The 10 biggest takeaways from NFL week 11: Ravens make emphatic statement and 49ers edge Cardinals in thriller

It was a strange week in the NFL. The most anticipated game turned out to be a disappointing blowout, while two that had thrashings written all over them turned out to be thrillers. Meanwhile, Tom Brady was not even the best quarterback on his own team on Sunday, but did still get the win – some things never change.

Play-off implications start to echo through every play as we head into the final third of the season. Seedings change snap by snap, and every point can count.

Here are the 10 biggest takeaways from week 11...

The Ravens have a case for being the NFL’s best team

Sunday’s Ravens-Texans showdown had been billed as a potential classic between two MVP-candidate quarterbacks and two of the AFC’s strongest teams. The reality was far different, as Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens made an emphatic statement and sent the strongest message yet that this is a team with genuine Super Bowl ambitions.

Jackson was given swathes of time to dice up a weak Houston Texans defence, and finished 17 of 24 for 222 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-7 mauling. Three of those scores came during a 13-pass streak without an incompletion, and the second-year quarterback also added 86 yards from nine carries on the ground. Like last week one highlight-reel play stood out, as Jackson evaded multiple Houston defenders on another Madden-esque 39-yard run.

Deshaun Watson, by contrast, was never able to get the Texans offense moving. He was sacked seven times by a rabid Ravens pass rush, and his old habit of holding onto the ball too long returned in a big spot. He failed with multiple deep shots as the Baltimore secondary – and particularly Marcus Peters – also came up big. The result was Watson falling to the first eight-plus-point regular season defeat of his career – a wild statistic which shows his dogged competitiveness to this point. But this was all about one team, and one man. The Ravens may just be the cream of the NFL crop.

The Vikings have championship heart

The Minnesota Vikings became the first team in five years to overturn a half-time deficit of 20 or more points, roaring back to life to defeat the Denver Broncos 27-23. Over that five-year period teams losing by at least 20 at the break had a record of 0-99, but Kirk Cousins and company made sure it didn't hit three figures by playing the ultimate game of two halves.

Denver repeatedly turned the ball over in the first half, as the Minnesota offense totalled just 47 total yards. Kirk Cousins couldn’t find men open and Dalvin Cook (11 carries, 26 yards) was completely bottled up. However, he threw touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs (five catches, 121 yards), Kyle Rudolph and Irv Smith, and Cook added another on the ground to secure an impressive rescue mission, which ended with Brandon Allen failing with three late shots at the end zone.

The Vikings now move to 8-3, and are strong favourites for an NFC Wildcard slot if they can’t overhaul the Packers in the North. I trust them far more at home than on the road, but this week they showed they have the heart, as well as the talent, to go far.

And the 49ers do too

For a long time it looked as though the San Francisco 49ers were about to lay a giant egg against the Arizona Cardinals, and the eventual 36-26 scoreline flattered them (thanks to a defensive touchdown off Arizona looking for a miracle seconds remaining), but this was a win that showed once again that this 2019 Niners aren’t some kind of fluke.

Just like a couple of weeks ago, the 49ers’ vaunted defense struggled to stop Kyler Murray, whose 150 passing yards and two touchdowns look fairly meagre on the box score, but were boosted by 67 rushing yards and another score from just eight attempts. Murray is becoming a genuine star, one who gives the Cardinals an opportunity to be very good for a very long time. Playing the 9-1 Niners this close in San Francisco is proof of that.

Murray’s brilliance meant San Fran were forced to score points, and Jimmy Garoppolo put together a career day - at least in terms of passing yards. He went 34 of 45 for 424 yards and four touchdowns, but also had two picks in an up and down display. Garoppolo isn’t the strength of this team, but has been doing enough to keep racking up the Ws, and in the regular season that’s all that matters. The Niners are now all but guaranteed a place in the postseason, which is where more will be asked of Jimmy G. It’ll be fascinating to see if he can rise to the occasion.

The Patriots and Eagles both have offensive problems

The New England Patriots did what they do best – win – but there is plenty to ponder for Bill Belichick down the stretch after a 17-10 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Tom Brady was poor, the Pats offense finished with less than 300 total yards and were ineffective on third down. If it weren’t for a 15-yard touchdown strike from Julian Edelman to Phillip Dorsett on a trick play the result – the final score of the game despite coming early in the second half – the result could have been very different.

The Eagles, too, have issues on offense, both in protection (Carson Wentz was sacked five times) and with receivers struggling to get open, then dropping passes when they did. Philly struggled to move the ball outside of one 95-yard scoring drive which ended up in the hands of Dallas Goedert, and couldn’t get anything going in the run game with Jordan Howard out injured.

The Patriots don’t have to worry too much at 9-1, and always seem to fix their problems in time for January. The Eagles are a different story. At 5-5 the’re now a game out on the Cowboys in the NFC East and face an uphill battle to secure a Wildcard berth.

The Cowboys excel in beating up bad teams

The Dallas Cowboys are now 5-1 against teams with losing records this season, and showed again why they’re the ultimate flat-track bullies with a 35-27 win over the Detroit Lions. Dak Prescott was MVP-calibre once more, finishing with 444 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions game-planned well for Amari Cooper – who was outstanding last week – but that led to opportunities for Michael Gallup and Randall Cobb, who both went over 100 yards, while Ezekiel Elliott had a rushing and receiving touchdown for a Cowboys offense which really found its groove.

Detroit kept the game interesting throughout thanks to another decent performance from Jeff Driskell in just his second NFL start. The fourth-year QB had two touchdowns through the air and a third on the ground. He was supported by Bo Scarborough, a running back signed off the practice squad earlier in the week, who rushed for 55 yards and a score in the continued absence of Kerryon Johnson. This makeshift backfield isn’t going to lead the Lions to the postseason, but at least they’re helping keep them respectable.

The Colts have a path to the AFC South title

The Indianapolis Colts needed Jacoby Brissett back, even if they didn’t ask him to do all that much in a 33-13 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their offense mostly ran through Marlon Mack, who spun in for a very rewatchable mazy score as part of a 109-yard performance (from just 14 carries). The limited touches were due to him being forced off injured in the second half, but his back-up Jonathan Williams stepped up to the plate, and actually outgained Mack with 116 yards from 13 carries.

Brissett only had 148 yards passing and one passing touchdown  – to Marcus Johnson – but he also ran one in at the pylon as restored confidence to a Colts offense which struggled mightily against the Dolphins – yes, the Dolphins – last week. They’re now back on top in the AFC South after Houston’s loss, and could well remain there if they continue to play to their strengths – namely winning battles in the trenches.

For Jacksonville, this game was all about the return of Nick Foles, who started well by hitting DJ Chark (eight catches, 104 yards, two touchdowns) for a score. He was also picked off by rookie Colts cornerback Rock Ya-Sin (one of the best names in football), and while he probably improves the Jags in the long run, leading them to the play-offs looks out of his reach. Could more time to evaluate Gardner Minshew be more valuable, particularly if Jacksonville see shipping Foles for draft picks in the off-season as an option?

Allen should not be Newton’s replacement

Half the media have already crowned Kyle Allen the Carolina Panthers’ new No 1 quarterback and sent Cam Newton packing to the Chicago Bears. Sunday’s 29-3 loss to the renewed Atlanta Falcons showed emphatically why that would be a ginormous mistake. Allen threw four interceptions – including three in the red zone – a terrible stat only made worse by the knowledge Atlanta only had two picks all season prior to this game.

Allen’s play made sure the Falcons had the win wrapped up by half-time. Not even 191 Christian McCaffrey scrimmage yards could save him this time. McCaffrey has been masking Allen’s faults all season, and you suspect the young quarterback would not be getting anywhere near the same positive chatter without No 22 in his backfield (or perhaps if he were deputising for a different, whiter quarterback…).

The Falcons deserve a lot of praise for a second straight excellent showing. They’ve beaten two division rivals – with winning records – on the road in successive weeks, which at least adds a feel-good factor to what has been a horrible season in Atlanta. Calvin Ridley had a career day, hauling in eight passes for 143 yards and a touchdown, while the defense sacked Allen four times to go with the quartet of picks. If only they’d been doing this 10 weeks ago…

The Rams and Bears are both also-rans

The Sunday Night Football match-up absolutely no one wanted was exactly as drab as we all feared. Last season Sean McVay’s Los Angeles Rams were the most innovative offense in football and Matt Nagy was Coach of the Year after returning the Chicago Bears to the top of the NFC North. Now they are both forgettable, two of the biggest disappointments of an otherwise enjoyable season.

The Rams came out on top 17-7 but Jared Goff completed just 11 passes for 173 yards and didn’t have a touchdown. Mitchell Trubisky was even worse. He managed just 190 yards from 43 attempts and was benched late in the game with an injury, replaced by Chase Daniel. Whether that change becomes permanent will be the question on everyone’s lips this week.

Todd Gurley was a rare bright spot on the night. His workload increased and the production came with it. Last season’s touchdown leader had 97 yards and a touchdown from 25 carries and 36 more from three catches. Was it enough to make this game worth staying up until 5am for? Not a chance, but it’s too late for that now...

Josh Allen records a career day

Yes, he was playing the Miami Dolphins, but Josh Allen had the best game of his young career in a 37-20 win for the Buffalo Bills, throwing three touchdowns and rushing in another as he showed the world (well, the people watching on Redzone, most of whom probably cared more about other games) the best version of himself.

When on form Allen is a lot of fun to watch, and whatever you think of his passing ability it’s undeniable that his athleticism makes him a lethal weapon in the red zone. His connection with John Brown continued to go from strength to strength on Sunday, with the receiver catching nine balls for 137 yards and two scores.

Miami were actually a lot of fun here – they have been much more watchable in recent weeks. An onside came off in the second quarter, while Jakeem Grant took a 101-yard kick return to the house. Brian Flores, despite the tanking effort going on above him, is showing himself to be a good head coach, and could turn this team into something very interesting when the rebuild kicks in.

Michael Thomas is the NFL’s very best

It’s getting very hard to argue the fact that Michael Thomas is now the NFL’s best wide receiver. He puts up huge numbers every week, despite the New Orleans Saints having few other options, meaning he faces double coverage near constantly, and yet still comes out on top. Thomas had eight catches for 114 yards and a touchdown in a 34-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as the Saints tightened their grip on the NFC South.

Jameis WInston was his usual self, throwing four picks, essentially killing any chance the Bucs may have had of an upset. One of those was the fault of a terrible OJ Howard drop, but Winston’s inconsistency will forever hold Tampa Bay back. Will they finally look elsewhere this off-season?