NFL Week 8 Takeaways: What We Learned Sunday (2022)
Week 8 helped bring more clarity to NFL fans and gamblers. Here are some of our most-compelling takeaways.
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Denver Broncos 21 – Jacksonville Jaguars 17
Let’s Ride
It is becoming clear the Jaguars don’t know how to win. Jacksonville has led in each of their six losses this season, and their inexperience has proved crucial in their inability to close out games. Further, second-year QB Trevor Lawrence registered his worst performance of the season, capped off with a game-sealing interception thrown on the first play of a potential game-winning drive. Be hesitant to sell shares in Lawrence, however. The Broncos’ defense ranks among the best in the NFL, and such a poor performance is not indicative of the progress Lawrence has made in his second season.
Conversely, this was a much-needed victory for Denver, though it is no indication of better days ahead. The Broncos were penalized 12 times, extended their NFL lead to 70 and continue to show signs of a poorly-coached team. It has been speculated that this victory may have saved HC Nathaniel Hackett’s job, but the team just as easily could have lost this game. The Broncos head into their bye week with a 3-5 record, and a playoff run is very unlikely.
New Orleans Saints 24 – Las Vegas Raiders 0
Maybe the Raiders were Drunk
It was reasonable to view the Raiders’ 1-4 start as a fluke, and it was not so farfetched to perceive a backdoor path for the team to reach the playoffs. What the hell happened in this game?
Las Vegas QB Derek Carr was the absolute worst version of himself, and All-Pro WR Davante Adams was lucky to register on the stat sheet. 24-0 is a generous outcome, and the Raiders should be embarrassed. Let’s call a spade a spade: The 2-5 Raiders are a bad football team and should begin scouting QBs in this upcoming draft.
I suppose some credit should be granted to the Saints as well. New Orleans is only a game out in a pitiful NFC South, and the team needs to win this season, considering they dealt their first-rounder in the 2023 draft.
Miami Dolphins 31 – Detroit Lions 27
Good Coaches Don’t Coach Bad Teams
At some point, the Lions can no longer be a fun team that covers the spread. Second-year HC Dan Campbell is no doubt a lovable figure, but the team’s habit of losing close games cannot be attributed to a sheer lack of luck. The team is far too talented to own the league’s worst record. Additionally, the team’s inability to score in the second half is dumbfounding. Detroit continues to pull losses out of thin air.
New England Patriots 22 – New York Jets 17
Houston, We Have a QB Problem
Party’s over. The Jets have been one of the NFL’s biggest surprises and have been masquerading as a contender for the past few weeks. With rookie phenom RB Breece Hall out for the season, QB Zach Wilson had nowhere to hide, and his poor performance can / should be pegged as the reason for the Jets’ loss. Wilson played like the worst QB in the NFL on Sunday.
Fellow second-year QB Mac Jones wasn’t much better. Were it not for a Jets’ roughing-the-passer penalty negating one of the worst pick-sixes you’ll ever see; there would be much more hoopla regarding Mac’s poor outing.
Perhaps there are better days ahead for the young QBs. But today, both teams are sobering up to the reality that their young signal-callers may not be the franchise’s future.
Philadelphia Eagles 35 – Pittsburgh Steelers 13
2 Sides of the Same State
The Steelers’ defense was throttled, and Eagles’ WR A.J. Brown played like Terrell Owens. The Eagles are floating in a tier above the rest of the NFC and have yet to exhibit a weakness on either side of the ball. Show me the loss on Philadelphia’s schedule.
The Eagles’ dominance was at the expense of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ struggles. Pittsburgh’s victory over the Bucs in Week 6 was fortunate at the time but grows less stellar as time passes. The bye week for the Steelers is necessary, but it is doubtful that the week off can cure any underlying problems, and there are few winnable games left on the team’s schedule.
Dallas Cowboys 49 – Chicago Bears 29
Cowboys Keep Rolling
The Cowboys’ offense initially sputtered with the return of QB Dak Prescott, but the unit hummed today. If a similar performance can be expected for the rest of the season, look out, Philadelphia. The NFC East crown has not yet been awarded to the Eagles, and the Cowboys have the personnel necessary to defend their division title down the stretch. The Dallas defense was not at its best today, but the defense is not a concern for Dallas. Be encouraged by the Cowboys’ offense and dismissive of the defense’s marginal performance.
As for the Bears, this result was not surprising. Chicago is not built to compete this year. Yet, any indications that QB Justin Fields may represent the team’s future is more impactful than another tick in the Win-Loss column. Fields once again shined playing in a limited offense.
Minnesota Vikings 34 – Arizona Cardinals 26
Taking Care of Business
The Vikings lack a punctuation mark on their season, but respect must be given to a 6-1 team. Their lone loss to the Eagles is hardly a blemish, and it would be surprising were this team to get worse as the season progresses. In the waning weeks of the season, Minnesota is going to be a factor, and it will be exciting to see how good the Vikings actually are.
Coincidentally, I think it is known how good the Cardinals are. The connection between QB Kyler Murray and WR Deandre Hopkins was once again fertile. Yet, the All-Pro WRs return has been anything but a cure-all to Arizona’s underlying issues. The Cardinals continue to start slow and are perpetually reliant on the heroics of Murray to bring them back into games. Arizona is a bad football team, and it’s a damn shame.
Atlanta Falcons 37 – Carolina Panthers 34
How To Cheat a Loss
The Falcons should have lost this game twice, and the right leg of Carolina K Eddy Piñeiro was the team’s saving grace. Atlanta wasn’t thoroughly outplayed by the Panthers, but they were outplayed nonetheless. Were it not for a fortuitously strict unsportsmanlike conduct penalty levied against WR DJ Moore, the Falcons would be looking up at Carolina in the NFC South standings… and that just doesn’t feel right.
I suppose this could be construed as the best outcome for Carolina. The team is desperately in need of a franchise QB and is poised to potentially land one in the 2023 NFL Draft. Further, their efforts since moving on from HC Matt Rhule have been encouraging, and indicate that the coach may have been holding back an otherwise talented roster.
Washington Commanders 17 – Indianapolis Colts 16
Zzzzz
This game will likely be a footnote of the 2022 season. I suppose that Indianapolis QB Sam Ehlinger played a clean game to start his career and that three consecutive Washington victories will spur some chatter about the team’s playoff chances, but both teams have been disappointing through eight weeks. Colts backers should feel particularly glum regarding the team’s prospects. The team has no defining quality associated with success and is poised to contend with the Texans for the title of worst team in the AFC South.
San Francisco 49ers 31 – Los Angeles Rams 14
Shiny New Toy
In only his second game with the team, RB Christian McCaffrey’s integration into the offense was seamless, and the thought of McCaffrey alongside WR Deebo Samuel is exhilarating. It is clear that HC Kyle Shanahan had a vision of how to utilize the versatile RB in his offense, and his acquisition is perhaps enough to propel San Francisco to the top of the NFC.
As for the reigning Super Bowl Champs, it appears that the bye week was not a cure-all for Los Angeles. The Rams’ offense continues to be a shell of what it was a season ago. The team is unable to threaten opposing defenses over the top, and their historic success rushing the ball is just that – historic. Los Angeles’ schedule is not favorable moving forward, and their playoff hopes are quickly diminishing.
Seattle Seahawks 27 – New York Giants 13
Luck Had to Run Out
The party had to end for New York. The Giant’s 6-1 record was an aberration, and a degree of ‘luck’ had been essential to such a dominant start to the season. Even still, the Giants are 6-2 heading into their bye and have winnable games on the horizon. Barring unforeseen circumstances, expect New York to earn a wildcard berth, and for the G-Men to be a pesky opponent come January.
Conversely, this Seattle team continues to impress. Quarterback Geno Smith may be more than a stopgap at the position, and the team’s defense has impressed over the past three weeks. There is no fault in being skeptical of Seattle’s legitimacy, but at some point, prior beliefs regarding the team need to be abandoned.
Buffalo Bills 27 – Green Bay Packers 17
Bills Route, Packers Problems
It was encouraging to see the Packers fight in the second half, and for QB Aaron Rodgers to develop some rapport with his young receivers. Yet, this isn’t a sentence that should be written about Rodgers and the Packers. Green Bay’s underlying issues persist, and it is fearsome that the team may be fumbling away an opportunity to win a second Super Bowl with Rodgers. The team’s chances of winning the NFC North are all but gone, and it will be an uphill battle for Rodgers and company to earn a wildcard berth in the NFC.
The Packers’ backdoor cover was not a sign of competitiveness on Sunday Night Football. Buffalo’s 24-7 halftime lead felt insurmountable, and it was.
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