NFL Week 11 Recap: Giving Thanks

It's that time of the year again: Thanksgiving. I love Thanksgiving; always have. Good food, time with family, and some intriguing football. Week 11 was the final week prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, and in this recap of the week that was, I would like to list all of the things I'm thankful for as a football fan.

First off, I am thankful that the New England Patriots are good again, but I am more thankful that it's more...pure. No elitism, no egotistical players, no controversy, just a group of ragtag players, and some old-fashioned football. It's only Year 2 of the post-Tom Brady era, yet the Patriots now find themselves on top of the AFC East. The Patriots kicked off Week 11 with a 25-0 win over the hapless Atlanta Falcons, and it was the Buffalo Bills' home blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts that resulted in the Pats taking the lead in the division. These division rivals have yet to face each other this season; their first meeting will take place on Monday, December 6, with the Bills being the home team. Those two meetings will determine who wins the AFC East.

Speaking of the Bills, I am thankful that I never jump to conclusions. Ever. The Bills lose two out of three, it's not even December yet, yet people are saying that they may miss the playoffs. Come on. The Bills are 6-4. They're a half game out of the division lead. They are still in a playoff position. They still have Josh Allen at quarterback. Take your hands off the panic button. How about letting the next few weeks play out before lowering the proverbial boom? The Bills are fine. They'll be in the playoffs. It's only the division that's in question.

I said this before, but I'll repeat it here: I am very thankful that Cam Newton is back in the league, and back with the Carolina Panthers. I've always been a fan of Cam Newton; I think he's one of the most underrated QBs in the NFL, and I honestly think that people forget that this is the same QB who led the Panthers all the way to Super Bowl 50 just six years ago. Newton was signed by the Panthers prior to Week 10, and Week 11 marked his homecoming--his first home game back with the Panthers. Fittingly, the Panthers faced off against the Washington Football Team, who was coached by Ron Rivera, the very man who coached Cam in Charlotte. The homecoming wasn't a successful one for Cam, as the Panthers lost, 27-21, to WFT, who were coming off a big win against the Buccaneers on the previous week.

As a Packers fan, I am thankful that this is a complete team finally. Though the Packers lost, 34-31, to the Minnesota Vikings, it was still a good game from the team overall. 385 yards and 4 TDs from Aaron Rodgers, and the defense (despite giving up 34) still did quite a few things. The loss, coupled with the Arizona Cardinals' win over the Seattle Seahawks, knocked the Packers down to the #2 seed. But here's the thing. Last year, I would have been rattled. The defense still had problems and the race for #1 was deeper, and the Packers had to pull out all stops. This year? I have no worries. Everybody is doing everything right. The one team ahead of the Packers right now is Arizona, the same Arizona who lost to the Packers at home this season.

Do not get me wrong; getting #1 in the conference would be huge, but honestly, this team may not need it. Even if the Packers and Cardinals do have a rematch on January 30, 2022 (the NFC Championship), the regular season matchup shows that home field won't really matter. So if the Packers get #1, great. If not, the team's complete anyway. The Packers are in good shape.

I am immensely thankful that I am not a Chicago Bears fan, because I couldn't handle my season being over before Thanksgiving. The Chicago Bears are awful. This team couldn't even beat a Baltimore Ravens team who was playing without their star QB and their #1 receiver. The Bears have always been a defensive team, but at least, in years past, their offense had been somewhat visible. In the last two or three seasons, the Bears offense is like a Lombardi Trophy in Minnesota: nonexistent. I seriously think the Chicago Blackhawks could outscore the Bears, they are that terrible. In my many years of lamenting over the Packers' lack of defense, there are two times a year where I never have to worry or complain about the defense, and they are the two times that the Packers face the Bears.

Facing the Bears is a bye week for opposing defenses. They say you can't take teams lightly. You can take the Bears lightly. And while I'm in the spirit of giving thanks, I have some advice for the Bears and their fans: be very, very thankful that the Detroit Lions are in the NFC North. The Lions make the Bears look like the Packers.

Mike Tomlin should be thankful that he's the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, because the Steelers don't fire coaches. I am not saying that what's going wrong with the Steelers is Tomlin's fault, but what has been happening in recent weeks has been very damning. Barely surviving the Bears, tying a Lions team who is now 0-9-1, and losing a shootout to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 11. The game itself was great, but the Steelers needed that game. As a result, they became the only AFC North team to lose this week, and they are now barely ahead of the last place Cleveland Browns. But again, even if this was Tomlin's fault, he won't get fired. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches since 1969; Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher, and now Tomlin. Coaching the Steelers is a lifetime contract.

I know it's been two years, but I am so thankful that Mike McCarthy isn't the Packers coach anymore. However, I still can't believe that he's the coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Every game McCarthy has coached, he continues to prove that his overall relevance is solely because of Aaron Rodgers. Sunday was yet another example. The Kansas City Chiefs entered with one of the worst defenses in the league this year, yet Dallas couldn't find the end zone against them. Even Jordan Love threw a TD pass against KC, but Love has an actual coach. Dak Prescott doesn't. Dallas only put up three field goals against the immensely maligned Chiefs defense. The sound you hear is Packers fans laughing at Dallas for having McCarthy; I am not one of them, and that's mainly because my dad is a Cowboys fan, so all I do is shake my head.

So what's on tap this Thanksgiving? Three games; first, the Detroit Lions hosting the Chicago Bears, then it's the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Las Vegas Raiders (who are coming off a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals), and finally, the Buffalo Bills heading to New Orleans to face the struggling Saints. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ended their two-game slide on Monday Night Football, and they will be off to Indianapolis to face the Colts. On Sunday Night Football, it's an AFC North battle between the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, and finally, the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Football Team will have the Monday Night spotlight.

In closing, I hope that everyone has a happy and wondrous Thanksgiving! Enjoy the food, enjoy your family, and enjoy the football!