One striking trend this season in the NFL is that offenses seemed to have cratered. The rise of defenses playing two-high safeties has been effective at limiting the big passing plays that previously seemed to be commonplace in the league. This is the fifth-straight year scoring has decreased, which led some to sound the alarm. 

However, others point to the fact that many recent rule changes seemed to facilitate the offense and impede on defenses, so if the defenses can keep excelling, then credit is due to them. That being said, few teams truly look elite, and the probable favorites in each conference (the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions) both barely won this past week. It’s unfair to say that either are clear favorites to win their conference, which can give almost any team in the playoff picture hope. 

Drake May(e) be very good.

When Drake Maye was drafted by the New England Patriots earlier this year, many were worried about the situation he would find himself in in Foxborough, with limited pass-catching options and a first-time, defensive-minded head coach in former Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo. 

Maye was the only one of the first three quarterbacks drafted (the Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and the Bears’ Caleb Williams) to start the season on the bench. Maye had a fairly rocky start, but now, the Patriots are on a three-game win streak, which includes a 19-3 drubbing of other top rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears.

Not even Batman could save Gotham now.

New York City football teams are consistently awful. Combined, the New York Giants and Jets have one combined playoff win over the last decade. The Giants are one of the worst teams in football this season; they seem to have no direction, and they lost 20-17 Nov. 10 to the Carolina Panthers. The return of four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers aided The New York Jets and helped the team believe they could have a fruitful season. 

However, the Jets are now 3-7, and lost 31-6 to the Arizona Cardinals Nov. 10. The Jets look like a mess, and despite firing head coach Robert Saleh and trading for star wide receiver Davante Adams, nothing has worked. This team cannot figure anything out, and they are lucky that the Giants are bad because the Jets are well-deserving of being labeled the worst team in their city. 

Harbaugh? More like HarBalling.

When the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34-31 in Super Bowl XLVII, it was the matchup of the Harbaugh brothers: John (of the Ravens) vs. Jim (of the 49ers). It was the first time in NFL history that the brothers faced off as head coaches in a Super Bowl, and they were perceived as the potential two best head coaches in the entire league. However, in the next year, Jim left to go coach at his alma mater, the University of Michigan, where he finally won a national championship last year. Now, he’s returned to the NFL as the Los Angeles Chargers’ head coach — and he has not seemed to miss a beat. 

Taking over a team that had an incredibly disappointing season last year, without making any big additions, he has led them to a strong 6-3, which is more wins than they had all of last season. They play the game “The Harbaugh Way,” — run-first and strong in the trenches — and this seems to be paying off as they are firmly in a playoff seat. The other wild-card team is the aforementioned Ravens. They are 7-3 and led by probable MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson. This is John Harbaugh’s 17th season coaching Baltimore. The Ravens are always a strong team, as shown by their comeback win over their division rival Cincinnati Bengals, 35-14 Nov. 7. 

Are the Chiefs Good? Lucky? Who Cares.

The Chiefs have won the last two Super Bowls, and they are the only undefeated team left in the league. And yet, how good the Chiefs are is a fair question to ask. Objectively, an NFL team cannot luck their way into winning back-to-back rings or starting the season off 9-0, but the Chiefs still fail to be convincing. 

They only beat an average Broncos team this weekend at home 16-14 due to a blocked kick on the last play of the game. They barely held on against a 4-6 Buccaneers team, needing overtime to get the job done. In fact, all but two of their wins this season have been by one score or fewer, showing that the Chiefs aren’t as dominant as their pedigree may suggest. Yes, they will probably figure it out, and they still are the team to beat in the AFC, however, the Chiefs are not an unstoppable force and could certainly be knocked off.

Philly Special: The Eagles are back on track.

The Eagles started the season off at 2-2, with losses to the not-so-great Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many were alarmed at this, with calls to fire head coach Nick Sirianni, and felt that this just might not be the Eagles’ year. However, since then, they are on a five-game win streak, which was capped off by a 34-6 blowout away win over the Dallas Cowboys Nov. 10. 

The Eagles seem to be hitting their stride now, with star wide receiver A.J. Brown back from injury, running back Saquon Barkley looking like one of, if not the best, running backs in the entire league. No player has been more symbolic of the turnaround than quarterback Jalen Hurts, having scored three or more touchdowns (passing and running combined) four games in a row. Combined with the Commanders stumbling against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the NFC East could very well be for the Eagles to take, and with few teams standing out in the entire conference, the Eagles could find themselves making a deep playoff run.

Week 11 Predictions: Who should you start and sit?

There were a lot of chokes this week. The Denver Broncos had the chance to beat the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs by kicking a field goal with one second left, and it got blocked. The Houston Texans held the lead against the Detroit Lions until late in the fourth quarter, but two field goals handed the Lions the win. As we head into Week 11, who should you start and who should you sit? 

START

Justin Herbert (QB, LAC) (Home vs. CIN)

Quarterback Justin Herbert has not been given much spotlight this season, but he has been completing his passes and earning those wins. He hasn’t suffered an interception yet this season, and has not had a completion percentage less than 59.3%, which came against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs Sept. 29. 

Herbert’s ability to run the ball was on display against the Tennessee Titans Nov. 10, when he carried the ball nine times for 32 yards, including a touchdown. The Chargers take on the Cincinnati Bengals for Sunday Night Football Nov. 17, one of the worst defenses in the NFL. Herbert should be able to complete more of his passes and snatch more touchdowns against the weak Bengals defense. If Herbert does not start, that will be a mistake.  

Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR, DET) (Home vs. JAX)

The Detroit Lions have been on a roll, and so has wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. St. Brown has been consistent for Detroit since the beginning of the season, earning a touchdown in each game he played, giving him a seven-game streak. With the exception of last week against the Houston Texans, he has received the football every time he was the target.

 The 8-1 Detroit Lions take on the 2-8 Jacksonville Jaguars at home Nov. 17, so this should be an easy opportunity for St. Brown to snatch up fantasy points. Helping Detroit claw back against the Texans, he should have no problem cashing in those points against the worst defense in the NFL. 

James Cook (RB, BUF) (Home vs. KC)

Since the Buffalo Bills lost to the Houston Texans Oct. 6, they have been on a four-game winning streak, and running back James Cook is a key ingredient. He has been snatching up fantasy points in every game he has played in, and only sat out one game due to a toe injury. In every game, he had been given the ball at least 10 times, given plenty of opportunities to showcase his explosive plays. 

When the Bills took on the Indianapolis Colts Nov. 10, Cook had 19 carries with one ending in the endzone. The Buffalo Bills take on the Kansas City Chiefs at home Nov. 17, and expect a battle. With the Chiefs almost taking multiple losses from mediocre teams this season, including the 5-5 Denver Broncos Nov. 10, the Bills should have a fighting chance. Cook’s double edged sword of being able to run and catch the ball will offer a range of plays for the Bills offense. 

SIT

Jake Ferguson (TE, DAL) (Home vs. HOU)

The Dallas Cowboys’ tight end Jake Ferguson is having a rough season, as is the rest of the organization. On a four-game losing streak, Feguson has not helped his team to build up yards. In fact, he put his own team at a disadvantage with a fumble against the Philadelphia Eagles Nov. 11 and the San Francisco 49ers Oct. 27, and has not been consistently catching the ball or able to earn many yards. His longest reception was 27 yards, which he notched twice this season — once against the Pittsburgh Steelers Oct. 6 and the other against the Atlanta Falcons Nov. 3. 

This week, the 3-6 Cowboys take on state rivals 6-4 Houston Texans at home. The Texans’ defense played well against the Detroit Lions Nov. 10, but ultimately lost the game. Ferguson is not going to be able to execute and will only be shut down by Houston’s third-ranked defense. 

Cedric Tillman (WR, CLE) (Away vs. NO)

The Cleveland Browns’ wide receiver Cedric Tillman has been playing more since the Browns lost to the Cincinnati Bengals Oct. 20, but that does not mean the Browns should start him. When Cleveland faced the Los Angeles Chargers Nov. 11, Tillman only received six out of the 11 times he was targeted. He does fine with his yards, but is not extraordinary enough to make his misses worth the time. As far as running, let’s say he does not do it because he cannot. He only carried the ball once this season against the Philadelphia Eagles Oct. 13, where he got backpedaled into -5 yards. 

The Browns take on the New Orleans Saints Nov. 17 in New Orleans. After their head coach got fired last week, the Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons in an upset. New Orleans does not have the best defense in the league, but shutting down Atlanta was huge. If they bring this momentum to their game against Cleveland, the Browns, especially Tillman, do not have a chance. 

Tyreek Hill (WR, DOL) (Home vs. LVR)

Wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been playing through a wrist injury, and looking at his stats, it is obvious that he is not at the top of his game. The Dolphins played the Los Angeles Rams Nov. 11, and Hill was not used heavily. He was only targeted four times and caught the ball three. He managed a touchdown, but he is still lacking compared to his past few years. Last season, Hill earned 13 touchdowns, and he currently sits at two. 

This week, the Dolphins are playing at home against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders have one less win than the Dolphins, but they have been keeping it close in competition, losing by just one touchdown to the undefeated Chiefs. Las Vegas does not have the best defensive line, but they can shut down the Dolphins offense and Tyreek Hill.