It felt like Sunday in the NFL was going to be instructive as Week 11 served up two monumental clashes in the AFC. And while that proved to be the case to some degree as the Buffalo Bills defeated the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers out-fought the Baltimore Ravens, the picture is not complete.
Who thinks the Ravens and the Chiefs are about to disappear into obscurity? There is no way that is the case. Both clubs are going to have major says in how the AFC playoff race pans out, even though they were on the losing side of Sunday's big games.
I loved the way the Bills took control at the end of their contest with the Chiefs and decided that if they were going to lose, they were going to do so on their terms and they were going to go down swinging.
The game was perfectly poised with 2:27 remaining and Buffalo leading 23-21. With his team facing a fourth-and-two from the Chiefs' 26-yard line, Bills head coach Sean McDermott had a decision to make. Kick the field goal and Patrick Mahomes would have two minutes and change to lead a late touchdown drive for a team that had already won seven of its nine games this season by one score.
Or, you go for it and decide to put the ball in the hands of an offense that had averaged 36 points per game in four previous home contests this season; knowing failure would mean that Mahomes only needed a field goal to win it.
McDermott decided he wanted to take this game away from Mahomes with a totality and a certainty – and he called the perfect play to do just that. It was a designed pass for Josh Allen, but the free-wheeling, playmaking, often-bulldozing quarterback had most definitely been given an instruction to run for the vital yards if they were there.
And that's just what Allen did… and then some! He picked up the first down yardage but did a whole lot more as he bounced off Kansas City defenders on his way to a game-sealing 26-yard touchdown run that was one of the plays of the year so far. It was such a moment for the Bills and their quarterback that I could almost picture Superman's red cape flowing in the wind behind Allen as he ended another classic showdown with Mahomes in emphatic fashion.
As good as Buffalo's defense had played for large parts of Sunday evening, you don't want that game resting on them and with the ball in Mahomes' hands. McDermott played the situation perfectly and Allen delivered in the big moment, giving him four straight wins over the Chiefs in the regular season.
Of course, Mahomes has won their last three meetings in the playoffs and there was almost an acceptance from the Chiefs after the game; as if they were saying, 'Okay, you got that one, cool. We'll see you in January!'
But it was a significant win for the Bills and one which saw the Chiefs lose a game by more than one score for the first time since facing the Tennessee Titans on October 24, 2021. This was nice for Buffalo, but what they do in the playoffs is going to matter so much more; especially if Allen and Mahomes face off once again.
Who's Hot…
The Detroit Lions… With Kansas City losing in Buffalo, the Detroit Lions are now joint owners of the best record in the NFL at 9-1. But I believe Dan Campbell's Lions stand alone as the best team in football and it's not that close. If the Super Bowl was played this coming Sunday, I would expect the Lions to be heavy favourites. They were close to perfect once again on Sunday in a 52-6 thrashing of the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was a complete performance. The Lions racked up 645 offensive yards and did their damage through the air and on the ground. Jared Goff produced a perfect QB rating of 158.3 as he hit on 24 of 29 passes for 412 yards, four touchdowns and no picks. The dominance didn't end there. The Lions ran the football 43 times for 196 yards and three touchdowns. There are weapons everywhere you look, there is offensive creativity and there is a permanent hunger to find the end zone time after time, no matter what the scoreboard says. Dan Campbell has his team absolutely boiling hot and the only thing that can de-rail a Super Bowl challenge would be injuries and even some of those don't matter because this team has not missed a beat since Aidan Hutchinson broke his leg. On that note, linebacker Alex Anzalone was lost on Sunday to a broken arm and will be gone six to eight weeks. That was the only negative on an almost-perfect day.
The Rams' big three… The Los Angeles Rams evened up their record at 5-5 on the season with Sunday's 28-22 victory over the New England Patriots. In the wide-open NFC West, which does not feature a dominant team right now, why not the Rams? As long as the Rams have the three stars who powered their Week 11 win, they have a chance; even if other areas of their game are too inconsistent. Matthew Stafford threw for 295 yards and four touchdowns, while Puka Nacua (seven catches for 123 yards and one touchdown) and Cooper Kupp (six receptions for 106 yards and two scores) made play after big play. Injuries have prevented the Rams from having all three on the field for significant chunks of this and last season. If they can all stay healthy, it is a proven and dangerous trio and one that could yet lead a playoff charge for an otherwise-up and down team.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense… Heading into Week 11, Lamar Jackson boasted a QB rating of 123.2 – if that pace were maintained to the end of the regular season, that would be the highest mark in NFL history by quite some distance. But Lamar's numbers were about to come crashing down to earth because he posted a rating of just 66.1 in Sunday's loss to the Steelers, dropping his career record against Pittsburgh to 1-4. The struggles are real for Lamar when he faces Mike Tomlin's men. In a bruising encounter that conjured up images of legends of the past such as Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, the Steelers played some hard-nosed defense and made every single play the Ravens ran feel like a mini battle within a war. Lamar did manage to throw a late touchdown pass to Zay Flowers with 1:06 remaining, but I didn't like the play call on the failed two-point attempt. Where Buffalo gave Allen two options to win the game, Baltimore gave Jackson just one to tie things up against the Steelers. It was a designed run to the left which was quickly bottled up and then there was no passing option. Lamar was running the wrong way and just heaved the ball in the direction of his offensive linemen. Game over! I would rather see Lamar roll to his right there and have two options… a quick read for a throw and then run it in if you have to. It was very well played by the Steelers, but not the best of play calls from the Ravens.
Who's Not…
The Atlanta Falcons… These Falcons are hard to figure out. Early in the season, they had some real struggles on offense. Then they got things rolling for a few weeks, particularly in key wins over Tampa Bay. And now it feels like they are back to square one on that side of the ball. Sunday's 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos saw Atlanta limited to just two Younghoe Koo field goals and Kirk Cousins was held without a touchdown pass in back-to-back games for the first time in his career. Cousins played poorly but he was not alone. He was sacked four times and threw an interception, but the Falcons also rushed for just 50 yards on 21 carries. Atlanta remain in first place in the NFC South but their 6-5 record and their form is hardly inspiring.
The Jacksonville Jaguars… By the time you read this, Doug Pederson could be gone as head coach of the Jaguars. When things go wrong in a losing season, the one thing you hope to see out of your team is some fight. And that has always been something to hang your hat on as Jacksonville opened the year 2-8. But Sunday's 52-6 embarrassment in Detroit featured no fight whatsoever. None! The Jags looked like a team that had given up. Bear this fact in mind – a great offensive showing might see a team gain between 400 and 450 yards in total offense. Heading into Week 11, the Ravens boasted the league's number one attack, averaging 440 yards per game. Detroit gained 645 yards against the hapless Jaguars! Detroit scored a touchdown on each of their first seven possessions. Their first 'failure' came when Hendon Hooker was in as a substitute for Goff. So, in essence, every time the Lions wanted to score, they scored. This is another lost season for the Jags and it is going to result in yet another head coach search. Groundhog Day.
The New York Jets… Despite scoring a season-high 27 points against the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets fell to a 28-27 defeat that dropped them to 3-8 on the season. It's yet another year of frustration for the Jets and their 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He posted decent numbers on Sunday (184 passing yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions), but he doesn't light up the league like a Jared Goff, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen. The signing of Rodgers has just not been what Jets management and fans would have dreamed – torn Achilles four plays into 2023, Robert Saleh fired after five games of 2024 and now just three wins from 11 games. Rodgers wants to come back in 2025 at the age of 41 and he is not the major issue here – the Jets only rushed for 91 yards and they couldn't tackle on defense – but would the team resist the temptation to take a young quarterback if they were picking high in next year's draft?
The Fast Five…
- It will be a bumpy ride at times, but the Colts can win with the version of Anthony Richardson that we saw on Sunday night. The second-year quarterback provided the splash plays that Joe Flacco couldn't at 39 years of age and the result was a one-point victory over the Jets. Richardson threw for one touchdown and ran for a pair of scores, trucking defenders on his way to the end zone. At 5-6 and with Richardson at the helm, the Colts are still alive in the AFC playoff race.
- Geno Smith delivered a late win for the Seattle Seahawks as his 13-yard run with 12 seconds remaining lifted his team to a 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers. This was, of course, a great result for a Seahawks squad that had lost six in a row against San Francisco. But what does this say about the 5-5 Niners? They are very much alive in the NFC West race, but they looked a shadow of their former selves. Has their championship challenge of recent years run its course? I'm not going that far just yet, but they're way off the NFC pace when you look at the form of the Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles.
- Bo Nix appears to be the ideal fit for his head coach, Sean Payton, and the rookie quarterback was outstanding on Sunday as the Denver Broncos recorded a one-sided 38-6 win over the slumping Atlanta Falcons. Nix completed 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns. He is growing into this 2024 season very nicely indeed and Denver, who are supposed to be rebuilding, are alive in the AFC playoff race at 6-5. The Broncos are ahead of schedule and their rookie passer is a big reason for that. He may be scary and grumpy with the media at times, but that Sean Payton can coach!
- For the second week in a row, we saw a game decided by a blocked field goal as time ran out. Last weekend it was Kansas City over Denver. On Sunday, Karl Brooks blocked Cairo Santos' 46-yard game-winner to give the Green Bay Packers a 20-19 win over the Chicago Bears. This was a stunning loss for Chicago, who finally woke their offense from hibernation with no reward.
- The Miami Dolphins have been much livelier on offense since Tua Tagovailoa returned from concussion and their quarterback threw three touchdown passes in Sunday's 34-19 win over the fast-falling Las Vegas Raiders. Miami are now 4-6 and two of their next three games are against New England and the New York Jets. It's not over yet in South Florida.
Fact of the Week
Saquon Barkley rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday's 26-18 win for the Philadelphia Eagles over the Washington Commanders. That marked Barkley's sixth 100-yard rushing day of the season for the Eagles. In four seasons with the New York Giants from 2020-2023, Barkley totaled six 100-yard rushing games.
Final Thought…
I'm confused by the Baltimore Ravens, who can be one of the most dangerous NFL teams on their day. But they can also have let-downs in big spots and Sunday's loss in Pittsburgh means the Ravens are going on their travels in the playoffs. They dropped to 7-4 on the season and all four of their losses have come in the AFC, including one against the top-seeded Chiefs. So, there is no way they can get homefield advantage through the playoffs. They can still take the AFC North. They are one win behind the Steelers and the teams meet again in Baltimore on Saturday December 21. As things stand right now, Pittsburgh would be the three seed in the AFC and the Ravens the sixth. And that would mean a third meeting in the first round of the postseason. There is a lot of football to be played before we get to that point, but few would turn down the chance to see that matchup on Super Wild Card Weekend. What makes the Ravens so confusing is that it doesn't really matter where they rank when the playoffs begin, they have the talent to take over the tournament and go all the way to the Super Bowl.
