Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season featured a number of intriguing matchups, including perhaps the game of the year between Kansas City and Buffalo, several showdowns between division rivals, and a team dropping 52 points.
Let’s examine how this week’s results affected the NFL standings and playoff picture while also recapping the top games of Week 11.
AFC Playoff Picture
1. Kansas City Chiefs, 9-1 (lost to Bills on Sunday)
2. Buffalo Bills, 9-2 (beat Chiefs on Sunday)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8-2 (beat Ravens on Sunday)
4. Houston Texans, 7-4 (beat Cowboys on Monday)
5. Los Angeles Chargers, 7-3 (beat Bengals on Sunday night)
6. Baltimore Ravens, 7-4 (lost to Steelers on Sunday)
7. Denver Broncos, 6-5 (beat Falcons on Sunday)
In The Hunt
8. Indianapolis Colts, 5-6 (beat Jets on Sunday)
9. Miami Dolphins, 4-6 (beat Raiders on Sunday)
10. Cincinnati Bengals, 4-7 (lost to Chargers on Sunday night)
11. New York Jets, 3-8 (lost to Colts on Sunday)
12. New England Patriots, 3-8 (lost to Rams on Sunday)
13. Cleveland Browns, 2-8 (lost to Saints on Sunday)
14. Tennessee Titans, 2-8 (lost to Vikings on Sunday)
15. Las Vegas Raiders, 2-8 (lost to Dolphins on Sunday)
16. Jacksonville Jaguars, 2-9 (lost to Lions on Sunday)
NFC Playoff Picture
1. Detroit Lions, 9-1 (beat Jaguars on Sunday)
2. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-2 (beat Commanders on Thursday)
3. Arizona Cardinals, 6-4 (on BYE)
4. Atlanta Falcons, 6-5 (lost to Broncos on Sunday)
5. Minnesota Vikings, 8-2 (beat Titans on Sunday)
6. Green Bay Packers, 7-3 (beat Bears on Sunday)
7. Washington Commanders, 7-4 (lost to Eagles on Thursday)
In The Hunt
8. Los Angeles Rams, 5-5 (beat Patriots on Sunday)
9. Seattle Seahawks, 5-5 (beat 49ers on Sunday)
10. San Francisco 49ers, 5-5 (lost to Seahawks on Sunday)
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-6 (on BYE)
12. Chicago Bears, 4-6 (lost to Packers on Sunday)
13. New Orleans Saints, 4-7 (beat Browns on Sunday)
14. Carolina Panthers, 3-7 (on BYE)
15. Dallas Cowboys, 3-6 (lost to Texans on Monday)
16. New York Giants, 2-8 (on BYE)
Week 11 Results Impacting NFL Playoff Race
Bills Hand Chiefs First Loss
Somewhere, the 1972 Dolphins are popping champagne as they remain the only undefeated team in NFL history for at least one more year. The Bills defeated the Chiefs, 30-21, getting revenge after losing to Kansas City in the Divisional Round of last year’s playoffs.
On a 4th-and-2 with a 23-21 lead, Bills quarterback Josh Allen rushed for a 26-yard touchdown to seal the win and hand the Chiefs their first loss of the season.
Allen finished the game 27-of-40 for 262 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while rushing 57 times for a touchdown. Meanwhile, James Cook rushed nine times for 20 yards and two touchdowns. Khalil Shakir (eight receptions for 70 yards) and Curtis Samuel (five receptions for 58 yards and a score) stepped up with Dalton Kincaid (knee) and Keon Coleman (wrist) out and Amari Cooper (wrist) banged up.
Patrick Mahomes had a strong performance, completing 23 of 33 passes for 196 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. Xavier Worthy had four receptions for 61 yards and a score, while tight end Noah Gray caught four passes for 23 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, Kareem Hunt rushed 14 times for 60 yards.
The Bills advance to 9-2, and now they’ll enter their bye week. Meanwhile, the Chiefs fall to 9-1 and will face Carolina in Week 12.
Steelers Defeat Rival Ravens 18-16
It wasn’t pretty, but the Steelers just did enough to defeat their AFC North rival Ravens, 18-16.
All of Pittsburgh’s points came from Chris Boswell’s field goals, as he was 6-of-6 on the day (including a 57-yarder). The Steelers’ defense contained Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense, holding them to 16 points.
Russell Wilson had his worst game since becoming Pittsburgh’s starter, completing 23 of his 36 passes (63.8%) for 205 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception. However, he is now 4-0 as the starter this season. Najee Harris (18 carries for 63 yards) and Jaylen Warren (nine carries for 41 yards) combined for 104 rushing yards, while George Pickens (eight receptions for 89 yards) led the way through the air.
For Baltimore, Derrick Henry finished with 13 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown in the losing effort. Reigning MVP Jackson completed 16 of his 33 passes (48.4%) for 207 passes, one touchdown, and one interception while adding 46 rushing yards.
With this win, the Steelers now have a 95.2% chance of making the playoffs and 57% odds to win the division. Meanwhile, the Ravens have 97.0% odds to make the playoffs, but their odds of winning the division drop to 41.9%.
Packers Hold On To Beat Bears 20-19
This showdown of NFC North rivals lived up to the hype, with the Packers holding on against the Bears for a 20-19 victory.
Josh Jacobs rushed 18 times for 76 yards and a touchdown while adding four receptions for 58 yards. Jordan Love completed 13 of 17 passes for 261 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Jayden Reed finished with just two catches for 23 yards, but he caught Love’s lone touchdown pass.
Meanwhile, Caleb Williams completed 23 of 31 passes for 231 yards, zero touchdowns, and zero interceptions. The Bears scored two rushing touchdowns, with D’Andre Swift (14 rushes, 71 yards) and Roschon Johnson (10 rushes, 33 yards) each getting into the end zone.
With this win, the Packers now have a 79.9% chance of making the playoffs while Chicago’s postseason odds dip to 0.4% due in large part to their tough division and brutal remaining schedule.
Lions Drop 52 Points on Jaguars
The Lions did whatever they wanted against the lowly Jaguars on both sides of the ball, dominating from start to finish en route to a 52-6 blowout.
After throwing for five interceptions in last week’s win over the Texans, Jared Goff bounced back and completed 24 of 29 passes for 412 yards and four touchdowns. Amon-Ra St. Brown finished with 11 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns and Jameson Williams caught four passes for 124 yards and a score.
David Montgomery (15 rushes for 75 yards and two touchdowns) and Jahmyr Gibbs (123 total yards and a rushing touchdown) got in on the fun too.
Trevor Lawrence missed this game with an AC joint sprain, and he could potentially miss the remainder of the season. Mac Jones filled in for Lawrence, finishing with just 17 completions on 29 passes for 138 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception.
Tank Bigsby was also sidelined, and Travis Etienne Jr. couldn’t do anything on the ground, totaling just 27 yards on 12 carries (2.3 yards per attempt). Detroit outgained Jacksonville 645 yards to 170.
The Lions advanced to 9-1, and PFN’s Playoff Predictor now gives Detroit an NFL-best 33.5% chance of winning the Super Bowl — the next-best odds belong to the Chiefs (9.8%). Meanwhile, the Jaguars drop to 2-9, and all eyes will be on Jacksonville to see if head coach Doug Pederson makes it to Week 12 when the Jags will take on the Texans.