Week 11 was widely viewed as one of the best football Sundays of the season thanks to a slate of impressive matchups pairing contenders against each other. In what could become the 2025 season's edition of Moving Day, several teams made huge moves, but perhaps the best performance of the day came in Orchard Park courtesy of reigning MVP Josh Allen.
Buffalo shook up their receiving corps this week, deactivating Keon Coleman and Elijah Moore, entrusting Allen to make the most of his new weapons. What the Bills got was a legendary day from their franchise quarterback, who headlines our look at the biggest winners and losers from Week 11 of a very exciting 2025 season.
NFL Week 11: Winners and losers
Winner - Josh Allen
While it would be nice for Allen to have the kind of weapons that Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes have at their disposal, he has shown an ability to do it all and elevate his teammates to new heights. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had no answers for Allen on Sunday as he accounted for six total touchdowns (three rushing, three passing) in a 44-32 victory that helped the Bills keep pace with New England in the AFC East race.
Allen became the first player in NFL history to have two games where he was responsible for that kind of touchdown output, showcasing how special of a player he is. In a year when there hasn't been a true runaway MVP candidate, a day like the one Allen had on Sunday can put himself right in the mix to add another award to his trophy case.
Loser - Sam Darnold
It sure seems like any declarations of Seattle as a Super Bowl contender were premature. The Seahawks almost won the big NFC West showdown in Los Angeles despite the awful performance of quarterback Sam Darnold, who turned back into a pumpkin for Seattle at the worst time.
Darnold was heavily pressured by the Rams' pass rush and made too many mistakes, tossing four interceptions that were massive momentum killers for Seattle throughout the game. This effort was Darnold's worst performance since the game where he saw ghosts against New England as a member of the Jets, making it clear he is more of a "win with" guy than a guy who can elevate his teammates to contention.
Winner - Los Angeles Rams
While Darnold deserves criticism for his poor performance in another huge spot, the Rams also deserve credit for how well they played in this contest. Los Angeles has looked like one of the league's best teams for a while and did a good job limiting mistakes against a strong Seahawks' defense, scoring three touchdowns while avoiding the critical mistakes that cost Seattle a chance to win this game.
The victory allowed the Rams to improve to 8-2 on the season and assume command of the division as they try to angle for the top overall seed in the NFC. The two losses for Sean McVay's team this season came under weird circumstances as the Rams had a go-ahead field goal blocked in Philadelphia and McVay played for a win in overtime against San Francisco before the Rams fell short, so it' s not inconceivable to think this team could be 10-0 if those two breaks went their way.
Loser - Los Angeles Chargers
As one Los Angeles team rises, the other falls. The Chargers laid an absolute egg in Jacksonville on Sunday. After a physical statement against Pittsburgh last Sunday night, Jim Harbaugh's group showed up flat for a 1:00 p.m. ET kick off against a Jaguars' team that had been in absolute free fall for weeks.
Injuries continue to cripple the Chargers as the sheer volume of players they are missing, particularly on the offensive line, is starting to take a toll on the group. While a strong start to the season has Los Angeles in a playoff position at 7-4, they won't be able to maintain it unless they can start getting some of their injured stars back and have the guys in the locker room now showcase more consistency.
Winner - Jacksonville Jaguars
It cannot be understated how massive Sunday's win was for Jacksonville, which had lost three of four entering the contest, with the one victory requiring them to hang on for dear life against a mediocre Raiders' team in overtime. The Jaguars asserted their will on the Chargers, running for 192 yards and four touchdowns as they were more physical than Los Angeles throughout the day.
The victory helped the Jaguars secure another important postseason tiebreaker for the Wild Card round, adding to the one they have over Kansas City after their biggest win of the season in Week 5. With two games left against the Colts, who haven't won in Jacksonville in over a decade, the Jaguars can also set their sights on an AFC South title.
Loser - Spanish Football Fans
On a day when there was thrilling football across the United States, fans at the first-ever NFL game in Spain had to feel left out of the fun. A once-promising Dolphins-Commanders matchup was derailed by poor performance and injuries to stars like Tyreek Hill and Jayden Daniels, leaving two shells of contenders to stage a very sloppy game in Madrid.
There weren't a ton of impact plays in a 16-13 slog that required overtime to decide a winner, offering a poor example of how exciting American football can be. The NFL is likely going to be back in Spain after there were rave reviews of the atmosphere and venue, so the ideal goal would be to provide a better experience for those fans in 2026.
Winner - Denver Broncos
The third surprising division leader in the AFC, Denver had plenty of doubters entering Week 11 thanks to their tendency to play tense games with so-so play from Bo Nix in his second year. Those tight games helped set the Broncos up for success as they stared down the Kansas City Chiefs and prevailed in another thriller, walking off with a 22-19 victory to deal a critical blow to their bitter rival's division title hopes.
While Nix wasn't perfect, he made enough big plays to win the game for the Broncos, guiding the game-winning drive to set his team up for a 35-yard field goal to earn their eighth straight win. Defense and special teams also played a critical role, limiting the Chiefs to just 19 points and securing a critical blocked extra point after Kansas City's go-ahead fourth quarter touchdown that changed the math for the remainder of the game.
Loser - Kansas City Chiefs
What a difference a year makes. After making their name on winning close games in 2024, the script has completely flipped for the 2025 Chiefs, who drop to 0-5 in one possession games after going 10-0 in that department a year ago.
Andy Reid's streak of nine consecutive AFC West titles is all but over and now there are legitimate concerns over the Chiefs' ability to actually qualify for the postseason thanks to a 2-4 conference record and a head-to-head loss to the Jaguars that is looming very large right now. With a tough schedule down the stretch, it's not inconceivable that Kansas City will be sitting at home in January unless they can snap out of their collective funk.