On this week’s edition of “Sunday Night Football,” two AFC wild-card hopefuls match up, hoping to secure a crucial win for either team.
The Cincinnati Bengals are on the road again for another prime-time clash following a brutal Week 10 divisional loss to the Baltimore Ravens on “Thursday Night Football.” Cincinnati entered the matchup having won three of its last four games before dropping a one-score game to the Ravens for the second time this year.
Hosting the Bengals is a red-hot Los Angeles Chargers team that has won four of its last five games and is riding a three-game win streak entering Week 11. After a slow start for the offense this year, Los Angeles has scored more than 25 points in each of its last three games.
The NFL flexed this Week 11 “Sunday Night Football” into prime-time to replace the New York Jets’ face-off with the Indianapolis Colts, which will now occur during the 1 p.m. ET slate.
Here’s what to know for “Sunday Night Football” in Week 11:
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Following a dominant win over the Raiders, the Bengals arrived in Baltimore for their Week 10 matchup, hoping for retribution. After a disappointing one-score loss in overtime to the Ravens in Week 5, Cincinnati had a chance to get its hopes for playoff contention back on track with a prime-time win on the road.
Instead, the Bengals repeated history.
Five weeks after quarterback Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns against the Ravens, he threw for 428 yards and four touchdowns in Baltimore. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase had 264 yards and three touchdowns on 11 catches. The Bengals lost, 35-34, as the defense could not stop Baltimore’s fourth-quarter offensive surge.
Thanks to the relatively poor play around the rest of the AFC, the Bengals’ playoff hopes are still alive despite their 4-6 record. A win over another wild-card contender in prime time is a must-have if Cincinnati wants to keep that hope alive and turn its season around.
The Chargers face their first big challenge in a few weeks after three straight matchups with two-win teams. Though the Bengals are another sub-.500 team, their roster still has tons of talent, particularly on the offensive side, and may be better than their record indicates.
Most recently, the Chargers defeated the Titans in Week 10, in which quarterback Justin Herbert continued spreading the ball around to various pass-catchers. He targeted eight different players, and six of Los Angeles’ offensive play-makers caught a pass as Herbert finished 14-of-18 on pass attempts for 164 yards and a touchdown.
Rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey led the team with his two catches for 52 yards while running backs Gus Edwards and J.K. Dobbins combined for 105 rushing yards on 25 carries.
“Sunday Night Football” will kick off at its standard start time, 8:20 p.m. ET.
Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties during the game, with Cris Collinsworth providing color commentary and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines during Chargers vs. Bengals.
NBC’s weekly “Football Night in America” pregame show will begin at 7 p.m. ET and feature insight from a panel of analysts, including Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms, Mike Florio, Devin McCourty, Tony Dungy, and more.
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For the 2024 NFL season, NBC will broadcast “Sunday Night Football” weekly.
Fans who prefer to stream football games can watch “Sunday Night Football” with a Peacock subscription or with Fubo, which offers a seven-day free trial.
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