On Thursday, April 24, we will know who the No. 1 overall pick will be in the 2025 NFL Draft as the countdown is officially on for the biggest night in the NFL offseason. This year, there are a few favorites who could be called up to the stage first in Green Bay, Wisconsin, but one player feels he deserves it most. Abdul Carter, the star defensive end out of Penn State, is confident he’s the best prospect this offseason.
“I feel like I’m the best player in the country, and the best player should be selected No. 1,” Carter, who is the overall No. 2 rated prospect on CBSSports.com, said on CBS Sports HQ.
Tennessee currently holds the first pick, and Carter therefore believes he should be a Titan.
“They have the No. 1 pick, and I want to be the No. 1 pick,” he said. “That’s the ultimate goal.”
Backing himself, the 21-year-old explained why he believes he should be first up come April: “I would just say my impact on the game, my versatility. I can play multiple positions and the biggest thing for me is I show up when it matters most.”
Carter has just one year on the edge, but despite the lack of time at the position, he was still at the top of his game. Carter says this ability to not only switch where he is on the field, but do it at such a high level, is rare.
“That’s another reason why I feel like I’m the best player in the country. Just me being in my first year at a new position, I feel like nobody’s really done this before at this level,” Carter said. “Coming in at a new position and being a first-team unanimous All-American, dominating the way I did, having an impact on the game like I did.”
2025 NFL mock draft: Giants trade for Matthew Stafford, select Abdul Carter; Raiders move up to No. 1 for QB Chris Trapasso 2025 NFL mock draft: Giants trade for Matthew Stafford, select Abdul Carter; Raiders move up to No. 1 for QB The All-American recorded 12 sacks in 2024 and credits his “gold rush” move as one reason for his collegiate success.
Whoever does draft him, whether it’s the Titans or someone else, he is open to working with the team on which position he should play.
“Definitely defensive end or edge rusher, but I feel like I could play wherever my coaches need,” Carter said. “Wherever they feel the need, that’s where I’ll play.”
Carter is still rehabbing a shoulder injury he suffered late in the season and won’t be working out at the combine, but does plan to workout at Penn State’s pro day on March 28. He’s confident that he will be at full capacity soon.
“I’m really just starting to heat it up again. Just started training and working out again so the next couple of weeks are just me getting right, getting ready for my pro day to perform at an elite level,” he said. “I think I’m about 90 percent right now. I feel like the next month, it’s going to be really close to 100.”
2025 NFL combine: Top 250 prospect rankings as Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter lead way ahead of workouts Josh Edwards 2025 NFL combine: Top 250 prospect rankings as Travis Hunter, Abdul Carter lead way ahead of workouts While some may be concerned about Carter being undersized going into the pros, the 6-foot-3, 248-pound defender is not.
“I’ve never been too small for anything my whole life,” he said. “It’s all about heart for me.”
There’s a chance he goes to his favorite team, the Philadelphia Eagles’ rival, the New York Giants, who pick at No. 3. Carter is putting his Birds fandom behind and just wants to prove to his new team he is capable of helping them win.
With the Super Bowl now in the rearview mirror, it’s time for 31 other teams to gear up and try to catch up with the recently crowned champion Philadelphia Eagles. The talent-acquisition phase of the offseason is about to begin, with free agency first up.
With that in mind, we’re spending some time here at CBSSports.com digging into each position group to identify the top available free agents. When we released our rundown of the top 25 offensive free agents last week, that group included 10 interior offensive linemen.
One of them (Zack Martin) retired, so in the space below, we’ll add another to the list and call it a top 10. That list is as follows:
(Note: Some players might agree to a new deal between now and the start of free agency).
PLAYER 2023 TEAM POSITION SNAP % AGE PREVIOUS AAV PROJECTED AAV Trey Smith Chiefs G 97.3% 26 $0.9M $19.7M Drew Dalman Falcons C 48.5% 27 $1.1M $6.8M Will Fries Colts G 24.7% 27 $0.9M $14.1M Kevin Zeitler Lions G 91.4% 35 $6.0M $9.2M Mekhi Becton Eagles G/T 78.0% 26 $2.8M $10.2M Josh Myers Packers C 93.0% 27 $1.4M $7.7M Teven Jenkins Bears G 65.0% 27 $2.1M $10.3M James Daniels Steelers G 18.4% 28 $8.8M $7.8M Brandon Scherff Jaguars G 98.1% 35 $10.0M $6.7M Patrick Mekari Ravens G/T 89.9% 28 $5.2M $10.3M Smith is widely considered the top overall offensive lineman potentially available this offseason, and either the first- or second-best free agent, period, alongside Bengals wideout Tee Higgins. The Chiefs are increasingly confident that they will be able to retain Smith, but he should have an extremely robust market if they elect not to use the franchise tag on him.
2025 NFL free agency: Biggest needs for every AFC team this offseason; how will Patriots, Raiders spend money? Jordan Dajani 2025 NFL free agency: Biggest needs for every AFC team this offseason; how will Patriots, Raiders spend money? He was a sixth-round pick who did not make all that much on his rookie deal, so he could be looking to break the bank and reset the market in free agency, which would mean that Spotrac’s projected average annual value would come in quite a bit lower than his eventual salary. The current top contract among guard’s is Landon Dickerson’s $21 million per year AAV with the Eagles.
Zeitler and Scherff are veteran stalwarts who have played at a really high level for a really long time, but due to their age they might just be getting one-year, mercenary deals from here on out. (That’s what Zeitler got from Detroit last year, for example). Aside from those two, though, the rest of this group of players is either right on the cusp of or right in the middle of their respective prime years.
Dalman, Fries and Daniels missed time with injuries this season, but they’ve all shown an ability to play at an extremely high level. Becton had a breakout season after attending Jeff Stoutland University in Philly, proving that he could stay relatively healthy and play guard at his size. Myers has been a solid starter at center throughout his career. Jenkins, after kicking inside to guard early in his carer, has shown himself to be a quality starter. And Mekari has the versatility to play pretty much anywhere, but was especially effective as a guard this past season.
As for which teams could be interested in the services of players like these, there are plenty. The Chiefs, obviously, are among that group. So are the Lions and Eagles, whether they intend to retain their top free agents or not. The Cowboys could be in the market for either a center or a guard, though they tend not to spend very much in free agency anymore.
The Dolphins have free agents at basically every position along the offensive line, so they could get in the mix. The Patriots have needs everywhere up front so they can better protect Drake Maye. The Cardinals could use some help on the inside, as could the Bears, who couldn’t keep the pocket clean for Caleb Williams last season.
The Bengals, Texans and Vikings could have needs at guard, while the Colts could use a center with Ryan Kelly set to be a free agent. The Jags probably need to revamp their offensive line. The Giants desperately need help on the interior. And the Buccaneers could use a guard if Ben Bredeson leaves town.
In other words, most of the league could use help. So, these guys should have plenty of opportunity to get paid.
INDIANAPOLIS — For a second consecutive year, the Miami Dolphins are the top-ranked team in the NFL Players Association report card.
The third annual iteration of the NFLPA report card was released Wednesday morning at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was compiled during the 2024 NFL season and had responses from 1,695 players across all 32 teams.
And also for a second straight year, the Minnesota Vikings came in second place behind the Dolphins. The Falcons, Raiders and Chargers rounded out the top five.
JC Tretter, the NFLPA’s chief strategy officer, noted Wednesday morning that the gap between fifth and eighth was “close.” The Texans, Packers and 49ers were sixth through eighth, in order.
The survey takes into account 11 different categories within teams: treatment of families, food/cafeteria, nutritionist/dietician, locker room, training room, training staff, weight room, strength coaches, team travel, head coach and owner.
The survey also showed the bottom-ranked teams in the NFL. The Steelers ranked 28th, followed by the Jets, Browns and Patriots. The Arizona Cardinals finished in last place after being ranked 27th last year.
Some of the biggest improvements involved the Falcons and Chargers. Atlanta went from 25th to third this year, and the Chargers — with their sparkling new facilities — went from 30th to fifth.
2025 NFL mock draft: Giants trade for Matthew Stafford, select Abdul Carter; Raiders move up to No. 1 for QB Chris Trapasso 2025 NFL mock draft: Giants trade for Matthew Stafford, select Abdul Carter; Raiders move up to No. 1 for QB The Commanders, who finished in last place in 2024, moved up to 11th with new owner Josh Harris taking seriously the issues from players who dealt with poor facilities and treatment from Dan Snyder, the previous owner of the team.
“You don’t have to just build a new facility,” NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell said. “Just be responsive. And we see [the owners] are being responsive.”
The survey showed there was a 41 percent increase in A’s in all the categories from last year. Tretter noted there were three times as many A-pluses than last year. When it came to D-pluses and below, those grades decreased by 51 percent from last year.
“The standard is rising, the floor is rising more than ever before,” Tretter said.
As an example, when the NFLPA first began its survey three years ago, 11 teams did not offer daycare for players’ families on game day. Last year that decreased to seven. And today it’s at three.
Stephen Ross (Dolphins) and Zygi Wilf (Vikings) ranked at the top of ownership in the league. The union broke down the ownership survey into three subcategories: willingness to invest in facilities, contributions to a positive team culture and commitment to building a competitive team.
When it came to willingness to invest in team facilities, the owners who ranked 28th to 32nd were Robert Kraft (Patriots), David Tepper (Panthers), Art Rooney II (Steelers), Michael Bidwill (Cardinals) and Woody Johnson (Jets).
On contributions to a positive team culture, the owners who ranked 28th to 32nd were Bidwill, Jimmy Haslam (Browns), Kraft, Tepper and Johnson.
And for commitment to building a competitive team, the owners who ranked 28th to 32nd were Mike Brown (Bengals), Haslam, Kraft, Johnson and Tepper.
2025 NFL trade rumors: Seven big names who could draw interest in free agency, including Pro Bowl tight end Cody Benjamin 2025 NFL trade rumors: Seven big names who could draw interest in free agency, including Pro Bowl tight end Whether NFL team owners or the league itself is willing to admit it, anecdotal evidence would suggest the annual survey has motivated owners to improve team facilities and other various categories that are surveyed. Commanders owner Josh Harris said last year that he’s “not an F-minus guy.”
“The owners are competitive, too,” Howell said. “Peer pressure matters. They don’t want to look like a laggard.”
Coaching also matters. Last year the NFLPA surveyed players for their favorite coordinators. Then-Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and then-Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris ranked third and fifth, respectively.
This year, Quinn, now the head coach of the Commanders, got the highest marks as a head coach. And Morris, now the head coach of the Falcons, ranked second.
Dallas Cowboys three-time All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons said he and the defense have to “be the light, even when it’s dark as f–k” with the Cowboys’ injury-plagued offense struggling. Parsons backed up his talk with two sacks and a forced fumble of Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts, but Dallas as a team was disappointing in a 34-6 home loss.
Parsons is now turning out the lights on his availability to the media, posting Monday that he will “just eat the fine” for skipping NFL-mandated, weekly media sessions.
“Loll damm yeah ima just eat the fine for now on! Because the way yall twist words and flip them around for content is nasty work!” Parsons posted on X.
Parsons stayed true to his word by not talking to the media on Wednesday. That’s the day the star pass rusher typically speaks to reporters every week, so it remains to be seen if he’ll continue to do so for the remainder of the season.
Loll damm yeah ima just eat the fine for now on! Because the way yall twist words and flip them around for content is nasty work!
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) November 11, 2024 Parsons’ decision comes on the heels of his comments about head coach Mike McCarthy’s job security following the Eagles loss, which came after team owner and general manager Jerry Jones openly spoke about his criteria for making coaching changes. Parsons’ words sounded like he was bashing McCarthy, who is in the final season of his Cowboys contract, despite his intent to say he felt more for players like perennial Pro Bowler lineman Zack Martin during Dallas’ 3-6 start to the year.
McCarthy ended up taking time out of his Monday morning to chat 1-on-1 with Parsons to resolve the situation, and they both left their meeting with an understanding that Parsons wasn’t trying to undermine his head coach.
Parsons missing his league-mandated media sessions could result in larger and larger sums of money missing from his pockets each week he opts to boycott them. It remains to be seen if the superstar edge rusher will then continue to avoid talking to the media.
Now that we are 10 weeks into the NFL regular season, all 32 clubs are dealing with injuries. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season due to his hamstring injury, tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Sam LaPorta are dealing with knee and shoulder injuries that are worth keeping an eye on and Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence has already been ruled out for the second straight game due to a shoulder injury.
Let’s take a look at how each NFL team is faring from a health standpoint. Below, we will break down the midweek NFL injury report for Week 11, and analyze the final injury report for “Thursday Night Football” between the Commanders and Eagles.
All NFL sports betting odds courtesy of BetMGM.
Washington Commanders at Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) WAS: LB Nick Bellore (knee), CB Marshon Lattimore (hamstring), K Austin Seibert (hip) OUT; OT Brandon Coleman (shoulder), OT Cornelius Lucas (ankle), OT Andrew Wylie (shoulder) QUESTIONABLE PHI: NONE Lattimore is still not ready to make his Commanders debut, as he missed practice all week with his hamstring issue, but running back Brian Robinson Jr. is off the injury report and will return to the lineup. Seibert will not kick Thursday night due to his hip injury, meaning Zane Gonzalez will replace him in the lineup. There’s definitely concern for Washington’s offensive line, but Coleman, Lucas and Wylie were all limited participants in practice each session this week.
Every Eagle is set to fly this week. Linebacker Nakobe Dean (groin) tight end Dallas Goedert (ankle), cornerback Darius Slay (ankle) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (hamstring) all missed practice on Monday, but they are good to go for Thursday.
Green Bay Packers (-6.5) at Chicago Bears Defensive lineman Colby Wooden was the only Packer to miss practice on Wednesday. He sat with a shoulder injury. Cornerback Jaire Alexander (knee), defensive lineman Kenny Clark (toe), running back Josh Jacobs (quadricep), running back MarShawn Lloyd (ankle/hamstring), offensive lineman Josh Myers (wrist) and safety Evan Williams (hamstring) were all limited participants.
Offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie (calf), safety Jaquan Brisker (concussion), offensive tackle Teven Jenkins (ankle), defensive back Tarvarius Moore (concussion) and defensive end Montez Sweat (ankle) all missed practice for the Bears on Wednesday. Offensive tackle Braxton Jones, linebacker Noah Sewell, defensive end Darrell Taylor and offensive tackle Darnell Wright were all limited due to knee injuries.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Detroit Lions (-13) Lawrence has already been ruled out due to a shoulder injury. Other than him, running back Tank Bigsby (ankle) was the only Jaguar to miss practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Tyson Campbell (shoulder) offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland (ankle), wide receiver Gabe Davis (shoulder), running back D’Ernest Johnson (hamstring), offensive lineman Blake Hance (knee), pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen (shoulder), offensive lineman Brandon Scherff (knee), defensive tackle Maason Smith (ankle), wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. (chest) and safety Daniel Thomas (hamstring) were all limited participants.
LaPorta was the only Lion to miss practice due to his shoulder injury. Offensive tackle Taylor Decker (shoulder) and linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez (ankle) were limited participants.
Minnesota Vikings (-6) at Tennessee Titans Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (right hand), running back Aaron Jones (ribs), outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy (knee), tight end Josh Oliver (wrist/hand), offensive tackle Cam Robinson (foot) and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (hip) were limited participants on Wednesday.
For the Titans, pass rusher Arden Key (back), cornerback Roger McCreary (knee), cornerback L’Jarius Sneed (quad) and offensive tackle Leroy Watson (back) did not practice.
Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins (-8) Tight end Harrison Bryant (ankle), cornerback Nate Hobbs (ankle), center Andre James (ankle) and center Cody Whitehair (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday for the Raiders. Offensive tackle Kolton Miller was limited with an ankle injury.
For the Dolphins, offensive tackle Terron Armstead (rest/knee), cornerback Kendall Fuller (concussion), wide receiver Tyreek Hill (wrist) and offensive lineman Robert Jones (knee) missed practice. Offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn was a limited participant with quad and knee injuries.
Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) at New England Patriots Rams offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (ankle), defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (neck) and offensive lineman Joe Noteboom (ankle) missed practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Byron Young was limited with a knee issue.
Defensive back Marcellas Dial Jr. (concussion), defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy (neck), linebacker Sione Takitaki (knee) and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (foot) missed practice on Wednesday for the Patriots. Safety Kyle Dugger (ankle), defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale (abdomen), linebacker Christian Elliss (abdomen), tight end Hunter Henry (foot), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (shoulder) and safety Marte Mapu (neck) were all limited participants.
Cleveland Browns at New Orleans Saints (-1) Browns offensive guard Joel Bitonio was limited on Wednesday with a pectoral injury. For the Saints, offensive guard Lucas Patrick (ankle), linebacker Pete Werner (hand) and running back Jamaal Williams (groin) did not practice. Defensive back J.T. Gray (hip), safety Jordan Howden (shoulder), center Erik McCoy (groin), cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (hamstring) and wide receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr. (shoulder) were limited.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Jets (-4) The Colts had a walkthrough on Wednesday. Defensive tackle DeForest Buckner (foot) and offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann (knee) were estimated to have not practiced, while linebacker E.J. Speed would have been limited with a knee injury.
For the Jets, wide receiver Davante Adams (wrist/illness), cornerback Brandin Echols (concussion), offensive lineman Jake Hanson (hamstring), linebacker C.J. Mosley (neck), offensive tackle Tyron Smith (neck) and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas (knee) all missed practice on Wednesday. Cornerback Michael Carter II (back), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (knee), cornerback D.J. Reed (hip), linebacker Chazz Surratt (heel) and offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker (ankle) were all limited participants.
Baltimore Ravens (-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (ankle) and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (illness) missed practice on Wednesday. Tight end Isaiah Likely was limited due to a hamstring injury.
For the Steelers, wide receiver Van Jefferson (quadricep), running back Najee Harris (ankle), cornerback Donte Jackson (hamstring) and linebacker Alex Highsmith (ankle) missed practice. In what is good news, linebacker Nick Herbig was a full participant with his hamstring issue.
Atlanta Falcons at Denver Broncos (-2.5) Defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham (pectoral), tight end Charlie Woerner (concussion), defensive lineman James Smith-Williams (tibia), cornerback Antonio Hamilton (pectoral) and cornerback Dee Alford (hamstring) all missed practice on Wednesday for the Falcons. Defensive lineman Zach Harrison (Achilles), offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil (calf), offensive guard Chris Lindstrom (knee), linebacker Troy Andersen (knee), linebacker JD Bertrand (concussion), running back Tyler Allgeier (quadricep), cornerback Mike Hughes (neck), quarterback Kirk Cousins (right shoulder/right elbow) and linebacker Lorenzo Carter (concussion) were all limited participants. Wide receiver Drake London was a full participant with his hip injury.
Broncos defensive end Zach Allen (elbow/rest) and safety Brandon Jones (abdomen) were limited participants in practice on Wednesday.
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) Seahawks tight end Noah Fant (groin), tight end Brady Russell (foot) and defensive end Leonard Williams (foot) did not practice on Wednesday. Offensive tackle Abraham Lucas and linebacker Boye Mafe were limited participants due to knee injuries. In good news, star wide receiver DK Metcalf was a full participant with his knee issue.
For the 49ers, defensive end Nick Bosa (hip), defensive tackle Kevin Givens (groin), tight end George Kittle (hamstring) and punter Mitch Wishnowsky (back) did not practice on Wednesday. Wide receiver Chris Conley (hamstring), offensive guard Jon Feliciano (knee) and running back Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) were limited participants.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills (-2.5) Defensive end Charles Omenihu (knee), running back Isiah Pacheco (ankle) and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster were limited participants in Chiefs practice on Wednesday.
For Buffalo, offensive tackle Spencer Brown (ankle), wide receiver Keon Coleman (wrist) and tight end Dalton Kincaid (knee) did not practice on Wednesday. Linebacker Matt Milano (biceps) and wide receiver Amari Cooper (wrist) were limited participants.
Cincinnati Bengals at Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5) Bengals linebacker Joe Bachie (hip), offensive tackle Orlando Brown (knee/fibula), defensive tackle B.J. Hill (knee) and wide receiver Charlie Jones (groin) did not practice on Wednesday. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson (neck), wide receiver Tee Higgins (quadricep) and linebacker Logan Wilson (quadricep) were limited participants.
Chargers pass rusher Khalil Mack missed practice on Wednesday due to a groin injury. Pass rusher Joey Bosa (hip), running back Gus Edwards (ankle), cornerback Kristian Fulton (hamstring), linebacker Daiyan Henley (illness), defensive back Deane Leonard (hamstring), offensive tackle Trey Pipkins III (ankle) and tight end Stone Smartt (ankle) were limited participants.
hat sound you hear this morning is applause across the entire NFL community.
The NFL Scouting Combine will return to Indianapolis for 2026, sources tell CBS Sports, continuing a nearly four-decade partnership with the city that has successfully hosted the event that is essential to NFL Draft preparation.
Members of the NFL community — from medical professionals to coaches and scouts — have been overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the combine in Indianapolis as the league has considered the idea of taking the show on the road in recent years. In 2022, the two sides agreed to a two-year extension, and this is now the second consecutive one-year extension.
Indianapolis has hosted the event since 1987. Its downtown location has been the cradle of the combine, with several hotels, Lucas Oil Stadium and access to local hospitals for the medical portion of the combine.
“Indianapolis and the NFL Combine have a proud history together, so we’re thrilled to continue our longstanding partnership with Visit Indy, the Indianapolis Colts, and the local community for this 2026 event,” NFL EVP Peter O’Reilly said in a statement provided to CBS Sports. “Our partners in Indy have successfully hosted the football evaluation process for decades, and recently, we’ve collectively worked to grow and evolve the in-person fan experience, bringing tens of thousands of fans closer to the league’s future stars.”
The upcoming combine will take place between Feb. 27 and March 2. The dates of the 2026 combine are not yet public, but it’s expected to be around the same time. Should the NFL expand to an 18-game schedule that moves the Super Bowl another week into February, it’s possible the combine would be pushed back a week into early March. But there’s no indication an 18th game will be added for the 2025 season to effect change.
Cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Minneapolis have all expressed a desire to some varying degree to potentially host the combine in future years. It’s unclear if any city placed a bid with the league to wrest the combine from Indianapolis’s clutches.
The league has hoped to make the combine one of its tentpole media events for offseason eyeballs. The NFL has tinkered with the schedule of events in recent years in hopes of maximizing ratings.
The NFL has also had to deal with waning participation among the top players in recent years. More and more top picks have opted against running the 40-yard-dash or doing on-field drills, deciding instead to wait until their pro days in more familiar and controlled environments.
For more draft coverage, you can hear in-depth analysis twice a week on “With the First Pick” — our year-round NFL Draft podcast with NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman. You can find “With the First Pick” wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Listen below!
It’s finally here: the AFC’s battle of Goliaths between Patrick Mahomes and his 9-0 Kansas City Chiefs and Josh Allen and his 8-2 Buffalo Bills has arrived in Week 11.
These two squads are their conference’s top two seeds through 10 weeks, and the two teams’ combined 17-2 record is the seventh-highest combined record entering a game in Week 11 or later since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger, per CBS Sports Research. This is a game worth the hyperbole and excitement. It’s also a unique matchup given the way Mahomes and Allen have played this season.
Mahomes’ Chiefs are 9-0, but it’s by the lowest point differential (+58) of any 9-0 team in NFL history. Their high-flying offense that was once led by Mahomes’ cannon of a right arm and the explosive Tyreek Hill is still efficient but instead moves at a geriatric pace in the prism of NFL football. Kansas City is 11th in the league in scoring offense (24.3) while leading the NFL in in plays per game (67.0), plays per drive (6.8) and time of possession (33:01). That success is powered by clutching up on third down as the offense leads the NFL in third down conversion rate (52%) this season.
No offense in modern NFL history has moved slower than Kansas City in 2024: the Chiefs are averaging the most time of possession per drive (3:22) and plays per drive (6.8) by any team as far back as such data has been tracked, since 1991 for time of possession per drive and since 2000 for plays per drive. Their recent success is led by aging playmakers in running back Kareem Hunt (age 29), wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (age 32) and tight end Travis Kelce (age 35). Those three account for 68% of the Chiefs yards from scrimmage in three games as teammates, and all three were top four fantasy football producers in point per reception (PPR) leagues at their respective positions seven years ago in 2017, per CBS Sports Research.
Mahomes has played as inefficient as he ever has in his eight-season career with his fewest touchdown passes (12) and worst passer rating (90.3) through nine games of a season in his career, but the Chiefs keep zombie-walking their way to wins.
THE NFL TODAY will be live from Buffalo on Sunday. Fans can join the crew in Lot 6 at Highmark Stadium starting at Noon ET on Nov. 17.
The matchup that will decide the game Mahomes and the Chiefs offense are as consistent as it gets, and they will look essentially the same almost every week no matter what, for better or for worse. Here’s the deep dive on the side of the football that will determine the Week 11 outcome between the AFC’s two top teams: the Chiefs defense versus the Bills offense.
Kansas City blitzes on 36.9% of opponent dropbacks, the third-highest rate in the NFL this season, and they have the most defensive total expected points added (41.45) when blitzing in the entire league this season, per TruMedia. On the flip side, Bills quarterback Josh Allen has thrown for 705 passing yards, 11 touchdowns and no interceptions vs. the blitz in 2024, which gives him the most passing touchdowns against the blitz in the entire league this season, per NFL Pro Insights.
A primary reason Allen has been elite against the blitz is because he altered his play style. Instead of playing like a deep ball hunting scrambler, he has thrown the ball quicker and shorter than ever before. That has resulted in him starting 2024 on a seven-game streak without an interception, the longest streak without an interception by a Bills starting quarterback ever. Allen has only six turnovers in 10 games this season after having 14 in his first 10 games of 2023. It’s also worth noting Buffalo’s stability up front: they are only one of two teams to have the same offensive line starting five in every game of 2024, along with the San Francisco 49ers per CBS Sports Research, and they have the most offensive snaps played of any five-man offensive line combination. The lineup of left tackle Dion Dawkins, left guard David Edwards, center Connor McGovern, right guard O’Cyrus Torrence and right tackle Spencer Brown has 547 offensive snaps together.
That change in play style plus offensive line stability is why Allen can and will stay ahead of the Chiefs four-time Super Bowl champion defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and his trademark blitz schemes to guide the Bills to narrow 27-24 home win in Week 11.
“The NFL Today” crew is going to Buffalo! In Week 11, the NFL on CBS pregame show will broadcast live outside of Highmark Stadium in anticipation of the Buffalo Bills’ showdown against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Join Matt Ryan, Bill Cowher, Nate Burleson, James Brown and J.J. Watt — who may or may not jump through a table at a Bills Mafia tailgate — and CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones in Lot 6 at Highmark Stadium. The show will of course be broadcasted on CBS.
THE NFL TODAY IS HEADED TO BUFFALO 🔥
See you next week, Bills Mafia pic.twitter.com/rZRQOXHKGs
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) November 10, 2024 Chiefs vs. Bills may be the game of the week. Mahomes and Josh Allen have faced off a total of seven times, with Mahomes winning four of those matchups. However, it’s Allen who has dominated Mahomes in the regular season, winning three of their four meetings. Their last game came in the divisional round of the 2023 postseason, where Bills kicker Tyler Bass missed the potential game-tying field goal wide right late in the fourth quarter. The Chiefs went on to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship game, and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.
This will be just Mahomes’ third trip to Buffalo, as five of seven starts vs. the Bills have been played at Arrowhead Stadium. More details will be released later in the week.
THE NFL TODAY will be live from Buffalo on Sunday. Fans can join the crew in Lot 6 at Highmark Stadium starting at Noon ET on Nov. 17.
We’ve never before seen this Kyler Murray. Even in his second season, when he appeared on the MVP radar post Hail Murray and five of his first 10 games featured a rating north of 100, Murray wasn’t playing as efficiently as he has to date in 2024.
Over the last three games, Murray has been on an absolute heater — 76.2% completion rate, five total touchdowns (two rushing), 9.09 yards per attempt, no interceptions, and three fumbles (one lost) on 85 dropbacks. Unsurprisingly, the Cardinals have averaged 29.3 points per and have won each contest en route to taking the NFC West lead into the bye week.
And Week 10’s masterpiece against the Jets was probably Murray’s finest showing in the NFL, particularly when factoring the strength of New York’s defense entering the game. Before traveling to Arizona, the Jets were 12th in dropback EPA per play allowed and second in success rate allowed.
Murray shredded that unit unlike any quarterback we’ve seen this season. Also, going 22 of 24 for 266 yards with one touchdown and no picks would be awe-inspiring against the NFL’s worst defense by any analytic measure.
At the core of this new, advanced iteration of Murray — his play outside the pocket and under pressure.
Here’s how Murray has operated beyond the limits of the confines of the pocket through 10 games this season:
KYLER MURRAY OUTSIDE POCKET COMP % YARDS PER ATTEMPT Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who comes from the Gary Kubiak limb of the Mike Shanahan coaching tree, deserves credit here, and within Murray’s outside the pocket numbers is incredible effectiveness on designed rollouts, a Shanahanian staple.
On those particular plays, because not every Murray outside-the-pocket throw comes on a scramble attempt, the former No. 1 overall pick has a perfect 158.3 passer rating. He’s 17 of 20 for 269 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Given his supreme athletic gifts and arm talent, it should come as no surprise Murray is dicing while on the run in a structured setting. And against pressure, he’s operating unlike ever before.
KYLER MURRAY UNDER PRESSURE COMP % YARDS PER ATTEMPT TD/INT RATING
And it shouldn’t be surprising that Murray’s game has developed in this key area this season. Why? Arizona finally has legitimate answers at the skill positions. The 2020 and 2021 campaigns were boosted by the presence of in-his-prime DeAndre Hopkins. He missed six games in 2022 due to suspension, and because of Murray’s noncontact knee injury early in a Week 14 game against the Patriots, the two only appeared in four full games together.
Now, Murray is throwing to budding superstar tight end Trey McBride in Year 2, Marvin Harrison Jr. on the boundary, a competent outside receiver across from him in Michael Wilson and twitched-up slot wideout Greg Dortch inside.
But more than simply pointing to an uptick in outside-the-pocket and pressured play from Murray is a marriage I’ve noticed between his scrambling and throwing-on-the-run elements to his game. This season, he’s demonstrated better balance between those two than he ever has in the NFL.
Back in 2021, which, until this season, was Murray’s most efficient season as a thrower, when he posted a seismic 7.9% Big-Time Throw rate, he carried the ball 90 times for 429 yards — 4.8 per tote — and five touchdowns with a whopping 13 fumbles. Most inexplicably of all, the lightning-quick feet of Murray forced a mere three missed tackles that season.
This season, the genuinely threatening aspect of Murray carrying the football has returned. On 46 rushing attempts after Week 10, Murray has accumulated 371 yards — 8.1 per — with four touchdowns and six fumbles. And he’s forced seven missed tackles.
Murray has truly become the intimidating dual-threat high-level passer the Cardinals were hoping they were getting when he was selected at No. 1 overall back in 2019. We’ve seen glimpses of it from him dating to 2020.
But, now, as a mature NFL quarterback, it feels like Murray understands he doesn’t have to win games single-handedly. The Cardinals are currently eighth in EPA per rush. Murray’s more low volume than ever — only 27.6 attempts per game. But the efficiency is at a new level, which is a driver in leading the Cardinals atop the NFC West right now.
