We are nearly three-quarters of the way through the 2023 NFL Regular season. We are now starting to see which teams can clinch a playoff spot and which of those will be officially out of contention for the Super Bowl. So, with Thanksgiving around the corner, Let’s review Week 11 in the 2023 NFL season.
The Rematch
Without a doubt, this was the game of the week on paper. In a rematch of last season’s Super Bowl, the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Philadelphia Eagles. This year, the Eagles seem like they are the better team. Having the best record in the NFL does that. But the Kansas City Chiefs know how to win the Big games. Will the Chiefs get another victory here, or will the Eagles get revenge?
The Chiefs had the opening possession of the game but were unable to do anything with this, and would have to punt the ball away to the Eagles. In reply to this, the Eagles also were unable to find a first down, and possession would turn over back to the Chiefs.
We would then see some offense from Kansas City. Led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs offense was able to advance down the field from their 20-yard line to the Eagles’ red zone and then down to the 3-yard line. From there, Mahomes found Justin Watson for a 3-yard touchdown pass to take the early lead.
But this lead would not last long. On the next drive of the game, Philadelphia would reply to the Chiefs touchdown with a score of their own. Led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles’ offense quickly made it down to the Chiefs’ 4-yard line, aided by a penalty against the Eagles defense. Then, D’Andre Swift would find the endzone for the 4-yard rushing touchdown to level the scores.
However, the Eagles would not be as successful on their next drive. The Hurts lead offense was able to make it down to the Chiefs’ 48-yard line. Then, Hurts threw a deep pass intended for Antonio Brown. However, this pass was intercepted by the Chiefs defense. In reply, the Mahomes-led offense was able to drive down to the Eagles 14-yard line. But then, as the Eagles did on their previous drive, the Chiefs would then make a mistake. From the 14-yard line, Mahomes threw an interception, and the drive would end.
The Chiefs would have more luck on their next drive. Mahomes and company would be able to drive down into the Eagles’ red zone and then down to the 4-yard line. From there, Mahomes would find a reliable target and boyfriend of Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce for a 4-yard touchdown pass to give the Chiefs the lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesThis lead would be extended just before the half. The Kansas City offense would be able to drive down to the Eagles’ 25-yard line, aided by a few penalties against the Eagles defense. However, their drive would stall here. This set up Chiefs” kicker Harrison Butker with a 43-yard field goal attempt. He would be successful with this as time ran out on the half. This meant that as the teams returned to the locker room, the Chiefs had a 17-7 lead over the Eagles at halftime.
The second half opened with a run of 4 drives that ended in punts. This streak would be broken by the Eagles. Starting from their 39-yard line, Hurts and company drove down the field and reached the Chiefs’ 10-yard line. From here, Hurts would scramble for a 10-yard rushing touchdown to make it a one-possession game.
The luck would continue for Philadelphia on the next drive from Kansas City. The Mahomes lead offense made it down to the Eagles’ 14-yard line. From here, Mahomes would pass to Kelce, who would then fumble the ball. The ball would then be scooped up by the Eagles’ defense. Luckily for Kansas City, the Eagles were unable to do anything with this.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut, with time running out, the Eagles struck again to take the lead. Hurts and company were able to break through the Chiefs’ defense and find themselves down at the one-yard line. From here, Hurts scored the one-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a slim lead with time running out. How would the Chiefs respond?
Kansas City had one final attempt to win the game. Starting from their 9-yard line, the Chiefs struggled to move the ball far. They were able to get down to their 49-yard line before an intentional grounding penalty forced them back 15 yards. This set up a vital 4th down attempt, with the Chiefs needing to gain 25 yards on one play to keep them in the game. Mahomes’ pass on this play was incomplete and the game was all but over.
The Philadelphia Eagles had defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 21-17.
Generally, for a “game of the week,” I found this game somewhat disappointing. For the Eagles, this victory gives them revenge over the team that defeated them in the Super Bowl on what was all but the last play of the game. This victory also keeps their strong season going, and the victory improves them to 9-1 for the season. This defeat for the Chiefs means that they fall to 7-3 for the season. Next week, the Eagles face the Buffalo Bills, while the Chiefs travel to Las Vegas to face the improving Raiders.
The Lions Leave It Late
After years of struggling in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are this year in pole position to win the division. This is mostly to do with their strong performances, and only somewhat related to the poor performances of their division rivals. One of these rivals is the Chicago Bears, who were the worst team in football last year (if you only go on the team’s win-loss record) and have not improved much this season. Who would win when these two teams meet?
The Bears had the opening possession of the game and would be able to open the scoring. Led by quarterback Justin Fields, the Bears offense was able to cross into the Lions’ red zone and then down to the Lions’ one-yard line. From there, D’Onta Foreman found the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bears an early lead.
In reply to this initial score, the Lions attempted to drive down the field. Led by quarterback Jared Goff, the Lions’ drive started from their 25-yard line and were able to make it down to the Bears’ 45-yard line. But then, Detroit would make a mistake. On the Bears’ 45-yard line, Goff threw a pass intended for Sam LaPorta. But, this pass was intercepted by the Bears’ defense. Luckily for the Lions, Chicago was unable to gain anything from this possession and quickly punted back to the Lions.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn their next drive, we would have Deja Vu for Detroit. The Lions’ offense would again be able to drive down to the Bears’ 45-yard line. From here, Goff would throw a short pass which was intended for Donovan People Jones. However, just like the drive before, the pass would be intercepted by Chicago.
But the Bears were unable to hold on for possession for long. On their drive, the Bears would be forced back to their 30-yard line, due to penalties and plays that lost yardage. Then, from the 30-yard line, Fields would find Tyler Scott for a four-yard pass. Scott would then fumble the ball, which would then be scooped up by the Lions defense.
The Lions would take full advantage of their decent field position. Starting from the Bears’ 34-yard line, the Goff-led offense was able to shake off their previous drives and be able to make their way down to the Bears’ 2-yard line. From there, Jahmyr Gibbs would find the endzone for the tying touchdown score.
But this tie would not last for long. On their next drive, the Bears would very slowly make it down to the Lions’ 13-yard line. However, this 14-play drive would stall here, setting up Bears kicker Cairo Santos for a 31-yard field goal attempt, which he would successfully make to hand the Bears the lead. In reply to this, the Lions would make their way down to the Bears’ 7-yard line. From here, Goff would find Amon-Ra St Brown for the 7-yard touchdown pass to end the half.
This meant that at halftime, the Lions would have a 14-10 lead over the Bears.
The Lions would have the opening drive of the second half but would have to quickly punt to the Bears. In reply to the poor drive for Detroit, the Bears were able to get some points from their drive. The Fields-led offense was able to reach the Lions’ 35-yard line before their drive stalled. This would set up Santos with a 53-yard field goal, which he would be successful with.
The luck would continue for Chicago on the next few drives of the game. The Lions’ next drive would not even start, as their punt returner would muff the punt, and the ball would be scooped up by the Bears, at the Lions’ 40-yard line. From here, Fields would find Darnell Moore for the touchdown pass to return the lead of the game to Chicago.
The Lions’ mistakes would soon continue. On their next drive, Goff and company would be able to reach their 46-yard line. Here, Goff would throw his third interception of the game. From this, the Bears would add to their lead, as Santos would kick a 40-yard field goal from this drive. The field goal would occur on the next Bears drive as well, this time from 39 yards out. This would give the Bears a 12-point lead with half a quarter left. Could the Lions come back?
The Lions would have possession next and would start a potential comeback. Starting from their 25-yard line, the Goff-led offense was able to quickly make it down to the Bears 32-yard line. From here, Goff would find Jameson Williams for a 32-yard touchdown pass to make it a one-possession game. On the Bears’ next drive, they would punt back to the Lions. With time running out, would be comeback be complete?
Embed from Getty ImagesStarting from their 27-yard line, the Lions were able to advance down the field and make it down to the Bears’ one-yard line. From here, David Montgomery would score the one-yard touchdown pass to give Detroit a one-point lead. They would then attempt and successfully make the two-point conversion, giving them a 3 point lead with time running out. Would Chicago level the game?
With 22 seconds left, the Bears had the ball on their 25-yard line to put it into field goal range. On the opening snap, the ball went past Fields rolled into the Bears’ endzone, and the out of play for a safety. This sealed the victory for the Lions. The Detroit Lions had defeated the Chicago Bears 31-26.
With this victory, the Lions improve to 8-2 for the season and continue their stronghold on the NFC North. The defeat means the Bears fall to 3-8 for the season. Next week, the Lions play their annual Thursday Thanksgiving game against the Green Bay Packers, while the Bears play the Minnesota Vikings.
DeVito Embrasses Washington
For the last couple of weeks, I have been telling you How the New York Giants have ruined my weekend. For the last couple of weeks and most of the season, the Giants have been struggling. They have now seemed to have settled on Tommy DeVito as the starting Quarterback, and he is slowly learning. This week, the Giants faced the Washington Commanders, a team that they seem to beat on 9/10 occasions. Would this be any different, or would the Giants ruin my weekend again?
The Giants would have the opening possession of the game, and unsurprisingly considering their current form, they would punt the ball to the Commanders.
However, the Commanders would not be able to have the ball for long. Led by quarterback Sam Howell, the Commanders offense was able to advance to their 35-yard line. From here, Howell would attempt a long pass intended for Dyami Brown. However, this pass would be intercepted by the Giants’ defense. Luckily for Washington, New York would be unable to convert this into points and had to punt back to the Commanders.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut the mistakes of the Commanders would continue on their next drive. The Commanders offense was able to advance to their 47-yard line. Here, another mistake would occur. Howell would find Thomas for a 5-yard pass. But he would then fumble the ball, which would be scooped up by the Giants to hand them possession.
This time, the Giants would be able to take advantage of a Commander’s mistake. Starting from the Commanders’ 45-yard line, the Giants offense, led by rookie quarterback Tommy DeVito was able to make it down to the Commanders’ 24-yard line. From here, DeVito would throw a deep pass to Saquon Barkley which would be caught inside the endzone for a 24-yard touchdown pass to give the Giants an early lead.
In reply to this, the Commanders were able to shake off their previous mistakes and have some offensive power. Howell and company were able to make it down to the Giants’ 5-yard line. There, the drive would stall, setting up Commanders kicker Joey Sly with a 23-yard field goal attempt which he would be successful with.
After a selection of drives that ended in punts, which is not surprising considering that these two teams combined for 19 punts in their first game, which again is nothing compared to the number of punts that happened during the Giants-Jets game. This would soon end with the Giants’ next drive. Starting from their 38-yard line, DeVito and company were able to reach the Commanders’ 40-yard line. From here, DeVito would pair up with Darius Slayton for a 40-yard touchdown pass to widen their lead.
In reply to this, the Commanders would find the endzone. From their 25-yard line, the Howell-led offense would slowly make its way down to the Giants’ 7-yard line. From here, Howell would run into the endzone for a 7-yard rushing touchdown. This meant that at halftime, the Giants had a 14-10 lead over the Commanders.
On the kick to open the second half, the Commanders were meant to keep possession and start a drive. That would have been the case if the Commanders did not fumble the ball on the return and the ball would be scooped up by the Giants. Now in possession, the Giants did nothing with this.
The Commanders would have the ball next and have their first actual drive of the second half. This would end in some points. The Howell-led offense would make its way down to the Giants’ 24-yard line, where their drive would stall. This set up a 42-yard field goal attempt from Joey Sly, which he would be successful with to make it a two-point game.
Washington’s next drive would not be as successful. On the Giants’ 35-yard line, the Commanders’ offense would fumble the ball again, and the ball would again be scooped up by the Giants’ defense. In reply to this, DeVito and company would be able to quickly advance into the Commander’s red zone and down to the 5-yard line. From here, DeVito would find Barkley for the 5-yard touchdown pass to extend their lead over Washington.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe good fortune would continue for the Giants on the Commanders next drive. Howell would throw another interception, which the Giants would again capitalize on. This time, New York’s drive would end in a 36-yard field goal from Giants Kicker Randy Bullock, who is filling in for the injured Graham Gano.
With time running out, the Commanders turned what was a two-touchdown game into a one-possession game. Howell and the Commanders’ offense was able to drive down to the Giants’ 8-yard line. From here, Howell found Jahan Dotson for the touchdown pass to put the Commanders within 5 points. Could they launch a comeback?
The Giants had punted on the final drive, which handed possession back to the Commanders for one final potentially game-winning drive. Howell was able to move his offense down to the Giants’ 48-yard line. There, one final mistake would come the way of Washington. Howell would throw one final interception to the Giants, and Isaiah Simmons would return the ball for a pick-6 touchdown to give the New York Giants a 31-19 victory over the Washington Commanders.
So, how did the Giants ruin my weekend? They didn’t. This win was entertaining and solely due to the incompetent Commanders offense turning the ball over on every drive. Quarterback Tommy DeVito had his best game of his extremely young career scoring 3 touchdowns, and the Giants became the first team to be sacked 9 times, force 6 turnovers, and score more than 30 points. Next week, the Commanders face the Dallas Cowboys on the Cowboys’ annual Thursday Thanksgiving game, while the Giants face the New England Patriots, in what could have been the “Jones Bowl” but Daniel tore his ACL, and Mac may not play for long as he’s is struggling and that might be an understatement.
The Rams Do It Again
The Seattle Seahawks are the second-best team in the NFC West. They’re nowhere near as good as the San Francisco 49ers but are better than their opponents in this week’s game, the Los Angeles Rams. That being said, the Rams defeated the Seahawks on opening day. Would we see a repeat of this this week?
The Rams had the opening possession of the game, but like many teams, struggled to move the ball far and had to punt the ball away to the Seahawks. In reply to this, Seattle was able to make their opening drive count. Led by quarterback Geno Smith, the Seahawks opened their drive on their 9-yard line. From here, Smith and company very slowly made it down to the Rams’ 43-yard line. Then, Smith made a deep pass to Jaxson Smith-Njigba which took the Seahawks down to the 20-yard line. However, the Rams challenged this play. Once the review came back, the play was ruled as an incomplete pass.
This would not stop the Seahawks offense, who would make it down to the Rams’ 8-yard line. From here, Smith found D.K Metcalf for the 8-yard touchdown pass to give the Seahawks an early lead.
The Rams did attempt to reply to the Seahawks’ early score. The Rams offense, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford was able to move his offense down to the Seahawks’ 2-yard line. This drive would also have a penalty on every other play, sending the Rams forward one moment, and then backward the next. When they reached the 2-yard line, Los Angeles had 3 attempts from there. The final one of these was a 4th down attempt. The Rams would be unable to convert on this down, handing possession back to Seattle.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Seahawks would then extend their lead. From their 2-yard line, Smith and company were able to, like their previous drive, slowly move down the field. This drive again featured many penalties. The Seahawks would reach the Rams’ 36-yard line, before stalling, setting up Seahawks kicker Jason Myers with a 54-yard field goal, which he would successfully make. Myers would be used on the next Seattle drive as well. This time, the Seahawks would not advance further than the Rams’ 25-yard line, setting up a 43-yard field goal attempt from Myers, which he would again make to extend the lead.
The Rams would have some luck on offense just before halftime. Stafford and company would be able to move the Rams offense down into the Seahawks’ red zone and down to the 4-yard line. From here, Stafford would find Puca Nacua for the 4-yard touchdown pass. This would mean that at halftime, the Seahawks had a 13-7 lead over the Rams.
The Seahawks would have the opening possession of the second half, but would be unable to do anything with the ball, and would punt to the Rams. However, on their next drive, Seattle would again extend their lead. Taking advantage of an extremely poor previous drive from the Rams, the Seahawks would start their drive inside the Rams territory at the 46-yard line. From here, the Smith lead offense would be able to make it down to the 33-yard line before stalling. This set up Myers with another long field goal attempt, this time from 52 yards out. He would be successful with this, increasing the Seahawks’ lead again.
Things would then become troubling for the Seahawks. Quarterback Geno Smith would be injured on a play near the end of the third quarter. This meant that backup quarterback Drew Lock would be in for the final quarter. Would this make any difference?
After this, a mistake would be made, but not from the Seahawks’ offense. From the Rams’ 44-yard line, Stafford would throw a deep pass intended for Austin Trammel. However, this would be intercepted by the Seahawks’ defense. Luckily for Los Angeles, the Seahawks were unable to do anything on the subsequent drive, handing the possession back to the Rams quickly.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn their next drive, the Rams would be able to trouble the scoreboard. Shaking off his interception from the previous drive, Stafford was able to lead his offense down to the Seahawks’ 6-yard line. From here, Stafford would find Darrell Henderson for the 6-yard touchdown pass. However, there was a penalty on the play against the Rams for Offensive pass interference. This struck the touchdown off the board and forced Los Angeles back 10-yards. This would not stop them. They would be able to make it down to the one-yard line before Henderson would find the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown. This made it a 2 point game with time running out. Could Drew Lock hold on?
On the third play of the next Seattle drive, we would know the answer. Lock would throw a deep pass which would be intercepted by the Rams defense, who only needed a field goal to take the lead. This is what they would get on the following drive. The Rams would slowly advance the ball down the field to the Seahawks’ 4-yard line. This set up a 22-yard field goal attempt for Rams kicker Lucas Harisik. He would successfully make this giving the Rams a one-point lead with time running out. Could the Seahawks launch a comeback?
For the final drive of the game, Geno Smith returned. This would be vital for the Seahawks’ chance for victory. They were able to reach the Rams’ 37-yard line. This set up a 55-yard field goal attempt for Myers to win the game. The attempt would be unsuccessful, meaning that the Los Angeles Rams had beaten the Seattle Seahawks 17-16.
This is the second time this season that the Rams have had an unlikely victory over the Seahawks. The victory improved them to 4-6 for the season. Defeat for the Seahawks means that they fall to 6-4 for the season. Next week, the Rams face the Arizona Cardinals, while the Seahawks face the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving.
what happened in the other games?
The game from Thursday night was between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens. While the Ravens would win this game 34-20, the bigger story would come from the Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow was injured in this game, and was ruled out for the season. Add him to the ever-growing list of injured quarterbacks this year. His season, and maybe the Bengals is over.
The Cleveland Browns faced the Pittsburgh Steelers, where rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson Robinson started from the Browns in place of the injured Deshawn Watson. For the last few weeks, the Browns have won their games on last-minute field goals. The same would happen this week. Browns kicker Dustin Hopkins would make a 34-yard kick to give the Browns a 13-10 victory over the Steelers.
Another week, another close game for the Los Angeles Chargers. This week, they traveled to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers. A late touchdown pass from Packers quarterback Jordan Love would give them a 23-20 victory, and the Chargers would lose another game within 3 points
The Miami Dolphins who were fresh off their bye week faced a resurgent Las Vegas Raiders side looking for their third win in a row. This would be a close game, but two late field goals would give the Dolphins a 20-13 victory
The high-scoring Dallas Cowboys faced the one-win Carolina Panthers, in a game that seemed over before it even started. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott would throw 2 touchdowns in their 33-10 victory
Embed from Getty ImagesLast week, the Jacksonville Jaguars struggled to score against the San Francisco 49ers. That was not a problem in their game this week against the Tennessee Titans. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence would throw 2 touchdowns and for nearly 300 yards in the Jags 34-14 victory
In my eyes, the current Super Bowl Dark horses, the Houston Texans faced what should have been an easy game against the Arizona Cardinals. But, with Kyler Murray back, things were not that easy. At halftime, Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was on track for a 500+ yard game. That didn’t happen. What did happen was he threw 3 interceptions, as the Texans held on for a 21-14 victory
49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy returned to his usual strong form against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He threw for 3 touchdowns and 333 yards in San Francisco’s 27-14 victory over the Buccaneers
The Buffalo Bills faced the New York Jets and unsurprisingly dominated them. Bills quarterback Josh Allen played well, scoring 3 touchdowns. On the other hand, Jets quarterback Zack Wilson was awful. So bad in fact that he has been demoted to the third-string quarterback for Friday’s game against the Miami Dolphins. Tim Boyle will start for this game.
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd finally, the Sunday Night Football game this week was between the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos. This game would go down to the wire, but a late touchdown from Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson would give them a narrow 21-20 victory over the Vikings.
So that was week 11 in the NFL. Next week, the schedule is a little bit different, as it is Thanksgiving. That means 3 games on Thursday and a game on Friday, as the Miami Dolphins face the New York Jets. We also have a battle of the concerning fan bases, as the Buffalo Bills face the Philadelphia Eagles.