The 2024 NFL regular season has completed 11 weeks. We are hurtling toward the holidays. In Week 12, we have six teams on a bye. Week 13 features three Thanksgiving games. This season has just flown by, yet, we continue to learn things.
In Week 11, favorites were 10-4 straight up (SU), while going 9-5 against the spread (ATS). The over cashed in eight of the 14 games, too, after we saw the under cash at a 9-4-1 clip in 14 games the previous weekend.
What else did we learn from Week 11? Let’s take a look at a handful of the biggest takeaways.
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What We Learned From Week 11 of the 2024 NFL Season
Bo Knows Covers
The Denver Broncos made the controversial move, at least controversial to come, to pay QB Russell Wilson wheelbarrows full of money to go away. His services were no longer needed in the Mile Hile City after two tumultuous seasons with head coach Sean Payton.
The latter decided to bring in QB Zach Wilson and selected QB Bo Nix in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Orange-clad fans were wringing their hands, wondering why. We’re finding out that Payton knows a thing or two about personnel evaluation, namely at the quarterback position.
The Broncos pounded the Atlanta Falcons 38-6 in Week 11, rebounding nicely from a gut-wrenching 16-14 loss at Kansas City in Week 10 as a 7-point underdog. While, yes, Denver was blown out in Baltimore in Week 9, this is a team that is 6-3 SU in the past nine games, while going 7-2 ATS since Week 3.
Nix was mistake-prone early on and all the worries Denver fans looked warranted. But, Payton stayed the course. In Week 3, Nix and the offense broke through for a stunning 26-7 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Denver is 3-2 SU in its past five games on the road while going 5-1 ATS in six games away from home this season. At home, Denver has won and covered three of the past four games.
The Broncos might want to petition commissioner Roger Goodell to move to the NFC South, too, as Denver moved to 4-0 SU/ATS against the division while going 5-0 ATS against the NFC overall this season.
Actually, Cleveland Does Not Rock
The Cleveland Browns are pitiful. Remember when some talking heads, players and coaches considered this a playoff team and a potential Super Bowl contender? Remember?
The Browns emerged from a bye with QB Jameis Winston heading down to New Orleans to battle his former team. Winston was fired up, flirting with 400 passing yards, but the rest of the team, in particular the defense, ate it in the Big Easy.
The Browns lost 35-14 against the Saints in a second half where they showed no heart outside of Winston and WRs Jerry Jeudy and Elijah Moore. That triumvirate battled until the end. The defense, not so much.
Cleveland’s defense has allowed 20+ points in eight straight games and nine of 10 games this season. Allowing 20 points isn’t a deal breaker normally, but when the offense has scored 18 or fewer points in nine out of 10 games overall… yeah, that’s gonna be a problem.
The Browns meet the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night, and hey, Cleveland did win its most recent divisional game against the Baltimore Ravens of all teams, winning 29-24, as a 7-point underdog. So, you never know.
Jones-ing for Points
The Jacksonville Jaguars have been without QB Trevor Lawrence (shoulder) for the past two games, with QB Mac Jones starting. It has been a disaster.
Yes, Lawrence wasn’t killing it this season, but before his injury, the offense was averaging 27.3 points per game (PPG) in three games, with the Jaguars going 3-0 ATS.
While, yes, the Jaguars did cover in Jones’ first start in Week 10 against the Minnesota Vikings, it was mainly due to the defense. Jacksonville fell 12-7 at home, covering as a 7-point underdog. Jones led the team to just 87 passing yards while the team rushed for a combined 56 yards in the loss to the Vikings. It was the defense that held Minnesota to a 0-for-5 red-zone efficiency mark and 0-for-1 goal-to-go efficiency.
Jones did lead the Jaguars to a 3-0 lead 5:24 into the first quarter in Detroit in Week 11. Cam Little booted a 59-yard field goal and Jacksonville had the league as a double-digit underdog. It was outscored 52-3 the rest of the game.
The run game was again poor, going for 41 yards, but the passing game managed just 129 yards. This time, Detroit was 5-for-5 in red-zone efficiency and 5-for-5 in goal-to-go efficiency. The defense knuckled under after having so much pressure heaped upon it in Week 10. The Lions had 38 first downs to just 10 for the Jaguars.
Jones is done. He might get another start. But, after the New England Patriots bailed on him, it looks like he has hit rock bottom in Duval.
Daniel E. Dobish is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Daniel, check out his archive and follow him @danieledobish.