NFL Week 11: Five things we liked and didn’t like, including Caleb Williams’ evolution, star WR shines

Four quarterbacks have thrown for at least 440 yards in a game this season. Try to name them.

Patrick Mahomes? Nope.

Josh Allen? No, sorry.

Matthew Stafford? Try again.

Justin Herbert. Nope.

Here’s the list: Joe Flacco, Jacoby Brissett, Russell Wilson and … Bryce Young.

Now that is a wild group. Brissett and Young both joined it in Week 11, with Brissett setting an NFL record with 47 completions in a loss to the 49ers. Much of the production came in garbage time, though, and I’ve already written before about why the Cardinals‘ offense runs better with Brissett compared to with Kyler Murray.

But Young? He threw for a Panthers-record 448 yards in a 30-27 overtime win over the hapless Falcons (we’ll get to them in a bit). Young threw three touchdown passes and was not intercepted. He made some big-time throws against a defense that, entering the week, had allowed the fewest passing yards in the NFL.

And here’s the thing: If we had run this column last week (I took a few days off; sorry to all the “Five Things” fans), I would have had Young in the solidly “Didn’t Like” section. He may have led it. He passed for 124 yards on 25 pass attempts and threw one of the worst interceptions you’ll see in an abysmal 17-7 loss to the Saints.

Then, one week later, we get this inspired performance. So what does this tell us? Maybe it’s that we shouldn’t give up on players. Maybe it’s that the Panthers, now 6-5 this season, aren’t so awful like we thought.

Or maybe — just maybe — it’s a reminder that it’s a week-to-week league. One week ago, I (and maybe others) were ready to say it’s time for the Panthers to move on. Today, we’re espousing him. Young doesn’t bring the stability needed to compete at the highest level, but he can have moments. And speaking of that week-to-week notion, he gets a huge game for the nation to see in Week 12: “Monday Night Football” against the 49ers, who are also jockeying for a playoff spot.

If there were ever a time for Young to show he can do it consistently when it really matters — the sign of a quarterback who a team can trust — it’ll be Week 12. For now, though, we like that he even put himself and his team in that position.

Caleb Williams gets shifty

The Bears are 7-3, and five of those wins have come in games they trailed in the final two minutes of regulation. They’ve pulled off some truly great escape acts, and that’s appropriate considering their quarterback has done the same.

Chicago made significant upgrades at coach (Ben Johnson), offensive line (three veteran additions) and pass-catching options (first-round pick Colston Loveland, second-round pick Luther Burden III) this offseason, but the biggest upgrade has been the one Caleb Williams has made himself: He’s avoiding sacks.

Much was made about Williams taking 68 sacks last season, tied for third-most in NFL history. He couldn’t play on time, he couldn’t adjust to NFL speed, he looked lost, yada yada yada. Those people are eating crow this year. Williams has a 4.7% sack rate, seventh-lowest in the NFL. That’s despite facing pressure on 35.3% of his dropbacks, a roughly average number and a similar number to last year.

Caleb Williams	2024	2025
Sack rate	10.8%	4.7%
Sacks per pressure	28.2%	12.3%
Yards per scramble	7.8	9.9

Some of the ways he escaped Sunday (15 pressures, just two sacks) were outstanding.

You’ll notice I even highlighted a throw away in the final clip. Yes, those matter, too. So often last year, Williams took sacks in scoring positions. In that final highlight, his ability to stay upright and throw the ball away ensured Cairo Santos would have a 38-yard field goal rather than a 50-ish yarder. When your team is only winning by a few points each game, every small edge, and in Williams’ case, every negative play avoided, matters.

Welcome back, Nico Collins

With C.J. Stroud going down with a concussion, the Texans‘ already-struggling offense looked to be in even more trouble.

Little did we know the Nico Collins-Davis Mills connection would save the day. Collins has 16 catches for 228 yards and a touchdown over the past two weeks, tied for his most receptions in a two-week span in his career. But what we liked most about Collins’ usage was where he caught the ball: intermediate in-breaking routes and along the sidelines.

Collins’ size and physicality are among his best assets, along with his speed. Mills took advantage of it, and the Texans have slowly but surely dug themselves to .500.

Ja’Quan McMillian does it all

Only four NFL players have sacked Patrick Mahomes and picked him off in the same game.

Only one has sacked Patrick Mahomes twice and picked him off in the game: Ja’Quan McMillian. His interception ended a likely scoring drive, and his second sack ended the Chiefs‘ final drive in a 22-19 Broncos victory.

McMillian might not have even been playing these downs if reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II wasn’t hurt. That speaks volumes to Denver’s defensive depth. McMillian’s four sacks lead all defensive backs this season.

The Eagles‘ interior defenders

Attention, other NFL teams: Stop trying to run the ball up the middle in short-yardage situations against the Eagles. Since the start of last season, opponents have tried to run the ball on fourth-and-1 14 times. They have only gained a first down seven times. That’s the second-lowest rate in the NFL.

The Lions found that out the hard way Sunday night …

… six days after the Packers did.

The Rams had major short-yardage struggles in their early-season implosion against the Eagles, too.

Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter are just too hard to run on. The Eagles are too good, too smart (watch Moro Ojomo call out the Packers’ play) and too talented. It’s a huge part of their team-wide success.

Darnell Washington with the ball in his hands

When we say someone is “generously listed” at a certain height/weight, it’s because teams are listing them as bigger than they really are.

Darnell Washington being “generously listed” at 264 pounds, though, is the opposite. Washington, who stands 6’7″, is way more than 264 pounds. And when he gets the ball, it’s a “train coming through, get off the tracks” situation.

My favorite highlights of Week 11. NFL players are already in the 0.01% of human beings when it comes to physical stature. Darnell Washington is in the 0.01% of NFL players. What a joy to watch.

Five things we didn’t like in Week 11

The Atlanta Falcons

My colleague Jordan Dajani did an excellent job breaking down the implications of the Falcons’ Week 11 loss plus the implications of Michael Penix Jr.’s potentially season-ending knee injury and Drake London’s knee injury on top of it.

Remember, the Falcons do not own their 2026 first-round pick. That belongs to the Rams; Atlanta sent it to Los Angeles to draft James Pearce Jr. 26th overall. That pick the Rams received — after the Falcons’ fifth straight loss — is now projected to be No. 8 overall.

Yes, you read that right. The Falcons traded what’s now almost certainly a top-10 pick, and maybe even better –it’s not like things will get better with Kirk Cousins — for a borderline first-round pass rusher.

This isn’t bad management. It’s malpractice. The Falcons couldn’t have known they’d be this bad, but they should have known they weren’t a rookie pass rusher away from contending. Penix was (and basically still is) a rookie, and not one who inspired particular confidence late last year. The defense wasn’t close to being one of the league’s best. This was an all-in move for a team not close to contending, a complete lack of self awareness.

But maybe more, it was also an all-in move from desperate decision makers. General manager Terry Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris were under pressure to win this year. Desperation breeds bad, short-sighted decisions. At least for Fontenot and Morris, the lack of a first-round pick won’t be their problem to deal with; they’ll almost assuredly be somewhere else, and Atlanta will still be far from contending.

Justin Herbert has no chance

The Chargers pulled Justin Herbert early in their 35-6 loss to the Jaguars, and that might have been the only good thing they did all day. Sunday’s game was an absolutely brutal watch, with Herbert getting crunched over and over and over again.

Since Week 8, Herbert has been pressured on 46% of his dropbacks, the highest rate in the league. That pressure is coming in an average of 2.42 seconds, the sixth-fastest rate in the NFL. Several of the quarterbacks ahead of him — Geno Smith, Davis Mills, Tua Tagovailoa, Tyler Shough — play for the offensive dregs of the league.

Sunday, Jacksonville registered a 40% pressure rate when not blitzing and played zone on 95% of those non-blitz snaps. In essence, they sat back and let their pass rush dominate while not allowing quick throws. Herbert had no chance.

There have been 75 tackles who have played at least 200 snaps this season. The Chargers’ current group — a mix of Bobby Hart, Trey Pipkins and Austin Deculus — are ranked 67th, 69th and 75th (dead last) respectively by Pro Football Focus. Herbert can play Superman with the best of them, but even he can’t overcome these issues.

The Bills‘ run defense is not conducive to a title team

The Bills beat the Buccaneers 44-32, with Josh Allen accounting for six touchdowns. It’s an important win for the Bills, who badly needed to bounce back from a stinker against the Dolphins.

But this run defense is awful. The Buccaneers rolled up 202 yards on the ground on 5.1 yards per carry. They are allowing the seventh-most yards per rush before contact and the most yards per rush after contact. The left side of the defensive line got completely erased on both of Sean Tucker’s touchdowns.

Overall, only the Giants are allowing more yards per carry this year, and the Bills have allowed over 180 rushing yards five times this season already. They may be 7-3, but the Bills have a major issue, one that could loom large down the stretch and into the postseason.

Buccaneers go conservative

Remember how I said the Buccaneers ran the ball with ease? Well, maybe they should have tried that — or really any offensive play — down 37-32 halfway through the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay had a fourth-and-2 at its own 39. It had allowed touchdown on two straight drives. But Todd Bowles opted to put the game in his defense’s hands again, facing Josh Allen at his finest. You can guess what happened next: an eight-play, 85-yard drive for yet another touchdown. Tampa Bay never got closer

Bowles is a defensive-minded head coach, and he’s been a pretty conservative one when it comes to going for it. But he and other coaches need to realize that punts are not good outcomes, especially so in games like this, where the opponent’s offense is going up and down the field. If the defense isn’t getting stops anyway, why limit your offensive chances in a shootout?

It’s way too easy for the Steelers

Listen, we all know the Bengals defense is not good. But for it to be this bad is almost impressive. Sunday, Aaron Rodgers departed at halftime. Backup Mason Rudolph came in. This should have been helpful for Cincinnati, right?

Wrong. Rudolph went 12 for 16 for 127 yards and a touchdown. He did not have a turnover or take a sack. He had five completions of 10+ yards and two of 20+ yards. That’s really bad. But here’s what’s worse: He averaged 3.2 yards downfield per throw. Almost all of those yards came on dump offs, the sort of basic offense befitting a backup. Yet it looks like one of the NFL’s best passing attacks thanks to a completely M.I.A. Bengals defense. I’ll describe three plays to you that should be fireable offenses for anyone involved with the Bengals defense:

• Third-and-17: Rudolph throws a checkdown 3 yards downfield. Darnell Washington runs 14 yards after the catch for a first down.
• Third-and-11: Rudolph throws a swing pass 7 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Kenneth Gainwell runs 27 yards after the catch for a first down.
• First-and-23: Rudolph throws a screen 8 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Gainwell runs 36 yards after the catch for a first down.

All three of these plays were basically give-up plays. The Steelers aren’t really even trying to gain first downs. And yet they’re essentially the most explosive attack in football. It’s even uglier on film.

Just awful.