Tag: Week 11

Why Justin Fields is the Steelers’ X-factor heading into Week 12’s TNF

The Justin Fields package helped secure a Week 11 win for the Steelers and could play a major role against Cleveland’s defense in Week 12.

While it can be argued that too much blame is being placed on Russell Wilson’s shoulders for the Steelers’ Week 11 offensive struggles, one key takeaway from Pittsburgh’s offense remains: the ‘Justin Fields package‘ was immaculate.

The Fields rushing package has been teased since the Steelers traded for the former Bears QB, and it finally came to fruition in Week 11 against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Steelers brought Fields in for a QB power play and two QB-RB options that helped seal the Week 11 victory for Pittsburgh. In Week 12, facing a relentless Cleveland pass rush led by 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, the Steelers may be forced to rely on the Fields package as the focal point of the rushing attack.

Fields isn’t just a running QB; he can also sling it deep if the game script calls for it, and this versatility could prove to be Cleveland’s downfall in the upcoming Thursday Night Football game.

Will Steelers OC Arthur Smith utilize both Wilson’s and Fields’ greatest strengths in unison? Between Wilson’s ‘moon ball’ and Fields’ speed, not many defenses in the league can prepare for this offensive tandem.

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Mike Tomlin ecstatic Baltimore let Patrick Queen hit free agency

Mike Tomlin shares his thoughts on Patrick Queen following the Steelers’ Week 11 win, highlighting his value to the team.

In the post-game press conference following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 11 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was asked his opinion on former Raven and current Steelers LB Patrick Queen. Tomlin kept it short and sweet, explaining: “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Man, I am glad he is on our team.”

Queen, who left Baltimore after the team allowed him to hit free agency in the 2024 offseason, had a fantastic outing against the Ravens, providing much-needed run support against the one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL.

Heading into Week 11, much discussion surrounded Queen’s potential in the revenge game against his former team, and the Steelers LB did not disappoint.

While Queen had his ups and downs to start the season, no one can deny the consecutive elite performances he delivered in Weeks 10 and 11.

Queen will look to keep his red-hot momentum rolling as his team faces a short week due to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12’s Thursday Night Football game.

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Mike Tomlin spares no feelings regarding Russell Wilson’s Week 11 INT

Mike Tomlin addresses Russell Wilson’s costly interception in Week 11 as the Steelers prepare for Thursday Night Football against Cleveland.

While Russell Wilson has led the Steelers to four consecutive victories in each of his past four starts, Head Coach Mike Tomlin was unimpressed with one specific play from Week 11 against Baltimore.

The offense was struggling to score touchdowns against a stingy Ravens defense, and Wilson almost made a spectacular touchdown pass to TE Darnell Washington.

Wilson escaped pressure, scrambled to his right, and threw up a jump ball to the 6’7″ dynamic tight end in the end zone, but Washington watched it fly past his head and into the arms of Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey.

While the blame game was to be expected, Tomlin wasted no time letting everyone know who he believes was at fault: “I just wish Russ hadn’t thrown it.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers brought Wilson in to make plays for their offense, and Tomlin shouldn’t be surprised nor discourage Wilson’s willingness to take these risks.

Tomlin and the Wilson-led Steelers offense will look to get back on track against the Cleveland Browns on, Thursday Night Football, on November 21st at 8:15 PM EST.

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Broncos could get reinforcements from injured reserve this week

The Broncos have several players eligible to return from injured reserve and the physically unable to perform list this week.

Reinforcements could be on the way for the Denver Broncos this week.

Broncos wide receiver Josh Reynolds (finger) and running back Tyler Badie (back) are both eligible to return from IR, and safety Delarrin Turner-Yell (ACL) and linebacker Drew Sanders (Achilles) are eligible to return from the physically unable to perform list.

This afternoon is the deadline for Turner-Yell to be activated to the 53-man roster. If he is not activated, DTY will spend the rest of the season on reserve. Sanders has one more week remaining on his 21-day window to return.

Here’s a look at the team’s IR/PUP players going into Week 12.

Broncos eligible to return from IR/PUP

  1. LB Drew Sanders: Eligible to return since Week 5
  2. DB Delarrin Turner-Yell: Eligible to return since Week 5
  3. RB Tyler Badie: Eligible to return since Week 9
  4. WR Josh Reynolds: Eligible to return since Week 10

The Broncos also have two players — linebacker Alex Singleton (ACL) and offensive lineman Quinn Bailey (ankle) — who are on season-ending IR.

Broncos on season-ending injured reserve

  1. LB Alex Singleton: Out for season
  2. OL Quinn Bailey: Out for season

Denver linebacker Kwon Alexander and fullback Michael Burton are also out of practice squad elevations, and they seem likely to end up back on the 53-man roster at some point this season. The Broncos will have to make some tough decisions to make room for returning players in the coming weeks.

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All 32 NFL teams (including the Broncos) ranked by FPI ratings

Going into Week 12, the Broncos have a -1.2 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 23rd in the NFL. 

Eleven games into the season, the Denver Broncos (6-5) have a -1.2 Football Power Index (FPI) rating from ESPN, which ranks 23rd in the NFL.

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-8), who will host Denver in Week 12, are ranked 26th with a -4.9 FPI rating.

FPI is “a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season,” according to ESPN.com. “FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

So with that background in mind, here’s a look at how the league’s 32 teams stack up based on FPI going into Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season.

  1. Detroit Lions (9-1): 8.7
  2. Baltimore Ravens (7-4): 6.4
  3. Buffalo Bills (9-2): 6.2
  4. Kansas City Chiefs (9-1): 5.1
  5. Green Bay Packers (7-3): 5.0
  6. Philadelphia Eagles (8-2): 4.5
  7. San Francisco 49ers (5-5): 3.9
  8. Minnesota Vikings (8-2): 2.9
  9. Houston Texans (7-4): 1.9
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-2): 1.8
  11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6): 1.4
  12. Arizona Cardinals (6-4): 1.4
  13. Washington Commanders (7-4): 1.3
  14. Los Angeles Chargers (7-3): 1.1
  15. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7): 0.3
  16. Los Angeles Rams (5-5): -0.1
  17. New York Jets (3-8): -0.2
  18. Miami Dolphins (4-6): -0.3
  19. Atlanta Falcons (6-5): -0.7
  20. New Orleans Saints (4-7): -0.7
  21. Cleveland Browns (2-8): -1.1
  22. Seattle Seahawks (5-5): -1.1
  23. Denver Broncos (6-5): -1.2
  24. Chicago Bears (4-6): -1.4
  25. Indianapolis Colts (5-6): -2.1
  26. Las Vegas Raiders (2-8): -4.9
  27. New England Patriots (3-8): -5.4
  28. Tennesee Titans (2-8): -5.6
  29. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-9): -5.9
  30. Carolina Panthers (3-7): -7.5
  31. New York Giants (2-8): -7.7
  32. Dallas Cowboys (3-7): -8.8

The Broncos will aim to improve their rating when they take on the Raiders in Week 12. Denver moved up two spots in the rankings this week.

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Chiefs LB Drue Tranquill was mic’d up during Chamarri Conner’s INT vs. Bills

Kansas City #Chiefs LB Drue Tranquill was mic’d up during DB Chamarri Conner’s exciting interception against the Buffalo #Bills in Week 11.

The Kansas City Chiefs defense allowed 30 points for the first time this season in the defending Super Bowl champions’ Week 11 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.

Despite their relatively poor performance, Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive unit still managed to make several impressive plays and showed outstanding effort against Josh Allen and the Bills’ impressive offense.

Among Kansas City’s top plays in the game was an interception by defensive back Chamarri Conner, which seemed to spark the Chiefs during their comeback attempt at Highmark Stadium.

Veteran linebacker Drue Tranquill was mic’d up during Conner’s interception and could be heard giving words of encouragement to his teammate during the play in a video that was posted to Twitter this morning:

As Spagnuolo, Conner, and Tranquill look to pick up the pieces and get back on track against the Carolina Panthers in Week 12, this video serves to remind fans that despite Kansas City’s loss, its players showed a ton of heart against Buffalo.

Broncos jump 3 spots in NFL power rankings after big win

The Denver Broncos rose three spots in NFL power rankings after their big win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Following their big 38-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, the Denver Broncos are now No. 13 in Nate Davis’ latest NFL power rankings for USA TODAY Sports. That’s up three spots from their No. 16 rank last week.

Here is Davis’ commentary on Denver following Sunday’s win:

Perhaps the AFC version of the Vikes, the Broncos went 4-0 against the NFC South and outscored those teams by an average of 22 points.

After sweeping the NFC South, attention now turns to the AFC West, where the Broncos have three games remaining.

Elsewhere in the division, the Kansas City Chiefs are ranked No. 4, the Los Angeles Chargers are ranked No. 11 and the Las Vegas Raiders are ranked No. 27. The Broncos will host the Raiders at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 12.

The Detroit Lions are ranked No. 1 and the Jacksonville Jaguars are ranked No. 32 (last). To view the complete NFL power rankings following Week 11, visit USATODAY.com.

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Monday Night Football schedule: Is there a ‘ManningCast’ tonight?

Peyton and Eli are back with another ‘ManningCast’ for the Texans-Cowboys showdown on ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 11.

Peyton and Eli Manning have returned for a fourth season of the ManningCast with the two former quarterbacks set to provide commentary for 11 weeks of Monday Night Football games this fall.

The brothers released a funny 10-minute musical to promote the upcoming ManningCast season in September. The 2024 slate continues tonight with the Texans-Cowboys game on ESPN2, which is available to stream on fuboTV (try it free).

Peyton and Eli will welcome new guests on the program each week there is a ManningCast, and Bill Belichick will be featured on every episode this fall.

In addition to 10 weeks of regular-season action, Peyton and Eli will also provide commentary for a Wild Card game in January.

Check out the full schedule below.

ManningCast 2024 Schedule

NFL Week Date Game TV
1 Sept. 9 Jets @ 49ers ESPN2, ESPN+
2 Sept. 16 Falcons @ Eagles ESPN2
5 Oct. 7 Saints @ Chiefs ESPN2
6 Oct. 14 Bills @ Jets ESPN2
7 Oct. 21 Ravens @ Bucs ESPN2, ESPN+
8 Oct. 28 Giants @ Steelers ESPN2, ESPN+
9 Nov. 4 Bucs @ Chiefs ESPN2
11 Nov. 18 Texans @ Cowboys ESPN2
12 Nov. 25 Ravens @ Chargers ESPN2
14 Dec. 9 Bengals @ Cowboys ESPN2, ESPN+
Wild Card Jan. 13 TBD ESPN2, ESPN+

The ManningCast is televised on ESPN2. The primary MNF broadcast will continue to feature Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters on ESPN.

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Javonte Williams had a great reaction to being pushed into end zone by teammates

“The cavalry came,” Broncos RB Javonte Williams said of being pushed into the end zone. He knew Quinn Meinerz was involved.

In the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos running back Javonte Williams met Falcons safety Justin Simmons at about the five-yard line and was stood up.

Williams kept his legs moving and teammates soon arrived to help push him into the end zone for a touchdown.

“They just seen me and J-Sim one-on-one kind of at a stalemate and after that, the cavalry came,” Williams said of the play after the game.

Williams was picked up by his teammates and escorted into the end zone.

“I was in the air,” Williams said after the game. “That was all the o-line. From like the five-yard line on, that was all the o-line because my feet were in the air. So all the credit to them.”

After an eventual 38-6 victory, guard Quinn Meinerz detailed how pushing the pile dates back to his time in college.

“Pushing the pile, I’m going to give a shout-out to my offensive line coach at [Wisconsin-] Whitewater, Coach Brent Allen,” Meinerz said. “That was something that was instilled in us as Whitewater offensive linemen that — it was push the pile every time. Get to the pile, push the pile. We had tons of plays like that in college.”

Denver’s social media team had Williams break down the play after the game:

Williams knew Meinerz was involved during the play.

“Yeah, when my feet came out the ground and I was still moving, I said, it must be Quinn and somebody, because I know Quinn is going to be the one push,” Williams said.

Williams ended the day with nine carries for 59 yards and one touchdown. He also added four receptions for 28 yards as the Broncos improved to 6-5 with a convincing victory at home.

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Best photos from Chiefs’ Week 11 loss to Bills at Highmark Stadium

See all the best photographs from the Kansas City #Chiefs’ Week 11 loss to the Buffalo #Bills at Highmark Stadium.

On Sunday, November 17 the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills met for a highly anticipated Week 11 matchup that may end up having huge implications on the AFC playoff picture later this year.

While the Chiefs made a signature late-game comeback attempt in Sunday’s tilt against Buffalo, it wasn’t enough to keep Josh Allen and the Bills from snapping Kansas City’s nine-game winning streak.

Buffalo dominated on both sides of the ball, exposing all of the Chiefs’ weaknesses and toppling Kansas City’s perfect season.

Despite this loss to their rivals, the standings in the AFC remain the same with the Chiefs retaining their lead over the second-place Bills.

Kansas City will have to fight to regain the momentum they built earlier in the regular season and will have a chance to earn their tenth win against the Carolina Panthers on November 24.

The Chiefs’ Week 11 performance was not without exciting moments that fans can appreciate, even after a bitter loss.

Take a look through this collection of the best photos taken at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York: