PFF Week: Back East, Week 12

It’s your last chance to get caught up on the happenings at PFF before the next slate of games is upon us, and our new ‘PFF Week’ posts provide quick access to the week that was. The ‘Back East’ edition covers all things pertaining to the AFC and NFC East divisions for a one-stop Saturday shop built to keep you in the loop and on top of your football-watching game.

It’s late November and the cold winds of winter are blowing through much of the NFL nation. That means many tailgaters in cities such as Kansas City, Green Bay, Cleveland and New York will have to bundle up a bit more as they enjoy their favorite pregame treats. Others will stay inside and watch the game from the comforts of their home and avoid the elements. The PFF analysts will be keeping a close eye on the action on the fields across the country with a keen eye on the NFC and AFC East divisions.

Week 11 Wrap

Both divisions had some interesting results in their matchups which will have lasting repercussions for the rest of the season. The Bills went into last week’s tilt against the Jets down their top two receivers but throttled the Jets before heading into their bye week. Miami managed to hold off San Diego despite being forced to play without three offensive linemen for various reasons. The Patriots found themselves on the wrong side of a controversial ending on Monday Night Football against the Panthers.  In the NFC East the Cowboys enjoyed a much needed bye week and watched as the Giants made the most out of facing another team with a less than ideal quarterback situation vs. the Packers. Meanwhile, the Eagles now stand atop the NFC East thanks to a win over a splintered Washington team. More in depth analysis of each game is available with the ReFocused overview of the games right here.

NY Jets at Buffalo | San Diego at Miami | New England at Carolina (MNF)

Washington at Philadelphia | Green Bay at NY Giants

Additionally

Normally most fans only give a passing glance to special teams play unless it’s a big splash play that gets replayed over and over again. Not here at PFF as this week’s The Third Phase by Neil Hornsby ranks each franchises special teams in the league with the emphasis on those doing the heavy lifting on the team. Also one of the more anticipated articles here are the Offensive Line Rankings by Khaled Elsayed which have been updated through the mid-point of the season. Also updated for this week was the Race for Rookie of the Year which has a trio of players from either the AFC or NFC East in the top ten. Impacting the current PFF Power Rankings were the players that managed to land on the PFF Team of Week 11 for excelling and those that finished on the ‘Had a Bad Day’ team as well for their lackluster results. The updated Secret Superstars by Gordon McGuinness highlights the efforts of a tight end, running back, cornerback as well as an offensive lineman for their play in Week 11. Keeping with the ground game is the new 32 Observations by Nathan Jahnke which delivers an interesting aspect of each team’s rushing attack so far this year. Lastly don’t forget about our Signature Stats article for this week where Michael Renner covers Tackling Efficiency for linebackers through mid-November.

Looking Ahead to Week 12

So with the drop in temperatures what do you, NFL and PFF fans have to look forward this week? Well, the Jets travel to Baltimore where Rex Ryan cut his teeth as the Ravens defensive coordinator along with future Hall of Famer Ed Reed. Can Miami overcome their issues to take care of the Panthers who are travelling on a short week without defensive end Charles Johnson? What about Dallas coming in off their bye week and having to take on the Giants in 33 degree weather with 20+ mph winds? Can Peyton Manning improve his 2-5 record in games played at or below 32 degrees when he travels to The Razor and faces the injury depleted Patriots? Are the Redskins capable of pulling a home upset of the 49ers coming cross country after a pair of close losses? Deeper looks into the games are below in the Three to Focus On article for each.

NY Jets at Baltimore | Carolina at Miami | Denver at New England (SNF)

Dallas at NY Giants | San Francisco at Washington (MNF)

So relax, stay warm and enjoy the games as PFF has you covered this weekend and get started on the short turnaround for the trio of games on Thursday as well.