NFL roundup: Chiefs down Patriots to make playoffs

Patrick Mahomes's tough season continued as his Kansas City Chiefs beat the New England Patriots 23-16, with the quarterback injuring his throwing hand during the road victory which secured a fourth consecutive AFC West championship.

The game started well for the Patriots, who scored a touchdown on their first drive while Mahomes threw an interception on the Chiefs' first trip up the field.

The signal-caller seemed to injure his right hand on the second drive but stayed on the field to help his side score 23 unanswered points, securing the win despite a late New England rally.

Mahomes – who threw for 283 yards against the Patriots – already suffered an ankle injury early in the season and dislocated his kneecap while playing the Denver Broncos. He was spotted in the x-ray room at Foxborough after Sunday's game.

Elsewhere, the Chicago Bears beat the Dallas Cowboys 31-24, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers closed out the Indianapolis Colts 38-35 and the Minnesota Vikings were 20-7 victors over the Detroit Lions.

The Green Bay Packers won 20-15 against the Washington Redskins, the Broncos got just their fifth win of the season as they triumphed 38-24 over the Houston Texans and the Ohio derby finished with the Cleveland Browns scoring 27 points to the Cincinnati Bengals' 19.

Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 349 yards but could not secure the win at the Superdome as his New Orleans Saints fell 48-46 to the San Francisco 49ers, who are now 11-2 for the season.

The Atlanta Falcons went 40-20 over the Carolina Panthers, the New York Jets eked out a 22-21 victory against the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Chargers trounced the Jacksonville Jaguars 45-10.

The Tennessee Titans left their mark during their final visit to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, blasting the Oakland Raiders 42-21 to tie the Texans for first place in the AFC South.

The Baltimore Ravens continued their winning ways to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-17, the Arizona Cardinals fell 23-17 to the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Los Angeles Rams won 28-12 over Seattle Seahawks.

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