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Welcome to Week 8, RotoBallers! On an action-packed week that features no byes and no London game, we kick things off with an intriguing Thursday night matchup between the Vikings and Rams.
Despite the plethora of games on the Sunday slate, it's fair to say there are no clear-cut marquee matchups outside of the Dallas vs. San Francisco primetime game on Sunday Night Football, although each of those teams is dealing with major issues at the moment. Basically, we have lots of games that could go either way this week, which should make for a very fun slate of action!
Good, bad, and ugly...we'll go through every Week 8 game in this article, offering picks, predictions, and analysis on each and every one. Thanks for joining us here at RotoBaller; let's dive into the slate!
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Minnesota Vikings 27, Los Angeles Rams 20
We get Week 8 of the NFL season started with an intriguing NFC matchup between the Vikings and Rams. If you like X's and O's, you should get your popcorn ready for a battle between two masterminds, as L.A. head coach Sean McVay will try to outmaneuver the exotic blitz schemes of Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores in what will surely be a tactical chess match.
The Vikes come in off their first loss of the season last week against Detroit, while a 2-4 Rams squad will try to build off a Week 7 win over the Raiders. Despite their record - and a plethora of injuries - this L.A. squad has a knack for hanging around in ballgames against even the toughest of opponents.
The #Rams have made it official, activating star WR Puka Nacua from Injured Reserve and he’ll play tonight against the #Vikings. pic.twitter.com/EEVpWjhXqs
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 24, 2024
While Matthew Stafford and a likely-to-return Cooper Kupp will undoubtedly flash plenty of moxie, Minnesota will continue to prove that they are a legit contender behind Flores' defense and an offensive unit that's racking up 28.0 points per game.
Baltimore Ravens 31, Cleveland Browns 17
When a team loses its starting quarterback to a season-ending injury, optimism among the fans and within the organization sinks to deep, dark depths. I don't know if that's the case in Cleveland following Deshaun Watson's exit from the rest-of-season picture with an Achilles injury suffered in Week 7.
The Browns will start Jameis Winston under center in place of their $230 million albatross, though it might not matter this week against a Baltimore Ravens squad that's on a five-game tear and averaging a league-leading 31.1 points per game. Sure, this is a rivalry game, which means crazy things can happen, but look for the Ravens offense to continue rolling here and their defense to force Winston into some bad decisions.
Houston Texans 24, Indianapolis Colts 13
Despite the combination of Anthony Richardson and Joe Flacco under center, and Trey Sermon and Tyler Goodson in the backfield, the Colts enter Week 8 with a 4-3 record. They travel to Houston to face a Texans squad that's coming off a tough loss against Green Bay.
Underrated Indy head coach Shane Steichen has smoke-and-mirrored this squad into victories in four of their last five, but it'll be tough to pull another rabbit out of his hat against a Houston defensive unit that's allowing the NFL's third-fewest yards per game this season.
Despite the continued absence of Nico Collins, C.J. Stroud and Joe Mixon should have little trouble carving up a Colts defense that's been as soft as butter this year.
Green Bay Packers 31, Jacksonville Jaguars 20
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson temporarily saved his job with a 32-16 win over the Patriots in London last week. Jacksonville's reward following a two-week stay in the UK is to travel back home and immediately face the Green Bay Packers upon arrival. Congrats.
The Pack pulled off a last-second win over Houston last week, and while Jordan Love still has some things to clean up, he appears to be fully recovered from an injury that forced him to miss two starts earlier this season. Love and his deep group of Green Bay pass catchers should find little resistance against a Jags secondary that's allowing the NFL's second-most passing yards per game.
Detroit Lions 23, Tennessee Titans 13
With an emotional win over the Vikings last week and a date with the Packers in Week 9, this is a classic "sandwich game" for the Detroit Lions. While it wouldn't be surprising to see Detroit come out a bit flat in this one, it's tough to envision the Titans being able to take advantage of even the sleepiest version of the Lions.
Mason Rudolph replaced an injured Will Levis at quarterback last week but it made little difference against Buffalo, as Rudolph and this abysmal Tennessee offense managed just 10 points in Week 7 while dropping to a record of 1-5.
Though the Titans' defense has made a valiant effort to keep this team respectable in 2024, I don't like their chances of slowing down Detroit's well-oiled offensive machine that's churning out just over 30 points per game.
Atlanta Falcons 31, Tampa Bay Bucs 28
What a disastrous turn the Bucs' season took on Monday night! Tampa Bay lost Chris Godwin - who was in the midst of a career year - for the season with a dislocated ankle and Mike Evans for what will likely be multiple weeks with a hamstring injury.
Buccaneers place WR Chris Godwin on IR. pic.twitter.com/13hGQ2snfg
— NFL (@NFL) October 23, 2024
Even though Tampa Bay has been one of the NFL's most explosive offenses to this point, it will be nearly impossible for Baker Mayfield to overcome such massive losses to his receiving corps.
Unfortunately, the Bucs' defense won't be much help, as they currently stand 31st in the league in total yards allowed per game. Look for Bijan Robinson and the Falcons to take advantage of this matchup, while also taking an early stranglehold on the NFC South standings with a win this week.
New York Jets 20, New England Patriots 14
Despite the addition of Davante Adams to the New York lineup, the Jets offense remained grounded in an ugly Week 7 loss to the Steelers. Aaron Rodgers tossed two costly interceptions against Pittsburgh, as the scuffling squad fell to 2-5.
With their season perhaps on the brink of disaster, Rodgers and company draw a winnable game in Week 8. The Jets put forth their best performance of the season in a 24-3 victory over the Patriots in Week 3 and desperately need a similar result in this one. The insertion of Drake Maye into the starting lineup has brought some energy to the New England offense, though the rookie's supporting cast remains sub-par by any measure.
Miami Dolphins 27, Arizona Cardinals 20
We'll need to keep a close eye on this one, as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is tentatively expected to be back in the lineup as of this writing.
Assuming Tagovailoa suits up, the 'Fins should get back on track here, as the Cardinals will be forced to travel cross-country for a 1:00 ET kickoff in South Beach after a hard-fought Monday night win over the Chargers. Kyler Murray is consistently inconsistent and the circumstances are stacked up against Arizona in this one.
Cincinnati Bengals 28, Philadelphia Eagles 27
After digging themselves a 1-4 hole, the Bengals have now won two straight as they continue the climb back to .500. With a high-powered offense that's averaging 25.4 points per game thanks to Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins, Cincinnati has the ability to hang a number on the Eagles this week.
Philly comes in off a dominating win over the Giants thanks in large part to 176 rushing yards from Saquon Barkley in a true revenge game. The Eagles should be able to score on a woeful Bengals defense that's allowing just over 360 yards per game on average. Expect plenty of points in this probable shootout with whoever has the ball last coming out on top.
Los Angeles Chargers 17, New Orleans Saints 10
Just six games into his tenure as the Chargers head ball coach, Jim Harbaugh has already shaped this team into his image. Gone are the days when Justin Herbert would sling the ball 50 times, as L.A.'s philosophy has shifted into controlling the line of scrimmage, establishing the run, and playing great defense.
It's a formula that's proven to work in the long run and should be successful this week against a spiraling New Orleans Saints squad. The Saints - who will still be without quarterback Derek Carr in this one - mustered just 10 points against the Broncos in a Week 7 loss. I don't like their chances of improving against a Bolts squad that's allowing the NFL's fewest points per game.
Buffalo Bills 27, Seattle Seahawks 23
Buffalo cruised to an easy 34-10 victory over Tennessee in Week 7. New addition Amari Cooper reeled in a TD pass from Josh Allen in his Bills debut and the duo will look to continue to grow their rapport against a Seattle defense that's allowing just over 30 points per game over their last four.
Amari Cooper among WRs in his Bills' debut:
🔹 90.8 PFF grade (2nd)
🔹 5.50 yards per route run (1st)(min. 15 snaps) pic.twitter.com/iaU6fnH5U9
— PFF BUF Bills (@PFF_Bills) October 22, 2024
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf is nursing an MCL sprain and his availability for this one is certainly worth monitoring. The Seattle offense has operated at the fastest pace in the NFL this season which has resulted in big stats for QB Geno Smith and an average of 25.7 points per game.
Despite Seattle's home-field advantage of playing at Lumen Field, Buffalo's defense - and Josh Allen - have earned more trust to this point.
Washington Commanders 24, Chicago Bears 21
Assuming Jayden Daniels is able to play through the pain of a current injury to his ribs, this will be a fun showdown of the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. So far, both Daniels and Caleb Williams are making their respective front offices look very smart.
Daniels came out blazing as a pro and has Washington off to a 5-2 start while leading an offense that's tied for the NFL lead in points per game at 31.1. Williams got off to a slow start under center for the Bears but has found a nice rhythm while powering Chicago to three straight wins and a combined 71 points across their last two.
Not to take anything away from Williams' excellent play of late, but let's consider that those victories came against the Rams, Panthers, and Jaguars. Assuming Daniels suits up, the Commanders and their improving defense will provide stiffer competition.
Kansas City Chiefs 20, Las Vegas Raiders 10
It hasn't exactly been pretty for the defending Super Bowl champs, yet the Chiefs somehow sit at 6-0. Kansas City has been decimated by injuries to Rashee Rice, Isiah Pacheco, Hollywood Brown, and others, which helps explain why their Patrick Mahomes-led offense stands a ho-hum 13th in the NFL in points per game.
Whatever Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid can conjure up in Week 8 should be enough against the Raiders. Antonio Pierce's offense has had the firepower of a bottle rocket this season, while the Raiders haven't fared much better on the defensive side of the ball en route to allowing 26.1 points per game.
Denver Broncos 23, Carolina Panthers 6
Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton was involved in a car accident with his family this week, which means 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young will be back under center for Carolina. Oh boy.
The Broncos are already fielding one of the NFL's best defenses and should feast on the diminutive Young in this spot. Denver is second in the league with 28 sacks and Carolina's abysmal offensive line has little hope of slowing down the ferocious Broncos pass rush.
As if things weren't bad enough for the Panthers, it should also be mentioned that their defense ranks dead last in the NFL with 34.7 points per game allowed.
San Francisco 49ers 27, Dallas Cowboys 24
This Sunday night matchup between two of the NFL's most storied franchises feels especially urgent, as both the Niners and Cowboys are battling against their seasons slipping away. San Francisco will try to bring their record up to .500 after their first seven games of 2024 have featured an almost comical number of injuries to key players. The team's latest victim is wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who was lost for the season with an ACL injury last week.
Deebo (illness) visiting Brandon Aiyuk pic.twitter.com/IrF3qspDzP
— John Chapman (@JL_Chapman) October 21, 2024
Dallas has also had more than their fair share of injuries, most notably on the defensive side of the ball with Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland, and DeMarcus Lawrence being just a few of the 'Boys who have missed multiple games.
In addition to the injuries, the Cowboys have failed miserably to adapt to new/old defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's scheme, which has resulted in Dallas allowing the second-most points per game in the NFL this season. While the Cowboys are a little less banged up than San Fran, the Niners remain well-coached and dangerous enough to win this one.
Pittsburgh Steelers 20, New York Giants 13
Come hell or high water, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was determined to #LetRussCook. 35-year-old Russell Wilson did just that after replacing Justin Fields in the Pittsburgh starting lineup for the first time this season in Week 7. Wilson overcame a slow start to throw for two TDs and run for another in the team's 37-15 win over the Jets last week.
He'll face another New York team on Monday Night Football, as the Giants slink to Acrisure Stadium off a 28-3 Week 7 beatdown at the hands of the Eagles. The G-Men are averaging just 189.1 passing yards per game with Daniel Jones under center and it's tough to feel optimistic that things turn around against T.J. Watt and a rugged Steelers defense.
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