Every weekend in the NFL, elements attract our attention regarding the forces present, the records that are within reach or in relation to certain historical marks. Here, for the 11th week of activities, are 5 elements to watch out for.
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1. Place au choc Bills-Chiefs!
It’s quite the end of the day that awaits football fans on Sunday (4:25 p.m.), with the highly important duel between Bills (8-2) and Chiefs (9-0), in Buffalo. The Bills have won the last three regular season games, while the Chiefs have won the last three in the playoffs. The four most recent duels have been decided by one possession, often offering dramatic conclusions. How pampered are fans? This marks just the fifth time since 1970 that two teams with eight or more wins have met in Week 11 or earlier. The last time, in 2018, the Rams (9-1) beat the Chiefs (9-1) by 54-51. In 2013, the Chiefs (9-0) lost to the Broncos (8-1). Otherwise, we have to go back to the 1970s. The Rams (8-2) had the upper hand over the Steelers (9-1) in 1978. A year earlier, the Broncos (9-1) had got the better of the Colts (9 -1). Of the teams mentioned, only the 1978 Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl in the same season.
2. The fierce lions
Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is on a great run.
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The Lions continue to win games every way they can this season and their 8-1 record is the best in the National Conference. Facing the Jaguars this week, they have a chance to win nine of their first ten games for only the second time in franchise history. You have to go back to 1934 to see such a start on the Lions side. Also note that receiver Amon-Ra St.Brown can become the fifth receiver since 2000 with a receiving touchdown in eight straight games. The others are AJ Green (2012 Bengals), Davante Adams (2020 Packers), Antonio Brown (2018 Steelers) and TJ Houshmandzadeh (2007 Bengals).
3. The Chargers wall
The Chargers defense is among the best in the NFL this season.
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The main factor of change for the Chargers this season with the arrival of head coach Jim Harbaugh is the extraordinary performance of the defense. The Chargers lead the NFL in points allowed per game at 13.1. If they limit the Bengals to 20 points or fewer on Sunday night, they will become just the fifth team since 1970 to do so in the first 10 games of a season. No one has done it since the 1990 Giants. The record belongs to the 1970 Vikings, with their first 14 games under the 20-point mark.
4. Amazing Justin Jefferson!
Justin Jefferson continues to establish himself as one of the best receivers of his time with the Vikings.
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With 831 yards this season, Justin Jefferson ranks second among receivers, behind Ja’Marr Chase (981 yards). He needs just 55 yards against the Titans to become the receiver with the highest total yards in history after his first five seasons. The mark of 6,784 yards belonging to former Rams Torry Holt will quickly be surpassed. The worst part is that Jefferson missed seven games and part of another last season. Since the start of his career, the Mauves ace has averaged an impressive 97.5 yards per game.
5. Dallas, we have a problem…
Nothing is going well for head coach Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys.
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The worst news ever for the Cowboys in precipitous decline is that they are playing in the comfort of their home in Dallas this Monday against the Texans. Normally, it’s nothing but bliss for a team to play at home, but the Cowboys have a -94 point differential in their sunny home this fall. This is the sixth-worst total in NFL history after four home games. The Cowboys’ previous mark of mediocrity in this regard was established in 1960 (-88 points differential after four games). It was the franchise’s first-ever season, which finished with a record of 0-11-1.
