Broncos sack masters & could Chiefs miss play-offs? Best of NFL week 11
It was another pulsating Sunday of NFL action and it included a hugely significant win for the Denver Broncos that has given the Kansas City Chiefs a mountain to climb.
The Philadelphia Eagles have turned winning ugly into an art form that could well propel them back to the Super Bowl, while Josh Allen proved why he is the MVP in a record-setting display.
Add in a row over spitting, Shedeur Sanders making his debut and Aaron Rodgers picking up a worrying injury, there is a lot to cram in this week.
Here's the pick of week 11.
- Broncos go 9-2 and Sanders plays for Browns - NFL round-up
- Patriots win to equal best run since Brady years
The breakdown - Broncos built for Super Bowl success
Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset after winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver at Levi's Stadium - and a decade later the Broncos look somewhat similar as they look to get back to the big game, which is being held in that same venue.
An omen perhaps? Possibly. This team is similarly built on a fierce defence that will always give them a chance - and Sunday's statement win over the Chiefs could provide that spark of belief to put them over the top.
Denver are certainly sitting pretty on top of the AFC West, which Kansas City have won nine years in a row, with a four-game lead over a side they had gone 16-2 against after Manning's departure.
Vance Joseph's defence has a league-leading 49 sacks, the most a team has managed in 11 games since 1989, and they have kept seven opponents to fewer than 20 points.
They have now beaten both of last year's Super Bowl sides after a win in Philadelphia while Sunday was Bo Nix's fifth fourth-quarter comeback, which includes an incredible 33-point onslaught against the Giants.
Denver have a well-timed bye next week before the run-in, where they have to target the top seed in the AFC and home advantage in the play-offs.
For the Broncos, who play at altitude at Mile High, that's some advantage, as they are 6-0 at home this season and have won 11 straight in front of their home fans.
Talking point - will Chiefs miss the play-offs?
It was almost unthinkable at the start of the season, but the Chiefs - with five Super Bowl appearances in six years - could well miss out on the play-offs now.
At 5-5 they are ninth in the AFC play-off standings and three of the four teams above them in the wildcard race have already beaten them this season.
And it gets no easier as they face the powerful 8-2 Indianapolis Colts next, fresh off a bye week, before playing the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Broncos again.
The offensive line problems that have plagued them over the years are still there, with penalties killing drives and a lack of protection for Patrick Mahomes - while the lack of a running game, crucial drops and, yes, some bad decisions by their star quarterback have all played a part.
But what has been Kansas City's real strength is now their big weakness, as all five defeats this year have been by a score, having gone 12-0 in one-score games last season.
Even on Sunday, Mahomes would have previously dialled up some fourth-quarter magic, but went three-and-out on the final two possessions.
The Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory. Mahomes has never been as bad as 5-5 after 10 games of a season, and never been more than three games behind in the division.
It is not quite win-or-bust time but it is pretty close, and right now it is hard to see how they can dig their way out of trouble.
In focus - Eagles defence looks all-star unit again
"The defence was playing lights-out; it was one of the best performances I've ever seen," was Jalen Hurts' view of the Eagle's defensive display in the 16-9 win over the Lions.
Vic Fangio's unit strangled the life out of Jared Goff and a high-octane Detroit offence - stopping all five fourth-down attempts - and as much as the offence is a worry the defence is anything but.
The signing of Jaelan Phillips on the trade deadline looks a masterstroke. He had a sack and pressured Goff six times in a stellar outing.
So while Hurts and offensive superstars like Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown struggle, Phillips and defensive partners Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean are dominant. They will be the names to know if the Eagles get back to the Super Bowl.
They have restricted the Lions and Packers to a combined 16 points in the last two games, so even the lowly 26 that Hurts and company have mustered have been enough.
Hurts was held under 200 yards for a sixth time and yet another 'tush push' provided the only touchdown - but if the Eagles have to be winning ugly to be successful, head coach Nick Sirianni is all for it.
"As I watch football today, I saw a lot of teams waiting to lose," Sirianni said. "Our team's waiting to win. Because they know how to win. There's something to be said for that."
Player of the week - Josh Allen
Spurred on by an ugly start, Josh Allen went on to have a record day as Buffalo beat Tampa Bay 44-32 with an incredible statistic of 317 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and three rushing scores.
Allen is the only player in NFL history with 300 passing yards and three passing and rushing scores in a game - and he has done it twice, previously achieving it in 2024 against the Los Angeles Rams.
Yes, he had some help on his short rushing touchdowns, and had a superb catch-and-run from Ty Johnson to pad his stats, but the reigning MVP is about as important to a team as anyone in the NFL.
The only other player in NFL history to pass and rush for three touchdowns is Otto Graham in the 1954 NFL Championship Game. It is some achievement.
Allen's game is not perfect, and the big mistakes are creeping in, but there is no doubting his effectiveness and why Buffalo still believe he can propel them to Super Bowl glory.
NFL week 11 records, stats & game notes
It was all happening in Pittsburgh's win over Cincinnati, as Aaron Rodgers picked up what could be a serious wrist injury before Jalen Ramsey was ejected for aiming a punch at Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase. He later accused Chase of spitting at him, which the receiver denied.
"I'm sure the NFL, they'll do their due diligence," Ramsey said. "They got 100 cameras out there. They can investigate. They can see everything, I just told y'all, it's facts."
Davante Adams claimed his 1,000th catch as the Rams just held on to beat the Seahawks in a huge NFC West showdown to go to 8-2 - but both defences emerged with more credit than their offences.
Sam Darnold in particular had a rough ride with four interceptions, but then Matthew Stafford failed to have any real control as Seattle outgained his side by 165 yards and had 15 minutes more possession.
"I don't think I played good at all," said Shedeur Sanders after making his debut in Cleveland's defeat against Baltimore.
The Browns fans were clearly happy to see Sanders, but head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Dillon Gabriel will start next week if he clears concussion protocol, otherwise Sanders will get his first start.
During the game, Myles Garrett had four sacks to make it 15 for the season and become the first player to record 12 sacks in six straight years in the NFL.
Arizona quarterback Jacoby Brissett also set a new NFL record with 47 completed passes - the most ever in a regular season game - as the Cardinals were forced to throw when going behind early in their defeat to the 49ers.
Speaking of San Francisco - they are now 7-4 after Brock Purdy threw three touchdowns and record a fine 133.5 passer rating in his return from injury.
With Christian McCaffrey having another three-touchdown game, the Niners could be primed for a big finish to the season.