Welcome to Week 11, the best Sunday of the NFL schedule so far.
In the early window, the Pittsburgh Steelers (8–2) found a way to outlast the Baltimore Ravens (7–3) in a physical battle for first place in the AFC North. Ultimately, three Baltimore turnovers and two missed field goals were the difference in an 18–16 Pittsburgh win.
Then, the marquee matchup arrives at 4:25 p.m. ET with the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs (9–0) taking on the Buffalo Bills (8–2) at Highmark Stadium. For Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes, this is the eighth meeting between them. Allen is 3–1 in their regular-season matchups, with Mahomes sweeping the three postseason affairs.
Finally, Sunday Night Football gives us the Los Angeles Chargers (6–3) hosting the desperate Cincinnati Bengals (4–6) at SoFi Stadium. For both, it’s an important clash on their road to the playoffs.
SUNDAY
Steelers 18, Ravens 16
My take: Pittsburgh (8–2) is now in control of the AFC North. With the win over Baltimore (7–4), the Steelers are now 1.5 games ahead in the division with the Cleveland Browns on deck. Pittsburgh still has a tough schedule with five more divisional battles along with games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs, but Mike Tomlin’s club is in terrific position to host a playoff game or two. As for the Ravens, they remain in contention for a second consecutive divisional crown but have much work ahead, starting next Monday in Los Angeles against the Chargers.
Stock up: Even in a loss, Odafe Oweh deserves to be highlighted. Oweh registered 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss and four quarterback hits against the Steelers, constantly badgering Russell Wilson in the pocket. If the Ravens are going to improve their league-worst pass defense, Oweh might be the key.
Stock down: Lamar Jackson has been magnificent this season, but Sunday marks his worst performance to date. Jackson was 16-of-33 for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while only scrambling four times. He’s still the frontrunner for MVP, but his stock took a small hit.
Up Next: Ravens at Chargers, 8:15 p.m. ET Nov. 25; Steelers at Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET Nov. 21
Lions 52, Jaguars 6
My take: Jacksonville (2–9) shouldn’t waste time. After the Jaguars’ latest disaster, this time against Detroit (9–1), it’s time to clean house. On Sunday, Jacksonville didn’t look the least bit interested in producing a respectable effort. In the first half, the Lions racked up 306 yards on 9.0 yards per play, scoring touchdowns on each of their four drives. Detroit then scored touchdowns on its first three second-half drives. While the Jaguars are without quarterback Trevor Lawrence, he has no impact on the defense or the overall level of professionalism. Everyone should be gone come Monday morning.
Stock up: It’s hard to take much from this game, but the Lions should feel good about their situation in the standings. The Philadelphia Eagles are a game back for the top seed, while in the NFC North, Detroit remained a game ahead of the Minnesota Vikings while also gaining ground on the Chicago Bears, who lost to the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Stock down: Doug Pederson. Pederson took over a team in dire need of a reboot after the Urban Meyer calamity. Now, after resurrecting the franchise and winning a playoff game in 2022, he’ll be leaving Jacksonville in a similar spot. Even with a Super Bowl ring, it’s fair to wonder if Pederson gets another shot at the top job somewhere.
Up Next: BYE; Lions at Colts, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24
Packers 20, Bears 19
My take: Green Bay (7–3) looked far from impressive for huge stretches of the game, but ultimately survived on a 45-yard field goal block as time expired. Jordan Love completed only 13 passes but gained an absurd 261 yards on 15.4 yards per attempt. Conversely, Caleb Williams looked improved in his first start since the firing of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, going 23-of-32 for 231 yards, while also driving Chicago (4–6) into position to win the game on the final drive.
Stock up: Even in defeat, Williams deserves credit. Against a defense he’s never seen, Williams didn’t turn the ball over while largely keeping Chicago’s offense on schedule. If the No. 1 pick can continue to take care of the ball while being more anticipatory, the Bears should feel good about his future.
Stock down: Chicago’s playoff hopes. The Bears are now 4–6 and while they can’t be considered out of the race, it’s looking bleak. At this juncture, Chicago is three games behind the Packers, who are in third place in the NFC North.
Up Next: 49ers at Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET Nov. 24; Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24
Vikings 23, Titans 13
My take: Minnesota (8–2) had a brief hiccup with consecutive losses in a span of four days to the Lions and Los Angeles Rams. Since then, the Vikings have regrouped with victories over the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville and Tennessee (2–8). While none of those are statement wins, they’re also the victories good teams don’t turn into upset defeats. Coming up, the schedule gets tougher with games against the Chicago Bears, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Bears again on deck, albeit with the latter three all as home dates.
Stock up: Brian Flores should be a head coach again in short order. Flores has Minnesota playing some of the league’s best defense, entering Sunday ranking sixth in yards per play (5.0), first in pressure rate (29.1%) and sixth in sacks (30). This is all before dominating the Titans, who struggled to generate consistent offense throughout the day.
Stock down: Tennessee general manager Ran Carthon has to be looking at film of Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders, and dreaming about late April when the NFL draft will be held in Green Bay. Will Levis threw a beautiful 98-yard touchdown pass against Minnesota, but otherwise struggled. Overall, he’s been a weak point on a weak team, and with first-year coach Brian Callahan being an offensive, quarterback-centric coach, it’s tough to see Levis back as the starter in 2025.
Up Next: Vikings at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24; Titans at Texans, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24
Colts 28, Jets 27
My take: Has a team ever fired a head coach during the season, and then fired his succeeding interim coach? New York (3–8) might be the first. Of course, this raging tire fire isn’t on Jeff Ulbrich, who took over a 2–4 team careening into oblivion before watching the entire 53-man roster decide to go clear off the cliff. Against Indianapolis (5–6), the Jets led by five points against Anthony Richardson, who was benched for Joe Flacco a couple weeks ago, and allowed him to move the Colts 70 yards in six plays in a minute, 55 seconds for a game-winning touchdown.
Stock up: Richardson deserves kudos. The second-year quarterback threw for 272 yards and a touchdown on 9.1 yards per attempt, along with a four-yard scamper to win the game. After sitting for two weeks, Richardson looked the best he ever has. Perhaps a new start for the youngster.
Stock down: Jets GM Joe Douglas. The Jets entered the season believing they could challenge for a championship because of the roster Douglas put together. Instead, New York is now without its future third-round pick after trading it for 32-year-old Davante Aadms. The Jets also have 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers on the books for next season, and then are eating a $63 million void cap charge in 2026. Good management.
Up Next: Lions at Colts, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24; BYE
Rams 28, Patriots 22
My take: After a surprise loss Monday night, Los Angeles (5–5) got back on track with an easy win over New England (3–8). The Rams were led by Matthew Stafford, who threw four touchdown passes to help L.A. pull within a game of the Arizona Cardinals for the NFC West lead. Meanwhile, the Patriots should be thrilled with the continued development of Drake Maye, who made a bevy of highlight plays while throwing for 282 yards and a touchdown. The present is bleak for New England, but the future is bright.
Stock up: It has to be the overall balance of the Rams’ attack. Stafford threw for 295 yards on 10.9 yards per attempt. Both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp had big days, combining for 229 yards and three touchdowns. The running game rolled as well with Kyren Williams gaining 86 yards on 5.7 yards per carry. It was all working.
Stock down: After notching nine sacks in last week’s win over the Chicago Bears, the Patriots didn’t get to Stafford a single time. New England doesn’t have an elite pass-rusher, and that lack of talent showed against a Rams offense that did whatever it wanted.
Up Next: Eagles at Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET Nov. 24; Patriots at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24
Dolphins 34, Raiders 19
My take: Can Miami (4–6) make the playoffs? The Dolphins have a chance, sitting only a game out of the seventh-seeded Denver Broncos as the late games are about to kick off. However, even after beating Las Vegas (2–8), the Dolphins have ample work ahead starting next weekend against the New England Patriots. The big question is whether Miami can beat all the lesser teams on its slate, and then get one or two wins against the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and San Francisco 49ers? The Dolphins have no margin for error, but two wins in six days has them alive in the chase.
Stock up: Miami’s defensive line took hits in recent months, losing Christian Wilkins in free agency and then Jaelen Phillips to a season-ending knee injury. However, on Sunday, the Dolphins racked up three sacks and four quarterback hits, harassing Gardner Minshew II consistently. Coming into the game, only the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers had fewer sacks.
Stock down: The Raiders have zero ability to run the ball. Entering the weekend, Las Vegas ranked last in rushing yards (692) and yards per carry (3.5). Nothing changed this weekend, with the Raiders gaining just 60 ground yards on 3.8 YPC. After losing Josh Jacobs, general manager Tom Telesco went with Zamir White and Alexander Mattison. It’s proven a huge mistake.
Up Next: Broncos at Raiders, 4:05 p.m. ET Nov. 24; Patriots at Dolphins, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24
Saints 35, Browns 14
My take: After losing seven consecutive games, New Orleans (4–7) has bounced back with two straight wins. The Saints handled Cleveland (2–8) despite Jameis Winston throwing for 395 yards and two touchdowns in defeat. Of course, neither of these teams have hope of making a playoff push, so it’s really about evaluating what 2025 and beyond will look like. In that vein, Derek Carr did himself some favors, throwing for 248 yards and two touchdowns on 21-of-27 passing.
Stock up: The Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy before giving him a three-year extension this offseason. Thus far, the season was a disappointment, entering Week 11 with just 33 catches for 418 yards and a touchdown. Against the Saints, Jeudy exploded for six receptions and 142 yards, including an 89-yard score.
Stock down: This feels like a weekly paragraph, but the Browns can’t block anybody. The Saints had three sacks, five quarterback hits and five tackles for loss, constantly causing problems in the backfield. No team has given up more sacks than Cleveland, which has now relinquished 46 on the year.
Up Next: Steelers at Browns, 8:15 p.m. ET Nov. 21; BYE
THURSDAY
Eagles 26, Commanders 18
My take: Suddenly, the NFC East goes through Lincoln Financial Field. Philadelphia (8–2) handled Washington (7–4) in primetime, putting the Commanders 1.5 games off the pace. Saquon Barkley was once again the driving force for the Eagles, gaining 198 total yards while scoring two touchdowns, helping Philadelphia overcome a first half in which it scored only three points. Meanwhile, Jayden Daniels was held in check by a burgeoning Eagles defense, throwing for 191 yards with an interception before tossing a meaningless garbage-time touchdown. With seven weeks left in the season, Philadelphia is in the pole position.
Stock up: Quinyon Mitchell has a strong case as Defensive Rookie of the Year. The first-round Toledo product has consistently shut down some of the league’s top receivers. On Thursday, he held Terry McLaurin to a single catch for 10 yards. He’s quickly becoming a star capable of playing anybody in man coverage.
Stock down: Daniels needs to find his prior form. Over the past three weeks, the Commanders are a shaky 1–2 while Daniels is only averaging 200.6 passing yards and a touchdown per game. Notably, he’s only rushed for 19.3 yards per game during that stretch, down from 53 yards per game over the first eight contests.
Up Next: Eagles at Rams, 8:20 p.m. ET Nov. 24; Cowboys at Commanders, 1 p.m. ET Nov. 24
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 11 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.