Week 11 Recap: Huge wins for the Eagles, Broncos and Rams, Josh Allen goes off, Niners cruise in Purdy's return

Summary of Week 11 Recap: Huge wins for the Eagles, Broncos and Rams, Josh Allen goes off, Niners cruise in Purdy's return

by The Athletic

1h 32m•November 17, 2025
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Overview of Week 11 Recap: Huge wins for the Eagles, Broncos and Rams, Josh Allen goes off, Niners cruise in Purdy's return

This episode of The Athletic Football Show reviews a jam‑packed Week 11 NFL slate: ugly but effective Eagles win over Detroit, Denver knocking off Kansas City, a defensive slugfest in Rams‑Seahawks, Josh Allen’s six‑touchdown explosion for Buffalo, Brock Purdy’s return and a resurgent 49ers offense, a Jaguars blowout of the Chargers, Bryce Young’s huge passing day, plus oddball moments and special‑teams drama. The hosts break down tactical takeaways, notable performances, and why the league feels unusually wide open right now.

Key takeaways

  • The NFL feels unusually chaotic and wide open — multiple teams (including unexpected ones) are legitimate threats. Week 11 shuffled playoff pecking order and exposed vulnerabilities in several presumed elites.
  • Defense and complementary football won a lot of games this week: Philadelphia, Denver and the Rams all leaned on pass rush/coverage and special teams to carry them.
  • Quarterback narratives oscillate: Josh Allen reminded everyone he can carry a team; Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff had tough games under pressure; Bryce Young flashed elite upside but inconsistency remains a concern.
  • Special teams and situational plays mattered: walk‑off field goals, punts downed inside the 1, game‑changing returns and clock/timeout decisions impacted outcomes.

Game-by-game highlights (condensed)

  • Eagles 16, Lions 6 — Philadelphia’s defense dominated

    • Defense: newly boosted front (incl. Jalen Phillips) controlled the line, 6 batted passes, nine “quick” pressures; Jared Goff was 1‑of‑14 under pressure.
    • Offense: ugly day for Philly in wind and without Lane Johnson, but defense made this a win. Lions missed several fourth downs.

  • Broncos 22, Chiefs 19 — Denver’s defense and Bo Nix carried them

    • Broncos D: excellent man coverage, pressure/stunt design, big special‑teams returns set short fields.
    • Bo Nix: made several throws in key moments (third‑and‑15 to Cortland Sutton, etc.).
    • Chiefs: Mahomes struggled to get a rhythm downfield; concerns about run/pass balance and head‑to‑head tiebreakers for playoff positioning. Denver now a major AFC factor.

  • Rams 21, Seahawks 19 — defensive chess match

    • Rams defense: forced four interceptions (Sam Darnold), timed twists/stunts and pressured effectively.
    • Seattle: defense showed up, but offensive line/OL injuries and multiple turnovers doomed them. Ethan Evans’ coffin‑corner punt late was pivotal.

  • Bills 44, Buccaneers 32 — Josh Allen explodes

    • Allen: 317 pass yards, 3 passing TDs and 3 rushing TDs (6 total)—historic performance (first player with multiple games of 3 pass TDs + 3 rush TDs).
    • Buccaneers: rushed for ~200 yards and exposed Bills’ run‑defense issues. When not blitzed, Allen was very effective; Tampa’s front had almost no quick pressures unless blitzing.

  • 49ers 41, Cardinals 22 — Brock Purdy’s return

    • Offense: Purdy looked like the expected Niners QB, creative spacing, CMC and outside receivers active; offense clicking.
    • Defense: still a work in progress — pass attempts/yardage went up due to blowout and Cardinals’ game script.

  • Jaguars 35, Chargers 6 — Jacksonville controlled the line

    • Jaguars: dominated the Chargers up front, ran for 192 yards, efficient and clean (very few penalties).
    • Chargers: huge trouble protecting Justin Herbert (50% pressure rate on non‑blitzes). Herbert had some sharp throws, but OL issues and overall collapse on defense made this lopsided.

  • Panthers vs Falcons — Bryce Young flashes

    • Bryce Young: 448 passing yards (team/franchise single‑game record) and big plays in second half; showed the ceiling that made people excited earlier in his career. Hosts caution about consistency given earlier season struggles.

  • Other notes

    • Packers beat Giants (27‑20): Jordan Love made several high‑leverage plays.
    • Ravens beat Browns (23‑16): odd/creative goal‑line plays (fake push), and Myles Garrett posted historic sack numbers (10 sacks over last 3 games tying Richard Dent).

Notable individual performances & stats

  • Josh Allen (Bills): 3 pass TD + 3 rush TD — six TD game; historically rare feat.
  • Jalen Phillips (Eagles): immediate pass‑rush impact after trade; helped lift Philly’s front.
  • Bo Nix (Broncos): several clutch down‑field throws including third‑and‑15 to Sutton.
  • Patrick Mahomes (Chiefs): poor downfield success vs Denver; offensive inconsistencies raised real playoff concerns.
  • Sam Darnold (Seahawks): four interceptions vs Rams — a reminder of turnover risk in big games.
  • Ethan Evans (Rams P): filed a coffin‑corner punt that landed inside the 1 — game‑changing special teams play.
  • Justin Herbert (Chargers): pressured heavily; one of his worst pressure games — protection and OL issues paramount.
  • Bryce Young (Panthers): 448 yards, franchise mark — huge single‑game upside; still check for repeatability.

Tactical/analytical insights

  • Pass rush design and timing (twists, stunts, well‑timed pressures) flustered several QBs this week — Rams, Eagles and Broncos showcased the value of coordinated fronts vs raw blitzing.
  • Blitzing and coverage choices shaped outcomes:
    • Bills—Bucs: Tampa blitzed often; when they didn’t, Allen worked the intermediate game well.
    • Chiefs used too few sustained rushing attempts in a close game; offensive identity questions persist when the passing game stalls.
  • Quarterbacks under immediate, consistent pressure (high non‑blitz quick pressure rate) cannot be expected to consistently win — OL/pressure metrics correlate strongly with bad offensive days.
  • Complementary football wins: strong defense + timely special teams and a handful of key offensive plays is enough vs many good teams this year.

Moments that felt romantic about football (favorites from the episode)

  • Baker Mayfield’s gritty touchdown and dramatic bounce‑up celebration.
  • Darnell Washington’s barn‑burner stiff‑arm and follow‑through launch — pure, physical highlight.
  • Ethan Evans’ punt downed inside the 1 for the Rams — specialist execution brilliance.
  • Multiple walk‑off field goals across the day (five games decided by game‑winning FGs) — classic late‑game excitement.

What we learned / implications

  • Parity is real this year: it’s hard to name a small set of “locks” for the Super Bowl. Week 11 shuffled seedings and showed multiple unexpected contenders (Broncos, Patriots, Bears at the time referenced), while some perennial powers (Chiefs, Lions) are vulnerable.
  • Defense and complementary units are tournament‑making in 2025: teams with elite fronts and opportunistic defenses can overcome offensive warts.
  • Quarterback variance matters: elite flashes (Allen, Young, Purdy moments) are exciting, but sustained playoff‑level play requires protection, playcalling balance, and limiting turnovers.
  • Playoff projections should be updated weekly — several teams’ odds moved dramatically after Week 11 results (Chiefs’ playoff path tightened substantially).

Watchlist / next steps for fans

  • Keep an eye on:
    • Chiefs’ upcoming stretch and Mahomes’ ability to regain rhythm and protect playoff seeding.
    • Broncos sustaining their defensive form and Bo Nix’s consistency.
    • Eagles offense: will they push back to last season’s performance or rely on defense to bail them out?
    • 49ers offense continuity with Purdy healthy and how their defense holds up vs tough NFC opponents.
    • Chargers’ OL/Herbert health and Jaguars’ formula — if Jacksonville’s front keeps imposing itself, they’re dangerous.
    • Bryce Young — is last week a sign of turnaround or a one‑game outlier?
  • Key games to monitor for playoff seeding and tiebreakers: Broncos‑Chiefs rematch, late NFC West matchups (Rams/49ers/Seahawks), and intra‑conference heavyweight matchups that will decide wild‑card ties.

If you want a one‑line summary: Week 11 reinforced that defense and complementary football matter more than ever, the league is wildly competitive, and single‑game QB heroics (or collapses) can swing playoff races more dramatically than usual.