Welcome to Football Army, the show that takes
you inside all the major storylines dominating
the NFL and NCAA landscape. And what a week it
was. Week 11 is officially in the books. And
if you are looking for any kind of clarity or,
you know, stability in that playoff picture.
You did not find it. Not at all. This past weekend
felt less like a steady football season and more
like a series of. I don't know, high stakes crises
just unfolding in real time. Across both conferences,
too. And the chaos was, I mean, it was just as
intense off the field as it was on it. Oh, absolutely.
We had everything this week. We're talking major
player suspensions, costing guys hundreds of
thousands of dollars. We had these stunning slides
from teams you expect to be contenders in the
AFC. Traditional powerhouses. Exactly. And then
you get into these deep -seated coaching controversies
and some. Well, some frankly shocking and pretty
sobering off -field legal stuff involving a former
superstar. That's right. Our mission today is
to really unpack all of this. And we have to
start, I think, with the Monday Night Football
drama. You have to. The Dallas Cowboys dominated
the Las Vegas Raiders. Yeah. But the story was,
it was less about the final score itself and
more about who was allowed to score, which, you
know, brought up some fascinating and a little
bit uncomfortable optics around how these games
end. For sure. And then we'll get into that stunning
slide of the AFC powerhouses. I mean, the Kansas
City Chiefs are hitting the panic button after
another loss. And it sparked a genuine, I think,
rift between Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid, at
least in the court of public opinion. It has.
At the same time, you have the Cincinnati Bengals
wrestling with a question that honestly no franchise
ever wants to face. Right. Do you bench your
superstar quarterback for the long -term good
when your season is... for all intents and purposes,
already lost. It's a brutal question. And we
can't ignore the discipline issue that cost Jamar
Chase over half a million dollars for what was
described as a, well, a pretty disgusting act
against the Steelers. Yeah, that was ugly. Plus,
we'll get into that chaotic quarterback situation
in Cleveland after Shedder Sanders' brutal debut,
a debut that prompted some really serious questions
about how the Browns are developing their young
talent. So much to get to. Let's start with Monday
night. Let's do it. So the Dallas Cowboys, they
put on a really spirited and dominant performance,
beating the Raiders 33 -16. It was a decisive
win, yeah. But it was... Completely defined by
the emotional context around it. Right. This
was the first game Dallas played since the tragic
death of their defensive end, Barshawn Neeland,
who passed away on November 6th. And you could
feel it. The emotional weight in that stadium
was, I mean, it was palpable even before kickoff.
You saw the team gather. They had the moment
of silence for Neeland. And the players, the
coaches, everyone was wearing those tribute shirts
all night. It really felt like the team rallied
around a purpose that was, you know, bigger than
football. And that was exactly the theme that
Dak Prescott hammered home after the game. His
postgame message was, it was really powerful.
He was focusing on unity and the importance of
emotional vulnerability. Which is a conversation
you don't always hear from a franchise quarterback.
You know, not at all. He spoke directly about
brotherhood. He said, and I'm paraphrasing here,
it's about being vulnerable. To show courage,
you have to show some kind of weakness. Wow.
He went on, this game, it's bigger. It's about
life and these connections that we're making.
We have to be there for each other. And that
kind of message, that can really define a team's
resolve for the rest of the season. And on the
field, he backed up that whole emotional drive
with, I mean, just hyper -efficient play. Oh,
absolutely. He threw four touchdown passes. And
they were spread out, right? It was four different
players. Four different players. CeeDee Lamb,
Jake Ferguson, George Pickens, and Ryan Fornoy.
That secures his eighth season with at least
20 passing touchdowns. Which is just a remarkable
indicator of his sustained high level of production.
It's not a flash in the pan. Not at all. But,
you know, while the scoring was spread around,
the first few minutes of that game were defined
by... Really bizarre coaching decision. A decision
that seemed to inject like a jolt of urgency
into his top playmakers. Okay, I know what you're
talking about. The benching incident. Exactly.
Wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens,
your two starting playmakers, were benched by
coach Brian Schottenheimer for the opening offensive
drive. The very first drive. And what happened?
Predictably, it resulted in a three and out.
A complete waste of a possession. It was pure
in -game discipline. And Schottenheimer, the
players, they all declined to elaborate on the
exact reason afterwards. Just the classic coach's
decision. Right. They just said it was related
to something that was missed. So, you know, you
can speculate it was meeting prep or some small
disciplinary infraction. But the message was
crystal clear. Nobody is above the team standard.
And whatever that message was, George Pickens?
He received it loud and clear and responded with,
I mean, immediate electric play. When he was
allowed back on that field, he absolutely exploded.
What were his final numbers? His final stat line
was nine receptions for 144 yards and a touchdown.
That is a monster game. And get this, 101 of
those yards were accumulated just in the first
half alone. Wow. Lamb, too, he produced big numbers.
Five receptions, 66 yards, and a touchdown. It's
a really unusual strategy, right? It is. You
bench your stars for a statement. And then you
watch them deliver massive production anyway.
I guess it proved that the Cowboys could take
a short term hit for a long term disciplinary
game. The victory was comprehensive. But this
is where the conversation gets, I think, extremely
interesting. It shifts from the on field play
to like game optics and the world outside the
lines. With the game decided, Dallas has a commanding
lead. And Coach Brian Schottenheimer makes the
decision to kneel the ball rather than run up
the score or kick a field goal late in the game.
And Schottenheimer gave what many people saw
as the classy, you know, the high road explanation.
He cited deep respect for the Raiders coach,
Pete Carroll. Right. He said he had too much
respect for the game and for Pete, who has been
so good to me throughout his career. So it was
framed as this moment of professional courtesy
between two established coaches. That is the
official narrative. Yeah. But you know the Internet.
Oh, I do. It immediately exploded with a wildly
different theory, a theory related to prediction
metrics and the final score total. Here we go.
The final score was 33 -16. If you do the math,
that sums up to exactly 49 points. Exactly 49.
And this is where the fan speculation just runs
wild. They weren't suggesting the Cowboys were,
you know. throwing the game or anything. Oh,
of course not. But that, kneeling the ball with
over two minutes left, deep in Raiders territory,
and well within field goal range, that it was
a deliberate decision. Designed to keep the final
total score at 49. And why 49? Because so many
of those prediction outcomes rely on a razor
-thin line, often set at 49 .5 points. So the
suggestion from the fans is that the kneel -down
which was framed as this classy moment of respect
for a peer, was potentially influenced by or
at the very least benefited those interested
in keeping that final total under the critical
49 .5 number. Look, it's purely speculative,
of course, and Schottenheimer's explanation seems
genuine. But the coincidence of the score hitting
exactly 49 points right at that critical moment
of decision making. It certainly fueled the fire.
For a lot of people watching, it instantly became
the biggest postgame talking point, even overshadowing
the emotional tribute to Nyland or Dak's incredible
performance. It just illustrates how every single
decision in the modern NFL is scrutinized through
multiple lenses, you know, and often that lens
is focused on the numbers. So let's transition
from the winning team to the losing team, because
the narrative around the Las Vegas Raiders is
increasingly dire. Dyer is the right word. They
are a franchise in free fall. They dropped to
2 -8, and that marks their eighth loss in the
last nine games. It's just a complete collapse.
And the problem, it starts, and honestly, it
ends up front. The offensive line was an absolute
catastrophe on Monday night. They were already
banged up coming into the game. Exactly. They
were already down two starters due to ankle injuries.
Colton Miller at left tackle and Jackson Powers
Johnson at right guard. This required a massive...
forced shuffle of the line. Can you just walk
us through those specific position shifts because
playing guys out of position that's often a death
sentence against a dominant pass rush like the
Cowboys have. It is. They were forced to move
their center Jordan Meredith over to right guard
and then they had to insert Will Putnam at center.
Not ideal. Not even close. The result was just
chaos. Geno Smith was under constant, immediate
siege. He was sacked four times by that dominant
Cowboys front. And the pressure stats must have
been through the roof. They were. He was pressured
on a staggering 41 % of his dropbacks in the
first half alone. 41%. That level of pressure
makes any kind of sustained offense completely
impossible. And the consequence of that O -line
disaster was the complete abandonment of the
run game. Complete abandonment. The Raiders finished
the night with just 12 total rushing attempts.
For how many yards? A pathetic 27 yards. And
it's just inexcusable, especially when you consider
they invested heavily in the run game by drafting
the rookie running back Ashton Janty. Right.
He was supposed to be the guy to fix what was
already the league's worst rushing attack. And
on Monday, he got, what, six carries? Six carries
for seven yards. And Janty, he did not mince
words after the loss. which to me indicates some
deep -seated frustration in that locker room.
No, he didn't. When he was asked about his lack
of touches and not being able to establish a
rhythm, Jante just said his workload is up to
the guys upstairs. Oof. That's a passive -aggressive
swipe if I've ever heard one. For sure. It clearly
signals his disappointment that the team isn't
winning and isn't developing its highly drafted
rookies. Instead, they're resorting to this predictable,
pressure -prone passing attack. The team's lack
of confidence in their own reshuffled offensive
line is now dictating and defining their entire
offensive philosophy. It's a mess. And beyond
the offensive struggles, the Raiders' defense
also showed some really serious weakness in the
secondary. Yeah, Q Blue Kelly, who was starting
at cornerback after having that fantastic two
-interception game last week against Denver.
He had a terrible night against the Cowboys receivers.
Are his numbers. Kelly gave up six catches for
87 yards and a touchdown on just six targets.
So a perfect passer rating when they threw his.
Wow, perfect passer rating. And it led to immense
fan frustration, especially since a lot of people
are questioning why the rookie third rounder
Darian Porter is still just sitting on the bench.
They're sacrificing development for immediate
results that they aren't even getting. That's
it. Exactly. But amidst all this doom and gloom
for the Raiders, there was one major individual
bright spot. an NFL record was actually broken.
That goes to their tight end, Brock Bowers. An
absolute stud. He finished the night with seven
receptions for 72 yards, and that pushed his
career total to 151 catches. And that broke the
record, right? It broke Sam Laporta's NFL record
for most receptions by a tight end in their first
two seasons, and Bowers did it in only his 26th
career game. That is phenomenal production in
such a short amount of time. Especially when
you think about the instability and, frankly,
the poor quarterback play he's had to deal with.
He is, without a doubt, a cornerstone for that
franchise's future. But the overall narrative
around the Raiders organization is just dire.
Owner Mark Davis is under heavy scrutiny for
just cycling through coaches and failing to win
a single playoff game since he took over the
team. Even after hiring established names like
Pete Carroll. The organization is facing major
criticism for spending money on veteran players
who are past their prime. And a systemic failure
to develop their draft picks outside of Bowers.
And Pete Carroll, at 74, he's the oldest coach
in the league, and now he's tasked with turning
around a franchise that hasn't found any stability
in years. It feels like they're just stuck in
this cycle of hiring big names and then struggling
to build a solid, cohesive core around them.
That's the challenge, the instability at the
coaching level and the failure in drafting and
developing key positions. I mean, it means this
run of losing seasons is probably going to continue
unless there's a massive cultural and philosophical
shift in Las Vegas. OK, switching gears one last
time on Monday Night Football. Let's talk about
the spectacle, because the Manning cast, it always
delivers entertainment beyond the score. The
guest list was truly stellar this week. They
had. former President George W. Bush on. Who
was naturally charming and funny. He was. When
Peyton Manning asked him if he always thought
he'd go into public service, Bush had this classic
line. He said, no. I would have behaved a hell
of a lot better in college. That's a great self
-deprecating moment. It really was. And then
you had the culinary angle. Guy Fieri, the mayor
of Flavortown, came on. To address a very important
football question. An extremely important question
posed by the injured Giants running back Cam
Scadobo regarding taco etiquette. And Fieri actually
demonstrated. He picked up a taco and showed
the precise, correct way to eat it without losing
half the fillings. Bringing some classic culinary
chaos and levity to the telecast. I mean, those
are the moments that just make the Manning cast
mandatory viewing. We also have to mention the
national anthem performance. It was universally
praised. The war and treaty, the husband and
wife duo, they delivered this soaring, soulful
rendition that just got overwhelming positive
reaction all over social media. People were calling
it an all time or chills inducing. Some were
even suggesting they should be next in line for
a future Super Bowl anthem slot. It was a definite
win before the game even started. Finally, the
most purely theatrical moment of the night was
the Oscar -worthy flop. Oh, this is great. Cowboys
tackle Tyler Guyton took a spectacularly exaggerated
fall after being, you know, lightly struck by
the Raiders player Koontz. He sold the contact
perfectly, drew an unnecessary roughness flag.
And while Dallas ultimately declined the penalty,
they opted for a defensive pass interference
flag on the same play. The video of Guyton's
pure theatrical gold went. Instantly viral. A
bizarre and hilarious footnote to a dominant
performance. All right, let's pivot now to the
AFC, which is currently undergoing a massive
and I think really unexpected power shift. We
have to start with the Kansas City Chiefs. You
have to. They suddenly look less like a dynasty
and more like a playoff long shot. The slide
is just stunning. The Chiefs are now 5 -5 after
losing to the 9 -2 Denver Broncos. Who are red
hot. Red hot. And now they hold a 3 .5 win buffer
in the AFC West. For a team that has won that
division every single season since 2015, this
is completely unprecedented territory. And the
wider playoff picture is genuinely alarming for
them. If the season ended right now, based on
projections, the Chiefs would miss the playoffs
entirely. Yeah, NFL .com's projection currently
gives them only a 52 % chance to progress. 52%.
That is frighteningly close to a coin flip for
the Kansas City Chiefs. It is. And their struggles
are compounded by losses against other current
wildcard contenders like the Bills, the Chargers,
the Jaguars. Which complicates all a tiebreaker
scenario. It severely complicates them. They
are losing the head -to -head battles that matter
most in a crowded conference. The frustration
is clearly high, and we're seeing this growing
rift in the public discussion around the offense's
inconsistencies. Patrick Mahomes, he tried to
be the calm voice of reason after the loss, you
know, publicly taking the blame. He delivered
the textbook leadership response. He said the
team is talented, but consistency is the issue
and that it starts with me. He admitted there
are times he misses a throw or misses a protection
call and it causes drives to stall out. Which
seems like the right move. But in a surprising
twist, it led to a backlash against coach Andy
Reid. It did. Fans are now accusing Reid of essentially
throwing Mahomes under the bus with a statement
that was widely perceived as weirdly deflective
of his own coaching responsibilities. And if
you look deeper into the criticism, I mean, it
has some merit. The frustration among analysts
is that Reid is just being too stubborn right
now. His offensive scheme is failing to build
in what they call easy buttons for Mahomes, you
know, quick, reliable throws in the passing game.
And it's neglecting foundational principles.
Like a power running game married to play action
passes from under center. Exactly. Essentially,
the argument is that the offense is too reliant
on Mahomes being perfect on every single down,
particularly when the surrounding talent, a wide
receiver, is arguably weaker than it has been
in past seasons. When the talent pool dips, the
coaching scheme has to compensate by making things
simpler and more diverse. Precisely. Reid has
historically been lauded as an offensive genius,
but the feeling now is that he's refusing to
adapt or diversify the scheme. And that's why
fans are shifting their loyalty entirely onto
the quarterback who is already trying to shoulder
the blame. This conflict is the biggest narrative
hanging over Kansas City, especially as they
face the tough 9 -2 Indianapolis Colts next week.
That's a huge game for them. Meanwhile, down
in Cincinnati, the Bengals have their own set
of profound crises, starting with the health
of their franchise cornerstone, Joe Burrow. The
national analysts, you know, guys like Adam Schefter,
they're posing a brutally blunt question. If
the Bengals keep falling, they're 3 -7, they've
dropped three straight, should they just bench
Burrow for the rest of the season to protect
his long -term health? This is a classic agonizing
debate of caution versus competitiveness. We
know Burrow is fiercely competitive. He wants
to play the second he's medically cleared from
this turf toe injury. But the long -term health
of your franchise cornerstone is paramount, especially
because this is now his third season in six years
where availability has been a major issue. And
maybe we should pause here to explain why turf
toe isn't some minor injury for a quarterback.
It sounds innocuous. It sounds like nothing,
but it can be debilitating. Turf toe is a sprain
of the ligaments around the big toe joint. For
a quarterback, it is devastating because it's
the big toe on the plant foot. The one that anchors
you. Exactly. It's responsible for anchoring
you into the ground, transferring all your weight,
and allowing you to generate that push -off power.
Without that anchor, you lose velocity on your
throws, you lose accuracy, and most critically,
you lose mobility in the pocket to escape pressure.
And playing on it just severely increases the
risk of re -injury. Or converting that sprain
into a much worse tear, which requires surgery
and months of recovery. So the internal debate
in Cincinnati must be fierce. A lost season does
nothing for Burroughs' immediate health, and
risking further injury to play meaningless late
-season games seems, I mean, strategically foolish
for the organization. Coach Zach Taylor has been
very cautious. He confirmed Burrow is doing 7
-on -7 work, could move to 11 -on -11 soon, but
he has specifically avoided committing to a weak
12 or 13 return. That decision has to be weighing
heavily on ownership, especially since the defense
just allowed the Steelers to rush for over 300
yards. And convert more than half of their third
downs in that brutal 34 -12 loss. The team is
just not competitive, even with Burrow's potential
return looming. And then adding fuel to this
whole fire of discipline and competence issues
is the suspension of their star wide receiver,
Jamar Chase. This was a severe incident. It resulted
in a one game suspension because Chase was disciplined
for spitting on Steelers cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Right. During their recent loss, Chase initially
denied it postgame. But the field level video
evidence clearly supported Ramsey's claim that
he was spit on, even though Ramsey was the player
who got ejected for punching Chase in reaction
to it. And that one game suspension carries a
heavy, heavy financial penalty. The numbers here
are just staggering. Chase. forfeited his weekly
paycheck of $448 ,333. $448 ,000. Plus an additional
$58 ,823 per game active bonus. That totals over
half a million dollars. For one game. An immense
price to pay for what is essentially an act of
unsportsmanlike conduct. It speaks volumes about
the lack of discipline currently plaguing a team
that was built for Super Bowl contention, but
is now just spiraling into chaos. Jordy Nelson
is going to hear Chase's appeal, but then...
Video evidence is compelling. It seems likely
the punishment stands. I would think so. All
right. Moving to Cleveland. The Browns are dealing
with quarterback chaos on a different scale after
Dylan Gabriel entered concussion protocol. Yeah,
he showed symptoms at halftime of the Ravens
game. And this forced the highly anticipated
debut of the rookie Shedder Sanders. And it was,
well, by all accounts, a disaster. It was historically
bad, unfortunately. Sanders finished the second
half of that 23 -16 loss to Baltimore, completing
just four of 16 passes for 47 yards. Through
one interception and registered a dismal passer
rating of 13 .5. And the Browns were shut out,
13 -0 in that second half. It just demonstrates
how completely ineffective the offense was under
the rookie. And the controversy here stems from
Coach Kevin Stefanski's admission after the game.
That Sanders' emergency relief snaps were his
first with the starting offense since he was
drafted. Not one single first team rep in practice.
Which prompted some really pointed criticism
from former MVP Cam Newton. He suggested that
Stefanski set up Sanders to fail. By throwing
him into live action with zero first team reps.
A claim that Sanders himself implicitly supported
by just calling his debut rough. When you look
at quarterback development, especially in the
NFL, why is zero first team exposure considered
malpractice? Because the speed of the NFL is
immense. A rookie has to build chemistry and
timing with the starting offensive line, the
starting receivers, particularly in a complex
scheme like Stefanski's. You can't just throw
them in there cold. No. When a backup takes the
field, they should have rehearsed the core game
plan with the starting unit. By denying Sanders
any first -team snaps, even during walkthroughs
or rotational drills, Stefanski was throwing
a completely unprepared player into a live situation
against one of the league's best defenses. It
raises serious questions about the development
process in Cleveland, especially since they only
have two quarterbacks on the active roster. That's
dangerously thin depth. It really is. And this
entire quarterback disaster completely overshadowed
one of the most dominant defensive performances
of the week, maybe even the season. Miles Garrett
was an absolute wrecking ball. Garrett's performance
was just elite. He racked up four sacks against
the Ravens, which gives him a league -leading
15 on the season. And he tied a record, right?
He tied a record set by Richard Dent back in
1984 for 10 sacks in a three -game span. That
kind of dominance just puts him in rarefied air.
Garrett has a legitimate chance to challenge
the NFL's all -time single -season sack record
if he maintains this pace. He does. And it's
truly a shame that such an elite defensive performance
is being wasted by the offensive struggles and
volatile quarterback drama in Cleveland. You
have a defense playing at a championship level
and an offense operating at a developmental league
level. It's a tale of two teams in one locker
room. Absolutely. All right, let's pivot to the
NFC, where things are also getting extremely
strange. We have some surprise contenders emerging
and coaches doubling down on philosophies that
may be winning games, but are certainly controversial.
Let's start in Chicago. The Bears are quietly
7 -3 and are currently sitting as the number
one team in the NFC North after beating the Vikings
19 -17 with a late field goal. They are winning,
but the victory feels distinctly uncomfortable,
almost accidental at times. Statistically, though,
they're performing well above expectations. They're
the eighth -best scoring team, fourth in yards
per game, trailing only Dallas, Buffalo, and
Indianapolis. Which is shocking. But the most
interesting development is the reported tension
that's brewing between coach Ben Johnson and
quarterback Caleb Williams. This is the classic
battle between structure and talent. Right. An
opposing defensive coach suggested that Johnson
is frustrated because Williams' improvisational
off -script style, the very thing that makes
him special, is deemed uncontrollable. And it
just doesn't mesh with Johnson's structured coaching
style. So on one side, you have a coach who is
prioritizing precise execution and structure.
And on the other, you have a quarterback whose
genius often emerges when the play breaks down
and he has to rely on his natural athleticism.
Precisely. If you look at historical parallels.
Coaches often want quarterbacks to follow the
script until the fifth read, but players like
Williams or even a young Mahomes, they operate
on instinct. A former head coach who weighed
in on this suggested that Williams has the potential
to be a top 10, even a special quarterback, if
he learns when to follow the script and when
to improvise. It's the ultimate coaching dilemma.
Do you curb the spectacular to ensure reliability,
or do you allow the raw talent to flourish, even
if it costs you some occasional breakdowns? For
now, Johnson is winning. But the tension suggests
that the philosophical compromise hasn't been
reached yet. On a positive note for Chicago's
offensive future, the team is committed to expanding
the role of rookie wide receiver Luther Burden.
Who is now playing 100 % of the snaps in three
receiver sets. Johnson noted that Burden has
been really productive and that there's a strong
argument they should get him the ball more often.
Which is a sign Johnson is willing to adjust
personnel usage, even if not his core philosophy.
Right. Okay, moving on to Detroit. The Lions
lost 16 -9 to the Philadelphia Eagles, who are
now tied for the best record in the NFC at 8
-2. This game was a showcase for the aggressive
Dan Campbell philosophy and how it can spectacularly
fail. Campbell, who has permanently taken over
play -calling duties for the rest of the season,
went for it on fourth down an astonishing five
times against the Eagles. And he failed. Every
single time. Zero for five. Five failures is
just brutal. And critically, two of those attempts
came squarely within field goal range. That's
a minimum of six points potentially left off
the board in a low scoring seven point loss.
And that's where the advanced analytics just
kill you. While Campbell's identity is built
on this aggression, statistically, choosing to
pass on three certain points in field goal range
for a low percentage fourth down conversion.
It often translates directly to lost expected
points added or EPA. So in short, his high risk
strategy statistically reduced their chances
of winning that game significantly. It did. Yet
Campbell stood before the media and absolutely
doubled down on his identity. He refused to apologize
or change his approach. What was the quote? He
said, that's who we are. That's who I am. And
it bit us today. That is quintessential Dan Campbell.
He is prioritizing his brand and his locker room
identity over what may be analytically optimal.
But that aggression requires precise execution
which was completely lacking largely because
quarterback Jared Goff struggled immensely. Goff
had arguably the worst game of his career. He
posted his lowest completion percentage at 38
% and a dismal 60 .1 passer rating. And they
struggled on third down, going only 3 of 13.
It was a collective failure. They had a chance
late in the third quarter after a 42 -yard gain
put them at the Eagles' 22. And they stalled
out and failed on a fourth and goal from the
three -yard line. When your coach is willing
to forego three points to back his aggressive
identity, the players have to execute. And they
simply didn't against that stout Eagles defense.
OK, let's discuss some quarterback bounce backs
in the NFC, starting with Bryce Young in Carolina.
The Panthers are now surprisingly knocking on
the door of a playoff spot, sitting at six and
five. Young is demonstrating significant growth
compared to his rough first two years. Against
the Falcons this past weekend, he set a new franchise
record for passing yards in a single game with
448. Breaking the old record held by Cam Newton.
Exactly. And that record is significant, especially
considering the Panthers are 6 -5 this season,
which matches their total win count from the
previous two seasons combined. And Young himself
is 6 -4 in the games he's played. Part of that
improvement is definitely credited to the addition
of rookie wide receiver Tetero McMillan, the
eighth overall pick this year. He seems to be
providing Young with that reliable, dominant
target they desperately needed to anchor the
passing attack. Young's performance, particularly
his vertical passing game, is showing signs that
he is rapidly maturing into the franchise quarterback
they drafted him to be. And down in Tampa Bay,
Baker Mayfield is also resurrecting his career
and becoming a fixture in the NFC playoff picture.
Despite all the injuries that have been plaguing
the Buccaneers' offense, the fans are now increasingly
regarding Mayfield as their franchise quarterback.
He's been efficient, he's been resilient, and
most importantly, he's been consistent. And Mayfield's
improved play, coupled with a surging running
game, is definitely helping. Running back Sean
Tucker is heating up. He is. He became the first
running back this season to run for over 50 yards
against the Patriots last week, and then followed
that up by rushing for over 100 yards and scoring
three total touchdowns this week. Coach Todd
Bowles confirmed they're sticking with the hot
hand. Tucker's resurgence gives them that offensive
balance they desperately needed to take the pressure
off Mayfield. And while the supporting cast is
stepping up, The consensus remains that the team
is succeeding because Baker Mayfield is playing
right, which is a crucial factor in their playoff
push in a wide -open NFC cell. Finally, we need
to touch on the NFC West battle, where the Los
Angeles Rams won a tight one against the Seattle
Seahawks, 21 -19. Which allows the Rams to remain
atop the division at 7 -4. This game was decided
almost entirely by one factor. Turnovers. Seahawks
coach Mike McDonald gave a very honest assessment
of quarterback Sam Darnold's performance, whose
four interceptions were officially called the
deciding factor in the loss. Four interceptions.
Despite the Rams' defense delivering a dominant
effort for much of the day and shutting down
Matthew Stafford, those four turnovers were just
too massive to overcome. Darnold did manage to
lead a late touchdown drive and move the team
into fringe field goal range for a potential
win, but the mistakes define the narrative and
cost them a critical divisional victory. On the
Rams' side, wide receiver Devontae Adams was
encouraged by the win despite saying the offense
played like crap. Adams himself had a low -volume
day with just one catch, but he extended his
touchdown streak to seven TDs over four games,
giving him a league -leading 10 scoring grabs
on the season. The Rams are learning how to win
ugly. And what about injuries in Seattle? There
was some good news on guard Graze Abel's knee
injury, right? Yes. Coach McDonald said the initial
testing showed nothing significant calling him
day -to -day. That's a huge positive for their
offensive line stability moving forward, which
they desperately need. All right, we've hit that
point of the season where injuries are just piling
up and forcing major changes on rosters and depth
charts all over the league. It's attrition season.
Let's run through the most important health concerns
and personnel moves, starting with quarterbacks.
The biggest story here involves Aaron Rodgers.
The Steelers quarterback. He's suffered what
is reported to be a slight break in his non -throwing
wrist during the win over the Bengals. His status
for Week 12 against the Bears is currently uncertain.
So if Rodgers can't go, the focus immediately
shifts to Mason Rudolph. Right, and coach Mike
Tomlin has publicly valued Rudolph's consistency
as a backup, noting that he always delivers when
called upon. And Rudolph actually played surprisingly
well in relief against the Bengals. He completed
12 of 16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown.
And that consistency is key. While the Steelers
are highly unlikely to stick with Rudolph once
Rodgers is fully healthy, Rudolph has carved
out a niche as a reliable short -term solution.
He seems comfortable stepping back into that
role. OK, in Houston, Texan star quarterback
C .J. Stroud remains deep in concussion protocol.
And he's considered unlikely to play in Thursday
night's game against the Bills. For him to be
cleared, he needs to clear two full practices
by Tuesday, which is a very long shot given the
short week. Davis Mills, however, has stepped
up pretty well in Stroud's relief. He's led the
Texans to two straight wins and brought their
record to a respectable 5 -5. The Texans are
going to need a big performance from Mills against
the Bills, especially given how effective Josh
Allen is for Buffalo. The game instantly changes
from a young gunslinger duel to a battle of attrition
led by Mills. And back in Cleveland, Dylan Gabriel
is also officially in concussion protocol. after
showing those symptoms at halftime of the Ravens'
loss. Which, as we discussed, led to the disastrous
Shetter -Sanders debut. The Browns' QB depth
chart is certainly volatile right now. Moving
to the Jets, we have a major quarterback decision
that affects the entire outlook of the franchise.
Justin Fields has been officially benched. Benched
due to poor performance, and Tyrod Taylor has
been named the new starter. This benching is
incredibly significant because it makes the future
of fields in New York beyond the 2025 season
extremely murky. This is the second time this
year he's been benched. A team that was hoping
he could be the long -term solution now has some
really tough decisions to make about potentially
moving on from him next year. It signals a possible
return to the draft market for a franchise quarterback.
It does. On a more serious and deeply concerning
note regarding the Jets. New York police are
currently seeking a suspect in the shooting of
cornerback Chris Boyd, which took place outside
a restaurant in NYC. That's a deeply worrying
off -field headline for the organization and
a serious safety concern for the player. Absolutely.
Okay, moving on to skill position injuries, the
Green Bay Packers received some relatively good
news on running back Josh Jacobs. Yes, he avoided
a significant knee injury in their win over the
Giants, which is a huge relief, though his status
for Week 12 is still up in the air. So if Jacobs
misses time, this means we'll likely see an uptick
in snaps for Emmanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks.
And Brooks, in particular, only had five snaps
against the Giants but made a crucial play. He
picked up a blitz that allowed Jordan Love to
complete a 33 -yard game. That specific play
just highlights the importance of backup depth
and pass protection. The Buffalo Bills offense
may have to adjust significantly on a short week
before that Texans game, as wide receivers Curtis
Samuel and McColl Hardman both sustained injuries.
Yeah, Samuel has an elbow and neck issue. Hardman
has a calf injury. Both did not practice Monday.
Losing two key receivers on a short turnaround
puts immense pressure on Josh Allen to perform
with fewer weapons. And finally, the San Francisco
49ers. are dealing with a kicker issue of their
own. Eddie Pinheiro is week -to -week with a
grade one hamstring injury. That injury has forced
the 49ers to look at a group of kickers for a
workout this week, which is never a good sign
late in the season. Plus, wide receivers Brandon
Ayuk and Jacob Cowing are also week -to -week.
The receiving core is going to be tested. Now
we come to the off -field news, and we have to
address the profoundly serious legal situation
surrounding former All -Pro receiver Antonio
Brown. This isn't a quick update. This requires
a serious and careful exploration of the legal
mechanisms at play here. This is an incredibly
severe situation. Antonio Brown is facing an
attempted murder charge that carries a mandatory
minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence
of 30 years. And this complexity is rooted in
the firearm enhancement that's attached to the
charge stemming from a May 16th incident. Let's
break down that legal mechanism for the listener,
because the difference between 20 and 30 years
is, I mean, it's crucial. The underlying charge
is second degree attempted murder. In the state
where this happened, that typically carries a
maximum sentence of 15 years. However, a prosecutor
confirmed this week that because a firearm was
allegedly used in the commission of the crime.
that immediately triggers a sentencing enhancement.
Which essentially doubles the maximum possible
sentence to 30 years and creates that mandatory
minimum of 20. So the severity isn't just the
charge itself, but the use of the weapon is what
forces that elevated sentencing range. Brown
is currently out on a $25 ,000 bond and has to
wear a GPS ankle monitor. And regarding the details
of the incident, the accusation is that Brown
grabbed a handgun from a security guard after
a celebrity boxing match in Miami and fired two
shots at a man who had been in a fistfight with
him earlier. The alleged victim told investigators
that one of the bullets grazed his neck. Brown
has publicly maintained that he was defending
himself, claiming he was jumped by multiple individuals
who were trying to steal his jewelry. His lawyer
also stated in a previous hearing that Brown
used his personal firearm and that the shots
were not aimed at anyone specifically. Regardless
of the final legal outcome, the news of Brown
potentially facing decades in prison has ignited
a highly polarized reaction from fans online.
The response runs the emotional spectrum from
shock and frustration over his Hall of Fame path
being derailed to profound sympathy. And the
sympathy element often points back to the high
-profile hits he took during his career, particularly
the Vontaze Burfecht hit. For those unfamiliar,
that was a brutal helmet -to -helmet hit delivered
by Burfecht in 2016 during a playoff game, which
many people, including medical professionals,
believe was the inflection point for Brown's
behavior becoming erratic and unpredictable.
And while we can't diagnose anything, the correlation
between that hit and Brown's subsequent high
-profile incidents fueled the speculation that
maybe there's something bigger going on mentally
that the league failed to address. And that leads
to the systemic criticism directed at the NFL
itself. Fans are questioning the league's long
-term care and support systems for former players,
asking, the NFL loves you until they don't. Where
are the support systems? Brown's legal issues
continue to define his polarizing legacy. A legendary
talent, a cautionary tale, and a symbol of the
NFL's complicated and often criticized relationship
with player wellness and mental health. Moving
to another high -profile legal headline involving
an NFL star, Stephon Diggs filed a serious lawsuit
against a social media influencer this week.
Yes. Diggs, who is dating Cardi B, filed the
lawsuit against Christopher Blake Griffith for
allegedly falsifying a story. And the claims
in the falsified story were incredibly heavy
and serious. Including allegations that Diggs
drugged and sexually assaulted Griffith and conspired
to have him killed to suppress his gay bisexual
secrets from becoming exposed. That is. extremely
serious libel and defamation. And Cardi B herself,
who recently welcomed her first child with Diggs,
has publicly shared screenshots and chat logs
asserting she has concrete evidence or receipts
to discredit these accusations and support Diggs'
claims. It's a messy, high -profile legal fight
that has spilled over into the celebrity and
music world, adding yet another layer of drama
to the off -field news this week. Let's end the
news bliss with a couple of fun pop culture crossover
notes, starting with the Thanksgiving halftime
show lineup. Always a highlight of the holiday
football slate, we have some blockbuster musical
acts lined up for the triple header. For the
Packers at Lions game. Detroit native Jack White
will perform at halftime, with CeCe Winans performing
the national anthem. And the Chiefs at Cowboys
game will feature the always entertaining Post
Malone headlining the halftime show. Which is
a great cultural fit for the Dallas crowd. And
finally, Lil Jon will be performing at the Bengals
at Ravens game, bringing his legendary hype energy.
A truly stellar and diverse lineup. And finally,
let's talk about injured Giants running back
Cam Scuddebo, who made a surprise appearance
outside the facility. Specifically, he was on
Monday Night Raw. Yes, Skatbo, who is out for
the season with a season -ending ankle injury,
got into a shoving match with the WWE stars,
specifically the Judgment Day, alongside comedian
Andrew Schultz at Madison Square Garden. I have
to say, for a player recovering from an ankle
injury that ended his season, watching him get
physical on television raises a few eyebrows
among fans. Oh yeah, people were online saying
things like, tell Cam to stay at home, we need
him 100 % next year, and just expressing frustration
about an injured player getting into any kind
of physical altercation, staged or not. It definitely
captured attention. Despite the staged nature
of pro wrestling, the optics of an NFL player
brawling with WWE stars while recovering from
a serious injury certainly gives fans a moment
of pause. For sure. What a week of chaos, crisis,
and controversy. As we look ahead to Week 12,
we have some absolutely critical matchups that
will likely determine the direction of the AFC
and NFC playoff races. Absolutely. It all kicks
off with Thursday Night Football. The Texans,
likely without Stroud, hosting the Bills in a
critical wildcard battle. Then, the NFC East
is likely on the line when the 8 -2 Eagles visit
the Cowboys. We also have the spiraling Chiefs
desperately trying to right the ship against
the 9 -2 Colts, which is a must -win for Kansas
City's playoff aspirations. And finally, the
Patriots, who are on an eight -game winning streak,
hosting the Bengals, who are still trying to
decide Joe Burrow's immediate future. The narrative
this season is truly unpredictable. We've seen
established, strong contenders like the Chiefs
and the Bengals spiral quickly into crisis, while
teams we barely noticed, the 7 -3 Bears, the
6 -5 Panthers, are finding ways to stack up wins
and seriously contend for playoff spots. The
AFC is a mess, the NFC picture is fluid, and
the biggest names are facing the biggest problems.
They really are. So as you look forward, consider
this. Given the entirely unpredictable nature
of this NFL season, what single factor, be it
the rising tide of high -profile injuries, the
rigidity of certain coaching philosophies like
Dan Campbell's fourth -down obsession, or the
sudden volatility of quarterback play, do you
think determines which current playoff contender
falls entirely out of the picture by the end
of December? That's the core question, because
the margin for error is razor thin. Teams like
the Chiefs or Bengals have the talent, but if
the instability at the coaching level or a crucial
injury at quarterback persists, one critical
weakness can absolutely derail a season instantly.
I would focus heavily on the health of the quarterbacks
in Week 12. Food for thought as we head into
Week 12 in the holiday football season. Thanks
for joining us for Football Army.