NFL Week 11: Top 3 Defenders

With the last game of the slate in the books, it's time to look back at some of the stars of Week 11's matchups. These three defenders keyed incredible efforts for their sides of the ball, helping their teams to crucial wins. 

Linebacker Micah Parsons, Dallas Cowboys

No team dominated a credible opponent in Week 11 quite like the Dallas Cowboys did when they dismantled the previously 8-1 Minnesota Vikings, and versatile linebacker Micah Parsons certainly played his part. The second-year player notched two sacks and a forced fumble against the NFC North leader, empowering a defense that held generally capable quarterback Kirk Cousins to an astonishing 56 net passing yards on 30 dropbacks. The Cowboys cruised to an easy 40-3 win and honestly, it wasn't even as close as the score suggests.

Edge Rusher Matt Judon, New England Patriots

Pass rusher Matt Judon is becoming a weekly presence on this list. He led the New England Patriots defense to arguably its best performance of the season on Sunday, smothering the New York Jets offense in a hard-fought 10-3 win. Judon tallied 1.5 sacks on the day, bumping his league-leading total to 13.0. The Patriots held former second-overall pick Zach Wilson to a humiliating 44 net yards passing, and he was lucky to avoid throwing multiple interceptions.

Edge Rusher Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

The Denver Broncos suffered through yet another disappointing offensive performance on Sunday, and they have Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby to blame. Crosby stuffed the stat sheet with two sacks, six total tackles, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble against his division rival, propelling the Raiders to a 22-16 overtime win and maintaining the Broncos' league-worst ranking in points scored. Crosby has been getting it done all year; his 16 tackles for loss lead the league.

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