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Five things we learned from Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season

Five things we learned from Week 11 of the 2024 NFL seasongetty

There are finally no more undefeated teams in the NFL, and another game is decided on a blocked field goal attempt.

With the second half of the season in swing, let's take a quick look back at the weekend that was in the NFL.

Here are a few of the things from the weekend's games that may (or may not) have slid under the radar.

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The Chiefs are human, after all

cook-20241117-getty-ftr(Getty Images)

It seemed as though the Kansas City Chiefs were never going to lose after earning nine straight wins to start the season, but their dream start finally came to an end in Western New York as the Buffalo Bills handed KC their first loss of the 2024 campaign.

Heading into Week 11, the Chiefs hadn't always looked as dominant as a 9-0 team should look. They always found ways to win though, even with star quarterback Patrick Mahomes having a "down" year by his lofty standards and the team going through an injury crisis.

However, their luck ran out as a fourth-quarter comeback fell short against a Bills team now just a half-game back for the conference lead.

The Bills will take this win to heart, but until they can hand an "L" to the Chiefs in the postseason this will continue to be a very one-sided rivalry.

Kickers are very important

Justin Tucker Baltimore Ravens NFL

Kickers are routinely the highest scorers on their teams, but they largely go unheralded and are often only noticed when they miss.

Such is the case for Justin Tucker, the NFL's all-time leader in accuracy among kickers, whose two misses were the difference as his Baltimore Ravens fell 18-16 at Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Steelers kicker Chris Boswell was a perfect 6-for-6 on his field goal attempts in the same game. For those of you who aren't good at mathematics, Boswell's six successful field goals made up all 18 points for the Steelers in their victory.

As we said, kickers are very important.

Blockers are very important

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For the second straight week, an NFL game has been decided by a blocked field goal as time ran out on the clock.

In Week 11 it was the Green Bay Packers who were the beneficiaries of a walk-off block. The Packers completed the late comeback victory over the Chicago Bears with one of the toughest defensive plays to pull off, adding another chapter to one of the fiercest rivalries in the league.

The NFC West is extremely tight

NFC West screenshot

Does anyone in the NFC West want to actually win the division?

The Arizona Cardinals were idle in Week 11, but they watched as both the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks grabbed victories over the weekend to climb to within touching distance of their perch atop the tightest division in the NFL. 

The only reason the San Francisco 49ers are in fourth place in the division right now is because they were the ones who lost to the Seahawks on Sunday, further adding to the logjam in what has proven to be a wild NFC West title race.

The Lions may be the Super Bowl favourites now

williams-20241117-getty-ftr(Getty Images)

It was virtually impossible to take the title of Super Bowl favourites away from the two-time defending champions as long as they remained undefeated, but the Chiefs' loss over the weekend removes that burden.

Now, the role of "team to beat" might just belong to the Detroit Lions, who absolutely dismantled the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, and now they share the best record in the league with the aforementioned Chiefs.

Jared Goff and Co. are firing on all cylinders and should remain red hot with their next two games coming against sub-.500 teams.

 

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