PFT’s Week 11 2024 NFL results and recap

The streak is over. The ’72 Dolphins are drinking champagne.

The divide between the best and worst teams lingers, and a few recent Super Bowl teams are trying to figure out which category they belong in.

Here’s a quick look at every game played on the eleventh Sunday of the 2024 season.

Packers 20, Bears 19

The Packers have now beaten the Bears 11 straight times, and Chicago has now lost four in a row.

The change from Shane Waldron to Thomas Brown at offensive coordinator nevertheless yielded benefits for the home team; rookie quarterback Caleb Williams had a solid passing performance (23 for 31, 231 yards) and added 70 rushing yards as his mobility was showcased.

The Packers are 7-3, but that still keeps them at No. 3 in their own division.

Green Bay hosts an increasingly desperate 49ers team next, and a very desperate Dolphins team on Thanksgiving. Then, the Packers visit the Lions.

For the Bears, it gets no easier. The next five games are the Vikings, Lions, 49ers, Vikings, Lions.

Lions 52, Jaguar 6

The biggest win in franchise history moved the Lions to 9-1 for the first time since 1934. For the Jaguars, it was the biggest loss in franchise history. And it could spell doom for coach Doug Pederson and G.M. Trent Baalke, as soon as Monday.

The Lions scored touchdowns on each of Jared Goff’s seven drives of the game. Goff finished with his second career perfect passer rating.

There’s an ugly asterisk for the Lions. Linebacker Alex Anzalone will miss 6-8 weeks with a broken forearm.

Fortunately for the Lions, they just keep rolling regardless of who gets injured.

Dolphins 34, Raiders 19

Despite a short-week return from L.A., the Dolphins fired on all cylinders. They set a high for the seasons in points, and they won two games in a row for the first time all year.

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa had three touchdowns for the first time since Week 8 of the 2023 season.

The bye week, which included an offensive coordinator change, didn’t help the Raiders much. They’re the first team since the 1986 Colts to trail by 10 or more points in each of the first 10 games of a season. They also have a six-game losing streak. It’s the longest current streak in the NFL, due in part to the fact that the Giants didn’t play this weekend.

Rams 28, Patriots 22

The Patriots are still looking for their first two-game winning stream under Jerod Mayo. They didn’t get there on Sunday due in large part to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing four touchdown passes for the first time since 2021, his first year in L.A.

Receiver Cooper Kupp had his first two-touchdown game since 2022. Not bad for a guy who was about to be traded last month.

The loss dropped the Patriots to 3-8 for the second straight year. That hadn’t happened since before Robert Kraft bought the franchise in 1994; it occurred in 1992 (the last year of Dick McPherson) and 1993 (the first year of Bill Parcells).

Saints 35, Browns 14

Taysom Hill had a monstrous game for the Saints. Even though interim coach Darren Rizzi said during an in-game interview that a weapon like Hill needs to be fully utilized, Hill told PFT by phone after the game that he didn’t know he’d be used so heavily.

Seven rushes for 138 yards and three touchdowns. Hill caught eight passes for 50 yards. And he threw a pair of passes, for 18. Along the way, he matched Hall of Famer Frank Gifford for 25 career rushing touchdowns, 10 career passing touchdowns, and 10 career receiving touchdowns.

The Browns, meanwhile, have lost seven of eight games and are 2-8 through 10 games. At this point, they should hope to sink as far as they can in the standings — and as high in the draft order — as possible.

Colts 28, Jets 27

Anthony Richardson returned from a two-game benching to have a career-high 272 passing yards. He added 32 yards rushing and three total touchdowns.

The only good news for the Jets is that quarterback Aaron Rodgers eclipsed Dan Marino on the all-time passing yardage list. Rodgers is now eighth all time.

And it’s Rodgers’ eighth loss of the year. For only the fourth time in his career.

And the Jets have six games to play. At what point will Rodgers slide quietly onto injured reserve and call it a year — and perhaps a career?

Steelers 18, Ravens 16

In the past, Pittsburgh had bottled up both Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry on separate teams. For the first time, they faced both together. And they couldn’t get it done.

It felt like every Steelers-Ravens game ever played. Close. Intense. Hard-hitting. Low-scoring.

Kicker Chris Boswell did all of the limited scoring for Pittsburgh for the second time this season; he also kicked six field goals and scored all of the Steelers’ points in Atlanta in Week 1.

The Steelers now lead the Ravens in the AFC North by 1.5 games, and Pittsburgh holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. Pending the rematch.

Vikings 23, Titans 13

Minnesota continues to be sluggish but effective, winning on the road against inferior opponents. At 8-2, they’ve exceeded last year’s total victories.

The game seemed to be well in hand until Minnesota gave up a 98-yard catch and run from Titans quarterback Will Levis to receiver Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. (For some Vikings fans, the play conjured memories of Tony Dorsett in January 1983.) Minnesota held on after that for the 10-point win.

Quarterback Sam Darnold had only one turnover and no interceptions. Receiver Justin Jefferson jumped Torry Holt for the most receiving yards through five seasons, with 6,811.

The 2-8 record for the Titans is their worst start since 2015.

Seahawks 20, 49ers 17

Just when it looked like the magic was back for the 49ers, it disappeared. They’re now 1-3 in the NFC West after Geno Smith scored on a 13-yard run with 12 seconds left and hit the Steph Curry night-night gesture.

It’s not over for San Francisco; the Cardinals are 6-4 and the 49ers are tied with the Rams and Seahawks at 5-5.

For the Seahawks, it’s about finding consistency. Can Seattle string wins together? We’ll find out soon. They face the Cardinals then the Jets then the Cardinals again.

Bills 30, Chiefs 21

The streak is over. But the dragon won’t be slain until the Bills beat the Chiefs in the playoffs.

Can they? Buffalo still trails the Chiefs by a game in the chase for the No. 1 seed, which means a rematch would (for now) happen in Kansas City.

The key for Buffalo came on a late fourth and two that became a 26-yard run and the dagger that will keep the Chiefs from going undefeated. Will the Bills get a chance to keep the Chiefs from winning three Super Bowls in a row? And if the Bills do, will they pull it off?

Broncos 38, Falcons 6

Denver ended a two-game losing streak and strengthened their grip on the No. 7 seed with a blowout win. Quarterback Bo Nix threw for 307 yards with four touchdown passes, prompting teammates to make the case for offensive rookie of the year.

The Denver defense throttled Atlanta, holding running back Bijan Robinson to 35 rushing yards and quarterback Kirk Cousins to 173 passing yards and no touchdowns.

Atlanta’s loss drops them to 6-5, opening the door for the Buccaneers to snap out of their funk after the bye and make a run at the NFC South crown.

Chargers 34, Bengals 27

It was shades of the 2022 wild-card round for the Chargers, as they blew a 21-point second-half lead before winning on a late touchdown.

In his return from a three-game injury absence, receiver Tee Higgins had 148 receiving yards and a touchdown. Ja’Marr Chase added two on 75 yards.

The Chargers gave up more than 20 points for the first time all year. They all scored more than 27 for the first time in 2024.

The loss will make it even harder for the Bengals to make the playoffs. The win pulls the Chargers into the No. 5 seed in the AFC. And they’ll face the team that holds the No. 6 seed next Monday night, when it’s the Chargers vs. the Ravens and the first Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh contest since Super Bowl XLVII.