Sports FOX Sports actions’ NFL experts provide the ideal takeaways from every Sunday recreation in Week 11 and what they indicate for every team going forward.
Chiefs : The undefeated season is over, and I have that’s a trusty thing. Detect at the 2007 Patriots to illustrate. They infamously lost the Powerful Bowl after having a aim on their aid arrive the stop of the regular season and getting fully no leisure. The worst teams within the NFL had been playing brilliantly against the Patriots, because of the no person wanted New England to switch undefeated. It used to be a brutal bolt for the Patriots, and it looked to fatigue the team — correct struggling with tooth and nail for every score. That can absorb been the vicious road for Kansas Metropolis. I would poke to date as to converse that this if truth be told makes their Powerful Bowl odds better. The intellectual and bodily grind for perfection is over. Now they’ll point of interest on the prize that if truth be told issues: the three-peat.
Payments : What a gorgeous stop from Josh Allen. What a gorgeous recreation from Buffalo. … But? But! In the Allen and Patrick Mahomes period, the Payments are now 4-1 against the Chiefs within the regular season. But in that same time span, the Chiefs are 3-1 against the Payments within the postseason. I’d wager Allen would trade all his regular-season wins for every other postseason victory. Buffalo wants a Powerful Bowl title. That is all it has ever wanted. But I’d be appealing to wager that the road to the Powerful Bowl goes through Kansas Metropolis again this season. That suggests that this score is nice for the Payments. It’s magnificent. Nonetheless or no longer it’s also perchance the setup for the postseason, which is where Allen composed must gain up ground on this opponents. — Henry McKenna
Packers : Jordan Fancy has had his issues with turnovers in 2024, nonetheless Sunday used to be an example of what he can lift out to build a team on his aid and pull out a shut score. His 60-yard poke to Christian Watson slack within the recreation used to be more on the receiver, who made a diving gain and bought aid as a lot as bolt for large yardage, nonetheless Fancy adopted with two scrambles for the poke-ahead touchdown. He carried out 13-for-17 for 261 yards with one score passing and the recreation-winner speeding, and more importantly, survived two pink-zone turnovers. The Packers are composed correct third of their division, nonetheless a shut score retains them in trusty form for a wild card and to divulge off effort in January, somewhere on the road within the playoffs.
Bears : Such a trusty debut for contemporary Bears offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, stepping in for the fired Shane Waldron and rising with a recreation understanding to build the Bears in space to pull off the dwelling upset and presents Chicago its first score over Inexperienced Bay since 2018. A blocked field aim as time expired inferior that, nonetheless the offense took a enormous step forward. The Bears no doubt let Caleb Williams utilize his legs more — 60 yards speeding within the first half of, plus safe passes that led to a excessive completion fee and no turnovers. Chicago had averaged 9 aspects per recreation within the previous three video games, so 19 aspects is a relative explosion. The inability to shut out a enormous score shows a elevated insist that persists for Matt Eberflus’ team, nonetheless the offense took a step within the trusty direction, even in a loss Sunday. — Greg Auman
Tom Brady breaks down Packers’ final-second score over Bears Rams : L.A. is handiest a contender when Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua are on the field collectively. The Rams had hundreds of success against New England on the bottom, and that made life a entire bunch simpler for Matthew Stafford, nonetheless the tip two receivers had been the finishers. They mixed for 229 yards and three touchdowns. It’s this form of special tandem and they’re conserving Stafford young. Now, I do know what you are pondering: How can you watched that a score over the Patriots potential something else about playoff contention? Well, I have the point stands. If the Rams need both guys performing at a excessive degree to eke by the Patriots, they’ll clearly need those two WRs to eke by the juggernauts of the NFC.
Matthew Stafford hyperlinks up with Cooper Kupp for a 69-yard TD Patriots : There used to be so unprecedented (pointless) hoopla after coach Jerod Mayo called this defense silent a pair of weeks within the past. But I have he can safely say it again. And if he can even simply no longer, I will say it: The Patriots defense is silent. When Mayo acknowledged it, it lifted the unit’s ferocity. But on Sunday, the defense regressed to what it is: unimpressive. That is the frightening segment. The D had security Kyle Dugger and defensive take care of Christian Barmore aid within the lineup. The Patriots also added edge Yannick Ngakoue. They can absorb to be on the upswing. And yet they’re no longer. All of us knew the offense would rob time to rebuild, nonetheless the defense might well need as unprecedented attention because the offense. And that’s perchance frustrating for Patriots followers to hear. Because New England looked to absorb already purchased trusty defensive objects in space. If this unit is no longer talented enough, then you no doubt can even tack on even more time for this rebuild. — Henry McKenna
Browns : This would absorb been a fun revenge recreation for Jameis Winston, going up against the Saints with a probability to beat his normal team. To his credit, Winston avoided turnovers despite a ton of throws, nonetheless his defense let him down because the Saints pulled some distance from a 14-14 tie to a 28-14 score. Winston threw for 395 yards and two touchdowns with out a interceptions — arguably his handiest recreation since his days with the Bucs — on the other hand it wasn’t enough to preserve Cleveland within the recreation. The Browns tumble to 2-8, struggling no topic who’s at quarterback.
Saints : Credit score to New Orleans for realizing inventive techniques to gain Taysom Hill a playmaker in an offense depleted of its handiest weapons. Hill broke a 14-14 tie with a 33-yard touchdown bolt out of a correct away snap, and his 75-yarder build the recreation away slack. His general numbers had been fundamental Taysom — seven carries for 138 yards and three scores and each other eight catches for 50 yards. An interception used to be costly, nonetheless New Orleans has bounced aid for 2 straight wins beneath intervening time coach Darren Rizzi, and the utilize of Hill all the intention in which through the field used to be a enormous segment of the score. — Greg Auman
Raiders : Tight stop Brock Bowers stays one in every of the few understanding spots in a lost season for the Raiders. On Sunday, the rookie out of Georgia carried out with 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown — his first 100-yard recreation as a talented and basically the most single-recreation catches by a rookie tight consequence in league history. Bowers has more than justified his first-spherical need. In the team’s first recreation with contemporary offensive coordinator Scott Turner, the Raiders looked more like what head coach Antonio Pierce envisioned before everything of the year — a ball-regulate offense that takes care of the football. Nonetheless, the defense — Pierce’s strong point — used to be every other topic. The Raiders had a head-scratching protection bust that led to a recreation-sealing, 57-yard touchdown reception to extensive-open tight stop Jonnu Smith. With Las Vegas the losers of six straight, Pierce’s seat is getting warmer.
Dolphins : Don’t count Miami out of the playoffs correct yet. With quarterback Tua Tagovailoa aid, the Dolphins are utilizing a two-recreation profitable shuffle after manhandling the Raiders in a recreation Miami never trailed. The Dolphins are playing unprecedented better football heading down the backstretch of the season. Tagovailoa has been the catalyst, throwing for six touchdowns and correct one interception over the last three video games after sitting out since Week 2 attributable to a concussion. Along with the return of Tagovailoa, Miami’s defense has stepped up, conserving opponents to 21 aspects a contest over the last three video games. If Tagovailoa and the defense preserve playing at this consistent degree, the 4-6 Dolphins absorb a probability to gain some noise over the following two months. — Eric D. Williams
Jaguars : The Jaguars absorb given up on Doug Pederson and they’ve given up on this season. Nobody anticipated them to beat the Lions in Detroit, nonetheless to gain humiliated to this extent — permitting 52 aspects and 644 yards of offense — appears to be like to be to be like unsuitable on paper. For Jacksonville to respond rampant speculation of Pederson’s drawing shut firing by suffering its largest margin of defeat in franchise history (46 aspects) tells you everything or no longer you should to hold about morale on the team. Proprietor Shad Khan need to don’t absorb any moderately hundreds of need nonetheless to segment techniques as soon as imaginable with Pederson and normal supervisor Trent Baalke, whose four years as corpulent-time normal supervisor has produced correct one playoff look. Pederson and Baalke, collectively, absorb failed one in every of basically the most talented teams in franchise history. A melancholy shadow will flit over the organization till Khan within the wreck cuts the cord.
Lions : The Lions might well legitimately absorb one in every of the ideal offenses of all time. A shellacking of the depressing Jaguars will absorb to be involved with a grain of salt, nonetheless two 50-point performances within the the same season isn’t very possible to ignore. They’ve scored fewer than 20 aspects correct once this season, which also says loads in a year all the intention in which through which scoring has been down across the board. Detroit has elite playcalling and superstar skill and depth at every space on offense, so when Jared Goff is on — he answered to a 5-interception efficiency final week with 400 yards passing, four touchdowns and a most attention-grabbing 158.3 passer score on Sunday — the ideal team that might cease the Lions offensively is itself. So whereas the Lions continue to grapple with mounting injuries on defense — initiating linebacker Alex Anzalone broke his forearm against Jacksonville — the offense retains Detroit within the Powerful Bowl conversation. — Ben Arthur
Vikings : The Sam Darnold who performed against the Titans is more indicative of who he’s at this point in his career — no longer the turnover-inclined quarterback of the previous two weeks. He carried out 62.5% of his passes for 246 yards and two touchdowns within the victory over Tennessee. He used to be credited with a lost fumble on a pitch, on the other hand it looked as if it’d be more the fault of running aid Aaron Jones. Whereas many league observers speculated that Minnesota might well lean more closely on its bolt recreation, Kevin O’Connell persisted to expose faith Darnold’s arm on Sunday against a trusty defense. The Vikings had shut to a 50-50 split on running vs. throwing plays (33 runs, 32 passes), which means that they behold their QB as more than a recreation supervisor. That is the Darnold Minnesota will lean on down the stretch. What that implies for the team’s final destiny, that stays to be seen.
Titans : The Titans isn’t provided on ending the Will Levis experiment this offseason correct yet. The progress that Brian Callahan has been banking on is initiating to expose itself. Levis’ 98-yard touchdown poke highlighted a efficiency all the intention in which through which he threw for a season-excessive 295 yards. He has correct one turnover within the previous two weeks. He’s making better decisions with the football general. His connection with Calvin Ridley, Tennessee’s main receiver, is rising too. Levis composed has a prolonged components to switch to fully dispel the Titans’ capability pursuit of a brand contemporary quarterback in 2025 — his tendency to preserve the ball too prolonged doesn’t wait on an already beneath-common poke conserving offensive line — nonetheless he’s shown enough to where the team can initiating to feel inspired, which is all you would also inquire for with seven weeks left within the season. — Ben Arthur
Ravens : They’ve the ideal speeding offense within the NFL and basically the most deadly 1-2 punch in Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, yet for some aim they preserve forgetting that all through some video games. In a recreation the Ravens never trailed by more than a touchdown, they by some potential called 35 poke plays and 19 runs. That is crazy, even earlier than you gain to the segment where Henry (65 yards on correct 13 carries) used to be averaging 5 yards per bolt and Jackson (46 yards on four carries) used to be averaging 11.5. The bolt used to be working. It’s their energy. But they took to the air anyway. Which might no longer be what mark them this recreation, on the other hand it is something to take into accout because of the getting some distance from the bolt is what mark them the AFC Championship Game final year.
Steelers : No topic their huge first half of of the season, the Steelers are no longer progressively on the checklist of the ideal teams within the AFC, nonetheless perchance or no longer it’s time for that to exchange. After what they did to the Ravens on Sunday, or no longer it’s sure they’ve a defense trusty enough to wait on them beat any team within the league. They held the Ravens to correct 323 yards — their lowest total of the season. As well they forced three turnovers. Yeah, issues can even simply need been moderately hundreds of if Justin Tucker hadn’t neglected field goals of 47 and 50 yards. But the Steelers by some potential saved both Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson in verify, which no longer hundreds of teams absorb the ability to preserve out. In the occasion that they’ll lift out that to those two, no person will look unstoppable to them. — Ralph Vacchiano
Colts : Sitting out and searching at Joe Flacco the previous two weeks obvious looked prefer it did Anthony Richardson hundreds of trusty. He had his finest recreation of the season on Sunday against a in most cases tricky defense. Most seriously, he frivolously led two excellent, 70-yard touchdown drives within the fourth quarter. The final one, which led to his touchdown bolt with 46 seconds final, used to be a thing of elegance that integrated a 39-yard strike to Alec Pierce. Ricjardson performed with poise and basically stayed out of effort (one interception) and confirmed off his enormous arm when it used to be wanted. He’s constantly had the skill to be one in every of basically the most deadly two-components quarterbacks within the league. On Sunday, he confirmed that the comfort of the equipment is coming along, too.
Jets : Aaron Rodgers is a gigantic insist for the Jets, nonetheless a larger one for them is this: What the heck has took place to their defense? The Colts, with an erratic second-year quarterback, marched down the field for touchdowns on the Jets twice within the fourth quarter like the defense wasn’t even there. That is a unit that ranked within the tip 5 every of the previous two seasons and used to be by some potential composed ranked seventh heading into this recreation. Final week the Jets had been torched for 31 aspects and 406 yards by the Cardinals, and they observe that by having no solutions for Anthony Richardson? Robert Saleh used to be a heck of a defensive coach and he used to be fired. Jeff Ulbrich used to be his defensive coordinator and now he’s the intervening time coach. Perchance it isn’t frightening that the defense appears to be like to be to be like directionless for the time being. — Ralph Vacchiano
Falcons : The Falcons might well be on the short tune to profitable the NFC South, nonetheless they’re shaping as a lot as be a pretender arrive playoff time. They’ve scored fewer aspects than the previous week in three straight video games. They’ve scored fewer than 20 aspects in three of their previous 5 video games. Kirk Cousins has zero passing touchdowns in aid-to-aid contests. Atlanta has too unprecedented skill on that aspect of the ball to be having a look so out of sync in November. It will likely be concerning how the Falcons absorb been losing as of slack. They’re 2-3 of their previous 5 video games — with two of those losses coming by a minimal of 20 aspects, and the third coming to a heinous division rival within the Saints. This more or less regression makes the Falcons appear to be a team that might be going dwelling early in January.
Broncos : Bo Nix is the NFL’s handiest rookie quarterback no longer named Jayden Daniels. Nix had the ideal recreation of his career up to now against Atlanta, finishing a season-excessive 84.8% of his passes for a season-excessive four touchdowns with out a interceptions. He’s had a passer score above 115 in three of his previous four video games, exhibiting how efficient he’s playing. Over the previous month, there are very few quarterbacks within the league playing more excellent football than the light Oregon superstar. He’s conserving the ball (correct one turnover within the final four video games), making fleet decisions, finishing excessive-share throws, and fending off sacks — all of which is able to be laborious for young quarterbacks to preserve out consistently. Nix’s contemporary play, plus a rising defense, should always composed preserve Denver within the motive force’s seat for a wild-card berth. — Ben Arthur
Bo Nix finds Lil’Jordan Humphrey for a 41-yard TD to expand Broncos’ lead Seahawks : Geno Smith within the wreck conquered the 49ers, exorcizing some demons within the approach. The Seahawks had lost six straight video games to San Francisco (along with postseason). Nonetheless, Seattle earned a laborious-fought victory over its NFC West division opponents, the team’s first score over San Francisco in three years. Smith used to be the catalyst, main the Seahawks on an 11-play, 80-yard power that he capped with a 12-yard scramble for a touchdown with 12 seconds left. Seattle ended a two-recreation losing shuffle with the score, enhancing to 5-5 on the year and staying within the playoff conversation within the NFC. And Smith, who entered the recreation 0-5 against San Francisco, earned his first score as a starter over the 49ers. “I like when the ball’s in my hand at the stop of the recreation. What more can you inquire for,” Smith acknowledged.
49ers : Injuries might well derail San Francisco’s quest to gain aid to the Powerful Bowl with a roster that is talented nonetheless aging. In a slack-recreation loss to Seattle, the 49ers performed without two of the team’s handiest players attributable to anxiety and did no longer shut out a recreation again thanks to it. Tight stop George Kittle used to be indolent attributable to a hamstring anxiety, and defensive stop Cut Bosa left the recreation within the second half of after annoying a hip anxiety. All both might well lift out is look helplessly from the sideline as San Francisco blew a fourth-quarter lead for a third time this season. The loss snapped a two-recreation profitable shuffle and dropped San Francisco to 5-5 on the year. The 49ers looked invincible a year within the past because the tip team within the NFC. But this season, San Francisco has lost to every opponent within the NFC West. Injuries to frontline players and unhappy team chemistry might absorb the 49ers on the out of doors having a look in when the playoffs arrive. — Eric D. Williams
Bengals : A 21-point comeback within the second half of fell short as kicker Evan McPherson curved two kicks extensive left that would absorb given Cincinnati the profitable margin within the fourth quarter. McPherson’s errant makes an are attempting overshadowed every other spectacular efficiency by quarterback Joe Burrow, who carried out with 356 yards and three touchdowns. Now 4-7 heading into their bye week, the Bengals fine unprecedented need to score out to absorb a pragmatic shot of reaching the postseason, and their agenda entails two video games against the AFC North-main Steelers. A Bengals profitable shuffle would require more consistent play from their defense, which has given up 32.5 aspects per recreation over the last four contests.
Chargers : This used to be a recreation that in years previous the Bolts would absorb lost. Below Jim Harbaugh, on the other hand, they learned a components to preserve some distance from “Chargering.” After L.A. blew a enormous halftime lead, running aid J.K. Dobbins scored the profitable aspects on a 29-yard bolt with 18 seconds final, and security Derwin James sealed the score by knocking down Joe Burrow’s Hail Mary at the buzzer. In a fight between 2020 first-spherical quarterbacks, Justin Herbert lived as a lot as the second, throwing for virtually 300 yards and two scores, whereas running for 65 yards. Winners of 4 straight, the 7-3 Bolts absorb crept into the conversation of AFC contenders. Led by the tip scoring defense within the league, a trusty running recreation and a franchise QB who can shut out video games, the Chargers is regularly a deadly team on the road within the playoffs. — Eric D. Williams
The next writers contributed to this myth: Ben Arthur ( @benyarthur ); Greg Auman ( @gregauman ); Henry McKenna ( @McKennAnalysis ); Eric D. Williams ( @eric_d_williams ); Ralph Vacchiano ( @RalphVacchiano ).
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