The final game of the week is a battle for Texas. The Houston Texans travel to battle the Dallas Cowboys, and both teams could use a win. Both have had some struggles in recent weeks, and both would like to get back in the win column. I’ll preview the game below, but first let’s look at some other takeaways from a wild Week 11.

Saquon is an MVP Candidate

The move to acquire Saquon Barkley by the Philadelphia Eagles is turning out to be possibly the acquisition of the year. The Eagles are 8-2, atop the NFC East and looking like a contender in the NFC again. We saw it Thursday night as he closed out a battle with the Commanders with two huge rushing touchdowns in the Fourth Quarter. He now has 1,137 rushing yards and 10 totals touchdowns so far in 2024. He’s made the difference for the Eagles.

The Steelers are a Force to Contend With

There’s been a lot of talk about the Ravens this season. Many see them as contenders with Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry as MVP candidates. But on Sunday, it was the Steelers who got the win when the two teams matched up in Pittsburgh. That moved the Steelers to 8-2 on the season, opening up a 1.5 game lead on the now 7-4 Baltimore Ravens. The Steelers are in first and tracking toward a top seed. It’s time to stop overlooking Mike Tomlin’s crew.

Unbeaten No More

In what was the matchup of Week 11, the perfect Kansas City Chiefs headed into Buffalo for a battle with the Bills. They came in 9-0 and left 9-1 as Josh Allen and the Bills pulled off the huge victory. The Bills moved to 9-2 and remain right on the Chiefs’ heels in the AFC, now holding the tiebreaker for a possible No. 1 overall seed in the AFC. If Sunday’s game showed anything, it’s that we should be hoping to see a re-match in January with the Super Bowl on the line.

And now, on to Monday Night Football.

Houston Texans (6-4) at Dallas Cowboys (6-3)

The Texans are still in front in the AFC South, but the margin has gotten thin. And with the other division leaders in the AFC sitting at eight or more wins, they have some work to do before the playoffs. The Cowboys, meanwhile, are reeling. The team has won 12 games in each of Mike McCarthy’s previous seasons, but they won’t get there in 2024. Can they string together some wins and get back in the playoff race? That’s the bigger question.

For the Texans, Nico Collins is back for tonight’s game. He’s a borderline WR1 for me. I like Tank Dell as a low-end WR2, and tight end Dalton Schutz as a TE2. Joe Mixon has been great on the ground and is an RB1 for me. C.J. Stroud has been struggling of late, but he’s still a QB2 for me.

For the Cowboys, it’s Cooper Rush at quarterback. He’s a QB3 for me. In the passing game, CeeDee Lamb has talent, but this passing game is struggling. He always has WR1 upside, but he’s more likely to put up WR2 stats. I have Jake Ferguson as a TE2 and Rico Dowdle as an RB3. I wouldn’t play any other Cowboys from this game.

I’m taking the Texans to get win number seven tonight.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.