Welcome back to the Weekly Roundup. As always, we will be highlighting this past week’s injury report, top performers, underperformers, and surprise producers. There was no shortage of stunning storylines during Week 11 of the 2023 NFL Season, so let’s recap the action.
INJURY ROUNDUP
Joe Burrow (CIN) - Wrist
Joe Burrow will spend the remainder of the 2023 season on the sidelines. The Bengals star quarterback suffered a torn ligament in his right wrist (throwing hand) against the Ravens, leading to season-ending surgery. Jake Browning will serve as the team’s backup quarterback.
Tee Higgins (CIN) - Hamstring
Tee Higgins was unable to shed his injury designation leading up to the Bengals divisional contest against the Ravens in Week 11. The fourth-year wideout has now missed two consecutive contests; three this season.
Mark Andrews (BAL) - Ankle
Mark Andrews will need reconstructive surgery to repair a gruesome ankle injury suffered in Week 11 against the Bengals. The Ravens star tight end will miss the remainder of the 2023 season with the added potential of his recovery timeline bleeding into the 2024 campaign.
Derek Carr (NO) - Concussion/Shoulder
Derek Carr remains in concussion protocol while also dealing with an AC joint injury. Carr’s current injury status is likely a precautionary measure as the team is currently enjoying a mandated bye week. Jameis Winston would be the expected starter should Carr miss any time.
Aaron Jones (GB) - Knee
Aaron Jones was helped off the field after suffering a knee injury in the Packers' win over the Chargers. A.J. Dillon is the unquestioned benefactor of increased touches in Jones’ stead. The veteran running back is expected to miss several weeks in recovery and should be monitored as a potential season-ending injured reserve candidate.
De’Von Achane (MIA) - Knee
Rookie sensation De’Von Achane made his return to action after a stint on injured reserve. Achane saw just a few snaps before reaggravating the same knee injury that had kept him sidelined during the last four games.
D’Onta Foreman (CHI) - Ankle
D’Onta Foreman was in and out of the Bears game on multiple occasions while battling through an ankle injury. The veteran running back made his final appearance of the game in the third quarter before being sidelined.
Sam Howell (WAS) - Head/Concussion
Sam Howell was evaluated for a concussion in the Commanders' Week 11 loss to the Giants. Howell made his return to action after clearing protocol but showed some lingering effects of the impact.
Geno Smith (SEA) - Arm
Geno Smith suffered what is being called a “bone bruise” to his throwing arm in the Seahawks Week 11 loss to the Rams. Smith would quickly return to action but appeared to be laboring through pain.
Kenneth Walker (SEA) - Oblique
Kenneth Walker has been battling through minor injuries for much of the 2023 campaign. The Seahawks' star running back suffered an oblique injury that would knock him out of the contest entirely. Zach Charbonnet could be a league-winning benefactor if Walker is forced to miss extended time.
Cooper Kupp (LAR) - Ankle
Cooper Kupp exited the contest early with an ankle injury and was unable to return despite his protests to the coaching staff. Kupp will undoubtedly carry a questionable tag entering Week 12.
WEEKLY WEIGH-IN
Cincinnati Bengals (5-5) @ Baltimore Ravens (8-3)
Final Score: Ravens 34 - Bengals 20
The Ravens cruised to a victory over the Bengals in Week 11 with Lamar Jackson for 264 yards and two touchdowns despite losing his top weapon to a season-ending ankle injury.
Mark Andrews (ankle) somehow walked off the field under his own volition after a brutal hip-drop tackle from linebacker Logan Wilson. Andrews had two receptions on two targets for 23 yards before exiting.
Jackson had 163 of his 264 passing yards come after the catch (61.7%) on Thursday, the third-highest YAC percentage in a game in his career.
Odell Beckham Jr. led the Ravens with four receptions, seven targets, and 116 receiving yards as the team’s top pass-catcher sans Mark Andrews.
Gus Edwards extended his touchdown streak to five games and has now scored ten times in his last five contests, including three multi-touchdown performances.
Joe Burrow (wrist) completed 11/17 pass attempts for 101 yards and one touchdown before leaving the game with an apparent injury to his throwing hand. The coaching staff was quick to rule the quarterback out of the contest with the unfortunate news breaking that their star signal-caller would miss the remainder of the 2023 season.
Ja’Marr Chase had only two receptions, tying his second-fewest in a game for his career.
Chase did, however, score his 28th career receiving touchdown in Week 11 – the sixth-most by a player in their first 40 career games.
The only players with more in their first 40 games are Randy Moss (36), John Jefferson (34), Rob Gronkowski (34), Odell Beckham (34) and Jerry Rice (32).
The Ravens win drops the Bengals to .500 in what is now a lost season without Burrow under center. The Ravens have sole claim of the top spot in the AFC North and appear destined to maintain their crown this season.
Tennessee Titans (3-7) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3)
Final Score: Jaguars 34 - Titans - 14
The Jaguars bounced back after a brutal cross-conference loss to the 49ers in Week 10 with a beatdown of their division rivals in Week 11.
Trevor Lawrence accounted for all four of the Jaguars offensive touchdowns, throwing for 262 yards on 24/32 pass attempts with two touchdowns while adding 17 yards and two scores on the ground.
Lawrence completed 6-of-8 passes of 15-plus air yards for 132 yards and a touchdown on Sunday as part of a performance in which the franchise quarterback finished with a career-high +17.8 expected points added. A showing that came one week after he generated a career-low -25.7 EPA against the 49ers.
Week 11 marked Lawrence's third career game with four total touchdowns. Two of his three such performances have come against the division rival Titans.
Calvin Ridley was the recipient of both Lawrence’s touchdowns, collecting seven of his nine targets for 103 yards and two scores in a massive get-right game for the star receiver.
Zay Jones may very well be Ridley’s good luck charm. In three games with Jones on the field this season Ridley has averaged 7.3 receptions, 108.3 yards, 1.0 touchdowns, and 25.2 fantasy points per game.
In seven games without Jones, Ridley is averaging under 15.0 fantasy points with just one touchdown.
Will Levis has fallen back to earth after a record-breaking rookie debut in Week 8. His last three outings have been less than inspiring as the rookie signal-caller has thrown just two touchdowns with two interceptions while surpassing 200 passing yards just once.
Fortunately, those two touchdowns in question came in Week 11, suggesting a potential increase in efficiency from the young quarterback.
Los Angeles Chargers (4-6) @ Green Bay Packers (4-6)
Final Score: Packers 23 - Chargers 20
Jordan Love tossed a late touchdown pass to second-year wideout Romeo Doubs to propel the Packers past the Chargers in Week 11.
The Packers owned the second-longest active streak (27 games) of games without 300 yards passing in the NFL before Sunday. Love finished with 322 passing yards to break that streak, also recording the first game with 300-plus yards of his career.
Aaron Jones was forced to exit the game with a knee injury, leaving A.J. Dillon to handle 14 of the team’s 27 rushing attempts. Dillon manages just 29 yards (2.1 YPC).
Rookie wide receiver Jayden Reed led the team in rushing, needing just three attempts to garner 46 yards and one touchdown.
Fellow rookie late-round receiver Dontayvion Wicks topped the offensive unit with 91 receiving yards, catching three of his five targets.
Christian Watson saw just four targets, turning his opportunities into two receptions for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Keenan Allen is an ageless wonder of endless PPR production that continues to dominate defenders on a weekly basis. Allen earned a team-high 16 targets, catching 10 for 116 yards and one touchdown.
Quentin Johnston is an embarrassment to the game of football. The Chargers first-round rookie bust has continued to disappoint at every turn during his year one campaign. This time, failing to haul in a wide-open pass that would have helped seal a win for the Chargers with one of the most egregious drops in recent memory.
Justin completed 5-of-7 passes when targeting vertical routes, recording 119 yards and two touchdowns on such plays, per NextGen Statistics. He averaged 17.0 yards per attempt when targeting such routes and 5.4 yards when targeting all other routes.
New York Giants (3-8) @ Washington Commanders (4-7)
Final Score: Giants 31 - Commanders 19
Sam Howell tossed three interceptions to go alongside six total Commanders’ turnovers in a brutal loss to the underdog Giants.
All three of Sam Howell’s interceptions came when he was under pressure. He was 2 of 8 for 26 yards and three INTs (-23.6% CPOE) on such throws.
Chris Rodriguez, Logan Thomas, and Byron Pringle were the sources of three lost fumbles.
Brian Robinson is propelling himself into a league-winning asset with incredible pass-catching upside. Robinson saw a team-high nine targets, catching seven passes for 58 yards after leading the team in all receiving categories the week prior.
Robinson also led the team with 17 rush attempts, gaining 73 yards on his carries (4.3 YPC).
Tommy DeVito was able to lift the Giants to victory with an unsuspecting three-touchdown performance that saw the rookie quarterback complete 18/26 attempts for 246 yards.
DeVito had yet to throw for more than 200 yards in any contest, turning the ball over at least once in every start this season.
Saquon Barkley found the back of the endzone on two receptions, catching four of his five targets for 57 yards while adding 83 rushing yards on 14 carries (5.9 YPC).
Las Vegas Raiders (5-6) @ Miami Dolphins (7-3)
Final Score: Dolphins 20 - Raiders 17
The Dolphins needed a game-sealing Jalen Ramsey interception to walk away with the victory in Week 11 as the offense struggled to overcome a Raiders defense that forced three turnovers.
Ramsey collected two interceptions – his third of the season despite missing seven weeks.
Tua Tagovailoa completed 28/39 attempts for 325 yards with two touchdowns, one interception, and one lost fumble.
Per Next Gen Statistics: “Tagovailoa was 22 of 26 for 219 yards and two TDs (+5.3% CPOE) on quick passes (less than 2.5 seconds) on Sunday. He was 6 of 13 for 105 yards and an INT (-3.2% CPOE) on passes over 2.5 seconds.”
The Dolphins finished with 422 yards of total offense despite scoring their fewest amount of points in any home game this season.
Tyreek Hill ran rampant against the Raiders' defense with ten receptions on 11 targets for 146 yards and one touchdown. Week 11 marked Hill’s 10th career game with at least 10 receptions, 140 yards, and one touchdown.
Week 11 was the first time in 2023 that the Dolphins have won despite scoring 20 or fewer points.
The Dolphins are 2-0 this season when committing 3-plus turnovers in a game.
The Raiders had a short two-game winning streak snapped but have shown incredible resiliency and a shift in team culture following the firing of former head coach Josh McDaniels.
Aiden O’Connell coughed up three interceptions but was still able to uphold a fantasy-friendly finish from Davante Adams.
Adams was targeted a team-high 13 times, hauling in seven passes for 82 yards and the team’s only offensive touchdown of the day.
Arizona Cardinals (2-9) @ Houston Texans (6-4)
Final Score: Texans 21 - Cardinals 16
The Cardinals remain competitive in nearly every contest despite sporting a 2-9 record this season.
The return of Kyler Murray has been nothing short of electric as the star quarterback has thrown for and rushed for a touchdown in each of his last two starts.
Rondale Moore scored on the first possession of the game, hauling in a 48-yard strike from Murray but received zero targets thereafter.
Greg Dortch unsuspectingly led the Cardinals in targets (8), receptions (6), and receiving yards (76).
C.J. Stroud was able to orchestrate a narrow victory over his opponents despite throwing a career-high three interceptions in the contest. Stroud completed 27/37 attempts for 336 yards with two touchdowns.
There have been 11 different games in 2023 wherein a quarterback has thrown for 250-plus yards in the first two quarters. Stroud has three such games, while eight different quarterbacks account for one apiece.
Tank Dell and Stroud have built an undeniable and unstoppable rapport as the rookie duo continues to slice up NFL defenses. Dell caught eight of his 10 targets for 149 yards and one touchdown.
Stroud's 40-yard touchdown strike to Dell had an air distance of 52.5 yards per NextGen Statistics, marking the longest air-yard completion of Stroud's career.
Devin Singletary is enjoying a mid-season breakout as the Texans top running back in place of the injured Dameon Pierce.
Singletary has surpassed 100 rushing yards in two consecutive contests, finding the endzone in both as well.
In Week 11 the veteran running back posted 112 rushing yards on 22 attempts (5.1 YPC) with one touchdown.
Chicago Bears (3-8) @ Detroit Lions (8-2)
Final Score: Lions 31 - Bears 26
The Lions remained resilient in the face of turmoil, as the offense mounted an improbable comeback despite Jared Goff throwing three interceptions.
David Montgomery scored the go-ahead touchdown with just 22 seconds left on the clock, helping lift his current team over his former team.
Jahmyr Gibbs tallied his fifth touchdown of the season on the ground, managing 36 yards on eight carries with one score. Gibbs has still yet to find the endzone as a receiver but continues to show his immense upside in that area, catching six of six targets for 59 yards.
Amon-Ra St. Brown saw a team-high 11 targets, catching eight for 77 yards and one touchdown as the star receiver continues to establish himself as one of the NFL’s very best receivers.
Justin Fields made his long-awaited return to action in Week 11. Fields completed 16/23 attempts for 169 yards and one touchdown while leading the team with 18 rush attempts for 104 yards.
Khalil Herbert also saw his return to the field, carrying the ball 16 times for 35 yards while D’Onta Foreman was in and out of the contest with an injury.
D.J. Moore caught seven of his nine targets for 96 yards with one touchdown while no other member of the Bears offense had more than 25 receiving yards, three receptions, or four targets.
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5) @ Cleveland Browns (7-3)
Final Score: Browns 13 - Steelers 10
Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson was able to stave off a tough Steelers defense with a play-it-safe gameplan that saw the first-year signal-caller complete 24/43 attempts for 165 yards and no touchdown. He did cough up one interception, but managed to march the team down the field for a scoring drive on the next possession.
David Njoku saw a career-high 15 targets, collecting seven passes for 56 yards.
Elijah Moore led the team with 60 receiving yards, catching six of his seven targets.
Jerome Ford found the endzone for the Browns' lone offensive touchdown. Ford finished with 12 carries for a menial 31 yards (2.6 YPC) in the face of a stout Steelers defensive front.
Week 11 marked the Browns' third game this season in which they recorded a win without their starting quarterback recording a touchdown.
The Steelers mini two-game win streak was snapped after the team failed to capitalize on several high-value possessions.
Jaylen Warren is by far the team’s best offensive weapon as he accounted for 145 of the Steelers' 249 total yards in Week 11.
Warren took a 74-yard scamper to the house for six points, adding another 55-yard run later in the game. The second-year back finished with 145 scrimmage yards on 12 touches.
Dallas Cowboys (7-3) @ Carolina Panthers (1-9)
Final Score: Cowboys 33 - Panthers 10
The Cowboys made easy work of the Panthers in Week 11, scoring nine points off turnovers in a resounding 33-10 victory.
The Panthers did a good job at containing the Cowboys' top weapons yardage totals but allowed touchdowns to both CeeDee Lamb and Tony Pollard late in the game.
DeRon Bland tied the NFL single-season record with his fourth pick-six of the 2023 campaign. Bland is just one pick-six away from being the sole holder of the NFL record.
Bryce Young was relentlessly pressured by Micah Parsons and company, absorbing seven sacks while completing 16/29 pass attempts for 123 yards with one touchdown, one interception, and one lost fumble.
Adam Thielen returned to his PPR-winning ways, collecting eight of his team-high 11 targets for 74 yards in the loss. No other member of the offense saw more than five targets.
Seattle Seahawks (6-4) @ Los Angeles Rams (4-6)
Final Score: Rams 17 - Seahawks 16
The Rams rallied late despite losing their top offensive weapon, snapping a three-game losing streak with a comeback victory over their division rivals in Week 11.
Cooper Kupp enters Week 12 with a questionable tag but was reportedly intent on returning against the Seahawks until the coaching staff ruled him out for the remainder of the game.
Matthew Stafford led back-to-back scoring drives late in the fourth quarter that saw the veteran quarterback connect with star rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua for his third touchdown of the season.
Per NextGen Statistics, Stafford used play-action on a season-high 33.3% of dropbacks in Week 11 against the Seahawks, throwing for a season-high 142 yards on such passes.
With his 35th career fourth-quarter comeback in Week 11, Stafford broke a tie with Pro Football Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas for the sixth most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history. The five players that Stafford trails are Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Matt Ryan, and Drew Brees.
Geno Smith got off to a hot start but was ultimately cooled off with an injury to his throwing arm. Drew Lock helmed the offense for a brief period before Smith returned to action.
Smith returned with 1:31 left on the clock and no timeouts, swiftly leading the Seahawks into game-winning field goal range. Unfortunately, Jason Meyers would go on to botch the kick, leaving the Seahawks winless in Week 11.
Adding insult to injury (no pun intended), the Seahawks lost star running back Kenneth Walker, leaving his availability for Week 12 in question.
New York Jets (4-6) @ Buffalo Bills (6-5)
Final Score: Bills 32 - Jets 6
The Bills offense looked wholly reinvigorated despite the unceremonious firing of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in Week 10.
Despite a presumably tough matchup against a red-hot Jets secondary, Josh Allen and new offensive coordinator Joe Brady were able to cook up a gameplan that led to 393 net scrimmage yards (263 Passing/130 Rushing) and three passing touchdowns.
Khalil Shakir is blossoming into a legitimate offensive threat for the Bills, collecting three of his four targets for 115 yards, including an 81-yard touchdown strike that saw the shifty wideout split the defense down the sidelines.
The Jets broke a scoreless record of 41 consecutive offensive possessions without a touchdown in Week 11 but ultimately looked horrendous in their defeat.
Zach Wilson was finally benched mid-game for journeyman veteran Tim Boyle. Both quarterbacks struggled mightily, completing 7/15 (Wilson) and 7/14 (Boyle) with one interception apiece.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6) @ San Francisco 49ers (7-3)
Final Score: 49ers 27 - Buccaneers 14
Brock Purdy exemplified perfection in the 49ers Week 11 win over the Buccaneers. The second-year signal-caller posted a perfect quarterback rating of 158.3, completing 21/25 pass attempts for 333 yards with three touchdowns and no turnovers.
Per NextGen Statistics, Purdy finished 7 of 10 for 213 yards with two touchdowns on passes of over 10 air yards, including two completions for 116 yards and a touchdown on his two attempts of over 20 air yards.
Purdy posted the first perfect passer rating for a 49ers quarterback since Joe Montana did so in 1989.
George Kittle (8 Receptions/9 Targets/89 Yards/1 Touchdown) and Brandon Aiyuk (5 Receptions/6 Targets/156 Yards/1 Touchdown) were virtually unguardable as Purdy found his top two targets at ease for monstrous outings.
Christian McCaffrey found the endzone for the 14th time this season, leading all players in touchdowns through 11 weeks.
The Buccaneers were inside of the 49ers 15-yard line on two separate occasions in the 4th quarter and failed to score on both drives.
Rachaad White remains a high-upside PPR asset with six receptions on seven targets but has severely capped the on-field run game of the Buccaneers as the dual threat is averaging just 3.3 YPC this season.
Minnesota Vikings (6-5) @ Denver Broncos (5-6)
Final Score: Broncos 21 - Vikings 20
Russell Wilson must have been pre-heating the oven for the first six weeks of the 2023 season because now he is absolutely cooking with gas.
The Broncos have won four consecutive games after starting the season with a 1-5 record.
Wilson connected with Courtland Sutton on yet another improbable touchdown strike.
Wilson snapped a five-game drought of games with fewer than 200 pass yards, which was the longest of his career. He also hasn't thrown an interception in four straight games, which is his longest streak since joining the Broncos last year.
He finished with 259 yards, and one touchdown with no turnovers while completing 27/35 attempts.
A sweeping Cinderella whirlwind of fairytale highs ended for Joshua Dobbs and the Vikings as the Broncos' ever-improving defense forced the journeyman into three fumbles (1 Lost Fumble) and one interception.
Minus his costly turnovers, Dobbs looked competent once again, completing 20/32 attempts for 221 yards with one touchdown while adding 21 rushing yards and a second score.
Much respect, thank you for reading. If you have any continued thoughts and would like to share, I am always available for an open conversation on Twitter: @PsychWardFF or Instagram: @psychwardff.
You can find my other works as the Lead Writer and DOC at Broto Fantasy Football.
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By Matt Ward
For a second straight season, I am betting against Mahomes.