What we learned in NFL Week 11 results: Cowboys surge, Lions stretch, Chargers still stunted and more

The two men behind dallas cowboysThe 1990s dynasty finally officially ended its decades-long relationship with team owner Jerry Jones on Sunday. finally — Decide on implementation Former coach Jimmie Johnson was inducted into the team’s circle of honor.

It only took 30 years.

“I really thought it was time and I wanted to do it this year,” Jones said Sunday. cowboys The match has started with panthers.

That was the most interesting thing that happened in Charlotte. There, Dallas improved to 7-3 after the game. A convincing victory of 33-10 Against the worst team in the league. It was the Cowboys’ sixth win of 20 or more points this season, and another strong day was the key. duck prescott (two touchdowns, no interceptions) and a defense that forced two turnovers. Keep an eye on cornerback Daron Brand for the final seven games of the regular season. He had six picks again on Sunday and now has four picks this year. With just one more, he will hold the league’s all-time record.

In Buffalo, it was five days after coach Sean McDermott fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and four days after he fired his quarterback. Josh Allen “We have our backs against the wall and the clock is ticking,” he admitted. Bills defeated Jets 29-6.the buffaloscored its first victory in three weeks, but it remains unclear how much of a victory it is against this version. jets I really mean it.New York finally benched zach wilson Robert Saleh said after the match that he did not know who would start for Friday’s away game. Dolphin. The Bills have an even tougher test next week in Philadelphia.

In Miami, the Dolphins defeated a rejuvenated team. Raiders squad, 20-13as a wideout. Tyreek Hill He was on track to become the first 2,000-yard receiving season in league history.

We’re in trouble in Washington. giants 3rd win of the season behind the two Saquon Barkley A touchdown catch and six takeaways from the defense.

In Los Angeles, rams He scored the final 10 points of the game and then survived a 55-yard attempt. seahawks kicker jason myers that just They won 17-16 and missed out on an escape. It was Myers’ first absence since Week 4 and the Rams’ first win in a month.

In San Francisco, Brock Purdy And that 49ers They picked up where they left off a week ago against Jacksonville and defeated the Bucs 27-14. After three midseason losses, San Francisco pulled off two convincing wins. and purdy was greatSince returning from a bye, he has gone 47-40 for 629 yards, six touchdowns, and no picks. (His passer rating on Sunday was a perfect 158.3.) A rematch in the NFC Championship Game. eagles It’s coming in two weeks.

Here are some highlights from week 11:

please don’t sleep denver…

perhaps Russell Wilsonis back.

Maybe the Broncos will too.

For the second week in a row, a beautifully high arcing pitch from Wilson to Courtland Sutton was the difference between Denver’s victory.

Denver pulled away from the pack. vikings Wilson started a 10-play, 75-yard drive that led to a five-point lead with 3:17 left. It culminated with a 15-yard touchdown to Sutton in the corner of the end zone with 1:09 left. Decisive play in 21-20 come-from-behind victory. It was the Broncos’ first touchdown all night after the offense stalled multiple times in the red zone and forced five field goals. Denver has won four straight, the last three against Denver. chiefs, the Bills, and now the Vikings, all teams were over .500 at the time. And Wilson has already led four game-winning drives this season.

The Broncos (5-5) remain a strong contender for the AFC playoffs. That 1-4 start seems like a lifetime ago.

It was Joshua Dobbs’ first loss in three games against the Vikings since being traded from Arizona last month. Technically, he didn’t start in the first game against Minnesota, but he threw two touchdowns in the win. He racked up seven total touchdowns in that span, winning against his next opponent. atlanta and new orleans And in the loss to Denver, he threw an interception Sunday night and almost threw an interception. His chance for a game-winning drive of his own was quickly shut down in the face of a relentless Denver pass rush, with the Vikings turning the ball over on downs.

charger Charger (again)

For the past decade, and perhaps even going back further, the Chargers have been exactly the same team, with rare exceptions. A talented quarterback. A talented roster. Overwhelming results.

Now, it appears the Brandon Staley era has reached a critical juncture, and it’s not a stretch to think the next seven games will determine whether he returns as the team’s head coach in 2024.Among the best quarterbacks in football Justin Herbert And the defenseman ranks third in total salary ($97 million against the cap). The preseason hype was there – as it usually is with this team – But even after playing 10 games, there are no results..

Los Angeles currently ranks third from bottom in the AFC with four wins and six losses. And since Staley took over in 2020, his defenses have ranked 29th, 21st and 24th in points allowed.

We lost 23-20 on Sunday to a bad opponent. packers The team talked about all this.The defense allowed Green Bay’s quarterback. jordan love He achieved his first career 300-yard passing day without forcing a single turnover. Herbert threw for 260 yards and two touchdowns despite three drops by receivers. Keenan Allen on the goal line. Austin Ekeler Had a fumble inside the 5. Asante Samuel Jr. He committed a pathetic pass interference penalty on third-and-20, giving the Packers a first down.

By the end of the game, the Chargers found a way to lose another one-point game. So far this season, five of the Chargers’ six losses have come by field goals or less. And they have yet to beat a team with a winning record.

“I have full confidence in the way we play, I have full confidence in myself as a (defensive) play-caller, I have full confidence in the way we coach and the way we plan. I have complete confidence,” Staley said. Press conference after the match. “We have to keep this group together and be consistent.”

Joey Bosaankle injury — Star defensive end left the game It probably didn’t help that he got emotional in the first quarter as he was carted off the field. A team that hasn’t won a district title since 2009 and has gone one-and-done in the playoffs three times since 2010, including last year when they blew a 27-0 lead in the wild-card round in Jacksonville. This season seems to be even more difficult for him. Same story.

Other than this, it looks like they won’t even make the playoffs, even with all the talent on this roster.

You have to wonder how long the owners can keep seeing the same script play out.

the best lions A team from the Barry Sanders era? Or longer?

It’s been a fascinating season in the Motor City. Dan Campbell’s The Lions were one of them. NFLThe best stories of.Sunday was its latest chapter, and one of the most improbable: his team was hampered by three opponents’ interceptions. Jared Goff Led the bottom of the league with four total turnovers. bear With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, the lead was two points.

With a nationally televised Thanksgiving game against the Packers just four days away, this looked like an ugly loss.

Detroit at the time Scored the final 17 points of the game, clinching the victory. With walk-off safety Aidan Hutchinson.

“The pressure increased and the heart rate leveled off,” Campbell said.

Campbell’s Lions are currently 8-2, the franchise’s best record since the Kennedy administration. He is one of the top candidates for Coach of the Year.Sunday’s 31-26 victory over Chicago was ruined. Almost encouraging return For the Bears quarterback Justin Fieldsplaying his first game in a month, finished with 169 passing yards and a touchdown to DJ Moore.

The Lions’ sixth-ranked offense has scored 25 points or more six times this season. Goff was essential — his firing by the Rams revived his career in Detroit, and he talked about it Sunday. Three interceptions were costly, but Goff underwent surgery late in the game and led touchdown drives of 75 and 73 yards for scores. Win in the final quarter. Hutchinson’s strip-sack safety gave the exclamation point.

Despite Stroud’s interception. texans Please stay red

The Houston Texans went on a seven-game winning streak in the 2021-2022 season, going through five quarterbacks and two head coaches (David Curry and Lovie Smith) in the process.

And Demeco Ryans is back., everything has become different. A few days before Thanksgiving, Lyons’ Texans are one of the most-watched teams in football, having won their third straight championship and six of their past eight.

Houston (6-4) held off a late onslaught to win its third straight on Sunday. Kyler Murray And that cardinals With the 21-16 victory, the Texans are now the 6th seed in the AFC playoffs. CJ Stroud, Leading candidate for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year AwardAlthough he suffered the first three interceptions of his career (one of which was a successful chip pass), he still finished with 336 passing yards and two touchdowns, marking his fifth 300-yard game this season. Ta.

In his 10th career game, he is throwing for the fourth-most passing yards of all time.

“Steph Curry never stopped shooting,” Stroud said after the win when asked about the interception. “I’ll let you ride like this.”

browns Win with a last second field goal (again)

Even if they had continued to win, it was hard to imagine. steelers Even though Mike Tomlin’s team had one of the most inconsistent and often unproductive offenses in the league, the formula worked throughout the season, leading to an AFC North title or even a playoff berth. Even scraped the way to get it.

Nine games into the year, Pittsburgh is somehow 6-3 despite being outscored in total yards in every contest. Entering Sunday, they ranked 26th in points and 28th in yards. Was it sustainable? No, at least not likely. But there was something to be said for Tomlin’s team finding a way to win. ugly as usual.

Criticism of offensive coordinator Matt Canada appears to have cooled, if only slightly, as Pittsburgh has won four of five games.

On Sunday, they lost 13-10 to a Browns team that played without their starting quarterback, marking the fourth time this season (all losses) that Pittsburgh has scored 10 or fewer points in a game.A few days after losing deshaun watson For the season, cleveland defeated the steelers on a last-second Dustin Hopkins field goal. Dorian Thompson Robinson, Watson’s successor; Led an eight-play, 48-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. It set the stage for Hopkins’ second consecutive victory. So far this season, the Browns have won four games on last-second kicks.

Cleveland’s tough defense once again led the way, allowing just 106 passing yards. kenny pickett, didn’t throw a touchdown (and had just 34 passing yards in the first half).Pittsburgh didn’t score until the running back. jalen warren He scored a 74-yard touchdown run in the first two plays of the second half. The Steelers are currently 6-4 and are in the seventh and final AFC playoff spot.

In a crowded AFC North race, the Browns (7-3) clinched their spot with a win. How far can they go with top-class defense? Their schedule isn’t so daunting the rest of the way. They only face two teams that currently have winning records ( jaguars and Texans).

But it remains baltimoreThe division loses.Continue Thursday night victory In the game against the Bengals, Players who lost Joe Burrow during the season The next day, the Ravens were 8-3.

(Top photo: Kara Durette/Getty Images)

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