NFL The Final Word: Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City Chiefs made to pay for mistakes while Tommy DeVito and Brock Purdy star | NFL News
Mahomes and his Chiefs offense endured another mistake-ridden day
It’s time to look back on another dramatic week in the NFL, and we will start with the biggest game of the week and arguably the biggest of the year as the Philadelphia Eagles went into Arrowhead to face the Kansas City Chiefs…
1) Eagles win Super Bowl rematch
This was a huge win for the Eagles because of the manner of the victory in a sloppy conditions, they fought, gutted it out, hung around. It was a game that showed they can win in multiple ways.
They didn’t have a good offensive output in the first half, they went 70 yards on one drive for a touchdown, but even on that drive they showed they can answer when needed.
They got the turnovers when needed, the big play to DeVonta Smith when needed, the tush push when needed. Everything they needed to do when their backs were against the wall, they did.
Highlights of the Philadelphia Eagles clash with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 11 of the NFL
That’s the sign of a team that can win the Super Bowl, this was a tough place to go and play against the defending champs with all the emotion of the last game hanging around. While it was far from perfect, the Eagles made all the plays when they needed to and it puts them in great shape.
2) Chiefs offense stumbles again
The Chiefs continued to be plagued by sloppiness and wide receiver issues and both reared their ugly head in this game. Patrick Mahomes had the interception in the end zone to Kevin Byard, Travis Kelce had a killer fumble in the red zone that could have put the game away had the Chiefs scored, and then Marquez Valdes-Scantling drops a pass for what would have been a 51-yard touchdown in the final two minutes.
Marquez Valdes-Scantling drops Patrick Mahomes’ would-be 51-yard touchdown pass for the Kansas City Chiefs in final minutes of the clash against the Philadelphia Eagles
They are issues that are holding this team back, and for the second week in a row they haven’t scored a point in the second half. They are averaging 5.53 points per game in the second half which is the lowest in the league. That’s incredible when you think about how good Andy Reid is.
We saw on Monday how much Mahomes has to hold the ball, waiting for separation, and we saw that in Frankfurt as well, these receivers don’t separate nearly enough. We put Week 11 into the boxes, there is a body of work now with this Chiefs offense and it’s a real concern, it could hamper their Super Bowl chances down the line.
3) A new era for the Lions
Detroit won a little bit like the Eagles. It wasn’t perfect, they had to dig deep and they defied the odds to get the win.
They dug themselves their own hole: Jared Goff threw three interceptions in one of his shakier performances of the year.
Highlights of the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions in Week 11 of the NFL season
They are down by 12 with three minutes left in the game, they throw a quick touchdown to Jameson Williams, a quick three-and-out forced off the Bears helped by a Tyler Scott drop, and then they march 11 plays, 73 yards to get downfield and take the lead and the game.
It shows the Lions can battle back and battle through adversity, something previous teams in Detroit have not been able to do. We head into Thanksgiving now in a brave new world. The Lions haven’t been in first place in their division on Thanksgiving since 1993 and haven’t been 8-2 since 1962. This result shows they are in a new era. They should have lost to the Bears and found a way to win.
4) Perfect Purdy
The NFL has a passer rating system of 158.3, which means you are perfect if you get there. I don’t know how they get there, but they do. And Brock Purdy got there during San Francisco’s 27-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, throwing 21/25, 333 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Highlights of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11 of the NFL season
This is notable because the last two quarterbacks to achieve perfect ratings for the 49ers were Joe Montana and Steve Young, they both did it in 1989 and are both Hall of Famers. Purdy had himself a perfect day, quick with his decisions, accurate and throws such a nice ball.
5) DeVito’s big day
Is Tommy DeVito going to come out of nowhere and become the new Brock Purdy? What a weird season: Detroit and Houston are mounting Super Bowl challenges, the player picked last in the Draft last year is one of the league’s best quarterbacks, Bill Belichick is fighting for his job, and New York Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito lives with his mum.
New York Giants’ Tommy DeVito produces an effortless 24-yard TD pass to Saquon Barkley against the Washington Commanders
He had one of the best games of the weekend. He was sacked nine times – that offensive line is dangerous – but he hung around and battled. He had 246 yards, three touchdowns, a rating of 137.7 – the highest rating ever for an undrafted rookie in the NFL Draft era. A courageous performance for a Giants team that has been on the ropes.
Player of the Week – Brock Purdy, QB, San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers’ Brandon Aiyuk scores a 76-yard TD after he was found by Brock Purdy!
It’s incredible to think that this time last year, unless you are a really big college football fan, that most people at this time going into Thanksgiving nobody had heard of Brock Purdy. A year on you would have to consider him one of the stars and biggest playmakers in the league.
He’s had a lot to prove for the 49ers over the last couple of weeks after a couple of shaky games, and he’s done just that. San Francisco are back on track and I think we can settle in to enjoy a good 10/15 years of Brock Purdy in our consciousness, which he wasn’t this time last year.
Play of the Week – Tua to Tyreek
Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill leaves the Las Vegas Raiders defence clawing at thin air as he sprints away for his ninth touchdown of the season!
I’m going with Tua Tagovailoa’s 38-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins against the Las Vegas Raiders. It was a relatively routine in-breaking route where Tua hits Hill, and there are three or four players around Hill with angles and a chance to make a tackle, but on come the after-burners and it wasn’t even close.
That is the danger of Tyreek Hill, he burst away from everybody, broke those angles completely and eased into the end zone. He can score from anywhere on the field.
Coach of the Week – Sean Payton, Denver Broncos
I’m going with Sean Payton for Coach of the Week, not just for engineering the victory against Minnesota on Sunday night, but more for what he’s done in the last month.
Highlights of the Minnesota Vikings against the Denver Broncos in Week 11 of the NFL season
Denver were lost, all at sea at 1-5, but have won four in a row. They were historically bad earlier in the season, Payton has steadied that ship and got some good production out of Russell Wilson.
You won’t see elite Russell Wilson anymore, but certainly good enough to win games. Sean Payton has rectified what looked an increasingly perilous situation in Denver, and actually has the Broncos in the playoff race.
On my radar… Staley on the hot seat
On my radar is Chargers head coach Brandon Staley. He is going to be feeling some heat now. Los Angeles blew another late lead, gave up a touchdown to Romeo Doubs to lose to the Green Bay Packers, and are now 0-5 in games decided by three points this season. They can’t find a way to grind out a win in those situations.
That has especially been the case on the defensive side of the ball where they have had letdowns, but this week on offense Austin Ekeler had a fumble, Keenan Allen dropped a pass. It’s Staley’s defense, though, that comes under the spotlight and he’s under scrutiny now.
Highlights of the Los Angeles Chargers against the Green Bay Packers in Week 11 of the NFL season
He turned on the media in the press conference afterwards, saying to not ask him about the defense or him calling plays anymore. It’s classic coach-under-fire activity and he has to remember that when you’re talking to the media you’re talking to your fans, it’s your only chance.
People spent hard-earned money to support and watch your team, the least you can do is given honest, open answers and recognise when things aren’t going right. He has to handle himself better in press conferences going forward, if he’s around much longer.
