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Justin Fields' starting gig with the New York Jets ended after just nine games. Following a miserable start to the season, Fields was benched in favor of Tyrod Taylor ahead of Week 12, according to Diana Russini of The Athletic.

While Fields could still work his way into some starts down the stretch, the move signals a clear change of direction for the Jets moving forward. When the team signed Fields to a two-year $40 million deal in the offseason, it intended on the former first-round pick being a useful stopgap — with the potential for more — over the next couple of seasons. 

Jets owner Woody Johnson acknowledged Fields' poor play this season at the annual Fall League Meeting. Though he maintained that the decision on the team's quarterback remains with head coach Aaron Glenn, Johnson conceded in October that things haven't quite come together for Fields thus far. 

“It’s hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we’ve got. I mean, he has the ability, but something is just not jiving," Johnson commented.

After an encouraging debut, in which Fields scored three total touchdowns in a narrow loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Fields struggled to put together competent passing performances. He was held to under 50 yards passing in three of his first six games with the team, including a 27-yard performance in a Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Fields left that game with a concussion in the fourth quarter. 

That injury caused Fields to miss the team's Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Jets lost that contest, though they scored 27 points with Taylor under center.

Fields returned to the starting lineup in Week 4 and turned in two strong performances before running into the Denver Broncos in London in Week 6. 

Fields and the Jets struggled mightily in that contest. The 26-year-old Fields went just 9-for-17 with 45 yards passing. The Broncos smartly assigned defensive spies to prevent Fields from running with the ball when passing plays broke down. The tactic limited Fields to just 31 rushing yards.

While his statistical performance was awful, the most damning sign that the coaching staff lost confidence in Fields came at the end of the second quarter. With the Jets down 10-6, the team had a chance for a final drive before halftime. The Jets got the ball back with 3:22 to play and then made a series of bizarre decisions that suggested they didn't want Fields throwing the ball. 

Despite time running out in the quarter, the Jets ran the ball six times on the drive. After Fields picked up a third down with a throw, the team continued running the ball to set up a 4th and 1. The Jets converted a fake punt, signaling the team wanted to put points on the board before halftime. Instead, the team ran on the next two plays, using timeouts after both runs to stop the clock.

The Jets managed to push the ball to their own 41-yard line with just seconds to play before halftime. Instead of trying for a Hail Mary, the Jets let the clock run out, ending the drive with no points and a lot of questions. 

After that contest, Jets coach Aaron Glenn was asked about a possible quarterback change. He stood by Fields, defending the quarterback's performance. 

But the following week, Glenn had seen enough. Fields was benched in favor of Taylor after a lackluster performance against the Carolina Panthers in Week 7. Fields put up 46 passing yards and 22 rushing yards in the first half before being benched. Taylor threw for 126 yards in the second half but turned the ball over twice in the Jets' 13-6 loss. 

After that contest, Glenn declined to name a starter for the team's Week 8 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The decision ends Fields' future as a starter with the Jets. While it's unclear whether the team can part ways with Fields in the offseason, it will almost certainly add a quarterback in the offseason. Barring a massive turnaround in the second half, the Jets will likely hold one of the first picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. 

The move could also signal the end of Fields' time as a starter in the NFL. Though he showed flashes of brilliance at times with the Chicago Bears, Fields never put it all together. He was shipped to the Steelers in a trade once the team decided to select Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While Fields led Pittsburgh to a 4-2 record, the team opted to play veteran Russell Wilson once he returned from injury.

New York was supposed to be Fields' chance to prove he had grown as a passer and could be a future starter in the NFL. That didn't happen, and Fields didn't even get the full year to show off his skills.

Given his ability as a runner, Fields could still draw interest from other NFL teams as a backup. For all his faults, Fields can be an explosive playmaker. That's probably enough to earn him some looks once from other teams once his Jets tenure is over ... just not as a starter. 

This story will be updated.

With all but one Week 11 game in the books (Monday Night Football), we've learned a little bit more than we knew last week. Or, in some cases, thought we knew. Players impressed, players disappointed and there is fantasy football fallout to unpack.

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Once again, I've compiled the full weekly fantasy stock report below. These are the most notable risers and fallers coming out of Week 11. Invest accordingly!

📈 Stock Up at RB

Kenneth Walker III, Seahawks

First, a disclaimer: Zach Charbonnet still played 43% of the snaps and touched the ball 13 times on Sunday. However, he finished with just 47 yards from scrimmage and (for once) no touchdown. Meanwhile, Kenneth Walker III took his 16 carries for 67 rushing yards and a TD and had three catches for 44 receiving yards. He looked so much better in this game that my friend who never watches football and is playing in his first fantasy league texted to ask, “Why don’t the Seahawks play Walker more?” We’ve all been asking the same question for months (or years) … but it’s possible Seattle is starting to take notice. Walker’s 18.6 fantasy points are even more impressive considering the Rams are the toughest matchup for RBs. You can start Walker with confidence next week against Tennessee.

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders

The end of the Jacory Croskey-Merritt era in fantasy was weeks ago, but the end of the era in Washington was Sunday in Madrid. Last week, the Commanders attempted to make Rodriguez the starter and lead back, but he suffered a shoulder injury that knocked him out of the second half. This week, they did so again, and he led the backfield with 15 carries for 79 yards while playing 45.3% of the snaps (“Bill” played just 26.6%). While Jeremy McNichols still has his role, and Crosket-Merritt is still involved, it’s clear Washington hopes to move to Rodriguez as the primary, early-down thumper, and short-yardage option. Hopefully Jayden Daniels returns and this offense improves — as that would be a huge boon for Rodriguez’s particular style — but either way, the sleeper running back is now a starter for fantasy (and JCM should be dropped).

Tyrone Tracy Jr., Giants

It’s been a bit up-and-down for this Giants backfield since Cam Skattebo’s injury, but Tyrone Tracy Jr. followed up a 14-carry, 71-yard performance last week against Chicago with a 19-carry, 88-yard performance against the stingy Packers defense on Sunday. He also added four catches for 51 yards, which cannot be overlooked on a team that figures to trail most games down the stretch and has a couple tough matchups on the horizon. It’s worth noting that Devin Singletary still saw significant work in this game (17 touches) and vultured two touchdowns, but Tracy was the better back overall. He’s still just a fringe starter these next two weeks against Detroit and New England, but if you need a flex play in a pinch, this game might give you a boost in confidence.

📈 Stock Up at WR

Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers

Bryce Young played his best and most productive game of NFL football on Sunday against the Falcons, and Tetairoa McMillan was the primary beneficiary (and one of the major causes). The rookie receiver broke out with eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns on 12 targets, marking only the second game he’s scored a TD this season (he also scored two in Week 6). McMillan has been seeing the targets, but they’ve been iffy at best from a struggling Young, so this performance against a tough pass defense was extremely encouraging. Rookies get better as the year goes on. It’s well documented. McMillan may have reached a spike on his upward trajectory, and could be a solid WR2 rest of season.

Christian Watson, Packers

While Christian Watson has remained remarkably consistent in his targets (four or five), catches (two to four) and yards (around 50) through his first four weeks back from injury, he finally caught a touchdown on Sunday … and then he caught another one. With Tucker Kraft out for the season and no one else in Green Bay stepping up (looking at you Matthew Golden), Watson might be the de facto WR1 for Jordan Love. At the least, he is the clear deep threat and arguably the best option in the red zone (though Romeo Doubs also tends to thrive there). Watson isn’t a must-start by any means, but he should be added in all leagues and can be played in good matchups. There are several of those lined up on his remaining schedule.

📈 Stock Up Elsewhere

Jacoby Brissett, Cardinals

In one of the more baffling storylines of the year, Jacoby Brissett remained excellent for a fifth straight week for Arizona, capping the run with an NFL-record 47 completions against the 49ers on Sunday. The Cardinals starting QB has now logged 250+ yards, two passing touchdowns and at least 19 fantasy points in all five of his games this season. He threw for 452 and two this weekend without Marvin Harrison Jr. (Trey McBride and Michael Wilson stepped up). Somehow, Brissett has become a bona fide fantasy QB1 and should be streamed for at least three of the next six weeks — his matchups with the Rams, Texans and Falcons might be tougher, but he hasn’t shriveled in tough tests so far.

Trey McBride, Cardinals

Speaking of McBride. It might seem odd to put the No. 1 tight end in a “Stock Up” column … how much higher can he really go? Well, let me put it this way: since Brissett took over in Arizona, McBride has averaged 20.26 fantasy points per game, making him not just the TE1, but also 12th in points per game at any position, fifth among non-QBs and second among receivers behind only Drake London, over that span. He’s turned into a legitimate league-winner … and he gets the Bengals in Week 17. If your trade deadline hasn’t passed and you can somehow swing a deal for McBride, there may not be a more valuable player in fantasy down the stretch.

📉 Stock Down at RB

Saquon Barkley, Eagles

Saquon Barkley has made this section of this column before, but it’s time we revisited his continued descent into mediocrity. Yes, I said it. With just 90 total yards and no touchdowns on a whopping 27 opportunities on Sunday night, Barkley logged his fourth game with fewer than 12 fantasy points over his last five contests. Even with a 31.4-point game in Week 8, Barkley has averaged just 12.98 points per game since Week 6, and he’s only topped 17 once (in that Week 6 game against the Giants). Barkley is the RB13 on the season (in PPG), and he has some nice matchups left on the schedule, but he simply isn’t hitting the big plays or scoring often enough to warrant legitimate RB1 trust week-to-week.

David Montgomery, Lions

For just the second time this season, David Montgomery saw single-digit opportunities on Sunday night, and he finished with just 37 yards and 4.2 fantasy points as a result. He hasn’t scored more than 10 points since Week 5 against the Bengals (the softest matchup in fantasy) and he’s only hit 70+ rushing yards once this year (back in Week 3). Since Week 6, some backs averaging more fantasy PPG than Montgomery include Isiah Pacheco, Kenneth Gainwell, Zach Charbonnet and Tyler Allgeier. Monty can’t be dropped, simply due to the upside he’d have in case of a Jahmyr Gibbs injury, but he also can’t be played with confidence at this point — perhaps outside of next week’s game against the hapless Giants.

📉 Stock Down at WR

Ricky Pearsall, 49ers

The long-awaited return of Brock Purdy and Ricky Pearsall went great for the former (and for George Kittle) but horribly for the latter. Purdy threw three touchdown passes, but none of them went to Pearsall, who caught just one of three targets on the day … for zero receiving yards. Ideally, we can chalk this up to rust after Pearsall had missed six weeks of game action, and hope for improvement down the stretch. But until we see that improvement, we’ll likely need to leave the wideout on the bench — goose eggs do not belong in our fantasy lineups.

Xavier Worthy, Chiefs

If you’re one of the culprits rostering Xavier Worthy in 89% of Yahoo leagues … stop it. In Sunday’s loss to Denver, Worthy did exactly what he’s done for five straight weeks now (even before Rashee Rice’s return) and caught three balls for 25 yards. He has not recorded double-digit fantasy points since Week 5 (against a then-abysmal Ravens secondary), and that remains his only such game of the season. He’s often seeing 5-7 targets, which makes him deceptively “intriguing” for fantasy, but Patrick Mahomes has been unable to connect with him downfield with any consistency, and he’s become a middling WR5 as a result. Move on to someone with upside (like Christian Watson, Troy Franklin or Alec Pierce).

Quentin Johnston, Chargers

Quentin Johnston has done his very best to remain relevant in fantasy after his hot September cooled into a spotty rest of the calendar. He caught a touchdown in Weeks 7 and 9, and he saw 10 targets last week against Pittsburgh. But he hasn’t hit 60 yards in a game since Week 4 and he’s posted multiple bagels … including this Sunday against Jacksonville, where he caught none of his three targets in an embarrassment of a game for Los Angeles. Since Week 5, Johnston is the WR70 in points per game, behind such stars as Mack Hollins, Andrei Iosivas and Jalen Nailor. You can’t start Johnston, and while you arguably can drop him, his best fit right now is probably your bench.

📉 Stock Down Elsewhere

Lamar Jackson, Ravens

There’s no need to panic — yet — but Lamar Jackson just scored 6.72 fantasy points on Sunday against the Browns, and he only had 16.64 against the Vikings last week. Since returning from injury, he’s averaged an extremely discouraging 20 rushing yards per game and has thrown for just 191 passing yards per game. While he threw four TDs against Miami in Week 9, he’s thrown just one over the last two weeks. All of this would be quite concerning … but Jackson’s upcoming schedule counters the concerns with sweet, sweet matchups. The Ravens get the Jets, Bengals, Steelers and Bengals again over the next month. Lamar should get back to normal against those defenses, but keep a wary eye out — if he doesn’t, we may need to consider streaming alternatives.

Justin Herbert, Chargers

Yeesh. A week after scoring just 14.7 fantasy points with 220 yards and one TD, Justin Herbert logged the worst game of his career on Sunday. He completed 10 of 18 passes for just 81 yards and an interception against a typically soft Jaguars defense. It was so bad, he was eventually sent to rest on the bench in a game the Chargers lost 35-6 (Trey Lance was not any better as the backup). Herbert had been on a tear in Weeks 7-9 before this two-game dip, and he has his bye this coming week, so hopefully Los Angeles can right the ship heading into December. But with a patchwork offensive line, there may be more bad days left for Herbert in 2025.

It was another pulsating Sunday of NFL action and it included a hugely significant win for the Denver Broncos that has given the Kansas City Chiefs a mountain to climb.

The Philadelphia Eagles have turned winning ugly into an art form that could well propel them back to the Super Bowl, while Josh Allen proved why he is the MVP in a record-setting display.

Add in a row over spitting, Shedeur Sanders making his debut and Aaron Rodgers picking up a worrying injury, there is a lot to cram in this week.

Here's the pick of week 11.

• Broncos go 9-2 and Sanders plays for Browns - NFL round-up
• Patriots win to equal best run since Brady years

The breakdown - Broncos built for Super Bowl success

Peyton Manning rode off into the sunset after winning Super Bowl 50 with Denver at Levi's Stadium - and a decade later the Broncos look somewhat similar as they look to get back to the big game, which is being held in that same venue.

An omen perhaps? Possibly. This team is similarly built on a fierce defence that will always give them a chance - and Sunday's statement win over the Chiefs could provide that spark of belief to put them over the top.

Denver are certainly sitting pretty on top of the AFC West, which Kansas City have won nine years in a row, with a four-game lead over a side they had gone 16-2 against after Manning's departure.

Vance Joseph's defence has a league-leading 49 sacks, the most a team has managed in 11 games since 1989, and they have kept seven opponents to fewer than 20 points.

They have now beaten both of last year's Super Bowl sides after a win in Philadelphia while Sunday was Bo Nix's fifth fourth-quarter comeback, which includes an incredible 33-point onslaught against the Giants.

Denver have a well-timed bye next week before the run-in, where they have to target the top seed in the AFC and home advantage in the play-offs.

For the Broncos, who play at altitude at Mile High, that's some advantage, as they are 6-0 at home this season and have won 11 straight in front of their home fans.

Talking point - will Chiefs miss the play-offs?

It was almost unthinkable at the start of the season, but the Chiefs - with five Super Bowl appearances in six years - could well miss out on the play-offs now.

At 5-5 they are ninth in the AFC play-off standings and three of the four teams above them in the wildcard race have already beaten them this season.

And it gets no easier as they face the powerful 8-2 Indianapolis Colts next, fresh off a bye week, before playing the Houston Texans, Los Angeles Chargers and Broncos again.

The offensive line problems that have plagued them over the years are still there, with penalties killing drives and a lack of protection for Patrick Mahomes - while the lack of a running game, crucial drops and, yes, some bad decisions by their star quarterback have all played a part.

But what has been Kansas City's real strength is now their big weakness, as all five defeats this year have been by a score, having gone 12-0 in one-score games last season.

Even on Sunday, Mahomes would have previously dialled up some fourth-quarter magic, but went three-and-out on the final two possessions.

The Chiefs are in unfamiliar territory. Mahomes has never been as bad as 5-5 after 10 games of a season, and never been more than three games behind in the division.

It is not quite win-or-bust time but it is pretty close, and right now it is hard to see how they can dig their way out of trouble.

In focus - Eagles defence looks all-star unit again

"The defence was playing lights-out; it was one of the best performances I've ever seen," was Jalen Hurts' view of the Eagle's defensive display in the 16-9 win over the Lions.

Vic Fangio's unit strangled the life out of Jared Goff and a high-octane Detroit offence - stopping all five fourth-down attempts - and as much as the offence is a worry the defence is anything but.

The signing of Jaelan Phillips on the trade deadline looks a masterstroke. He had a sack and pressured Goff six times in a stellar outing.

So while Hurts and offensive superstars like Saquon Barkley and AJ Brown struggle, Phillips and defensive partners Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis and Nakobe Dean are dominant. They will be the names to know if the Eagles get back to the Super Bowl.

They have restricted the Lions and Packers to a combined 16 points in the last two games, so even the lowly 26 that Hurts and company have mustered have been enough.

Hurts was held under 200 yards for a sixth time and yet another 'tush push' provided the only touchdown - but if the Eagles have to be winning ugly to be successful, head coach Nick Sirianni is all for it.

"As I watch football today, I saw a lot of teams waiting to lose," Sirianni said. "Our team's waiting to win. Because they know how to win. There's something to be said for that."

Player of the week - Josh Allen

Spurred on by an ugly start, Josh Allen went on to have a record day as Buffalo beat Tampa Bay 44-32 with an incredible statistic of 317 passing yards, three passing touchdowns and three rushing scores.

Allen is the only player in NFL history with 300 passing yards and three passing and rushing scores in a game - and he has done it twice, previously achieving it in 2024 against the Los Angeles Rams.

Yes, he had some help on his short rushing touchdowns, and had a superb catch-and-run from Ty Johnson to pad his stats, but the reigning MVP is about as important to a team as anyone in the NFL.

The only other player in NFL history to pass and rush for three touchdowns is Otto Graham in the 1954 NFL Championship Game. It is some achievement.

Allen's game is not perfect, and the big mistakes are creeping in, but there is no doubting his effectiveness and why Buffalo still believe he can propel them to Super Bowl glory.

NFL week 11 records, stats & game notes

It was all happening in Pittsburgh's win over Cincinnati, as Aaron Rodgers picked up what could be a serious wrist injury before Jalen Ramsey was ejected for aiming a punch at Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase. He later accused Chase of spitting at him, which the receiver denied.

"I'm sure the NFL, they'll do their due diligence," Ramsey said. "They got 100 cameras out there. They can investigate. They can see everything, I just told y'all, it's facts."

Davante Adams claimed his 1,000th catch as the Rams just held on to beat the Seahawks in a huge NFC West showdown to go to 8-2 - but both defences emerged with more credit than their offences.

Sam Darnold in particular had a rough ride with four interceptions, but then Matthew Stafford failed to have any real control as Seattle outgained his side by 165 yards and had 15 minutes more possession.

"I don't think I played good at all," said Shedeur Sanders after making his debut in Cleveland's defeat against Baltimore.

The Browns fans were clearly happy to see Sanders, but head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Dillon Gabriel will start next week if he clears concussion protocol, otherwise Sanders will get his first start.

During the game, Myles Garrett had four sacks to make it 15 for the season and become the first player to record 12 sacks in six straight years in the NFL.

Arizona quarterback Jacoby Brissett also set a new NFL record with 47 completed passes - the most ever in a regular season game - as the Cardinals were forced to throw when going behind early in their defeat to the 49ers.

Speaking of San Francisco - they are now 7-4 after Brock Purdy threw three touchdowns and record a fine 133.5 passer rating in his return from injury.

With Christian McCaffrey having another three-touchdown game, the Niners could be primed for a big finish to the season.

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