NFL 2022: Football Food For Thought (Week 11)

There have been some memorable contests the past few weeks, particularly at Atlanta and at Buffalo. The running game has made a big-time comeback as of late and the NFC remains topsy-turvy from a season ago.

The state of Florida and the Seattle Seahawks are off this week. But there are four clubs looking to sweep a division rival on Sunday.

Off: Jacksonville, Miami, Seattle, Tampa Bay

Thursday, Nov. 17

Tennessee (6-3) at Green Bay (4-6): Mike Vrabel’s club is alone atop the AFC South and three games above .500 but still owns a negative scoring differential (minus-2). Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense must deal with a defensive unit that is second in the NFL vs. the run while allowing the second-most passing yards.

Sunday, Nov. 20

Chicago (3-7) at Atlanta (4-6): Chicago has dropped three straight games and allowed 114 points and 13 offensive touchdowns in those setbacks. Arthur Smith’s club has had a few extra days to prepare for this clash but the NFL’s worst pass defense could be in for a fourth afternoon if the Atlanta offense can’t keep Justin Fields off the field.

Carolina (3-7) at Baltimore (6-3): Both the Panthers and the Ravens have had some extra time off to prepare for this meeting. Carolina defeated Atlanta, 25-15, a week go on Thursday night while John Harbaugh’s club was off last week. The Panthers have won three games this year, all vs. NFC South teams, and are 0-6 outside the division.

Cleveland (3-6) at Buffalo (6-3): Only the Lions are giving up more points per game than the Browns, who were rolled at Miami last week. Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen has committed two-plus turnovers in three straight games. But the Buffalo defense has also given up a whopping 176.3 yards per game on the ground in those outings.

Washington (5-5) at Houston (1-7-1): On Monday night, the Commanders defeated the team with the best record in the NFL at Philadelphia. Ron Rivera’s club heads south to Houston to face the club with the league’s worst win-loss mark. Washington should exploit the Texans’ 32nd-ranked rushing defense – allowing 181.8 yards per game.

Philadelphia (8-1) at Indianapolis (4-5-1): The Eagles committed four turnovers on Monday night and are coming off their first loss of 2022. Perhaps more concerning is that Philadelphia’s run defense has slipped to 20th in the league. Meanwhile, Colts’ running back Jonathan Taylor comes off a 147-yard performance (1 TD) vs. the Raiders.

N.Y. Jets (6-3) at New England (5-4): The numbers are ugly for the Green and White in this longtime rivalry. The Jets have dropped 13 straight to the Patriots dating back to 2016. The club has been outscored a combined 400-150 in those setbacks and New England has decisively won the takeaway battle (plus) by a stunning 33-6 count.

L.A. Rams (3-6) at New Orleans (3-7): One year after capturing the NFC West and winning Super Bowl LVI, the Rams are last in their division. Only three teams in the league are averaging fewer points per game. But the disappointing Saints lead the NFL with 19 turnovers – one more than they committed during all of last season.

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Detroit (3-6) at N.Y. Giants (7-2): After wins over the Packers and Bears, the Lions are in position to win three straight games for the first time since 2017. Only the Eagles and Raiders (7) have committed fewer turnovers than Brian Daboll’s club (8), a big change from a year ago when the Giants gave up the football an NFL-high 30 times.

Las Vegas (2-7) at Denver (3-6): Via a 32-23 win over the Broncos back in Week 4 in Las Vegas, the Raiders have won five straight games in this series dating back to 2020. Denver is averaging an NFL-low 14.6 points per game and has been limited to fewer than 20 points in seven outings. Those 23 points vs. the Raiders are a season high.

Dallas (6-3) at Minnesota (8-1): The Cowboys have not only given up 29 and 31 points, respectively, the past two games (the highest totals allowed by the club in 2020), Dallas gave up 200-plus rushing yards in each game. The Vikings have the league’s longest current winning streak (7) and have already equaled their win total of a year ago. Kevin O’Connell’s club has totaled 18 takeaways in nine contests and forced at least one turnover in each game.

Cincinnati (5-4) at Pittsburgh (3-6): A year ago, the Bengals (off last week) swept the Steelers for the first time since 2009 – by a combined 65-20 score. In Week 1, Mike Tomlin’s team got a big game from safety Minkah Fitzpatrick and won at Cincinnati in overtime, 23-20. Pittsburgh limited the Saints to 186 total yards last Sunday.

Kansas City (7-2) at L.A. Chargers (5-4): This marks the third straight time that these rivals will meet in prime time. Last year in Los Angeles (Week 15), Kansas City pulled out a Thursday night 34-28 overtime victory. Back in Week 2 on a Thursday evening at Arrowhead Stadium, Andy Reid’s team parlayed a strong second half into a 27-24 win.

Monday, Nov. 21

San Francisco (5-4) vs. Arizona (4-6) (Mexico City): In 2021, the 49ers finished 10-7 and reached the NFC title game. But including the playoff loss to the Rams, Kyle Shanahan’s club was 2-5 within the division. This year, the Niners are 3-0 vs. the NFC West. But they’ve been swept by the Cardinals five times in the previous seven seasons.