# NFL 2023: WEEK 11 Men on the field, Buffalo
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** football-nfl
**Created:** [November 16, 2023, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214 "2023-11-16T01:17:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/61 "2023-11-19T21:03:02Z")
Oh my. The Bears…
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/62 "2023-11-19T21:08:00Z")
Both Steelers-Browns games were ugly AFC north defensive affair. I think the Browns can probably make the playoffs this year but not go anywhere. Making the playoffs would be a huge accomplishment with no passing game.
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### Author:  [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/63 "2023-11-19T21:10:19Z")
Steelers - Browns looks to be over; Browns with a last seconds chip shot field goal. They cover the -2.5 spread. 13 - 10.
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### Author:  [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/64 "2023-11-19T21:18:32Z")
FFS Dorian Thompson-Robinson (Browns 5th round rookie) was 24/43 for 165 yards and 1 int. That is an insane amount of passes for a horrific result. 3.8 YPA, which is a bad rushing game let alone passing. How often do you beat a 6-3 team (that shouldn’t be 6-3) with that?
Apparently he’s a good runner but they didn’t integrate that into the game plan at all. Nope, 48 pocket passes from a scared kid who can’t pass.
7-3 with that nonsense. Waste of a great defense and good running game.
Win is a win, and at least Kenny Pickett sucks.
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/65 "2023-11-19T21:34:37Z")
If I didn’t know better I might imagine the Commanders are tanking on purpose, but this is _still_ what they give you when they’re absolutely trying their hardest.
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### Author:  [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/66 "2023-11-19T22:34:57Z")
As it turns out, maybe the management wasn’t the problem after all.
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### Author:  [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/67 "2023-11-19T22:39:10Z")
Giants took advantage of 6 turnovers and still nearly lost giving up at least 8 sacks.
Tommy DeVito, local Livingston, NJ kid got his first win. He was an undrafted free agent and started the year as the third string Quarterback.
Crazy game featuring 2 terrible teams.
If the name sounds familiar, Tommy was Joe Pesci’s character in Goodfellas.
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### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2023, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/68 "2023-11-19T23:42:40Z")
That game reminded me of a game against the Eagles when Eli got sacked eight times but still won the game with excellent passing stats. Something like two touchdowns and 120 passer rating. I want to say it was probably in 2006. In any case, that game was at least tied for most sacks given up in a win until Devito set the new franchise mark with nine sacks today.
Looks like I was correct with it being 2006, but his passer rating wasn’t quite as high as I remembered:
> **[New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles - September 17th, 2006 |...](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/200609170phi.htm#all_team_stats)**
>
> New York Giants 30 at Philadelphia Eagles 24 on September 17th, 2006 - Full team and player stats and box score
31 of 43 (72%) for 371 (8.6 YPA), 3 TDs, 1 Int (111.7 rating) w/8 sacks
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### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/69 "2023-11-20T01:01:47Z")
Man that Jets game was brutal to watch. Felt like a hundred stoppages by the refs over and above incomplete passes and running out of bounds.
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### Author:  [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/70 "2023-11-20T01:45:29Z")
Some brutal QB performances. No wonder teams are sniffing around Joe Flaco and Matt Ryan. Heck, some teams would be better off with Meg Ryan.
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### Author:  [@Clawdio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clawdio)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/71 "2023-11-20T08:49:25Z")
The Browns tried to hand the Steelers another win they didn’t deserve, but the the ineptness of the Steelers offense knows no bounds.
For the first handful of games this year I was holding out hope that Kenny Pickett and the Steelers offense was about to turn a corner and at least approach mediocrity. But now through 10 games we are averaging 170.0 passing yards per game, which is even behind the Zach Wilson led Jets. The only team worse is the Giants. At this point Pickett is just like the worst “gamer manager” QB in history. Lots of checkdowns and few interceptions, but first downs (let alone TDs) are extremely scarce.
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### Author:  [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 8:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/72 "2023-11-20T08:57:55Z")
Someone pointed out recently that Mahomes has always at least advanced to _overtime_ of the AFC Championship Game in every single season he’s been the Chiefs starter. So for Mahomes to lose an AFC title game in regular time would actually be a **regression** for him.
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### Author:  [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/73 "2023-11-20T09:01:16Z")
> [@smithsb](#):
>
> Some brutal QB performances. No wonder teams are sniffing around Joe Flaco and Matt Ryan.
Funny you should mention Flacco.
> **[Browns add veteran QB Flacco to practice squad](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38940798/qb-joe-flacco-join-browns-practice-squad-sources-say)**
>
> The Browns signed Super Bowl-winning quarterback Joe Flacco to their practice squad.
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/74 "2023-11-20T13:09:52Z")
Last night, in a nominee for best worst game of the season, Denver won their fourth straight, 21-20 over the Vikings. The Josh Dobbs magic finally petered out late in the game, as he threw a 4th-quarter interception that allowed the Broncos to get back in the game, and then, on the ensuing drive, the Vikes had to settle for 3 when 6 would have iced the game.
Still, Minnesota is currently in the 7th playoff spot.
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### Author:  [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/75 "2023-11-20T16:35:28Z")
I guess I’ll have to be happy with 333 yards, 3 TDs, and a perfect passer rating.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/76 "2023-11-20T16:49:03Z")
> [@Railer13](#):
>
> The Josh Dobbs magic finally petered out late in the game,
I suppose technically yes, but for a guy who wasn’t even in the building 3 weeks ago, he’s still outperformed expectations.
Not that he’s going to be a franchise QB or anything but a lot of teams would kill for a solid backup option like that. Gotta wonder about Cleveland’s QB evaluation process if they let him go just to see him outperform not just Watson this season but the next 2 QBs on their roster to the extent the Browns signed Joe Friggin’ Flacco just in case.
Arizona gets a pass for the trade with Kyler Murray coming back and looking reasonably ok
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### Author:  [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/77 "2023-11-20T18:32:37Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> but for a guy who wasn’t even in the building 3 weeks ago, he’s still outperformed expectations.
No doubt. Still, last night the Vikes had a touchdown lead and the ball midway through the 3rd quarter. Their four ensuing possessions ended in a fumble, interception, field goal, and turnover on downs.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/78 "2023-11-20T22:53:32Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> Not that he’s going to be a franchise QB or anything but a lot of teams would kill for a solid backup option like that.
Kirk Cousins is going to be a free agent if the Vikings don’t extend him, and I dunno if they want to pay him the kind of money he’ll probably be asking for, or if Cousins wants to even stay there.
> **[Vikes' Cousins again positioned for big offseason](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38362648/kirk-cousins-positioned-big-offseason-potential-free-agent)**
>
> Kirk Cousins once again has put himself on a path to a lucrative offseason because the Vikings cannot use their franchise tag on the quarterback.
The Vikings might want to look for an option in the draft if something falls to him, and so having a guy like Dobbs who can be either a really good backup or a subpar (but not the worst) starter looks even more attractive.
I have nothing against Dobbs, he can make plays now and then, and when I watched him against the Seahawks earlier this year (when he was still in Arizona) he was good enough to make the game stressful, so more power to the guy.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/79 "2023-11-20T23:00:16Z")
Yup. QBs go down. It happens. And then just playing decent football can be a challenge, much less making the playoffs.
Hopefully you have or luck into a solid Plan B, which the Vikings at least seem to have. Better yet, he seems to be better than a lot of teams’ Plan A, which is all sorts of sad. After watching years of pathetic QB1 play in Houston, a team getting even a league average journeyman backup seems like a luxury. Though Stroud and Ryans seem to be doing their best to make up for a lot of that
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### Author:  [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2023, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2023-week-11-men-on-the-field-buffalo/993214/80 "2023-11-20T23:17:20Z")
Speaking of starting quarterbacks who look worse than Dobbs, Zach Wilson has now gotten benched two years in a row:
> **[Jets make switch to Boyle, demote Wilson to QB3](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/38944775/source-jets-bench-zach-wilson-start-tim-boyle-qb)**
>
> The Jets have benched quarterback Zach Wilson and will start Tim Boyle at quarterback on Friday against the Dolphins.
Boyle played the entire fourth quarter on Sunday after Wilson got benched for sucking at the end of the third. Boyle looked _terrible_. Like, really, _really_ bad. The kind of performance that would never get a start the following week unless your other option was too shitty to even contemplate. Like Zach Wilson.
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