Friday nights in the NFL used to be a wasteland of reruns and practice reports, but things have changed. If you were searching for who played football last night in the NFL, you probably realized that we are deep into the 2026 Divisional Playoffs. Last night, January 16, 2026, the league kicked off the second round of the postseason with a primetime clash that basically determined the hierarchy of the AFC for the next twelve months. It wasn't just a game; it was a heavy-duty physical grind that reminded everyone why January football is a different beast entirely.
The Kansas City Chiefs hosted the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
Yeah, that matchup again. It feels like we see these two titans collide every single year, but the stakes last night were higher than anything we saw in the regular season. Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson—the two faces of the modern NFL—went head-to-head under the freezing Missouri sky. The temperature at kickoff was a crisp 19 degrees, but the energy in the stadium was scalding. If you missed it, you missed a defensive masterclass mixed with moments of pure, unadulterated quarterback magic.
Why the Ravens vs. Chiefs Game Felt Different This Time
Most people expected a shootout. You’ve got Mahomes. You’ve got Lamar. Usually, that’s a recipe for a 38-35 scoreboard burner. But last night was a throwback. It was about the trenches. The Ravens' offensive line, led by Tyler Linderbaum, spent the first two quarters trying to neutralize Chris Jones, which is honestly like trying to stop a freight train with a screen door.
The Chiefs' defense has been the unsung hero of their 2025-2026 campaign. Steve Spagnuolo is basically a mad scientist at this point. He sent blitzes from angles that Lamar Jackson didn't even see coming. It’s wild to watch a former MVP get flushed out of the pocket four times in a single drive. But that's the "Spags" effect.
Kansas City started slow. Mahomes looked frustrated early on. He was 4-for-9 in the first quarter, which for him, is basically a crisis. He was missing Rashee Rice on those intermediate routes that usually move the chains. Meanwhile, the Ravens leaned heavily on Derrick Henry. Even at this stage of his career, Henry is a problem. He’s a bowling ball. He carried the ball 12 times in the first half alone, grinding out 58 yards and a touchdown that silenced the Arrowhead crowd for a good ten minutes.
The Turning Point That Nobody Saw Coming
In the third quarter, everything shifted.
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The score was 13-10 in favor of Baltimore. The Ravens had the ball. Lamar dropped back, looking for Zay Flowers on a post route. The ball was slightly underthrown. Trent McDuffie—who has quietly become the best corner in the league—didn't just swat it away. He ripped it out of Flowers' hands.
That turnover changed the molecular structure of the game.
Mahomes took over at the 40-yard line. On the very next play, he didn't check it down. He didn't play it safe. He launched a 40-yard moonshot to Xavier Worthy. Touchdown. The stadium exploded. It was one of those moments where you realize that no matter how well a defense plays, you can't account for 15. Mahomes just sees the field in slow motion.
The Ravens tried to answer, but the momentum had curdled. Lamar started forcing throws into tight windows. Justice Hill dropped a crucial third-down pass that would have kept a late fourth-quarter drive alive. It’s those tiny margins. That’s what people often get wrong about who played football last night in the NFL; they look at the final score, but they miss the three-play sequence where the game actually died for the losing team.
Breaking Down the Stat Sheet (The Real Story)
If you look at the box score today, you’ll see Mahomes finished with 285 yards and two scores. But that doesn't tell you about the third-and-long scrambles.
- Lamar Jackson's Rushing: He had 72 yards on the ground, but 40 of those came in the first half. The Chiefs adjusted. They stayed home. They forced him to be a pocket passer in the fourth quarter, and that’s where the Ravens' engine stalled.
- The Travis Kelce Factor: He didn't have 100 yards. He had 54. But every single one of those yards came on a third down. He is still the security blanket of all security blankets.
- Penalties: Baltimore killed themselves with yellow laundry. They had three holding calls on one drive. You can't beat the defending champs when you're playing behind the sticks.
The final score ended up being Chiefs 24, Ravens 17.
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It was closer than it looked on paper, but it felt like the Chiefs were in control once they took the lead in the third. It brings up the age-old question: Is there anyone in the AFC who can actually kill the dragon? The Ravens were the best-equipped team to do it, and they still fell short.
Why This Matters for the AFC Championship
By winning last night, the Chiefs have punched their ticket to another AFC Championship game. This is becoming a bit of a tradition, isn't it? It’s basically the "Patrick Mahomes Invitational" at this point.
The winner of tonight's game between the Bills and the Bengals will travel to Kansas City next week. Think about that. Josh Allen or Joe Burrow has to go into that environment. Arrowhead in late January is a graveyard for visiting teams. If the Bills win, we get Allen vs. Mahomes again. If the Bengals win, we get the "Burrowhead" narrative revived. Either way, the NFL is getting exactly what it wants: elite quarterback play and massive ratings.
Defensive Masterclass or Offensive Failure?
There’s a lot of talk this morning on sports radio about whether the Ravens blew it or if the Chiefs' defense is just that good. Honestly? It’s a bit of both.
John Harbaugh is going to take a lot of heat for a fourth-and-two call late in the game where they decided to pass instead of giving the ball to Henry. When you have a 250-pound back who has been averaging nearly five yards a carry, you give him the ball. You don't try to get cute. But the NFL is a league of "what-ifs." If that pass is caught, Harbaugh is a genius. Since it fell incomplete, he's the scapegoat.
On the other side, Spagnuolo deserves a statue. He’s the only defensive coordinator who seems to have a "Lamar Jackson Map." He knows exactly when to squeeze the pocket and when to let the edges go wide.
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What to Watch for in the Next 24 Hours
Now that you know who played football last night in the NFL and how it shook out, the focus shifts. The NFL doesn't sleep in January.
Today's slate is equally heavy. We’ve got the NFC matchups that are going to determine if the Lions can actually make it back to the big game or if the 49ers' juggernaut is truly unstoppable.
- Check the injury reports for the Chiefs' offensive line; Wanya Morris left the game late with what looked like an ankle sprain. That could be massive for next week.
- Monitor the Ravens' locker room quotes. There’s a sense of "now or never" with this group, and a loss like this usually leads to some off-season roster shuffling.
- Keep an eye on the weather for the Bills/Bengals game tonight. If the wind picks up, it changes the entire betting line and game plan.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're following the playoff bracket, here is what you need to do to stay ahead of the curve.
First, go watch the condensed replay of the third quarter of last night's game. Specifically, watch the Chiefs' defensive line stunts. It’s a clinic on how to contain a mobile quarterback. Second, update your playoff pools immediately. The Chiefs winning at home has swung the betting favorites significantly back toward a KC three-peat (or four-peat, depending on how you're counting the recent run).
Finally, don't sleep on the injury report coming out later this afternoon. In the playoffs, a "tweak" in a Friday game becomes a "DNP" (Did Not Participate) by the following Wednesday. The health of the Chiefs' secondary is going to be the number one storyline heading into the AFC Championship.
The road to the Super Bowl still runs through Kansas City. Last night proved that even when they aren't firing on all cylinders, they have a gear that other teams simply haven't found yet. It's frustrating for the rest of the league, but for the neutral observer, it's a hell of a show to watch. Get your snacks ready for today's games—the bar has been set high.