And the beat is going on.
Any other action-packed slate of video games is upon us as Era 11 of the NFL steady season deals 4 high-stakes divisional matchups and every other 3 contests between projected playoff groups.
Philadelphia and Washington confronted off within the Town of Brotherly Love Thursday night time when the Eagles stepped forward to 8-2 and took keep watch over of the NFC East with a 26-18 win. Sunday, NFC North foes Chicago and Inexperienced Bay meet within the Stormy Town hour the AFC North-leading Pittsburgh Steelers host the rival Baltimore Ravens. Out West, the San Francisco 49ers host the Seattle Seahawks.
And that’s now not all.
A possible AFC Championship Sport preview takes playground in Buffalo because the Expenses host the Chiefs. Two emerging groups meet in Denver, the place the Broncos host the Atlanta Falcons. And the Sunday night time matchup includes a pair of marquee quarterbacks and their groups as Justin Herbert and the L.A. Chargers host Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Listed below are probably the most compelling storylines around the NFL this weekend. (To find the Era 11 agenda right here.)
1. Mahomes vs. Allen, Spherical 8
The NFL schedulers almost definitely must have made this the Sunday night time duel. How may just a showdown between two of the NFL’s maximum elite quarterbacks now not garner lead billing?
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen proportion a storied historical past, and none in their seven conferences has disillusioned. Allen holds a 3-1 edge in regular-season contests. Mahomes, then again, boasts a 3-0 postseason document towards his rival. The ones regular-season contests were determined via a median of 8.5 issues hour the postseason video games have been determined via 7.7 issues in keeping with duel.
The latter life those groups met within the steady season, latter December, Allen and corporate prevailed 20-17 thank you partly to a Tyler Bass garden objective with 1:54 left to play games. On the other hand, the Chiefs nonetheless had a anticipation and idea that they had sealed victory 29 seconds nearest. Mahomes finished a 25-yard go to Travis Kelce, who later flipped the ball to large receiver Kadarius Toney, who scored from 24 yards out. On the other hand, the landing was once referred to as again as a result of Toney had coated up offside. Buffalo’s protection compelled 3 directly incompletions and a lack of downs to clinch the win.
Kansas Town, then again, avenged the defeat within the divisional spherical of the playoffs. An Isiah Pacheco landing run early within the fourth quarter gave the Chiefs a 27-24 top they by no means relinquished.
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As soon as once more, those big name quarterbacks have their groups ranked a number of the league’s elite. Mahomes and the Chiefs descend on Buffalo with an ideal 9-0 document. In the meantime, Allen’s Expenses additionally boast probably the most lead data within the league at 8-2.
How will the 5th regular-season installment play games out? Can Buffalo finish Kansas Town’s highest run hour extending its win streak to 6 video games? Or will the Chiefs once more be able to triumph over stumbling blocks to stay highest and conserve their company embrace at the AFC’s lead seed? (Chiefs at Expenses, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)
Will a transformation at offensive coordinator support Caleb Williams and the slumping Bears? (Mike Dinovo / Imagn Pictures)
2. The Bears’ determined reaction
Upcoming a promising three-game stretch, the Chicago Bears in finding themselves on a three-game slide plagued via offensive ineptitude and indicators of regression from rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Upcoming his group scored most effective 27 issues blended and one landing all over that skid, Bears educator Matt Eberflus fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and changed him with pass-game coordinator Thomas Brown, who shared play-calling tasks in Carolina latter season. The hope is that Brown can support repair stability to the sputtering offense and place William for more practical execution.
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On the other hand, it is a tricky past for the Bears to struggle to tug off a season-saving rebound. They welcome the Packers, who’re coming off a bye and desperate to get again into the win column next a 24-14 loss to Detroit in Era 9. Ahead of that, the Packers had received 4 directly and 6 in their latter seven. Inexperienced Bay’s protection ranks moment within the league with 19 takeaways and can struggle to force Williams, who has been sacked a league-high 38 occasions. Chicago’s protection is the glorious spot and may just give Jordan Love and the Packers some issues. The Bears rank 7th towards the go, have allowed most effective 18.6 issues in keeping with duel (seventh-best) and feature 16 takeaways (additionally 7th). (Packers at Bears, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
3. AFC North heavyweight bout
We knew the Ravens would once more be the most effective groups within the AFC North and all of the AFC. However questions on their attainable challengers persevered.
May just the Bengals jump again next a unwell yr marked via accidents? Would the Browns after all determine issues out with Deshaun Watson and are living as much as their attainable? And what about Pittsburgh? Upcoming two years within the quarterback barren region, the Steelers confronted extra indecision this season as Mike Tomlin rolled the cube on Russell Wilson and Justin Grounds. The educator believed a mix of the 2, a redesigned offense directed via pristine coordinator Arthur Smith and his personal persistently bold protection would place the Steelers for a marketing campaign of rejuvenation.
The educator, it seems, was once proper. Grounds helped the group get off to a cast 4-2 get started, and next creating a wholesome go back to motion, Wilson has taken Pittsburgh’s offense to every other stage. (The Steelers went from averaging 20.6 issues and 298.3 yards a duel with out Wilson to 30.3 issues and 382.3 yards in keeping with duel with him.) He threw for 3 landing passes latter past hour directing a antique Russ fourth-quarter comeback because the Steelers beat Washington 28-27 to enhance to 7-2 and conserve first playground within the AFC North.
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The Steelers’ true take a look at comes as they welcome 7-3 Baltimore to the town. How will Pittsburgh measure up? The Ravens boast probably the most prolific offense within the league with regards to yards (440.2) and issues (31.8) in keeping with duel. Lamar Jackson is once more enjoying at an MVP stage, second-year large receiver Zay Plants ranks 5th within the NFL in receiving yards and Derrick Henry has added a much-needed punishing dashing assault to Baltimore’s offense hour main the NFL in dashing yards and dashing touchdowns. Pittsburgh’s protection, which is eighth-best in yards (302.7) and second-stingiest in issues (16.2) in keeping with duel, will without a doubt obtain its maximum difficult project of the season.
If the Ravens have a defect, it’s their protection, which giveover a league-high 294.9 passing yards in keeping with duel and 25.3 issues (eighth-most) in keeping with duel. Foes do in finding it dry to run on Baltimore, which supplies up an NFL-low 73.0 dashing yards in keeping with duel. So if the Steelers are to store time with their guests, Wilson should have a obese era. (Ravens at Steelers, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)
4. 49ers’ comeback quest
Upcoming a rocky, injury-plagued, 4-4 begin to the season, the Tremendous Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers after all have began to get wholesome, and simply in life. A difficult-fought 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers latter past stepped forward San Francisco’s document to 5-4 and gave the Niners their first two-game win streak of the season. Because of the intensely aggressive nature of the NFC West (Arizona leads with a 6-4 document), all of Kyle Shanahan and his avid gamers’ objectives stay inside of achieve.
This past’s day with divisional neighbor Seattle carries splendid utility. A victory permits San Francisco to check the document of the Cardinals, who’re on a bye this past, and it will even their category document at 2-2.
Christian McCaffrey debuted latter past next lacking the primary 8 video games of the season and became in a pedestrian 39 dashing yards on 13 carries. However he added 68 receiving yards on six catches, which introduced his scrimmage yards overall to 107. Rust was once to be anticipated given his in depth damage layoff. However his presence at the garden creates alternatives for teammates as a result of the eye he instructions, and with every other past of apply underneath his belt, McCaffrey may just jerk every other step ahead in manufacturing. In his two video games towards Seattle latter season, McCaffrey burned the Seahawks for a blended 259 dashing yards, two touchdowns and 6 catches for 33 yards. Seattle has a pristine educator and protection this yr, but if he confronted Mike Macdonald and his Ravens protection latter season, McCaffrey recorded 103 dashing yards and a landing on 14 carries and added six catches for 28 yards.
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Seattle, after all, will struggle to include the working again and his teammates. The Seahawks (4-5) are coming off their bye and feature misplaced two directly and 5 in their latter six contests. A defeat would release Seattle to 0-3 within the category and playground their postseason hopes in critical hesitancy. (Seahawks at 49ers, 4:05 p.m. ET.)
Justin Herbert and the Chargers have received 3 in a row. (Scott Galvin / Imagn Pictures)
Era the unbeaten Chiefs have rightfully commanded a lot of the highlight, and because the Broncos and rookie quarterback Bo Nix have became heads, every other AFC West group has quietly labored its method up the ranks within the category and the convention.
Winners of 3 directly and 4 in their latter 5 video games, Jim Harbaugh’s 6-3 Los Angeles Chargers appear to be a reputable playoff group. They’re now not flashy. The Chargers rank simply twenty second in yards in keeping with duel (314.3) and nineteenth in issues in keeping with duel (20.7). Quarterback Justin Herbert has just one 300-yard duel all season. However they’re environment friendly. They explode with stability on offense and take charge of the soccer (a league-low 4 giveover all season). Defensively, the Chargers are a number of the stingiest groups within the league. They’re retaining combatants to a league-best 13.1 issues in keeping with duel, and haven’t allowed greater than 20 issues in any duel this season.
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The one query comes to the energy of the Chargers’ combatants. Their 3 losses have come to Pittsburgh (20-10), Kansas Town (17-10) and Arizona (17-15), who all have successful data. None of L.A.’s six wins have come towards groups with data above .500. Nonetheless, they’re beating the groups they wish to beat.
Sunday night time’s matchup with Cincinnati deals splendid intrigue. At 4-6, the Bengals have disillusioned, however they continue to be bold as a result of their potent offense. Thrice this season the Bengals have scored greater than 30 issues in a duel and nonetheless misplaced. They’re one in every of most effective 9 groups to attain 40 issues in a duel. So this matchup might be a excellent measuring stick for the Chargers’ protection, hour proving whether or not Herbert and corporate can win in a shootout if important.
In the meantime, the Bengals are determined. They’ve fallen smartly in the back of the Steelers and Ravens within the AFC North and feature paintings to do to overhaul the Broncos (5-5), who’re within the 7th AFC playoff spot. The Bengals have received the surrender fight simply thrice this season, and forcing the Chargers into errors will turn out difficult. But when Cincinnati’s offense is clicking and its protection can build a couple of key stops, the Bengals may just pop out on lead. (Bengals at Chargers, 8:20 p.m. ET Sunday.)
(Lead photograph of Josh Allen: Justin Casterline / Getty Pictures)
