With most of the NFL’s Week 11 action in the books, let’s take a look at the biggest winners from Sunday’s slate of games.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills exterminated the Kansas City Chiefs’ undefeated season and 15-game win streak with an emphatic 30-21 victory at Highmark Stadium. Buffalo dominated time of possession (34:03), generated 107 more total yards than the Chiefs and won the turnover battle with two interceptions off of QB Patrick Mahomes.
Bills QB Josh Allen delivered the final dagger with a 26-yard rushing touchdown with under three minutes remaining in the game.
Winners of six consecutive games, the Bills have solidified themselves as the team to beat in the AFC. With seemingly only a road battle against the Detroit Lions standing in the way of a possible 15-2 season, the Bills’ win over Kansas City could prove to be the tiebreaker for the AFC’s top seed in the playoffs.
Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff
A week removed from throwing a career-high five interceptions against the Houston Texans, Jared Goff led seven consecutive touchdown drives during Detroit’s 52-6 demolition of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He completed 24 of his 29 attempts for 412 yards and four touchdowns, committed zero turnovers and posted a perfect passer rating (158.3).
Goff became the first QB in NFL history to record multiple 400+ yard games with a perfect passer rating in a career, per Detroit Lions PR.
The Detroit Lions are now riding an eight-game win streak for the first time since 1934 and are averaging 36.8 points per game over that stretch. Thanks to Goff and the explosive backfield pairing of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, the Lions are on pace to record the third-most points in a single season in NFL history (578).
Pittsburgh Steelers K Chris Boswell
For the second time this season, the Steelers won a game without scoring a touchdown thanks to kicker Chris Boswell. Boswell made all six of his field goal attempts, including three from 50-plus yards, in Pittsburgh’s 18-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. It marked his third career game with six or more field goal makes, the most in NFL history.
Boswell has been the definition of consistency recently. Since Week 16 of the 2023 season, Boswell has made 30-of-31 field goal attempts and all 31 of his extra-point attempts. His lone missed field goal in that span was from 62 yards against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Following their fifth consecutive win, the Steelers hold a 1.5-game lead over Baltimore in the AFC North and are in a good position to host a playoff game for the first time since the 2020 season.
Broncos QB Bo Nix
Bo Nix, whom Denver selected 12th overall in the 2024 draft, was nearly perfect through the air during the Broncos’ 38-6 triumph over the Atlanta Falcons. He completed 28 of 33 attempts for 307 yards, threw four touchdowns, posted a 145.0 passer rating and didn’t commit a single turnover.
After throwing four interceptions and zero touchdown passes through his first three career starts, Nix has tossed 14 touchdown passes and just two interceptions over Denver’s last eight games. With Commanders QB Jayden Daniels failing to produce elite numbers over the past three weeks, Nix has carved himself a path to serious contention for Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Green Bay Packers DE Karl Brooks
For a second consecutive week, a matchup between division rivals was decided by a blocked field goal in the game’s final seconds. In Week 10 it was Chiefs DE Mike Danna whose late-game heroics provided the Kansas City Chiefs with a 16-14 victory over the Denver Broncos. This week, it was Packers DE Karl Brooks who, with outstretched hands, blew through the Chicago Bears’ protection to block kicker Cairo Santos’ 46-yard game-winning attempt as the clock expired.
Green Bay selected the Bowling Green State University product in the sixth round of the 2023 draft. Thanks to his clutch play, the Packers extended their winning streak over the Bears to 11, the longest streak by either team in their 103-year-old rivalry.
Indianapolis Colts QB Anthony Richardson
In his first start since being benched in favor of Joe Flacco, the 2023 fourth-overall pick enjoyed the best game of his young career during Indianapolis’ narrow 28-27 victory over the New York Jets. Richardson completed a career-high (min. 15 attempts) 66.7% of his passes for 272 yards and a touchdown. He added 32 yards and two scores on the ground.
After two third-quarter fumbles, Richardson seemed to regain all of his confidence late in the game as he orchestrated consecutive 70-yard fourth-quarter drives, each of which was capped off with a Richardson touchdown rush. His latter four-yard score with 46 seconds remaining in the game proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Colts.
New Orleans Saints TE Taysom Hill
Taysom Hill’s signature all-around game-breaking ability was on full display in New Orleans’ 35-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Hill completed a pass for 18 yards, ran for 138 yards and three touchdowns, caught eight passes for 50 yards and returned a kickoff 42 yards. His 75-yard touchdown rush with 2:26 in the fourth quarter was the longest run of his eight-year career.
As a result of his dominant outing, Hill became just the second player in NFL history to record 30 rushing touchdowns, 10 receiving touchdowns and 10 passing touchdowns in a career, joining Hall of Famer Frank Gifford.
Miami Dolphins
After a 2-6 start that came as a result of injuries to key starters, the Dolphins (4-6) seem to have found their groove. In their 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, QB Tua Tagovailoa completed 28 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns, TE Jonnu Smith recorded a career-high 101 receiving yards, and CB Jalen Ramsey snagged his second interception in the past three weeks.
Three years ago, the Dolphins finished 9-8 after a 1-7 start. If they’re able to replicate their success over the past couple of weeks for the remainder of the season, Miami could find itself in an eerily similar position and potentially contend for a spot in the playoffs.