NFL Week Eleven Review: Bills Prove Chiefs are Mortal
What a weekend of action in the NFL! This is the time for perfection! EVERY interception, dropped pass and missed tackle now starts to impact different personnel in each organisation. It may get you dropped or worse: get your name added to the free agency list. It can have scouts or coaches fired and entire board rooms eviscerated! This time of the season is pivotal! Who can keep their nerve? Anticipation for possible success causes some players to get anxious and that spills onto the field: some GMs/head coaches of struggling franchises may look to give experience to back ups to evaluate them in regular season situations, and gradually replace the veterans.
The storylines are writing themselves! In this week’s review, we try to keep up! We had the Bills hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season. The Steelers overcome the Ravens in a defensive battle and the Eagles cemented their seat atop the NFC East!
The Bills Outgun the Chiefs!
Josh Allen has firmly thrown his hat into the metaphorical ring for the title of 2024 MVP. With 2:26 remaining in the game, the Bills had a precarious two point lead. On a fourth down and two yard play, Allen bit down on his gum shield and ran for his life! In a scene that would be deemed too “Hollywood” for a film: Allen secured his team the chance to win by dancing and steamrolling two defenders during a decisive twenty-six yard QB run:
It was time for Mahomes to respond and bring his Chiefs to the brink of ten wins. It wasn’t to be! It proved a bridge too far for Mahomes et al: he was only able to find Travis Kelce twice on the night for just eight yards. New addition DeAndre Hopkins was targeted three times and averaged a respectable 29 yards: he was unable to add to his two TD debut performance against the Bucs. Mahomes threw two interceptions on a formidable night for the Bills’ defence. The reality now for the 9-1 Chiefs? ESPN analysts suggested a 91% chance to be the number one seed: now it has dropped to a paltry 54%!
Josh Allen was in fine form: throwing for 262 yards and one touchdown. Fine numbers for a MVP contender. He has placed himself as joint contender with the Ravens’ Lamar Jackson: who is sure to have his hands full with TJ Watt and an in-form Steelers defence.
Bills 30 Chiefs 21
Steelers Edge Defensive Duel
Fans of both teams had been looking forward to this one for a while! Fans in Acrisure Stadium were in fine form for this top of the AFC North clash. That excitement in the stands transferred to the defensive sides of each team with both Lamar Jackson and Russell Wilson were contained by formidable performances by the respective Ravens and Steelers defences. The Ravens recorded four sacks: the Steelers with two and three key turnovers.
Lamar Jackson completed just 16 for 33 attempts: with a completion rate of just 48.4%. His streak of 161 passes with no interceptions, was quashed by Payton Wilson.
One man who defied the madness in the stands and chaos of the on-field was the Steelers’ Chris Boswell: his six field goals proved decisive when the Steelers were unable to find their collective groove on offence.
Steelers 18 Ravens 16
Eagles Soar to Top of the NFC East
The Eagles (now 8-2) defeated the Commanders (7-2), their closest rivals in the NFC East in a back and forth battle on Thursday Night Football. The Commanders were leading 10-6 at the end of the third quarter. Jalen Hurts lead the fourth quarter comeback with eight of nine passes completed in the second half for 120 yards and set himself and Saquon Barklet up for rushing touchdowns: Hurts for one yard himself and Barkely for 23 yard and 39 yard finishes respectively. Jayden Daniels went twenty-two of thirty-two attempts and 191 yards: his lowest passing yardage for a fully completed appearance all the way back to week one: against the Buccaneers (184 yards).
Eagles 26 Commanders 18
There you have it! The Chiefs are human after all!! And with their 100% record gone, the chasing pack smell blood! Keep an eye on the Lions (9-1), Bills (9-2); Lions (9-1) and Steelers/Eagles (both 8-2) over the next week or two! They will seek to scupper the Threepeat!
While many may be accused of prematurely decorating for Christmas mere days after the middle of November has passed; the NFL will deliver more shocks and drama ahead of the big day! Neutrals and fans of the Steelers and Chiefs can be forgiven for counting down the days until THAT titanic battle on Netflix!
Here’s hoping Netflix, and their live streaming department, is ready! You’ve got 37 days!