NFL Week 11 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday's 13 games

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• REWATCH: Commanders-Dolphins on NFL+ Premium

Jeremy Bergman's takeaways:

1. Dolphins keep slim playoff hopes alive heading into bye. Sunday's slog in Spain was not Miami's best, a major letdown after its assured victory over the perennial AFC East champion Bills in Week 10. But the Dolphins' overtime defeat of the Commanders, filled with missed opportunities and inefficient offense, was enough to keep their season alive. De'Von Achane served as Miami's motor on offense again, averaging 5.7 yards per carry on 20 totes (165 total yards), while Ollie Gordon II served as a pounding change of pace (nine carries, 45 yards). Both were stuffed at the 1-yard line on a critical Commanders goal-line stand in the fourth quarter but also got theirs; Gordon picked up a game-tying TD, and Achane salted away the win in overtime with 22 yards on three carries, setting up Riley Patterson's game-winning kick. Miami's defense stepped up when it needed to, as well. Jack Jones' pick of Marcus Mariota on the first play of overtime (the first such interception in the NFL since Week 5, 2021) essentially sealed the game for the Fins, and the DB's big play was preceded by an NFL season-high 20 combined tackles (10 solo) by Jordyn Brooks. At 4-7, Miami is technically not out of it in a top-heavy AFC playoff picture. After the Week 12 bye, the Dolphins play four teams with a combined record of 12-26 (vs. Saints, at Jets, at Steelers, vs. Bengals) before taking on two teams who currently have comfortable leads in their divisions (vs. Bucs, at Pats). So you're saying there's a chance ...
2. Washington D stands up in Quinn's first game as play-caller. After a run of defensive no-shows amid a five-game losing streak, Dan Quinn took over play-calling duties from coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. this week. The result? Washington allowed just 16 points and 311 yards, its fewest since a season-opening win over the lowly Giants. The Commanders bent but rarely broke, stopping four of five Dolphins drives inside the 30-yard line before overtime, including two goal-line stands at the 1-yard line. Down the suspended Daron Payne, Washington found inspired inside pressure from Eddie Goldman and Javon Kinlaw and kept the chance at a win alive. A disciplined pass rush resulted in three sacks from Jonathan Jones, Jacob Martin and Von Miller, and Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu were sturdy in the middle of the field. The marked one-game improvement was still too little, too late, as the offense didn't hold its own and Matt Gay missed two field goals. With the loss, Washington dropped to 3-8, far closer to the top pick in the draft than a wild-card berth.
3. Teams with little to lose play to win -- and almost draw. With both Washington and Miami's seasons close to lost, after injuries to stars and underwhelming stretches, both clubs came into Sunday's historic tie in Madrid looking to take chances. They delivered on the efforts, at least. As both teams struggled on third down (9 of 22 combined for the game), the Commanders and Dolphins weren't afraid to go for it on fourth. In the second half, Miami and Washington traded turnovers on downs from inside their opponent's 2-yard lines. Despite being down no more than one score at any time, Miami went for a tie in the third quarter and then the kill in the fourth on fourth-and-goal attempts. Both were stuffed, one by Bobby Wagner on a pass attempt to Jaylen Waddle and the other a gang tackle on Ollie Gordon. Washington was guilty of trying to go ahead with a TD instead of a field goal in between Miami's two attempts, but Marcus Mariota missed Zach Ertz, who slipped on the Bernabeu turf. The Commanders' No. 2 red zone percentage failed them with their season on the line, but with little to lose for both sides, the attempts were worth the risk.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Commander-Dolphins (via NFL Pro): Dolphins RB De’Von Achane ran outside the tackles on 17 of his 21 carries against the Commanders, gaining 109 yards (47.1% success rate) on outside runs compared to just 11 yards on four inside carries (25.0% success rate). Achane recorded a career-high six explosive runs on outside carries, along with 76 yards after contact, the most allowed to a running back by the Commanders this season.

NFL Research: Jordyn Brooks led the Dolphins with 20 tackles in their win over the Commanders. Sunday was Brooks' second game this season with at least 16 tackles (Week 4 vs. Jets), making him the first Miami player with at least two games of 16-plus tackles since Hall of Famer Zach Thomas in 2006.

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• REWATCH: Panthers-Falcons on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Penix sustains knee injury versus Panthers

Eric Edholm's takeaways to come:

1. Young's career game fueled Panthers’ dramatic OT win. Bryce Young threw for a career-high 448 yards – his most in a game by 120 yards – and led two key late drives to propel the Panthers to a season sweep over the Falcons. Young got hurt on the Panthers’ second drive of the game and was deemed questionable to return, with Andy Dalton preparing to enter the game. But Young didn’t miss a snap, coming back to complete 31 of his 45 passes and three TDs, even while getting up slowly after a few sacks. His final TD pass to Tetairoa McMillan gave the Panthers the lead with just over a minute to go in regulation. The Panthers couldn’t prevent the game-tying field goal, which sent it to overtime, but they held the Falcons on their first OT possession. That gave the ball back to Young, who hit Tommy Tremble on a 56-yard catch and run to set up Ryan Fitzgerald’s game-winner. With the Falcons bottling up Carolina’s run game, Young really got Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette more involved, and now the Panthers are only a half game behind the Bucs in the NFC South.
2. Falcons suffered big offensive injuries in fifth straight loss. Michael Penix Jr. left Sunday’s game late in the third quarter against the Panthers, and Drake London was ruled out late in regulation in the 30-27 overtime loss, which was Atlanta’s fifth straight L, dropping them to 3-7 in what’s looking more like a lost season. What made it tougher was that Penix was cooking before getting hurt, completing 13 of 16 passes for 175 yards. So was London, who had seven catches for 119 yards and was Atlanta’s main source in the passing game. Kirk Cousins replaced Penix and hit his first three passes but then followed with four straight incompletions, and the offense could only muster five first downs and six points in Cousins’ five drives. Penalties and dropped passes also hurt the Falcons, but with Bijan Robinson having a big game, this was a game they could have won. Instead, it’s the third straight one-score game they've dropped. 
3. Rookies stepped up for Panthers. The Panthers needed every play to finish off Sunday’s big win in Atlanta, and three rookies really stepped up for them. One, naturally, was Tetairoa McMillan, who has been outstanding most of the season. He was again Sunday, with eight catches for 130 yards and two TDs, including the go-ahead score with a minute left in regulation. Another first-year standout was Nic Scourton , who had some game-changing plays, including a late tackle for a 5-yard loss on Bijan Robinson . Even though Carolina’s pass rush needs more juice, Scourton has really come on of late. Last but not least, kicker Ryan Fitzgerald was 3 for 3 on FG tries Sunday, including the game-winning kick in OT. Fitzgerald is now 17-for-20 on attempts this season, but he missed a try in last week’s loss to the Saints and also had a missed an extra point try in the win over Green Bay the week before, so Sunday’s perfect showing was a much-needed development.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Panthers-Falcons (via NFL Pro): Bijan Robinson rushed 23 times for 104 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers, gaining 98 yards and both scores on 20 carries outside the tackles.

NFL Research: Bryce Young’s 448 passing yards were not only a career high but also the best in franchise history, topping Cam Newton’s 432-yard game in his second career outing in 2011.

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• REWATCH: Buccaneers-Bills on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Allen goes wild with six-TD day as Bills sprint past Bucs. On the Bills’ first drive, Josh Allen made about as bad a mistake imaginable, panicking to avoid a safety and shoveling a ball directly to Bucs defender Jacob Parrish. It was a boneheaded, rookie-type mistake from the reigning MVP. Allen made up for it, and then some. The dynamo gashed the Bucs defense regularly with big plays, dropping a 43-yard bomb to Tyrell Shavers , a swing to Ty Johnson for a 52-yard score, a lob to James Cook for 25 yards to paydirt. Allen pounded his way into the end zone on the ground three more times, including the game-sealing 9-yard score. Sunday marked Allen’s second career game with 3-plus passing TDs and three rush scores. The only other player to do so was Otto Graham in the 1954 NFL Championship Game. With Keon Coleman benched and tight end Dalton Kincaid injured, Allen showed he can make things work with whoever is on the field. He converted passes to nine different players, with Shavers leading the way with 90 yards and a TD on four catches. With the defense struggling to make stops, Allen shouldered the load, putting up points on four straight drives in the second half to blow the game open.
2. Tucker explodes, but Bucs come up shy. Still waiting for Bucky Irving to return, the Bucs saddled up Sean Tucker . He ripped apart a porous Bills run defense. Tucker rushed for 106 yards on 19 carries (5.6 yards per carry) with two touchdowns. The RB added two catches for 34 yards, including a 28-yard TD. The Bucs leaned on the ground game, rushing for 202 total yards, generating five explosive runs and 134 yards after contact. Baker Mayfield chipped in 39 and an early rushing touchdown. Tampa matched the Bills punch for punch early, but miscues and the lack of passing weapons reared their head late. With Allen dominating, Mayfield’s third-quarter interception turned the tide. A fourth-quarter three-and-out and a Mayfield fumble sealed their fate. A second straight loss pushes Todd Bowles’ team to 6-4 with the 6-5 Panthers now nipping at their heels in the NFC South.  
3. Kick return plays key role for Bills. Several big kick returns continually put the Bills' offense in great field position. Following kickoffs, Buffalo had drives start at the Tampa 36, its own 49, own 44 and the Bucs 46. Ray Davis generated 158 return yards with a long of 44, and Mecole Hardman generated a 61-yarder. Those types of hidden yards make it much easier on an offense, particularly in a shootout.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bills-Bucs (via NFL Pro): Josh Allen completed 19 of 30 passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, with most of his production coming against zone coverage. When facing zone, Allen completed 12 of 17 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

NFL Research: This was the Bills' first win this season in a game in which they had multiple giveaways (were 0-3 prior)

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• REWATCH: Chargers-Jaguars via NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Jaguars squeeze life out of opposition. One week after a colossal collapse in Houston, Jacksonville refused to allow Los Angeles the same opportunity to climb back into the game in the second half. The Jaguars dominated time of possession Sunday, embarking on two lengthy, methodical scoring marches that included a combined total of 27 plays and ate up 16:28 of the 30 available second-half minutes. Each drive ended in a touchdown, building a lead that buried the Chargers and their largely lifeless offense. Jacksonville ran the ball effectively, splitting carries between Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten for a total of 147 yards and three touchdowns on 34 attempts.Trevor Lawrence found a groove in the middle portion of the game, completing 6 of 7 third-quarter passes for 77 yards and finishing off the hot streak with a sharp timing throw to Tim Patrick for a decisive 28-6 lead early in the fourth quarter. The combined contributions across their offense powered the Jaguars through a dominant second half, taking a game that was very much undecided and definitively ending it with authority.
2. Pass protection is a glaring weakness for Chargers. After winning three straight and delivering an emphatic showing in their most recent contest, the Chargers could no longer dance around the fact they're playing without both of their starting offensive tackles. Jacksonville, a team that brought a notably ineffective pass rushing unit to Sunday's contest (ranking 32nd in sacks per pass attempt), posted a season-best QB pressure rate (50 percent), sacked Justin Herbert three times (including one hit that sent Herbert into the blue tent) and shut down the Chargers' passing game, limiting Los Angeles to a dropback success rate of just 28.1%. Nothing worked for the Chargers offensively and much of it had to do with their inferiority in the trenches. In a cruel twist, one of Herbert's few passes attempted with ample time to throw ended up sailing over the head of Ladd McConkey into the arms of safety Antonio Johnson , a perfectly painful capper to a dreadful afternoon for the Chargers.
3. Jacksonville bounces back with much-needed statement win. The Jaguars' Week 10 loss carried the potential of possibly tanking their season because of the fashion in which they melted down, adding importance to their Week 11 performance. Their response was decisive. Jacksonville's defense shut down the Chargers, limiting them to 135 total yards of offense, 3 of 12 on third down and forcing three three-and-outs, including two in the first half. Jacksonville held Herbert to a career-low 81 passing yards and a 44 passer rating, the second-worst rating of his largely stellar career. Of their eight meaningful offensive possessions (excluding end of half/game possessions), five ended in touchdowns. After three losses in their last four games had seemingly sent the Jaguars reeling, coach Liam Coen guided his team to an important victory that should inject confidence into a locker room that needed it.

Next Gen Stats insight from Chargers-Jaguars (via NFL Pro): The Jaguars finished with a QB pressure rate of 50, their highest of the 2025 season.

NFL Research: Entering Week 11, the Chargers led the NFL in average time of possession (33:35). On Sunday, they possessed the ball for just 22:05, their lowest mark of the season, including owning possession for just 1:54 in the third quarter, the third-lowest total in a quarter for any NFL team this season.

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• REWATCH: Bears-Vikings on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

• Bears came through in the clutch once more to beat Vikings. The Bears have now won five games this season in which they have come back in the final two minutes. Sunday’s game against the Vikings was dominated most of the afternoon by the Bears, who took a 16-3 lead into the fourth quarter before Minnesota battled back. After the Vikings took a 17-16 lead with less than a minute left, Devin Duvernay gave the Bears outstanding field position with a 56-yard kick return, and all they had to do was set up Cairo Santos' 48-yard game-winning field goal. Caleb Williams and the offense left too many points on the field, with some second-half penalties and dropped passes hurting, and Santos missed a kick with eight minutes left. But Williams avoided big mistakes and wriggled his way out of multiple sacks, and D'Andre Swift ran hard and effectively when the Bears needed it.
• Even with a late comeback, McCarthy struggled again. It might be overstating to say that the Vikings have a J.J. McCarthy problem, because he was not the only issue on Sunday for the Vikings, but his lack of consistency is hurting his team. McCarthy led an inspiring comeback drive with three minutes left to lead the Vikings on a 10-play, 85-yard TD drive to take the lead, throwing for 76 yards and the TD pass to Jordan Addison . That the Vikings’ special teams and defense couldn’t hold the Bears wasn’t McCarthy’s fault, certainly. But his poor showing in the first 57 minutes of the game can’t be ignored. Even factoring in big drops from Addison (two), Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson, McCarthy only threw for 74 yards on Minnesota’s first 11 possessions, with two interceptions before halftime. On passes 10-plus air yards downfield, McCarthy was only 4 of 14 passing for 76 yards and a pick. This figured to be a game where the Vikings leaned on the run game, and they had some early success doing so, but they got away from it at times and never really found any offensive rhythm until late in the game.
• Bears secondary held firm. The Bears remain thin in the secondary while they wait for Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to return from injury, but the players holding down the fort for Chicago did their job in a big road win at Minnesota. Nahshon Wright made a spectacular end-zone interception when the Vikings were threatening to score just before the half, keeping the Bears in control of the game entering the second half. The Vikings tried to pick on Wright and did beat him for a late TD to take the lead, but he allowed only three catches on eight targets, per Next Gen Stats. Kevin Byard's INT on the previous possession helped give the Bears a 10-3 lead, and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson made his impact with some good tackling. Holding Justin Jefferson to five catches for 61 yards is a win, and the Bears kept the big pass plays to a minimum. On a day when the pass rush came up short, the Bears’ secondary stood tall.  

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bears-Vikings (via NFL Pro): The Vikings blitzed Caleb Williams on 24 of 36 dropbacks (66.7%), the second-highest blitz rate by any defense in a game this season.

NFL Research: Cairo Santos hit a 54-yard field goal against the Vikings Sunday, which was was his 24th make of 50-plus yards with the Bears, pushing him past Robbie Gould for the most in franchise history.

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• REWATCH: Packers-Giants on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Packers survive in New York behind Watson’s two TDs. It didn’t matter who tossed the pigskin to Christian Watson in the end zone, the wideout snatched it. In his fourth game returning from last year’s knee injury, Watson made the two biggest plays for the Pack. With Malik Willis in the game for a briefly injured Jordan Love , Watson ripped the ball away from Deonte Banks to give Green Bay its first lead. The wideout then claimed the win with a twisting fourth-quarter snag on a perfect Love pass between two defenders. On another day filled with drops and injuries, including running back Josh Jacobs exiting with a knee injury, Watson’s big plays were the difference. Love’s numbers won’t pop off the score sheet, but he got little help outside of Watson, with Packers wideout dropping a handful of passes on good balls. For a Green Bay team that has played down to its competition all season, simply surviving on the road was key in a heated NFC North playoff race. The question now is how serious Jacobs’ injury is moving forward.
2. Giants lean on run game, come up short in Mike Kafka’s first game. With Jameis Winston under center, the Giants came out intent on grinding down the Packers’ defensive front. Big Blue handed the ball off 35 times for 135 yards and two Devin Singletary TDs. Winston added 10 yards and a sneak score. In a whipping wind, New York didn’t ask Winston to make a ton of plays, but the veteran ripped several key ones to extend drives. The Giants generated five drives of nine-plus plays and outgained Green Bay, 336-296. With a chance to tie it or play for the win late, however, a miscomputation between Winston and Jalin Hyatt led to the game's first turnover. New York’s three full drives of the second half all reached the red zone. The Giants came away with seven points. The game plan made sense and nearly worked, but the talent disparity on the outside eventually caught up with Big Blue. 
3. Packers finally get turnovers to seal game. Green Bay needs to get on the JUGS machine – both sides of the ball. The drops on offense are notorious. On Sunday, several Packers defensive backs joined the party, dropping four potential Winston passes that could have sealed the win much earlier. Beyond Micah Parsons (nin QB pressures, 1.5 sacks), the Packers couldn’t consistently pressure the quarterback (nine combined from all other defenders). Getting pushed off the ball in the run game allowed the Giants to stay in good down-and-distance situations. By the end, the Packers' defense was gassed. Evan Williams , however, made the game-winning play, snagging the lone interception of the game with 36 seconds remaining. Parsons forced a fumble on the game’s final play for good measure.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Packers-Giants (via NFL Pro): Jordan Love was efficient against the Giants' zone defense, completing 8 of 12 attempts for 122 yards with a +14.2% completion percentage over expected, a season-high mark.

NFL Research: The Packers have now allowed 20 or fewer points in seven of their first 10 games in 2025, the first time Green Bay has done so in seven or more of their first 10 games since 2010 (won SB XLV). 

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• REWATCH: Bengals-Steelers on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Rodgers suffers left hand injury versus Bengals
• READ: Ramsey says Chase spit on him, leading to punch

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Steelers defense sinks Bengals. Pittsburgh's defense has been far from consistent in 2025 but put together a banner day against a Bengals team that can only win by scoring in bunches. Instead of allowing Joe Flacco to throw it all over the yard in an effort to propel Cincinnati to another victory, Pittsburgh made life difficult for the 40-year-old veteran all afternoon, limiting Flacco to 199 yards on 40 attempts and blowing the game open with two defensive scores in the second half. In classic Steelers fashion, a Cover 1 Robber call sent a safety into the box to lurk and intercept a hurried Flacco pass, leading to a 73-yard pick-six for Kyle Dugger, who cashed in after dropping another interception opportunity earlier in the game. Even Cincinnati's most promising drive of the second half stalled because of Pittsburgh's pass rush, which didn't get home often but saw Nick Herbig record a huge sack early in the fourth quarter. The win didn't come without some bumps in the road (e.g., Jalen Ramsey was ejected in the second half for throwing a punch at Ja'Marr Chase during a play stoppage, with video showing Chase appeared to spit on Ramsey), but it was clear the Steelers took the field with added intensity and a point to prove. Consider the message received.
2. Cincinnati's season is on life support. When they lost Joe Burrow to a toe injury in Week 2, the Bengals' outlook grew dark. Flacco arrived as a shining ray of hope and illuminated their building by leading them to a thrilling win over Pittsburgh in Week 7. That triumph stands as their lone win since Flacco arrived, a period in which they've produced plenty offensively while suffering frustrating losses thanks to the defense's inability to perform. That wasn't the case for the first three quarters of Sunday's game, a low-scoring contest in which Cincinnati's defense was doing enough to keep the Bengals in contention. Instead, Cincinnati's offense fell remarkably short, casting a new level of doubt on postseason ambitions. If the offense can't get the job done, how can this team possibly go on a desperately needed winning streak to keep playoff hopes alive?
3. Rudolph, Gainwell finish the job for Steelers. After completing 9 of 15 passes for 116 yards and one touchdown in the first half (plus a fun 8-yard scramble for a first down), Aaron Rodgers was unable to play in the second half due to a hand injury. In a 10-6 game, this would be highly concerning for most teams -- but this is why Pittsburgh made sure to bring Mason Rudolph back into the fold in the offseason. Rudolph handled replacement duties splendidly, completing 12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown pass to Kenneth Gainwell , capping an emphatic, Gainwell-reliant drive to give the Steelers a commanding 27-12 advantage late in the fourth. We often spend much of our time focusing on Rodgers and the Steelers' apparent lack of offensive versatility (especially when trailing late) but lost in that effort is Pittsburgh's depth. Gainwell played a huge role in Sunday's win, leading the Steelers in receiving (a career-high seven catches, 81 yards, two touchdowns) and playing an essential, multi-faceted role while Rudolph calmly steadied Pittsburgh's offense.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bengals-Steelers (via NFL Pro): Brandin Echols (-9.8) and Kyle Dugger (-6.5) combined to allow a target EPA of -16.3, with both contributing to a defensive touchdown in the Steelers’ Week 12 win over the Bengals.

NFL Research: Pittsburgh's two defensive touchdowns are the most in a Steelers game since their Week 2 win over the Browns in 2023.

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• REWATCH: Texans-Titans on NFL+ Premium

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Houston wakes up in second half to fend off Titans. The Texans found themselves in a defensive slugfest with the one-win Titans before their passing attack found a rhythm after halftime. Davis Mills keyed in on Nico Collins to begin the third quarter, ending a seven-play, 65-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown strike to the wideout to quickly erase their six-point deficit. After the offense followed that up with three points on their next drive, the Texans' defense finally made an impactful play after Will Anderson Jr. notched a strip-sack and recovered his own forced fumble, which set up another three points. Prior to that sequence, Houston's offense was shut out in the first half and the defense had yet to even notch a sack, let alone force a turnover. While the Texans' strong defense yielded a late TD to the Titans, the Mills-Collins connection came up big on the game-winning drive. Collins came down with a remarkable 17-yard grab along the sideline to convert a third-and-16 and get into Titans territory. Five plays later, Matthew Wright struck a 35-yard field goal as time expired. It wasn't pretty, but Houston earned another hairy victory without C.J. Stroud , who figures to be available in next week's divisional showdown with the Colts after a two-game absence.  
2. Tennessee wastes winning defensive effort. Frustrations mounted on Tennessee's sideline early in the fourth quarter when star defender Jeffery Simmons was seen barking at an offensive unit that wasn't taking advantage of the solid defense the Titans were playing. Those qualms were valid, with the Simmons-led unit continuing to keep the Titans in the game despite the offense continuing to keep the defense on the field. After Simmons came up with a big sack on third down, Cam Ward heeded his call, orchestrating an 11-play, 77-yard TD drive that included a superb 39-yard strike to Chigoziem Okonkwo on third-and-long before finding Van Jefferson in the end zone two plays later to tie it late. Had it not been for Nico Collins' game-saving catch on third down in the waning seconds, the Titans D would've given Ward a shot at earning his second win. Without any semblance of a competent rushing attack (58 yards; Ward led team with 33), the Titans rookie QB went 24-of-37 passing for 194 yards with one TD and no interceptions against the league's top-ranked defense. Ward, who lost wideouts Calvin Ridley and Chimere Dike early in the game due to injuries, had a couple of misfires that could've turned into big plays and his lost fumble was the result of him surveying too long in a collapsing pocket. Plagued by protection and penalty issues, the Titans totaled five three-and-outs on a day when the defense notched four big sacks, one of which ende a red-zone possession, and played well enough to win at home against their rival.
3. Mills comes through late once again. It was the second straight game Davis Mills shook off a mediocre beginning with a solid ending. The Texans backup QB was 12-of-19 passing for 144 yards and a TD in the second half on Sunday, leading the Texans to points on four of their six latter possessions. On the game-winning drive, Mills shook off a potentially dreadful sack with his 17-yard strike to Collins, who was the MVP of the offense on Sunday with nine receptions for 92 yards and a TD. But Mills' competence as a backup was essential for Houston the past two games. He overcame four sacks, all of which seemingly came in big situations, and motored the offense with his quick decision-making through the air. Outside of a few key runs from Woody Marks late, Houston's lack of a consistent ground attack (75 yards; 3.3 yard per carry) remains a cause for concern, but having a quality backup like Mills is proving to be valuable. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Texans-Titans (via NFL Pro): Nico Collins caught nine of his 10 targets for 92 yards and a touchdown in Week 11, including five catches on six targets over 10 air yards for 63 yards and a TD.

NFL Research: Davis Mills has won each of his two starts in 2025 with a 36-29 Week 10 win over the Jaguars and a Week 11 win over the Titans. This marks the first time Mills has won back-to-back starts since Weeks 15-16 of his 2021 rookie season, which were his first two NFL wins.

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• REWATCH: 49ers-Cardinals on NFL+ Premium

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Niners offense looks strong in Purdy's return. It was Week 1 since we last saw Brock Purdy and George Kittle on the field together, and Kyle Shanahan wasted no time in getting San Francisco's passing offense rolling through the quarterback-tight end connection. Purdy dropped back to pass early and often, asserting himself with a splendid 30-yard dime to Kittle to take a commanding lead in the first quarter. Shanahan then drew up an easy follow-up TD throw from Purdy to Christian McCaffrey to prompt Sunday's result. Purdy would then cement the victory with another TD throw to Kittle in the third quarter to make it a 35-10 game. Purdy finished 19-of-26 passing for 200 yards with three TDs and a 133.5 passer rating. He led San Francisco to score on eight of 11 possessions, amounting for a 49ers season-high 41 points. Kittle's six receptions for 67 yards and two TDs led the Niners' output while McCaffrey had 121 scrimmage yards and three total TDs. Purdy didn't turn the ball over in his return, but he was fortunate not to have a couple of bad throws end in an interception in the first half. That said, Purdy looked healthy and moved around well in a collapsing pocket against the blitz to extend some plays, which is a facet that was missing in Mac Jones' time in relief. While Jones did a solid job in keeping the 49ers afloat in Purdy's absence, San Francisco should be feeling confident after Sunday's offensive showing.
2. Cardinals couldn't climb out of early hole. It took 16 seconds for Arizona to get into an early deficit after allowing Skyy Moore to return the game's opening kickoff 99 yards, which set up a McCaffrey TD run on the game's first offensive snap. After the Niners marched toward another TD score, Jacoby Brissett did his best to keep the Cardinals in the game when faced with a 13-0 deficit after five minutes of play. But Arizona was a calamity on Sunday, committing 17 penalties (130 yards) to set a new franchise record previously held by the 1936 Chicago Cardinals. One of those brought back Bam Knight's 60-yard TD scamper that could've maybe prevented the blowout or at least keep the Cardinals in play for a shootout. Brissett began to force the issue as the Niners' lead grew, throwing two bad interceptions that led to San Francisco points. He was certainly game for a high-scoring affair, finishing 47-of-57 passing for 452 yards with two TDs and the two picks. A large majority of those passing totals came with the game out of reach, but Brissett's record-setting day was certainly eye-opening. Wideout Michael Wilson had 15 receptions for 185 yards and tight end Trey McBride (10 receptions, 115 yards; TD) also had a productive outing, but the impressive numbers won't hide an ugly loss from Arizona.
3. San Francisco's injury-laden defense stepped up. While the 49ers offense will get the shine, the defense was equally as dominant on Sunday against the Cardinals for the first three quarters. Linebackers Dee Winters and Curtis Robinson were tremendous, combining for 21 tackles and bringing the type of energy Fred Warner would bring. Winters especially came up big in the early going, stuffing a Cardinals run to end a goal-line stand that ended with a missed chip-shot field goal that really deflated the Cardinals. Safety Malik Mustapha picked off Brissett near the end of the first half and Deommodore Lenoir nearly returned his interception for a touchdown in the third quarter, but Purdy would find Kittle in the end zone five plays later. It was a great team effort from Robert Saleh's unit despite not getting any sacks and the garbage time yards allowed. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for 49ers-Cardinals (via NFL Pro): Brock Purdy finished 8-of-10 passing for 74 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz.

NFL Research: Jacoby Brissett's 47 completions are a new single-game NFL record, breaking Jared Goff (Week 4, 2019) and Drew Bledsoe's (Week 11, 1994 )regular-season mark of 45. Ben Roethlisberger had 47 in a 2020 wild-card loss to the Browns. Brissett is the first player ever to attempt 50-plus passes with an 80-plus completion percentage.

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REWATCH: Seahawks-Rams on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Rams D intercepts Sam Darnold four times, fends off comeback. In an NFC West slugfest for division supremacy, the Rams' defense bamboozled Sam Darnold, forcing the quarterback into four interceptions and holding tough in the red zone early. L.A. routinely forced Darnold off his spot and got him skittish in the pocket. The back end jumped the panicked misfires. Kamren Kinchens snagged two INTs, Darious Williams and Cobie Durant each sniped one to stymie the Seahawks' offense. The Rams' four interceptions matched their most in a game since 2000 (fifth time, first since Week 16, 2022 versus Denver). With the L.A. offense unable to stay on the field, the defense was forced to push back Seattle time and time again. The crew stood tall. The Seahawks racked up 414 total yards, but L.A. gave up a single touchdown. The bend-but-don’t-break plays early were massive. After the offense again couldn’t milk the clock, the defense forced a 61-yard field goal attempt that sailed way wide to end the game. The stat sheet might not look pretty, but the Rams' defense was the difference.
2. Seahawks' defense plays masterfully. What a wasted effort by Mike Macdonald’s defense. Seattle stuffed the Rams offense repeatedly after two early touchdowns – one coming off an interception. Seattle turned L.A. over on downs on the opening drive of the game. After Darnold’s first INT, it took the Rams four plays to get three yards. Seattle allowed a single drive over five plays on the afternoon on 11 possessions. After the first quarter, the Seahawks allowed just 115 total yards and five first downs on eight Rams drives. Macdonald’s D pestered Matthew Stafford, repeatedly forcing awkward passes and off-target balls. Seattle blitzed the QB on 42.9% of his passes. In the second half, Seattle allowed just 34 yards rushing. The four interceptions killed the Seahawks, with 14 of the Rams' 21 points coming off INTs in which L.A. started inside the 25-yard-line. On the other two INTs, Seattle didn’t allow a first down (forced fumble after two plays, three-and-out).
3. Rams' offense sputters. It’s a good thing Sean McVay got aggressive on fourth downs early in the game, because L.A. needed those conversions to put up points. The Rams' offense was off-kilter much of the game. After dominating the first quarter, LA gained one yard on three plays in the entire second quarter. Their only plays in Seattle territory in the second half came off turnovers. Matthew Stafford was as off as he’d been all season, including repeatedly missing Davante Adams (one catch on eight targets, TD). Stafford threw two touchdowns but completed 53.6% of his passes for 130 yards. After the run game popped a few good ones early, it was stuffed in the final three quarters. The key: Stafford didn’t throw a pick, and the Rams won the turnover battle, 4-1.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Rams-Seahawks (via NFL Pro): Coming off three straight games using 13 personnel over 38.0% of the time for 4.7 or more yards per play, the Rams went to it on 36.0% of their plays against the Seahawks, but gained only 2.7 yards per play.

NFL Research: The Rams are 8-2 or better to start a season for the first time since 2018. The 2018 Rams started 9-1, finished 13-3, lost Super Bowl LIII versus New England. The Rams have appeared in the Super Bowl in three of the previous four seasons they started 8-2 or better (lost SB in 2018 and 2001, won SB in 1999; lost in wild-card round in 2000).

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• READ: Browns QB Sanders takes over after Gabriel is ruled out

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Ravens survive, win an ugly one. It required an unabashed commitment to sending pressure in the second half, a number of defensive stops, one takeaway and just enough offensive production to stack field goals on the board to keep the Ravens in their Week 11 meeting with the rival Browns. In the end, they also needed some courage from their play-caller, Todd Monken. Facing fourth-and-1 in the final minutes of a 16-16 game, the seasoned offensive coordinator called a sweep around the right end for tight end Mark Andrews, who lined up under center as a threat to sneak for a first down. Andrews caught Cleveland's defense by surprise and won the race to the end zone for a decisive 35-yard touchdown, their first trip to the end zone since Derrick Henry scored from a yard out late in the first half. Baltimore finished with 351 yards of offense, but save for its earlier touchdown drive, very little of it came easily. Fortunately, the Ravens did enough to prove their superiority over a Browns team that is only threatening on one side of the ball.
2. Different quarterback, same results for Browns. As the days pass and the seasons change, one constant remains in Cleveland, where the Browns own the NFL's worst offense. They finished with 187 total yards on Sunday and averaged just 3.5 yards per play, and frankly, those numbers are generous when compared against the tape. The Browns found some early success with the running game but once Baltimore wised up to their tricks, the unit cratered. The Browns' longest scoring drive covered 55 yards and ended in a field goal. Their shortest began at Baltimore's 6-yard line, covered zero yards and ended in a field goal. A change at quarterback didn't help matters, either: Dillon Gabriel exited at halftime with a concussion, clearing the way for the long-awaited debut of fellow rookie Shedeur Sanders. The game appeared to be too quick for the Colorado product, who routinely held onto the ball too long and was subjected to immense pressure (11 total QB pressures and two sacks). Sanders threw a horrendous interception in the third quarter, struggled with accuracy and never got comfortable, save for one late completion over the middle in the game's final few minutes. Cleveland didn't convert a third down until Sanders took off for a 5-yard scramble late in the third quarter and finished 2 of 14 for the day. Sanders completed just 4 of 16 passes for 47 yards and an interception and didn't find any legitimate success through the air until Cleveland's desperate final drive. That possession ended in familiar fashion with Sanders throwing an under-pressure pass that ended in an incompletion. The Browns own a championship-level defense that's performances are wasted by the offense on a weekly basis. Sunday was just the latest chapter in that disheartening story.
3. Lamar had a rough day at the office. A week after winning a rock fight in Minneapolis, Lamar Jackson and the Ravens headed to Cleveland for what they hoped -- and judging by their result from earlier this season, expected -- would be a nice bounce-back performance. It never got there. Jackson struggled with accuracy and threw two interceptions, with one deflecting off his intended target's hands and into the arms of Browns linebacker Devin Bush , who returned it 23 yards for a touchdown, while the other was knocked skyward by defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. for a pick. Much of Jackson's bumpy afternoon can be chalked up to the pressure caused by Myles Garrett (six pressures) and the rest of Cleveland's defense, which worked in concert to create quite a challenge for Baltimore's offense. But don't be surprised if the morning sports talk shows spend some time worrying about how Jackson has performed over the last two weeks. Fortunately, they get the Jets and Bengals next and should find the going easier.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Ravens-Browns (via NFL Pro): Derrick Henry rushed for 103 yards on 18 carries in the Ravens’ Week 11 victory over the Browns. He forced a season-high five missed tackles on the ground, gaining 65 yards after missed tackles. Henry also recorded 65 yards before contact, his second-most in a game this season. He is the first running back this season to record more than 50 rushing yards before contact against the Browns.

NFL Research: Myles Garrett recorded four sacks Sunday and became the first player since sacks were tracked as an official statistic in 1982 to post 14-plus sacks in five straight seasons. He's also the fourth player since 1982 to have two games with four-plus sacks in a single season, joining Karl Mecklenburg (1985), Reggie White (1986) and Chandler Jones (2019).

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• REWATCH: Chiefs-Broncos on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Broncos took control of AFC West with comeback win over Chiefs. The Broncos delivered a statement victory against their longtime rival Kansas City, which has had a hammerlock on the division for nearly a decade. This year might be different, however. The Broncos are now 9-2, tied for the best mark in the NFL, shockingly sending the Chiefs to 5-5, with the second-place Chargers getting blown out in Jacksonville. It wasn’t always pretty Sunday, but the Broncos are becoming something of ugly-game specialists, pulling out late-game heroics in several of their biggest wins. Considering the circumstances, Sunday might have been the biggest. Without J.K. Dobbins and two key defenders, the Broncos forced key stops against Patrick Mahomes before and after halftime, as well as three-and-out on Kansas City’s final two drives. Bo Nix and the offense chipped away at the Chiefs’ defense, leading four scoring drives in their final five possessions. 
2. Somehow, the Chiefs are a .500 team. It’s hard to believe it, but the Chiefs have major work to do to ensure a spot in the playoffs in what could be Travis Kelce's swan-song season. Their road struggles surfaced again Sunday, as Kansas City dropped to 1-4 away from Arrowhead. The mistakes were plenty. There were big drops by Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce on the final drive of the first half. Patrick Mahomes had a pick-six wiped out on the first drive of the third quarter, but he followed it up later in the drive with a forced-throw INT just outside the red zone. The Chiefs took the lead in the fourth quarter and had Denver on its heels, but things fell apart after the blocked extra point. A tired defense wore down even more. The Chiefs committed 10 penalties (seven in the first half and six credited to the O-line) and were outplayed in the kicking game. If they’re going to turn the season around, it can’t wait too much longer.
3. Deep ball helped Broncos generate offense. With JK Dobbins on IR, the Broncos averaged a mere 2.8 yards per carry against Kansas City. Their long run was an 8-yard scramble from Nix. RJ Harvey did convert some key late first downs, and Denver was patient with the run game, but it was really Bo Nix’s deep connections that helped fuel the Broncos offensively on Sunday. He wasn’t perfect, missing some throws, but Nix was effective attacking downfield, completing 5 of 8 passes for 156 yards on throws 15-plus yards, per Next Gen Stats. Rookie Pat Bryant hauled in a 48-yarder in his best game as a pro, even while being evaluated for a concussion. Troy Franklin, who is becoming Nix’s favorite target, had massive second-half catches for 35 and 32 yards. Courtland Sutton came up big with 20-plus yard plays in each half on third-and-11 or longer. The Chiefs have excellent cover men, and their blitz and short circuit a lot of offenses, but the Broncos held firm enough to connect on some deep shots that tilted the game their way. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chiefs-Broncos (via NFL Pro): The Broncos blitzed Patrick Mahomes 14 times in Week 11, generating seven pressures (50.0%) and recording three sacks. They modified their strategy at halftime, blitzing four times (14.8%) in the first half compared to 10 times (45.5%) in the second half.

NFL Research: The Broncos are 6-0 at home in 2025, which is tied for the best in NFL with the Colts.

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Grant Gordon's takeaways: