NFL week eleven has concluded with some bangers! Many great games were showcased, and there were many bad ones, too! With showcases of last-second special teams play, juggernauts being torn down, and overall disappointment! Indeed, this week was top-tier NFL football! Let’s see what three teams looked like the biggest winners and losers!
Scrubs: Bears
A ten-game losing streak to the Packers was ready to end. Cario Santos from 46 yards out with three seconds left, down by one. Finally, the Bears can stick it to their big brother Green Bay and win against them for the first time since 2018. The Bears win, right? Lol. Karl Brooks blocked it! And here’s some more salt in the wound for you, Chicago! Brooks was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week, and the NFL officers confirmed that the Packer’s special teams committed a penalty on the play. Four losses in a row, Chicago! Enjoy facing the Vikings next week!
Dubs: Eagles
Thursday night football showcases an NFC East rivalry between Philadelphia and Washington. Despite Jake Elliot’s worst performance of his career, with two missed fields and an additional XP, the Eagles managed to pull out a win and keep the lead in the NFC East. Saquan looks unstoppable, Jalen Hurts stays consistent, and the defense did well with three sacks and a pick. If the Eagles can get it together coaching-wise and make smarter decisions, they might be a dark horse for an NFC title appearance. Crazier things have happened.
Scrubs: Falcons
Either the Falcons suck, or the Broncos wanted blood because of the blocked field goal last week. Either way, Atlanta is cooked! The Falcons started off 6-3 and looked hotter than ever! And with the division crumbling, the dirty birds looked like they could run away with this division like bandits. Well, for the first half of this season, let’s just say the Falcons were up 28-3. The next two games may very well decide if they take this division early, or it’ll go down to the wire for them. The Chargers and Vikings are next up. If Atlanta can put them away, they may have the division. If not, well, I don’t wanna jinx anything, but the Saints have won two games in a row, and the Buccaneers, over the next three weeks, face teams with losing records. Falcons, you better tread lightly now.
Dubs: Seahawks
A must-win for Seattle if they wanna stay in the NFC West race. The only problem? They’re facing a team they haven’t beaten in six games. The 49ers, despite the injuries, seem to be coming away with a big win that could put them close in the race for the West title. The Seahawks are down by four with 19 seconds left from the 49ers 13-yard line. Despite all the criticism and write-offs Geno Smith gets, he once again doesn’t write back. A 13-yard run gives the Seahawks the lead and a win on a rainy afternoon in San Francisco. With the six-game stretch featuring their two games versus the leaders of the division, Arizona, can the Seahawks make it to the finish line, are the Rams back in form, is Arizona picking up the slack, or did the 49ers get buried deep enough? My word, the NFC West is tight this year!
Scrubs: Bengals
From being up 27-6 to being tied 27-27 even, the Chargers were about to showcase that they haven’t really changed. Twenty-one unanswered points for the Bengals are an excellent way to show the league that the Bengals offense is back! Three straight touchdown drives in the second half show Cincinnati is ready to shock the bolts! And then, in a last-ditch effort to take the lead, the Bengals trot out Evan McPherson, their normally automatic kicker, to take the lead with less than two minutes. This is when you remember that McPherson’s magic wore off this year, and the Bengals can’t have nice things. A kick and a miss from 51 yards out! But don’t worry, Cincinnati, you’ve stopped LA from scoring this entire quarter; just do it one more time and—touchdown JK Dobbins, huh? I have a riddle. What is the only way to out-Charger the Chargers? Bungle it.
Dubs: Bills
Elite talent versus black magic. Who ya got? With a 4th down and two, the Bills were up by two with less than 2:30 left in the game. Well, if you can’t beat black magic, become it! Josh Allen runs through 4-5 Chiefs defenders for a game-sealing touchdown run! Josh Allen isn’t the Bills QB, he’s the whole freaking franchise! Keep him healthy, and the Bills will always have a chance of making it big. Congratulations, Buffalo, you’ve beaten the formerly undefeated Chiefs and solidified yourselves as true contenders! There is only one question, though: can they do it again in the playoffs?
Next week features seven divisional games, so playoff aspirations will very well be decimated next week. And a game that’s either gonna be a blowout or a close game with the Chiefs-Panthers, and a big AFC game Monday night pitting the Ravens and Chargers. Next week will be fascinating to see!
