Interceptions were crucial this week, clinching crucial victories for the Philadelphia Eagles and the Buffalo Bills. The Saints are finally starting to win games, something no one expected to see this season — including the players themselves. Talking about losing games, the Jaguars are missing Trevor Lawrence and the embarrassment that they allowed proves it. 

Down go the Chiefs. 

The Buffalo Bills handed the Kansas City Chiefs their first loss of the season Nov. 17. The Bills Mafia came into the game knowing  the Chiefs have not been sweeping their opponents each week — rather narrowly scraping by. Meanwhile, Buffalo was coming in hot on a five-game winning streak, giving them a boost of confidence in their level of play. 

Bills quarterback Josh Allen played phenomenally, outplaying Kansas City’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes in almost every category, including yards and quarterback ratings. Allen had spot on throws throughout the game, including a 20-yard, one-handed catch from Amari Cooper. 

A tough loss for the Chiefs was bookended by two brutal interceptions from Mahomes. The first interception was within the first 60 seconds of the game — a bad omen for the Chiefs — when Mahomes desperately tried to not take the sack but threw the ball too high for tight end Noah Gray and instead landed in the arms of Bills safety Taylor Rapp. The second interception came with less than 1:15 left on the clock. Mahomes moved to the outside to buy some time to throw a long pass to get out of their own end. The pass, intended for tight end Travis Kelce, was caught by the diving linebacker Terrel Bernard. This play affirmed the end of the Chiefs’ winning streak, and now that Kansas City has run out of luck, it could be the beginning of their downfall this season. 

Philly widens their lead in the NFC East. 

The Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Washington Commanders at home Nov. 17, a deciding game on who would lead the NFC East. 

The first half was rough for the birds as they were not able to secure a touchdown, only a single field goal after multiple attempts by kicker Jake Elliott. But something happened in the locker room that made Philly more vicious and dominating in the second half, which would earn them the win 26-18.

Quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley both scored this game, but it was Philly’s defense that showed the league the power of this team. Safety Reed Blankenship and linebacker Nakobe Dean both had 10 tackles, the second most of the night behind linebacker Zack Baun, who had 15. 

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels was sacked three times during the game by defensive ends Brandon Graham and Josh Sweat, as well as Nolan Smith Jr. The linebacker was able to wrap outside, blowing past offensive tackle Brandon Coleman for an eight-yard sack. With less than five minutes left in the game, Blankenship was able to draw out an interception from Daniels, giving the ball back to Philly, who were able to run down the clock to their victory. The Philadelphia defense kept them in this game, and will keep them afloat as they head into playoffs. 

The Saints are 2-0 after firing head coach Dennis Allen.

Since the New Orleans Saints fired head coach Dennis Allen Nov. 4 after seven consecutive losses, the Saints have notched two wins in a row. The administration set special coordinator Darren Rizzi as their interim coach, which was the right move as the Saints are looking better than they have earlier this season, and the results prove it. 

The Saints blew out the Cleveland Browns 35-14 Nov. 17 with trick plays and excellent blocking, letting their runners fly. The most notable trick play the Saints conducted was the snap to quarterback Derek Carr, who faked the handoff to wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., instead lobbing the ball to tight end Taysom Hill, who sniped it to wide receiver Kevin Austin Jr. for 18 yards. 

New Orleans’ offensive line was in sync this game, hanging onto their targets to give their running backs room to gain yardage. When Carr passed the ball to Alvin Kamara, the running back was able to take the ball from their own 10-yard line to pass the 30. In the second quarter, Carr passed the ball to wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who ran the ball from about the 43-yard line to the end zone with help from the blocking by tight end Juwan Johnson. 

The Lions continue to roar.  

The Detroit Lions wiped the floor with the Jacksonville Jaguars, beating them 52-6 Nov. 17.

The Jags continued their 0-6 away game losing streak as they head back down south without securing a single touchdown. This embarrassment of a loss reminded Jacksonville (and the rest of the league) how much of an impact quarterback Trevor Lawrence made to their offense. The Heisman runner-up has been out since week nine, when he injured his left shoulder due to a severe joint sprain. It is unknown whether Lawrence will be returning this season, but if he isn’t, Jacksonville needs to turn momentum around quickly. 

As a team, the Detroit Lions earned 645 yards and 449 passing yards, while their defense kept the Jaguars at 170 yards and 129 passing yards. Quarterback Jared Goff swept through, scoring four touchdowns with no interceptions or sacks. Unsurprisingly, his quarterback rating was a 93.8. Detroit ended up putting in their backup quarterback Hendon Hooker, who also avoided any sacks or interceptions. 

Week 12 Predictions: Who should you start and sit?

Week 11 was a week for upsets and high scoring offenses. The Buffalo Bills beat the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions kept rolling. As we head into Week 12, who should you start and who should you sit?

START

Bo Nix (QB, DEN) (Away v. LVR)

Although he had a shaky start to the season, the Denver Broncos’ rookie quarterback Bo Nix has moved into fine form at this point in the season. Nix led the Broncos to a 38-6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons Nov. 17. He went 28 of 33 and threw four touchdown passes for 307 yards. With that performance, he has no doubt moved himself into Offensive Rookie of the Year contention. 

The Broncos take on their AFC West rivals, the Las Vegas Raiders, Nov. 24. The Raiders are currently on a six-game losing streak. In their Week 11 performance, Las Vegas’ defense failed to force a punt against the Miami Dolphins’ offense. Nix will use his receivers to exploit these defensive weaknesses and produce a strong performance Sunday.  

George Pickens (WR, PIT) (Away v. CLE)

Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens currently ranks fourth amongst the league’s top five wide receivers. Pickens logged 89 yards from eight receptions in the Steelers’ narrow 18-16 victory over the Ravens Nov. 17. He is averaging three more yards per game from last season and is on pace to surpass his total yards from last season. 

The Steelers take on the 2-8 Cleveland Browns Nov. 21. The Browns are coming off a 35-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints. Pickens should be expected to put on an impressive performance against a middle-of-the-pack Browns defense, so he is a must-start this week. 

Jahmyr Gibbs (RB, DET) (Away v. IND)

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is a key piece of the stellar Detroit Lions offense. In the Lions’ 52-6 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Gibbs totaled 123 yards off 11 carries for a touchdown and one 54-yard pass. 

The Lions take on the Indianapolis Colts Nov. 24, who squeaked by with a narrow 28-27 win over the New York Jets Nov. 17. The Colts currently have one of the worst defenses in the NFL, with 143.1 rushing yards and 374.5 yards allowed on average per game. With quarterback Jared Goff at the helm, Gibbs should have no issue collecting yards and putting up points against the Colts’ weak rush block. 

SIT 

Aaron Jones (RB, MIN) (Away v. CHI)

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones has been struggling to perform in recent games. He put up just 39 yards on 15 carries in Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans and dropped a pitch from quarterback Sam Darnold in the opening drive of the contest. Jones’ numbers have been lacking with his worst stats since his rookie season. 

Despite the Vikings focusing more on their rushing the past few games, Jones’ performances have simply been lackluster. The Bears have a poor rush block, but Jones struggles to capitalize, notching only one touchdown in the red zone this season. Jones is splitting touches with fellow quarterback Cam Akers, so he would be a risky start in Week 12. 

Jaylen Waddle (WR, MIA) (Home v. NE)

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle has had a mediocre season to say the least. In his last five games, Waddle has scored just one touchdown off 19 targets and 12 receptions. He had two catches from three targets in the Dolphins’ 34-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Yes, the Dolphins struggled without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after his Week 4 injury; however, the team managed to flip the script upon his return in Week 7 — aside from Waddle. Waddle has yet to bounce back to previous seasons’ form following Tagovailoa’s recovery. The New England Patriots, who the Dolphins will play Nov. 24, may not have the best pass defense in the league, but Jones is still not in starting form. 

Geno Smith (QB, SEA) (Home v. ARI)

Quarterback Geno Smith has been impressive this season with the Seattle Seahawks, though the team’s record does not seem to show for it. In Seattle’s Week 11 20-17 win, also Geno’s first win over the San Francisco 49ers, Smith was 25 of 32 with 221 yards despite not logging a touchdown. 

The issue in Week 12 lies in Seattle’s opponents, the Arizona Cardinals. Coming off a bye week, the Cardinals defense is well rested. In their last four games, Arizona’s defense has allowed just one passing touchdown. Sitting Smith is not a reflection of his recent performance, but rather what is expected of his team’s opponents this week.