Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season has arrived, and league insiders Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano are here to break down the biggest questions, latest news and notable buzz heading into the slate of games. Plus, they pick out which players should — or shouldn’t — be in your fantasy football lineups.
What are people around the NFL saying about the Cowboys’ season that keeps getting worse? What about the Bears’ offense, which has struggled so much that Chicago fired its coordinator on Tuesday? And because some teams are beginning to peer ahead to the offseason, what lies ahead for Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, who is set to be a free agent? Can he be a starter somewhere in 2025? Finally, which players could break out down the stretch and help their contenders make a playoff push?
It’s all here, as our insiders answer big questions and empty their reporting notebooks with everything they’ve heard heading into Week 11.
Jump to a section:
Cowboys’ future | Darnold’s free agency
Bears’ offensive woes | Breakout candidates
Fantasy tips | Latest intel and notes
What are you hearing about the Cowboys’ disastrous season and Mike McCarthy’s job status?
Graziano: The Cowboys are coming to grips with the fact that their 2024 roster wasn’t what they thought it was, and quarterback Dak Prescott being out for the rest of the season because of a hamstring injury brings home the fact they aren’t likely going to the playoffs. So they’re already talking about what to do to fix things. I was in Dallas over the weekend, and there’s a great deal of chatter about who might be coaching the team next year, as Mike McCarthy is not signed for 2025. It would surprise a lot of people to see him back. Jerry Jones has made it clear he won’t change coaches during the season, so McCarthy will at least get to coach out the season.
In the meantime, the plan is to start Cooper Rush at quarterback because they believe he gives them the best chance to win games. They’ll also incorporate some packages around Trey Lance, as we saw Sunday, and there might come a point when Lance takes over as the starter — but only if Rush looks overwhelmed.
Fowler: This is not something the Cowboys expected, despite the narrative that the franchise’s inaction this offseason would be detrimental to success. Dallas produced back-to-back-to-back 12-win seasons and returned many of the same players from those runs. They had reasons to believe they would be more competitive, thinking young players such as linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and defensive ends Sam Williams and Marshawn Kneeland would take off, complementing the stars already in place. Well, Overshown has been great, but Williams and Kneeland were two of four key pass rushers to go down because of injury.
On that point, I believe the cratering started when linebacker Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Williams and Kneeland were all out at the same time. The Cowboys couldn’t rush the passer. Offensively, Dallas knew running the ball effectively could be a challenge with a backfield featuring Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott, but that has gone worse than expected. Toss in Prescott’s injury, and morale has downshifted. The Cowboys felt they had chances to win the San Francisco and Atlanta games, but I sense more uncertainty now when talking to people with the team after the blowout loss to Philadelphia.
Graziano: Looking ahead, Dallas will have cap issues in 2025, but most of those can be alleviated with simple restructures to the Prescott and CeeDee Lamb contracts and an extension for Parsons. The Cowboys are going to need to address wide receiver, running back, offensive line and several positions on defense in the offseason. Veterans such as Lawrence, guard Zack Martin and wide receiver Brandin Cooks are free agents and probably will be gone. They don’t like to rebuild in Dallas, but the Cowboys are in line for a significant retooling, if nothing else.
And the speculation around Parsons has already started, rooted in the idea that trading him would bring a treasure trove of draft picks to help them restock. I have a hard time seeing Jones green-lighting a Parsons trade, but keeping him would mean having the highest-paid quarterback, the highest-paid non-quarterback and the second highest-paid wide receiver in the league.
Fowler: Yeah, Parsons is the key piece to all of this. How will Dallas handle his market, which will balloon well above $30 million per year? Should the pass rusher’s comments to reporters Sunday about McCarthy be taken as a hint of unhappiness? Maybe that’s a leap, but one that a few coaches around the league made this week via text.
The feeling coming out of last season was that McCarthy needed a deep playoff push to have his contract extended. Now that he sits at 3-6, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which he saves his job. This seems like a clean time for Dallas to rebuild the coaching staff and part of the roster at the same time.
Get out your crystal ball: Where will Sam Darnold be next season — and will he be a starter?
Fowler: Let’s go with the Titans. I’ve identified at least six teams that either need a bridge quarterback or could entertain the notion soon. The Titans are in the latter category. Will Levis has the next eight games to show he can be the long-term answer at quarterback. Maybe he proves the Titans right. But if his penchant for interceptions reemerges, the Titans will need contingencies in 2025. Darnold is a proven commodity who would give Tennessee a bridge starter option while it continues to develop Levis or selects a quarterback high in the 2025 draft. So in this scenario, he would be the starter for coach Brian Callahan.
Many teams — the Panthers, Colts, Raiders, Browns and possibly the Jets — face a similar plight. Do any of those make sense for Darnold? Or is a return to Minnesota still on the table?
Graziano: The Jets are the objectively hilarious destination — they drafted him in 2018 and moved on after three seasons. But my wild-card pick here is the Rams, assuming Matthew Stafford decides to move on (which I’m not reporting, but Stafford is obviously year-to-year at this point of his career). Darnold had a nice season with Kyle Shanahan in a backup role in San Francisco last season and has obviously done well with Kevin O’Connell this year, so he knows the basics of the offense Sean McVay runs. And McVay is the kind of coach — like Shanahan and O’Connell — who would design things to make Darnold as comfortable as possible and put him in the best position to succeed.
I doubt Darnold ends up back in Minnesota, where the Vikings want to have the decks cleared for J.J. McCarthy once their first-round pick is healthy again. Never say never, of course, and if McCarthy’s recovery from his knee injury is delayed, who knows? But my guess is someone will want to pay Darnold more than the Vikings, given McCarthy’s status as their future starter.
Fowler: I’m not taking a return to Minnesota completely off the table. What if Darnold and the Vikings win 12 games and make a playoff run? It’s totally plausible, and perhaps Darnold would be open to another short-term deal. After all, being coached by O’Connell and throwing to receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison along with tight end T.J. Hockenson each week is a better scenario than almost any alternative. The money speaks in these situations, but Darnold starting in 2025 would give McCarthy another season to develop behind the scenes before taking over in Year 3 of his rookie deal.
Graziano: Yeah, again, never say never. But waiting until Year 3 to play your rookie quarterback is a tough way to go. (Looking at you, Falcons.) You must decide on the fifth-year option after Year 3, and one season’s worth of evidence isn’t a ton.
My understanding is that the Vikings were planning to open the 2024 season with Darnold as the starter even if McCarthy were healthy, but that they expected to transition to McCarthy as the season went along. The injury is a developmental setback, but having been in the building for a year means McCarthy will be further ahead in August 2025 than he was in August 2024. Bringing back Darnold and rerunning the original 2024 plan could do more harm than good to McCarthy’s development at that point.
What are people around the league saying about the Bears’ struggling offense?
Graziano: Well, the Bears spoke the loudest Tuesday when they fired offensive coordinator Shane Waldron after only nine games. That’s not a sign that things are going well.
Basically, there’s a lot of disappointment. You look at the situations in Washington with Jayden Daniels and in Denver with Bo Nix, and you see teams that have built offenses with plenty of elements to make their rookie quarterbacks comfortable. Yes, they’re developing them, but there’s enough in the playbook for those rookies to fall back on when things go awry. But people I’ve spoken to feel too much has been asked of Caleb Williams in Chicago. He didn’t enter the league with nearly as much starting experience as Daniels or Nix.
Fowler: Sources are saying Williams looks rattled — that he has become tentative, trying to avoid mistakes. That has affected fundamentals such as footwork and timing. “Can’t hold onto the ball in this league, and you can’t run around like he does, either,” said an AFC executive who has watched Williams up close this season.
Graziano: Thomas Brown, the Bears’ interim offensive coordinator, did some decent things with Bryce Young late last season when he was elevated to the same position after the firing of Panthers coach Frank Reich. He could be good for Williams’ short-term development if he can get him in the right situations. But things haven’t gone as well for the top overall pick, as much of the offseason sentiment about his situation might have led us to believe they would.
Fowler: Williams’ relative inexperience with understanding protections could play a part in all this, and sequencing is an issue. In other words, plays are being called seemingly at random, without a clear plan. And the way the Bears’ offense was built feeds into this.
The Bears have three established receivers and a good tight end but have provided little-to-no evidence they can marry the run game and play-action with the downfield passing attack, resulting in a rookie sitting in the pocket for too long against a defense that knows what’s coming. Veteran receiver Keenan Allen hasn’t looked like himself, and Pro Bowl wideout DJ Moore looks more unmotivated by the week. The offensive line is a mess, and not just because of injury; cohesion is lacking, with a mix of draft picks and established veterans who have struggled to coexist. Other than that … everything’s great.
Graziano: Yeah, I think there’s a feeling around the league the Bears probably will be looking for a new coach in the offseason, and that their targets will be QB-centric guys. That might not be fair to current head coach Matt Eberflus, but his inability to select a successful offensive coordinator could be what does him in. Looking at the rest of the division, Bears ownership sees young star coaches in Minnesota and Green Bay and the ultimate culture-building coach in Detroit. So it is probably going to want to make a dynamic and exciting hire — especially one who maximizes their investment in Williams.
Fowler: This is a prime opportunity for Brown, who has interviewed for several head-coaching jobs in recent years. The Bears won’t be able to fix the offensive line before Sunday’s game against Green Bay, so the key is making Williams feel comfortable and helping him throw on time more often. Basically, Brown and the Bears’ staff need to provide Williams with more answers.
Which players could break out in the second half of the season?
Fowler: I’ll start with Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy. He has 20 catches for 246 yards and five total touchdowns through nine games, and the eye test says he’s capable of more. The Chiefs need someone to capitalize on the void left behind by injured receivers Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster. The recently acquired DeAndre Hopkins seems up to the challenge, with 14 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in three games with the Chiefs. But if Kansas City is going to get to another Super Bowl, Worthy needs to be more of a factor. And his brilliant speed says he can and will be.
There are many more options here, Dan, including a star running back who recently returned to the 49ers’ lineup …
Graziano: Thanks for the easy tee-up. I would guess that most people expect the return of Christian McCaffrey will help make things right for the 49ers, especially with star wideout Brandon Aiyuk out for the season. But I’m going to go a little further toward the edge of the radar screen.
I think rookie wideout Rome Odunze has a chance to become a focal point of the Bears’ offense if Chicago can get it somewhat together on that side of the ball. I’m also curious to see what rookie running back Audric Estime can do with what looks to be an expanded role in Denver. And if the Giants make a quarterback switch to Drew Lock, it’s possible their rookies — wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. — produce at a high level. (I just don’t think the Giants’ offense is going anywhere if they stick with Daniel Jones.)
Fowler: Defensively, watch for pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. to spark the Texans’ defense over the next eight weeks. Anderson was rolling with 7.5 sacks before hurting his ankle two weeks ago. Assuming his health recovers, the Texans can use edge pressure to help seal the late-game victories that have eluded them the past couple of weeks. Luckily for them, the Texans have a comfortable two-game lead in the AFC South despite sitting at 6-4, along with the head-to-head tiebreaker over the second-place Colts.
Also, watch for Lions safety Kerby Joseph to continue his ball-hawking ways. His ball production has been impressive since entering the league, with 14 career interceptions midway through his third NFL season. Detroit’s safety duo of Joseph and Brian Branch will have heavy influence on the NFC North.
Graziano: When looking at players who were moved into better situations at the trade deadline, I think cornerback Marshon Lattimore has a chance to make a big impact in Washington if he recovers from his hamstring injury. Could he play Thursday against the Eagles in a huge NFC East matchup? Keep an eye on that.
Preston Smith was an under-the-radar add for the Steelers, but with Alex Highsmith injured again, Smith could get some high-leverage pass-rush opportunities while offenses focus on trying to stop T.J. Watt. Staying in Pittsburgh, the Steelers planned to ease wide receiver Mike Williams into action, but he had to step in for injured Calvin Austin III on Sunday and ended up catching the winning touchdown in his Steelers debut. As a good contested-catch receiver, Williams combining with George Pickens down the stretch could be critical in helping Russell Wilson continue his strong play in Pittsburgh.
What’s your top fantasy football tip of the week?
Graziano: I like Titans receiver Calvin Ridley to keep it rolling against a Vikings defense that has given up the third-most points to wide receivers this season. It’s a little dicey to trust Levis at quarterback, and it’s certainly possible that Brian Flores’ pressures cause Levis to have a rough day. But even if that happens, Ridley is pretty much the only non-running back option in the Titans’ offense, and the two-touchdown performance he had in Week 10 should ease any concerns about whether he can produce with Levis at QB. I kind of like Ridley the rest of the season, given the Titans’ matchups.
Fowler: Consider the Browns’ Nick Chubb as an RB2 option this week. The Saints are among the league’s worst in defending opposing running backs. In fact, the past four lead backs to face the Saints have a combined seven touchdowns (and a whole lot of yards) against them. Chubb has been waiting to break out since returning from a serious knee injury in Week 7. And considering Cleveland’s quarterback woes, he will remain a focal point.
What else are you hearing this week?
Fowler’s notes:
- The once-popular trend of plucking college head coaches for NFL jobs has slowed in recent years. All but one of the 32 sitting head coaches (Chargers’ Jim Harbaugh) came directly from an NFL job. Recent NFL failures of Urban Meyer and Matt Rhule haven’t helped the collegiate pipeline. But a league exec I trust brought up an interesting name to me this week: Oregon’s Dan Lanning. “He’s got some Dan Campbell to him,” the exec said. While Campbell is in his own class right now, Lanning knows how to command a room, and the Ducks are 32-5 since he took over. Anyway, that’s just a potentially intriguing name I’m filing away.
- Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is generating more NFL buzz than in the past. His name comes up more often in league circles than I remember, and that’s not just in relation to the Saints job, to which he has ties as a former assistant coach there. He has always had leadership traits, and now he has the proof of concept with Detroit’s surging defense.
- I’m expecting the Panthers to stick with Bryce Young. They felt Young played better in Week 10, despite throwing for 45 fewer yards than the previous week on nearly as many pass attempts (25 against the Giants on Sunday compared to 26 the previous week vs. the Saints). He was more efficient and threw on time with conviction. So while coach Dave Canales is still mum on the post-bye starter, it’s now starting to feel as if Young is keeping the job based on merit.
- I wouldn’t expect sweeping changes to the Raiders’ offense despite the move to new coordinator Scott Turner. But the quarterback decision must be addressed. My sense is the Raiders will get through the next few practices to fully assess whether to play Gardner Minshew or newly acquired Desmond Ridder. Going away from Minshew this week would be a mild surprise.
- It certainly feels as if the end is near for Daniel Jones with the Giants. Everything adds up — the poor play, the bye week and the $23 million injury guarantee for next year. There has been no firm decision as of Tuesday night, but stay tuned.
- The Week 12 bye continues to loom large for the Jaguars and Trevor Lawrence, who hopes to play through his left shoulder injury. But with the Jags sitting at 2-8 and knowing that Lawrence needs practice reps to play, it could be an uphill battle to get him ready this week for Detroit, especially if Jacksonville opts to protect Lawrence from himself.
- Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco (fibula) is getting closer to being ready and is hoping to return to game action over the next few weeks. Kansas City plans to designate him to return from injured reserve this week. Pacheco says he believes he doesn’t need a ton of ramp-up time, since he has already been in the film room with teammates for weeks and expects his leg to be fully healed upon return. If he sits out this week’s big clash with the Bills, then returning later in November, either against the Panthers on Nov. 24 or the Raiders on Nov. 29, could be the sweet spot.
- The Bengals are hopeful Tee Higgins (quad), coming off 10 days’ rest, will be ready for the Chargers game Sunday night. Higgins, who has sat out the past three games, tested the quad last Monday but wasn’t quite ready to play in the Bengals’ Thursday night loss to the Ravens. Higgins will continue to work toward potentially playing this week. Cincinnati never felt this was a long-term injury, but it has lingered, so this week will be a big test.
- The Seahawks will ease wide receiver DK Metcalf (MCL sprain) back into practice action this week, with hopes that he can inch closer to returning.
- A source classified Lions tight end Sam LaPorta‘s shoulder injury as a strain, which is good news and possibly why Campbell called him day-to-day on Monday. LaPorta is hoping not to miss time, but the Lions will see how he progresses this week.
Graziano’s notes:
- The potential wide receiver return I’m watching most closely is Houston’s Nico Collins, because the Texans’ offense does not look right without him. The Texans are having major problems in pass protection that they tried to address by shaking up the starting lineup last week. But their second-half issues came back to bite them in a big way, as they were shut out in the second half Sunday night and blew a 23-7 lead to the Lions. The Texans have been a very poor third-quarter team for the past two seasons for some reason. Since the start of the 2023 season, Houston ranks 26th in offensive EPA and 26th in defensive EPA in the third quarter. In the first, second and fourth quarters, plus overtime, it ranks 14th in offensive EPA and sixth in defensive EPA. The Texans are focused on starting the second half better and setting the tone in a way they weren’t able to do against Detroit, because they believe it can cost them postseason games unless they get it under control.
- The Bengals bringing in veteran cornerback Xavien Howard for a workout this week indicates they know they need help on defense. The fact that they didn’t sign him, even after a workout that sources in the building told me was impressive, indicates Bengals fans shouldn’t get their hopes up about help being on the way. Cincinnati sits at 4-6, just one game out of a playoff spot in the AFC despite everything that has happened. Quarterback Joe Burrow is playing at an MVP level, and there’s a chance this could be the last run for this group. Tee Higgins and defensive end Trey Hendrickson might be elsewhere next season, and receiver Ja’Marr Chase still isn’t signed long term. But while Cincinnati’s defense isn’t what it was three seasons ago, it looks as if the Bengals will have to hope the turnaround comes from players already in the building.
- The Ravens just got running back Keaton Mitchell back from the injury he sustained late last season, and despite the huge season Derrick Henry is having, they plan to carve out a role for Mitchell. They believe he’s a guy who can generate explosive plays in the run game, and they’re mindful of not wanting to overwork the 30-year-old Henry ahead of the postseason. When it comes time to win games and put them away, they’ll rely on Henry. But don’t be surprised if you see Mitchell on the field more over the final month or so as the Ravens keep the big picture in mind.