By Suraj Karowa/ANW
November 17, 2025
As the 2025 NFL season barrels toward Thanksgiving, the playoff landscape is a whirlwind of upstarts and fallen giants. More than half the division leaders—teams like the Broncos, Colts, and Bears—haven’t hoisted a crown in over five years.
Injuries mount, rivalries boil over, and history unfolds overseas. Week 11’s Sunday slate delivered drama, from Madrid’s gridiron debut to Aaron Rodgers’ sideline exit. Here’s the rundown on a day that flipped scripts and fueled narratives.
Dolphins Edge Commanders in Spain’s NFL Premiere
The NFL planted its flag in Europe with a bang—or rather, a boot. At Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home to soccer dynasty Real Madrid, the Miami Dolphins outlasted the Washington Commanders 16-13 in overtime, marking the league’s first regular-season game in Spain.
In a nation where “fútbol” reigns supreme, irony abounded: The affair was a kicker’s clinic, with five field goals and just two touchdowns combined.
Miami’s Riley Patterson sealed it with a 29-yard overtime boot, silencing a crowd more accustomed to Messi than Mahomes.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel called it “a surreal pivot for American football here—kicks over headers, but we’ll take the W.”
The win vaults Miami to 6-4, keeping them in the AFC wild-card hunt, while Washington slumps to 4-6. Attendance topped 70,000, a promising sign for the NFL’s global push.
“Spain’s ready for more,” Patterson quipped postgame. “Next time, we’ll score actual touchdowns.”Rivalry Reignites: Steelers Surge, But Rodgers’ Wrist Raises Alarms
Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium crackled with AFC North venom as the Steelers demolished the Cincinnati Bengals 34-12, reclaiming divisional atop with a 7-3 mark—their first crown chase since 2020.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Monday imaging awaits, but ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported a feared “slight break,” per sources. Backup Mason Rudolph steadied the ship, but the void looms large.
The rout turned raw in the fourth: Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase and Steelers CB Jalen Ramsey clashed, with Ramsey ejected for a punch. Ramsey claimed provocation—”He spit on me”—while Chase denied it: “I ain’t ever opened my mouth to that guy.”
Video from WXIX appears to corroborate Ramsey, echoing this season’s second spitting scandal (after a Week 8 incident). The NFL vowed review, potentially fining both.
“Trash talk’s fine; fluids aren’t,” Ramsey told reporters. Chase fired back: “Something got under his skin.” Pittsburgh’s D feasted with two pick-sixes, underscoring their grit sans Rodgers.
Allen’s Onslaught Powers Bills; Broncos Buck Chiefs’ Dynasty Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium hosted a playoff preview gone haywire: The Bills torched the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 44-32 in a nine-lead-change thriller, improving to 8-2.
MVP frontrunner Josh Allen authored a masterpiece—three passing TDs and three rushing scores, his legs turning defense into confetti. “It’s the magic of Buffalo,” Allen grinned, celebrating a go-ahead scamper.
Tampa (6-4) hung tough behind Baker Mayfield’s arm, but couldn’t corral the dual-threat dynamo. The win keeps Buffalo nipping the AFC East-leading Patriots (7-3), who stunned the Jets 27-14 on Thursday—their first divisional perch since Brady’s 2019 farewell.
Out West, Denver’s Empower Field became a fortress again: The Broncos (7-3) stunned the Kansas City Chiefs 22-19 on Wil Lutz’s 35-yard walk-off field goal, their sixth home win and first division lead since 2015.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes mustered one TD—a 21-yard dart to Travis Kelce, who snagged his 84th score, eclipsing Priest Holmes as KC’s all-time leader. But Denver’s defense, led by sacks from Nik Bonitto, bottled the dynasty (now 5-5). Three fourth-quarter kicks from Lutz flipped the script.
“We silenced the kingdom,” Lutz said. Kansas City, fresh off three straight Super Bowls, teeters on playoff peril—next up, the 8-2 Colts, AFC South darlings eyeing their first title since 2014.
Sanders’ Splashy (If Shaky) Debut; Eagles Stifle Lions Cleveland’s FirstEnergy Stadium saw a prodigal return: Lamar Jackson, back from injury, ignited the Ravens to a 23-16 rally over the Browns (4-6), their fourth straight W to hit .500.
But the spotlight stole Shedeur Sanders, Deion’s son and fifth-round rookie. Thrust in after Dillon Gabriel’s third-quarter concussion, the 23-year-old went 4-for-16, 47 yards, and one pick in a debut more fumble than flair. “First one’s in the books—onto the next,” Sanders shrugged.
Baltimore trailed 13-3 before TE Mark Andrews’ trickery: On 4th-and-1, the “tush push” feinted left, but Andrews veered right for a 35-yard TD jaunt, his second score. “Misdirection’s our jam,” Jackson laughed.
In the NFC West, the Rams (8-2) swiped first place with a 21-19 grinder over the Seahawks (7-3), feasting on Sam Darnold’s four picks—two for TDs. Kamren Kinchens’ duo of INTs proved pivotal.
Fútbol Meets Football:
Sunday capped at the Linc: Defending champs Eagles (7-3) grinded out a 16-9 defensive masterclass over the Lions (6-4). Philly’s secondary blanked Detroit under 10 points for the second straight week, a blueprint for another ring run. The loss cedes NFC North solo lead to the Bears (7-3), who slipped past Minnesota 19-17—Chicago’s first divisional throne tease since 2018, despite a minus-12 point differential.
Full Sunday Scores:
Dolphins 16-13 (OT) Commanders (Madrid)
Packers 27-20 Giants
Texans 16-13 Titans
Panthers 30-27 (OT) Falcons
Bears 19-17 Vikings
Jaguars 35-6 Chargers
Bills 44-32 Buccaneers
Steelers 34-12 Bengals
49ers 41-22 Cardinals
Rams 21-19 Seahawks
Broncos 22-19 Chiefs
Ravens 23-16 Browns
Eagles 16-9 Lions
With byes for the Colts and others, the grind intensifies. Rodgers’ wrist? Chiefs’ collapse? Sanders’ growth? Week 12 looms, promising more twists in this guard-changing saga.