The #NFL on Twitter: Week 11

The #NFL chatter on Twitter surrounding week 11 focused on the stellar play of the @Patriots and new featured back Jonas Gray, another big game for @AaronRodgers12 and the @Packers, the 9-1 @AZCardinals, the bruising ground effort by Le’Veon Bell, and @JJWatt’s dominating performance. All of this week’s @NFL action on and off the field played out on Twitter.

Two of the top teams in the AFC faced off on @SNFonNBC, but Tom Brady, running back Jonas Gray (@jgray_ND25) and the @Patriots were too much for the @Colts. Gray, who joined the team in week six and had zero TDs prior to Sunday night, bursted onto the scene with 199 rushing yards and a franchise-record four TDs in the Pats’ 42-20 victory, their sixth win in a row.

The @Colts also lost running back Ahmad Bradshaw (@AhmadBradshaw) in the defeat to a broken ankle.

Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) and the @Packers continue to roll through opponents, especially at home. Rodgers threw for another three TDs in Green Bay’s dominating 53-20 win over the @Eagles.

Behind new starting QB Drew Stanton (@DrewStanton) and WR Michael Floyd (@MichaelMFloyd), the @AZCardinals moved to a NFL-best 9-1 record after beating the @Lions 14-6.

In Kansas City, running back Jamaal Charles (@JCharles25) rushed for 159 yards and two TDs in the @KCChiefs 24-20 win over the defending champion @Seahawks. KC is now tied for first place in the AFC West.

In Cleveland, @JJWatt continued his dominating season in the @HoustonTexans 23-7 win over the @Browns. Watt helped new Houston starting QB Ryan Mallett (@Ryan_mallett_15) earn a win in his first start with a sack, fumble recovery, three tackles for loss and one amazing TD catch.

Last night on @ESPNMondayNight, the @Steelers came back to beat the @TennesseeTitans 27-24 behind 204 rushing yards by Pittsburgh running back Le’Veon Bell (@L_Bell26). Fans, including former Steelers running back Jerome Bettis (@JeromeBettis36) and singer Jordin Sparks (@JordinSparks), turned to Twitter to praise Bell:

The biggest upset of the week came in St. Louis, as the @StLouisRams shocked the @Broncos 22-7. The Rams’ defense held Denver to their lowest point total since Peyton Manning joined the team:

The @Saints lost for the second consecutive week at home, as the @Bengals rebounded from a poor performance in week 10 to beat New Orleans 27-10. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (@AndyDalton14) threw for three touchdowns, including one to star WR A.J. Green (@ajgreen_18).

Due to a broken thumb, the Saints will be without WR Brandin Cooks (@brandincooks) for at least a month.

Thanks to a stingy defense that forced Eli Manning into five interceptions and a strong rushing attack led by Frank Gore, the @49ers beat the @Giants 16-10. 49ers Linebacker Chris Borland had another huge impact in the win.

Other notable moments from week 11 include a huge day for Mike Evans (@MikeEvans13_) in the @TBBuccaneers win over the @Redskins, the @Chargers barely escaping an upset bid by the @RAIDERS and the @Atlanta_Falcons moving into first place in the NFC South despite a 4-6 record:

Most-mentioned #NFL players and teams

Here are the top five most-mentioned #NFL players (player name and/or player Twitter handle) on Twitter during week 11 of play (Thursday, Nov. 13 through Monday, Nov. 17):

1. J.J. Watt (@JJWatt)
2. Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12)
3. Eli Manning
4. Brandon Marshall (@BMarshall)
5. Tom Brady

Here are the top five most-mentioned team accounts on Twitter during week 11 of play (Thursday, Nov. 13 through Monday, Nov. 17):

1. New England Patriots (@Patriots)
2. Green Bay Packers (@Packers)
3. San Francisco 49ers (@49ers)
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (@Steelers)
5. Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins)

Click on the image below to explore this data visualization that features week 11’s most-mentioned players and teams (and related Tweets). We will update this data viz each week of the season on Tuesdays.

Most-Tweeted games and moments

Here are the top five most-Tweeted games during and around live telecasts based on number of Tweets, as measured by Nielsen Social (@NielsenSocial).

1. @Patriots vs. @Colts (NBC)
2. @Eagles vs. @Packers (FOX)
3. @Steelers vs @TennesseeTitans (ESPN)
4. @HoustonTexans vs. @Browns (CBS)
5. @Broncos vs. @StLouisRams (CBS)

And here are the moments that sparked the top Tweets per minute (TPM) peaks during live televised games, as measured by Nielsen Social (@NielsenSocial).

1. @Patriots QB Tom Brady finds tight end Rob Gronkowski (@RobGronkowski) for a 26 yard touchdown pass to put New England up 42-20 over the @Colts with 6:46 left in the game.
2. @HoustonTexans defensive end @JJWatt catches a two yard TD pass from Ryan Mallett (@Ryan_mallett_15) to put Houston up 7-0 on the @Browns with 7:09 remaining in the first quarter.
3. @Packers QB Aaron Rodgers (@AaronRodgers12) connects with Jordy Nelson (@JordyRNelson ) for a 27 yard TD to put Green Bay up 24-3 over the @Eagles with 10:39 left in the second quarter.
4. @TennesseeTitans WR Nate Washington takes a Zach Mettenberger (@MettShow ) pass 80 yards for the score to put Tennessee up 17-13 over the @Steelers with 32 seconds left in the first half.
5. @Panthers 63 yard game-winning field goal attempt by @GrahamGano is blocked by Ra’Shede Hageman as time expires; @Atlanta_Falcons win 19-17.

See more here from @NielsenSocial on the reach of Twitter activity around this past week’s #NFL games.

Tweets of the week

Miss a touchdown from week 11? @nflredzone has you covered:

And we put together this collection of Tweets from week 11. Enjoy!

Remember to follow the NFL action on Twitter and come back every Tuesday as we recap how the #NFL played out each week. And in case you missed it, check out this blog post on our #NFL fan follower map.