The 2025 NFL season is threatening to become the year of the underdog as pre-season Super Bowl favourites fight for their playoff lives, including Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes.
Mahomes' Kansas City Chiefs, who have been to three straight Super Bowls, are staring at the prospect of a shock omission as they sit 6-6 following Thursday's 31-28 Thanksgiving defeat to the Dallas Cowboys.
The Baltimore Ravens meanwhile just saw their five-game winning streak come to an end as they were beaten 32-14 by the Cincinnati Bengals, who had welcomed Joe Burrow back to the lineup after a nine-game absence.
Jackson struggled once again having been marred by further injury setbacks following his three-game layoff with a hamstring issue. His side are now 6-6 at the top of the AFC North, marginally ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) with Burrow's Bengals lurking.
"They do [Baltimore and Chiefs seeming to be in the most trouble]," said SportNews NFL's Phoebe Schecter. "You look at the Chiefs, for example, who were winning those one-score games last year and now are losing those close one-score games this year.
"They've had a lot of other issues as well. But then you look at the Ravens and Lamar Jackson. I mean, they are not living up to their expectations offensively.
"They're not being able to put together plays. And Lamar Jackson has always been your best athlete on the field. And right now he's not he's not healthy enough to be able to deliver that or run the ball like he used to."
Jackson has been held below 30 rushing yards for three straight games in a run of 10, 11 and, most recently against the Bengals, 27. He was also limited to a completion percentage below 60 for the third game in a row, a run across which he has failed to throw a touchdown pass while being intercepted three times and sacked nine times.
"He's not Lamarvelous," said SportNews NFL's Jason Bell. "He doesn't seem the same.
"When you're a guy whose mobility is what you lean on, the explosive plays - it's just not there. You see the struggles. He's not 100 per cent and can't make those plays."
Schecter added: "He's so used to being the best athlete on the field so he can hold the football a little bit longer and make those juke moves but right now he doesn't have that full health back to be able to do that.
"Half the reason the Bengals won that was capitalising on the miscues by the Ravens."
Andy Reid's Chiefs sit down in third in the AFC West, behind a second-placed Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) and the Denver Broncos (10-2), who have won nine straight.
"The Chiefs have not lived up to their own expectations," Schecter added. "The Chargers had some high moments. The Raiders are still figuring out their footing a little bit.
"The Broncos, I mean, you had Defensive Player of the Year from last year in Pat Surtain II, you've only strengthened your defense and now Bo Nix, another year alongside Sean Payton and the way that they've kind of found answers to those tests.
"Sean Payton is also a big competitor and he's making sure that he's kind of pulling the strings there for Bo Nix."
An ever-changing AFC race also features Liam Coen's Jacksonville Jaguars, who top the AFC South at 8-4 after Sunday's 25-3 victory over the Tennessee Titans.
Criticised for their inconsistencies, the Jaguars have responded positively to their ugly defeat to the Los Angeles Rams in London by winning four of their last five, including a 35-6 blowout of the Chargers.
"Liam Cohen, I like his play design, especially in the run game," said Bell. "He was doing this at Tampa. And what can Jacksonville do? They can run the rock, man. They can find a way.
"Obviously, it's all about in the tough situational football how your quarterback performs. But Liam Coen is doing a good job with Trevor Lawrence. And this defense, they find opportunities so, it's a good balance. They bail the offense out when they need to. And Liam Cohen, you see why he got the job."
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