A Look Back at Week 11 in the NFL

Jets Beat Pats, Cowboys Beat Redskins,Titans Undefeated

Nov 17, 2008

It's getting a lot more interesting in the NFL as divisional standings take new shape and form following Week 11 action.

The NY Jets Edge New England to Take Hold of AFC East Lead

It's not often that the Patriots are on the outside looking in, but that's just where they are after the Jets escaped Foxboro with a 34-31 overtime win on Thursday night and moved into first place in the division. The Jets (7-3) held a 24-13 advantage at halftime but allowed the Patriots back in the game as QB Matt Cassell had a career game, going 30-for-51 for 400 yards and three TD passes. With the Patriots (6-4) down by seven and just over a minute remaining, Cassell marched his team down the field and connected with Randy Moss for a 16-yard TD with one second on the clock to tie the game and send it into OT. It was there that Brett Favre brought the Jets 64 yards downfield to end the shootout with 34-yard game-winning FG by Jay Feely. Favre was 26-for-33 for 258 yards and two TD passes.

The Miami Dolphins outlasted the Oakland Raiders 17-15 on Sunday to win their fourth straight game and move to 6-4 and into a second-place tie with New England.

The Bills, once the leaders of the AFC East, played from behind almost the entire Monday night game against the Cleveland Browns until grabbing the lead, 27-26, with just over two minutes to go following a goal-line sneak by QB Trent Edwards. But the Browns took the lead back, 29-27, when Phil Dawson booted a 56-yard FG less than a minute later. Then, the Bills were able to get the ball within FG range for Rian Lindell to knock through a 47-yard FG attempt but he missed wide right, securing Cleveland QB Brady Quinn's first career win in his second start.

Romo Returns, Cowboys Win

The headline would lead most to believe that the return of QB Tony Romo to the Dallas Cowboys lineup was the difference in their 14-10 win over the Washington Redskins. Sure, he did throw the winning TD pass (plus two INTs) but it was RB Marion Barber that was the star, rushing for 114 yards and one TD and picking up crucial first downs when Dallas needed them most to secure the victory. Romo had missed three straight games with a broken finger and the Cowboys suffered, going 1-2. Terrell Owens continued to struggle even with Romo back under center, catching five passes for 38 yards. He has yet to record 100 receiving yards in any one game this year and his 38 yards in Week 11 are the most he's had since Week 5.

In other NFC action, the New York Giants (9-1) maintained their strangehold on first place after they amassed 207 yards and two TDs on the ground against the league's top rushing defense of the Baltimore Ravens in a lopsided 30-10 victory.

The Philadelphia Eagles fell into last place in the division following a 13-13 tie with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals missed a 47-yard FG attempt with eight seconds left in OT, helping to secure the first tie in the NFL in over six years. Eagles QB Donovan McNabb stated in a postgame news conference that he didn't realize an NFL game could end in a tie. Well, we all know what he's getting for Christmas: an NFL rulebook.

Tennessee Holds off Jacksonville to Remain Perfect on the Season

Down 14-3 at halftime, the Titans outscored the Jaguars 21-0 in the second half to win 24-14 and become the 11th team in NFL history to start a season 10-0. QB Kerry Collins stole the show from the Titans running game for the second week in a row, finishing 13-for-23 for 230 yards and three TDs. He has now thrown five TD passes over the last two games and has 10 on the season. The Titans' rushing game, which has run in 16 TD scores this season, was held scoreless for the second consecutive week. WR Justin Gage was the major beneficiary of Collins' productive afternoon, catching two TDs on 147 receiving yards. So the question remains: Who, if anyone, will deliver the Titans their first loss of the season? Up next are the Jets in Week 12.

As people watch week after week to see if Tennessee keeps their streak going there's another streak they're keeping their eye on - that of the seemingly hopeless Detroit Lions. The Carolina Panthers picked the Lions rushing defense apart, amassing a single-game franchise-record 265 yards on the ground with three TDs to defeat Detroit 31-22 and drop them to 0-10. The scariest part of Detroit's futile season is that they are still mathematically in playoff competition in the NFC North as the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings are all 5-5. Key word: mathematically.

Harrington's Headlines from Other Games Around the League

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