While Week 11 may not have had as many nail-biting finishes as a week ago, there were still some very competitive contests. It sets up an interesting Week 12 as 10 of the 16 games are divisional clashes, four of those rematches from earlier this season.
Contrary to recent weeks, there wasn't a lot of movement at the top of the NFL Power Rankings compared to the previous edition. Some teams actually moved up a spot or two despite a loss due to either a tough loss or some slippage by a slumping team.
The Panthers entered Week 11 with the NFL's worst record and hosted the explosive Cowboys. Give credit where credit is due. Down 10-0 early in the second quarter, Frank Reich's undermanned squad hung tough. With less than two minutes left in the third quarter, the basement dwellers in the NFC South were down just 17-10.
Unfortunately for Carolina, they were done scoring points for the game. Dallas countered with offensive and defensive touchdowns and pulled away. The Panthers are a dreadful 0-7 vs. NFC teams this season to date.
You have to go back to Bill Belichick's debut season in 2000 to see just how dreadful things have been for the Patriots. The offense has struggled mightily and a usually-sturdy defensive unit has been erratic. The latter has been missing pass-rusher Matt Judon and promising rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez for quite a spell.
When this team last took the field, Mac Jones was benched for Bailey Zappe. Both quarterbacks threw fourth-quarter interceptions in the loss to the Colts in Germany. The humbled Pats own the worst record in the AFC.
The Cardinals were in Houston looking to win back-to-back games for the first time since Weeks 11 and 13 of the 2021 season. It wasn't meant to be, even though Jonathan Gannon's club put up a strong effort. Kyler Murray has played two games in 2023 and has shown no real rust, especially when it comes to escaping the pocket.
However, Gannon's forte is supposedly defense and Arizona gave up 112 yards rushing and a score to Texans' running back Devin Singletary. The Cards picked off C.J. Stroud three times, but still allowed 419 total yards.
The Titans were on the final leg of a three-game road trip. They were looking for their first victory away from home since Week 11 of 2022 at Jacksonville. Make it nine consecutive road losses for Mike Vrabel's club. In each of those setbacks, Tennessee has been limited to 16 or fewer points. The Titans have been outscored a combined 212-110.
Vrabel's team owned the ball for only 23:34, managed only 235 total yards, was 2-of-7 on third down and lost a pair of fumbles. With seven weeks to play, the disappointing Titans are the only team in the NFC South below .500.
In the opening Monday night game of the season, the Jets forced Josh Allen into four turnovers and got a punt return touchdown in overtime to knock off the visiting Bills. This time around, Robert Saleh's club was giving out gifts. New York was limited to 155 total yards on 54 plays and the sloppy Jets gave up the football four times.
Saleh's defense held up as long as it could. They wound up surrendering 393 total yards as Bills' quarterback Josh Allen threw for 275 yards and three TDs. The Jets have been outscored a combined 75-24 in three straight losses.
It's been a dismal year for Big Blue, but the team was in Washington to take on a team that the Giants have not lost to in three consecutive meetings. Things looked good early on, sort of. Quarterback Tommy DeVito was sacked six times in the first half. However, he also threw for 189 yards and a pair of TD passes and the Giants led, 14-9.
Thanks to a late pick-six return by Isaiah Simmons, the Giants matched their season high in points. Tommy DeVito was sacked nine times but threw three TD passes, two to Saquon Barkley, and the Giants forced six turnovers.
It was the first of two meetings between the Bears and Lions, with this clash at Ford Field. Quarterback Justin Fields was back for Matt Eberflus' club and the Chicago offense was very effective. The Bears' ground game rolled up 183 yards, 104 by Fields, and the emerging signal-caller also threw a 39-yard TD pass to wideout D.J. Moore.
However, Eberflus' defense couldn't close the deal on a day in which it picked off Lions' quarterback Jared Goff three times. Chicago squandered a 26-14 lead with 4:15 to play. That's 12 straight divisional losses for the Bears.
For the second time this year, the Rams and Seahawks renewed acquaintances, this time at SoFi Stadium. Sean McVay's offense was stuck in neutral for most of the game and after three quarters of play, Matthew Stafford and company came up with only seven points and just 123 total yards, but the Rams woke up when it counted most.
The team scored the final 10 points of the game thanks for scoring drives of 68 (touchdown) and 75 (field goal) yards. McVay's team took a one-point lead with 1:31 to play and held on for dear life to complete the sweep.
A pair of Jordan Love interceptions late in the fourth quarter at Pittsburgh doomed Matt Lafleur's team. The Packers looked to make amends when they hosted the Chargers. The Packers' signal-caller did fumble twice and was sacked three times, but he threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns and played turnover-free football.
Despite some growing pains, Love has shown signs of being the main man in Green Bay. Unfortunately, LaFleur's team has quite the hill to climb in the NFC North and has already lost home games to the Lions and Vikings.
The season would have to be rated as a disappointment to date. Arthur Smith's team headed into its break with a three-game losing streak. Of course, that put them right in the mix for an NFC South title. After 11 weeks, no team in the division owns a winning mark. Déjà vu? The Buccaneers won the NFC South in 2022 with an 8-9 record.
Coordinator Ryan Nielsen's defense has faded down the stretch the last two weeks, allowing the Vikings and Cardinals to mount game-winning drives. On the other hand, Atlanta's saving grace is a 2-0 divisional record.
It was so far, so good for Raiders' interim head coach Antonio Pierce as his team took a two-game winning streak and a 5-5 record to Miami. All good things must come to an end, and the Raiders saw their brief spurt of success end. The Las Vegas defense gave up 422 total yards and had no answers for former division rival Tyreek Hill.
Still, Pierce's club was able to make it interesting because the Raiders came up with three takeaways. Aidan O'Connell didn't get much support from the ground game (36 yards), throwing one TD pass and three picks.
Would the team's pattern of losing two, winning two, losing two, etc., continue? The Chargers were coming off a home loss to the Lions and battled the Packers at Lambeau Field. True to form, the season-long pattern for Brandon Staley's team continued as the Bolts are now two games under .500 for the third time this season.
Despite 150 yards rushing and a total of 394 total yards, the Bolts found a way to come up short. Five of Los Angeles' six losses have come by three points or less. The Chargers are alone in last place in the AFC West.
Washington's defense let them down in the fourth quarter at Seattle last Sunday at Seattle. Ron Rivera's team hosted the struggling Giants hoping to earn a split in the season series. The Commanders' pass rush was in overtime, sacking Giants' quarterback Tommy DeVito five times in the first quarter and nine times by the game's end.
Of course, DeVito also threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns. Meanwhile, Sam Howell was dumped four times and picked off three times. Rivera's mistake-prone club has given up the ball six times and forced zero turnovers.
The Buccaneers were at San Francisco for the second consecutive year and looked to fare far better than they did last season. Last season's 35-7 debacle was one of the low points of the season for Todd Bowles' club. The Bucs played much better on Sunday, but couldn't overcome a 27-7 deficit and a pair of Baker Mayfield turnovers.
Tampa's defense surrendered 420 total yards on 59 plays, a disappointing 7.1 average. The Bucs have dropped five of their last six games, but even with a 4-6 record remain very much in the running for the NFC South title.
Wins in their last two games have the Colts with a .500 record, as well as one more victory than they managed all of last year. The season began with rookie Anthony Richardson at quarterback, but veteran Gardner Minshew has held down the fort for most of the year. His 10 turnovers mean that he needs to do a better job with ball security.
Shane Steichen's club has seven games remaining but just a pair vs. its division rivals. The Colts won at Houston back in Week 2 but were swept by the Jaguars. They are in the mix with several other 5-5 teams in the AFC.
Simply put, Dennis Allen's team is an enigma. The Saints are a .500 team after 10 games and have had their ups and downs on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Derek Carr was one of the league's bigger offseason additions but he has been inconsistent despite having a young and talented receiving corps. The ground game has been iffy at best.
Through it all, New Orleans is atop the NFC South with a 5-5 mark. The team heads to Atlanta this week for a key divisional showdown. Allen's team could use more from its ground attack, as well as better play against the run.
After a 0-3 start, the Broncos could get to the .500 mark if they knocked off the visiting Vikings in prime time. For most of the evening, Sean Payton's club was a model of offensive frustration. Denver finished the night with only 295 total yards and was 2-of-12 on third down. The Broncos managed only 48 yards rushing on 15 attempts.
Held to five field goals for three-plus quarters, Russell Wilson got his team in the end zone with 1:03 to play via a 15-yard TD pass to Courtland Sutton. Denver played turnover-free ball while coming up with three takeaways.
The Bengals were in Baltimore on Thursday night looking for their first divisional win of the season. It was a rough evening for Zac Taylor's team and it turned out, a 34-20 loss wasn't the worst thing that happened that evening.
Quarterback Joe Burrow would hit on 11-of-17 passes for 101 yards and a score. His four-yard touchdown toss to running back Joe Mixon actually gave Cincinnati a 10-7 lead. However, he would finish the night on the sidelines. The first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft is out for the remainder of 2023 with a torn ligament in his right wrist.
The formula for the Steelers in recent weeks has been a punishing ground game and key plays by the defense in fourth quarter. On Sunday at Cleveland, Matt Canada's offense was limited to only 65 yards in the first half.
In the second half, Jaylen Warren ran 74 yards for a touchdown. However, there would be no late-game heroics by the defense, which allowed Browns' rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson to drive the Browns 48 yards in 1:16 to the deciding field goal. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett barely completed 50 percent of his passes (15-of-28).
The Bills had dropped two straight and four of their last six games heading into Sunday's rematch with the Jets. Sean McDermott's club took out its recent frustrations on their longtime AFC East rivals. Buffalo was very physical and held the lifeless Jets' offense to a mere 155 total yards and one touchdown while totaling four takeaways.
Perhaps the most promising aspect of the 26-point victory was the play of patient Josh Allen. His lone turnover came on a Hail Mary pass attempt on the final play of the first half. He threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns.
Pete Carroll's team was looking to make amends for a 30-13 home loss to the Rams in Week 1. The Seahawks appeared to have things under control for the most part and took a 16-7 lead into the fourth quarter. However, Carroll's club was lethargic on offense, settling for one touchdown, three field goals and just 291 total yards.
Seattle's defense didn't mount much of a pass rush. The Rams finished with 267 total yards but more than half (144) came in the fourth quarter. Carroll's struggling club has now split its last six games after a solid 3-1 start.
What an intriguing battle on Sunday night in the Mile High City. The Vikings and Broncos opened their seasons with three straight losses, but both have climbed back into the postseason picture. Kevin O'Connell's surging club had won five straight games, was the better team for most of the evening and with 3:17 to play took a 20-15 lead.
After limiting the Broncos to field goals for the vast majority of the evening, Brian Flores' defensive unit gave up a 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Also factor in that the Vikings committed three turnovers, the Broncos none.
Homefield advantage has not been kind to the defending AFC South champions this year. The team had won just one game in Jacksonville entering Sunday's clash with the Titans. As it turned out, the Jaguars showed no kindness to their division rival. The offense was very balanced and Doug Pederson's team played turnover-free football.
It was a big afternoon for the passing combination of Trevor Lawrence and Calvin Ridley. The former threw for 262 yards and two scores, while Ridley hauled in both TD passes and finished with seven receptions for 103 yards.
DeMeco Ryans's team came up with another huge road win last week when they knocked off the Bengals at the gun. Could the Texans avoid a letdown when they hosted the struggling Cardinals? Houston had their hands full with the last-place team in the NFC West. In the end, Ryans's club found a way to hold on for the team's sixth win.
Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had another big outing. He overcame three sacks, throwing for 336 yards and two scores. There was a red flag of sorts with three interceptions, one more than he had thrown entering the game.
Mike McDaniel's club had two weeks to ponder that tough 21-14 loss to the Chiefs in Garmany. The Dolphins hosted the Raiders on Sunday. The team's recent issues with turnovers nearly proved costly on Sunday, but Miami's top veteran addition showed why he's considered by some to be the premier player at his position.
Raiders' quarterback Aidan O'Connell threw for 271 yards and one score, but he was picked off three times. Two of those thefts by Dolphins' cornerback Jalen Ramsey. He's made an impact since finally taking the field in 2023.
A year ago, the 49ers humbled the Buccaneers, 35-7 and that was with Tom Brady playing quarterback for Tampa Bay. Would that be the case again as the Niners welcomed Baker Mayfield and company to Levi's Stadium? The 49ers came away with a double-digit win, but the defense has to get some late stops to hold off a Bucs' rally.
Kyle Shanahan's offense rolled up 420 yards, while Brock Purdy shook off four sacks and threw for 333 yards and three TDs. The 49ers appear to be back on track after a three-game slump and are again alone atop the NFC West.
Thanks to a 27-24 win back in Week 2 at Cincinnati, the Ravens were in position to sweep the Bengals for the third time in five seasons. John Harbaugh's club got the job done, thanks to a balanced attack that rolled up 405 total yards on 60 plays. Baltimore played turnover-free football, while the Ravens' defensed finished with five sacks.
The news wasn't all good for the AFC North frontrunners. Tight end Mark Andrews is out (via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport) with a leg injury. Worth noting that the Ravens don't play another divisional game until Week 18.
For some, this was apparently somewhat of a surprise. Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his second NFL start on Sunday as the Browns hosted the Steelers. Cleveland would control the game in the first half, limiting Pittsburgh's offense to 65 total yards. Kevin Stefanski's physical club owned a 10-0 advantage at intermission.
The Steelers would eventually knot things up and kept the young quarterback under wraps for most of the second half. Thompson-Robinson saved his best for last via an effective game-winning field goal drive in the final minutes.
The Lions survived a wild afternoon last week at SoFi Stadium last week and were back at home to take on the rival Bears. It was more of the same on Sunday vs. their longtime divisional rivals and Dan Campbell's survived a shaky outing from quarterback Jared Goff and another subpar performance from a supposedly-improved defensive unit.
Goff shook off three interceptions and rallied his team late in the fourth quarter for the victory. Detroit's defense was pushed around again and a pair of subpar performances meant a slight drop in this week's Power Rankings.
The Cowboys humbled the Giants last week for the second time this season and were expected to do the same against the Panthers at Carolina. The final score gave the impression of an easy victory, however, Mike McCarthy's talented club owned just a 17-10 lead in the fourth quarter against the team with the worst record in the league.
Tony Pollard ran 21 yards for a score with 13:58 to play. Ten seconds later, second-year-pro Daron Bland returned a Bryce Young interception 30 yards for a TD. His fourth pick-six of 2023 tied an NFL single-season record.
The reigning Super Bowl champions aren't nearly as explosive as on offense as in recent seasons. Turnovers have been an issue as well. However, Steve Spagnuolo's improved defense has played a big role in the club's 7-2 record.
It's interesting to note that Andy Reid is a perfect 7-0 in this series between the Chiefs and Eagles. He defeated Kansas City three times while he was the head coach in Philadelphia. Meanwhile, he has beaten the Birds four times as the Chiefs' sideline leader, the latest a thrilling 38-35 comeback victory at Arizona in Super Bowl LVII.
The Eagles are in Kansas City for the first time since 2017 in this Super Bowl LVII rematch. Nick Sirianni's team fell short at Arizona, 38-35, and Super Bowl history does not favor the Birds. This will be the ninth time that two teams that faced each other the year after playing each other on Super Sunday. The reigning champion is 6-2 in rematches.
Sirianni's club owned the league's best record after 10 weeks of play. That included a 4-1 mark away from home, as well as a 2-1 record vs. AFC teams. Philadelphia's top-ranked run defense will be a challenge for the Chiefs.
