Week 11 of the 2021 NFL season is officially in the books. The Chiefs shut down the Cowboys. The Vikings upset the Packers. The Eagles routed the Saints. The Texans shocked the Titans ... and that was just a fraction of the action from this week.
But what did we learn about each of the 32 teams in the process? We're so glad you asked. As Week 12 draws near, we take a look below at one thing we took away from each team:
Their defense is underrated. Colt McCoy fared well in place of Kyler Murray again, but how about the unit that stifled Russell Wilson and now ranks No. 5 in the entire NFL?
They're dead. Technically speaking, at 4-6, they're still in the wild card hunt. But they've now been seriously shown up by two playoff teams in as many weeks.
They're built for the home stretch. Yes, they played the Bears on Sunday, but even without Lamar Jackson, they dominated time of possession, stepping up on the ground and on defense.
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They are sloppy. They might have the talent to go toe to toe with anyone, but between Josh Allen, Isaiah McKenzie and even Tyler Bass on Sunday, they've gotta start honing in on the fundamentals.
They need their defense to show up. Cam Newton played just fine in his first official start since returning, but they won't stay alive in the wild card hunt if their most vaunted unit collapses like it did against Washington.
That's it for 2021. Not that many Bears fans were expecting a playoff run anyway, but with Justin Fields sidelined and Andy Dalton tasked with righting the 3-7 ship, it's time to start looking ahead.
They should lean on Joe Mixon. That doesn't mean take the ball out of Joe Burrow's hands, but boy was it nice to see the QB's burden lessened and, more importantly, the Cincy staff smartly take advantage of the Raiders' porous run "D."
They're not a great team. Simple and maybe obvious, but there was a time, early this year, where they looked like one of the AFC's best. Now? Baker Mayfield limps through every week, and Nick Chubb is almost single-handedly carrying their offense.
The offensive line is an issue. For most of the year, Dak Prescott has been an MVP candidate. But twice in the last three weeks, he and their arsenal of weapons have sputtered in the face of heat in the trenches.
They might not finish last in the West. Only because the Raiders are teasing their annual late-season collapse.
D'Andre Swift is a building block. If it wasn't obvious already, the Lions need to keep leaning on him, then get him some serious help in the offseason.
They need David Bakhtiari. And, unfortunately, they can't have him until after the Week 13 bye. But with Elgton Jenkins now done, Aaron Rodgers may face more heat while trying to keep the Packers' offense rolling.
Their defense might not be barren. Desmond King and Kamu Grugier-Hill came to play with big takeaways to upset Tennessee. Perhaps they can salvage a couple of pieces here.
Jonathan Taylor is an MVP candidate. Seriously. He's meant so much to Indy's offense, taking pressure off Carson Wentz and keeping the ball in their hands. Five touchdowns against Buffalo? Have a day, young man.
They need wholesale changes on offense. This has been obvious for a while, but after CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora's report on staff disagreements over Trevor Lawrence's usage, their listless loss to the 49ers seems even worse.
The defense is back in shape. A week after Tyrann Mathieu and Co. dominated the Raiders, they got after the Cowboys all day. That makes four straight rock-solid outings for what was once a horrendous unit.
They're just about dead. Not officially, but man does this reek of yet another late-season collapse from Derek Carr and the offense. They've struggled mightily to establish rhythm for a month now.
Justin Herbert has to carry them. Their defense is still giving up too much, and the ground game remains inconsistent. But Herbert stepped up in every way against the Steelers, and he'll be the reason they stick around.
It's Odell time. With Robert Woods sidelined for the rest of the year, Odell Beckham Jr. should have a real chance to seize a big role coming out of the bye.
Tua Tagovailoa is improving. Yes, he played the Jets on Sunday, but he also made some nice throws in crunch time and has now led two straight wins. You can't ask for much more if you're Miami right now.
They're gonna make noise in the wild card race. In upsetting the Packers on Sunday, they proved they've still got some of the game's best weapons in Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson. They know how to score points.
They might be AFC East favorites now. Not because they're suddenly up top, but because Bill Belichick's defense is still dominating. If the Pats played the Bills right now, which team would you trust more?
Taysom Hill's time could be coming. Trevor Siemian was exposed in a bad loss to the Eagles. Fresh off his new deal, Hill figures to be more involved moving forward.
That's a wrap on Daniel Jones. Sorry, Danny. The Giants haven't helped their QB very much, but he has far more turnovers than career games at this point. Time to restart things in 2022.
It's time for Zach Wilson. To return, that is. With Mike White and Joe Flacco each getting their turn to fill in, New York needs to see as much of Wilson as it can before the offseason arrives.
They can run on anyone. Once Nick Sirianni committed to the ground game, the Eagles became one of the NFL's steadiest offenses. Not even the Saints, with the No. 1 run "D," had an answer for them.
They need more from their defense. T.J. Watt and Co. have driven their season, but with Minkah Fitzpatrick sidelined and Devin Bush a step behind, they were a bit too dependent on Ben Roethlisberger against the Chargers.
Kyle Shanahan has figured out the ground game. That makes two straight games in which Deebo Samuel has been creatively deployed and Jimmy Garoppolo hasn't had to shoulder a huge burden in big wins.
They're done. Russell Wilson's return hasn't done much for an organization that suddenly looks primed for turnover in 2022.
They will only get better. With Rob Gronkowski back and Antonio Brown set to return someday, they're just fine. They made a rout of the Giants look easy, and even that wasn't their best performance.
They are prone to trap games. How else do you explain bad losses to the Jets and now Texans? Ryan
