The biggest question for Week 11: How do coaches, star players and teams top what happened in Week 10?
As fans and NFL experts continue to debate Justin Jefferson’s unbelievable catch against the Bills as maybe the best in NFL history, could we see an even better grab this weekend? Jeff Saturday came out of nowhere to become interim coach of the Colts and beat the Raiders last week. Could he top that with a win over the 8–1 Eagles? And speaking of the Eagles, the Commanders’ win against them on Monday night was the fourth time in the Super Bowl era a team that was 8–0 or better lost at home to a team that entered the game with a losing record, according to ESPN Stats and Information. And Ron Rivera and Washington have now pulled off the last two such upsets against Philadelphia and in 2020 against the Steelers. Rivera also made a big decision on Wednesday, sticking with Taylor Heinicke as his starting quarterback over Carson Wentz, whom the team traded for in the offseason and can be activated this Sunday. Heinicke is 3–1 mark filling in for Wentz.
So there are plenty of questions to get answers to with eight weeks to go in the regular season. And to answer some of those questions, Albert and Conor will take you through the Sunday and Monday games, noting the best matchups and the story lines they’ll be watching.
Jets (6–3) at Patriots (5–4), 1 p.m. ET Sunday: For most of the first half of the season, the Jets have seemed to be on their way up, the Patriots on their way down, yet a New England win here would give Bill Belichick and crew a sweep of their hated rival and pull them even in the AFC East. So, this is a pretty big spot for the Jets, and for Zach Wilson, who threw three costly interceptions in the first game between these two. —
Eagles (8–1) at Colts (4-5-1), 1 p.m. ET Sunday: This is a massive get-right game for the Eagles, who have already told us they’re hoping to fix some of their issues, specifically run defense. In the past 24 hours, they’ve brought in two veterans who aren’t going to add much on special teams, meaning they’re willing to pay whatever it takes to add depth to the roster. I wonder whether Ndamukong Suh will play harmoniously within the defense, or whether he’ll freelance as he’s done from time to time in different spots. —
Browns (3–6) at Bills (6–3) , 1 p.m. ET Sunday: The Browns’ defense is among the worst in football. At some point, they need to prove, even to themselves, that this is a hospitable environment for winning football to take place. Deshaun Watson, who is expected to return for the December 4 game at Houston, isn’t going to be a salve. While the Bills wouldn’t seem like the ideal candidate—this is a strange circumstance with the game being played at Detroit because of the expected snow storm in Buffalo—anything can happen. Buffalo is going through its midseason slump and is probably ripe for getting picked off one more time before it starts the push back to remind us that it’s still one of the best teams in the NFL. —
Cowboys (6–3) at Vikings (8–1), 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday: The Vikings are coming off an emotional overtime win against the Bills in the Game of the Year, facing a five-day stretch in which they’ll play Dallas and New England at home. And the Cowboys are coming off a heartbreaking loss to the Packers in overtime at Lambeau. Can Minnesota’s veteran core get its team refocused? Will Dallas have a little extra edge for this one, knowing they have a massive Thanksgiving game of their own against the Giants? —
Chiefs (7–2) at Chargers (5–4), 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday: I think this is the Brandon Staley–panic-meter game. And while that’s not fair—the Chargers have been battered by injuries more than any team in the NFL—it’s not going to stop people from hammering a team that came into the year with astronomical expectations. Difficult timing, for sure, as Patrick Mahomes is playing like one of the best quarterbacks on earth right now. —
49ers (5–4) at Cardinals (4–6), 8:15 p.m. ET Monday: After all the ups and downs of the first 10 weeks, San Francisco has a chance to pull even with the Seahawks in the NFC West on Monday night in Mexico City. And it’s happening with Jimmy Garoppolo rounding into form with a skill group around him. Meanwhile, this is Arizona’s shot, maybe its last one, at willing its way back into the race for the division title. —
