Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders playing catch-up in NFL

Brian Robinson Jr., Commanders playing catch-up in NFL

The marquee game of the 11th week of the NFL’s 2023 campaign might be the premier game of the league’s 104th regular season. But the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs don’t square off in their rematch of last season’s Super Bowl until Monday night.

Before then, the Week 11 schedule is filled with games involving teams hoping to join the Eagles and Chiefs in the playoffs. Neither Philadelphia nor Kansas City has clinched a postseason spot yet, but they are the only teams at least two full games clear of their division rivals. The loser of Monday night’s game will remain a division leader heading into Week 12.

Each NFL team has passed the halfway point of its regular-season schedule. The teams that have played 10 games have a bye remaining. The teams that have played nine games have eight straight weeks of football ahead.

At 4-6, the Washington Commanders remain in the NFL playoff race, but not as squarely as they might be because of a 14-7 loss to the New York Giants on Oct. 22. The Giants got one of their two victories this season while playing their backup quarterback against Washington.

The Commanders have a rematch with New York on Sunday.

“I think a lot of guys are motivated by that loss because we feel like we should have won that game,” Washington running back Brian Robinson Jr. said. “I think a lot of guys were really upset about it. So am I. I haven’t won a game against New York yet. I’m eager to beat them. It’s a critical game for us and what we’re trying to accomplish for our season, so I think guys are fired up about that.”

Since gaining 273 yards against the Giants, the Commanders offense has rolled up 1,260 yards in three games. Quarterback Sam Howell enters Week 11 as the NFL leader in passing yards after throwing for 1,034 yards in the past three contests.

But Washington lost two of the games. On Sunday, the Commanders fell to the Seattle Seahawks 29-26 on a final-play field goal after Washington had tied the score with 56 seconds remaining.

“I think it feels good to finally get this thing rolling, to have success in the pass game and the running game, or success in general,” Robinson said. “But I think we’re all on the same page about what we really want to accomplish. We want to win games. If we continue to do the things we’ve been doing and continue to grow together as a unit, I feel like our individual success will help the team pull out the wins that we’re trying to get.”

A standout for Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa and Alabama, Robinson became the first NFL running back to top 95 receiving yards in a game this season on Sunday when he posted career highs of six receptions for 119 yards and the fourth touchdown catch of his career – a 51-yard catch-and-run that is the longest play of his NFL career.

In his second NFL season, Robinson has 485 yards and five touchdowns on 121 rushing attempts and 256 yards and three touchdowns on 20 receptions.

“It don’t matter how you get me the ball, I’m going to do something with it,” Robinson said. “Kick it to me, punt it to me, throw it to me, hand it to me, I’m going to make a play.”

Among NFL running backs this season, Robinson ranks 19th in rushing yards and seventh in receiving yards.

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The Alabama Game of the Week is the Eagles-Chiefs contest on Monday. Fourteen players from Alabama high schools and colleges are on the teams’ active rosters.

The Atlanta Falcons, Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints do not play this week.

The complete Week 11 schedule (with all times Central and point spreads from Catena):

Thursday

· Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (-3.5), 7:15 p.m. (Prime Video)

Sunday

· Dallas Cowboys (-10.5) at Carolina Panthers, noon (WBRC, WZDX, WALA, WCOV, WDFX)

· Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (-1), noon (WIAT, WAKA, WTVY)

· Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions (-7.5), noon

· Los Angeles Chargers (-3) at Green Bay Packers, noon

· Arizona Cardinals at Houston Texans (-5), noon

· Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars (-7), noon (WHNT)

· Las Vegas Raiders at Miami Dolphins (-13), noon (WKRG)

· New York Giants at Washington Commanders (-9.5), noon

· Tampa Bay Buccaneers at San Francisco 49ers (-11.5), 3:05 p.m.

· New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (-7), 3:25 p.m. (WIAT, WHNT, WKRG, WAKA, WTVY)

· Seattle Seahawks (-1) at Los Angeles Rams, 3:25 p.m.

· Minnesota Vikings at Denver Broncos (-2.5), 7:20 p.m. (NBC)

Monday

· Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5), 7:15 p.m. (ABC, ESPN)

CHECK OUT MAPS OF SUNDAY’S BROADCAST TV COVERAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.