NFL winners and losers from Week 11, plus grading every team and best bets for Eagles-Chiefs on 'MNF'

NFL winners and losers from Week 11, plus grading every team and best bets for Eagles-Chiefs on ‘MNF’

Posted by Admin November 20, 2023 NFL

Welcome to the Monday edition of the Pick Six newsletter!

It is officially Thanksgiving week, but I can’t even start to think about Thanksgiving just yet and that’s because we still have one more game to play in Week 11 and it’s a monstrous one: Eagles at Chiefs.

If you love Super Bowl rematches or brotherly feuds, then this is the game for you. Jason Kelce and the Eagles will be looking to get revenge on Travis Kelce and the Chiefs for Kansas City’s 38-35 win in Super Bowl LVII back in February. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, their good luck charm, Taylor Swift, isn’t expected to be in attendance tonight.

Anyway, we’ll be previewing tonight’s game in today’s newsletter, plus we’ll also be breaking down everything that happened on Sunday.

As always, here’s your daily reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. To get them signed up, all you have to do is click here. Let’s get to the rundown.

1. Today’s Show: Biggest questions after Week 11

If I fall asleep while writing the newsletter today, it’s because I stayed up until 2:29 a.m. last night recording a podcast with Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson.

The three of us touched on our 10 biggest takeaways from Week 11. Here are a few of the biggest questions that we tried to answer:

Can the Browns win the AFC North? Although the Browns are only a half game behind Baltimore in the AFC North, I don’t think they’re going to win the division. They feel like a lock to make the playoffs, but their unstable quarterback situation is going to keep them from overtaking the Ravens for the division title.
Will the Seahawks make the playoffs? Not only did the Seahawks lose to the Rams to drop to 6-4 on the season, but Geno Smith also got banged up. The injury to Smith is coming at the worst possible time because Seattle has games against the 49ers, Cowboys, 49ers and Eagles over the next four weeks. They might not win any of those. Due to their schedule, Brinson doesn’t think the Seahawks will get in the postseason, but I think they’ll still manage to sneak in and that’s mostly because the rest of the NFC is so bad.
Will Ron Rivera survive the season? If we would have asked me yesterday, I would have said yes, but that was before Rivera’s team lost to the Giants. The Commanders play the Cowboys and Dolphins over the next two weeks and then they have a bye after that. If they lose to both Dallas and Miami, I wouldn’t be totally surprised to see the new ownership group dump Rivera. I mean, getting swept by the Giants is arguably a fireable offense and that’s exactly what happened to Rivera this year.

To check out the rest of our takeaways from Week 11, be sure to click here so you can listen to the entire episode of the podcast. You can also watch the episode on YouTube here, which you’ll want to do if you want to see my sad Bruno costume.

2. Week 11 grades: Packers earn ‘B+’ for upset win over Chargers

Every week I team up with four of my colleagues here at CBSSports.com to hand out grades, and this week, the Packers got an ‘B+’ for pulling off an upset win over the Chargers.

Here’s a look at the grades from two notable games that were played Sunday:

Packers 23-20 over Chargers (Click here for full game stats)

Chargers takeaway: The Chargers couldn’t get out of their own way on Sunday. Offensively, they were plagued by drops. On the opening drive of the game, Donald Parham had an ugly drop on a fourth down in Green Bay’s territory. Keenan Allen also had a costly drop when a TD went through his hands in the second half. There was also a drop by Quentin Johnston, who let a huge gain slip threw his hands on a throw that came with under 30 seconds left to play in the game. Austin Ekeler also had a fumble inside the Packers’ 5-yard line. The Chargers also scored just one TD on four different trips to the red zone. Basically, the Chargers left a lot of points on the board and you just can’t do that if you expect to win in the NFL. Grade: B-
Packers takeaway: It took 11 weeks, but Jordan Love might have finally had a breakthrough game. The first-year starter threw for a career-high 322 yards along with two TD passes that both came in the second half. He also showed impressive accuracy, especially on a third-quarter TD throw to Christian Watson that you can see here. Love got some serious help from a Packers defense that held the Chargers to negative yardage on their final two possessions of the game while Green Bay was clinging to a 23-20 lead. This was a big win for the Packers and they’ll have a chance to pull off an even bigger win in Week 12 when they play the Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Grade: B+

Rams 17-16 over Seahawks (Click here for full game stats)

Seahawks takeaway: The Seahawks were in total control of this game with a 16-7 lead through three quarters, but after Geno Smith went down with an injury at the end of the third quarter, things started to fall apart quickly for Seattle. Smith’s backup, Drew Lock, threw an interception late in the game that set up the Rams’ game-winning points. Lock didn’t get any help from a Seahawks defense that also struggled in the fourth quarter. The Rams put up 144 yards in the final frame, which was more than half their total for the entire game (they finished with 267). Despite the fourth-quarter failures, Smith came back in on the final drive and quickly set up Jason Myers for a game-winning field goal attempt, but the Seahawks kicker couldn’t put the ball through the uprights. Myers was forced to attempt the kick from 55 yards because the Seahawks made the curious decision to not try and move the ball closer in the final 20 seconds. This game is going to sting because the Seahawks probably should have won, but despite the loss, they’re still comfortably in the NFC playoff picture. Grade: B-
Rams takeaway: After Matthew Stafford threw an interception on the Rams’ second play of the fourth quarter, it looked like his team was going to be left for dead, but then Stafford made up for the pick with some fourth-quarter magic. The Rams QB only threw for 190 yards Sunday, but 108 of those came during a fourth quarter where the Rams scored 10 points in six minutes. It was a gutsy performance by Stafford, who got banged up and was playing without Cooper Kupp, who went out with an ankle injury. As good as Stafford was, this win wouldn’t have happened without an impressive second-half performance from a Rams defense that only surrendered 87 yards over the final two quarters. Derion Kendrick came up with the biggest play for the defense when he picked off Drew Lock, which set up the eventual game-winning field goal from Lucas Havrisik. The Rams might be a long shot for the playoffs, but this win saved their season while also giving them a fighting chance to be playing in mid-January. Grade: B

As for all the other grades that we handed out on Sunday, you can check those out by clicking here.

3. 14 crazy facts from Week 11: Cowboys corner ties NFL record with another pick six

Every Sunday night, I get an email from our research department here at CBS Sports, and every Sunday, that email always includes some amazingly wild facts about the games that were just played.

With that in mind, here are 14 crazy facts about Week 11:

Pick-six king. DaRon Bland returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown against Carolina, which is notable, because it was his FOURTH pick-six of the year, which ties the single-season record. If Bland can get one more pick six over the Cowboys’ final seven games, he’ll have the record to himself.
Cowboys keep blowing out bad teams. With their 33-10 win over the Panthers, the Cowboys have now won six games this year by 20 points or more, which is tied for the second-most in NFL history for a team that’s only played 10 games. Only two other teams had that many blowouts through 10 games and they both made the Super Bowl (1999 Rams, 2007 Patriots).
Perfect Purdy. Brock Purdy finished with a perfect QB rating of 158.3 against the Buccaneers, which marks the first time since 1989 that a 49ers QB has done that in a game with at least 15 pass attempts. Joe Montana accomplished the feat 34 years ago during a 1989 season that ended with the 49ers winning the Super Bowl. Purdy finished 21 of 25 for 333 yards and three touchdowns, which got him the perfect rating.
You don’t see this every day. For the first time in NFL history, the Jaguars, Browns and Lions are all 7-3 or better through 10 games. A big reason for this is because the Lions are 8-2 for the first time since 1962.
Lions make rare comeback win. Going into Week 11, NFL teams were a combined 0-84 this season when trailing by double digits with five minutes left to play in the fourth quarter. The Lions ended that drought by coming back from a 26-14 deficit in the final three minutes of the game against the Bears.
Great Wall of Cleveland. Through 10 games, the Browns defense is only surrendering 243.3 yards per game, which is the best showing by an NFL team since the 2008 Steelers surrendered an average of just 238.1 through 10 games. The Steelers won the Super Bowl that year, so I guess we shouldn’t rule out that possibility with the Browns.
Steelers still haven’t cracked 400 yards. With 249 yards against the Browns, the Steelers have now failed to hit the 400-yard mark in 58 straight games, which is the second-longest streak in NFL history. The Steelers trail only the Raiders, who went 75 games without hitting 400 yards from 2005 thru 2010.
Home sweet home. The Dolphins have played five home games this year and Tyreek Hill has gone off for at least 100 yards and one TD in each of those games. That makes Hill the first player to pull off that feat in NFL history.
Close, but no cigar. The Chargers have six losses this year and FIVE of those have come by three points or less. The Chargers are in a league of their own with that stat as no other team in the NFL has more than two losses by three points or less.
Dolphins might start requesting Kevin Harlan. Dating back to last season, the Dolphins are now 7-0 when they have the CBS announcing crew of Kevin Harlan, Trent Green and sideline reporter Melanie Collins. If you’re watching a Dolphins game and that crew is calling it, you can just go ahead and assume that Miami is going to win.
Someone tell Justin Fields to stop running. The Bears QB rushed for 104 yards in Chicago’s lost to Detroit, which is only notable because the Bears are now 0-5 when Fields tops the 100-yard mark. That ties the NFL record for the most consecutive team losses when a player rushes for 100 yards or more in NFL history.
Jets are in an offensive drought. The Jets are the first team since 2009 with fewer than 10 offensive touchdowns (9) through 10 team games. Fourteen years ago, the Raiders and Browns both failed to hit 10 offensive touchdowns in 10 games.
Commanders sack attack doesn’t help them win. The Commanders sacked Tommy DeVito nine times on Sunday, but somehow still managed to lose by double digits (31-19). That makes the Commanders the first team since 1984 to lose by double digits in a game where they also recorded at least nine sacks.
Broncos on a historical winning streak. With their 21-20 win over the Vikings, the Broncos became the first team in NFL history to win three straight games against teams that won 13 games or more during the previous season. The Broncos’ last three wins have come against the Chiefs (14-3 in 2022), Bills (13-3) and Vikings (13-4).

If you see any other fun facts, feel free to tweet them at me.

4. NFL Week 11 winners and losers: Jordan Love restores faith in his future

You can’t have a week of NFL action without having winners and losers, so we have some winners and losers.

Cody Benjamin came up with this week’s list, which you can check out below.

Winners

DaRon Bland. “Everyone talks about Micah Parsons on the Cowboys defense, but not enough people talk about Bland, who read Bryce Young like a book on Sunday to tie the NFL’s single-season record for pick sixes, scoring on an interception for the fourth time this year. Bland’s ballhawking is a pivotal piece of a defense that gave Dallas another blowout win.”
Jordan Love. “The embattled young quarterback played with confidence, especially down the stretch. His 322 yards and two scores got Green Bay back in the ‘W’ column but, more importantly, restored some faith in his future.”

Losers

Robert Saleh. “Saleh finally turned to Tim Boyle, but what is the actual direction here? The Jets’ mismanagement at QB has been evident for weeks — months, even — but it showed very clearly in their critical defeat to Buffalo.”
Frank Reich. “Just weeks after turning play-calling over to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, Reich abruptly reclaimed the duties for Week 11, and yet the Panthers managed just 10 points in a blowout loss to Dallas on Sunday…. With Panthers owner David Tepper already impatient, and QB Bryce Young once again struggling to control the ball, Reich’s job security could be even thinner.”

If you want to see Cody’s full list of winners and losers, be sure to click here.

5. Monday preview: Prepping you for Eagles at Chiefs

The biggest Monday night game of the year is finally here. For just the ninth time in NFL history, we’re getting a rematch of the previous season’s Super Bowl and if tonight’s game goes like the other eight, that should be good news for the Chiefs. The team that won the Super Bowl has gone 6-2 in the previous eight rematches that were held the following season.

My good buddy Jared Dubin put together our deep-dive preview for this game here at CBSSports.com, and here’s how he sees the game playing out:

Why the Eagles can win: The Chiefs have had one of the top defenses in the NFL this year. They rank in the top-five in both fewest yards allowed per game (288.2) and fewest points allowed per game (15.9). However, if Kansas City’s defense has had one weakness, it’s stopping the run. The good news for the Eagles is that’s one weakness they’re built to exploit. Jalen Hurts hasn’t been as mobile this year due to his banged up knee, but he’ll be going into this game off a bye. If he’s now healthy, it won’t be surprising if he ends up with some big rushing numbers. D’Andre Swift could also play a big role tonight: If he gets going, the Eagles are going to be tough to beat.
Why the Chiefs can win: Putting Patrick Mahomes up against a struggling secondary almost doesn’t seem fair, but that’s exactly what will he happening tonight. Through 10 weeks, the Eagles have surrendered 257 pass yards per game, which is one of the five-worst numbers in the NFL. The Eagles have allowed a 300-yard passer in four of their nine games this year. The Chiefs are 37-7 in the regular season when Mahomes throws for at least 300 yards, so if he hits that number, it’s almost a lock that Kansas City will win.

You can get a full preview of the game from Jared by clicking here.

If you’re thinking about betting on the game, here’s one prop I like:

ONE PROP I LIKE: Jake Elliott OVER 6.5 points (-105). The Eagles have played nine games this year and Elliott has gone over 6.5 points in seven of them. With both defenses playing reasonably well, I don’t think we’ll see the type of shootout that we saw in the Super Bowl last year when the Chiefs beat the Eagles 38-35. Instead, I think both teams settle for a few more field goals, which will allow Elliott to hit the over tonight.

My prime-time prop record is 15-8 this year.

Finally, if you’re wondering who we’re picking, here’s who we have tonight:

Jared’s pick: Chiefs 31-27 over Eagles
My pick: Eagles 27-24 over Chiefs

Over on our CBSSports.com picks page, seven of our eight experts are taking the Chiefs to win, which leaves me as the only person taking the Eagles.

6. Extra points: Browns add Super Bowl winning quarterback

It was a busy weekend in the NFL, and since it’s nearly impossible to keep track of everything that happened, I went ahead and put together a roundup for you.

Joe Flacco set to sign with Browns’ practice squad. The Browns have added a third QB to their roster in the form of Joe Flacco. The former Super Bowl MVP, who won a Lombardi Trophy with the Ravens in 2012, has mainly been a backup since leaving Baltimore after the 2018 season. Last year, Flacco went 1-3 while starting four games for the Jets. For more on Flacco’s signing, be sure to head here.
Falcons turning back to Desmond Ridder. After benching Ridder for two weeks, it appears that the Falcons will be turning back to him after their bye. Ridder is expected to be the starter in Week 12 when the Falcons face the Saints.
Zach Wilson gets benched, might not start in Week 12. The Jets finally benched Wilson on Sunday and he might not be getting his job back. Following the 32-6 loss to the Bills, Jets coach Robert Saleh wouldn’t commit to a starter for Friday’s game against the Dolphins.
Aaron Rodgers eyeing a possible Week 16 return. If the Jets can stay in playoff contention, they might actually get Rodgers back. According to at least one report, Rodgers could return to practice as soon as Dec. 2. According to another report, he’s eyeing a Week 16 return, which would put him on the field for a Christmas Eve game against the Commanders. That being said, if the Jets are hopelessly out of the playoff race, then Rodgers likely won’t be returning this season.
Jimmy Johnson to be inducted into Cowboys Ring of Honor. The never-ending feud between Jerry Jones and Jimmy Johnson might finally be over. Jones revealed on Sunday that Johnson will be inducted into the Ring of Honor before the Cowboys’ Week 17 game against the Lions.