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Key takeaways and analysis from Week 11 in the NFL

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Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Cowboys have arrived

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Everything we saw from the Cowboys during a four-game win streak with Cooper Rush suggested that this team's ceiling would be incredibly high once Dak Prescott returned and found a rhythm. Well, Dak has had some time to settle in, and they look fantastic.

Simply beating the Vikings, who were fresh off upsetting the Bills in the wildest game of the year, would've been enough of a statement. But to so thoroughly embarrass an 8-1 contender that the CBS national broadcast switched over to Bengals-Steelers in the third quarter is a completely different story. The final: 40-3.

Prescott was nearly flawless in his fourth start back, completing 22-of-25 passes for 276 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. These weren't just layups, either. Prescott finished the day with a +21.8% completion percentage over expected, going 3-of-3 on 20-plus-yard throws and a perfect 20-of-20 when not facing pressure, according to Jim Sannes of NumberFire.

Not to be outdone, Dallas' defense was every bit as good. Kirk Cousins managed just 105 yards before giving way to Nick Mullens in the fourth quarter, and superstar wideout Justin Jefferson was held to 33 yards receiving, his second-lowest total in an otherwise sensational season.

However, the real story is the continued emergence of Tony Pollard. Jerry Jones had seemingly threatened to throw cold water on his impending breakout when he suggested the Cowboys' offense would still run through Ezekiel Elliott upon his return. Full credit to the coaching staff for finding a formula that features both players in their best roles, all while keeping the owner happy as can be.

Each running back in Dallas' tandem got 15 carries Sunday. Pollard predictably did much more with his opportunities, running for 80 yards while also hauling in a team-high six receptions for 109 yards and two scores. But Elliott should continue to have a role, as his work between the tackles - particularly on the goal line - can both provide plenty of value (2 touchdowns on Sunday) and keep Pollard fresh. Plus, the three-time Pro Bowler remains the far more capable back in pass protection.

Yet Pollard's career-high 189 scrimmage yards is just the latest sign that this offense is a different unit when he's involved as a high-volume playmaker. According to NextGen Stats, he's now the only running back this season to rank in the top five in both rushing yards over expected (2nd) and receiving yards over expected (5th).

The Cowboys are now 7-3, feature perhaps the league's premier balance of offense and defense, and are well within striking distance of a first-place Eagles team that struggled to put away Jeff Saturday's Colts.

Oh, and they may soon have even more star power. Dallas is reportedly in the mix for Odell Beckham Jr., who apparently took notice of the big win.

The Super Bowl glory that's so painfully evaded the Cowboys and their fans for the last 25-plus years suddenly seems to be well within reach.

Jets getting embarrassing

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Oh brother, this offense STINKS.

Sunday's Jets-Patriots rematch will probably go down as the worst game of the season. If not for the thrilling finish, you could put it up against anything we've seen over the last five years. There's something about being subjected to watching two completely outmatched passing attacks try to survive against a swarming defense.

But let's be clear. Despite the final score, only one offense had that special kind of insufferable stench. In fairness to Mac Jones and the Patriots, they were slightly less terrible. The protection was bad, Jones struggled under pressure, and the kicking game helped New England come up empty one drive after another. But at least the Pats moved the ball.

On the other hand, Zach Wilson finished an NFL game in the year 2022 with 77 yards on nine completions. That's right, the Jets had more punts (10) than completed passes. It's only fitting that their last was the one that put them away, with Marcus Jones ripping off an incredible return in the clutch to win it for New England.

The offense was so bad that the Jets didn't once get past their own 35-yard line in the second half. Their total production in the final two quarters? Two yards.

Wilson has now started seven games since returning from a preseason knee injury. This marks the second time over that stretch that the Jets have failed to top 100 passing yards, and the fifth(!) time they've failed to reach 200. And yes, we're focusing on team passing yards to factor in some of the brutal sacks Wilson takes.

If that doesn't scream complete disaster to you, consider that Wilson still sits one touchdown behind Joe Flacco's team-leading five from the first three games of the season.

It's easy to see why the Jets are resistant to changing quarterbacks. They remain heavily invested in their former No. 2 overall pick, whose development is imperative for their long-term outlook. But as New York continues to waste one of the league's premier defenses, and a long-awaited chance to return to the playoffs, at what point do you have to admit Wilson is getting in the way?

Three weeks ago?

Ravens wasting Lamar

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As always, a win is a win. The Ravens will take the result. But their standard should be a whole heck of a lot higher than escaping with a narrow victory over the Panthers.

Being stuck in a 3-3 game heading into the fourth quarter against a bottom-five team is the latest in a long line of examples demonstrating just how little the Ravens are doing to maximize their quarterback. It's getting ridiculous.

Building an offense around one of the most unique talents we've ever seen shouldn't be that difficult. As he's shown throughout his young career, Lamar Jackson's more than capable of putting the team on his back and doing it all himself. But that can't be the basis of your offense.

When defenses are bottling him up, particularly as a runner, Lamar should be able to lean on the weapons around him to make plays. That's just not the case right now, nor has it been for most of his time in Baltimore. And the lack of creativity from the offensive scheme isn't doing him any favors, either.

As we saw in this game, the Ravens' improving defense following the addition of Roquan Smith will give them some room for error. But again, holding the Panthers to three points shouldn't even be necessary.

Lamar may well go into Superman Mode in January and lead the Ravens on a deep playoff run - we can never rule that out with a player of his caliber. Barring that outcome, though, the Ravens appear destined for yet another playoff disappointment. That would begin another offseason recycling the storylines about whether this is finally the time they'll make a big move at receiver or reshape the offensive staff. But we've been expecting that for long enough. At this point, we'll believe it when we see it.

Steelers know WRs

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The Steelers have a young star in the making at receiver. Sound familiar?

It's not like we needed another draft pick to hit for confirmation, but Pittsburgh is once again proving to be a cut above the rest of the league when it comes to scouting and, perhaps more importantly, developing wideouts. Welcome to the club, George Pickens.

The second-round rookie took the first step in justifying the Steelers' decision to move on from Chase Claypool at the trade deadline, recording a team-high 83 receiving yards and one touchdown - along with another highlight-reel catch - in Sunday's loss to the Bengals. He also dropped a surefire second touchdown, but we're not about to overthink that one.

Pickens is a freakishly athletic big body who has a flare for the spectacular play and is a handful for any defensive back to match above the rim. Because of that, he profiles as a dominant No. 1 target and the perfect complement to Diontae Johnson.

Heading into a 2022 draft loaded with talent at receiver, the Georgia product was, for some reason, widely considered to be in the second tier of the bunch. That's exactly how the draft played out, too. Pickens was the 11th receiver off the board, going behind Christian Watson, Wan'Dale Robinson, John Metchie, and Tyquan Thornton in the second round.

Yet when he ended up with the Steelers, of all teams, it was almost like their vote of confidence was enough to immediately conclude that he was going to be a steal. We've been down this road too many times before. Just look at the list of receivers to land with the Steelers outside the first round in the Mike Tomlin era.

Player Draft Pick
Mike Wallace 2009 84
Emmanuel Sanders 2010 82
Antonio Brown 2010 195
JuJu Smith-Schuster 2017 62
Diontae Johnson 2019 66
Chase Claypool 2020 49
George Pickens 2022 52

They've had their share of misses along the way - Dri Archer, Sammie Coates - as any team has, but Pittsburgh's mid-round hit rate at this specific position is unlike anything we've seen across the league. Not only does that kind of draft and development success lead to results on the field, but being able to flip Claypool for an early second-round pick ahead of his contract year because you hit on Pickens is huge for asset management.

At a time where the league is so willing to pay up for top receivers, either by way of early draft picks or massive free-agent contracts, the Steelers being able to find their star pass-catchers outside the first round is invaluable.

Quick slants

Kelce owns the Chargers

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Travis Kelce is unstoppable. The Chargers knew he was the one to worry about on the final drive Sunday night, shifting Derwin James down to cover him one-on-one. And yet, one of the league's best safeties still wasn't enough to slow him down in the red zone. When Kelce gained immediate separation off the line and into his crossing route, it was over. His third touchdown of the night with just 31 seconds to play put the Chiefs in front and served up another heartbreaker for the Chargers. Remember when we thought the AFC West could be anyone's division? Not when Kelce and Patrick Mahomes are still in Kansas City.

Bills' offense worth monitoring

We won't make too big a deal of this just yet because the latest sample came on the heels of a hectic week - being out of sync after a snowstorm impacted your practice schedule and forced you to move a home game to Detroit would be understandable. And Buffalo still won anyway! But the Bills' passing game hasn't quite been itself for a few weeks now. It could be little more than a midseason funk, and perhaps Josh Allen's elbow issue was a factor the last two weeks. Buffalo's upcoming games against the tough defenses of the Patriots, Jets, and Dolphins could give us some answers. The offense needs to prove it can be the same consistently elite unit without Brian Daboll.

C-Patt the kick-return king

As if there was any debate in the first place, Cordarrelle Patterson has now made it official - he's the best kick returner in NFL history (Devin Hester was primarily a punter returner). Patterson's 103-yard score in a win over the Bears gave him sole possession of the top spot among all-time leaders in kickoff scores. Though it's taken a while for him to find his best role on offense, he's far and away the most dominant special teams weapon of his era. That's a Hall of Fame resume.

The Commanders!

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Don't look now, but Washington has rebounded from a 1-4 start to get to 6-5 and well within reach of a wild-card spot. In the last six games, its only loss has been a narrow defeat to the Vikings. Taylor Heinicke isn't spectacular by any means, but he certainly has the offense operating at a higher level than Carson Wentz. With the way the Commanders' defense is playing of late, all they need from the offense is to take care of the ball and make a few plays. And this is before Chase Young's return, which is expected soon. With the Falcons and back-to-back games against the Giants up next, Washington has a real chance to make some noise and take advantage of a wide-open playoff race.

Lovie one-and-done?

The Texans are painfully bad. They're the only team without multiple wins so far, and it's tough to find many more on their remaining schedule. While it's certainly not all Lovie Smith's fault, and it'd be a bad look to make a coaching change for the third consecutive year, it feels like a major organizational reset is in the cards. Houston is in position to have its pick of the top quarterbacks available in April. The Texans have resisted the apparent urge to hire Josh McCown for the last two years. It's worth watching to see whether the Colts' bizarre move to bring in Jeff Saturday, albeit on an interim basis, makes Houston feel like it'd be a totally fine and normal thing for them to hire their own former player with no experience.

Giants coming back to earth

Losing to the Lions at home, and not even really making a competitive game out of it, is a major setback for the Giants. Winning so many close games was always going to be unsustainable, and getting exposed by an inferior opponent is a worrying sign. Their playoff hopes are still very much alive at 7-3, but it won't be easy. New York's next five games include four straight in the division, which suddenly appears to be the NFL's best, and then a trip to Minnesota. Factor in the injuries from this game, including ones to receiver Wan'Dale Robinson and Adoree' Jackson, and the Giants could be in trouble.

Cooper was a steal

The Cowboys made it clear heading into last offseason that they'd move on from Amari Cooper. Among other things, his $20-million salary appeared to be prohibitive for Dallas. It happens. The Cowboys probably aren't having many regrets given the way the offense is performing, but the same can't be said for the rest of the league. Cooper has continued to perform as a No. 1 wideout in Cleveland, with his 113-yard, two-touchdown showing against the Bills putting him on pace for just under 1,200 yards and 12 scores on the year. That no other receiver-needy contender (*screams in the Ravens' direction*) was willing to top Cleveland's offer to swap fifth- and sixth-round picks is unbelievable in hindsight.

Broncos make a change

Nathaniel Hackett quietly surrendered the Broncos' offensive play-calling duties this week, giving way to quarterbacks coach Clint Kubiak. The early results were OK, with Russell Wilson seemingly on track to put together his best game yet in Denver. The offense stalled down the stretch, though, and the final result was much of the same. In fact, you could argue that managing just 16 points at home against the Raiders' league-worst defense is actually a step back. The clock is ticking on Hackett's time with the Broncos. Might they just pull the plug now to get a head start on their coaching search?

Stat of the week

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