Analysis
11/23/20
8 min min read
NFL Week 11 Game Notes
Some interesting nuggets from each of Sunday's Week 11 games:
Cleveland 22 (7-3), Philadelphia 17 (3-6-1)
Top Passers:
CLE- B. Mayfield 12-22, 9.3 yards per attempt (ypa), 0-0 TD-INT
PHI- C. Wentz 21-35 6.7 ypa, 2-2
Top Rushers:
CLE- N. Chubb, 20 carries, 5.7 ypa. 0 TDs
PHI- M. Sanders, 16 carries, 4.1 ypa, 0 TDs
Top Receivers:
CLE- K. Hodge, 3 catches, 24.3 yards per reception, 0 TDs
PHI- D. Goedert, 5 catches, 15.4 yards per reception, 1 TD
- Cleveland ran on nearly 75% of their second half plays and averaged 4.5 yards a rush.
- In his second-half opportunities, Baker Mayfield was effective, completing 5 of his 7 passes for over 9 yards an attempt.
- Carson Wentz, who threw a pick-6 in the first half, struggled in the second half, going 14-for-26, 4.5 yards /attempt, despite having a deeper average depth of target of 7.9.
- Nick Chubb delivered the play of the game early in the fourth quarter on a 54-yard run that set up Cleveland to take a two-score lead.
- Carson Wentz added a second interception late in the fourth quarter on an underthrown red zone ball, intended for Alshon Jeffery.
- The Eagles, who have now used 9 different offensive line combinations, lost Jason Kelce (elbow) for part of the first half. He was making his 99th straight start this week.
- In the past two weeks, the Eagles have been just 2-for-21 on third down.
New Orleans 24 (8-2), Atlanta 9 (3-7)
Top Passers:
NO- T. Hill, 18-23, 10.1 ypa, 0-0 TD-INT
ATL- M. Ryan, 19-37, 6.3 ypa, 0-2
Top Rushers:
NO- T. Hill, 10 carries, 5.1 ypa, 2 TDs
ATL- T. Gurley, 8 carries, 3.3 ypa, 0 TDs
Top Receivers:
NO- M. Thomas, 9 catches, 11.6 yards per reception, 0 TDs
ATL- C. Ridley, 5 catches, 18 yards per reception, 0 TDs
- In his first career start at quarterback, Taysom Hill delivered an impressive performance for New Orleans. He completed 78% of his passes and averaged 8.1 net yards per pass. In the second quarter, Hill connected with Emmanuel Sanders on a 45-yard pass, a ball that traveled 54 yards in the air, the longest completion by a Saints QB over the last three seasons. Hill also added 51 yards on the ground and two second-half red-zone rushing touchdowns.
- In his injury-riddled season, Michael Thomas had his best outing so far in 2020 (9 catches, 104 yards).
- The Saints, who were without Marshon Lattimore, were effective in slowing down the Falcons’ passing game. They held Ryan to under 7 yards a passing attempt and also registered 8 sacks.
- Since their Week 6 bye, the Saints defense has the lowest points per game allowed in the NFL.
- The Saints have now won seven straight games and are in sole possession of the NFC’s No. 1 seed with Green Bay’s loss.
Washington 20 (3-7), Cincinnati 9 (2-7-1)
Top Passers:
WAS- A. Smith, 17-25, 6.6 ypa, 1-1 TD-INT
CIN- J. Burrow, 22-34, 6.0 ypa, 1-0
Top Rushers:
WAS- A. Gibson, 16 carries, 5.9 ypa, 1 TD
CIN- R. Finley, 1 carry, 19 ypa, 0 TDs
Top Receivers:
WAS- T. McLaurin, 5 catches, 16.8 yards per reception, 0 TDs
CIN- T. Boyd, 9 catches, 9.4 yards per reception, 0 TDs
- Bengals QB Joe Burrow was 21-for-29 and averaged over 6 yards an attempt. Leading 9-7 in the third quarter, Burrow was hit low while backed up on third down and carted off with an ACL injuryt that ended his rookie season.
- Antonio Gibson continues to fortify his role as Washington’s leading rusher. With his 1-yard TD in the first quarter, he now has a rushing touchdown in four consecutive games.
- In the second half, Washington ran on 83% of first downs and averaged 5.6 yards on their 21 rushes.
- Today was the first game Alex Smith has won as a starting quarterback since November of 2018.
- In their last 57 games, Cincinnati has given up points in the last two minutes of the first half 37 times
Carolina 20 (4-7), Detroit 0 (4-6)
Top Passers:
CAR- P. Walker, 24-34, 7.6 ypa, 1-2 TD-INT
DET- M. Stafford, 18-33, 5.4 ypa, 0-0
Top Rushers:
CAR- M. Davis, 19 carries, 3.4 ypa. 1 TD
DET- A. Peterson, 7 carries, 2.6 ypa, 0 TDs
Top Receivers:
CAR- D. Moore, 7 catches, 18.1 yards per reception, 0 TDs
DET- T. Hockenson, 4 catches, 17.0 yards per reception, 0 TDs
- Panthers QB P.J. Walker connected with Curtis Samuel on a 17-yard corner route for his first career touchdown pass early in the second half. Samuel (8 catches 70 yards) has been one of the most effective red-zone receivers in the NFL. Since 2019, he trails only Tyler Lockett and Adam Thielen for red-zone touchdowns (11).
- In the second half, the Lions threw on 90% of plays. Matthew Stafford completed 59% of his passes but the Lions averaged under 4 net yards per pass. Stafford, who had an ADOT of under six yards and failed to connect on any deep passes, has beenmissingt Kenny Golladay. Without Golladay, Detroit has had a lower yards/attempt, lower ADOT and a lower air yards per completion.
- This game marked the first time the Lions have been shut out with Stafford at quarterback.
Pittsburgh 27 (10-0), Jacksonville 3 (1-9)
Top Passers:
PIT- B. Roethlisberger, 32-46, 5.8 ypa, 2-1 TD-INT
JAX- J. Luton, 16-37, 4.1 ypa, 0-4
Top Rushers:
PIT- J. Conner, 13 carries, 6.8 ypa. 0 TDs
JAX- J. Robinson, 17 carries, 4.3 ypa, 0 TDs
Top Receivers:
PIT- D. Johnson, 12 catches, 9.3 yards per reception, 0 TDs
JAX- D. Chark, 4 catches, 10.3 yards per reception, 0 TDs
- Per CBS, Jags RB James Robinson has the most scrimmage yards through nine career games of any undrafted rookie in NFL history.
- Unfortunately for the Jags, rookie QB Jake Luton really struggled in his third career start. With a chance to tie the game at 10 late in the second quarter, Luton had a ball batted at the line of scrimmage and intercepted and returned by Minkah Fitzpatrick, setting up the Steelers to score before the half. For the game, Luton completed only 43% of his passes, had 3.4 net yards/attempt, and four interceptions.
- After a slow start, Ben Roethlisberger led two second-quarter touchdown drives to take a 17-3 halftime lead. He gave Pittsburgh a lead after connecting with Chase Claypool on a 31-yard deep touchdown down the left sideline. Claypool now has 10 touchdowns in 10 games, one shy of a rookie record.
- The Steelers, who entered Sunday with the most turnovers and pressures in the NFL, added four picks and two sacks to their totals. Terrell Edmunds had two of the interceptions after not having one since 2018, and Fitzpatrick added two. He now has nine since being traded, which trails only JC Jackson in that span.
Tennessee 30 (7-3), Baltimore 24 (6-4) OT
Top Passers:
TEN- R. Tannehill, 22-31, 8.4 ypa, 2-1 TD-INT
BAL- L. Jackson, 17-29, 9.1 ypa, 1-1
Top Rushers:
TEN- D. Henry, 28 carries, 4.8 ypa. 1 TD
BAL- J. Dobbins, 15 carries, 4.7 ypa, 1 TD
Top Receivers:
TEN- C. Davis, 5 catches, 22.6 yards per reception, 0 TDs
BAL- M. Andrews, 5 catches, 19.2 yards per reception, 1 TD
- The Ravens continued their run-heavy attack, rushing on 86% of all first-half first downs, which led to only a 14% success rate. J.K Dobbins saw the bulk of the work, rushing 10 times for 57 yards with a TD in the first half.
- Defenses continue to play zone against Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, which helps limit his rushing ability.
- Jonnu Smith's 7 TD catches ties Delanie Walker's record for most in a season for a TE in the Titans era (per John Glennon). The Titans are 5-0 this season when Smith has a receiving TD (NFL Research)
- Tennessee is 13-2 in games that Henry has run for over 100 yards since making his NFL debut in 2016 (per Trey Wingo)
- The Titans have a .750 winning percentage (12-4) under Mike Vrabel when leading after the first quarter (per David Boclair)
Houston 27 (3-7), New England 20 (4-6)
Top Passers:
HOU- D. Watson, 28-37, 9.3 ypa, 2-0 TD-INT
NE- C. Newton, 26-40, 9.1 ypa, 1-0
Top Rushers:
HOU- D. Watson, 6 carries, 6.0 ypa. 1 TD
NE- D. Harris, 11 carries, 3.9 ypa, 1 TD
Top Receivers:
HOU- B. Cooks, 4 catches, 21.3 yards per reception, 0 TDs
NE- D. Byrd, 6 catches, 22.0 yards per reception, 1 TD
- In his last four games, Deshaun Watson has 9 TDs and 0 INTs
- The Patriots have scored 13 points in first quarter this year, fewest in the NFL (per CBS)
Denver 20 (4-6), Miami 13 (6-4)
Top Passers:
DEN- D. Lock, 18-30, 9.0 ypa, 0-1 TD-INT
MIA- R. Fitzpatrick, 12-18, 6.5 ypa, 0-1
Top Rushers:
DEN- M. Gordon, 15 carries, 5.6 ypa. 2 TDs
MIA- S. Ahmed, 12 carries, 3.6 ypa, 0 TDs
Top Receivers:
DEN- T. Patrick, 5 catches, 23.8 yards per reception, 0 TDs
MIA- D. Parker, 6 catches, 10.2 yards per reception, 1 TD
- Miami had been 5-0 when scoring first this season; the Dolphins scored first in this game but did not come away with a win.
- Ryan Fitzpatrick came in for the injured Tua Tagovailoa and threw a key end-zone INT with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter.
- Melvin Gordan and Philip Lindsey were a nice 1-2 punch, combining for 166 yards on 21 carries along with 2 TDs.
Los Angeles Chargers 34 (3-7), New York Jets 28 (0-10)
Top Passers:
LAC- J. Herbert, 37-49, 7.47 ypa, 3-0 TD-INT
NYJ- J. Flacco, 15-30, 6.8 ypa 2-1
Top Rushers:
LAC- K. Ballage, 16 carries, 2.8 ypa. 0 TDs
NYJ- F.Gore, 15 carries, 4.1 ypa, 1 TD
Top Receivers:
LAC- K. Allen, 16 catches, 9.1 yards per reception, 1 TD
NYJ- D. Mims, 3 catches, 23.7 yards per reception, 0 TDs
- Chargers QB Justin Herbert has seven straight games with 2 passing TDs; no rookie has ever done that
- Herbert’s five games with 3 or more TDs is an NFL Rookie Record
- The Jets averaged more yards per rush (4.4) than pass (2.3) in the first half
Indianapolis 34 (7-3), Green Bay 31 (7-3) OT
Top Passers:
IND- P. Rivers, 24-36, 8.0 ypa, 3-1 TD-INT
GB- A. Rodgers, 27-38, 8.2 ypa, 3-1
Top Rushers:
IND- J. Taylor, 22 carries, 4.1 ypa, 0 TDs
GB- A. Jones, 10 carries, 4.1 ypa, 1 TD
Top Receivers:
IND- M. Pittman, 3 catches, 22.0 yards per reception, 1 TD
GB- D. Adams, 7 catches, 15.1 yards per reception, 1 TD
- The Packers scored first when Aaron Rodgers hit Robert Tonyan for 25 yards. It was the first TD the Colts have allowed all season to the tight end position
- Colts rookie Michael Pittman Jr. scored his first career touchdown on a 45-yard catch and run reception
- Packers WR Davante Adams extended his TD streak to 5 straight games.
- Indianapolis had allowed 28 or more points just once this season before Sunday. The Packers scored 28 in the first half (per Wes Hodkiewicz via Twitter)
- The Packers did not have a first down in the third quarter
Dallas 31 (3-7), Minnesota 28 (4-6)
Top Passers:
DAL- A. Dalton, 22-32, 6.3 ypa, 3-1 TD-INT
MIN- K. Cousins 22-30, 10.4 ypa, 3-0
Top Rushers:
DAL- E. Elliott, 21 carries, 4.9 ypa, 0 TDs
MIN- D. Cook, 27 carries, 4.3 ypa, 1 TD
Top Receivers:
DAL- A. Cooper, 6 catches, 13.5 yards per reception, 0 TDs
MIN- A. Thielen, 8 catches, 15.4 yards per reception, 2 TDs
- Dallas scored its first TD in the first quarter in the last six games (per Fox) on a TD catch-and-run by Ezekiel Elliott. This was Elliott’s first touchdown in the past five games.
- Per Fox, Elliott is one of five players in NFL history with 45-plus rush TDs and 10-plus receiving TDs in his first five seasons
- With the Cowboys win, every team in the NFC East has three wins
- Adam Thielen’s two TD receptions gives him 11 for the season, most through the Vikings’ first 10 games
- Justin Jefferson currently averages 84.7 yards per game, third=best for a rookie receiver behind only Odell Beckham Jr. and Anquan Boldin (per Fox)
Kansas City 35 (9-1), Las Vegas 31 (6-4)
Top Passers:
KC- P. Mahomes, 34-45 , 10.2 ypa, 2-1 TD-INT
LVR- D. Carr, 23-31, 11.9 ypa, 3-1 TD-INT
Top Rushers:
KC- C. Edwards-Helaire, 14 carries, 4.9 ypa, 2 TDs
LVR- J. Jacobs, 17 carries, 3.2 ypa, 1 TD
Top Receivers:
KC- T. Kelce, 8 catches, 15.9 yards per reception, 1 TD
LVR- D. Waller, 7 catches, 12.6 yards per reception, 1 TD
- The Raiders had 10 members of its defense on the COVID list this week, playing without three starters, including Clelin Ferrell and Cory Littleton
- Derek Carr surpassed 25,000 yards for his career. Per NFL Research, Carr and Russell Wilson are the only two QBs to throw for 25,000 yards and fewer than 70 INTs in their first 7 seasons
- Chiefs head coach Andy Reid improved to 19-3 after bye weeks
- The Chiefs have not allowed a third-quarter touchdown all season
- Le’Veon Bell scored his first touchdown of the season
- The Chiefs’ 36 first downs tied a franchise record
