NFL Week 11 overreactions and reality checks: Are Browns a playoff team? Brock Purdy MVP? Daron Bland DPOY?

Week 11 of the NFL season certain had its surprises. The Detroit Lions had been the 1st staff to win a recreation down 10-plus issues within the ultimate 5 mins of legislation this season (groups had been in the past 0-84) and the Cleveland Browns had a exciting victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a vintage AFC North defensive slugfest. 

For the 1st time since 1969, each the Browns and Lions received a minimum of seven in their first 10 video games to begin the season. If you throw within the 7-3 Jacksonville Jaguars, it is the first time ever that each one 3 of the Browns, Lions and Jaguars every received seven in their first 10 video games. Of the 4 groups to by no means succeed in the Super Bowl (Lions, Browns, Jaguars, and Houston Texans), they’re a mixed 28-12. 

This has been a wild season, which makes deciding what is actual and what is now not much more daunting. So, which of Sunday’s takeaways are overreactions and which might be reality? Let’s take a glance.

Browns will make the playoffs

Overreaction or reality: Reality

There won’t had been a staff within the NFL that wanted a win extra on Sunday than the Cleveland Browns. As if enjoying the Pittsburgh Steelers wasn’t tricky sufficient with out their beginning quarterback — after Deshaun Watson used to be misplaced for the season this week because of damage — Dorian Thompson-Robinson used to be having a look to avenge a crisis of a first get started (he discovered he used to be beginning in opposition to the Ravens an hour earlier than recreation time and threw 3 interceptions). 

Thompson-Robinson used to be some distance from very best (24 of 43, 165 yards, no touchdowns, interception), however he led the Browns on a game-winning force within the ultimate 1:18, putting in the game-winning box function. Not together with spikes, Thompson-Robinson used to be 4 of four for 39 yards at the ultimate force — backing up a top-two protection this is greater than just right sufficient to get Cleveland to the postseason. 

Thanks to the win, Cleveland is 2 video games up on Indianapolis and Cincinnati for the general AFC playoff spot, and 1.5 video games over Buffalo. The Browns are recently the No. 5 seed within the AFC, a part recreation at the back of the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead. 

Playing simplest two groups recently over .500 the remainder of the way in which, the Browns will have to be a playoff staff — even with Thompson-Robinson at quarterback.

Daron Bland is the defensive participant of the 12 months 

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Bland persisted his dominant season within the secondary together with his fourth interception go back for a landing at the season, tying Eric Allen (1993), Jim Kearney (1972), and Ken Houston (1971) for essentially the most in a unmarried season in NFL historical past. His landing used to be a part of a dominant defensive effort for the Dallas Cowboys in Sunday’s blowout victory over the Carolina Panthers, because the unit allowed simply 187 yards and 10 issues. 

Bland is having one of the vital easiest protection seasons in fresh reminiscence, as opposing quarterbacks concentrated on him are finishing simply 43.1% in their passes for 231 yards with one landing to 6 interceptions for a 17.5 passer score. 

While it is very tricky for defensive backs to win defensive layer of the 12 months, Bland’s protection stats display he is worthy of the consideration. Bland has scored as many touchdowns as Travis Kelce! Myles Garrett and teammate Micah Parsons have their instances, however Bland merits some attention for the award. 

Bland’s simplest cross landing allowed used to be in opposition to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9, his worst recreation of the 12 months. He’s been dominant in opposition to everybody else. 

Brandon Staley will have to be fired this week 

Overreaction or reality: Reality

How many of those unhealthy losses are the Chargers going to bear? Los Angeles has misplaced two consecutive video games to NFC North warring parties, every via one ranking. The Chargers fell to a packers staff on Sunday that had misplaced 5 of six heading into the sport — and the only win used to be in opposition to a quarterback who recently is not at the staff they beat (Brett Rypien, Los Angeles Rams). 

The Chargers have 5 losses via 3 or fewer issues this season — no person else in NFL has greater than two. They are the 1st staff to lose 5 in their first 10 video games via permitting a game-winning ranking within the ultimate 3 mins of legislation or in additional time for the reason that 2000 San Diego Chargers. They have 14 losses via 3 or fewer issues since 2020 — essentially the most within the NFL.

The late-game scenarios might be blamed on Justin Herbert (29-30 as a starter), however the issues are manner above him. This is Staley’s 3rd season as the pinnacle trainer and the similar issues persist, because the Chargers fall additional out of the AFC playoff race. 

It’s time to transport on from Staley. Perhaps the Chargers may have a late-season spark with some other trainer. Ask the Las Vegas Raiders how that is understanding. 

Ron Rivera will have to be fired this week 

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Losing to the New York Giants two times will have to be a fireable offense, particularly for a staff that is set to start out a rebuild with a new head trainer and entrance place of business (due to new possession). The Commanders are 4-6 and simply are not a playoff staff, showed via the 2 deficient losses to a Giants staff that may’t get out of their very own manner (the Giants scored 20-plus issues for the 1st time since Week 2). 

Why would possibly not Rivera get fired this week? The Commanders play the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving, a brief week without a alternative for an assistant trainer to plan a recreation plan or position his footprint at the roster. It’s simply irrational to make a drastic trade on a brief week. 

Perhaps after the Thanksgiving recreation there will probably be a trade, however now not this week. 

Bills will make the playoffs 

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Sunday’s win over the New York Jets used to be spectacular, but the Bills must do greater than overwhelm a staff that has nearly no offense and benched its quarterback for deficient efficiency. Buffalo has a very tricky agenda forward, touring to Philadelphia, webhosting Kansas City following the bye and webhosting Dallas over the following 3 video games. All 3 are Super Bowl contenders and the hardest stretch for any staff within the NFL (Eagles, Chiefs, and Cowboys have a mixed 22-6 report). 

The offense used to be very promising in Joe Brady’s debut, as Josh Allen threw for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns (the Bills had 393 overall yards). There are quite a lot of positives to take from this recreation, however the Bills are nonetheless a part recreation at the back of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans for the general playoff spot. 

Bottom line: Buffalo has to head 2-1 in its subsequent 3 video games to have a just right shot on the postseason. 

Jets mustn’t return to Zach Wilson

Overreaction or reality: Reality

Benching Wilson within the 3rd quarter used to be a very long time coming, particularly since Aaron Rodgers’ backup has been dreadful all the way through the 12 months. After going 7 of 15 for 81 yards with a landing and an interception (57.9 score), the Jets had sufficient as they made up our minds to present Tim Boyle a shot.

Boyle wasn’t just right both, finishing 7 of 14 passes for 33 yards and an interception (26.5 score). But he used to be going into the sport for mop-up responsibility in a blowout. Perhaps a complete week with the first-team offense will assist any individual looking forward to the Jets to after all finish the Wilson experiment.

Garrett Wilson had two catches for 9 yards. The Jets did not convert a unmarried 3rd down and had 155 yards of offense. Zach Wilson has finished 59.2% of his passes with 6 touchdowns and 7 interceptions with a 73.8 score this 12 months … this, after two years of terrible soccer.

The Jets cannot return to him, regardless of how deficient the opposite may well be. Time to transport on.  

Overreaction or reality: Overreaction

Hard to argue in opposition to Purdy’s case for league MVP after Sunday’s efficiency, one during which we went 21 of 25 for 333 yards and 3 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a very best 158.3 passer score. That’s simply some other robust efficiency for Purdy, who vaulted his long ago into the MVP dialog. 

Purdy leads the NFL in passer score (115.1) and yards in keeping with strive (9.7) via a huge margin. He has the second-highest yards in keeping with strive via any quarterback thru 10 staff video games since 1950 and the best possible passer score in a two-game span (157.3) via any quarterback in league historical past. 

It’s honest to place Purdy within the dialog for MVP, however there are many applicants for the consideration. Purdy is not the MVP thru 11 weeks, however he unquestionably belongs within the dialog. Leading the 49ers to a comeback victory down eight-or-more issues within the fourth quarter will lift his inventory — it is one thing he nor his head trainer have performed but.