NFL Week Eleven storylines to follow
The Kansas City Chiefs had a flawless game-winning drive in Las Vegas as they pick up another road victory this season. The Raiders played a very good game on Sunday night and are a team that still deserves our attention. It is something I have been mentioning for weeks and hopefully, after Sunday you see the same thing. Derek Carr played a great game too aside from his game-ending interception. It’s a real possibility that these two teams meet again in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay falls once again after a disappointing performance by Tom Brady. He is the GOAT but the man is struggling this season. Brady is missing the deep shots to his receivers and looks out of sorts at times. In the last three games, Brady has thrown five interceptions and five touchdowns. That is not something you really want to see from your starting quarterback, especially when Jameis Winston was there a year ago.
Another week, another loss for the Baltimore Ravens and Lamar Jackson. They are missing their two interior defensive linemen in Brandon Williams and Calais Campbell and it’s noticeable as the Ravens defense could not slow down the run game on Sunday. They are set to play the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday but they have now shut down their facility due to multiple positive COVID-19 tests. J.K. Dobbins and Mark Ingram were added to the COVID-19 list too so now they are missing their top two running backs. This is not looking good for the Ravens as they are currently the third-best team in the AFC North.
The Indianapolis Colts have proved to be a second-half team in the last two weeks. This defense is the real deal as they forced three turnovers on Sunday to help them get the win in overtime over the Green Bay Packers. They will get another opportunity to prove how good they are as they play the Tennessee Titans next week. Keep your eye on this team moving forward.
NFC West – The Los Angeles Rams are now leading this division after picking up a big win on Monday night. The Seattle Seahawks have been struggling the last couple of weeks but just beat the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. This division is going to come down to the wire once again this year but the only difference is that the San Francisco 49ers being out of contention. The NFC Playoffs could very well have three teams from the NFC West.
NFC East – LOL this division is awful. The Philadelphia Eagles only lead because of a tie they had earlier in the season. There are three teams that have a 3-7 record and they have all only won three games. Shocking right? It’s a toss-up for who wins this division and honestly one of them is going to do it with only six wins.
BOLD STATEMENTS
This isn’t that bold right now but Patrick Mahomes is the MVP this season. His comeback drive against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night sealed the deal. He continues to make impressive plays and throws week after week. The man can’t be stopped this season and it looks like the Chiefs are going to run it back.
A couple of weeks ago I said that the Baltimore Ravens could possibly lose the next four out of five games after sneaking by the Eagles. We are about to see that come true in a couple of days as they are playing the undefeated Steelers in Pittsburgh. The Ravens could very well miss the NFL playoffs this year. It’s amazing how different the NFL is from week to week and year to year.
When the time comes the Cleveland Browns should move on from Baker Mayfield and keep Nick Chubb. This offense runs through the running game with Chubb and Kareem Hunt and when that isn’t working the offense is not the same. The throws that Baker does make can be made by every other NFL quarterback. Probably not the right time to bring this up as the Browns are 7-3 and sitting in second place in the AFC North, but Baker isn’t the one making the difference in their wins.
Below are my NFL Power Rankings after Week Eleven.
32. NEW YORK JETS (0-10) — LAST WEEK 32
It was a close one, but the Jets are going to Jet. Serious question here, do they win a game this season?
31. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-9) — LAST WEEK 31
The Jaguars honestly didn’t stand a chance this week against the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are just praying that the New York Jets mess this thing up and win a game.
30. CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-7-1) — LAST WEEK 28
You never want to see a player go down with an ACL injury, especially when he is your starting quarterback and the number one pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. The Bengals season is now over and the bad offensive line play has led to this. They will be taking an offensive lineman in the first round.
29. DALLAS COWBOYS (3-7) — LAST WEEK 30
Andy Dalton is back and the Cowboys are still in the race for the NFC East. CeeDee Lamb had an amazing touchdown reception but Amari Cooper led the way for the Cowboys. It was also nice to see Ezekiel Elliot make an impact this week for the boys.
28. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (3-7) — LAST WEEK 29
It was a well-balanced win for the Washington Football Team this week as they have now put themselves in a position to win the NFC East. LOL.
27. ATLANTA FALCONS (3-7) — LAST WEEK 21
The Atlanta Falcons defense stinks. The Falcons are going to be looking for defensive help in the NFL Draft next season. Might as well dedicate this entire draft to the defense. (Notice how many times I said defense)
26. NEW YORK GIANTS (3-7) — LAST WEEK 28
On a Bye. It will not change their place in rankings.
25. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-6-1) — LAST WEEK 22
They are still in first place in the NFC East — with six losses. It is sad how bad this division is this season. It was raining hard in Cleveland on Sunday so turnovers can be expected but Carson Wentz’s mental mistakes are killing them. The Eagles need to figure it out soon.
24. HOUSTON TEXANS (3-7) — LAST WEEK 27
Deshaun Watson gets the job done for the Texans as they pick up another win this week. At this point, wins are just for pride because they are out of playoff contention.
23. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (4-6) — LAST WEEK 25
Cam Newton had over 350 passing yards and the Patriots still lost. They are a week-to-week type of team this season and it’s not something we are used to seeing from them. Next week does not get any easier as they face the Arizona Cardinals, which means they will probably find a way to win.
22. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (3-6) — LAST WEEK 24
Justin Herbert is a lock for Rookie of the year now. The kid is showing every week that he has what it takes to lead this franchise. The Chargers have got to be better on defense moving forward though if they want to compete in the AFC West.
21. DETROIT LIONS (4-6) — LAST WEEK 19
The Detroit Lions cannot stay healthy this season. Kenny Golladay missing another week along with Deandre Swift being out was not good news for this offense going into Carolina. The Lions defense did not do much either on Sunday as the Panthers did whatever they wanted to on offense. They are still in the playoff race though!
20. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-6) — LAST WEEK 20
On a Bye. It will not change their place in rankings.
19. DENVER BRONCOS (4-6) — LAST WEEK 23
The Denver Broncos surprised a lot of people by beating the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. The rest of the season is going to be difficult for the Broncos, so for them to pick up a win this week is huge. Sadly, they might not win another game this year.
18. CHICAGO BEARS (5-5) — LAST WEEK 18
On a Bye. It will not change their place in rankings.
17. CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-7) — LAST WEEK 17
Carolina played a beat-up Detroit Lions team on Sunday, but the offense remained efficient without Teddy Bridgewater. The Panthers might not make the playoffs this season, but the future is bright.
16. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-6) — LAST WEEK 16
The winning streak is over for the Vikings as their defense failed to stop the Dallas Cowboys late. They could have a shot at the playoffs if they can find a way to place second in their division because the Chicago Bears are falling apart.
15. MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-4) — LAST WEEK 13
The Miami Dolphins have been rolling lately but that came to end on Sunday. They play the New York Jets next so they should be fine and back to their winning ways next week.
14. BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-4) — LAST WEEK 7
The Baltimore Ravens defense is struggling without Brandon Williams and Calais Campbell. The offense wasn’t fully responsible for this week’s loss but if they are playing another run-heavy team, they have got to find ways to score quickly because they are not winning these types of matchups.
13. CLEVELAND BROWNS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 15
The combination of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt is deadly as the Browns find themselves at 7-3. The Browns will have an opportunity in a couple of weeks to prove they are the real deal as they will face the Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens.
12. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-4) — LAST WEEK 5
It was a close game for the Bucs on Monday night but the turnovers by Tom Brady turned out to be the difference this week. Brady has been struggling this season and it’s cost Tampa some games. They need to figure it out quickly because next week Kansas City is coming to town.
11. ARIZONA CARDINALS (6-4) — LAST WEEK 6
The Cardinals fell just short on Thursday night as the Seattle Seahawks pass rush was able to get home. Kyler Murry and the Cardinals are still in the race for the NFC West, but they must win out if they want to host a playoff game.
10. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (6-4) — LAST WEEK 10
The Raiders’ offense kept the Kansas City Chiefs defenses on edge and Derek Carr continues to shine. He did have an interception that ended the game but aside from that, he played very well. The Raiders are building something nice in Las Vegas and they deserve to still be in the Top 10.
9. BUFFALO BILLS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 9
On a bye. It will not change their place in rankings.
8. TENNESSEE TITANS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 14
Nobody wants to tackle Derrick Henry late in games and honestly I don’t blame them. The man is unstoppable at times as he had the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The Titans pick up a huge win over the Baltimore Ravens and now face the Indianapolis Colts once again next week.
7. GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 4
The Green Bay Packers and Aaron Rodgers almost did it again on Sunday with a comeback victory. Turnovers will lose you ball games and that’s exactly what happened to the Packers in overtime. They still sit in complete control of their division so no need to panic after this loss.
6. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 12
Oh buddy would you look at that! The Colts defense comes up huge for them in overtime right after Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers down the field to tie it up in regulation. The Colts are not messing around this season and could very well be hosting a playoff game this year.
5. LOS ANGELES RAMS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 11
The Los Angeles Rams offense was clicking on Monday night as Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods had themselves a night. It was a complete game for the Rams because the defense was getting pressure and creating turnovers. If they can keep up this type of play — lookout.
4. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (7-3) — LAST WEEK 8
Seattle picked up a big win on Thursday night and remain undefeated at home this season. They now sit in second place in the NFC West after the Los Angeles Rams win on Monday night. The Seahawks are in a tight race for the West this season again.
3. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (8-2) — LAST WEEK 3
The Saints take care of business with Taysom Hill leading the way as they beat the Atlanta Falcons. They will have to keep up this style of play for a couple more weeks as Drew Brees recovers from his 11 cracked ribs and collapsed lung.
2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-1) — LAST WEEK 2
It was another close game for the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night as the pass rush was not able to get to Derek Carr. Thankfully the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes leading the way and Andy Ried at head coach. Also, it appears that the rivalry between the Chiefs and Raiders is back as they split matchups this season.
1. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (10-0) — LAST WEEK 1
They played the Jacksonville Jaguars.