told reporter. "We want that bye week and we want that home-field advantage, because we know our fans are going to bring it.

"We know there are a lot of areas where we can improve, but it feels great to be 12-1 because this is a special team with that kind of chemistry. 

"Everybody wants everybody to do well. We're all rooting for each other and helping each other. We know we can be special, but there is a lot of work to do.

"It's been so much fun, though. Coming here and beating the Giants like this? Man, it's something else. 

"Just keep it going. That's all we want to do – keep it going and let's see where we end up."

The offensive side of the ball agreed, with Sanders discussing how their bevy of options make them so difficult to defend.

"I don't think they had much of an idea of what we were going to do," he said. "We're having so much fun out there – that's really what it is – this is just fun. 

"We're executing at a high level and having fun and complementing each other. That's what it's all about."

After receiving one of Hurts' two touchdown passes, with the other going to Pro Bowl receiver A.J. Brown, Devonta Smith echoed those thoughts.

"We're clicking – if it's not me, it's going to be someone else," he said. "That's how this offense is working, the way we've been all season."

Boasting the best record in the league is not a place most of these players have been, including four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Darius Slay, who spent the first seven seasons of his career with the struggling Detroit Lions.

"I've never been 12-1 in the NFL, leading the division, clinching this early," he said. "Sky's the limit for this team."

While edge-rusher Haason Reddick added: "This is the first year in my NFL career where I'm going to the playoffs – I can't wait to see what that atmosphere is like. Hopefully I'll do my part and the team do their job so we can go play for the big trophy."

Some key members on the team are enjoying what they have accomplished so far, but Sirianni said he was unfazed when he was alerted that his side had officially clinched their postseason berth.

"They said that to me in there and I'm like, 'Oh, that's nice'," he said. "We've got way bigger goals, and it's on to the next one."

The Eagles will look to improve to 13-1 when they travel to take on the Chicago Bears this coming Sunday.

The Dallas Cowboys were the biggest favourites on Sunday, but they needed a touchdown drive in the final minute to defeat the Houston Texans 27-23.

Dallas entered the game at 9-3, coming off a 54-19 pounding of the Indianapolis Colts, while the Texans were 1-10-1 and coasting towards the number one pick in the NFL Draft.

The Cowboys entered the game as 17-point favourites, but the game did not follow the script, with Houston hanging 20 points on one of the league's best defenses in just the first half.

They did it with a touchdown run from rookie Dameon Pierce, before backup quarterback Jeff Driskel came in and threw a 28-yard score to Amari Rodgers, and a pair of Ka'imi Fairbairn field goals gave them a 20-17 lead at the break.

Tony Pollard had both of the Cowboys' first-half trips to the end zone – one through the air and one on the ground – before the second half turned into a defensive struggle, with no touchdowns until the final 46 seconds.

Trailing by three, the Cowboys got the ball back on the two-yard line with 3:20 on the clock, marching 98 yards down the field in 11 plays, culminating in a two-yard, game-winning rushing touchdown from Ezekiel Elliott to spare his side any embarrassment.

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott ended up completing 24 of his 39 passes for 284 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, while receiver Chris Moore was a standout for the Texans with 10 catches for 124 yards.

Eagles run up the score

The Philadelphia Eagles showed no mercy on their way to a dominant 48-22 demolition of the New York Giants, improving their league-best record to 12-1.

All of the Eagles' offensive stars got in on the act, starting with potential MVP Jalen Hurts, who threw for 217 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown with his seven carries for 77 yards.

Running back Miles Sanders racked up 144 yards and two touchdowns from his 17 carries, while their two top receivers – A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith – were on the receiving end of both of Hurts' touchdown passes.

The Eagles' defense also collected seven sacks, with three to Brandon Graham, to leave the Giants (7-4-1) with three losses and a tie from their past four outings.

Lions keep their playoff hopes alive

The Detroit Lions have now won five of their past six after defeating the NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings 34-23.

Jared Goff played arguably his best game of the season, taking no sacks and committing no turnovers while passing for 330 yards and three touchdowns, with D.J. Chark enjoying a terrific day on the outside for 94 yards and a touchdown from his six catches.

It was a day to remember for first-round draft pick Jameson Williams, as the first catch of his NFL career went for a 41-yard touchdown, having only made his debut last week after beginning the season with a torn ACL.

The Lions are now 6-7, and are well and truly in the NFC wildcard hunt, only one game off the pace.

The San Francisco 49ers looked destined to contend for a Super Bowl because of their astute move to invest in a quarterback insurance policy for Trey Lance.

Now with Jimmy Garoppolo, whom they kept around after attempting to trade away, likely also on the shelf for the rest of the season with a broken foot, the NFL world is left wondering whether one of the best rosters in the league can still go deep in the postseason with rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy at quarterback.

The early signs are promising, with Purdy stepping in for Garoppolo against the Miami Dolphins in Week 13 and producing a composed display in a 33-17 win that pushed the Niners' record to 8-4.

An enforced switch from Garoppolo to Purdy, the last pick in this year's draft, is an obvious downgrade, but how does it impact the 49ers' hopes of reaching the playoffs and Super Bowl?

Stats Perform can answer that question by looking at its rest-of-season (ROS) projection.

To generate the ROS predictions, every future game is projected to give a predicted win percentage for each team across its remaining games. The projections are calculated by looking at each team's quarterback and performance in terms of yards added in expected passing situations as well as team values for pass protection/pass rush, skill position players/coverage defenders and run blocking/run defense.

The projected win percentages are then aggregated to produce the forecasted standings, which suggest all is not lost for the 49ers.

Still Purdy Good

Purdy was poised, decisive and accurate after replacing Garoppolo, fostering hope he can help keep the 49ers in the Super Bowl hunt despite his inexperience at the highest level.

The ROS projection does not see the Niners winning the Super Bowl, giving San Francisco less than a one per cent chance to lift the Lombardi Trophy with Purdy under center.

However, the 49ers are still given an average win total of 10.5, putting them as the third seed as NFC West champions. With the division rival Seattle Seahawks projected to win 9.76 and end the season as the sixth seed, it would set up a mouthwatering Wild Card matchup.

The 49ers have done most of the hard work in their playoff pursuit and have a dominant defense that ranks first in EVE (our Efficiency Versus Expected metric).

As such, the Niners are still likely to make the playoffs, with ROS giving them a 95 per cent shot. What happens after that is up in the air with Purdy at the helm.

Chiefs Still Reign

The Kansas City Chiefs' loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13 dropped them out of the No. 1 seed in the AFC, with the Buffalo Bills once again in control of the conference.

ROS, though, expects the Chiefs to reassume the top spot by the end of the season.

The Chiefs are given a projected average win total of 12.8, the highest in the AFC and ahead of the Bills' 12.4.

On the NFC side, ROS does not project any slip-ups from the 11-1 Philadelphia Eagles, who are predicted to win 15.1 games and finish well clear of the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC East. The Eagles also have an NFL-best 35 per cent chance of winning the Super Bowl, with the Chiefs second at 18.8 per cent. 

If this projection is accurate, Dallas would face the prospect of playing the NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in the Wild Card round despite a 12-win campaign.

A dangerous Wild Card

ROS still appears to lack belief in the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals despite a third successive win over the Chiefs.

Cincinnati are predicted to finish second in the AFC North behind the Baltimore Ravens with a projected average win total of 10.42. The margin is razor-thin, though, with the Ravens' total at 10.43.

The Bengals have just a 2.4 per cent chance to win the Super Bowl, according to the projection.

Yet with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati offense catching fire in recent weeks, the Bengals loom as an extremely dangerous potential Wild Card team and the projected addition of the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets to the playoffs would make for one of the most fascinating AFC postseasons in recent memory.

By contrast, the recent tie between the New York Giants and Washington Commanders is unlikely to strike fear into the heart of any NFC contenders. They will renew acquaintances in Week 15, and it is the former who is projected to ultimately win out in their battle for the seventh seed and seal a Wild Card clash with the Minnesota Vikings.

The Giants have an average projected win total of 8.3 compared to 8.2 for the Commanders as the projection suggests a losing record will be good enough for at least one team to reach the postseason.

Only five weeks remain in the NFL regular season and places in the playoffs are still up for grabs heading into Week 14.

Come Monday, the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings could all have booked their spot in the postseason should things go their way, while others could officially see their hopes ended.

Crucial meetings are set to take place between a number of playoff contenders, including divisional rivals the Eagles and the New York Giants.

Elsewhere, the in-form San Francisco 49ers host Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, while the New York Jets face a Vonte Miller-less Bills in Buffalo.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-5) @ Buffalo Bills (9-3)

In Week 9, the Jets ended a four-game losing streak against the Bills to win 20-17, but Buffalo stand 7-3 in their last 10 meetings at home, winning each of the last two by double-digit margins.

In the defeat to the Vikings last week, Mike White had 369 passing yards and zero touchdowns; becoming the first Jets quarterback to throw for at least 350 yards without a touchdown pass.

Meanwhile, the Bills have been strong at home this season with just one defeat in Buffalo – coming in overtime to the Vikings in Week 10. They have averaged 33.4 points per game at home this season, outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.8 points.

An intriguing second half is on the cards, with the Bills holding a +48 points differential this season, the third-best ratio in the NFL, while the Jets rank fourth with a +44 differential.

Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) @ New York Giants (7-4-1)

Despite two consecutive wins against the Eagles at home, the Giants stand at 6-13 against the Eagles since 2003.

Standing 5-0 on the road this season, the Eagles are looking to tie a team record for consecutive road wins to start a season, set in 2001. Eight of the last 10 NFL teams to finish unbeaten on the road have gone on to reach the Super Bowl.

Jalen Hurts has thrown 20 touchdowns this season and has rushed for nine more, throwing just three interceptions, with no NFL quarterback ever finishing a campaign with 20+ passing TDs, 8+ rushing TDs and five or fewer interceptions.

This season, the Giants are the only NFL team not to allow a single offensive touchdown of at least 35 yards. Since 1940, the only year the Giants did not give up a single such touchdown was in 1994.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (8-4)

Of teams to have played at least five games on the road against the 49ers, none have a worse record than the Buccaneers, who have won just three of 15 clashes in San Francisco (3-12).

The 49ers are on a strong run, having won five straight games while holding opponents to 17 or fewer points – the fourth such streak in franchise history and the first since a six-game stint in the 1992 season.

A comeback victory for the Buccaneers against New Orleans last week saw Tampa Bay overturn a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Prior to that, the Buccaneers had lost their previous 62 such games, stretching back to the 2010 season.

Tom Brady has thrown 56.3 per cent of his touchdown passes this season in the fourth quarter (nine of 16). Among the 27 quarterbacks to have at least 10 passing TDs this season, he is the only one to have at least half of his coming in the final frame.

Miami Dolphins (8-4) @ Los Angeles Chargers (6-6)

The Dolphins stand 12-4 against the Chargers since 1995 but saw a five-game winning streak halted by a 33-17 loss on the road against the 49ers, where they had a season-low 33 rushing yards from eight carries – the fewest attempts in a game in Dolphins history.

Tyreek Hill remains a significant threat, tallying 146 yards in Week 13 to reach six 100-yard receiving games this season – the second-best total in a single season, behind only Mark Duper with eight in 1993.

Meanwhile, the Chargers lost to the Raiders last week despite leading 13-10 at half-time. That was their fourth loss this season in games where they have led at the interval, the second most in the NFL behind the Denver Broncos.

The two teams are second and fifth respectively in the NFL in terms of highest percentage of plays from passing attempts, but the Dolphins are first in pass yards per attempt (8.51), while the Chargers are 28th (6.52).

Elsewhere…

The Houston Texans travel to face the Dallas Cowboys, with the last two meetings between the teams going to overtime. There have been three instances of teams playing three consecutive games with overtime, most recently the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons from 2002-2010.

The Tennessee Titans host the Jacksonville Jaguars boasting a 9-1 record going back to 2017, the fifth-best record by any team against a division opponent in that span.

The Cleveland Browns head to Cincinnati on a five-game win streak against the Bengals, their best run against any opponent since rejoining the NFL in 1999.

The Minnesota Vikings are 10-2 this season despite being outgained by an average of 62.8 yards per game and head to Detroit to face the Lions, with the last four meetings all decided by four points or fewer.

The Tennessee Titans are at a crossroads in their season, according to head coach Mike Vrabel, after they were thrashed by the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13.

Vrabel saw his team crushed 35-10 at Lincoln Financial Field as the Eagles improved to 11-1 in an outstanding season.

Former Titans wide receiver A.J. Brown, traded to the Eagles on draft day this year, had eight catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns against his former team in a superb display.

For Tennessee, the blowout loss comes on the heels of a narrow loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, dropping them to 7-5.

The Titans are almost certainly going to win a poor AFC South division, but these back-to-back defeats raise substantial questions about Tennessee's ability to contend for postseason success.

"I think we are at a crossroads," Vrabel said. "I told the team I think we are at a crossroads at kind of how we want to continue down this season.

"We can't point fingers. We have to assume that each and every one of us didn't do a good enough job because we didn't.

"We have to come to work with greater energy and greater resolve to prepare to win a football game against a division opponent.

"It sucks losing, it sucks getting beat the way we did but we have to make a decision, how much are we willing to invest and trust in what the coaches are doing, trust in what each of the players are doing. I think it’s a critical time for us."

The Titans will be favoured to get back on track next week when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

The Philadelphia Eagles have the best scoring offense in the NFL, but their strength in that area will be sternly tested by the Tennessee Titans in Week 13.

Philadelphia can clinch a playoff berth this week, though the 10-1 Eagles would require a lot of help to do so at this stage.

Should they prevail against the 7-4 Titans, the Eagles will punch their ticket to the postseason if the Washington Commanders lose and the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks both either lose or tie, providing San Francisco and Seattle both don't tie.

While that scenario may be unlikely, a win for the Eagles over a gritty Titans team would serve as further demonstration of the Super Bowl credentials they have established throughout a superb campaign.

No team in their conference has scored more points than Philadelphia's 303, while they lead the NFL in red-zone efficiency.

In last week's 40-33 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles scored on four of their five trips inside the opposing 20-yard line.

For the season, the Eagles have scored on 29 of 40 trips (72.5 per cent).

Yet this week they face a dogged Titan defense that has allowed the fifth-fewest points in the NFL (198).

The Titans have permitted the sixth-fewest red-zone drives in the league (31, tied with the Minnesota Vikings) and their defense has allowed a touchdown on only 16 of those, that rate of 51.7 per cent the seventh-best in the NFL.

Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is an X-factor for the Eagles in the congested area of the field, though.

The dual-threat signal-caller has scored eight rushing touchdowns this season, seven of which have come in the red zone. Running back Miles Sanders has eight rushing scores from inside the 20, with defenses struggling to cope when both he and Hurts are in the backfield as threats to run.

Only the 49ers (3.32) have allowed fewer yards per rush than the Titans (3.86) this season, however, with Tennessee one of the teams best-equipped to slow down Hurts and Co.

Should they do so and spring an upset, it will give hope to the chasing pack that Philadelphia can still be caught in the race for the NFC's number one seed.

With just six weeks left of the regular season schedule, the drama in the NFL continues to ramp up.

The playoff picture is wide open and Week 13 action presents clashes between a number of sides who each boast a winning record this season.

Victories this week would provide a considerable boost for those teams' hopes of continuing beyond the regular campaign.

A huge divisional rivalry between the Washington Commanders and New York Giants is the pick of the action, while there is also a rematch from last season's AFC Championship game with the Kansas City Chiefs seeking redemption against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Stats Perform has delved into the numbers for those matchups along with some of Sunday's other big games.

New York Jets (7-4) @ Minnesota Vikings (9-2)

The Jets head to Minnesota with an 8-3 record against the Vikings, though have lost the last two meetings – including a 37-17 loss in the last meeting in 2018, which marked the most ever points scored by the Vikings in this series.

Defensive strength has been key for the Jets this season, with last week's 31-10 victory over the Chicago Bears being the fourth time this year where they have held their opponents to 10 or fewer points – the last time they had such a sequence was five games in 2010, which was also their last season with a trip to the playoffs.

The Jets defense will be tested against the Vikings' aerial threat, however, with Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen each catching touchdown passes in the Thanksgiving win over the New England Patriots – the ninth time each player has had a receiving TD in the same game, which marks the most of any NFL teammates since Jefferson's 2020 debut.

A win against the Jets would see head coach Kevin O'Connell join Jim Caldwell and Jim Harbaugh as the only men this century to earn 10 wins in 12 or fewer games to start their career as an NFL head coach.

Washington Commanders (7-5) @ New York Giants (7-4)

A series sweep for Washington last season was the franchise's first against the Giants since 2011, leaving the Commanders looking for their first win streak of at least three games against New York since a four-game streak that ended in 2000.

Four consecutive wins on the road have seen Washington hold their opponents to 54 points total in those contests, marking the first time they have won four straight road games while allowing fewer than 60 points since 2001.

The Giants head into the contest having lost their last five against divisional opponents, standing just 1-7 in that regard over the past two seasons. That makes them just one of two teams without multiple wins in divisional games over that span (also Denver Broncos, 1-8).

Saquon Barkley remains the biggest threat for the Giants and sits just eight rushing yards short of his third 1000-yard season, where he would join Tiki Barber (6), Rodney Hampton (5) and Joe Morris (3) as the only Giants with at least three such seasons for the team.

Tennessee Titans (7-4) @ Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)

Philadelphia host the Titans on the back of a six-game winning run against AFC opponents dating back to last season, matching the Eagles' longest such streak in franchise history.

Last time out against the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles scored a touchdown in four of their five trips to the red zone – with Philadelphia leading the NFL in touchdown efficiency in the red zone this season, scoring in 29 of 40 trips (72.5 per cent).

Tennessee, meanwhile, have rushed for fewer than 100 yards in each of their last three games, matching their longest streak since Mike Vrabel became head coach in 2018.

In the 20-16 loss to the Bengals last time out, Derrick Henry fumbled but was it was recovered. Of the 39 players with at least 200 offensive touches since the beginning of last season, Henry, Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey are the only three to have not lost a fumble.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-2) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-4)

Two meetings last season saw the Bengals win by three points in both contests, including in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, with the Chiefs' last road win against the Bengals coming in 1984 – losing six straight since.

A 26-10 home victory against the Los Angeles Rams last week saw Travis Kelce catch his 12th touchdown pass of the season, with no other tight end having more than five this term. The largest all-time gap between a league leader and second place stands at six (Rob Gronkowski in 2011 and Antonio Gates in 2004).

The Bengals overcame the Titans 20-16 on the road last week, giving Cincinnati their first three-game winning streak of the season. Since 2018, they stand 3-34 when scoring 20 or fewer points in a game, but two of those wins have come against Tennessee.

Cincinnati have converted 78.1 per cent (25-for-32) of their third downs this season when needing fewer than four yards, the best mark in the league. However, they've also allowed opponents to convert such third downs at a 76.5 per cent rate (26-for-34), the worst record in the league.

Elsewhere…

The Miami Dolphins head to San Francisco with a 4-3 record on the road against the 49ers, the second-best such record by any team behind the Carolina Panthers (7-4).

The Los Angeles Rams host the Seattle Seahawks having won eight of the last 10 clashes between the two divisional rivals, with Seattle's last victory on the road in this matchup coming in Week 5, 2017.

An overtime victory over the Seahawks last week was the second in a row for the Las Vegas Raiders, having beaten the Denver Broncos in OT in Week 11. No NFL team has ever won three consecutive games in overtime going into the Raiders' latest battle with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Dallas Cowboys host the Indianapolis Colts on the back of a four-game spell with at least 400 net yards, with only one longer streak in team history – running eight games in that regard in 2016.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson will be sidelined for the next few weeks after suffering a lacerated kidney at the weekend.

The Philadelphia Eagles safety was carted off the field in the first quarter of Sunday's 40-33 win against the Green Bay Packers, appearing to be in considerable pain.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Tuesday that Gardner-Johnson sustained a lacerated kidney in the game, which will not require surgery and is "not expected to be season-ending", but will keep him out "indefinitely".

The 24-year-old has played a big role in the Eagles' 10-1 campaign so far, leading the NFL in interceptions with six, while he has also made 55 tackles.

Gardner-Johnson was traded to Philadelphia from the New Orleans Saints in August along with a seventh-round draft pick for 2025 in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2024 and the latter of the Eagles' two sixth-round draft picks in the same year.

Undrafted rookie Reed Blankenship replaced him on Sunday, and could be the man to come in again when the Eagles host the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur was vague about Monday's scan results on quarterback Aaron Rodgers' rib injury, but is not considering shutting him down at this stage.

Rodgers exited Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter with a rib injury, undergoing examination at the game, before a further MRI on Monday.

The four-time NFL MVP was bullish after the game about playing in next Sunday's game with the Chicago Bears. LaFleur was hopeful too on Monday following Rodgers' additional scan.

"Sometimes there's stuff that doesn't show up on all the scans," LaFleur told reporters. "All I can tell you is he's feeling a little bit better… we'll know more in the next couple of days."

Rodgers has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing arm for the past six weeks, with his latest knock for a side with a 4-8 record prompting talk he could be shut down for the season.

Packers backup QB Jordan Love came on in the fourth quarter against the Eagles and threw 113 yards on six-of-nine passing including one touchdown in a bright cameo. Shutting down Rodgers would offer Green Bay a chance to give Love more experience.

However, LaFleur insisted that Rodgers would play if he is healthy and that he was not thinking beyond the next game.

"We've not even gone down that road," he said. "I don't think that's what we're arguing here.

"It's just, we've got a lot of faith, quite frankly, in both those guys. But you know, Aaron's the starting quarterback. He's battled through a lot throughout the course of his career. It's pretty well documented.

"I think he's been able to play at a pretty high level through a lot of different situations. So again, we'll take it one game at a time and make the best decision moving forward."

The Packers have the bye after the Bears game, offering the potential for a few weeks' rest for Rodgers if he does not play on Sunday.

"I think all those conversations, we'll have those conversations," LaFleur said. "If that's what we feel is best, then that's what we'll do."

Rodgers has a 64.8 per cent completion rate this season, making 254 of 392 passes for 2,682 yards with 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 12 starts.

The 38-year-old QB's nine interceptions are the most in his career since 2010, while he has also been sacked 24 times.

Aaron Rodgers feared he had suffered a punctured lung in Sunday's 40-33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles but remains hopeful of playing next week.

The Green Bay Packers quarterback exited the game in the third quarter due to a ribs injury, which Rodgers said he sustained in the first half.

Rodgers said it was re-aggravated in the third quarter, leaving him in "intense pain".

"[I was] Just having a hard time breathing and rotating my upper body," Rodgers told reporters. "I was worried about a punctured lung as well, so I wanted to get that checked out. We'll get a scan tomorrow."

Rodgers jogged to the locker room in the third quarter for examination although he said initial X-rays provided little clarity on the extent of the issue.

Despite that, the 38-year-old quarterback, who has been playing with a broken thumb on his throwing hand since Week 5, remained hopeful of playing against the Chicago Bears next Sunday.

The four-time NFL MVP threw two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the first half before leaving the game. Rodgers has thrown seven interceptions this season, his most since 2016, along with 19 touchdowns across 11 starts.

Rodgers dismissed any talk of shutting him down either, as the loss left the Packers with a 4-8 record to be third in the NFC North.

"As long as I check out fine tomorrow, I'll expect to play next weekend," Rodgers said. "I might not be able to go Wednesday but as long as there's no major structural damage, I'll try to get back out there.

"Hopefully everything looks good tomorrow, then heal up for a couple of days and see if I can go back out there."

Packers head coach Matt LeFleur backed Rodgers' toughness to play through pain, in a sign he is not considering shutting him down either, despite 24-year-old backup Jordan Love throwing a TD pass for Christian Watson in a bright cameo.

"This is one of the toughest dudes I've ever been around so I don’t ever for a second question his toughness, his desire to be out there, his desire to compete," LeFleur said.

"He apologised to me. I said 'don't ever apologise to me'. I'll never question that.  This guy is the ultimate competitor.

"He's been battling through a lot of stuff all year long. It hasn’t just been this year. It's been the last few years that we've been together. He doesn’t say anything about it, he just keeps competing and being the best he can."

Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers exited the Green Bay Packers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter with a ribs injury.

The Packers initially said that Rodgers had sustained an oblique injury and was questionable to return after jogging down to the locker room, with his side down 34-23 at the time.

Rodgers appeared uncomfortable throughout a field-goal drive in the third quarter, before heading for the locker room.

The 38-year-old quarterback had spoken at length to Packers medical staff prior to the drive, but continued on, albeit with visible pain as he grimaced his way through plays. He had been sacked earlier in the third quarter by Brandon Graham.

Rodgers' backup Jordan Love entered the game for the Packers' next offensive drive in the fourth quarter.

The QB had completed 11-of-16 passes for 140 yards, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions. That marked the second time in Rodgers' career he had thrown two touchdowns and two picks in a half.

Rodgers revealed during the week that he had been playing with a broken thumb since suffering the injury in Week 5. The Packers were 4-7 heading into Sunday's game.

Jalen Hurts made NFL history as the Philadelphia Eagles improved to 10-1 with a 44-33 victory over the Green Bay Packers, who lost Aaron Rodgers due to an oblique injury on Sunday.

Hurts became the first player in NFL history with 125 passing yards or more and 125 rushing yards or more in a half, finishing on 16-of-28 passing for 153 yards with two touchdowns and 157 rushing yards on 17 carries in a high-scoring encounter at Lincoln Financial Field.

The two sides scored seven touchdowns from 13 full drives in the first half, which was the second game this season each team has 20-or-more points by half-time.

The NFL-leading Eagles got the edge with their running game, becoming the first side since 1978 with 300-plus rushing yards against the Packers, finishing with 363, which was a franchise-best since 1948.

Rodgers threw two touchdowns but also two interceptions in the first half, marking the second time in his career he has done that in a half, before exiting in the third quarter with an oblique injury.

Packers backup QB Jordan Love found Christian Watson for a 63-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter to make it 37-30, but Jake Elliott's 54-yard field goal with 2:09 remaining stretched the margin.

Miles Sanders ran in two touchdowns from his 21 carries for 143 yards while Kenneth Gainwell opening the scoring on the first drive of the game.

Hurts delivered to Quez Watkins in the corner on a 30-yard TD pass with 13 seconds left in the first half to open up a 27-20 lead. The Eagles QB found A.J. Brown for a third-quarter TD too.

The Packers, who fall to 4-8 overall, had trailed 13-0 in the first quarter but squared the game up after A.J. Dillon and Randall Cobb TDs. Aaron Jones also scored in the second quarter after Brown's fumble.

Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers exited the Green Bay Packers' game against the Philadelphia Eagles in the third quarter with an oblique injury.

The Packers said that Rodgers was questionable to return after jogging down to the locker room, with his side down 34-23 at the time.

Rodgers appeared uncomfortable throughout a field-goal drive in the third quarter, before heading for the locker room.

The 38-year-old quarterback had spoken at length to Packers medical staff prior to the drive, but continued on, albeit with visible pain as he grimaced his way through plays. He had been sacked earlier in the third quarter by Brandon Graham.

Rodgers' backup Jordan Love entered the game for the Packers' next offensive drive in the fourth quarter.

The QB had completed 11-of-16 passes for 140 yards, throwing two touchdown passes and two interceptions. That marked the second time in Rodgers' career he had thrown two touchdowns and two picks in a half.

Rodgers revealed during the week that he had been playing with a broken thumb since suffering the injury in Week 5. The Packers were 4-7 heading into Sunday's game.