If you walked away from the TV this Sunday thinking the AFC West was still a foregone conclusion, you might want to check the standings again. Honestly, the nfl week 11 scores didn't just provide a few upsets; they basically flipped the script on the entire playoff picture. It was a week where "sure things" vanished into thin air.
The Broncos, led by Bo Nix, managed to pull off something nobody expected by taking down the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19. It wasn't just a win. It was a statement. Denver now sits at 9-2, while the Chiefs have fallen to 5-5. Think about that for a second. The gap in that division is widening in a direction no one predicted back in August.
The Shocker in Denver and the Chaos in the South
The Chiefs-Broncos game was peak drama. Patrick Mahomes had his moments, finding Travis Kelce for a 21-yard touchdown that actually broke the Chiefs' all-time record, but it wasn't enough. Bo Nix orchestrated a fourth-quarter comeback that felt like a changing of the guard. Wil Lutz nailed a 35-yard field goal as time expired. This wasn't just luck; Denver outgained Kansas City 342 to 311.
Over in the NFC South, things got even weirder. The Carolina Panthers, who have struggled for what feels like a decade, took the Atlanta Falcons to overtime and walked away with a 30-27 victory. Bryce Young finally looked like the guy everyone hoped he’d be. He threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns. Seriously. 448 yards. Tetairoa McMillan was his main target, hauling in 130 yards of that. It felt like a "rock bottom" moment for Atlanta, while Carolina suddenly looks like they might actually have a future.
nfl week 11 scores: The Full Rundown
If you missed the games, here is the raw data on how the weekend played out across the league. No fluff, just the numbers:
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- Denver Broncos 22, Kansas City Chiefs 19
- Philadelphia Eagles 16, Detroit Lions 9
- Buffalo Bills 44, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32
- Jacksonville Jaguars 35, Los Angeles Chargers 6
- San Francisco 49ers 41, Arizona Cardinals 22
- Chicago Bears 19, Minnesota Vikings 17
- Baltimore Ravens 23, Cleveland Browns 16
- Los Angeles Rams 21, Seattle Seahawks 19
- Carolina Panthers 30, Atlanta Falcons 27 (OT)
- Houston Texans 16, Tennessee Titans 13
- Green Bay Packers 27, New York Giants 20
- Pittsburgh Steelers 34, Cincinnati Bengals 12
- Miami Dolphins 16, Washington Commanders 13 (OT in Madrid)
- New England Patriots 27, New York Jets 14 (Thursday)
- Dallas Cowboys 33, Las Vegas Raiders 16 (Monday)
The Jaguars' beatdown of the Chargers (35-6) was probably the most lopsided surprise of the week. Justin Herbert spent most of the afternoon running for his life. Jacksonville isn't going away quietly, and that 6-4 record is starting to look dangerous.
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Josh Allen is currently playing like a man possessed. In the Bills' 44-32 win over Tampa Bay, he became the first player in NFL history to record 300+ passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and three rushing touchdowns in a single game. His 75 career rushing touchdowns now tie him with Cam Newton for the most by a quarterback. It’s insane. The Bucs actually ran for over 200 yards against Buffalo, but it didn't matter because Allen was scoring at will.
Then there’s Christian McCaffrey. The 49ers beat the Cardinals 41-22, and McCaffrey finished with 121 scrimmage yards and three scores. He’s now the only player in history to have at least five rushing and five receiving touchdowns in a season four different times. San Francisco also got Brock Purdy back, and he looked surgical, completing over 73% of his passes.
Defensively, Myles Garrett was a nightmare for Baltimore, despite the Browns losing. He sacked Lamar Jackson four times. Four. It nearly dragged Cleveland to an upset, but Mark Andrews took a direct snap on a trick play for a 35-yard touchdown late in the game to seal it for the Ravens.
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How This Changes the Playoff Hunt
The nfl week 11 scores have created some real breathing room for a few teams. The Broncos now lead the AFC West by two games over the Chargers and three over the Chiefs. New England and Denver are tied for the best record in the AFC at 9-2, though Denver holds the tiebreaker currently.
In the NFC, the Eagles (8-2) jumped back to the No. 1 spot after their defensive slugfest against the Lions. It was an ugly 16-9 win, but it counts just as much as a blowout. The Rams are right on their heels at 8-2 after a narrow 21-19 win over Seattle. That game came down to a "punt of the year" by Ethan Evans that pinned the Seahawks on their own 1-yard line late in the fourth.
What's really interesting is the NFC North. With the Bears beating the Vikings 19-17 and the Lions losing, Chicago (7-3) has actually taken the lead in the division. Considering they only won five games all of last year, that’s a massive turnaround for a team with a first-year head coach.
Reality Check: The AFC Cellar
It’s getting bleak for the Titans, Jets, and Browns. All three sit at 2-8 or 1-9. Tennessee’s 16-13 loss to Houston was particularly tough because it keeps them firmly in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. The Raiders and Giants aren't far behind. We are officially in the "scouting for quarterbacks" portion of the season for about a quarter of the league.
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What to Do Next
If you're tracking the playoff race, the first thing to look at is the Week 12 schedule. The Colts are coming off a bye to face the Chiefs in Kansas City, which is a massive game for both teams' wild-card hopes. You should also keep a close eye on the injury report for Green Bay; Josh Jacobs went down with a knee injury during their win over the Giants, which could drastically change their offensive dynamic.
Watch the waiver wire in your fantasy leagues for Sean Tucker from the Bucs—he finally got a real workload with Bucky Irving out and looked explosive despite the loss. Lastly, don't sleep on the Panthers. They aren't "good" yet, but Bryce Young finally has a connection with Tetairoa McMillan that looks legitimate.
The nfl week 11 scores showed us that no lead is safe and no divisional favorite is untouchable. As we head into the Thanksgiving stretch, the margin for error has basically vanished for teams like the Chiefs and Falcons.