As the NFL season moves on, injuries a plenty were handed out amongst the games this weekend. Not only that but the playoff landscape continued to change, as nobody has yet to fully secure a certain position. After multiple divisional matchups and a Super Bowl rematch for the ages, another exciting week is in the books.
Here is everything that went down during week eleven of the NFL:
Thursday Night Football
Cincinnati Bengals 20 – Baltimore Ravens 34
Neither team displayed a turnover in the second matchup between these AFC North powerhouses this season. The Ravens completed the season sweep in maintaining a lead over the Bengals throughout the entire game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson completed two touchdown passes and 264 passing yards for Baltimore while running back Gus Edwards earned two rushing touchdowns. Joe Burrow tossed a first quarter touchdown for the Bengals but was unable to complete the game after leaving with a torn ligament in his wrist. He will miss the remainder of the season.
His replacement, Jake Browning, did toss a touchdown late in the game, but his team was still down 14 points with a minute remaining. Meanwhile, Ravens’ tight end Mark Andrews will miss the rest of the season due to an ankle injury. The Bengals were only able to convert two third downs hurting their chances of progressing towards the end zone. They drop to last place in the division as Browning will likely start next week against Pittsburgh. With their victory, the Ravens are now the top team in the AFC.
Sunday
Dallas Cowboys 33 – Carolina Panthers 10
The Cowboys earned their largest win over the Panthers in history after scoring 16 points during the final quarter. They also held Carolina to only 13 first downs while completing 10 more than their opponents. The Panthers were also hurt by 90 penalty yards across the eight flags shown. Their quarterback Bryce Young tossed a touchdown in the third quarter, but an interception in the final frame. That pass turned into a Cowboys’ touchdown for cornerback DaRon Bland who leads the league in intercepted touchdowns.
Young also fumbled the ball late, which the Cowboys later turned into a field goal. Their kicker Brandon Aubrey missed an extra point, but made both of his field goal attempts. Dak Prescott tossed two touchdowns for Dallas, as his team earned almost 130 more passing yards than Carolina. The Panthers continue their stint as last place in the league, only helping the Chicago Bears earn next year’s number one draft pick even more. They will look for another win next week during their trip to Tennessee.
Pittsburgh Steelers 10 – Cleveland Browns 13
After losing to the Steelers back in September, the Browns earned redemption in their third win straight. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson earned his first NFL career win despite tossing a third quarter interception. His interception was the only turnover of the game, but his team held Pittsburgh to only 12 first downs. The Steelers finished the game with 77 passing yards while quarterback Kenny Pickett was unable to throw a touchdown. The running backs shined as Jaylen Warren completed a rushing touchdown for Pittsburgh while Jerome Ford earned one for Cleveland.
The game was put away by Cleveland kicker Dustin Hopkins who scored his second field goal of the game with two seconds remaining. The Steelers had their chances of scoring hurt by completing only three third downs and earning 46 penalty yards across six flags. Smith will return next week after quarterback Deshaun Watson’s season is officially over for the Browns. He will look for victory number two against the Denver Broncos.
Chicago Bears 26 – Detroit Lions 31
The Lions scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes against the Bears, earning their third straight victory over Chicago. They seemed to pull a rabbit out of the hat after conceding four turnovers earlier in the game. Quarterback Jared Goff tossed three interceptions, but his late heroics included a touchdown pass and completing a two point conversion. The Bears also fumbled the ball in the second quarter, which led to a Detroit touchdown drive. Quarterback Justin Fields returned and threw a touchdown while his team completed more first downs than Detroit.
Chicago also held the ball for two thirds of the game, but seemed to fall apart during the most important minutes of it. Lions’ running back David Montgomery scored the game winning touchdown while his team earned a safety in the final seconds, securing the victory. Detroit currently holds its best record in 61 years with its first 8-2 start since 1962. It will look to defeat Green Bay next week and possibly claim the top spot in the NFC.
Los Angeles Chargers 20 – Green Bay Packers 23
In nine meetings between these two sides, the Packers have only lost once. They continued their dominance over the Chargers this weekend in a game that was secured with less than three minutes remaining. An even battle throughout, a fumble by Chargers’ running back Austin Ekeler seemed to be the only thing separating the sides. Ekeler’s fumble was the only turnover of the game. Both quarterbacks tossed two touchdowns, converted seven third downs, and failed to complete a fourth down attempt.
Green Bay ended the game with 397 total yards, while Los Angeles sat right behind it with 394. The Chargers had two more drives in the last two minutes in which they failed to score on either. With their second loss in a row, they continued to repeat the same win loss pattern they have all season and drop to 4-6. If that pattern remains, they will have a good chance of defeating the Ravens next weekend.
Arizona Cardinals 16 – Houston Texans 21
Both teams failed to score during the final quarter of this matchup in a game filled with turnovers. Texans’ quarterback CJ Stroud tossed two touchdowns and 336 yards, but his performance was hurt by three interceptions. Two of them were in the fourth quarter, as Stroud tossed more interceptions this game than he had all season. Cardinals’ cornerback Antonio Hamilton was injured in the process of catching Stroud’s third interception.
Quarterback Kyler Murray threw a touchdown and interception for Arizona throughout his second game back in almost a year. His team failed to convert three fourth downs while only completing three third downs. Arizona was also penalized five times and lost 50 yards in the process. Running back Devin Singletary was a standout player for his Houston side, earning 112 yards and a rushing touchdown. These sides have only played six times in history dating back to 2005, and a Houston victory splits them at 3-3.
Tennessee Titans 14 – Jacksonville Jaguars 34
Safe to safe the Jaguars were upset about losing last weekend after five straight victories. They held their opponents to only 12 first downs while completing twice as many. Titans’ quarterback Will Levis completed his team’s scoring, finding receiver Deandre Hopkins and defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons in the end zone. Levis fumbled the ball in the first quarter, while his passing feats were not completed until the second half.
Trevor Lawrence looked unstoppable for the Jaguars, as he scored four touchdowns. He tossed for 262 yards and split his four touchdowns evenly between passing and rushing. The Titans only completed two third down conversions, while Jacksonville achieved three fourth down attempts. It also held the ball for nearly 40 minutes, and has defeated Tennessee three times straight. The Jaguars will look to stay atop their division in defeating the Texans next week, who are sniffing their tales for the top spot.
Las Vegas Raiders 13 – Miami Dolphins 20
Six turnovers occurred between these two sides, with each suffering from three. The Dolphins only managed three third down conversions, while the Raiders were not much better with four. Neither side converted a fourth down. Las Vegas earned only 12 first downs as its quarterback Aidan O’Connell tossed a touchdown but three interceptions to go with it. The Raiders were unable to score in the second half, as all three of O’Connell’s interceptions happened, with the last one coming on their final drive.
Meanwhile, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa fumbled the ball on his first drive, and tossed an interception on the first drive of the second half. He completed two touchdown passes, both in the first half. The only second half scoring was done by Miami kicker Jason Sanders who scored two of his three field goal attempts. Dolphins’ rookie running back De’von Achane exited the game with a knee injury only one day after being taken off injured reserve. He will likely miss next week’s game for Miami against the Jets.
New York Giants 31 – Washington Commanders 19
This matchup had as many turnovers as the last game, the only difference being all of them were committed by one side. Despite achieving 28 first downs and only allowing 13 to their opponents, the Washington Commanders had a season high six turnovers. Their quarterback Sam Howell had three interceptions, the last of which was returned for a touchdown. Washington was building a potential game tying final drive until the crucial play occurred. Along with the three interceptions were three fumbles for the Commanders, one of which the Giants turned into a touchdown five plays later.
Tommy DeVito played his best game for New York, tossing three touchdown passes and 246 yards. Turnovers appeared to make the difference, as New York also earned 45 penalty yards to Washington’s singular five yard penalty. Each team also converted five third downs while the Giants failed to complete a fourth down. New York has swept Washington for the first time since 2020; however, still remains last in the NFC East. It will take on the Patriots in week twelve with the hopes of moving out of that position.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14 – San Francisco 49ers 27
It has been five years since the 49ers have lost to the Buccaneers as they proudly kept the winning tradition alive this past weekend. After losing three games straight earlier this season, they have two wins in a row since their bye week. The time they had to regroup is still paying off, as 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy heaved three touchdown passes. He also completed 21 of 25 attempts, one of which was his longest pass of the season at 76 yards. Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk played remarkably for San Francisco, catching a touchdown and earning 156 receiving yards across only five receptions.
As for Tampa Bay, its quarterback Baker Mayfield tossed a touchdown but threw an interception midway through the final quarter. This drive could have brought his side back into the game but unfortunately ended with heartbreak. Mayfield also fumbled the ball at the start of the second quarter. He was responsible for the only two turnovers of the game. Both sides earned 22 first downs, but San Francisco achieved just over 130 more total offensive yards. For the 49ers, their safety Talanoa Hufanga was ruled out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL. His first missed game will be against the Seahawks next week, who San Francisco has defeated three times straight.
New York Jets 6 – Buffalo Bills 32
Once again, the Bills did not take losing the week before lightly. They creamed the Jets in their largest victory since week four. Jets’ wide receiver Xavier Gipson fumbled the ball during the first drive of the game on the first of four turnovers for New York. Quarterback Zac Wilson threw an interception later in the half while quarterback Tim Boyle tossed one on New York’s final drive. The Jets did not complete a single third down, failing to convert 11 times. However, they did convert four of their five fourth downs, but only earned 13 first downs and 155 total yards.
Josh Allen threw an interception on the Bills’ final drive of the first half but completed three passing touchdowns throughout. He was only sacked one time while his team earned 393 total yards and five third down conversions. Kicker Tyler Bass also had a stellar day for the Bills, completing all four field goal attempts taken and two of his three extra points. The Bills move back to a winning record and remain second place in the AFC East, while the Jets stay in third. Buffalo is faced with the tough task of taking on the best team in the league next weekend, the Eagles.
Seattle Seahawks 16 – Los Angeles Rams 17
Failing to score in the fourth quarter resulted in doom for the Seattle Seahawks as the Rams found a way to claim victory in the later stages of this matchup. Los Angeles got on the board during their final drive of the first half with quarterback Matthew Stafford finding rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua in the end zone. Nacua led his team throughout with 70 total receiving yards. That was Stafford’s only touchdown pass of the game, as he threw an interception early in the final quarter. Running back Darrell Henderson scored a rushing touchdown later on, while Rams’ kicker Lucas Havrisik gave his team the lead with his only field goal of the game.
As for the Seahawks, they completed both fourth down attempts at hand but only reached the end zone on their first drive of the game. Quarterback Geno Smith tossed that touchdown while earning 233 passing yards throughout the game. Seattle kicker Jason Myers scored his first three field goals of the game but missed his crucial last attempt with eight seconds remaining. Seattle failing to score allowed the Rams to achieve the come from behind victory. The Rams will look to win two games in a row for the first time this season during their trip to Arizona next weekend.
Minnesota Vikings 20 – Denver Broncos 21
Winning four in a row is surely enough to get your team back in the playoff picture right? That is what Broncos fans are hoping, as they look to be on a tear as of recent. They trailed by 11 points entering the final quarter; however, an interception by Vikings’ quarterback Joshua Dobbs seemed to give them a proper amount of momentum. Along with the interception, Dobbs finished the game with a touchdown and 231 passing yards but fumbled on the first drive of the game.
Meanwhile, Broncos’ quarterback Russell Wilson was near flawless, throwing a touchdown and completing 27 of 35 attempts. Denver only had 13 first downs to their opponents 19, and only held the ball 25 minutes. Despite completing six third downs and three fourth downs, three turnovers hurt Minnesota’s offense. The Broncos now have their first even record of the season and could be one win away from a playoff spot. They leap to second place in the AFC West, but have yet to make the playoffs since their Super Bowl victory in 2016.
Monday Night Football
Philadelphia Eagles 21 – Kansas City Chiefs 17
The Super Bowl rematch NFL viewers were waiting for failed to disappoint, as it remained a nail biter throughout. The Chiefs led by ten points before allowing the Eagles to score two second half touchdowns. Each quarterback tossed an interception in the second quarter, while wide receiver Travis Kelce fumbled the ball in the final quarter for Kansas City. The Chiefs failed to score in the fourth quarter for the third game in a row. Their closest effort was a potential game winning catch for wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling with just over three minutes remaining. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts failed to toss a touchdown, but found the end zone with two rushing touchdowns.
Running back D’Andre Swift also scored a rushing touchdown for Philadelphia despite his team totaling less rushing yards than its opponents. Kansas City finished the game with 168 rushing yards and 336 total yards, while those numbers for Philadelphia looked like 124 rushing yards and 238 total yards. Despite losing, the Chiefs converted eight third downs to the Eagles measly three. On top of earning more yards, they also held the ball longer. With a loss, the Chiefs drop to second in the AFC Conference, losing their guaranteed top spot to the Ravens. They will try to earn it back next week while playing the Raiders.
Teams on Bye:
- Atlanta Falcons
- New Orleans Saints
- Indianapolis Colts
- New England Patriots
