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NFL Week 11 Overeactions: Mahomes Shows Magic, Colts Make Statement, Cowboys Show Impulse
SportsPulse: Separation Sunday? The 6-3 traffic jam in the AFC has dissipated after a dramatic football weekend. The NFC East newspaper jam is just beginning. Mackenzie Salmon is reacting to all of the biggest Week 11 action in the NFL.
Week 11 in the NFL brought a devastating injury to one of the league’s best rookies, a stand-out reserve passer and a new start for “America’s Team.”
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has hinted he will be out for the season, Taysom Hill has shone for the Saints and the Cowboys have remained alive in the NFC East. This is the time of the season when the playoff races tighten up and teams with stronger cases start to separate themselves from the rest of the field.
OPINION: Titans leave no doubt who ‘wanted him more’ as Ravens raise questions about their will
MORE: 32 things we learned from week 11 of the 2020 NFL season
Here are the winners and losers of week 11.
WINNERS
The leaders’ quest for a title defense
They avoided a second loss to a division rival and extended their lead in the AFC West. The Chiefs, thanks to an exciting comeback in the fourth quarter in a home and away game, beat the Raiders, 35-31. There are a few defensive issues Kansas City will need to work on as the season progresses, but their offense and quarterback Patrick Mahomes give this team a shot at winning every game.
Mahomes’ mastery of this attack has positioned him as one of the favorites for the MVP race. The way he caught safety on the pitch as he shot straight on the winning touchdown, leaving tight winger Travis Kelce wide open in the back of the end zone, shows just how advanced his strategic handling is. in the greatest moments. The Steelers hold an advantage in the AFC as the only undefeated team, so this victory over a rival and a rising team goes a long way towards a successful playoff series.
Cowboys
In a season where so much has gone wrong, the Cowboys are starting to play their best football. And while their defense still gives an absurd amount of footage, the unit has been far better in the situational moments when Dallas has needed key saves. In a 31-28 win over the Vikings, the running game was revived and Dallas fought back after Minnesota took the lead.
In the horrific NFC East, where each team has just three wins, the Cowboys may be in the best position to come out of the fray. It is even with their duty to start the backup Andy Dalton at quarterback. Minnesota entered the day fifth in rushing offense, but Dallas edged the Vikings by 180 yards to 125 rushing. Dragging right guard Zack Martin to tackle may have been the catalyst. Not only did the running game wake up, but a normally strong Viking passing run only sacked Dalton once. This season has shown that a team doesn’t have to be perfect to compete in the NFC East. Dallas is flawed, but he might just have enough talent to win the division.
AFC South Top (Part I)
The Colts faced two separate 14-point deficits and committed far too many penalties, but a second half – and four takeaways – were the keys to knocking down the Packers, 34-31. Indianapolis fired back and beat Green Bay by a 20-3 margin in the second half.
While Indianapolis’ first three forced turnovers didn’t yield any points, award an aggressive Colts defense that has consistently made Packers players uncomfortable. The fourth and most important win, a forced overtime fumble on a hit against Green Bay wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in Packers territory, led to the winning basket for Rodrigo Blankenship. The Colts are now tied at the top of the division and, thanks to a robust offensive line that allowed for the fewest sacks in the NFL (nine) and a strong defense in the middle, this team has a recipe that could lead to success in playoffs.
AFC South Top (Part II)
After a tough month in which Tennessee lost three of four games, the Titans rebounded with a huge 30-24 overtime win over another AFC powerhouse, the Ravens. The most positive part of the win was that it relied on a weapon familiar to running back Derrick Henry and a few areas that have been problematic this season: red zone defense and special teams.
Kicker Stephen Gostkowski connected on his three field goals and one extra point after stretches this year in which he struggled. And the red zone defense, which entered Sunday’s 28th, allowing touchdowns in just under 75% of its opponents’ trips inside the 20, limited Baltimore to conversions on one of four. With the Colts and Titans tied at 7-3, that sets up what should be a close finish in the division for the rest of the time.
Sean payton
After word spread at the end of the week that utility player Taysom Hill and not Jameis Winston would start at quarterback in place of injured Drew Brees, speculation emerged that it was a ploy to try to confuse the Falcons. But after Hill produced in New Orleans’ dominant 24-9 win over the Falcons, it showed just how competent and efficient this coaching staff is on offense. And it all starts with Payton, who isn’t afraid to take calculated risks and innovate to put his players in a position that helps them succeed.
Hill was a super-efficient 18 of 23 for 233 yards and added 10 carries for 51 yards and two scores. He avoided the big mistake, except for a lost fumble in the fourth quarter which didn’t prove to be costly. As the Saints continue to consider life after Brees, Payton’s planning in this game has shown that, at least in a small sample, New Orleans can craft a winning formula with the players they already own. And, if nothing else, it’s next-level trolling when the Saints head coach retweets a former Falcons wide receiver who had a sharp and – in hindsight – erroneous grip. Lastly, don’t sleep on the New Orleans defense, which is perhaps one of the most underrated in the league.
LOSERS
dolphins
There’s no way to sweeten it: the 20-13 loss to the Broncos was a massive disappointment for the Dolphins. With the Bills (7-3) on their week off, Miami had a chance to claim a co-header in the AFC East. Instead, the Dolphins’ offense stalled, the line gave up six sacks to rookie rookie Tua Tagovailoa, and the running defense was slashed to 5.7 yards per carry. Miami fell to 6-4 and now has to wonder if Tagovailoa was rushed too early for the starting position.
Head coach Brian Flores said the No.5 overall pick will continue to play his role even as replacement Ryan Fitzpatrick supplanted Tagovailoa midway through the fourth quarter. In a much smaller sample, Fitzpatrick provided more, although he had a forced interception at a double cover that sealed Miami’s loss, breaking a five-game winning streak. Suddenly, a team that looked like a surprising upstart had clear problems to solve.
Carson Wentz
At one point, the Eagles must be seriously concerned. In Philadelphia’s 22-17 loss to the Browns in soggy Cleveland, Wentz – again – was sloppy and reckless with football, clung to it for far too long, and made bad decisions. Despite being 3-6-1, the Eagles are sort of still first in the NFC East. To stay in the game, however, they just need to be more competitive.
But the team may need to consider looking to quarterback Jalen Hurts, selected 53rd in the 2020 draft, to turn the season around. While the Eagles have other shortcomings (the offensive line is always an issue and their quick defense often makes for huge plays) their biggest issue is under center. With Wentz, the Eagles failed to convert a single third betting attempt last week. Against the Browns, they converted on just two of 12. In 10 games this year, Wentz has returned the ball over 17 times. He looks like a hesitant player who is unsure of himself. If it’s not time for a change in Philadelphia, it’s pretty close.
Joe burrow
It’s part of the problem playing a young franchise quarterback behind a leaky offensive line. The Bengals likely lost No. 1 overall pick Burrow to a serious knee injury for the remainder of the season. The rookie was hit with his left leg stuck in the grass, causing it to awkwardly twist in a 20-9 loss to the Washington football team. After coaches briefly examined the injury, they took him off the field. Within minutes, the team officially declared him out for the remainder of the game.
Although Burrow wasn’t sacked once in the loss, he was under constant pressure and was constantly hit. Cincinnati entered the NFL on Sunday 30th with 32 sacks allowed. Poor offensive line play is one of the worst things a team can have for the development of a young passer, as it often leads to forced throws and turnarounds and is dangerous as well. For Burrow, it’s devastating because a promising campaign (65.4% completion rate, 2,688 passing yards, 16 total TDs, five interceptions) was too short.
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