11 stats that perfectly explain Week 11 in the NFL

You ever have that dream where you’re back in school and have to take a math test and oh no, you don’t remember what sine means, let alone know how to use a calculator? You keep pressing the buttons, but nothing’s happening and time is running out and you’re going to FAIL.

Good news: You’re awake and this isn’t a test. Any number you’re about to see is a friendly number, we promise. Let them help tell you everything you need to know about what happened in the NFL in Week 11.

Dak Prescott played the worst game of his young career on Sunday night against the Eagles. His three interceptions were the most he’s ever thrown in a game and only the third time in his career that he’s had multiple picks in a game. His 30.4 QB rating was also a career low.

It’s hard for a quarterback to make much of an impact when he constantly has pass rushers in his face. He was 3-for-10 when pressured by the Eagles, and all three of his interceptions came while he was under duress.

Ezekiel Elliott’s absence isn’t helping the Cowboys, but missing left tackle Tyron Smith for the second week in a row has been absolutely devastating. Prescott was sacked four times by the Eagles. He’s been sacked 12 times in his last two games. Before this week, he’d never been sacked more than six times in any two-game stretch.

Dallas had better hope Smith is healthy for Thursday’s Thanksgiving game against the Chargers. Los Angeles’ dynamic duo of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram have 19 sacks between them so far this season.

Nathan Peterman had five interceptions in a half. There have been a lot of quarterbacks to play since the 1970 merger, but Peterman is in a class of his own:

So what does this mean for Peterman? Probably not much other than he’s going to have limited chances in the future, at best.

But it could also mean he could become ... a punter?

For what it’s worth, Tom Tupa ended up becoming a good punter! Peterman’s performance was embarrassing to say the least, but all could be forgotten if he becomes a good punter.

Until, you know, the next quarterback who throws five or more interceptions in a half.

This past Sunday, Michael Thomas became the second player in the Super Bowl era to top 50 receiving yards in 20 of his first 25 career games.

Thomas is on a similar pace to match his 1,137 yards from his rookie season. Through 10 games he has 753 yards and is averaging 75.3 yards per game. That’s just half a yard less than his average from last season.

Thomas is currently fourth in the NFL in receptions with 65. Overall, he’s been a great addition for the Saints offense that perhaps isn’t talked about enough, considering the production he’s brought since day one.

The Browns are tied for 10th in the league right now for the total number of penalties with 70. But zero of those came in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars. That’s the first time Cleveland has played a penalty-free game since Nov. 18, 1962.

But zero is also still the number of wins the Browns have this season. They weren’t able to get anything going on offense against the aggressive Jaguars defense. DeShone Kizer finished with 179 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions, and two fumbles within the last two minutes of the game.

After the game, the rookie sounded discouraged.

”It hurts,” Kizer said. “I’m trying to do whatever I can to string together some games and continue to prove my development to my teammates and to continue to earn the respect of them. This is the first game that I’ve come off of the field feeling as if I didn’t prove that I developed in at least one area.”

Before Sunday’s game, the Browns were the only team in the league to not have allowed a 300-yard passer or a 100-yard rusher this season. Leonard Fournette rushed for precisely 100 yards. But the Browns held Blake Bortles to 125 passing yards, so they still have that going for them. And now they can boast a penalty-free game as well. The Browns just have to take joy where they can find it these days.

The Broncos moved on from offensive coordinator Mike McCoy after the team dropped its sixth loss in a row. This is the longest losing streak the Broncos have suffered through since 1990. They’ve averaged just 14.2 points per game over that skid.

The team’s reasoning behind firing McCoy is an unwieldy playbook, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. But there are two problems with that story. One, there’s not time left in this season to make many changes to the scheme, no matter how complex it is. Two, let’s not forget that the Broncos still have Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian, and Paxton Lynch to choose from at quarterback.

The Broncos have probably seen enough of Siemian and Osweiler over these past six weeks. Lynch is healthy now, and the Broncos may have to move forward with him.

What in the world has happened to the Chiefs? Kansas City started the year with an upset win over the Patriots on the road. They were at the top of everyone’s list of Super Bowl favorites.

On Sunday, this team lost to the Giants. The GIANTS. So what’s changed? Scoring.

That’s a significant drop off. Those 32.8 points would be the best in the league right now if Kansas City had been able to keep that momentum. The Chiefs’ average over the past five games would rank them at No. 22 right now, between the one-win 49ers and the struggling Raiders.

The Chiefs forgot how their offense worked Sunday, sputtering and failing against an embattled New York defense whose claim to fame in 2017 was inspiring prediction pools for Ben McAdoo’s eventual ousting. Kansas City, the team that rolled up 42 points in its season opener against the Patriots, managed only three field goals against the Giants. In the two games before facing Andy Reid’s well-rested team, New York had allowed 82 total points.

The loss was the Chiefs’ fourth in their last five games. After sprinting out to the top of the AFC, Kansas City is now staring up at the opportunity to skip the first round of this year’s playoffs — and if the Chiefs can’t get this fixed, they could slip right out of contention altogether.

On Sunday, the Ravens did something no team has done since You were Time Magazine’s Person of the Year: They shut out the Packers at Lambeau.

Yeah yeah, Aaron Rodgers is injured right now, and the Packers’ running back situation is a big shrug emoji, but that’s still impressive, especially since it’s the third time Baltimore has blanked an opponent this season.

Not many teams have done that in the last 30 years, but almost all of them have gone on to win the Super Bowl:

Does this mean the Ravens are headed to Minneapolis in February? Maybe! (But c’mon, probably not.)

The Minnesota Vikings held Todd Gurley to just 37 yards on Sunday in their 24-7 win at home. That might not be too surprising, when you consider they have yet to allow a 100-yard rusher through 10 games this season.

It also didn’t hurt to have Everson Griffen back after missing a game due to injury.

“We stopped the run,” Vikings nose tackle Linval Joseph told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “At the end of the day, I feel like they are based off the bootleg and the run. If you stop the run, then you stop the bootleg. You pretty much have them bottled up.”

The Vikings are giving up the second-least amount of rushing yards per game at 77.7, second only to the Philadelphia Eagles. Stopping Gurley in his tracks was no surprise, but to the level at which they did it was impressive.

Dre Kirkpatrick — who was the recipient of a mean stiff arm by Le’Veon Bell earlier this season — had his chance at glory this past Sunday. Then, he blew it.

Kirkpatrick was by himself and just randomly fumbled the ball on his way to the Promised Land:

So instead of a 101-yard interception return for a touchdown, he had a 100-yard interception return. It was the longest return in NFL history to not be a touchdown, so there’s something neat about it, at least.

The Bengals also later got their touchdown, so it was fine.

Tom Brady already holds a bunch of important records. Here’s a completely esoteric one.

The 40-year-old quarterback is now the first player in league history to have a 300-yard passing performance in three different countries. He’s had 79 in the United States, two in the United Kingdom, and now one in Mexico after shredding the Raiders for 339 yards and three touchdowns in a 33-7 victory.

He’s also the first player to have three-plus passing touchdowns in a single game in three different countries as well. So that’s two more accomplishments he can proudly line up next to those Super Bowl rings and MVP awards.

Just days after signing a one-year extension, Larry Fitzgerald caught nine passes for 91 yards and a touchdown, helped made Blaine Gabbert look surprisingly fine, and oh yeah, moved himself into fifth place on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list. Fitzgerald isn’t done climbing the leaderboard, either. By the time the season is over, he’ll likely pass Isaac Bruce and Randy Moss for third place.

Give him another season, and he’ll kick Terrell Owens out of second place, too. But another season isn’t a guarantee, despite the recent contract extension. After the Cardinals’ loss to the Texans Sunday, Fitzgerald was Belichickian when asked questions about his future.

But there’s no denying the 34-year-old Fitzgerald can still get it:

Please never leave us, Fitz.