Week 11 has been nothing if not wild.
In Houston, the Texans held off a comeback bid by the Cardinals, winning 24–19 despite C.J. Stroud throwing three interceptions. Meanwhile, the Lions staged a furious fourth-quarter rally in Detroit, coming back from a 12-point deficit to beat the Bears, earning a key NFC North victory.
In the late window, the Bills hammered the Jets in what amounted to a playoff game at Highmark Stadium. Now the difficult tests come for Buffalo with road trips to the Eagles (8–1) and Chiefs (7–2). As for New York, it sustained a third consecutive defeat with the Dolphins (7–3) on tap at MetLife Stadium on Friday.
Finally, Sunday Night Football gives us the resurgent Vikings (6–4) and Broncos (4–5). Minnesota is firmly in the playoff picture, while Denver is looking for a fourth consecutive win.
(This story will be updated throughout the day.)
SUNDAY
49ers 27, Buccaneers 14
Darren Yamashita/USA TODAY Sports
- What it means for Buccaneers: Tampa Bay (4–6) won’t be thrilled with the result, but it still controls its own destiny in the hideous NFC South. Only one game back of the Saints, the Buccaneers still have New Orleans in Week 17. Additionally, Tampa Bay also plays the Panthers twice along with the Packers, Falcons and Colts. It’s a soft slate.
- What it means for 49ers: Brock Purdy looks fully back. After struggling with five interceptions during San Francisco’s three-game losing streak, Purdy has demolished the Jaguars and Buccaneers. On Sunday against Tampa Bay, he threw for 333 yards on 13.3 yards per attempt with three touchdowns and no turnovers, finishing with a perfect 158.3 rating. When Purdy plays like that, the Niners (7–3) have a case as the best team in football.
Broncos 21, Vikings 20
- What it means for Vikings: Minnesota (6–5) remains in very good shape for a playoff berth. The Vikings’ five-game winning streak was snapped, but they have the Bears coming up next Monday night and in the NFC, nine wins probably earns a wild-card spot. For Minnesota, the additional good news is superstar receiver Justin Jefferson will be back soon, perhaps even in Week 12.
- What it means for Broncos: Denver (5–5) continues to find ways. The Broncos have benefitted massively from turnovers in the past three weeks, taking the ball away 12 times over that stretch. Offensively, the play has been inconsistent but Russell Wilson led a touchdown march when needed against Minnesota to win the game. While they remain a longshot for the playoffs, the Broncos can’t be ruled out.
Rams 17, Seahawks 16
- What it means for Seahawks: A crushing loss for Seattle (6–4). The Seahawks were leading 16–7 before allowing 10 unanswered points, putting them a game back in the NFC West. The bigger problem is the schedule. Seattle’s next four games include two tilts with the 49ers, and the Eagles and Cowboys. If the Seahawks aren’t careful, they could find themselves fighting for a playoff spot come Christmas.
- What it means for Rams: Los Angeles (4–6) is somehow in the playoff hunt. The Rams have a poor record, but the upcoming schedule is favorable. They play the Cardinals and Browns over the next two weeks and have games remaining against the Giants, Saints and Commanders. It won’t be easy to climb out of its current hole, but Los Angeles is alive.
Bills 32, Jets 6
- What it means for Jets: It’s over. The Jets (4–6) have spent all autumn stubbornly trying to pretend Zach Wilson can play. As it turns out, he can’t. Wilson was atrocious again, throwing a mind-numbing interception while failing to make any impact throws. As a result, the defense is spent and the offense struggles to score 10 points. With six losses, New York essentially has no margin for error. Up next, the Dolphins on Friday.
- What it means for Bills: Buffalo (6–5) did what it had to do. The Bills finally blew out a bad team, and now they go to Philadelphia for an important clash with the Eagles. After that, they get a much-needed bye week before visiting the Chiefs. If Buffalo is going to make the playoffs, it probably needs 11 wins considering the tiebreaker scenarios. At the worst, the Bills must split with the Eagles and Chiefs.
Texans 21, Cardinals 16
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- What it means for Cardinals: Arizona (2–9) had multiple opportunities to find a way to pull the upset in Houston, but the offense couldn’t get it done. Over their final three drives, the Cardinals got into Texans’ territory each time. Every time, Arizona couldn’t score a point. Kyler Murray looked good in his second start back from a torn ACL, accounting for 265 yards and two touchdowns, but it wasn’t enough.
- What it means for Texans: Houston (6–4) does nothing but play heart-stoppers. And after losing a few earlier this season to the Falcons and Panthers, they’ve now won three straight over the Buccaneers, Bengals and Cardinals. C.J. Stroud continues to look incredible, although three interceptions Sunday was both poor and shocking, considering he had two in his first nine starts. Still, Houston did the job. It won. Bottom line? The Texans are a very viable playoff team.
Browns 13, Steelers 10
- What it means for Steelers: In what was their most important game of the year to date, the Steelers (6–4) couldn’t muster any offense beyond Jaylen Warren’s 74-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Removing Warren’s jaunt, Pittsburgh accounted for 162 total yards, while Kenny Pickett was a disaster, throwing for 93 yards on 3.4 yards per attempt. While the Steelers still get the Jake Browning-led Bengals twice, along with the Cardinals and Patriots at home, Pittsburgh needs to find some semblance of an offense.
- What it means for Browns: Cleveland (7–3) is without a passing game, but the defense continues to find ways to win. The Browns threw for 165 yards on 3.8 YPA with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at the helm, but Cleveland did enough to limit Pittsburgh for the victory. Is that enough in the playoffs against teams with functional quarterbacks? No. Is it enough to reach the postseason? Probably.
Lions 31, Bears 26
- What it means for Bears: It’s been another poor year in Chicago (3–8), but the Bears aren’t quitting. Last season, Chicago started 2–1 before losing 13 of its final 14 games. While the Bears are still far from contenders, they’re fighting for second-year coach Matt Eberflus. Obviously, these next six games are critical for the futures of both Eberflus and Justin Fields.
- What it means for Lions: Almost every team in NFL history has a bad loss on its résumé. This looked to be such a game for Detroit (8–2). Then, the Lions came alive like Frampton, padding their lead in the NFC North despite Jared Goff throwing three interceptions. Avoiding what appeared to be sure defeat could prove key for Detroit, which now stays close to the Eagles for the NFC’s top seed while maintaining space in the race for the second seed.
Dolphins 20, Raiders 13
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- What it means for Raiders: Beating the Giants and Jets is nice, but taking down a contender on the road is another story. Despite getting short fields from turnovers, the Raiders (5–6) couldn’t sustain their offense. Aidan O’Connell was middling, throwing for 271 yards (6.6 YPA) and three interceptions. Josh Jacobs also struggled, rushing for 39 yards on 14 carries. The offense has been poor all season, and the woes continued on South Beach.
- What it means for Dolphins: Miami (7–3) has a defense. The Dolphins turned the ball over three times while also suffering a fourth-down failure inside the Raiders’ 10-yard line. None of it matters, as Miami held Las Vegas to 13 points, often speeding up O’Connell’s time in the pocket with two sacks and six quarterback hits. In their last game, the Dolphins held the Chiefs to 14 offensive points. Perhaps we’re seeing the start of a shift.
Cowboys 33, Panthers 10
- What it means for Cowboys: This was quietly a huge game for the Cowboys (7–3), who have a looming five-game stretch against the Seahawks, Eagles, Bills, Dolphins and Lions. By handling its business in Carolina, Dallas stays near Philadelphia, giving itself a chance to get back into the NFC East race should the Eagles fall on Monday night to the Chiefs.
- What it means for Panthers: What else is new? Bryce Young and the offense look woefully inept and the defense is asked to get off the field without much respite time and again. The result? The Panthers (1–10) are the worst team in the league, all while being without their first-round pick.
Packers 23, Chargers 20
- What it means for Chargers: Los Angeles’ defense is an abject disgrace. The Chargers (4–6) allowed Jordan Love to throw for a career-best 322 yards on 8.1 yards per attempt. Furthermore, in the final four minutes, Green Bay trailed 20–16 with a third-and-20 at its own 15-yard line, before marching 85 yards on four plays and a pass interference call. All told, the Packers racked up 397 yards and 23 first downs, often moving the ball with little issue. The problems for Brandon Staley’s group are unending, and now, the Ravens come to SoFi Stadium next Sunday night.
- What it means for Packers: Green Bay (4–6) kept its faint playoff hopes alive. The Packers lost Aaron Jones in the first half to a knee injury, putting the pressure on Love. Yet the first-year starter delivered, consistently finding downfield options to help Green Bay go 7-of-14 on third down. Although the Lions and Chiefs are next on the docket, the Packers should feel hopeful after a tough win at Lambeau Field.
Jaguars 34, Titans 14
- What it means for Titans: If there was any doubt about the Titans (3–7) being finished in the AFC playoff race, there isn’t anymore. Tennessee came out of its bye and got steamrolled by the Jaguars, who totaled a miniscule 235 yards. The Titans’ season is only about evaluating its young players going forward, highlighted by rookie quarterback Will Levis. Everything else is academic.
- What it means for Jaguars: After being blown out by the 49ers last week, the Jaguars (7–3) bounced back. With the Texans only one game back in the AFC South, Jacksonville needed to get right and did exactly that. The defense led the way by holding Derrick Henry to 38 rushing yards on 10 carries while Trevor Lawrence did his part, throwing for 262 yards while accounting for two touchdowns.
Giants 31, Commanders 19
- What it means for Giants: New York (3–8) is a mess, but for one day, Tommy DeVito was excellent and the defense forced five turnovers in a surprising win. The major headline was DeVito, who was unplayable the past two weeks, and then threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover, despite being sacked nine times. With the Patriots coming to MetLife Stadium next week, could the Giants do the unthinkable and launch a winning streak?
- What it means for Commanders: The Commanders (4–7) are finished as a viable playoff contender, largely because they couldn’t beat the Giants in any one of their matchups this season. Sam Howell threw two interceptions while Washington lost three fumbles, contributing to an inexcusable home loss which all but guarantees some full-scale changes come season’s end.
