Week 11 has arrived. Each window on Sunday features a game with significant playoff implications in the AFC.
And, of course, the game of the day happens in the place where the jump through tables and cover people in ketchup and mustard.
Four teams are off. That means 13 games will be played between Sunday and Monday. Here’s our weekly snapshot look at each one.
6-3 Packers (-5.5) at 4-5 Bears, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady)
The Packers have beaten the Bears 10 straight times, sweeping them from 2019 through 2023. And the Bears are currently struggling, losing three in a row and firing offensive coordinator Shane Waldron.
After losing to the Cardinals by the score of 29-9, the Bears were embarrassed at home by the Patriots, 19-3. Chicago has gone 25 straight drives without a touchdown.
The Packers have lost three games to teams with a combined record of 22-5. Green Bay currently holds the No. 7 seed in the NFC. The bye week came at the right time; Jordan Love had a groin injury that needed time to fully heal.
2-8 Jaguars at 8-1 Lions (-14), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Kevin Harlan and Trent Green)
The Lions have won seven in a row, and they’re favored by 14 points — the biggest spread of the year. A victory would give Detroit its first eight-game winning streak since 1934.
Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence will miss another game due to a left shoulder injury. Mac Jones, who had three turnovers against the Vikings, will start again for Jacksonville, which has lost three in a row.
On one sideline will be the potential coach of the year. On the other, potentially the next coach to be fired this year.
2-7 Raiders at 3-6 Dolphins (-7), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Tom McCarthy, Jay Feely and Ross Tucker)
The Raiders have lost five in a row, matching the Giants for the longest losing streak in the NFL. It will be the first game in 2024 without Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator; he was fired after a 41-24 loss at Cincinnati in Week 9.
Miami ended a three-game losing streak with a Monday night win in L.A. They’ve yet to win back-to-back games in 2024. Receiver Tyreek Hill opened up this week about a wrist injury he has been dealing with since camp. Which might help explain his surprisingly low production, relative to past greatness.
Complicating this one for the Dolphins is a scheduling quirk that hampers them. The Raiders ha a bye week, and the Dolphins had a short week, with a flight back from California to South Florida reducing their recovery and prep time.
4-5 Rams (-2.5) at 3-7 Patriots, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez)
It’s a rematch of two prior Super Bowls, 17 years apart. And it’s Matthew Stafford’s first visit to New England since 2014.
The Rams saw a three-game winning streak end, 23-15 to Miami; the Rams are 1-5 this season when scoring 20 points or fewer.
The Patriots had nine sacks in Chicago, and the 19-3 victory was their first win by seven or more points since 2022.
New England is 2-1 since coach Jerod Mayo publicly said the team is “soft.”
2-7 Browns (-1) at 3-7 Saints, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma)
It’s a New Orleans homecoming for Jameis Winston, who spent four seasons with the Saints after his first five in Tampa. He followed a win in his first Cleveland start (and three touchdowns) with a loss (and three interceptions).
The Saints ended a seven-game winning streak with an upset of the Falcons in Darren Rizzi’s first game as interim coach. New Orleans was outgained by more than 100 yards, but Atlanta missed three field goals.
Receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling emerged as a potent weapon for the Saints last week. Cut by the Bills after the Amari Cooper trade, MVS caught three passes for 109 yards and both of the team’s touchdowns for the day.
4-6 Colts at 3-7 Jets (-4), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber and Jason McCourty)
Anthony Richardson is back; the Colts went 0-2 with Joe Flacco as the starter. Indy has lost three in a row after starting 4-3.
The Jets, after snapping a five-game losing streak with a Thursday night win over Houston, lost 31-6 in Arizona. Interim coach Jeff Ulbrich admitted that the team was not ready to play.
The Jets have a bye in Week 11. The vibe will be awful if they lose. It won’t be much better if they win.
Here’s the question few are asking. Once it’s over for the Jets in 2024, will quarterback Aaron Rodgers keep playing?
7-3 Ravens (-3) at 7-2 Steelers, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle and Charles Davis)
It’s the 36th meeting between Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Ravens coach John Harbaugh. Tomlin leads the series, 20-15.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson has struggled against Pittsburgh. Running back Derrick Henry also has yet to have a game with more than 75 rushing yards against the Steelers. Still, they’ve never faced both of them on the same team at the same time.
Baltimore have won six of seven games. Pittsburgh has won four in a row.
It’s the first 2024 AFC North game for Pittsburgh. They’ll play four in a row against division rivals.
7-2 Vikings (-6) at 2-7 Titans, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta)
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold is good to go, despite an injury to his right hand. He threw three interceptions in Jacksonville. The more time he has to set up and throw, the less accurate he seems to be.
With 10 interceptions, Darnold is tied for the most in the league.
The defense is carrying Minnesota, which can get to 8-2 against an overmatched Titans team. Quarterback Will Levis had a solid game against the Chargers, but Tennessee still lost by 10.
6-4 Falcons at 5-6 Broncos (-2.5), Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Kugler and Daryl Johnston)
Which team can show Week 10 was an aberration? The Falcons lost to the previously 2-7 Saints. Atlanta should have won. The Broncos blew the chance to give the Chiefs their first loss of the season on a blocked field goal.
Denver has by all appearances rallied around center Alex Forsyth, who was steamrolled on the key play. Will that pull the Broncos together as they try to end a two-game losing streak and make a push for their first playoff berth since 2015?
Box Nix has been playing at a high level, with a 64.8-percent completion rate, 10 passing touchdowns, three rushing touchdowns, one receiving touchdown, and one interception in the last eight games.
A win by the Broncos would give former Saints coach Sean Payton a clean sweep of the NFC South.
4-5 Seahawks at 5-4 49ers (-6.5), Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Davis and Greg Olsen)
The 49ers beat Seattle in Week 6. Another win would complete a season sweep of the Seahawks for three straight years.
After starting 3-0, the Seahawks have lost five of six. A win by the 49ers would move them to 6-4, pulling them into a tie with the Cardinals, who are on a bye.
Running back Christian McCaffrey had 107 yards from scrimmage in his regular-season debut.
9-0 Chiefs at 8-2 Bills (-2), Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz and Tony Romo)
The Chiefs keep finding ways to win. For the Bills, who are running away with the AFC East, it’s all about trying to secure the No. 1 seed.
This will be the fifth straight year the Chiefs and Bills play in the regular season. The Bills won in 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Including playoffs, the Chiefs lead the Patrick Mahomes/Josh Allen rivalry, 4-3.
Ultimately, the Bills won’t truly slay the dragon until they beat the Chiefs in the playoffs. Against Mahomes, Allen and the Bills are 0-3 in the postseason.
4-6 Bengals at 6-3 Chargers (-1.5), Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock (Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth)
Flexed into prime time for Colts-Jets, it feels like a playoff game for the Bengals. And it feels like the Chargers are destined to get to the playoffs.
L.A. has allowed only 13.1 points per game this season. They’ve given up 20 or fewer in each of their nine contests.
It’s the first of three prime-time games in four weeks for the Chargers. They host the Ravens on Monday night in Week 12, and they visit the Chiefs on Sunday night in Week 14.
The Chargers’ six wins have all come against teams with losing records.
For Cincinnati, a playoff berth remains possible. But the remaining regular-season games are essentially playoff games.
Which is good, because quarterback Joe Burrow usually finds a higher level of performance in the playoffs. Having receiver Tee Higgins back from a quad injury will help.
6-4 Texans (-7.5) at 3-6 Cowboys, Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)
At least there won’t be sunshine to screw this one up for either team.
It’s the third straight prime-time game for the Texans. They’ve lost the first two.
Dallas has yet to win a home game in 2024. The Texans, after starting 5-1, have lost three of four.
The Cowboys are inching closer not just to elimination but to something owner Jerry Jones fears far more than that — irrelevance.
