NFL Week 11: Colts-Patriots, Packers-Lions, Eagles-Redskins and more

Let’s try and sort this out.

Circle Week 15 on your calendar. That week claims a number of marquee matchups featuring the teams mentioned above, setting up a crucial pivot point in the playoff race. Take a look at the next three games for each of these teams:

Kaepernick, making his first NFL start in place of the concussed Alex Smith, looked like a veteran throughout the game against the normally stout Bears defense. The second-year quarterback completed 16 of 23 passes for 243 yards and two touchdowns

Once Kendall Hunter made it 17-0 early in the second quarter, the rout was on. The Bears did not get on the board until the third quarter on a 13-yard Brandon Marshall touchdown reception.

Have you ever been to a not-quite sports bar? There’s one in my neighborhood that masquerades as a non-sports bar with a nice cocktail list, a menu that uses adjectives like “rustic” and a decent beer selection. But come Sunday they put football on their TVs because they can’t resist the football fan dollars. So here’s to the people who let me watch these games while I was drinking craft beer. Really dug those artisinal buffalo wings, bro.

TAKEAWAY: The fundamentals of these Dolphins are still strong

The Jaguars-Texans game, by the way, was the first one in which the NFL’s new overtime rules were put to test with the Jaguars and Texans exchanging field goals in the extra period before Johnson’s touchdown ended it.

In our review of Week 11, we start with that game winner in Houston.

Here are the key injuries from Sunday’s action, and their potential impact:

Bowe left early in the Chiefs’ blowout loss to Cincinnati Sunday with what the Kansas City medical staff described as a neck injury. The injury took place as he was attempting to catch a deep pass, during which he leapt to make the play but fell hard on the ground. He went straight to the bench for treatment before being taken to the locker room. There has been little word out of Kansas City regarding the severity or nature of the injury, which compounds upon the Chiefs’ lack of depth at receiver, especially with Jon Baldwin having missed Sunday’s game with a head and neck injury himself.

You can probably save your outrage for worthier causes. Context is everything in the case of Gronkowski’s broken arm.

If you just want to kick dirt in Belichick’s face, a reasonable exercise for many NFL fans, his decision to put top players at additional risk on special teams is fair game. Then again, can you honestly recall many injuries on an extra point attempt? Probably not.

Things actually started well for Pittsburgh, as they got on the board in the first minute of the game. Leftwich did his best Roethlisberger impersonation on a 31-yard touchdown scramble just 31 seconds in to give the Steelers an early 7-0 lead.

Winners: The Baltimore defense atoned for some poor performances earlier in the year with a great effort on the road. Meanwhile, Jones’ punt return helped turn the game in the Ravens’ favor. Jones also gets an A for his sweet celebration:

Gronkowski left the game late in the fourth quarter, and is now set to receive X-rays. The tight end could have been taken out of the game earlier, as the Pats already had a major lead when he was injured. Gronkowski led New England with seven catches for 137 yards when he was hurt, and had recorded two touchdowns already on the day.

The loss would obviously be major for the Pats: with his tenth touchdown catch of the year in Sunday’s game, Gronkowski became the first tight end ever to record ten or more touchdowns in three straight years - and this is only his third year in the NFL out of Arizona. He’s second on the team in receptions and yards receiving, but has significantly more receiving touchdowns than anybody else on the team. After Sunday’s game, he leads all tight ends in receiving yards and touchdowns.

“How hard can it be,” he wonders.

Week 11 has been a strange one. Several of the NFL’s top contenders narrowly escaped challenges by visiting underdogs. Houston and Atlanta both turned back threats to stay on top of the standings in both the AFC and NFC. Nevertheless, the NFL playoff picture looks a little different just a week out from Thanksgiving and the home stretch of the 2012 NFL season.

Let’s review what we learned so far.

While Manning had the Broncos’ offense executing regularly, Denver’s defense may have stolen the show, especially in the first half when it held the Chargers to two first downs and 54 yards of offense. The Broncos also forced three turnovers and blocked a punt in the game.

With the win, the 7-3 Broncos now have a three-game lead over the 4-6 Chargers in the AFC West.

Odds/gambling: The Patriots had easily covered the eight-point spread by the early point of the third quarter. The Patriots also covered the over, which was set at 53 points, by themselves.

Palmer did not have a great day. He threw two interceptions and completed just 22 of his 40 pass attempts. After falling into an early hole, the Raiders had no choice but to scrap their gameplan and air the ball out for four quarters.

Fantasy studs and duds

Bowe left the game against the Bengals in the second quarter after jumping for a pass and landing hard on his head. Bowe was examined by trainers on the sideline before he left for the locker room. He later re-emerged without his helmet and missed the rest of the game.

In a game where you are getting dominated on both sides of the football, it might be best to just throw the ball back to the referee after a score, and save your swag for a situation where you are actually winning.

Meanwhile, Manning continues his push for a potential MVP award, throwing three touchdowns against a struggling Chargers defense. How the Chargers are even still in this game is amazing. Broncos lead 27-16 with just over 10 minutes to play in regulation, and are driving for another possible score.

Week 11 Score Update:

Broncos 24, Chargers 16

Still in the third quarter, Miller has three sacks, two forced fumbles, and five quarterback hurries. He now leads the NFL in sacks with 13 (seven coming in the last three games) and has doubled his forced fumble total on the year to four. Meanwhile, nine of the Chargers points today have come on defense, meaning that the Broncos have held San Diego to only a single touchdown on offense.

Denver currently leads 24-16 late in the third. Plenty of time for Miller to grab a few more sacks.

Remember Wilfork’s interception last year?

Brady has only completed passes to four receivers on the day, but is doing quite well despite not spreading the ball around.

This make five straight games in which Brady has thrown for at least two scores and 200 yards. With a lot of football left to play he should only build on those numbers and end up with a very strong fantasy performance for the day.