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Who won Sunday's slate of Week 11 NFL games?
A Perfect 10: Steelers 27, Jaguars 3
The Pittsburgh Steelers ran riot over the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars en route to a 27-3 victory.
The Steelers, who remained perfect, started the game slowly and remained scoreless after the 1st quarter in what look liked a possible banana skin game.
The shutout did not last long, however, with the visitors scoring 17 of their 27 points in the 2nd quarter. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 267 yards along with two touchdowns and an interception. Paired up with the rushers combining for over 100 yards and a touchdown, the Steelers left the game in no doubt and improved to 10-0 for the first time in franchise history.
The Jaguars, who are now 1-9, find themselves on a nine-game losing streak and are the only team not named Jets to have such a streak. Rookie QB Jake Luton had his worst game to date, throwing for just 151 yards and four interceptions.
The Steelers will have a quick turnaround as they play divisional rivals Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving, a team the Steelers defeated earlier this season 28-24
For the Love of the Game: Panthers 20, Lions 0
Not many could have predicted that the XFL would have been on the lips of the football community in November 2020, but that is exactly what has happened.
Phillip (P.J.) Walker is to thank for the renewed XFL buzz. The former Houston Roughnecks quarterback, singed with the Panthers in March after the XFL folded (again) and made his first start for the Panthers after Teddy Bridgewater was injured last week.
Walker had an up-and-down game that included a beautiful 52-yard pass to D.J Moore on a drive that ended with a Mike Davis 1-yard rushing touchdown. The former XFL star of the week did, however, throw two interceptions en route to a 258-yard, 1-TD outing.
The Lions could not take advantage of the turnovers, as they were the only team of Week 11 to go scoreless and lacked any real offense for the entire game.
Former No. 1 draft pick Matthew Stafford could only manage 178 yards in the air, along with a measly 40 combined yards the running game gave the Lions no chance of a victory.
Both teams remain with losing records, however, and look to have no real shot at reaching the playoffs.
Houston, we have a victory: Texans 27, Patriots 20
Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans defeated the New England Patriots to give them successive victories against the Patriots for the first time in franchise history.
Star QB Watson bounced back with a brilliant performance (344 yards and 3 total TDs) after a subpar game last week against the Browns. The Texans led at the half 21-10 after Watson threw for two touchdowns and ran in another in typical Watson fashion.
Cam Newton and the Patriots looked to bounce back in the 3rd quarter and did so in quick fashion after a 30-yard pass was followed up a couple of plays later with a 42-yard bomb over the middle, and Damiere Byrd did his best Willie Mays impersonation for the touchdown.
The Patriots could not keep the pressure up and could only trade field goals in the fourth to give the Texans their second win in three games, but Houston sits third in the AFC South and look to be out of any playoff contention.
New England also sits third in the AFC East, a division they have won 11 years in a row and 17 out of the previous 19 years, going back to 2001.
Long Live the King: Titans 30, Ravens 24 (OT)
Derrick Henry showed why he is one of the best players in football with a dazzling and dominating display against the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of last year's AFC Divisional playoff matchup.
A back and forth game with both teams failing to build upon their leads and taking overtime to settle the two.
Ryan Tannehill led the Titans offense with 259 yards and a touchdown, but a pick to complete his stat line. A 90-yard drive in the fourth quarter, which ended with AJ Brown breaking every tackle possible, in a 14-yard receiving touchdown gave the AFC South's Titans a three-point lead with 2 minutes remaining in the game.
Lamar Jackson led his team down the field, however, and Mr. Automatic Justin Tucker kicked the tying field goal to take the game to overtime.
After winning the coin toss, Baltimore quickly lost possession after three and out and punted the ball to the visitors. Tennessee only required a field goal to win, but Derrick Henry called game and ran in the winning touchdown from 29 yards out.
The victory takes the Titans to 7-3 and into the playoff picture. Baltimore, however, drops to 6-4 and now falls behind the Cleveland Browns for 3rd in the AFC North.
Cooking to the playoffs?: Browns 22, Eagles 17
Baker Mayfield looks to be the first quarterback to lead the Browns to the playoffs since Kelly Holcomb in 2003 after beating the Philadelphia Eagles and taking them to 7-3 and 2nd in the AFC North.
A scoreless first quarter in which the Eagles fumbled five yards short of the Browns end zone looked, then got worse in the second quarter when Carson Wentz threw Cleveland’s Sione Takitaki a gift, which Takitaki took into the end zone for a pick-six.
The defensive touchdown was the only score for either team in the 1st half. Finally, an offensive touchdown came when Wentz threw a 19-yard pass to Richard Rodgers to even the game up.
After a 46-field field goal Cleveland never gave up the lead, and its defense once again turned up the pressure and got themselves a sack for their troubles.
While the Eagles made thing interesting with a touchdown to make it a five-point game, with only 30 seconds remaining they failed to recover the onside kick and Cleveland claimed the victory.
The Eagles despite the loss and despite a 3-6-1 record still somehow sit on top of the shambolic NFC East.
Hill and History: Saints 24, Falcons 9
Taysom Hill is now 1-0 as an NFL starting quarterback, while Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas made history in the Saints dominating victory over divisional “rivals” Atlanta Falcons.
With the main story heading into this game being the choice by Saints head coach Sean Payton to name Hill the starting QB over former No. 1 draft pick Jameis Winston, Hill proved the doubters wrong and his head coach right with two rushing touchdowns and a comfortable victory.
Some bigger stories from the game, however, came from courtesy of the 2017 draft, as Kamara and Thomas both made NFL history. Kamara became the first player ever to have 500 yards rushing and receiving in each of his first four seasons. His teammate Thomas broke Jarvis Landry’s record of most receptions in his first five seasons. Both players are vital to the Saints success, and both have been big-time playmakers since coming into the league.
The game was a formality once entering the fourth as the Falcons did not find the end zone all afternoon, while the Saints moved the ball at will and had three touchdowns for their efforts.
New Orleans are now on a seven-game win streak to take them to 7-2, while Atlanta find themselves bottom of the NFC South at 3-7
A Football Life: Washington 20, Bengals 9
It was the No. 1 versus No. 2 overall picks from the 2020 NFL Draft in this anticipated matchup that unfortunately ended prematurely. The No. 1 pick, Bengals QB Joe Burrow, will now miss the remainder of the season after tearing ligaments in his left knee.
The No. 2 pick, Washington defensive end Chase Young, recorded a sack and helped the Washington defense neutralize the Bengals offense.
Burrow, who had 203 yards and one touchdown before going down in the 3rd quarter, was playing well and had his team in the lead when he got hurt. He had to watch as the Bengals didn’t score another point on the way to defeat.
Washington took advantage of the situation and Alex Smith threw his only touchdown of the game to Steven Sims Jr. for the lead and never relinquished.
The main news from this one though is the devastating injury to Burrow, who looked like the real deal and a future star of this league despite the Bengals' poor record. He had continually improved and was a stable building block this franchise needed.
Washington, however, will take any victory they can get. Somehow with a 3-7 record they find themselves in the hunt in the embarrassing NFC East.
Rock Bottom: Chargers 34, Jets 28
The New York Jets joined an exclusive list of losers as they fell to exciting rookie QB Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Joe Flacco led the Jets offense for the 2nd straight week after QB Sam Darnold’s shoulder injury and while the Jets have put up more of a fight, they remain winless.
While the Jets continued their miserable dissent to the worst team in football, the Chargers got their 3rd win of the season and Herbert showed why there is a lot of buzz around the rookie.
A 39-yard touchdown to Mike Williams, who broke two tackles before running it in was one of his three touchdown passes on the game. Three-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen also had a game to remember with 16 catches for 145 yards and a touchdown.
The Jets did not roll over, however, and kept the score close in the fourth quarter. After a failed fourth-down attempt, the Chargers ran out the clock and inflicted a safety to end the game and take the victory.
The Jets now drop to 0-10 and will have to be looking ahead to the 2021 NFL Draft to turn the dismal franchise around.
Tua's time?: Broncos 20, Dolphins 13
Tua Tagovailoa was benched in the 4th quarter after his performance against the Denver Broncos. Ryan Fitzpatrick was brought in to save the game, but could not produce the magic as he threw an interception in the Broncos end zone on what would have been the game-tying score.
The Broncos, on the other hand, improved to 4-6 with this win with running back Melvin Gordon scoring twice.
It was not a classic game to say the least, with the teams combining for nine punts and an interception each. Denver, however, managed to find themselves victorious and even ended the game on a 61-yard pass as time expired, which helped Drew Lock’s stat line to 270 yards.
Both teams currently sit outside the playoff picture with the Broncos 3rd in the AFC West and well behind reigning Super Bowl champions Chiefs.
Miami still has plenty of time to take control of their division as they sit just one win behind the Bills in an AFC East that has been dominated by the Patriots for the past 20 years.
Miami head coach Brian Flores has confirmed that Tua will start again next week against the Jets as they look to bounce back and have the perfect opposition to do so.
A Three-Way Dance: Cowboys 31, Vikings 28
The Cowboys now sit in a three-way tie for 2nd place in the NFC East after beating the Minnesota Vikings to climb to 3-7.
The new one-two punch of Andy Dalton and Ezekiel Elliott combined for 306 yards of offense and three touchdowns, including a 6-yard TD pass from Dalton to Elliott for the first touchdown of the game.
Both teams traded scores all the way to the end in an entreating and exciting game of football. Minnesota’s own one-two punch of Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook combined for an even more impressive 429 yards and four touchdowns but could not connect in the crunch time.
Dalton had led his Cowboys 64 yards down the field before a 2-yard touchdown, gave the visitors a three-point lead with under two minutes remaining. Cousins and Cook could not generate any more offense and after a very quick turnover on downs, allowed the Cowboys to run the clock out and emerge as winners.
As mentioned before, the Cowboys now sit tied for second in the worst division of football and amazingly still in the playoff picture.
The Vikings, despite a better record of 4-6, are in a competent division and find themselves third. Still, a winning streak could result in a playoff berth with NFC North leaders, Green Bay Packers at 7-3.
Rodrigo's Rocket: Colts 34, Packers 31 (OT)
Not since Eric Dickerson have goggles been so effective on the football field.
Indianapolis Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship kicked the game-winning field goal in overtime against the Green Bay Packers.
While the story at the beginning of the game may not have been about Blankenship, it certainly was come the final whistle. The story to start was as it normally is: QB vs QB. This one was a fantastic matchup of Phillip Rivers against Aaron Rodgers. Both quarterbacks threw for three touchdowns and an interception as the two teams went back and forth till the end of regulation.
It was Packers kicker Matt Crosby who grabbed the first headline, nailing the game-tying kick with three seconds left after a typically superb 10-play, 86-yard drive led by Rodgers.
Come overtime, however, the Green Bay momentum quickly halted. After winning the coin toss, the Packers took possession and on their second play fumbled the ball.
The Colts ran the ball three times, getting it into perfect position for the rookie Blankenship as he connected on his fourth kick of the game and gave the victory to his team.
Both teams now sit at 7-3 and atop their respective divisions.
Back-2-Back: Chiefs 35, Raiders 31
In the late Sunday kickoff -- early Monday morning for some -- the Kansas City Chiefs defeated AFC West rivals Las Vegas Raiders in a real barnburner that came down to the wire.
Both teams scored points in every quarter, with a touchdown scored in every quarter as well. The Chiefs and Raiders traded points constantly and would be decided to who scored last.
The Raiders looked like they may beat the defending champions after QB Derek Carr escaped the pocket and waited to the last possible moment and found future Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten for the go-ahead score.
With 1:43 left on the clock and only one time out, many other teams with different quarterbacks would have been given little to no chance to get a field goal, never mind a touchdown. But Patrick Mahomes showed why he is no mortal quarterback and found his favorite weapon in tight end Travis Kelce for the game-winning score.
It gave Mahomes his second touchdown and 348 yards for the game. More importantly, it allowed the Chiefs to avenge their only loss on the season, which came via the Raiders.
At 9-1 the Chiefs have the second-best record in the league and top spot in the AFC West, three wins ahead of the Raiders.
