5 Overreactions to Week 11 of the NFL Season
Nothing generates as much buzz and excitement as the NFL. Week after week, the intensity continues to be ratcheted up as we race toward the postseason. As usual, several noteworthy headlines emerged from this week’s gridiron action.
Without further ado, here are five overreactions to what we saw in the NFL in Week 10:
5. The Las Vegas Raiders Would be Leading the AFC West if They Fired Josh McDaniels Last Season
Everyone knew what had to be done, but it still took Mark Davis a year longer than most expected. If he had just fired Josh McDaniels last season, the Las Vegas Raiders would be leading the AFC West.
Las Vegas is thriving under new head coach Antonio Pierce. Although the Raiders dropped a tough 20-13 decision in Week 11, they pushed the Miami Dolphins to the brink. The Aidan O’Connell-led Raiders knocked on the door in the final quarter, operating inside the Dolphins’ 40-yard line on three occasions. Alas, they came up empty-handed each time, with O’Connell throwing interceptions on two drives.
These are the learning opportunities O’Connell could have been afforded earlier in the season. If Pierce had started the season as the head coach, maybe he would have felt more comfortable kicking field goals instead of forcing the issue with an inexperienced quarterback on fourth down.
Whatever the case, the Raiders would be in a much better spot without McDaniels leading the team to start the season. Probably even leading the division.
4. Kenny Pickett is Not a Starting NFL Quarterback
The Kenny Pickett-Najee Harris era could be coming to a close for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s brass decided to send Matt Canada packing, serving as a litmus test for what Pickett and Harris have to offer. Based on what we’ve seen from Pickett, he hasn’t shown that he’s an NFL starting quarterback.
The former Pittsburgh Panther struggled on Sunday, completing just 15-of-28 passes for 106 yards. That was the fourth time this season that Pickett’s completion percentage has fallen below 60.0% and the fifth time he’s thrown for less than 161 yards.
Canada deserves some blame, but Pickett is also making terrible decisions with the football. A disastrous end to the campaign could be what the Steelers need to move on from Pickett and select one of the gunslingers in the upcoming draft.
3. Russell Wilson Found a Hole in the Space/Time Continuum
We had a lot of fun laughing at Russell Wilson‘s expense earlier this season. Now, he’s looking like the nine-time Pro Bowl/Super Bowl-winning quarterback he was with the Seattle Seahawks.
Wilson has led the Denver Broncos on last-minute, game-winning drives in each of the past two weeks, looking like his vintage self. He’s got 19 touchdowns and just four interceptions, and his best quarterback rating since leading the Seahawks to a 12-4 record in 2020.
The only logical explanation for Wilson’s resurgent campaign is that he’s found a hole in the space/time continuum. But if he leads the Broncos to a playoff berth and further, it’s likely a sign of the apocalypse.
2. The Cincinnati Bengals’ Season is Over
Not to put too fine of a point on it, but without Joe Burrow, the Cincinnati Bengals’ season is over.
Burrow was never 100% this season, and the Bengals’ record reflects that. At 5-5, Cincinnati was barely keeping pace with the teams ahead of them in the standings. With Jake Browning taking the offensive reigns, that potential playoff ceiling collapses.
The Bengals should be able to make a run at things next year, provided they don’t rush Burrow back from his latest setback.
1. The Kansas City Chiefs Would be Undefeated if They Didn’t Trade Tyreek Hill
Not so long ago, the presumptive Offensive Player of the Year was catching passes from the presumptive MVP. Now, Tyreek Hill is enjoying success with his new teammates while Patrick Mahomes is praying that someone will eventually come down with his throws.
Kansas City Chiefs pass-catchers have hampered the team’s success with their inability to catch on-the-money passes from Mahomes. Marquez Valdes-Scantling dropped a potential game-winning touchdown in the waning moments of MNF, going 0-for-3 in the passing game. Likewise, Justin Watson barely kept his catch rate above 50.0%, hauling in 5-of-11 balls thrown his way. Even Travis Kelce had a couple of uncharacteristic misses.
Altogether, their 18 passes dropped, putting them at the top of an undesirable hill.
The Chiefs would be a much superior team had they just found a way to keep Hill. Instead of suffering through the tail end of the season, fighting for a playoff spot, we would be talking about how the Kansas City Chiefs would be on their way to a perfect record.
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