Chiefs eliminated, Mahomes injured, Mendoza claims Heisman
NFL
The NFL weekend was defined by shock and upheaval, led by the Kansas City Chiefs being knocked out of playoff contention for the first time since 2014 and losing Patrick Mahomes to a season-ending torn ACL. The setback came in a 16–13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, sealed when Derwin James intercepted Gardner Minshew in the closing seconds after Mahomes exited late in the fourth quarter.
Justin Herbert threw for 210 yards and a touchdown while playing through a broken left hand as the Chargers improved to 10-4 and completed a regular-season sweep of Kansas City. The Chiefs fell to 6-8, ending a decade-long postseason run that included three Super Bowl titles.
Buffalo delivered one of the weekend’s biggest comebacks, rallying from a 21-0 deficit to beat New England 35–31. Josh Allen threw three touchdown passes and James Cook accounted for three scores as the Bills moved to 10-4 and stayed within one game of the AFC East-leading Patriots.
Denver continued its dominance with a 34–26 win over Green Bay behind four touchdown passes from Bo Nix. The Packers’ loss was compounded by a suspected torn ACL suffered by star defender Micah Parsons. The Broncos clinched a playoff spot and maintained the AFC’s top seed.
Elsewhere, the Rams clinched a postseason berth with a 41–34 comeback win over Detroit, Baltimore shut out Cincinnati 24–0 to eliminate the Bengals, and San Francisco stayed hot with a 37–24 win over Tennessee. Chicago blanked Cleveland 31–3 in brutal cold, though Browns star Myles Garrett recorded 1.5 sacks to move within one of the NFL’s single-season sack record. Philadelphia snapped a three-game skid by shutting out the Raiders 31–0.
In the Sunday night game, the Dallas Cowboys remain technically still in the playoff hunt. Still, their chances are extremely slim after a 34-26 loss to the Vikings, leaving the NFC East title their only realistic path and requiring them to win their remaining three games while the Eagles lose all three of theirs.
College Football
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Big Ten player to claim the honor since 2006. Mendoza led the Hoosiers to a historic 13-0 season, the Big Ten title, and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff. He threw for 2,980 yards and a nation-leading 33 touchdowns, cementing one of the most remarkable seasons in program history. Indiana will face the winner of Oklahoma and Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.
NBA
Sunday’s NBA slate featured several decisive results. Washington beat Indiana 108–89, while Charlotte outlasted Cleveland 119–111 in overtime. Atlanta edged Philadelphia 120–117, Brooklyn routed Milwaukee 127–82, and Minnesota topped Sacramento 117–103. New Orleans defeated Chicago 114–104, the Lakers slipped past Phoenix 116–114, and Portland outscored Golden State 136–131 in a high-paced finish.
NHL
In the NHL, Vancouver edged New Jersey 2–1, while the Mammoth defeated Pittsburgh 5–4 in overtime. Carolina topped Philadelphia 3–2 in a shootout, Minnesota rolled past Boston 6–2, Montreal beat Edmonton 4–1, and Buffalo closed the night with a 3–1 win over Seattle.
Source: The Athletic, The Guardian, nba.com, nhl.com