Week 11 in the NFL was filled with tight, exciting games, with a couple blowouts along the way. Several teams solidified their spots as playoff contenders, while others made us skeptical and unsure. As we start to find out who are the contenders and who are the pretenders, here are the NFL Week 11 winners and losers.
Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
After an unconvincing 20-17 win last week against the Colts, the Steelers rebounded and showed the NFL how strong they really are. On Thursday Night Football, they faced off against the then-AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans, and one could say that there really wasn’t much of a game to speak of. On the way to a 40-17 thrashing, Big Ben Roethlisberger threw for 299 yards and 4 touchdowns, silencing those who might have told him to go home. He looked like the Roethlisberger who’s won multiple Super Bowl rings, rather than the one who’s looked uninspired at times to start the season. If Big Ben can keep playing like he did this Thursday, the Patriots and the rest of the AFC should be shaking in their boots.
On top of that, Antonio Brown logged 144 yards and 3 touchdowns, making a lot of fantasy owners around the country very happy. He is arguably the best wide receiver in the league right now, and has proved it with great performances all season long.
We have to remember that these are not the Titans of previous years. They were leading their division coming into this week and should contend for a playoff spot throughout the rest of the season. They are not going to win the Super Bowl and probably won’t make it to the AFC Championship, but they are a very solid team that the Steelers made look like a Pop Warner squad. The Steelers have been inconsistent at times, but if they can play like this in the playoffs, they have a great shot to win it all.
Losers: Nathan Peterman and Sean McDermott
If you hadn’t heard of Nathan Peterman before Sunday, you’re in the majority. He was a fifth round pick out of Pittsburgh, and made his NFL debut against the Saints last week, throwing for 79 yards on 7/10 passing. Not bad, right?
Well, Peterman got his first career start this week in the midst of former starter Tyrod Taylor’s mediocre season, and let’s just say it didn’t quite go as planned. Only three of his 14 first half pass attempts were incomplete before he was benched for the second half of the game. Unfortunately, FIVE of those pass attempts landed in the hands of a Chargers defender. Yes, you’re understanding this right. Nathan Peterman racked up five interceptions in a single half. This was the first time since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 that a quarterback threw five picks in one half.
After the game, Bills head coach Sean McDermott wouldn’t give a definitive answer on next game’s quarterback. To put it bluntly, his decision to start Peterman this week has already made him look like a complete idiot, and if he doesn’t start Taylor next week, Bills fans are going to be calling for his head. Furthermore, Taylor really hadn’t been that bad this season. The Bills were 5-4 and in position to make the playoffs as a wild card team, and as the old adage goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. McDermott tried to fix it, and Peterman proceeded to throw more picks in one half than Taylor had all season (three).
Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles bandwagon has been growing throughout their breakout year, and after Week 11, it’s only picking up steam. This week, the Eagles had a big game against their division rival Cowboys at AT&T Stadium, and they did not disappoint. They started out slow and were down 9-7 at halftime, but they woke up and dominated on both sides of the ball in the second half, shutting out Dallas 30-0. Sophomore phenom Carson Wentz logged two more touchdowns, while Corey Clement and Kenjon Barner each punched in a rushing touchdown. The pass defense terrorized Dak Prescott, picking him off three times and forcing an embarrassing 11.5 QBR.
At this point, the Eagles have established themselves as the class of the NFC, boasting a 9-1 record and shutting up everyone who predicted Dallas to take the division. Carson Wentz is making the Eagles’ choice to draft him look genius, and he has forced his name into the MVP discussion. Overall, the Eagles look unstoppable and with games remaining against the Giants, Bears, Raiders, and the Cowboys who they just beat, they’re going to have the most momentum in the league heading into the playoffs.
Loser: Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears
After inexplicably starting the season on the bench behind career backup Mike Glennon, Trubisky took over the starting quarterback role for the Bears in Week 5. He has been mediocre over that stretch, but had a solid game this week throwing for 179 yards and logging a touchdown. With 1:31 left in the game, he took over on his own 17-yard line down 27-24, and led the Bears down to the Lions’ 28-yard line, setting up great field goal position. The drive included an extremely clutch 19 yard scramble on 4th and 13 from his own 38-yard line. It looked like Trubisky had led his squad to a game-tying driving just before the end of the regulation, and they would have the momentum heading into overtime.
If you have watched the Bears the last few years, however, you wouldn’t be surprised at what happened next. Kicker Connor Barth completely shanked the 46-yard attempt, missing wide right and effectively ending the game. Barth, who was shortly thereafter cut from the team, was 11 for 16 on field goal attempts on the year.
With the loss, the Bears fall to 3-7, with the season all but over. All they can do now is get more snaps and experience for their hopeful franchise quarterback, who for the meantime is stuck with mediocre receiving corps and a below-average kicker.
Winner: Case Keenum
Case Keenum has been doubted his entire life. He was just a two-star recruit out of high school, but went on to have an outstanding career at Houston. Still, he went undrafted out of college and after a few years bouncing around in the NFL, no one thought he’d have a successful career in pro-ball. Well, Mike Zimmer and the Minnesota Vikings are glad as hell that they picked him up this March, because after Sam Bradford went down in Week 1, Keenum has taken over the quarterback job and is showing the league that he is the real deal. Coming into Week 11, Keenum and the Vikes had reeled off five straight wins, and he was definitely amped up for Sunday’s game against his former team, the Los Angeles Rams. Last season, Keenum broke camp as the starting quarterback with the Rams, but was soon benched for Jared Goff.
Case made it count in his chance for redemption, throwing for 280 yards and a touchdown on 27/38 passing, and the Vikings took a very convincing 24-7 victory. It’s safe to say that few victories in Keenum’s career will be sweeter than this one. He has been very consistent all season long, and is a big reason the Vikings are sitting at the top of the NFC North. If the Vikes can keep rolling and secure a first round BYE in the playoffs, Case Keenum is going to be a very rich man this offseason.
Loser: New York Giants
The Giants came into the week at 1-8, looking primed for a top draft pick. Eli Manning’s time at MetLife Stadium should be up soon, and most Giants fans were already licking their chops thinking about quarterbacks Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson in the upcoming draft class. At this point, the season is over for the Giants, and there’s not much to look forward to besides the aforementioned draft. Furthermore, they were up against the Chiefs, who are sitting pretty atop the AFC West standings, so it seemed inevitable that the Giants would lose and solidify their place in the top three of the 2018 draft order.
Well, things didn’t exactly go that way. The Giants and Chiefs went to overtime and Aldrick Rosas nailed a 23 yard field goal to give the Giants the victory. It was a nice consolation prize, but if the Giants miss out on the quarterback of their choice next April, they will look back at this game. I’m not saying the Giants should try to lose, and I’m not totally sold on the idea of tanking, but to be honest, losing out would be best for the franchise, as this season is completely lost. Even though the Giants played a tough game, it should not have been close against the talented Chiefs. It just so happened that they caught Alex Smith in the middle of an ice-cold streak and took the victory. The Chiefs will most likely figure it out and take the division as the Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos are simply too weak, but this was just a bite of bad luck for the Giants.
Simply put, the Giants are so bad that they can’t even lose right.
