NFL 2024 Week 11 Recap

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action has come to an end. Another week comes to an end and teams are inching closer to locking up playoff spots. The week brought us some interesting storylines, such as the division showdowns in the NFC East and AFC North, a blocked kick in Chicago, a blowout in Detroit and the last unbeaten team losing in Buffalo. All those storylines and more in this week's recap post.

NFL Week 11 Freaky Stat

The Lions 9-1 record through 10 games is their best start since the 1934 season. That season was their first season as the Detroit Lions, their fifth overall season in the NFL (started as the Portsmouth Spartans in 1930)

NFL Week 11 Recap

Washington 18, Philadelphia 26

Pick: Eagles

Philly's 20 unanswered points prove key in the win against Washington. Jayden Daniels hit 22 of 32 passes for 191 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown went to Zach Ertz for a 5-yard score that was the first Commanders touchdown since the 1st quarter. The touchdown and the 2-point conversion cut the lead down to a eight point margin. Brian Robinson Jr.. had 16 carries for 63 yards with a touchdown run. Austin Ekeler had eight catches for 89 yards and had the longest play for the Commanders on a 34-yard catch for a play. Washington had a lead into the 4th quarter as they had a 10-6 lead but they couldn't stop the Eagles. One of the reasons was that their offense stalled out after scoring a touchdown on their 2nd drive in the game. They wouldn't score again until the 3rd quarter where they had a field goal. The interception also happened in the 4th quarter. Washington had 264 total yards in the game and drop to 7-4 on the season with a date against Dallas next week.

Jalen Hurts hit 18 of 28 passes for 221 yards in the game. Not quite effective as a passer. The runner had 0 carries for 39 yards with a touchdown. Saquon Barkley would be a force to be reckoned with in this game as he had 26 carries for 146 yards with two touchdowns. His 39-yard touchdown was the longest run play for the Eagles. AJ Brown had five catches for 65 yards in the game. Saquon Barkley had also the longest pass play for the Eagles on a 43-yard play. Sadly it didn't go for a touchdown. It was a struggle offensively as both teams would keep it close during the game's first three quarters. Then the 4th quarter happened where they scored touchdowns on three straight drives. Pretty much an offensive explosion. Two field goals by Jake Elliott were the only points that the Eagles had for the game. He even missed a field goal in the game. Philadelphia had 434 total yards in the game and improve to 8-2 with sole possession of 1st place in the NFC East. 

Next week:

Washington: vs Dallas
Philadelphia: @ LA Rams (Sunday night)

TW: 1-0

Cleveland 14, New Orleans 35

Pick: Browns

The Saints overwhelm the Browns in the Big Easy. Jameis Winston hit 30 of 46 passes for 395 yards with two touchdowns. A sort of homecoming for him as he was a backup quarterback in New Orleans for a number of years. Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore were the recipients of the Winston passes for scores. Nick Chubb was used somewhat in the game but had 11 carries for 50 yards. Perhaps it was the deficit was the reason why they dropped the run game for this one. Jerry Jeudy caught six passes for 142 yards and had the longest play in the game for the Browns on a 89-yard pass play for his touchdown. The Browns defense was keeping it close for the first three quarters as they held the score to a 14-14 game and then the Saints exploded and put up 21 points in the game. That might be the reason why for the loss or that the Browns offense could put up some yards but two field goal misses really doomed them in the game. Cleveland had 443 total yards in the game and drop to 2-8 with a date against the rival Steelers on a short week. 

Derek Carr hit 21 of 27 passes for 248 yards with two touchdowns. Taysom Hill hit 1 of 2 passes for 18 yards but also hit a pass that was intercepted by the Browns. Taysom Hill would score three touchdowns in the game while racking up 138 yards, 75 of them on a touchdown run that was the longest play for them in the game. Alvin Kamara had 16 carries for 67 yards. Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught two passes for 87 yards and had the longest pass play for them on a 71-yard catch that was his touchdown. Juwan Johnson was the other Saints player that caught a pass from Carr for a touchdown. It was a quiet game for the Saints but would find a big advantage with Taysom Hill scoring two of the three touchdowns in the 4th quarter. New Orleans had 473 total yards in the game. A good day for them as Taysom Hill had 40 fantasy points. For the Saints, they improve to 4-7 as Darren Rizzi has a 2-0 record going for him. 

Next week:

Cleveland: vs Pittsburgh (Thursday night)
New Orleans: Bye

TW: 1-1

Baltimore 16, Pittsburgh 18

Pick: Ravens

A Justin Fields first down seals the deal for the Steelers in the grand rivalry. Lamar Jackson had 16 of 33 passes for 207 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception and had 46 yards rushing on four carries. Derrick Henry had 13 carries for 65 yards with a touchdown run. He had a 31-yard run that was the longest running play for the Ravens. Isiah Likely had four catches for 75 yards with a 42-yard catch play for the longest play for the Ravens on the air. The game was a bit of a intriguing one for defensive lovers as the rivalry has always been more of a physical contest. It has also been a trend that the Ravens would like to reverse as they are now 1-8 in their last nine games against Pittsburgh. For the Ravens, they got 329 total yards but drop to 7-4 on the season.

Russell Wilson hit 23 of 36 passes for 205 yards with an interception. In fact, the Steelers would not score a touchdown in this game. Craig Boswell hit all six of his field goals in the game, equating a total he had against Atlanta in Week 1. Najee Harris had 18 carries for 63 yards in the game. George Pickens had eight catches for 89 yards and had a play that went for 37 yards to be the longest gain for the Steelers in the game. The biggest play in the game was a Justin Fields run that went for a 9-yard gain that was on a 2nd and 10 with 1:02 left in the game. A Najee Harris run for a 1-yard gain was enough to get the 1st down and helped seal the win for the Steelers. The Steelers got 303 total yards in the game and have sole possession of 1st place in the AFC North with a 8-2 record.

Next week:

Baltimore: @ LA Chargers (Monday night)
Pittsburgh: @ Cleveland (Thursday night)

TW: 1-2

Green Bay 20, Chicago 19

Pick: Packers

A blocked field goal gives the Packers a win in Chicago. Jordan Love hit 13 of 17 passes for 261 yards with a touchdown and an interception. The touchdown pass went to Jayden Reed on a 15-yard score in the first quarter. Josh Jacobs had 18 carries for 76 yards with a touchdown run. Jordan Love also scored a rushing touchdown while getting four carries for 18 yards, 7 of them on the touchdown run. Christian Watson had a stellar game as he caught four passes for 150 yards. That's 37.5 yards/catch. He also had a 60-yard catch and run for the longest play for the Packers. It was a gritty performance for the Packers as they did have the giveaway but also their offense was limited to just 23:39 of ball possession. Still they had 366 total yards in the game. They didn't get a lot of rushing yards which might be the reason why they couldn't sustain drives as they only converted just 1 3rd down out of five attempts. For the Packers, they improve to 7-3 with a big game against the 49ers next week.

Caleb Williams hit 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Dandre Swift had 14 carries for 71 yards with a touchdown run. His 39-yard run was the longest play for the Bears in the game on either a pass or run play. Roschon Johnson had 10 carries for 33 yards with a touchdown. Rome Odunze had six catches for 65 yards in the game. Cole Kmet had the longest pass play for the Bears on a 25-yard play. The week was noteworthy as the Bears let go of their old offensive coordinator earlier in the week and this game was a better showing for them. Just not in the win column which ultimately matters most. Perhaps penalties kind of wrecked them in the end but the pass protection was somewhat of a factor as Caleb Williams was sacked three times for 19 yards. The Bears had 391 total yards but drop to 4-6 on the season.

Next week:

Green Bay: vs San Francisco
Chicago: vs Minnesota

TW: 2-2

Indianapolis 28, NY Jets 27

Pick: Colts

The Colts stave off a late Jets surge in New York. Anthony Richardson would start in this game as he hit 20 of 30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass to Josh Downs. Anthony Richardson had 10 carries for 32 yards with two touchdowns. A better start for him as I had thought the Colts would go with Joe Flacco since Richardson was the worser quarterback than Flacco. Obviously I was wrong. Jonathan Taylor had 24 carries for 57 yards in the game. It was kind of a rough game for him as he could not get a lot of yardage but did have a 10-yard run that was the longest run in the game. Josh Downs had five catches for 84 yards in the game. Alec Pierce had the longest play in the game for the Colts on a 39-yard pass catch. The Colts would score a go-ahead touchdown with 51 seconds left in the game but would miss the 2-point conversion. The Colts defense would hold down the Jets in their own territory and gives the Colts the win. For the Colts, they got 332 total yards in Richardson's return and improve to 5-6 on the season.

Aaron Rodgers hit 22 of 29 passes for 184 yards with two touchdowns in the game. Breece Hall and Kenny Yeboah were the players that caught the passes from Rodgers for scores. Breece Hall also had 16 carries for 78 yards with a touchdown run. Davante Adams had a good game for the Jets with six catches for 72 yards. The longest play for the Jets was a 29-yard play to Breece Hall for the gain. For the Jets, it was another slow start for them as they wouldn't get a touchdown until the 2nd quarter. It feels like a bit of a letdown for the Jets defense as they really were the stronger of the two sides of the ball. Their first five drives either ended in a punt or turnover on downs. The Jets had 253 total yards in the game but drop to 3-8 with a bye week to figure themselves out despite a small playoff percentage.

Next week:

Indianapolis: vs Detroit

NY Jets: Bye

TW: 3-2

Jacksonville 6, Detroit 52

Pick: Lions

A demolishing performance by the Lions. Mac Jones made his 2nd start of the season. He wouldn't do a whole lot as he hit 17 of 29 passes for 138 yards with an interception. Travis Etienne had 12 carries for 27 yards in the game. Brian Thomas Jr had five catches for 82 yards in the game. He had the longest play for the Jaguars on a 24-yard catch play. The only points for the Jaguars were two Cam Little field goals, one of them from 59 yards in the indoor stadium. The name of the game for the Jaguars was not enough offense, couldn't sustain drives (2 for 10 on 3rd down), and the defense not doing its part. For the Jaguars, they got just 170 total yards and drop to 2-9 on the season.

Jared Goff was on fire in this game as he hit 24 of 29 passes for 412 yards with four touchdowns. Last week he had five interceptions remember. Amon-Ra St. Brown had two, Jameson Williams had one and Brock Wright had the other touchdown pass for the Lions on Goff's passes. David Montgomery had 15 carries for 75 yards with two touchdowns in the game. Jahmyr Gibbs had 11 carries for 69 yards (heheh nice) with a touchdown. Of the 412 passing yards for Goff, 161 of them was from St. Brown who had 11 catches. It was a Jameson Williams catch that went for the big play on a 64-yard play that went for a score. He had four catches for 124 yards. It was a real team effort in the game, the offense had a crazy amount of yards with 645 which set a franchise record for yards and point margin with 46. It was a game that probably the Lions faithful was hoping for for a long time. You have to feel for them having to go through many seasons for so long in the cellar. For the Lions, they improve to 9-1 on the season. It was also a Scorigami!

Next week:

Jacksonville: Bye
Detroit: @ Indianapolis

TW: 4-2

LA Rams 28, New England 22

Pick: Rams

The Rams outlast the Patriots in Foxborough. Matthew Stafford hit 18 of 27 passes for 295 yards with four touchdowns. Two of them went to Cooper Kupp, one to Puka Nacua and the other went to Colby Parkinson. Kyren Williams had 15 carries for 86 yards. The Rams had a pair of 100-yard receivers with Puka Nacua getting 123 yards on seven catches and Cooper Kupp had six catches for 106 yards. Kupp had the longest play for the Rams with a 69-yard play that was for his touchdown that started things for the Rams in the 3rd quarter. It was also on their opening drive in that quarter. The Rams would score their points in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. It was a back to form game for the Rams offense as they really had their two key guys back and healthy. The takeaway for this one as Matthew Stafford was clean all game he was sacked zero times. For the Rams, they improve to 5-5 on the season with 402 total yards in the game.

Drake Maye hit 30 of 40 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns but also had an interception in the game. He would also have a fumble on a big hit by the Rams defense. Kendrick Bourne caught one and Vederian Lowe caught the other on a play where he made himself eligible. It was indeed an offensive lineman touchdown. Rhamondre Stevenson had 20 carries for 73 yards in the game. Kendrick Bourne had five catches for 70 yards in the game. Demario Douglas had the longest play for the Patriots in the game with a 28-yard play. The big thing was the Patriots staying with the Rams in the game, despite losing in the game. Turnovers were big as Maye had the late interception and the fumble that resulted in a Rams touchdown. Momentum was really in the Rams favor for most of the game. Defense kind of was a hinderance for the Patriots. The Patriots had 382 total yards in the game but drop to 3-8 on the season.

Next week:

LA Rams: vs Philadelphia (Sunday night)
New England: @ Miami

TW: 5-2

Las Vegas 19, Miami 34

Pick: Dolphins

A big 4th quarter gives the Dolphins the edge against Las Vegas. Gardner Minshew hit 30 of 43 passes for 282 yards with two touchdowns but also tossed an interception. Brock Bowers and Ameer Abdullah had the touchdown catches from passes from Minshew. It was certainly a better game for Minshew who was kind of having a down season. The Raiders run game wasn't a factor as Jakobi Meyers had one carry for 20 yards in the game. Alexander Mattison had five carries for 19 yards in the game. The longest play for the game for the Raiders was a 31-yard catch by Alexander Mattison who had three catches for 50 yards. Brock Bowers had a good day with 13 catches for 126 yards in the game. It was a big day as the rookie hadn't quite had the game he had prior to this game. The big thing was that their offense couldn't do a lot of damage but their defense would give up a lot of points in the 4th quarter when the game was still a fairly tight contest. The Raiders had 328 total yards in the game but drop to 2-8 on the season.

Tua Tagovailoa had 28 of 36 passes for 288 yards with three touchdowns. Jonnu Smith had two catches for touchdowns and Tyreek Hill had the other catch for a touchdown. De'Von Achane had 17 carries for 73 yards with a touchdown. He had a 30-yard run that was the longest run in the game. Jonnu Smith had six catches for 101 yards and had the longest pass play for the Dolphins with a 57-yard catch for the touchdown. It was a game where the Dolphins feel like their back on track to et to where they need to be. They still have a bit of work to do as they have now a 4-6 record but still are behind a few teams in the wild card hunt. The Dolphins scored 17 points in the 4th quarter to help seal the deal in the game. Miami finished with 353 total yards in the game with a date against New England next week.

Next week:

Las Vegas: vs Denver
Miami: vs New England

TW: 6-2

Minnesota 23, Tennessee 13

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings take care of business in Tennessee. Sam Darnold hit 20 of 32 passes for 246 yards with two touchdowns. He had zero touchdowns and three interceptions against Jacksonville last week. Jordan Addison and Cam Akers were the players that caught the passes from Darnold for scores. Darnold also rushed in for a score on a 1-yard touchdown, finishing the game with 18 yards rushing. Aaron Jones had 15 carries for 39 yards in the game. Justin Jefferson had six catches for 81 yards in the game. Jordan Addison had the longest play for the Vikings with the 47-yard catch to score the touchdown. The Vikings wouldn't utilize their kicker a whole lot as he would be needed for just one field goal and then missed two of three extra pointers. A certainly better offensive showing with 23 points compared to the 12 points last week. The Vikings had 318 total yards and improve to 8-2 on the season.

Will Levis hit 17 of 31 passes for 295 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Nick Westbrookhine was the recipient of the pass from Levis for the score on a 98-yard play. Will Levis was the leading rusher for the Titans with 18 yards on seven carries. Nick Westbrookhine had two catches for 117 yards as he was the leading receiver for the Titans. It was a game like most others for the Titans as they really couldn't get a lot of yardage in the game. Let alone sustain drives. It was somehow interesting as they held Justin Jefferson to under 100 receiving yards. Sadly they wouldn't get the win. Tennessee had 294 total yards and drop to 2-8 on the season.

Next week:

Minnesota: @ Chicago
Tennessee: @ Houston

TW: 7-2

Atlanta 6, Denver 38

Pick: Broncos

A rout by the Broncos as Bo Nix shines. Kirk Cousins hit 18 of 27 passes for 173 yards with an interception. With the loss assured, the Falcons trotted out Michael Penix Jr., the man the Falcons drafted to eventually replace Cousins, hit 2 of 4 passes for 24 yards in the game. Penix Jr. was drafted out of the University of Washington. Bijan Robinson had 12 carries for 35 yards. Drake London had three catches for 61 yards in the game. Michael Penix's first pass was a completion to RayRay McCloud for a 20-yard gain. Atlanta had 226 total yards in the game. It was obviously a bad loss as they were really out of sync for most of the game. The six points came on Younghoe Koo hitting two field goals. The Falcons drop to 6-5 on the season with the NFC South still open for the taking.

Bo Nix hit 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards with four touchdowns. Of the players that caught the passes were: Lilijordan Humphrey, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin and Nate Adkins. Javonte Williams scored a touchdown with nine carries and 59 yards. Cortland Sutton had seven catches for 78 yards in the game. The longest play came to LiliJordan Humphrey on a 41-yard play that resulted in a touchdown for him. It was a game where the Broncos rebounded after a tough loss to the Chiefs on a blocked field goal. The game gave Broncos fans hope that maybe they have found the quarterback of the future and that might last for a while. For the Broncos, they racked up an even 400 yards of offense and improve to 6-5 on the season.

Next week:

Atlanta: Bye
Denver: @ Las Vegas

TW: 8-2

Seattle 20, San Francisco 17

Pick: 49ers

A rushing touchdown by Geno Smith helps give Seattle a needed win against rival San Francisco. Smith hit 25 of 32 passes for 221 yards with an interception. He would get the aforementioned touchdown while getting four carries for 29 yards. The touchdown went on a 13-yard scramble with 18 seconds left in regulation. Kenneth Walker had 14 carries for 54 yards with a touchdown run as well. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 10 carries for 110 yards. The longest play for the Seahawks was on a 26-yard play for a catch by DK Metcalf. It was a big game but the Seahawks would come from behind and got the 3-point win on a 11-play, 80 yard drive with 2:26 of ball possession. Seattle had 289 total yards in the game and end a six-game losing streak to the 49ers dating back to 2021. They improve to 5-5 on the season.

Brock Purdy hit 21 of 28 passes for 159 yards with a touchdown and an interception while rushing for 40 yards with a touchdown. Jauan Jennings was the Niners player that caught the pass by Purdy for the touchdown. Christian McCaffrey had 19 carries for 79 yards. A bit more of a workload for him than last week. Jauan Jennings had 10 catches for 91 yards in the game and had the longest play for the 49ers on a 22-yard catch. The pattern of the Niners losses are this: have a lead with less than two minutes left and then give it up at the last possible moment. The offense would stall out on the 2nd to last drive with time left for Seattle to come back. The Niners had 277 total yards in the game and drop to 5-5 on the season.

Next week:

Seattle: vs Arizona
San Francisco: @ Green Bay

TW: 8-3

Kansas City 21, Buffalo 30

Pick: Bills

Mahomes-Allen VIII didn't disappoint. Patrick Mahomes hit 23 of 33 passes for 196 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Xaiver Worthy caught one and Noah Gray had two of the three passes thrown by Mahomes for six points. The two interceptions were results of bad decisions, one of them came on the last Chiefs drive of the game. Kareem hunt had 60 yards on 14 carries and had the 17-yard run being the longest run play for the Chiefs. Xavier Worthy caught four passes for 61 yards and had the longest play for the Chiefs on a 31-yard pass for a catch. Travis Kelce had two catches for eight yards. The turnovers really hurt the Chiefs in this game. They would come close to gaining a lead but they wouldn't achieve it in this game. Punts were abundant as they had to punt four times in the game. Kansas City had 259 total yards in the game and lose their first game of the season with a 9-1 record. The 1972 Miami Dolphins are sure to celebrate tonight as they remain the only team in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated.

Josh Allen had 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He rushed 12 times for 55 yards with the 26-yard touchdown that helped seal the deal for the Bills in the game. James Cook had nine carries for 20 yards with two touchdowns. Curtis Samuel was the player that caught the touchdown pass from Allen with five catches and 58 yards in the game. The longest play for the Bills was a 30-yard pass to Amari Cooper who had two catches for 55 yards in the game. The win continues a trend against the Chiefs, they dominate them in the regular season. Much to their dismay, the Chiefs tend to dominate in the playoffs. You know, the games that matter most. The Bills had 366 total yards in the game and improve to 9-2 on the season with a sizable lead in the AFC East on a bye next week.

Next week:

Kansas City: @ Carolina
Buffalo: Bye

TW: 9-3

Cincinnati 27, LA Chargers 34

Pick: Chargers

A late JK Dobbins touchdown gives the Chargers the win against Cincinnati. Joe Burrow hit 28 of 50 passes for 356 yards with three touchdowns. Tee Higgins caught one and Ja'Marr Chase had two of the three touchdown passes from Burrow. Chase Brown had some good yardage as he had 22 carries for 86 yards in the game. Tee Higgins had nine catches in the game with 148 yards receiving. He also had the longest play for the Bengals on a 42-yard catch for the touchdown. It was a game like their past games, the offense does what it can to keep them in games but also let their defense give up more points than them. Sadly, the loss likely gives them a deepening feeling that they won't make the playoffs. The Bengals had 452 total yards in the game and drop to 4-7 on the season with a bye next week.

Justin Herbert hit 17 of 36 passes for 297 yards and two touchdowns. Will Dissly and Quentin Johnston were the players that caught the passes from Herbert for scores. Herbert had five carries for 65 yards in the game with the longest play in the game being a 30-yard run. JK Dobbins had 11 carries for 56 yards with two touchdowns. Ladd McConkey had a good game as he caught six passes for 123 yards. Will Dissly had the longest pass play in the game as he caught a 29-yard pass from Herbert. It was a tight game as the Bengals offense gave the Chargers all it could handle. Suffice to say, the Chargers offense would find the Bengals defense a worthy opponent and found ways to win. The 2nd JK Dobbins touchdown came with 18 seconds left in the game. The Chargers had 435 yards of offense and improve to 7-3 on the season.

Next week:

Cincinnati: Bye
LA Chargers: vs Baltimore (Monday night)

TW: 10-3

Houston 34, Dallas 10

Pick: Texans

Houston gets the win over big brother Dallas in the Battle for Texas. CJ Stroud hit 23 of 34 passes for 257 yards with an interception. A quiet day for him indeed. Joe Mixon was the big man in the game with 20 carries for 109 yards with three touchdowns. He had a long play for a 45-yard run that was part of his first touchdown of the three. Nico Collins had four catches for 54 yards in the game. The longest pass play was a 37-yard catch by Joe Mixon. Of course he had a big day with 34 fantasy points. Houston's defense would get a fumble on a Cooper Rush sack that was recovered by Derek Barnett for a 28-yard touchdown. Kyle Fairbairn had two field goals in the game. It was a general dominating effort by the Texans. It was a running game effort with some help on defense to help seal the deal. It was a big win. The Texans had 391 total yards in the game and improve to 7-4.

Cooper Rush hit 32 of 55 passes for 354 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Kavonte Turpin was the player that caught the pass from Rush for six points. Bryan Anger threw a completed pass for a 4-yard gain. It happened in the 2nd quarter where it looked like momentum would be in Houston's favor. They would cut the lead to a 14-7 score. Rico Dowdle had 10 carries for 28 yards in the loss. It was a game where one would think the Cowboys would run a bit more in spite of the score. Having to throw 55 passes for Cooper Rush is a bit much. CeeDee Lamb had eight catches for 93 yards in the game. The longest play in the game was a 64-yard catch by Turpin for his touchdown. I'm not sure what Dallas is doing in keeping Mike McCarthy around as head coach. It feels like a lost cause and if I was a Cowboys fan, I would demand a refund if they keep getting blown out in their own building. At least they can't blame the sun for this one. The Cowboys had 388 total yards in the game and drop to 3-7 and had their first loss against the Texans in the history of the series.

Next week:

Houston: vs Tennessee
Dallas: @ Washington

TW: 11-3

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11

Week 6: 13-1

Week 7: 13-2

Week 8: 9-7

Week 9: 12-3

Week 10: 10-4

Week 11: 11-3

Total: 115-51

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all on Wednesday/Thursday for the Week 12 Picks post! Enjoy your week!

-Tom

NFL 2024 Week 11 Picks

 Hello readers! Another week of National Football League action is soon upon us yet again. With the regular season hitting the double digits with weeks, so to is the playoff picture to keep an eye on. The regular season still has about eight weeks left and there's plenty of teams still left to get a playoff spot. In this post, I'll do a playoff picture for the week, a Week 11 preview and picks for the games and the Early & Late TV Broadcast pairings that FOX and CBS will put forth for the Sunday afternoon games. Let's get to work!

NFL Playoff Picture: Week 11

Let's take a look at the AFC...

Seeding

1st seed: Kansas City Chiefs (9-0)

2nd seed: Buffalo Bills (8-2)

3rd seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (7-2)

4th seed: Houston Texans (6-4)

5th seed: Baltimore Ravens (7-3)

6th seed: Los Angeles Chargers (6-3)

7th seed: Denver Broncos (5-5)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups 

Denver @ Buffalo

LA Chargers @ Pittsburgh

Baltimore @ Houston

In the Hunt

Indianapolis (4-6), Cincinnati (4-6), Miami (3-6), NY Jets (3-7), New England (3-7), Cleveland (2-7), Tennessee (2-7), Las Vegas (2-7), Jacksonville (2-8)

The big thing to keep an eye on is the Ravens-Steelers matchup as this could shake up the playoff picture. It should be interesting as well if the Bills can knock the Chiefs off their perch this week as well. They aren't in the same record but if the Chiefs lose a few games and the Bills win a few games, they would have the head-to-head record. Something to keep in mind. Let's take a look at the NFC. 

Seeding

1st seed: Detroit Lions (8-1)

2nd seed: Philadelphia Eagles (7-2)

3rd seed: Atlanta Falcons (6-4)

4th seed: Arizona Cardinals (6-4)

5th seed: Minnesota Vikings (7-2)

6th seed: Washington Commanders (7-3)

7th seed: Green Bay Packers (6-3)

Super Wild Card Weekend Matchups

Green Bay @ Philadelphia

Washington @ Atlanta

Minnesota @ Arizona

In the hunt

San Francisco (5-4), Chicago (4-5), Seattle (4-5), LA Rams (4-5), Tampa Bay (4-6), Dallas (3-6), New Orleans (3-7), Carolina (3-7), NY Giants (2-8)

A bit less exciting for the NFC. If the Lions lose a game and the Vikings win one, the Lions would have the head-to-head record as the Lions won against Minnesota a few weeks ago. A big thing to keep an eye on is the Commanders-Eagles game as the winner takes the 1st place in the NFC East. 

Week 11 Preview

The Eleventh week of the National Football League's regular season will start in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and finish in Arlington, Texas. Week 11 will feature a 14-game slate where 28 teams will play. Teams on a bye are the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It features six interconference games, four division games, four AFC games and no NFC games. There will be a Thursday night game, eight early games, three late games, a Sunday night game and a Monday night game. The Sunday afternoon block will have CBS handling the doubleheader while FOX will have the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks! 

Week 11 Picks

Note: All game times are in US Eastern. TW is me.

Washington (7-3) @ Philadelphia (7-2) (Amazon; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Eagles

The Commanders lost to the Steelers and the Eagles beat the Cowboys last week. The Commanders have really been playing good competitive football lately. They barely won against the Giants and they nearly held off the Steelers last week. The running game has been a good part of their offense and they had a good portion of plays on the air. I'm not sure how well they can handle against the Eagles on a short week. It certainly would be a big win if they can pull off a win against rival Philadelphia. 

I honestly don't remember the last big Philadelphia-Washington matchup where both teams were at a similar record and had the biggest implications for the rest of the season. The Eagles should try to exploit a weakness in the Commanders defense in the run. Saquon Barkley had a limited role but still had a good amount of yardage in the win against Dallas. Make sense to keep him active but not overworked. The Eagles should find some holes in the Commanders defense and rack up some yards. I'm not sure on the pass as they do have a top-5 pass defense. I'll take the Eagles.

All-time series: Commanders lead 89-84-5

Cleveland (2-7) @ New Orleans (3-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Browns

The Browns had a bye and the Saints beat the Falcons last week. Last time we saw the Browns was a loss to the Chargers. It wasn't a close game as they lost to a 27-10 score. In just a few games, Jameis Winston has equated the amount of touchdowns and interceptions to their regular and overpaid quarterback DeShaun Watson. They should be able to get back to playing better as their stars get back to the fold after spending time in the injury list. The Browns aren't a huge pick to win this game but I'm not sure if I trust the Saints. 

The Saints were a sinking ship for quite a while. They had a 2-0 record and then fell to 2-7 before you know it. New Orleans had enough of Dennis Allen and got Darren Rizzi a win last week against the Falcons. They had finally won a game. It feels the honeymoon phase is starting to fade out. Maybe the Saints can win this game but the Browns defense isn't too shabby. Certainly better than their offense to a degree. Might be a worthy Toilet Bowl game. I don't trust either team but sadly it would be silly for me to pick this game as a tie. I'll go with the Browns. 

All-time series: Browns lead 13-6

Baltimore (7-3) @ Pittsburgh (7-2) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Ravens

The Ravens beat the Bengals and the Steelers beat the Commanders last week. Baltimore kind of got exposed a bit in their pass defense. They let Ja'Marr Chase walk all over them for not one but two 50+ yard plays. Perhaps it was just exposure or they just knew that they would win against the Bengals regardless. Cincy's defense is just not that good to be honest. The whole Ravens-Steelers rivalry has been waning a little bit over the years. It seems so long ago that they had a good rivalry going with defense dominating the game. I think the Ravens are probably the better team. 

Pittsburgh got a big win against the Commanders. It might've been a season defining win as they had a deficit going into the 2nd half and they got a late touchdown to Mike Williams. The Steelers certainly found more offense in going to Russell Wilson rather than Justin Fields. Wilson has six touchdowns and one interception. I think this game will come down to if they can slow down Derrick Henry. I don't think it's physically possible to stop him. I think the reason why the Steelers had been getting the upper hand in the matchups is that they haven't had a big power back in the backfield. I'll go with the Ravens. 

All-time series: Steelers lead 35-25

Green Bay (6-3) @ Chicago (4-5) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Packers

The Packers had a bye and the Bears lost to the Patriots last week. The classic rivalry renews as we get a glimpse of the Love vs Williams battle for the first time. Last time we saw the Packers was a rainy, windy rough loss to the Lions in Lambeau. They have had some time to regroup with the bye but need to get back to playing fundamentals, not turn the ball over, and go for the throat kind of football. Josh Jacobs should try to get going in this game as the Bears defense is kind of at risk of that kind of game. As long as they play up to their potential, they should find a way to win this game. 

Chicago was having a rough go of it and the loss to the Patriots has to be one of their lowest feelings in the campaign. The team was at one point 4-2 with a bye after demolishing the Jacksonville Jaguars. Say what you will about how bad the Jaguars are, the game is a tough one to win. Then the loss to Washington came and it basically took the wind out of their sails. Get it... wind... windy city... yeah okay. Pass protection broke down quite a bit last week as the Bears allowed nine sacks on their young quarterback. You can be the highest scoring team but if you let nine sacks by you, you're not going to win a lot of games, let alone points. Hence the three points the Bears could only muster last week. I'll take the Pack. 

All-time series: Packers lead 107-95-6

Indianapolis (4-6) @ NY Jets (3-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Colts

The Colts lost to the Bills and the Jets lost to the Cardinals last week. Indy has been a bit of a sad story really. They had a promising quarterback in Anthony Richardson. He basically might become the big bust to come out of the 2023 draft. At least at this point he might be. Joe Flacco has been a better presence on the field but the stats haven't really said otherwise. He hasn't had quite the season that he had last year with the Browns. The one where he basically got off the couch and proceeded to throw touchdowns and guided the Browns to a playoff game. I wish the Colts would find some way to get their running game going as that might be the key to this game. 

The Jets have been arguably the saddest story in the league so far. They had Aaron Rodgers back from injury, he would guide this team to a 6-4 or 7-3 record at this point possibly. They just haven't been that way. Getting rid of Robert Saleh might've been the worst thing that could've happened to them. They haven't won consecutive games since Week 2 and 3. They haven't scored more than 20 points in a game since the loss to the Patriots. I just think that the problems with the team might be just on Aaron Rodgers or possibly the team itself. Aaron Rodgers says that the Jets aren't mathematically eliminated but in the hearts and minds of fans, I think they're done. I'll take the Colts. 

All-time series: Colts lead 44-32

Jacksonville (2-8) @ Detroit (8-1) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Lions

The Jaguars lost to the Vikings and the Lions beat the Texans last week. A battle of the kitties in this one. Jacksonville comes into this game with a rough season behind them and things aren't getting much better any time soon. Trevor Lawrence was out with an injury last week. Thus thrusted Mac Jones into the scene. For anyone's surprise, Jones didn't do a whole lot. He barely had 100 passing yards or so and he could only put up seven points in the game as the Vikings proceed to score four field goals. The running game has been the their strong suit but the quarterback and defense situation hasn't been improved. I think the Jaguars are a big underdog in this one. I don't see them winning. 

Detroit got a big win against a good Texans team. They overcame a 23-7 deficit and won it by a 26-23 final. Jared Goff had a rough game with five interceptions. Rough might be a bit of an understatement had they lost. It has to mean something that despite that many turnovers, the Lions got back and won against one of the better AFC teams. They are back at home in the dome where their fans are waiting them. It'll be loud inside Ford Field and I think it's going to be a tough one for the Jaguars to win. 

All-time series: Lions lead 5-3

LA Rams (4-5) @ New England (3-7) (FOX; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Rams

The Rams lost to the Dolphins and the Patriots beat the Bears last week. Los Angeles has had a roller coaster of a season. They had a chance to win against Miami but they fell short because of a big deficit and having to come back late to it. The play of Matthew Stafford hasn't shown a whole lot either. He has nine touchdowns but also seven interceptions. The offense has had its struggles. I think a fair amount of it has to do with the injuries to Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The sophomore slump has probably hit Nacua a bit. Maybe the Rams can find some way to win against the Patriots. 

The Patriots have been playing better as of late. They've won two of their last three games. They nearly won against the Titans a couple of weeks ago had they led a touchdown drive in the overtime period. The play of Drake Maye has been promising. The defense had its best performance of the season against the Bears with nine sacks against the Bears. I mean the Bears offense wasn't supposed to be this bad at this point of the season. Rhamondre Stevenson has been a good option at running back. I think the key to this game will be a more mature version of Drake Maye. He has been a quarterback that is slightly getting better by learning from mistakes. I think he'll play alright in this game but I'll take the Rams. 

All-time series: Patriots lead 9-6

Las Vegas (2-7) @ Miami (3-6) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Dolphins

The Raiders had a bye and the Dolphins beat the Rams last week. The last time we saw the Raiders was a beatdown by the Bengals by a 41-24 score in favor of the Bengals. They haven't won a game since beating Cleveland in Week 4. The big thing for the Raiders is that their quarterback situation. Gardner Minshew hasn't really panned out for the Black and Silver and Aidan O'Connell hasn't done a whole lot either. Desmond Ridder has a small sample size of stats but he needs to quickly get more out of himself to win this game. Maybe the Raiders defense can hold them off so that their offense can get some points. I have some doubts. 

The Dolphins are a team on the up at the moment. They will need to continue to get better and win the rest of the season I think if they want a playoff spot. As long as their quarterback Tua Tagovailoa wants to stay on the field, he needs to stay healthy. He seems to be the driving force to what they need to get out of the rest of the offense. Mike McDaniel expects him to lead it and so be it. De'Von Achane needs to really get going as well as he has had a bit of a quieter season than last year. I think the Dolphins offense will have somewhat of an advantage in this one. Defensively, I think they should try to go for an opportunistic aggressive policy. Attack the offense with a pass rush. I think the Raiders will collapse. 

All-time series: Raiders lead 21-20-1

Minnesota (7-2) @ Tennessee (2-7) (CBS; 1:00 pm)

Pick: Vikings

The Vikings beat the Jaguars and the Titans lost to the Chargers last week. Minnesota had a pedestrian effort against the Jaguars. Sam Darnold had a bit of a rough one as he threw a fair amount of interceptions with no touchdowns. John Parker Romo hit four field goals in the win and it was enough to get the win. The defense of the Vikings did the rest of it as they allowed just under 150 total yards against the Mac Jones led Jaguars. I think the offense will get back to playing better this week against a Titans team. 

Tennessee has been on a rough path. It has to be a given in this season under first year head coach Bill Callahan. The offense has been not great. They have a good running back in Tony Pollard who can get yardage in a big way. Their best wide receiver is Calvin Ridley now that DeAndre Hopkins is now a Chief. Tennessee's best thing going for them is their #1 ranked pass defense. It might be a good thing that they're facing a great pass offense in the Vikings. They will need to be on Justin Jefferson like glue. Something has to give and not a lot of teams have been able to figure it out with the Vikings. I'll go with the Vikes. 

All-time series: Vikings lead 9-5

Atlanta (6-4) @ Denver (5-5) (FOX; 4:05 pm)

Pick: Broncos

The Falcons lost to the Saints and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs last week. Both teams suffered losses last week. The more shocking loss was the Saint somehow winning a game against the Falcons. The Falcons just got outmatched and kind of got outplayed a bit in the game. I know it was a 20-17 loss but the Falcons gave up the ball a bit too much and it was enough for a Chiefs win. I'm not sure how well the Falcons play the rest of the way but the Broncos are the next game for the Falcons. In hindsight I kind of like the Falcons in the game but they are a bit of a risk after last week. 

Denver had the most gut-wrenching loss of the two teams in this game. They had a chance to win a game by a field goal and somehow right on cue the football gods decide to shit on Denver and let the Chiefs block a somewhat routine field goal and survive to stay undefeated. They can giveth and taketh at some points in a season. The Broncos this season have been kind of an interesting watch. Bo Nix has been kind of a mixed bag at quarterback. Their running game has been kind of a non-existent thing to see but Nix has been somewhat of a mobile quarterback. The plus side for the Broncos in this game is their defense that has been a solid unit. They held the Chiefs to 16 points last week. I'm taking the Broncos. 

All-time series: Broncos lead 9-7

Seattle (4-5) @ San Francisco (5-4) (FOX; 4:05 pm)

Pick: 49ers

The Seahawks had a bye and the 49ers beat the Buccaneers last week. The last time we saw the Seahawks was a tough, overtime loss to the Rams. The Seahawks have been kind of a rough team to watch as of late. Their defense hasn't really been that great in spite of having a head coach in Mike MacDonald who is a defensive minded coach. The offense hasn't been playing up to expectations sadly as Geno Smith has thrown 11 touchdowns but also has thrown 10 interceptions as well. The running game hasn't been playing well as well. The Seahawks are just a weird team that feels like it is on the downward slope. Kind of forgot that they were also undefeated at one point this season as well. 

San Francisco has been kind of like Seattle but they have had a bit more success of late. In terms of injuries, the 49ers got hit by the bug as per usual. You have to remember that the 2020 49ers had a plethora of injuries after making the Super Bowl the year before. The Niners are starting to get better with their players coming back from injury. The whole Taybor Pepper vs Deebo Samuel drama was kind of weird. The long snapper was part of the issue with the missed three field goals against Tampa. If Kyle Shanahan says there's no issue, then there has to be no issue whatsoever. The offense has been playing alright and they did get a win against the Buccaneers that probably should've been more of a wider margin than really anything. I'll go on a whim and take the Niners. 

All-time series: Seahawks lead 30-23

Kansas City (9-0) @ Buffalo (8-2) (CBS; 4:25 pm)

Pick: Bills

The Chiefs beat the Broncos and the Bills beat the Colts last week. It is the big one as Mahomes-Allen VIII happens yet again. The defending champions come into this game with a lackluster ugly win against the Broncos. It took a blocked game-winning field goal for the Chiefs to keep their undefeated season afloat. The offense was kind of lackluster but a win is a win. Despite the star power on offense, they would only put up 16 points. It feels more like another defensive team like last year. I think the offense will need to play better as they are facing against the Bills. Keep in mind, the Bills almost won last year's contest but the term "Wide Right" is their kryptonite. 

Buffalo comes into this game with an 8-2 record. They have a really good offense and a defense that is just as good. They didn't get a lot of offense in the passing game but did rely on their running game in the game. They should find that to be useful in this game as well as the later games when it gets colder out. The good news is that the Bills have had Kansas City's number in the regular season, granted not in the playoffs. They are 3-1 against the Chiefs when the two quarterbacks square off in a non-postseason contest. I think the passing game will need to step up a bit as if there is a strength for the Chiefs, it is their defensive line. The defense of the Bills will have its hands full with Patrick Mahomes. I'll take the Bills ending the undefeated season. 

All-time series: Bills lead 29-25-1

Cincinnati (4-6) @ LA Chargers (6-3) (NBC; 8:20 pm)

Pick: Chargers

The Bengals lost to the Ravens and the Chargers beat the Titans last week. Cincinnati has been a bit of an oddity. They can look good one week and then lose them in the roughest way possible. Their offense started off slow earlier in the season (they lost to the Patriots mind you) and then they got going eventually. The defense has been the problem for them. It feels like Joe Burrow could score a billion touchdowns, but the defense would give up a billion touchdowns as well. Their defense will need to put a stop to anything that the Chargers offense offers them. They will have to get their run defense going and force Justin Herbert to beat them. Yeah kind of a risky move. 

The Chargers have had a rebound of a season. I guess it helps when you have a head coach in Jim Harbaugh who knows all about rebound seasons. Stanford, San Francisco and Michigan were the great recipients of those rebounds. It would seem to me that the Chargers are well on their way to a playoff spot. They have to take care of business on Sunday night against the Bengals. Cincinnati is a team that is slipping away in the playoff picture but they are still a dangerous team to deal with. Playing spoiler has to be something to keep in mind for the Chargers and their fans. Ja'Marr Chase had 55 fantasy points last week with 264 receiving yards. He needs to be watched at all times. I think its a possible toss up but I'll take the Chargers. 

All-time series: Chargers lead 23-15

Houston (6-4) @ Dallas (3-6) (ABC; 8:15 pm)

Pick: Texans

The Texans lost to the Lions and the Cowboys lost to the Eagles last week. A battle for Texas to end Week 11. Houston comes into this game with a rough way to lose against Detroit. They had a 23-7 lead into the 3rd quarter and ended up losing by a 26-23 margin with Detroit scoring 19 unanswered points. That hurt their pride but I would say also taking away five interceptions from Jared Goff was also a tough one to swallow. They need to realize that they have to win games by playing all of the four quarters and keep the foot on the gas. They should have a shot to win against the reeling Cowboys. 

The Cowboys are falling off the face of a cliff right before our eyes. Despite the contract to Dak Prescott, he hasn't fufilled his end of the bargain with stats and sadly with a hamstring injury. He will be getting it repaired sometime this week, resulting in him being out for the rest of the season. Cooper Rush not playing well last week against Philly was a bit of a surprise. He had been in this role before and he did fairly alright. Last week, he barely got to 40 passing yards. He will need to play better and find his wide receivers. The running game needs to play better as well, heck everyone needs to do better. I'll take the Texans. 

All-time series: Cowboys lead 4-2

Early & Late Game TV Broadcast Pairings

Note: Games in bold are being shown in my area, check local listings

CBS Early

Baltimore @ Pittsburgh

Ian Eagle, Charles Davis

Indianapolis @ NY Jets 

Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, Jason McCourty

Minnesota @ Tennessee

Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta

Jacksonville @ Detroit 

Kevin Harlan, Trent Green

Las Vegas @ Miami 

Tom McCarthy, Ross Tucker, Jay Feely

CBS Late

Kansas City @ Buffalo (aired nationally)

Jim Nantz, Tony Romo

FOX Single

Green Bay @ Chicago

Kevin Burkhardt, Tom Brady

LA Rams @ New England

Adam Amin, Mark Sanchez

Cleveland @ New Orleans

Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma

Seattle @ San Francisco (Late)

Joe Davis, Greg Olson

Atlanta @ Denver (Late)

Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston 

For more information on which game is being shown in your area check out: NFL 2024 Week 11 Maps

Records

2024:
Week 1: 14-2
Week 2: 10-6

Week 3: 10-6

Week 4: 10-6
Week 5: 3-11

Week 6: 13-1

Week 7: 13-2

Week 8: 9-7

Week 9: 12-3

Week 10: 10-4

Total: 104-48

2012: 164-90-2

2013: 162-92-1

2014: 172-83-1

2017: 164-92

2018: 156-98-2
2019: 161-94-1

2020: 167-88-1 

2021: 173-98-1
2022: 166-103-2
2023: 161-111

See you all after the Monday night game for the Week 11 Recap! Enjoy the games!

-Tom