What a Sunday this is about to be for football fans.
Not only is there the 112th Grey Cup in Winnipeg, but the Week 11 slate in the NFL is arguably the best of the year.
So, without further ado, here are the biggest NFL storylines to keep an eye on during a Sunday that’s definitely going to require multiple screens.
Dan Campbell’s new role takes centre stage as Lions visit Eagles
If two massive divisional matchups weren’t enough, how about a heavyweight NFC clash as a nightcap?
The Detroit Lions head to Philadelphia to take on the only NFC team that Dan Campbell has yet to beat as an NFL head coach.
The Lions are 0-2 against the Eagles under Campbell, but this time, he’ll be calling the shots on offence.
Campbell took over play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton last week in a 44-22 win over the Washington Commanders. With Campbell at the controls, the Lions put up a season-high 546 yards of total offence.
He’ll once again take on that role this Sunday, but faces a much stiffer task.
The Eagles’ defence resides in a whole different area code than the Commanders’ D — just ask the Green Bay Packers.
Boosted by the addition of edge rusher Jaelan Phillips at the trade deadline, and the return of linebacker Nolan Smith Jr. from injury, Philadelphia held Green Bay to just seven points in Week 10.
The defence is starting to look more like the unit that led the Eagles to a Super Bowl last season, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.
The Lions have the offensive skill level to compete with the defending champs, but it will be up to Campbell to push the right buttons.
Rams host Seahawks in strength vs. strength matchup
There aren’t two teams playing better football right now than the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
Both 7-2 and tied atop the NFC West division, they meet for the first time on Sunday with each sporting four-game win streaks.
It’s a huge game in terms of both the race for the division and for the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and it’s also a fascinating matchup if you’re into the X’s and O’s of football.
The Rams offence is rolling right now and is paced by quarterback Matthew Stafford, who at age 39 is playing the best football of his career. With 25 touchdowns and just two interceptions through nine games, Stafford is now one of the clear favourites to take home the NFL MVP award.
But head coach Sean McVay deserves some credit, too.
Over the four-game win streak, the Rams have shifted their entire offensive game plan to feature 13 personnel (3 TEs, 1 WR, 1 RB) and use it to great success. In last Sunday’s win over the San Francisco 49ers, the Rams featured three tight ends on the field in 44.8 per cent of offensive snaps, the second-highest rate in a game by any team since 2016, per Next Gen Stats.
The extra tight ends on the field put defences in a tough spot. Do you bring in heavier bodies to stop the run and risk getting beaten by Stafford through the air? Or do you leave an extra defensive back on the field, which creates mismatches when the Rams do decide to run?
But the Seahawks and their vaunted defence under second-year head coach Mike Macdonald are the one unit that might be perfectly designed to counter the Rams’ new look.
Despite playing in a nickel defence (one extra defensive back) at a league-high rate this season, Seattle is giving up the third-fewest rush yards per game.
Because they have a stellar defensive front and versatile players like rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, the Seahawks don’t allow offences to dictate how they should line up and instead play to their strengths.
The Rams and their 13 personnel will surely test that on Sunday, but it will be an incredible chess match to watch unfold.
Add in the ability to watch Puka Nacua and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, two of the best wide receivers in football, as well as Cooper Kupp facing his old team for the first time, and there’s a reason many can’t wait to watch this one on Sunday.
Is Week 11 when Chiefs start their AFC West push?
If the playoffs started today, the Kansas City Chiefs would miss the playoffs.
But despite their 5-4 record, they are still one of the betting favourites to win their third Super Bowl in four seasons.
That could all change this weekend, however, as the Chiefs head to take on the leader of their division — the 8-2 Denver Broncos.
A loss on Sunday and the Chiefs can basically kiss their chances of winning the AFC West goodbye. According to The Athletic’s playoff simulator, with a win against Denver, the Chiefs would still have a 37 per cent chance to win the division. A loss, and those hopes drop to just seven per cent.
But they aren’t the only team with something to play for on Sunday.
Despite their 8-2 record and winning their past seven games, the Broncos still have some serious doubters.
They win ugly, lead the league in three-and-outs and are the most penalized team in football.
A large part of their success has come thanks to a ferocious defence that paces the league in sacks (46) by a wide margin.
To quiet some of the naysayers, a complete team win against the squad that’s won their division for nine straight seasons would do wonders for the Broncos.
But the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes know how to win when it matters most, and this sure is an important one in terms of their playoff chances.
“If we can go out there and handle business and do what I think we can do, we can find a way to win this division,” Mahomes told reporters this week. “Everything is out in front of us.”
Game to watch: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3) @ Buffalo Bills (6-3) — Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Buccaneers-Bills is yet another matchup this Sunday featuring two teams with solid records, but unlike Seahawks-Rams, this is a game between squads looking to right the ship.
The Bills are one week removed from one of the most shocking losses of the season when they were crushed 30-13 by the then-2-7 Miami Dolphins. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have lost two of their past three after starting the season 5-1.
But because of the divisions each team plays in, it’s even more important for the Bills to snap out of their funk.
The New England Patriots are 9-2 to lead the AFC East, and already have a win over the Bills this season. A loss to the Bucs on Sunday would make it a huge hill for the Bills to climb if they want to host a playoff game.
The situation is not nearly as dire for Tampa Bay, as in the NFC South, the second-place Carolina Panthers don’t feel like much of a threat.
Can Josh Allen put on his Superman cape and inject positivity back into the Bills’ season? Or will Baker Mayfield spoil the party and send the Bills faithful into a state of panic?
Those questions will be answered on what is supposed to be a frigid and possibly snowy day in Buffalo.
Forrest’s favourites (Season record: 16-11 — All odds courtesy of BetMGM):
Lions @ Eagles — Pick: Eagles -2.5: The Eagles are getting healthier, and this is about the time last year when they started playing their best football of the season en route to a Super Bowl victory.
Bears @ Vikings — Pick: Vikings -2.5: It hasn’t exactly been pretty for Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy so far this season, but this seems like a perfect spot for him to get back on track at home against a porous Bears defence.
Chargers @ Jaguars — Pick: Chargers -3: In a quarterback matchup between Justin Herbert and Trevor Lawrence, Herbert is the guy you should trust to get the job done.
Full Week 11 schedule (all times ET)
Thursday, Nov. 13
New England 27, NY Jets 13
Sunday, Nov. 16
Washington vs. Miami in Madrid, 9:30 a.m.
Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 1 p.m.
LA Chargers at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.
Carolina at Atlanta, 1 p.m.
Green Bay at NY Giants, 1 p.m.
Chicago at Minnesota, 1 p.m.
Houston at Tennessee, 1 p.m.
San Francisco at Arizona, 4:05 p.m.
Seattle at LA Rams, 4:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Denver, 4:25 p.m.
Baltimore at Cleveland, 4:25 p.m.
Detroit at Philadelphia, 8:20 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 17
Dallas at Las Vegas, 8:15 p.m.
BYES: Indianapolis, New Orleans
