Week 8 saw six teams on bye: the Lions, Jaguars, Cardinals, Seahawks, Raiders, and Rams. The other 26 teams played in 13 games, starting off with a blowout on Thursday Night Football.
On TNF, the Chargers destroyed the Vikings 37-10 in a big win for Los Angeles. The Chargers were led by their QB, Justin Herbert, who continues his strong season with 227 passing yards and three touchdowns. The Chargers improve to 5-2, and Minnesota drops under .500 to 3-4. The injury struggles continue in the Minnesota QB room, as Carson Wentz’s season ends with a shoulder injury.
In a rematch from Week 6, the Eagles took care of business this time around against the Giants, winning 38-20. Jalen Hurts had four passing touchdowns, Saquon Barkley had 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns, and Dallas Goedert caught two touchdowns. On the Giants’ side, rookie running back Cam Skattebo dislocated his ankle and will miss the rest of the season. New York is now 2-6, while Philadelphia got a win to move to 6-2.
The struggling Dolphins secured a 34-10 victory against the Falcons, improving to 2-6, while the loss by the Falcons makes them 3-4. The Atlanta offense struggled, while Tua Tagovailoa had four passing touchdowns.
In one of the most exciting games of the week, the Jets won their first game against the Bengals thanks to a comeback in the fourth quarter. The Jets scored 23 points in the fourth, and Breece Hall had three touchdowns in the win. This win makes New York 1-7, while this tough loss for Cincinnati drops them to 3-5. Aaron Glenn finally has his first win as an NFL head coach.
The Patriots continued their strong season by beating the Browns, 32-13. Drake Maye had 282 passing yards and three touchdowns, while the Patriots’ defense was strong with two interceptions. New England moves up to 6-2 and Cleveland is now 2-6.
The Bills rout the Panthers 40-9, putting up a dominant performance on both ends of the field. James Cook had over 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns, while Josh Allen scored three touchdowns. The Buffalo defense forced two fumbles, got an interception and 7 sacks. The dominant win makes the Bills 5-2 and the Panthers’ loss without their QB Bryce Young makes them 4-4.
The Ravens won their second game of the season to become 2-5, potentially putting them on the right track. The Bears failed to score multiple touchdowns, while Baltimore had two rushing touchdowns from Derrick Henry. The tough loss for Chicago drops them to 4-3.
The rolling 49ers were stopped in their tracks by the Houston Texans, who rode C.J. Stroud’s strong performance for their third victory of the season. Stroud had over 300 passing yards and two touchdowns, while the 49ers were kept under 20 points in the 26-15 loss. The Texans become 4-3, while San Francisco falls to 5-3.
The Buccaneers, usually known for their offense, were carried by a dominant defense this week. The Tampa Bay defense had five sacks and two interceptions, one of which turned into a touchdown. A win is a win, and with this one, the Bucs move up to 6-2, and the Saints sink even further to 1-7.
In the opposite fashion of the Bucs game, the Broncos, known primarily for their defense, put on an offensive show against one of the worst defenses in the league. The Cowboys lost this game, 44-24. Bo Nix had four touchdowns, RJ Harvey had three, and Troy Franklin had two. This win boosts Denver to 6-2; Dallas drops under .500 to 3-4-1.
The Colts’ latest victim was the Titans, who are 1-7 after the loss. This 38-14 win for Indianapolis makes them 7-1, the best in the NFL. Jonathan Taylor did it again, with over 170 yards and three touchdowns, while Daniel Jones added three touchdowns to his very successful year.
The Packers won their game against the Steelers thanks to a big second half, especially in the fourth quarter. Green Bay scored 28 points (21 in the fourth) to win 35-25. Jordan Love had 360 yards and three touchdowns, while Tucker Kraft caught two touchdowns and had 143 receiving yards. Green Bay holds the best record in the NFC at 5-1-1, while Pittsburgh loses its second straight game, dropping to 4-3.
On Monday Night Football, the Chiefs beat the struggling Commanders to improve to 5-3. The 28-7 game was characterized by a strong performance from Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns. This win makes Kansas City 5-3 while Washington falls to 3-5. ESPN also announced during halftime that Funday Football will be returning for December 8’s Eagles at Chargers matchup, with a Monsters Inc. theme.
Next week, the Buccaneers, Eagles, Jets, and Browns will go on bye, while the game of the week should be the classic rivalry between the Chiefs and Bills on Sunday afternoon.
Following Week 8, the trade block began heating up once again: Titans CB Roger McCreary was dealt to the Rams, the 49ers acquired edge rusher Keion White from the Patriots, the Steelers acquired safety Kyle Dugger from the Patriots, and Jets cornerback Michael Carter II was sent to the Eagles in exchange for receiver John Metchie III.
Watch for more big trades to be made with the deadline approaching quickly on Tuesday, November 4th, at 4 PM EST.
