NFL Week 11: Predictions, analysis, key matchups and stats for every game

FOX Sports’ staff of NFL reporters lays out everything you need to know going into Week 11. We’ll tell you what games, players and matchups to watch out for, as well as give a prediction for each game coming up this week.

Thursday, Nov. 17

Tennessee Titans (6-3) at Green Bay Packers (4-6) (Amazon Prime, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Titans and Packers meet for the first time since December 2020, when Green Bay trounced Tennessee 40-14 in a snowy affair at a fan-less Lambeau Field. The current state of these teams? The Titans are an AFC contender, while the Packers are hoping to save their season.

Tennessee, winner of six of its last seven games, has one of the best defenses in the NFL, and it shined last week against the Broncos: six sacks, a Mike Vrabel-era high (2018-present) and 18 quarterback hits on Russell Wilson despite being without five defensive starters. Scoring points continues to be a struggle for the Titans, but their passing attack found some juice last week in the return of quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who missed the previous two games with an ankle injury.

The Packers are hoping their overtime victory over the Cowboys is a turning point. That win snapped a five-game losing streak and second-round rookie receiver Chrisitan Watson, tabbed to help replace Davante Adams, had the best game of his career with four receptions for 107 yards and three touchdowns. That’s something to build on.

Matchup to watch: Packers RBs Aaron Jones, A.J. Dillon vs. Titans defensive front

When these teams last met in 2020, the Packers ran all over Tennessee. Green Bay had 234 rushing yards on 6.3 yards per carry, with both Dillon (124 rushing yards) and Jones (94) having strong performances. But unlike then, Tennessee’s front is now elite. The Titans are allowing just 85.1 rushing yards this season, ranked second in the league. But Tennessee will be short-handed on the defensive line. Outside linebacker Bud Dupree has been ruled out and star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons is questionable. Then again, injuries haven’t slowed the Titans down by much in the past.

Is vintage Aaron Rodgers back?

After a strong performance against the Cowboys, how should we feel about Aaron Rodgers? Will Blackmon says vintage Rodgers never left but the pieces surrounding him changed. Dave Helman argues vintage Rodgers hasn’t appeared and didn’t need to in Week 10, because the Packers offense ran the ball more than they ever have this season.

Key stat: The TItans have allowed only two rushing touchdowns this season (fewest in the NFL).

Prediction: The Packers have an obvious advantage at quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, but the Titans are clearly the better overall team. The availability of starters hasn’t seemed to matter much for Mike Vrabel’s squad, which finds ways to win. That Tennessee defense will throw everything it has at Rodgers. The Titans should also still have success with Derrick Henry and the run game, even with center Ben Jones sidelined. The Packers have the league’s 26th-worst run defense. 

Titans 22, Packers 19 Ben Arthur

Tennessee Titans

TEN

Green Bay Packers

GB

Sunday, Nov. 20

Chicago Bears (3-7) at Atlanta Falcons (4-6) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: Unsure what to do with either of these teams? You’re not alone. The Bears are fun to watch but aren’t winning games. The Falcons have eked out a few wins and are doing some fun things of their own with the ground game.The difference here is that Atlanta has a better run defense, allowing an average of 4.42 yards per carry, which ranks just outside the top 10 league-wide. That could very much end up being the difference in a game where the Falcons are still holding out some hope of catching their division leaders down in the NFC South.

Matchup to watch: Falcons linebackers vs. Bears QB Justin Fields

Fields is the Bears’ leading rusher this season — while ranking sixth in the NFL among all rushers — and has 325 rushing yards over his last two games, which is the most by a quarterback in a two-game span in NFL history.

Key stat: The Bears are the first team in NFL history to record over 225 rushing yards in five straight games, doing it in each of the last five games (Chicago leads the NFL in rushing average with 201.7 yards per game).

Justin Fields on pace to break single-season QB rushing record

Justin Fields is currently on pace to break Lamar Jackson’s single-season QB rushing record despite being on a 3-7 Chicago Bears squad. Colin Cowherd applauds the Bears for, at the very least, getting the most out of their quarterback.

Prediction: Though the Falcons have a marginally better record, they have struggled to score points, putting just 15 on the board against the Carolina Panthers last week. The Bears, though their record hasn’t reflected it, have not. They have averaged 31 points per game over the last four games, scoring 30 or more in three of those last four.

Bears 32, Falcons 23 Carmen Vitali

Chicago Bears

CHI

Atlanta Falcons

ATL

Cleveland Browns (3-6) at Buffalo Bills (6-3) (CBS, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Browns see their fourth and final AFC East team. And it has not been pretty. They are likely to end up getting swept by the whole division. Cleveland has allowed more than 30 points to every AFC East team so far. And I’m not sure it’ll stop with Buffalo. The Browns were clearly built around Deshaun Watson, and because he hasn’t been around, Cleveland hasn’t been winning. The Browns defense is so bad that they need to win in shootout fashion. Backup QB Jacoby Brissett just isn’t that guy.

The Bills, meanwhile, have skidded against the Jets and Vikings over the past few weeks. But Buffalo is getting more criticism than it deserves. The Bills remain a good team, even if they have their flaws. Perhaps these two losses will be what helps them take a look at their weaknesses and address them ahead of their Super Bowl push. In particular, their offense needs to operate in ways that don’t always involve star receiver Stefon Diggs. And you could see them making that happen for much of the Minnesota game.

Matchup to watch: Josh Allen vs. Josh Allen

The Buffalo quarterback has been too much of a gunslinger. He’s beating himself. He leads in the NFL in interceptions and has six picks in the past three games. He also has one red-zone interception in each of the past three games. That has to stop. And Cleveland is a perfect get-right defense.

Key stats: The Bills lead the NFL in total offense, averaging 424.1 total YPG. The Browns rank 31st in scoring defense, allowing 26.4 PPG.

Prediction: The Bills have not lost three straight games since 2018. They’re going to trounce the Browns. Sorry, Cleveland. 

Bills 33, Browns 15 Henry McKenna

Cleveland Browns

CLE

Buffalo Bills

BUF

Philadelphia Eagles (8-1) at Indianapolis Colts (4-5-1) (CBS, 1 p.m.)

Overview: The Eagles and Colts drew plenty of headlines last week; the Eagles for falling to the NFC East rival Commanders, who ended their chances of a perfect season; the Colts, with major shakeups on the offensive side of the ball, won on the road against the Raiders for Jeff Saturday”s first victory as interim coach. 

Philadelphia enters Week 11 with a chance to respond to its first bit of adversity this season. A season-high four turnovers (though on a lost fumble, the refs missed a blatant facemask penalty against tight end Dallas Goedert) and penalties cost the Eagles a 9-0 record. 

While Saturday’s chops as an Xs and Os guy are still unclear, he’s shown tremendous leadership in a tumultuous time for the Colts. He empowered the team’s assistant coaches and went back to Matt Ryan as the starting quarterback in the win over the Raiders. 

Matchup to watch: Colts RB Jonathan Taylor vs. Eagles defensive front

After being slowed by a nagging ankle injury to start the season, Taylor had a vintage performance last week against Las Vegas: 22 carries for 147 yards, including a 66-yard touchdown run, en route to AFC Player of the Week honors. It could be a sign of what’s to come for the rest of the season. And the Eagles have struggled defending the run. They’ve given up at least 144 rushing yards in each of the three games. Having first-round rookie defensive tackle Jordan Davis on injured reserve has loomed large, and defensive tackle Marlon Tuipulotu being placed on IR this week doesn’t help the cause in the trenches. 

Key stat: The Eagles lead the NFL with a +13 turnover differential, while the Colts rank 31st with a -9 turnover differential.

Eagles WR AJ Brown on first loss of the season: “Now we’re going to wake up.”

Emmanuel Acho and LeSean McCoy discuss whether the Philadelphia Eagles’ loss to the Washington Commanders was good for the Eagles. McCoy’s take is that the loss was good for the Eagles because they can now focus on playing better football without the added pressure of being undefeated.

Prediction: The Eagles get back on track, showing everyone why they’re a Super Bowl contender. Taylor should feast, but Philadelphia’s secondary has advantages across the board. I also don’t see the Eagles turning the ball over as much as they did last week. And a bounce-back performance could be brewing for star receiver A.J. Brown, who had one just catch on four targets for seven yards against the Commanders. He’s very familiar with the Colts from his days with the Titans

Eagles 28, Colts 22 Ben Arthur

Philadelphia Eagles

PHI

Indianapolis Colts

IND

New York Jets (6-3) at New England Patriots (5-4) (CBS, 1 p.m.)

Overview: Both teams are fresh off a bye, and the Jets remain hungry to show up the Patriots in return for a 2021 blowout. The Jets remain hungry … because they couldn’t avenge themselves just three weeks ago. New England beat New York in a game in which Zach Wilson threw three interceptions. It was probably his worst performance of the year. But perhaps he learned from it, because he went back into game-manager mode the following week against the Buffalo Bills, and the Jets eked out a win. So maybe Wilson will finally figure out how to avoid mistakes against a Bill Belichick defense. But for now, Wilson is 0-3 against Belichick with two touchdowns and seven interceptions.

For the Patriots, they beat the Indianapolis Colts before the bye. Indy started Sam Ehlinger, so it hardly felt like a fair fight. But the Patriots defense was impressive, particularly behind the efforts of Matthew Judon and Josh Uche, who each logged three sacks. Judon has been the centerpiece of this entire team, with the offense floundering under regressing second-year quarterback Mac Jones and first-year playcaller Matt Patricia. But the Patriots didn’t need much out of their offense to beat New York last time. I think this will again be a defensive battle, with Belichick figuring out how to take away the Jets’ run game to make Wilson beat him.

Matchup to watch: Patriots coach Bill Belichick vs. Jets QB Zach Wilson

There’s really no more important two people. In the last matchup, Wilson was the reason the Jets couldn’t win. And that’s because Belichick has some kind of special (and schematic) power over the young QB. If Wilson can outgrow that, he and the Jets should beat the Patriots.

Key stats: The Patriots have won 13 straight matchups against the Jets, tied with the Chiefs (13 straight wins against Broncos) for the longest active winning streak against a single opponent. With a win, the Jets would have as many divisional wins (3) this season as they did in their previous four seasons combined.

Prediction: I think Wilson showed enough maturity in New York’s win over Buffalo that he will understand he needs to step aside and let the rest of his teammates win this game for him. 

Jets 24, Patriots 17 Henry McKenna

New York Jets

NYJ

New England Patriots

NE

Los Angeles Rams (3-6) at New Orleans Saints (3-7) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)f

Overview: The Rams lost do-everything receiver Cooper Kupp for an extended period due to a high-ankle sprain that required surgery. However, quarterback Matthew Stafford is expected to clear concussion protocol this week after missing last week’s home loss to the Arizona Cardinals.

Rams head coach Sean McVay could use his veteran quarterback as he tries to jumpstart an offense that has struggled to score points all season. Meanwhile, the Saints have lost four of their last five games, with their only win during that stretch against the disappointing Las Vegas Raiders. The Rams lead the all-time series 42-33 and have won two of the last three matchups between these two teams.

Matchup to watch: Rams RB Darrell Henderson Jr. vs. Saints defensive line

Los Angeles averages a league-worst 68 rushing yards per contest, and with Kupp out, the Rams must figure out a different way to move the ball down the field. So perhaps McVay will lean on Henderson, the most explosive runner currently on his roster. New Orleans allows 131 rushing yards a contest so far this season; they may be susceptible to giving up some big plays on the ground.

Key stat: Currently on a three-game losing streak, the Rams have never lost four straight games under the direction of McVay since he took over as the team’s head coach in 2017.

Prediction: The Saints are 0-6 in November games dating back to last season and have the worst turnover differential in the NFL (minus-12). Looks like a get-right game for the Rams, who need a victory to keep their goals of returning to the playoffs realistic for the rest of the season. 

Rams 24, Saints 22 –Eric D. Williams 

Los Angeles Rams

LAR

New Orleans Saints

NO

Detroit Lions (3-6) at New York Giants (7-2) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Giants are one of the NFL’s biggest surprises, in part because they have one of the league’s most one-dimensional offenses. It’s clear that the way to stop the Giants is to stop Saquon Barkley. And that’s a problem for the Lions, because they can’t seem to stop anybody — especially on the ground. They’ve given up fewer than 100 rushing yards in only one game this season (88 to Washington in Week 2). They just gave up 258 to Justin Fields and the Bears, and the Giants are averaging 164.8 rushing yards per game, including the 191 they had against Houston last week.

There are other interesting elements in this game. The Lions, looking to win three straight games for the first time since 2017, can move the ball and score. The Giants have an aggressive and stingy defense. The Lions play high-scoring games. The Giants like low-scoring games. But just watch Barkley. His play will dictate which way this game goes.

Matchup to watch: Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Giants CB Adoree’ Jackson

It really is all about Barkley, but the Lions actually have a pretty good arsenal of offensive weapons. Their best is St. Brown, who has developed into one of the NFL’s best receivers and had 10 catches for 119 yards last week. He gets a huge share of the targets from QB Jared Goff, so if the Giants can shut St. Brown down and turn the Lions one-dimensional, their chances will increase exponentially. Jackson is quietly becoming a top-tier NFL cornerback — though he doesn’t have an interception yet.

Key stats: The average margin of victory in Giants and Lions games this year is 3.3 points. So yeah, expect this one to be close. The Giants have outscored opponents this season by 1.6 points per game, and they’ve had only one game (a 27-13 loss in Seattle in Week 8) decided by more than a touchdown. The Lions, meanwhile, are losing games by an average of five points, but that was skewed by two blowout losses. Six of their other seven games have been decided by six points or fewer.

Prediction: Barkley was dominant against the Texans last week, with a career-high 35 carries for 152 yards and a touchdown, and there’s no reason why he won’t have a similar game against the Lions. And don’t forget, QB Daniel Jones can run, too, though he hasn’t been asked to do that much in the past two games. The Giants are still one dimensional thanks to a weak passing game, but that hasn’t stopped them yet, and it likely won’t here. 

Sure, the Lions are capable of scoring points in bunches and have a powerful rushing attack of their own. It’s possible they can push this game into a shootout, which they are capable of winning. But given the running games involved and the way the Giants defense is playing, this is more likely to be another close, slog of a game that comes down to the fourth quarter. The Giants are pretty good at winning those. The Lions are not.

Giants 20, Lions 17 Ralph Vacchiano

Detroit Lions

DET

New York Giants

NYG

Carolina Panthers (3-7) at Baltimore Ravens (6-3) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Panthers are coming off a convincing win over the division-rival Atlanta Falcons and have a not-quite-dismal record now as a result. That being said, this is the Ravens‘ game to lose.This is the third NFC South opponent in a row for Baltimore and they won the prior two — even that Thursday night game over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.

The Ravens have also scored exactly 27 points in each of those last two games. The Panthers have only scored more than 27 points once this season — in their first game against the Falcons — and they needed overtime to do it. Plus, the Panthers have lost eight straight road games, which is the longest active road losing streak in the NFL.

Matchup to watch: Justin Houston vs. Ikem Ekwonu

Houston is having a career resurgence in Baltimore. More than that, he’s entering Baltimore annals already. He’s the first player in franchise history to record two or more sacks in three straight games. He’s had 6.5 sacks in his last three games… which could spell trouble for the Panthers’ rookie left tackle if Houston rushes from that side.

Key stat: Under John Harbaugh (since 2008), the Ravens are 11-3 following a bye week. Lamar Jackson is 14-1 in 15 career starts against NFC opponents.

Are Lamar Jackson, Ravens legitimate contenders in the AFC?

The Ravens are in first place in the AFC North. Emmanuel Acho, Joy Taylor, LeSean McCoy and David Helman debate whether the Ravens are a legit AFC threat, along with whether Lamar can lead them to a playoff run.

Prediction: I like the idea of the Ravens scoring 27 points against their third straight NFC South opponent. If they do that, the Panthers won’t be able to keep up.

Ravens 27, Panthers 10 Carmen Vitali

Carolina Panthers

CAR

Baltimore Ravens

BAL

Washington Commanders (5-5) at Houston Texans (1-7-1) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

 Overview: The Commanders are riding high, while the Texans are riding low (as they have all season). Washington is coming off its stunning road upset against the Eagles, ending Philadelphia’s unbeaten streak to start the season. And Taylor Heinicke is playing well. The Commanders are 3-1 this season with him as a starter. While Carson Wentz has been cleared to start throwing, he remains on injured reserve, so any potential quarterback controversy will wait. This is Heinicke’s team for now.

The Texans last week fell on the road to the Giants for their fourth straight loss. Davis Mills‘ play and run defense have continued to be an issue. The Giants had 191 rushing yards — star Saquon Barkley had 152 of them — and Mills threw a fourth-quarter interception. His five picks in the final period are tied for the league high. 

Matchup to watch: Commanders WR Terry McLaurin vs. Texans CB Derek Stingley Jr.

Stingley will be playing a lot of zone because of Lovie Smith’s Cover 2 defensive scheme, but any potential one-on-one matchups downfield between the No. 3 overall pick and McLaurin could be fun to watch. The Commanders star, eight in the NFL with 737 receiving yards, has bested some of the NFL’s best cornerbacks in recent weeks. He had a 41-yard reception against Darius Slay last week and won a 50-50 ball against the Colts’ Stephon Gilmore in Week 8 that set up Washington’s game-winning touchdown. Stingley (and other Texans DBs who could be lined up against him) will have their hands full.

Time to hop on the Taylor Heinicke wagon and name him Commanders QB1?

With the Commanders on a roll, should they stick with Taylor Heinicke after Carson Wentz returns from injured reserve? Colin Cowherd says it is time to hold on.

Key stat: The Commanders lead the NFL with an average time of possession of 32 minutes and 30 seconds.

Prediction: The Texans will get another win at some point, but I don’t think it comes against the Commanders, who have been playing good football as of late. They’ve won four of their last five games, and star defensive end Chase Young is expected to be activated. He’s a major piece coming back for a Commanders defensive front that’s already elite — and poised to harass Mills.

 Commanders 24, Texans 18 Ben Arthur

Washington Commanders

WAS

Houston Texans

HOU

Las Vegas Raiders (2-7) at Denver Broncos (3-6) (FOX, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Overview: There was so much hope for both of these teams when the season started. The Broncos’ trade for Russell Wilson was supposed to put their offense over the top, and the Raiders hiring Josh McDaniels was what was going to finally put that franchise on the winning track. Instead, they’re a combined 5-13, Wilson has been a shell of his old self and McDaniels might already be on the hot seat. But hey, someone’s got to win, right? The Broncos can at least play defense. They rank second in the NFL in yards allowed (290.4) and first in points allowed (16.6) per game. That’s not good news for a Raiders team that’s been struggling to move the ball at all during their most recent three-game slide.

Matchup to watch: Broncos CB Patrick Surtain vs. Raiders WR Davante Adams

The fact that Surtain doesn’t have any interceptions might be the only thing keeping him out of the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s been one of the best corners in the league all year, and according to Pro Football Focus, he’s given up just four catches for 18 yards in the last four games. Adams has been on fire with 19 catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns the past two weeks. He also lit up Denver for 9 catches for 101 yards in Week 4, making this matchup even juicier.

Key stat: The Raiders are 0-6 in one-score games (decided by 8 points or less) this season and 0-5 on the road. That’s bad news going into Denver to place a Broncos team that has had eight of its nine games decided by one score and gone 3-5 in those games.

Russell Wilson, Broncos offense are hard to watch

Mark Schlereth joins Colin Cowherd to discuss the Denver Broncos prior to their Week 11 matchup vs. the Las Vegas Raiders. Schlereth says the Broncos offense is hard to watch and indicates head coach Nathaniel Hackett may be to blame.

Prediction: It really defies logic that either team is this bad, especially offensively. The addition of Wilson to the Broncos and Adams to the Raiders should’ve made both teams better, not worse. Yet here they are. And making matters worse for the Raiders is they don’t play defense very well either. And that might be the difference. The Raiders were just torn up by the offensively challenged Indianapolis Colts in Jeff Saturday’s first game as a coach above the high school ranks. That’s how far they’ve fallen. The Broncos probably don’t have the horses to do what the Colts did, but with their defense they don’t have to do much. Take the under in this game because there won’t be much scoring. But the Broncos should shut down the dysfunctional Raiders just enough to pull this out.

Broncos 13, Raiders 10 Ralph Vacchiano

Las Vegas Raiders

LV

Denver Broncos

DEN

Dallas Cowboys (6-3) at Minnesota Vikings (8-1) (CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Vikings‘ disrespect tour continues. Despite riding a seven-game win streak, Minnesota is a home underdog against a Cowboys team that just lost in ugly fashion at Lambeau Field. If Vegas favors Dallas, then clearly the Vikings’ dramatic win in Buffalo didn’t win everyone over. Could this be the game that earns them their respect?

As hot as the Vikings have been, it’d do wonders for the Cowboys confidence to add this win to their resume. Dallas is in the middle of the playoff hunt, but their struggles against the Packers were the type that leave an impression. Dak Prescott continues to struggle with turnovers, and last week’s Cowboys defense looked nothing like the ferocious unit we had gotten used to watching. A road win here would send a message that the sky is not falling.

Matchup to watch: Dalvin Cook vs. Cowboys front seven.

This is essentially the same matchup we highlighted before the Cowboys-Packers game, and why wouldn’t it be? Micah Parsons said it himself: until the Cowboys prove they can stop the run, every opponent is going to try to expose them. The Vikings don’t boast the most potent rushing attack in the league, but they’re more than capable of doing damage. Dalvin Cook has averaged more than five yards per carry in four of his past five games — including an absurd 8.5 yards per pop last week in Buffalo.

Here’s guessing a steady dose of Cook is coming the Cowboys’ way in Minneapolis. Let’s see if they can stop it.

Key stat: Are we in for another thriller? Minnesota has played seven one-score games in a row, winning all of them. That’s a startling improvement after going 6-8 in one-score games last year. 

Prediction: Can the Dallas defense answer the bell? It’s going to be tough. We’ve already been over the challenge of stopping the run. But keep in mind that the Cowboys’ secondary is a bit banged up, which is a tough spot to be in when you’re going against Justin Jefferson. If the Cowboys can’t limit the run and set their pass rushers loose to fluster Kirk Cousins, they’re going to have a bad time. Conversely, this would be a big week for Ezekiel Elliott to return and help Tony Pollard shoulder the load, because the Cowboys offensive line is going to have its hands full in a crazy environment against an underrated Minnesota pass rush. I’m thinking we’re in for a bit of a defensive struggle, with the heart-attack Vikings finding another way to win at the end.

Minnesota 24, Dallas 23 David Helman

Dallas Cowboys

DAL

Minnesota Vikings

MIN

Cincinnati Bengals (5-4) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6) (CBS, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Overview: This is a game the Bengals need to win, especially given that they have the Titans and the Chiefst up next. A division win would help them gain some ground on the Baltimore Ravens, who are looking at another likely win this weekend. To avoid falling behind, the Bengals will have to take advantage of a dysfunctional Steelers team, who rank 31st in scoring offense and with a loss, would be off to their worst 10-game start under Mike Tomlin ever.

Pittsburgh also returns T.J. Watt, the league’s reigning defensive MVP, who might mean more to his team than any other defender in the league. Given that Joe Burrow is the second-most-sacked quarterback in the league, that doesn’t bode well for Cincinnati. The key will be protecting Burrow to allow him to get into a rhythm and put some points on the board.

Matchup to watch: T.J. Watt vs. Bengals OL

For the reasons I just stated, Watt is going to be a menace as he gets back in the swing of things. He wasn’t his usual self last weekend, grading out at just 71.5, but that’s likely not going to last. Getting back on track against a division opponent is Watt’s priority at this point — and the same goes for the Pittsburgh defense.

Key stat: The Bengals are 0-4 in their last four divisional games, dating back to last season (0-3 this season).

Prediction: Even if the Steelers take a step forward on defense with Watt back, I don’t have faith in their offense to score points.

Bengals 24, Steelers 9 Carmen Vitali

Cincinnati Bengals

CIN

Pittsburgh Steelers

PIT

Kansas City Chiefs (7-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (5-4) (NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Chargers play in a nationally televised contest for a second straight week, facing the Chiefs for the second time this season. Kansas City took the previous matchup, 27-24 in a Week 2 contest at Arrowhead Stadium.

The banged-up Bolts could get some offensive firepower back, with receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen returning to practice this week. However, the Chiefs have owned this series. Since 2014, Kansas City is 14-3 against the Chargers.  

Matchup to watch: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes vs. Chargers secondary

The Texas Tech product has completed 63 percent of his passes for 2,089 yards, with 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions in nine games against the Chargers — seven of those for wins. So, the Chargers have had trouble slowing down Mahomes in the past. And they are without the team’s top pass rusher in Joey Bosa, along with the team’s top free agent signing in J.C. Jackson, who is out for the year with a knee injury.

Key stat: Mahomes is a perfect 13-0 in 13 road starts against divisional opponents, the second-longest streak since 1970, trailing only Joe Montana (20 straight divisional road wins).

Chiefs remain atop Nick’s Week 11 NFL Tiers; Cowboys, Bills plummet & 49ers rise

Nick Wright, Chris Broussard, Kevin Wildes and James Jones reveal Nick’s NFL Tiers entering Week 11 in the NFL. The Kansas City Chiefs predictably hold the top spot while the Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers hold the remaining two top spots.

Prediction: Hard to believe the Chargers will have a chance to slow down Kansas City’s high-powered offensive attack. Mahomes leads the league in passing yards (2,936) and passing touchdowns (25). He’s completed passing touchdowns to 10 different receivers this season, the most of any team.  

Chiefs 31, Chargers 27 –Eric D. Williams 

Kansas City Chiefs

KC

Los Angeles Chargers

LAC

Monday, Nov. 21

San Francisco 49ers (5-4) at Arizona Cardinals (4-6) (ESPN, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Cardinals and 49ers renew their NFC West rivaly in Mexico City in this nationally televised contest. Arizona swept the season series against San Francisco last season. The two teams were involved in the first regular season game played outside the United State on October 2, 2005 in Mexico, a 31-14 victory for the Cardinals. However, the 49ers are 3-0 in the NFC West this season and have not given up a point in the second half of the team’s last two games defensively.

Matchup to watch: 49ers DE Nick Bosa vs. Cardinals OT Josh Jones

Bosa leads the 49ers with 9.5 sacks (tied for second in the NFL) and can line up at both defensive end positions, taking advantage of the best pass rushing matchup along the offensive line. Jones has been solid starting in place of regular left tackle D.J. Humphries (back) in two of the last three games.

However, the Cardinals have allowed 27 sacks this season, tied for No. 25 in the league. Bosa has just one sack against the Cardinals in five career games played.

Key stat: Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins (10,977) needs 23 receiving yards to join Julio Jones and DeSean Jackson as the only active players with 11,000 career receiving yards.

Prediction: With Kyler Murray (hamstring) and Colt McCoy (knee) nursing injuries, the Cardinals are unsure who will start on quarterback. However, San Francisco signal caller Jimmy Garoppolo is playing his best football this season. Garoppolo has plenty of weapons at his disposal in Christian McCaffrey, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle and Elijah Mitchell. Add in the fact that the 49ers should have a decided crowd advantage at Azteca Stadium, and we like San Francisco here.

49ers 28, Cardinals 20 –Eric D. Williams 

San Francisco 49ers

SF

Arizona Cardinals

ARI

FOX Sports’ Week 11 NFL preview was compiled by:

AFC South reporter Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
AFC East reporter Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
NFC West reporter Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)
NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV)
Dallas Cowboys reporter David Helman (@davidhelman_)


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