Week 8 of the NFL season figures to have a few games that are a bit more active than Thursday’s Redskins-Vikings matchup, which is the good news. As we head toward the middle of the season, playoff races are intensifying, and with a looming trade deadline, some teams have decisions to make.
The action on the field may well define how things go forward. So here are the key questions for Week 8 of the NFL season.
1. Is Dan Quinn coaching for his job against his former team?
There’s a bit of cruel irony in the fact that the Seattle Seahawks, where Quinn made his name as a defensive coordinator, may be the ones who end his head coaching career with the Falcons. Atlanta has a bye week after this, which is a decent time to make an in-season coaching change if you’re going to make one. The Falcons are a mess, particularly on defense, and are essentially one play away from being 0-7. Quinn is week-to-week according to owner Arthur Blank, and while the team seems behind their coach, the results speak for themselves. Another listless performance against Seattle may spell the end.
2. Were the Bills’ struggles against Ryan Fitzpatrick a sign of things to come?
Week 7 was an odd one for the usually strong Buffalo pass defense. They’ve stuffed numerous opposing quarterbacks this season, but Ryan Fitzpatrick somehow burned them — and nearly beat them — when he came in for the Dolphins. This may well have been the result of Buffalo being caught off guard, or it may be a hint of trouble for the Buffalo defense. We’ll find out in Week 8 — it’s fair to say that Carson Wentz is a better quarterback than Fitzpatrick.
3. Is the loser of Chargers-Bears headed into freefall?
This is a strange game between two teams that were in the playoffs last year and are trending the wrong way now. The Chargers have lost three straight and five of six, while the Bears have dropped two in a row after a 3-1 start. At 2-5, it may be too late for the Chargers to turn their season around, but it could get very bad for them if they can’t get a win on the board. Similarly, the Bears will drop below .500 in a talented NFC North if they can’t get a win. It’s a big one for both teams if they want to avoid a really bad skid.
4. Are the Lions over the Quandre Diggs trade?
It was definitely a surprise when the Detroit Lions abruptly traded Quandre Diggs to the Seattle Seahawks during the week. They’re still 2-3-1, and they haven’t fallen out of the NFC North race yet. Worse, several key players were clearly unhappy with the deal. One, Darius Slay, won’t play Sunday due to injury, but the locker room seemed a bit rattled. The Giants are a forgiving matchup on both sides of the ball, so if the Lions play to their capabilities, this should be a win. They just have to prove they have clear heads.
5. Is Ryan Tannehill about to prove himself the worthy starter for Tennessee?
At this rate, the Titans may start to regret not going to Tannehill sooner as the team’s starter ahead of Marcus Mariota. He was a 300-yard passer against the Chargers a week ago, and the Buccaneers’ vulnerable defense offers him another chance to light someone up. These results may be deceptive — neither team is performing well right now — but the Titans will absolutely accept deceptively good with all the issues they’ve had in the passing game. It may be another nice week for them.
6. Is Jacoby Brissett turning into a quality NFL starter?
At least for now, it sure looks like it. The Colts don’t treat Brissett as a game manager anymore, and he’s been turned loose against some of the iffier defenses they’ve faced lately. His performance last week against Houston was particularly impressive. The Broncos offer a stern test, though. For all the team’s struggles, they’re still pretty good at limiting the passing game, but Brissett will face a team that hasn’t quite traded Chris Harris yet to make things tougher. A good performance from the Indianapolis quarterback against a quality defense would go a long way toward proving himself further as a legitimate NFL starter.
7. Can the Rams finally get some momentum against the hapless Bengals?
This has been a remarkably odd season for the Rams, who started 3-0 and then lost three straight before getting back into the win column against the struggling Falcons in Week 7. The schedule has been kind to them again in Week 8, granting them a home game against the winless Bengals. The Rams have a lot of work to do with the 49ers consolidating the NFC West and the Seahawks posing problems too, and they need to win a few games in a row. The Rams should look more like themselves here. If they don’t, it’s a bit worrying heading into their bye week.
8. Will Kyler Murray be able to cope with the Saints’ defense?
Murray has excelled lately, but he’s been doing it against weaker defenses. There will be no such luxuries when he takes on the New Orleans Saints, who have a punishing defensive line that will be looking to exploit Arizona’s weak protection. Murray might be on the run a lot Sunday, and it promises to be the sternest test of his young career so far. How he responds will say a lot about his maturity — and his ability to make decisions under immense pressure. If nothing else, it’s a solid barometer for him.
9. Will the Jaguars have Sam Darnold seeing ghosts again?
Once Adam Gase gets over Darnold being mic’d up, he can turn his attention to the Jaguars, who won’t provide much relief for his young quarterback. The Jaguars are fourth in the league in sacks, and while they’re not quite as dominant as the Patriots defensively, they can certainly drive a quarterback to fits. Perhaps the Patriots’ treatment will help Darnold in the long run, as the young quarterback continues to learn how to cope with elite defenses. At the very least, Jacksonville boast an elite pass rush. Darnold will be tested again.
10. Will the 49ers defense cost Kyle Allen his chance at a continued starting job?
There have been indications that the Panthers will give their quarterback job to whoever is hottest when everyone is healthy, a relevant question with Cam Newton perhaps a week away from returning. That’s the good news for Kyle Allen. The bad news is that he’s about to face the hottest defense in the NFL. The 49ers have been absolutely suffocating, allowing ten combined points in the last three games. The Panthers are presumably smart enough to take the full body of work into account, but the 49ers could do a number on Allen in what may be his final start of the season. He probably wishes he’d received a better draw.
11. Are the Patriots about to ruin Baker Mayfield’s turnover numbers even more?
Baker Mayfield couldn’t really pick a worse time to face the Patriots. He’s turned the ball over 20 times in his last 11 games, and the Patriots have forced 22 turnovers this season. Add in a tattered Cleveland offensive line and Mayfield may be in for a very long game. The Patriots stuff opposing running backs, too, meaning Nick Chubb’s effectiveness could be blunted. That puts even more on Mayfield’s shoulders. People have been waiting for a breakout performance from Mayfield for some time now. If there was ever a time for it, it’s now.
12. Have the Raiders been exposed?
The Raiders were 3-2 heading into last week, believe it or not. Then the Packers hung 42 points on them. The Raiders aren’t top-tier talented, and the reality is that the team that got run over by Green Bay probably bears more resemblance to the real Raiders than the one that had been sitting above .500. A trip to Houston with a vulnerable defense may make things worse, as Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson looked poised to feast. Derek Carr probably doesn’t have the weapons to keep up, either. Keep your eyes out for a surprise, but don’t expect one.
13. Can Matt Moore keep up with Aaron Rodgers?
Packers-Chiefs had game of the year potential if Patrick Mahomes had been healthy, but unfortunately for neutral viewers, he won’t be. That leaves Matt Moore to face off with Aaron Rodgers, which is a mismatch on paper. The Chiefs’ offensive scheme and weapons may help paper over some of the cracks, but with a vulnerable defense, this may take the shape of a shootout. If it does, the onus will fall on Moore to try to keep up with Rodgers. Though Kansas City scored 30 points against Denver, Moore was held to 117 passing yards. It’s hard to see that getting it done against Green Bay.
14. Will the Steelers unleash Mason Rudolph against the hopeless Dolphins?
Rudolph was actually a pretty good downfield passer in college, but as one would expect, the Steelers have turned him into a game manager in Ben Roethlisberger’s absence. Is Rudolph capable of more? We don’t know, but this might be a great weekend to find out. Pittsburgh’s defense should smother the Miami offense, and the Dolphin defense is weak enough to be picked on. It bears watching to see if the Steelers let Rudolph take a few shots. If it works out, they may have something to work with going forward.
15. Has Melvin Gordon lost his lead back role to Austin Ekeler?
The Chargers were supposed to miss Melvin Gordon, but Austin Ekeler’s performance was so good in his absence that he’s still getting a lot of work even with both backs available. Ekeler out-snapped Gordon against the Titans last week and got the ball more in crunch time. When the Chargers did turn to Gordon, he fumbled at the goal line, costing the team the game. Whether that weighs on Anthony Lynn’s mind this week remains to be seen, but the fact is, Ekeler has played better this season — even when Gordon has been available too.
