Key events
TOUCHDOWN! Bills 14-17 Buccaneers 5:37, 2nd quarter
And Sean Tucker rips off every single one of them on the very next play. The running back finds the edge and takes off down the right sideline for the 43-yard touchdown. What a game we have here!
Bills 14-10 Buccaneers 5:58, 2nd quarter
The Bucs are back at midfield after some punishing runs by Rachaad White. He even stiff armed his own teammate Egbuka there on his way for a 1st down.
On the next set the wheels come off a touch as Egbuka drops an easy ball then a short pass is blown up behind the line. On 3rd and 12 Mayfield hits a wide open Stirling Shepherd to move the sticks. 45 yards to go.
Giants 7-6 Packers 12:44, 2nd quarter
More unfortunate news for the Packers. Star running back Josh Jacobs has exited the field with an injury joining QB Jordan Love.
TOUCHDOWN! Bills 14-10 Buccaneers 8:52, 2nd quarter
What a throw from the reining MVP. On 3rd down at midfield Allen starts dancing around the pocket to buy time and he just keeps shuffling hither and thither until he sees Tyrell Shavers open deep in the left corner of the end zone. The receiver falls away to his left and just hangs on for the 43-yard score.
TOUCHDOWN! Falcons 14-7 Panthers 7:51, 2nd quarter
Bijan Robinson bangs in his second touchdown of the day on the goal line. No one better in that position. Fantasy owners rejoice!
TOUCHDOWN! Giants 7-6 Packers 13:54, 2nd quarter
Big news in the Big Apple. Jordan Love is out for the Packers but never fear Malik Willis is here. The backup tosses a one-yard strike to Christian Watson to level it. Extra point sails wide right
TOUCHDOWN! Bills 7-10 Buccaneers 12:00, 2nd quarter
The Bucs get cute in the redzone on 1st down and lose four yards on a jet sweep. Baker then recovers the lost yards with a scramble. On 3rd down Rachaad White takes a short pass and fights tooth and nail and comes up just short. Inches to go on 4th down. Baker keeps it … TOUCHDOWN. He leaps up and over the defender and flies in for the score. Swashbuckler.
Vikings 3-0 Bears 1:08, 1st quarter
Bears struggling on offense. They fumble it backwards for a 15-yard loss and almost end up in their own end zone. Fortunately Caleb Williams finds Rome Odunze for 24 yards on a deep ball the very next play. 3rd and one incoming.
TOUCHDOWN! Jaguars 7-3 Chargers 0:48, 1st quarter
Bhayshul Tuten bangs in a four-yard run to give the Jags the lead as they try to bounce back from last week’s shocker to the Texans.
Bills 7-3 Buccaneers 0:45, 1st quarter
Baker Mayfield is fired up. He sprints upfield on the keeper and bangs into the defender with what I believe was a large flex after popping up from the 13-yard run. The Bucs have 25 yards to go.
It’s GOOD! Vikings 3-0 Bears 2:10, 1st quarter
So unlucky! McCarthy just overthrows Jefferson on 3rd down and his man still bobbles it once … twice but just can’t quite hold on. Will Reichard makes the 31-yard kick.
Vikings 0-0 Bears 4:11, 1st quarter
Minnesota are driving again and find themselves in enemy territory. Some nice running from Aaron Jones sets up the pass who slings it 18 yards to Justin Jefferson. They are in the red zone.
TOUCHDOWN! Bills 7-3 Buccaneers 4:09, 1st quarter
Buffalo snatch the lead back. Davis is back in the mix on the goal line but drops this time in a very similar quick pass in traffic. Allen says never mind, tucks it and bursts over to get the home fans buzzing.
TOUCHDOWN! Falcons 7-7 Panthers 3:33, 1st quarter
Bijan Robinson hits back quickly for Atlanta to level it for the Falcons with a four-yard dash.
Bills 0-3 Buccaneers 7:13, 1st quarter
Buffalo go for it on 4th down and get it after Allen almost turns it over again. Excellent catch in traffic by the lesser-spotted Gabe Davis to move the chains.
TOUCHDOWN! Steelers 7-6 Bengals 5:19, 1st quarter
Joe Flacco hits his favourite receiver Tee Higgins with a deep strike for the 28-yard touchdown. Another shootout brewing? Cinci took the one earlier in the season 33-31 in Flacco’s debut as a Bengal.
Vikings 0-0 Bears 8:00, 1st quarter
Another deep passing play goes awry for the Vikings as Jordan Addison drops a perfect pass for what would have been a walk-in touchdown. Punt.
TOUCHDOWN! Falcons 0-7 Panthers 5:25, 1st quarter
Tetairoa McMillan reels in a seven-yard grab from Bryce Young to put the Panthers up on the road against their rivals.
It’s GOOD! Bills 0-3 Buccaneers 9:45, 1st quarter
Buffalo’s defense bail Allen out with some excellent coverage to keep Emeka Egbuka from making a touchdown grab on 3rd down. Chase McLaughlin kicks the 23-yard chip shot to give the Bucs the lead.
PICK! Bills 0-0 Buccaneers 9:51, 1st quarter
Huge early moment in Buffalo as Josh Allen throws up a chest pass out of his own end zone and it is PICKED off. What a play by the pass rush to pressure Allen into the mistake and then Jacob Parrish to haul it in. The Bucs are 1st and Goal!!!
TOUCHDOWN! Giants 7-0 Packers 10:35, 1st quarter
Devin Singletary gives the Giants the lead with a five-yard touchdown run. Nice.
TOUCHDOWN! Steelers 7-0 Bengals 10:12, 1st quarter
In the AFC North slugfest Aaron Rodgers dumps it off to Kenneth Gainwell for an 11-yard touchdown.
Vikings 0-0 Bears 10:26, 1st quarter
McCarthy is even more off target on 3rd and 3 as he wildly misses Justin Jefferson. The receiver again was open. Some early nerves on show for the QB on his fifth start. Punt.
Vikings 0-0 Bears 11:08, 1st quarter
“You wanna get the juices flowing,” says Tom Brady on JJ McCarthy easing into Minnesota’s opening drive on offense as the QB completes a short pass. They hit some play action but McCarthy is off target as he throws deep to an open Jordan Addison.
Bills 0-0 Buccaneers 12:13, 1st quarter
We are underway in Buffalo! Tampa run it on first and third down and move those chains then again on the next play as Rachaad White breaks off a 12-yard dash. You would think there will be a lot more of that after Miami racked up 197 yards on the ground against the Bills last week.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to week 11 football fans! The best day of the week is back only this time … it’s personal. Yes, they know what they did and the bill has come due, so get ready for an ultimate marathon of score settling. We have eight matchups across the slate (four in this window) between divisional rivals* that begin at 12pm CST/1pm EST/6pm GMT (home teams listed first) with:
-
(3-6) Atlanta Falcons v Carolina Panthers (5-5)*
-
(6-3) Buffalo Bills v Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
-
(5-4) Jacksonville Jaguars v Los Angeles Chargers (7-3)
-
(4-5) Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (6-3)*
-
(2-8) New York Giants v Green Bay Packers (5-3-1)
-
(5-4) Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals (3-6)*
-
(1-8) Tennessee Titans v Houston Texans (4-5)*
The highlight comes in the NFC North crunch encounter between Minnesota and Chicago. The Bears roll into town joint-top with an eye on a first playoff appearance since the 2020 season while the Vikings need a win to avoid slipping away from contention.
Earlier in the season these two wrapped week one on Monday Night Football as JJ McCarthy did very little on his first NFL start until he did a whole lot in the final quarter leading an epic Minnesota comeback from 17-6 down to win 27-24. If the second-year quarterback can find his groove a little earlier in the contest at home then Minnesota’s tough defense will be hopeful they can finish the job with a vital victory for their own playoff hopes.
Elsewhere, the SQC (Swashbuckling Quarterback Club) is having its AGM in Orchard Park this weekend so naturally the Bills and Bucs are going at it in western New York. The QBs in question Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield lead teams aiming for deep runs in January though both will be eager to rebound from painful defeats last week. Expect Tampa to test Buffalo’s sub-par run defense early.
Let’s go!