Chiefs clinch playoff berth, Rodgers fastest to 400 touchdowns and the rest of the NFL's late games

Elsewhere, the New York Jets almost brought their 344-day winless run to an end and the resurgent Giants surprised the Seattle Seahawks.

PATRICK MAHOMES THREW for 318 yards and a touchdown and Harrison Butker kicked five field goals as the Kansas City Chiefs secured a playoff berth with a 22-16 win over the Denver Broncos.

Receiver Travis Kelce caught eight passes for 136 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter as the Chiefs improved to 11-1 for the second time in franchise history.

“We just keep building,” said Kelce after the NFL’s later games. “We knew coming into the season that we have to rebuild a championship team. We had different pieces and we had to put them all together to make a sound team. I think you saw that tonight.”

The Chiefs won their 11th straight game against the Broncos, a streak that dates back five years. They will clinch the division championship if they win any of their four remaining games, including next Sunday’s meeting with the Miami Dolphins.

They are a half-game behind the 11-0 Pittsburgh Steelers in the race for the AFC’s top playoff seed.

The Chiefs will also be in the post-season for the sixth straight season, a team record.

Tyrann Mathieu intercepted Broncos quarterback Drew Lock twice, including one pick with just 24 seconds left that helped seal the game.

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- Rodgers ‘fun’ milestone -

In Green Bay, Aaron Rodgers threw three touchdown passes, and the Packers held on to defeat the struggling Philadelphia Eagles 30-16.

Rodgers turned 37 on Wednesday but is showing no signs of slowing down. He reached 400 touchdown passes in his 193rd regular-season game, making him the fastest in history to achieve the milestone.

Rodgers did it in 12 fewer games than Drew Brees, who was previously the fastest to 400.

“Those are fun milestones for sure,” Rodgers said. “It does speak to the consistency over a long period of time that I’m very proud of.”

He got plenty of help Sunday from Aaron Jones, who gained 130 yards on 15 carries. Jones’ best moment was a 77-yard touchdown run with 2:51 to play to seal the victory.

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Davante Adams had a nine-yard touchdown catch for the only points of the third quarter. He finished with 10 catches for 121 yards for the Packers, who improved to 9-3 on the season.

The Eagles have lost four straight, and the offense has been sputtering under quarterback Carson Wentz. Jaylen Hurts replaced Wentz on the Eagles’ second possession of the second half. The move seemed to give them a lift.

Philadelphia scored only three points in the game’s first 52 minutes but then scored two quick touchdowns in the fourth quarter to make it interesting.

Saints book playoff spot, Browns move to 9-3, and Raiders just avoid embarrassing loss to Jets

The New York Jets almost brought their 344-day winless run to an end, only to fall at the final hurdle against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Derek Carr threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to rookie Henry Ruggs in the final seconds of the fourth quarter as the Raiders won 31-28.

The Jets’ defeat keeps them in line for the number one draft pick in next season’s draft at 0-12.

Elsewhere, the resurgent New York Giants validated their position on top of the NFC East by surprising the Seattle Seahawks 17-12 courtesy of a strong defensive effort that caused quarterback Russell Wilson to constantly second-guess himself.

And the Arizona Cardinals suffered their fourth loss in five games as the Los Angeles Rams capitalised on two fourth-quarter turnovers to emerge 38-28 victors in Phoenix.