15 key questions for NFL Week 8

We’re near the midpoint of the NFL season, with the playoff picture beginning to develop in Week 8. There are two huge matchups this week between four playoff teams from 2017, albeit with very different stakes in each game. Of course, there are 11 other games yet to be played between teams of varying quality, and even some of the less-attractive games are on the intriguing side.

Here are 15 key questions to watch out for in NFL Week 8.

1. Will the Eagles take advantage of a struggling Jaguars team?

At this point, the game between the Eagles and Jaguars looks less like a Super Bowl preview and more like a potential last-chance salvage operation for a struggling, underwhelming team under pressure. The Eagles sit at 3-4, and the only good news is that the Jaguars look ripe for the picking. Having lost three of four, the Eagles really need this one, both to relieve some pressure and to avoid really falling out of it. With Washington looking at the chance of moving to 5-2 this week, Philadelphia really can’t afford to lose.

2. Is Minnesota’s defense capable of shutting down the Saints?

After an early-season stretch where they didn’t look entirely convincing, the Minnesota defense has improved lately, holding back-to-back teams to 17 points. Of course, those teams were the Cardinals and Jets, not exactly powerhouses. Drew Brees’ New Orleans Saints present a different challenge entirely. This is a real measure of where the Vikings are at. They expect to be contending for a Super Bowl, and that will come down to their ability to stop quarterbacks like Brees, who are among the best at their craft.

3. Will Washington prove themselves to be a legitimate contender?

There may be no 4-2 team flying under the radar more than the Washington Redskins, who sit atop the NFC East as the only team with a winning record in the entire division. They have a golden opportunity to make themselves 5-2 with a win at the struggling New York Giants, which would put them in an extremely strong position going forward. The rub will be that they haven’t really beaten anyone, but that doesn’t really matter if you’re 5-2 and in good position divisionally.

4. Can Cam Newton be effective against the Ravens?

The Baltimore Ravens have been outstanding defensively this season, meaning Cam Newton can’t really afford to go at them at any less than full strength. His throwing shoulder has been bothering him this week, but he isn’t on the injury report and is all but certain to play. How will he look? Carolina struggled for three quarters against Philadelphia last week, but ended up winning all the same. Baltimore will prove a very tough test, and the Panthers can’t really afford for Newton to struggle or be ineffective.

5. Will Hue Jackson’s supposed offensive intervention spark the Browns?

The Cleveland Browns head coach was very disappointed with Cleveland’s offense last week in their loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and vowed to be a bit more hands-on going forward. Whether that upsets the balance of power among the coaching staff remains to be seen, and in fact, we don’t even know if Jackson has done anything to intervene. The Browns face the Pittsburgh Steelers this week in what should be a tough game, but it’s clear that Jackson is demanding improvement.

6. Will Chad Kelly’s antics distract the Broncos?

Quarterback Chad Kelly wasn’t a huge part of the Broncos on the field, but his conduct at and after a team party and subsequent release can’t be anything but a distraction. Stopping the Chiefs was already an incredibly tough task, but the Kelly incident has not helped. Will it hinder them on the field? It’s hard to tell. If the Chiefs win by three touchdowns, it’ll be easy to say it was just down to Kansas City’s superiority, but it may have impacted their preparation.

7. Can Kerryon Johnson continue to spark the resurgent Lions?

The Lions have long struggled to get their running game together, but Johnson appears to be the solution to those problems. He’s coming off a huge week against the Miami Dolphins, though the Seattle Seahawks will be a tough test for that run game. The Lions have looked much better in recent weeks, having won two in a row and reaching .500 after an 0-2 start. A lot of that is down to what Johnson has done in the run game. He’s up to 444 rushing yards on the season and averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

8. Will Aaron Rodgers keep up with the Rams’ offense?

Not that the Los Angeles Rams have a bad defense, but it’s fair to say that both teams in the Packers-Rams game are better known for their offensive firepower than for their lockdown defense. The Rams are going to score, and they have so many weapons. The question is whether Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be able to keep pace and score with them. Green Bay’s offense has been inconsistent this season, but they can’t afford to be anything less than their best when facing the Rams. The good news is Rodgers tends to rise to the occasion for games like this.

9. Are the Raiders capable of shaking their distractions?

Oakland may be the NFL’s most dysfunctional organization right now, with the trade of Amari Cooper and subsequent fallout dominating the headlines this week. There was even talk of Derek Carr losing the locker room. They have a winnable home game against the 2-5 Indianapolis Colts, but even that may be a bridge too far for them the way things have been going. If it’s true that members of the team are unhappy with coach Jon Gruden, there’s a real chance that this translates negatively on the field.

10. Will the Bears defense regain their top form?

The Chicago Bears have had two rough weeks in a row defensively, but the New York Jets should pose an easier challenge than the Miami Dolphins and especially the New England Patriots. One big part of the issue has been Khalil Mack’s health — he’s been bothered by an ankle injury — but that won’t be an excuse for the Chicago defense. After consecutive losses in which they gave up 31 and 38 points, the Bears defense needs to turn in a strong performance on Sunday.

11. Can the Cincinnati offense get back on track?

One of the early-season surprises, the Bengals have largely faded in recent weeks. Part of that is down to the opposition, as the Steelers and Chiefs are no pushovers. However, Cincinnati scored a combined 31 points in those two games, including just 10 against a Kansas City defense that other teams have found success against. The Buccaneers have also been a vulnerable opponent defensively, so that may be the perfect remedy for Cincinnati’s offensive issues. With games against New Orleans and Baltimore looming, the Bengals could really use the win against Tampa Bay.

12. Do the Bills even belong on the field with the Patriots?

On paper, New England’s trip to Buffalo looks like a mismatch. Derek Anderson is at quarterback and threw three interceptions against the Colts while the team was held to five points. Few are giving the Bills much of a chance to do damage to the Patriots, even if Buffalo’s defense shows signs of improvement compared to the 37 they let up last week. This is a team that beat Minnesota, albeit with Josh Allen under center, so New England has to be vigilant. It may be a worrying sign if the Patriots allow this to stay close, which may be the biggest thing worth watching.

13. Will a new offensive coordinator breathe life into the Arizona Cardinals?

Neither the 49ers or Cardinals are going anywhere, and in fact, both can very much consider themselves in the running for the top pick in the NFL Draft. The Cardinals will get the most scrutiny, as they have a new offensive coordinator in Byron Leftwich to try to get the best out of rookie quarterback Josh Rosen. Will it matter? There’s a fundamental personnel issue here, but David Johnson has also been used poorly to date. It’s down to Leftwich to try to fix this, and he may have the formula to do so.

14. Did the threat of his job light a fire under Blake Bortles?

Bortles faces a real reckoning against a quality Philadelphia Eagles defense, and it could be a defining moment of his Jaguars tenure. He’ll start, albeit on a short leash, with Jacksonville facing a 3-5 record if they lose and increasingly long odds of returning to the AFC Championship. Bortles must perform against Philadelphia. If he doesn’t, he may well lose his starting job — he was benched for Cody Kessler last week — and that may mean the end of his time in Jacksonville. He hasn’t faced expectations like this before, and he must show that he can meet them.

15. Will Saints-Vikings be a measuring stick for the NFC?

The Los Angeles Rams are the top team in the conference this season, but Saints-Vikings is a rematch of the most memorable game of the NFC divisional round last season. The winner — and even still the loser — will be well-positioned to make a run at the conference championship again. The Saints have lost just once, while the Vikings have high expectations that they haven’t quite met yet. This game could show us where two of the NFC’s best teams stand at this point of the season and who we can expect to contend once January arrives.