As the season drags on and the playoff picture begins to take focus, the 2025NFLcampaign is shaping up to be a year marked by a changing of the guard.
More than half of the league's current division leaders are teams on a 5-plus-year division championship drought.
With Thanksgiving drawing near and the long grind of the season starting to take its toll, time will tell which of these contenders has the moxie to take it across the finish line.
Here's what you may have missed on Week 11's Sunday.
Football, not fútbol, debuts in Spain
The day began with a piece of NFL history in Madrid. The Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders met in the league's first ever regular season game in Spain.
Playing at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the home ground of EuropeansoccergiantReal Madrid, the Dolphins prevailed over the Commanders 16-13 in overtime.
The game featured plenty of kicking – an ironic turn of events in the soccer-mad nation – as the Dolphins and Commanders combined for five field goals and just two touchdowns.
In the end, it was a 29-yard kick in OT from Miami's Riley Patterson that lifted the Dolphins to the win.
Aaron Rodgers exits with injury in contentious rivalry game
In one of the league's most heated rivalries, the Pittsburgh Steelers blasted the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12 to press their advantage in the AFC North.
The Steelers sit atop the division after the victory, seeking their first AFC North crown since 2020.
The win came with a cost, however, as Pittsburgh's future Hall of Fame quarterbackAaron Rodgersleft the game at halftime with an injured wrist.
Rodgers came down hard on his left, non-throwing wrist while being tackled late in the second quarter. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after the game that his starting QB will undergo further examination on the wrist on Monday.
Later Sunday evening, ESPN's Adam Schefterreportedthat the team fears that Rodgers has "a slight break" in his left wrist, citing unnamed sources.
The Steelers cruised in the second half without the four-time MVP signal-caller thanks to a pair of defensive touchdowns and solid play from backup quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Things turned ugly in the fourth quarter after a scuffle broke out between Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase and Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey, with Ramsey being ejected from the game for throwing a punch.
After the game, Ramsey told reporters the punch was prompted by Chase spitting on him: "He spit on me. I don't give a f**k after that, respectfully. I'm always gonna be all for trash talking, sh*t talking, stuff like that. I actually enjoy that part of the game."
Chase denied the accusations while speaking to reporters in the locker room postgame,saying, "I ain't ever open my mouth to that guy.
"We were going back and forth the whole time, so I'm sure something got under his skin … I didn't spit on nobody."
However,videoshot by CNN affiliate WXIX does appear to show Chase spit on Ramsey, the second high-profilespitting incidentin the NFL this season.
An NFL spokesman confirmed toCNN Sportsthat the league will be reviewing the incident.
Bills beat Bucs in barnburner
In a matchup of two teams seemingly destined for the postseason, the Buffalo Bills emerged victorious after a high-scoring slugfest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The game featured an astonishing nine lead changes, with the Bills ultimately walking away with the 44-32 win.
Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen improved his chances to lift the award again as he tallied a mind-boggling six touchdowns in the game. The Bills quarterback threw three TDs and also ran for three scores in the thrilling contest.
The Bills needed the win as they try to keep pace with the surprising New England Patriots, who lead the AFC East after a 27-14 victory over the New York Jets on Thursday night.
The Pats haven't won the division since 2019 when Tom Brady was still under center in New England and look like the real deal this season.
Broncos deal the Chiefs a devastating defeat
The Denver Broncos took firm control of the AFC West with a 22-19 win against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have won the division nine consecutive seasons.
Denver improved to a perfect 6-0 at home this season as the Broncos' stout defense stymied the Chiefs.
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes' lone touchdown on the day was a 21-yard strike to tight end Travis Kelce with just under 10 minutes left in the game to put the Chiefs up three.
The score was Kelce's 84th touchdown, making him the Chiefs' all-time TD leader by passing Priest Holmes.
The Broncos were powered by the mighty right leg of kicker Wil Lutz, who drilled five field goals in the game – and three in the fourth quarter – including a game-winning 35-yarder as time expired.
After the loss, the Chiefs, who have appeared in three straight Super Bowls and seven straight AFC Championship games, drop to 5-5 on the season and are in serious danger of missing the playoffs.
The road doesn't get any easier for the Chiefs either. Next week, Kansas City faces the impressive Indianapolis Colts, who enjoyed a bye this week. Indy is one of the NFL's biggest surprises this season; with one of the AFC's best records at 8-2, the Colts are poised to win the AFC South for the first time since 2014.
Meanwhile, the Broncos now sit two games clear of the Los Angeles Chargers in pursuit of their first division crown since 2015.
Shedeur Sanders makes NFL debut as Browns fall to Ravens
After losing four straight games amid an injury toquarterback Lamar Jackson, the return of the Baltimore's two-time league MVP has sparked a four-game winning streak as the Ravens have clawed their way back to .500 and back in the AFC playoff discussion.
The Ravens had to rally on Sunday for a 23-16 win against the Cleveland Browns after trailing 13-3 in the first half.
The Browns' fortunes turned when quarterback Dillon Gabriel was knocked out of the game with a concussion early in the third quarter. The injury set the stage for the NFL debut of 2025 fifth-round draft pickShedeur Sanders, son of Hall of FamerDeion Sanders.
Sanders' first NFL game was a forgettable one, as the 23-year-old went just 4-of-16 passing for 47 yards and one interception.
Tied at 16 late in the fourth quarter, the game was still in doubt until an inspired bit of misdirection just before the two-minute warning gave Baltimore its first lead since the first quarter.
On a 4th & 1, Baltimore lined up in the "tush push" formation with tight end Mark Andrews under center. But instead of plowing forward, Andrews took the ball to the right edge and ran untouched for a 35-yard, game-winning touchdown.
Darnold's 4 INTs doom Seahawks
With the NFC West lead on the line, neither the Seattle Seahawks nor the Los Angeles Rams played their best football.
But in the end, Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold's four interceptions – two of which led to Rams touchdowns – proved to be the difference in LA's 21-19 win. Safety Kamren Kinchens hauled in two of the interceptions for LA.
With the win, the Rams take sole possession of first place in the division at 8-2, while the Seahawks fall to 7-3 on the year.
Eagles outlast Lions in defensive struggle
In Sunday's finale, the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles met the Detroit Lions in one of Week 11's most anticipated matchups.
The result may not have been pretty at times, but the Eagles escaped with a 16-9 home win in a game dominated by the defenses.
The Eagles' offense might not be firing like it was during last season's playoff run, but the team's certainly sporting a championship-caliber defense. For the second consecutive week, Philly held a playoff contender under 10 points.
The Lions' loss puts the Chicago Bears alone atop the NFC North after the Bears eked past the Minnesota Vikings 19-17 earlier in the day. Despite a negative point differential on the season, Chicago boasts a 7-3 record as the Monsters of the Midway eye their first division title since 2018.
Full NFL Week 11 Sunday scores
Away @ home (winners in bold)
Washington Commanders 13-16 (OT)Miami Dolphins(in Madrid, Spain)
Green Bay Packers27-20 New York Giants
Houston Texans16-13 Tennessee Titans
Carolina Panthers30-27 (OT) Atlanta Falcons
Chicago Bears19-17 Minnesota Vikings
Los Angeles Chargers 6-35Jacksonville Jaguars
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 32-44Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals 12-34Pittsburgh Steelers
San Francisco 49ers41-22 Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks 19-21Los Angeles Rams
Kansas City Chiefs 19-22Denver Broncos
Baltimore Ravens23-16 Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions 9-16Philadelphia Eagles
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