Week 11 of the NFL Season was a microcosm of why sports fans love the NFL. There were blowout wins, surprising upsets, and drama. A game that fell into the latter category was the Sunday Night Football matchup between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers. Justin Herbert and the Chargers held a 27-6 lead in the third quarter, but the Bengals were able to three straight touchdowns. However, the Chargers delivered the knockout blow with a J.K. Dobbins rushing touchdown with under a minute left to cap a thrilling victory. It means the Bengals will likely not be contending for the playoffs with a 4-7 record and needing to win all six games after their bye week. Another disappointment this season are the New York Jets, who are now 3-7 after getting destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals 31-6 at home. It was an awful result for a team that desperately needed a result. In this article, we will discuss the four biggest storylines in week 11.
1. Steelers continue to Lamar’s Kryptonite-entering the rivalry matchup in week 11 Lamar Jackson was 1-3 against the Steelers, but the Ravens’ prolific offense this season seemed unstoppable. Instead, the Ravens struggled to move the ball on the road in the hostile confines of the steel city. Jackson completed only 16 of 33 passes, 207 yards, one touchdown, and one intereception. Jackson was sacked twice and lost the turnover battle in a 3:1 ratio. The biggest flaw for the offense was not sticking to the run game which is the foundation of the offense. Derrick Henry had only 13 touches, 65 yards, and a touchdown in a close game. It appears that in the big games, the Ravens forget their identity and the ability to run the football as the key to success. The Steelers should be credited Russell Wilson managed the football game, and the Ravens remained in the game because the defense held their opponent to 0 of 4 attempts in the red zone and by forcing field goals. The Steelers proved they are Super Bowl contenders as division leaders, while Lamar is still searching for answers after another loss to his kryptonite.
2. Josh Allen is the new MVP leader after Bills End Chiefs Perfect Season Bid- entering Week 11, Lamar Jackson was the favorite to win the most illustrious individual prize in football for the second consecutive year. However, after Jackson’s struggles and losing to the Steelers earlier in the day, Allen had the opportunity to climb the ladder to the top if he could notch a good performance and win against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Allen completed 27 of 40 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown, and an interception. Also, he led the team in rushing by finishing with 12 carries, 55 yards, and a touchdown. It included the biggest play of the day, a 26-yard touchdown run on fourth down to put his team up by 9 points, and ultimately made it impossible for the usual Chiefs comeback. It was Allen’s 30th career game leading his team in passing and rushing yards which is the fourth most in NFL history. Allen busted the Chiefs’ 15-game winning streak and became the first offense to score thirty points against the defense in thirty games. Allen is 4-1 in the regular season against the Chiefs and delivered an MVP-worthy performance, but he knows that his 0-3 record in the playoffs will be all that matters in January.
3. 49ers Continue to be plagued by 4th Quarter Collapse- After week 11, the 49ers have a 5-5 record, last in the division but only one game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West. Yet, I think they are still the favorites to win the division based on the talent available on the roster. However, if they fail to climb out of this hole they will only have to blame themselves for three fourth-quarter collapses against their divisional rivals. In Week 3, the Rams led the Los Angeles Rams 24-17 with 2:00 remaining left in the game. However, Matthew Stafford led the Rams down the field and completed the drive with Kyren Williams’ game-tying rushing touchdown. The Rams stopped the 49ers and finished the comeback in regulation with a game-ending field goal. In Week 5, the 49ers led the Arizona Cardinals 23-21 at home at the two-minute mark. However, quarterback Kyler Murray inspired the Arizona offense to get into field range to kick the game-winning field goal. On Sunday, San Francisco led Seattle 17-13 with 2:00 remaining on the clock before guessed it, Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith executed a game-winning touchdown drive. The 49ers became the third team since the merger and the first since the 2001 Carolina Panthers to have three divisional losses, although leading in the final two minutes of regulation. The sad part of that stat is they have four more division games and seven overall for them to own this record. Yikes!