Pittsburgh Steelers (6-3) at Cleveland Browns (6-3): In pursuit of AFC North-leading Baltimore, already a Week 11 winner, the Browns and Steelers are leading with defense. That's especially true with Cleveland turning to rookie QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Deshaun Watson (shoulder) is out for the season after being injured last week. DTR is an electric athlete who makes his second start under better circumstances than the first, a 28-3 loss at Baltimore. He learned less than three hours before kickoff against the Ravens that he'd be the first-team QB, and threw three INTs while being sacked four times. Cleveland's defense is built to be a great asset to any quarterback. The Browns are getting their second look at Kenny Pickett and the Steelers, who won the Week 2 matchup 26-22. T.J. Watt's 16-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter was the difference. Each team has won four of its past five games.
Chicago Bears (3-7) at Detroit Lions (7-2): The Lions play five of their final eight games against their three NFC North rivals, beginning with a home matchup against the last-place Bears on Sunday. The Lions are seeking their first division title since 1993, back when it was known as the Central division and included the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. "If you aspire to win a division, you have to win your division games," Detroit coach Dan Campbell said. "That's the bottom line here." The Lions hold a 1 1/2-game advantage over Minnesota, which has won five straight games. They'll play the Vikings twice in the last three games of the season. Detroit's task against Chicago might be a little more difficult with the return of QB Justin Fields. He has recovered from a right thumb injury that cost him four games. Detroit's offensive playmakers piled up big numbers in the 41-38 thriller over the Chargers last week. QB Jared Goff threw for 333 yards and two touchdowns. Amor-Ra St. Brown caught eight of those passes for 156 yards and a score. The 1-2 backfield punch of former Bears starter David Montgomery and rookie Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 193 yards and three touchdowns.
Los Angeles Chargers (4-5) at Green Bay Packers (3-6): Los Angeles is optimistic the playoffs are possible despite losing three of its past five games. The Chargers are coming off a 41-38 setback on a last-second field goal to the Lions. Chargers QB Justin Herbert said he and his teammates remain confident. The team scored a season high in points last week, however it also surrendered a season high in points. To catch Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City, the Chargers must slow down Packers quarterback Jordan Love. He passed for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed hauled in five catches for 84 yards and a score for his best performance of the season. The Packers have a 10-2 advantage in the all-time series. Winning close games isn't Green Bay's forte this season and the Packers gave up a second-half lead and lost 23-19 to the Steelers last week. Of six defeats this season, four were one-score games they fumbled on the road: at Atlanta (25-24), at Las Vegas (17-13), at Denver (19-17) and last week.
Las Vegas Raiders (5-5) at Miami Dolphins (6-3): The Raiders are 2-0 since firing Josh McDaniels and handing the keys to Antonio Pierce, who has quickly energized the squad. The visit to Miami is the only road contest during a six-game stretch for the Raiders. "We were fortunate that my first two games were at home," Pierce said of the shift since he replaced McDaniels. "Now we are on the road. It's good to go through adversity. (Miami) is a good football team." Miami leads the AFC East by 1 1/2 games over the Buffalo Bills and has outscored opponents by averaging 31.7 points per game. The Raiders average 17.2 points this season. Rookie speedster RB De'Von Achane had seven touchdowns before missing the past four games and could be ready to return from a knee injury. Miami dropped two of its past three games,
Chillwell Erfahrungsberichte but the setbacks were to last season's Super Bowl teams (Chiefs and Eagles). Raiders RB Josh Jacobs is rejuvenated under new leadership. He rushed for a then-season-best 98 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-6 win over the Giants in Pierce's coaching debut and another season high with 116 yards in last Sunday's 16-12 win over the Jets.
New York Giants (2-8) at Washington Commanders (4-6): Rookie Tommy DeVito gets the call again for the Giants and he draws the Commanders' defense, which allowed Seattle to score on its final three possessions in a 29-26 loss last week after blowing a late lead against the Eagles prior to that. The Commanders went from No. 3 in yards allowed in 2022 to the fourth-worst entering Week 11. New York has lost seven of its last eight with the lone win coming at home over Washington, 14-7, on Oct. 22. Despite that defeat, the Commanders are a double-digit favorite for the first time since 2017. Health woes continue to haunt the Giants, who are depending on RB Saquon Barkley to move the chains and keep the offense in the game. Playing behind a patchwork offensive line, DeVito has been sacked 11 times the last two weeks. Washington's offense is a bright spot and the Commanders are closer than ever to being convinced QB Sam Howell is the franchise passer they've coveted for years.
Dallas Cowboys (6-3) at Carolina Panthers (1-8): If an ideal time for 2021 first-round CB Jaycee Horn's return from injury existed, this might be that spot. The Cowboys are the lone team in the NFL this season that has reached the 40-point level in three different games. "This past month, we're hitting on all cylinders," Dallas coach Mike McCarthy said. While Horn (hamstring) coming back from IR isn't certain, the Panthers do expect pass rusher Brian Burns in the lineup on Sunday. But Dak Prescott could be hitting another level. He threw for 404 yards last weekend against the New York Giants, giving him three consecutive games above the 300-yard mark. WRs CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks both eclipsed the 150-yard receiving mark last week, and the Cowboys ran for 168 yards. Lamb is the first player in NFL history with three straight games of double-figure catches and 150-plus receiving yards. The Panthers called a reverse at play-caller this week. Head coach Frank Reich will return to calling plays after handing those duties to Thomas Brown last month.
Tennessee Titans (3-6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3): Jacksonville's five-game winning streak come to a halt with a 34-3 dismantling by the San Francisco 49ers last week. Jacksonville surrendered three passing touchdowns to Brock Purdy, while Jaguars' QB Trevor Lawrence tossed a pair of interceptions and was sacked five times. While head coach Doug Pederson said he's sure the team will "bounce back," he also admitted Lawrence (knee) isn't healthy. The loss to the 49ers marked the first multi-interception game of the season for Lawrence, who has been picked off six times while throwing nine touchdowns through nine games. He's completed 67.3 percent of his passes this season 2,120 yards. The Titans lost back-to-back road games to the Steelers and Buccaneers, spinning their tires in the running game. Derrick Henry and Tyjae Spears combined for just 42 rushing yards last week. Rookie Will Levis, in his third start, completed just 19 of 39 passes for 199 yards and an interception. The Titans seem to be getting a bit healthier ahead of their first meeting of the season with the Jaguars, who won the winner-take-all regular-season finale in 2022.
Arizona Cardinals (2-8) at Houston Texans (5-4): Above-.500 in November for the first time since 2019, there's an unrecognizable element in the air in Houston: playoff talk. QB C.J.