NFL Week 11 Takeaways
1. The Steelers offense is humming. On Thursday night, Big Ben and the Pittsburgh offense had a field-day, scoring 37 points on an adequate Titans defense. In the process, Antonio Brown left no doubt as to who the best wide receiver in the NFL is. The Steeler playmaker hauled in 10 catches for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Don’t look now, but Mike Tomlin has his team atop the AFC.
2. Evan Engram has been a pleasant surprise in a season of misery for the New York Giants. When Engram was selected with the 23rd selection in last year’s draft many fans were left scratching their heads. Through his first ten games in the NFL, I could make the argument that he is already a top-five threat from the tight end position. I know the Giants 2017 season has been filled with disappointment even after Sunday’s shocking victory, but pairing a healthy Odell Beckham Jr. with Evan Engram gives the Giants a formidable receiving core for the coming decade regardless of who their quarterback may be.
3. Matthew Stafford belong in the MVP conversation. I know he is not likely to win the award, but when Caron Wentz and Tom Brady’s names are brought up, Stafford’s should at least be mentioned. After beating the Bears on Sunday, Detroit sits at 6-4 with a Thanksgiving showdown against the Minnesota Vikings on deck. If Stafford performs on that stage, in front of a national audience, I expect for his MVP narrative to gain significant traction.
4. If the injuries to Deshaun Watson and Aaron Rodgers don’t illustrate just how important the quarterback position is in the NFL then nothing ever will. The dichotomy between the Texans with and without their rookie quarterback is so extreme that it is impossible to ignore. Houston went from a team with no ceiling to a team that appears to just be counting the weeks until season’s end. Ditto for Green Bay. While the Packers are still alive and capable of making a run at a playoff berth, their potency has been marginalized with Aaron Rodgers out of the fold. The most important position in sports is that of quarterback and quite frankly, it’s not even close.
5. The Saints with home-field advantage in the playoffs would be a frightening proposition for the rest of the NFC. After squeaking out an overtime nail-biter against Kirk Cousins and the Redskins on Sunday afternoon, Sean Payton’s squad sits at 8-2 and in contention for the NFC’s best record, and in turn not having to leave New Orleans until the Super Bowl. Now, next week’s heavyweight bought against the Rams in Los Angeles will go a long way in determining the upper-tier of the NFC Standings, but the Saints are right there. Playing in the raucous Superdome in January is any team’s worst nightmare.
6. Case Keenum needs to remain the Vikings starting quarterback. I know Teddy Bridgewater is back and healthy, and likely the Vikings quarterback of the future, but for the time being Case Keenum needs to be the one under center in the Twin Cities. Right now, the Vikings are rolling because of their defense so the argument could be made that by inserting Teddy that their offense might catch a spark. My rebuttal would be this: the Vikings are currently 8-2 and atop the NFC North. Why fix what isn’t broke?
7. The Chargers are right back in the mix of things in the AFC. After utterly dismantling the Bills (Nathan Peterman, really?) at home on Sunday, Phillip Rivers and company find themselves in contention for the final Wild Card spot in the AFC. This is shocking considering the Chargers started the season 0-4, but given the lack of competency in the conference’s bottom-tier, at 4-6 the Chargers are as good of a bet as any to take the reins and claim a playoff berth.
8. What happened to the Raiders? To think they would beat New England in Mexico City on Sunday afternoon might have been far-fetched, but I expected them to at least compete. Derek Carr and that offense look completely lost out there. After a season in which they won 12 games, the expectations in Oakland were sky-high for this year. I think it’s safe to say they have been a complete disaster. Jack Del Rio’s seat must be getting warm.
9. The Cowboys offense struggled yet again. It was their second straight game without Zeke, but it was also their second straight game without All-World left tackle Tyron Smith. While Dak wasn’t sacked a half-dozen times this week as he was last, it was clear that their offense could find no rhythm. At 5-5 and now four games back of the Eagles in the NFC East, it appears as though the Cowboys will be on the outside looking in on the playoffs.
10. I think that it is very possible that Jerry Jones and Roger Goodell’s quarrel has very little to do with Goodell’s authority as the NFL Commissioner, and has everything to do with creating a smokescreen to draw attention away from the anthem protests. It seems to be working, and it makes sense, right? The talk of the season thus far has been the player’s behavior during the national anthem. Now, with Jones taking issue with Goodell and threatening to sue the league, the anthem protests have not been the talk surrounding the NFL. Let me be clear: I do believe there is some genuine friction between Jones and Goodell stemming from the Ezekiel Elliott suspension, but I have a sneaking suspicion that they are quietly working in unison to quell the dialogue surrounding the player’s protests.
