Week 11 in the 2024 NFL season is upon us, and the race for the playoffs is slowly taking shape. So, how did the Buffalo Bills, Baltimore Ravens, and Green Bay Packers (among others) fare this week?
The Bills end the streak
It has always been an entertaining game when the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills have met in recent years. These are two of the best teams in football, with many star players. This season, the Chiefs are living up to their high expectations and come into the game with Buffalo still undefeated. Could the Bills do what many others could not?
The Chiefs did not have the best start to the game when quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw an interception of a deep pass on their opening drive.
This mistake would be something that the Bills capitalized on. Led by Josh Allen, the offense made their way down to the Chiefs’ three-yard line. Here, James Cook found the endzone for the game’s opening score. However, the PAT from Trevor Bass was missed.
A couple of drives later, the Chiefs could drive down the field and reach the Bills 10-yard line. From here, Mahomes found Xavier Worthy for the touchdown pass, which gave them the lead after a successful PAT from Spencer Shrader, who is replacing the injured Harrison Butker.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut, this lead did not last long, as the Bills immediately struck back. Allen and company made their way down to the Chiefs’ six-yard line, and then Cook found his way into the endzone for his second touchdown.
However, Buffalo would make a mistake on their next drive when Allen’s pass was intercepted. Kansas City would capitalize on this and move down the field to the Bills’ two-yard line on the subsequent drive. Here, Mahomes found Noah Gray for the touchdown pass to return to lead them.
They would lose it on the stroke of halftime when Trevor Bass kicked a 33-yard field goal.
This meant that the Bills had a 16-14 lead over the Chiefs at halftime.
The second half opened with both teams punting the ball on their opening two drives. But, near the end of the third quarter, Buffalo put a strong drive together.
Starting from their 17-yard line, the Allen-led offense found their way down to the Chiefs’ 12-yard line. Allen found Curtis Samuel for the touchdown pass to extend their lead.
The Chiefs did immediately respond to this, with Mahomes finding Gray for a one-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, the Bills again widened their lead late in the fourth quarter, when Allen found the endzone for a 26-yard rushing touchdown.
With under two minutes left, victory was unlikely for the Chiefs. It became impossible after Mahomes threw another interception, his second of the game.
The Buffalo Bills had defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 30-21.
There are now no more undefeated teams in the NFL. In the last few weeks, the Chiefs had been lucky to win games, so it felt like a defeat would happen. They were completely outplayed by the Bills, who will relish in this important win.
Buffalo now has a 9-2 record and will win the AFC East (in my eyes, they’ve already done it due to the rest of the conference struggling), while Kansas City now has a 9-1 record.
Next week, the Chiefs face the Carolina Panthers, while Buffalo are on a bye week.
The Packers win by a finger
From one of the biggest rivalries in modern NFL to one of the most historic rivalries in sports. The Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. These NFC North rivals were in the running for the division a few weeks ago, but have now slipped back, with the Bears falling much further. Who would win this game?
The Packers had the opening drive of the game and would be able to score the opening points. Starting from their 30-yard line, the Packers offense, led by quarterback Jordan Love, was able to make its way down to the Bears’ 15-yard line. From here, Love found Jayden Reed for the touchdown pass.
In response, the Bears were able to score some points. The Caleb Williams-led offense made its way down to the Packers’ 35-yard line and could go no further. This set up a 53-yard field goal attempt from Cairo Santos, who was successful.
Embed from Getty ImagesA couple of drives later, the Packers would make a mistake when Love’s pass was intercepted on the goalline, preventing a touchdown. This was something that the Bears would capitalize on, as Williams could move his offense down to the Packers’ one-yard here.
Here, Roschon Johnson found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to give the Bears a 10-7 lead at halftime.
Chicago would extend their lead on the opening drive of the second half. The Bears’ drive would stall this time at the Packers’ nine-yard Line. This set up Santos with a 27-yard field goal, which found the uprights.
However, this lead did not last long. In response, Green Bay found themselves down at the Bears’ seven-yard line. Here, Josh Jacobs found the endzone for the rushing touchdown to retake the lead.
But, at the end of the third quarter, the lead would again swing back to the Bears when D’Andre Swift found the endzone for a 39-yard rushing touchdown. Chicago then attempted a two-point conversion, but this was unsuccessful.
Green Bay was in the Bears’ red zone on their next drive, knocking on the door of the endzone. Here, Love and the offense had a very important fourth down attempt, where the endzone had to be found. He was one yard short, handing possession over to Chicago.
But the Packers were more successful on their next drive. They quickly moved down to the Bears’ one-yard line, and Love found the endzone here. They then attempted a two-point conversion, which was unsuccessful.
This gave the Bears one chance to score a game-winning field goal.
The drive started from their 30-yard line, and Chicago could make it down to the Packers’ 28-yard line with three seconds left on the clock. This set up a 48-yard field goal from Cairo Santos. If he were to make it, the Bears would get their first win over the Packers in 10 games.
Santos’ kick looked fine, to begin with, but it fell short. A further replay found that a Packers defender’s fingertips blocked it.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Green Bay Packers had defeated the Chicago Bears 20-19.
The win gives the Packers a 7-3 record, keeping them in the race for the NFC North title, while the Bears fall to 4-6.
Next week, the Packers face the San Francisco 49ers, while the Bears play the Minnesota Vikings.
The Kicking Steelers
The Baltimore Ravens have played many games this season against some of the best teams in football. Unsurprisingly, they come into this week with a 7-3 record. On the other hand, the Pittsburgh Steelers have generally flown under the radar this year and come into their first game against division opposition with a 7-2 record. Who would win here?
The Ravens had the game’s first possession but would not have the ball for long. On the second play of the drive, running back Derrick Henry fumbled the ball, which the Steelers scooped into enemy territory. With the shortened field, the Steelers were able to find points. The drive stalled at the Ravens’ 14-yard line, and Steelers kicker Chris Boswell would successfully make a 32-yard kick,
A couple of drives later, the Ravens would have an opportunity to get points. Led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, the Ravens offense made their way down to the Steelers’29-yard line, where the drive stalled. This set up Justin Tucker with a 47-yard field goal attempt. However, the experienced kicker missed this.
Embed from Getty ImagesTucker would have another attempt to make a field goal on the Ravens’ next drive, this time from 50 yards out. But, this kick again missed. A few drives later, the Steelers were faced with a 52-yard field goal, which Boswell could make, doubling their lead.
However, this lead did not last long. Jackson and company made their way down to the Steelers’ one-yard line, and here, Henry found the endzone for the rushing touchdown.
But on their next drive, Baltimore made a mistake. Isaiah Likely fumbled the ball in the Ravens’ red zone. The Steelers recovered it, converting this possession into another field goal.
This meant that the Steelers had a 9-7 lead over the Ravens at halftime.
Pittsburgh extended its lead on the first drive of the second half. The offense, led by Russell Wilson, made its way down to the Ravens’ 39-yard line, where the drive stalled. Then, Boswell was successful with a 57-yard field goal to widen Pittsburgh’s lead to five points.
But this was reduced to two points on the Ravens’ drive in reply, as Justin Tucker was finally able to make a field goal in this game. His 54-yard kick helped bring the Ravens back into the game, but the smaller lead did not last long, as Boswell made a 27-yard field goal on the Steelers’ next drive, a drive on which they were able to make it down into the Baltimore red zone.
The Steelers were close to scoring their first touchdown (which would have sealed the win) in the fourth quarter. However, Wilson’s pass from the Ravens’ five-yard line was intercepted by the Ravens in the endzone.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, Lamar Jackson’s pass was intercepted on the next drive, ruining any chance the Ravens had to stay in the game. This mistake led to another field goal from the Steelers, giving them an eight-point lead.
Luckily for the Ravens, they had enough time on the clock for one more time. They had to find the endzone and then score a two-point conversion, and this would only take the game to overtime. The drive started from their 31-yard line, and the Ravens were able to make their way down to the Steelers’ 16-yard line. From here, Jackson found Zay Flowers for a 16-yard touchdown pass.
They then attempted the vital two-point conversion. Jackson’s pass on this was incomplete, meaning the Pittsburgh Steelers had defeated the Baltimore Ravens 18-16.
The Steelers’ offense was not the best in this game, but Chris Boswell’s foot was enough to give them victory. This pushed them to an 8-2 record and into first place in the AFC North. The defeat means that the Ravens fall to 7-4.
Next week, the Steelers face the Cleveland Browns, while the Ravens play the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
A late score from the Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have returned to quarterback Anthony Richardson after benching him earlier in the season and the infamous incident where he was “too tired” to play. This week, the Colts faced the New York Jets, who have been struggling for most of the season but can have moments of genius. Could they have one of these this week?
The Colts scored the first touchdown of the game. Richardson moved his offense down to the Jets’ 23-yard line, but no further. This set up a 41-yard field goal attempt from kicker Matt Gay, who was successful.
A couple of drives later, the Colts were able to extend their lead. The offense made their way down to the Jets’ two-yard line, and here, he found the endzone for a rushing touchdown. The lead grew even further on their next drive when Gay made a 47-yard field goal.
Embed from Getty ImagesOn their final drive of the half, the Jets were finally able to do something on offense. Starting from their 24-yard line, the Jets offense, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, made their way down to the Colts’ 29-yard line. From here, Rodgers found Breece Hall for a 29-yard touchdown pass.
This meant that the Colts had a 13-7 lead over the Jets at halftime.
The Colts entered the second half as leaders. After a minute of play, they would be behind. Richardson was sacked and then fumbled the ball deep in his territory. The ball was then scooped up by the Jets, and two plays later, Hall found the endzone for an 18-yard rushing touchdown to give the Jets the lead.
This lead did not last long, as Gay kicked a 56-yard field goal on the Colts’ next drive. However, the Jets responded with a 58-yard field goal from Anders Carlson to hand the lead back to them as the teams went into the fourth quarter.
The Jets extended their lead early in the quarter. Rodgers and company made their way down to the Colts’ 11-yard line, and here, he found Kenny Yeboah for the touchdown pass. However, the Colts were quickly able to respond when Richardson found Josh Downs for a 10-yard touchdown pass. Indianapolis then went for a two-point conversion, which would have tied the scores. However, the attempt was unsuccessful.
Embed from Getty ImagesNew York then extended its lead to five points when Carlson made a 35-yard field goal. This drive also took seven minutes off the clock, but it did give the Colts enough time to score a game-winning touchdown.
The drive started from the Colts’ 30-yard line, and the offence made its way down to the Jets’ four-yard line. Here, Richardson ran into the endzone for the rushing touchdown. The Colts then attempted a two-point conversion to force the Jets’ to score a touchdown in the remaining seconds, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
With 40 seconds left in the game, Rodgers had to get the ball into field goal territory. But, two sacks on the drive took any chance the Jets had to win the game away from them.
The Indianapolis Colts had defeated the New York Jets 28-27.
This win does keep the Colts in contention for the AFC South, and their 5-6 record puts them two games behind Houston. This defeat is typical for the Jets, and after the game, their General Manager was fired. They need to consider the future of Aaron Rodgers, who would be benched by now if he was not Aaron Rodgers. The Jets fall to a 3-8 record.
Next week, the Colts face the Detroit Lions, while the Jets are on a bye week.
What Happened in the Other Games?
In an important game in the race for the NFC East title, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Washington Commanders on Thursday night. For the first three-quarters of the game, the Eagles looked like they had not turned up to the game. However, a dominant fourth quarter from Saquon Barkley, who scored two long rushing touchdowns, gave the Eagles a 26-18 win over the Commanders.
The Detroit Lions’ high-scoring run continued this week when they faced the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars. Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 412 yards and four touchdowns in only three quarters as the Lions cruised to a comprehensive 52-6 win over the Jags, whose offense did not even look like it could keep up.
Fellow NFC North side, the Minnesota Vikings, also had easy opposition this week in the Tennessee Titans. Despite fumbling the ball on his opening drive, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold recovered to throw for two touchdowns in the Vikings 23-13 win over the Titans, another two-win team this season.
The Miami Dolphins faced the Las Vegas Raiders in a game that saw Dolphins’ quarterback Tua Tagovailoa return to his usual form after his injury. He threw three touchdowns in the 34-19 win over the Raiders.
The New England Patriots’ struggles continued this week against the Los Angeles Rams. At halftime, the Pats were only behind by four points, but a strong second half from Matthew Stafford, who scored four touchdowns overall, led the Rams to a 28-22 win.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn a battle of two teams that have not been playing well recently, the Cleveland Browns faced the New Orleans Saints. Browns quarterback Jameis Winston threw for nearly 400 yards in this game, but looking at the score, you would not know this. The Saints dominated this game, especially in the fourth quarter to record a 35-14 win.
The Bo Nix show was when the Denver Broncos met the Atlanta Falcons. The rookie quarterback threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns, with an 85% completion rate, as his Broncos dismantled the Falcons 38-6. This defeat still keeps Atlanta in pole position in the NFC South.
The Seattle Seahawks faced the San Francisco 49ers in an important game in the NFC West. For most of the game, it was looking like the 49ers would win this. But a very late touchdown from Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith was enough to give Seattle a 20-17 win. Now, both teams are at 500, and they join the Rams in a three-way game for second place or last place, depending on how you look at things.
The game between the Cincinnati Bengals (another team having a less-than-stellar season) and the Los Angeles Chargers was very entertaining. At halftime, the Chargers had a 21-point lead, but a flurry of touchdowns from Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow meant that the scores were level for most of the final quarter. But, a late score from J.K Dobbins was enough to give the Chargers a 34-27 win over the Bengals, who are not 4-7 for the season.
Embed from Getty ImagesFinally, this week’s Monday night game was a battle of Texas between the Houston Texans and the struggling Dallas Cowboys. This game went as expected. The Texans were able to dominate the Cowboys (whose quarterback Cooper Rush did throw for 354 yards). Joe Mixon scored three touchdowns in the game, and the Texans won 34-10.
And, despite not playing, the New York Giants did seem to ruin my weekend. They came into this week as the holder of the number one pick of the 2025 NFL Draft. They left it with the fifth pick. However, there is some good news. The Giants have decided to bench Daniel Jones and replace him with Tommy DeVito, who went on a four-game winning streak last year. Will this make a change? Hopefully, but success here will damage our chances for a good QB next year. So, I guess we will have to wait for 2026 for Arch Manning. If this does happen, I will be more than happy.
So, that was week 11 in the 2024 NFL season. Next week, the Philadelphia Eagles face the Los Angeles Rams, the Detroit Lions face the Colts, and “Tommy Cutlets” will return as the New York Giants face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.