NFL Week Eight storylines to follow
The NFL season is halfway over at this point and that means the trade deadline is approaching. The deadline is this coming Tuesday, so we can expect more teams to continue making moves to load up before making their playoff run. The year 2020 has been a long one, but this NFL season is flying by.
Week Eight was filled with some very surprising upsets, including four teams that were sitting in my top 10. The Cincinnati Bengals led by Joe Burrow laid the smackdown on the Tennessee Titans and took them out of their element by getting an early lead. Joe Burrow continues to prove he was the right choice as the first pick in the NFL Draft.
The Miami Dolphins defense shocked the Los Angeles Rams by creating four turnovers from Jared Goff. The defense was in his face all afternoon. The Dolphins offseason was filled with paying defensive veterans to come in and help this team right away. On Sunday it showed that it was money well spent. The Dolphins have a lot to be excited about in regards to the future of their franchise.
BOLD STATEMENTS
The New England Patriots will struggle to win seven games this season. Cam Newton isn’t getting any better and his shoulder is looking to be a problem for him once again. The Patriots offense is very limited and no one has stepped up to be the lead weapon for them. Was Tom Brady the reason for their success?
The Miami Dolphins will win the AFC East before the New England Patriots do again. The foundation is there for the Dolphins and New England looks to be rebuilding after this season.
Patrick Mahomes is playing at an MVP level, but we are so used to this type of play that he isn’t getting the true recognition for it.
The Chicago Bears are one good quarterback away from making a real run at the Super Bowl.
Below are my NFL Power Rankings after Week Seven.
32. NEW YORK JETS (0-8) — LAST WEEK 32
Lol just blow it up and start fresh next year.
31. NEW YORK GIANTS (1-7) — LAST WEEK 31
Just when you think Daniel Jones has figured it out and can be the guy for the future, he does something silly. He needs to learn to throw the ball away and trust his read and get the ball out on time. The Giants defense was the surprising bright spot for them on Monday, but the offense has got to be consistent.
30. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-6) — LAST WEEK 30
On a Bye. Will not change place in rankings.
29. DALLAS COWBOYS (2-6) — LAST WEEK 25
The Dallas Cowboys season is over now. Starting a third-string quarterback at this point in the season is never what you want to see. The defense finally showed up this week as they forced four turnovers but the offense could not get anything rolling. Things don’t get any easier as they face the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. Haha. Good luck, boys.
28. HOUSTON TEXANS (1-6) — LAST WEEK 28
On a Bye. Will not change place in rankings.
27. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-5) — LAST WEEK 18
The dynasty is officially over for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady is having success in Tampa Bay and Cam Newton is struggling as of late. He is putting his entire body back into his throws and is turning the ball over. The Patriots are expected to trade some guys as well, so maybe Bill has some genius plan for the future.
26. CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-5-1) — LAST WEEK 29
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals picked up a surprising win over the Tennessee Titans this week. The offense was clicking and their ability to convert on third down was the difference. The Bengals get the upset and can roll into the bye week with another win.
25. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (2-5) — LAST WEEK 27
The Minnesota Vikings better spoil the hell out of Dalvin Cook for Christmas this year. Give him all the presents. The man led the team with four touchdowns. He was all of their scoring and led them to victory.
24. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (2-5) — LAST WEEK 24
On a Bye. Will not change place in rankings.
23. ATLANTA FALCONS (2-6) — LAST WEEK 26
The Atlanta Falcons picked up a nice division victory on Thursday night thanks to Julio Jones and the offense controlling the game clock. Their pass rush also came to life as they were able to get to Teddy Bridgewater the entire game. It was a nice bright spot to what has been a very disappointing season for the Falcons.
22. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (2-5) — LAST WEEK 21
The Chargers are going to Charger. Justin Herbert does all he can to lead this team to victory and the defense messes it up. It has been the mental mistakes that have been hurting the Chargers this season and on Sunday it was the penalties from the defense.
21. DETROIT LIONS (3-4) — LAST WEEK 20
The Detroit Lions offensive line should get Matthew Stafford an apology basket. The number of times he was sacked and hit is just ridiculous. Especially coming off a BROKEN back he suffered last season. The defense wasn’t much help either as they struggled to slow down the Indianapolis Colts running backs. The Lions are the definition of inconsistency this season.
20. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-4-1) — LAST WEEK 22
It was not Carson Wentz’s best performance, but at least the Eagles get a win. It was a nasty looking win, but at least they continue to gain traction atop the NFC East as they head into their bye week.
19. DENVER BRONCOS (3-4) — LAST WEEK 23
Drew Lock ends this game as a hero with the game-winning drive and a touchdown throw. The running game for the Broncos was key this week as Phillip Lindsay led the way with multiple big runs that kept their drives rolling. Bottom line. The Broncos were lucky to win this game with a favorable flag right at the end of the game.
18. CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-5) — LAST WEEK 17
The offensive line for the Panthers has been a problem as of late. Teddy Bridgewater has been running for his life and doesn’t have time to get the ball downfield. Carolina’s defensive secondary has been a problem too, but no one was expecting this team to be great this season. The foundation is there for the future though.
17. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (4-4) — LAST WEEK 14
Jimmy Garoppolo went out early in this game and that was pretty much it for the 49ers this week. The defense didn’t show up and they get rolled by Seattle after destroying the New England Patriots a week ago.
16. MIAMI DOLPHINS (4-3) — LAST WEEK 19
It’s TUA TIME! The rookie picks up his first win in the NFL as a starter. The defense was a huge help for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday as they created four turnovers and put the ball back in the hands of their offense. This was a complete team win by the Dolphins.
15. CLEVELAND BROWNS (5-3) — LAST WEEK 13
The Cleveland Browns could not get into the endzone this week. A turnover and key drops cost them this game. The defense could not slow down the Raiders run game or keep Derek Carr contained in the pocket. Hopefully, they clear some things up going into their bye week.
14. CHICAGO BEARS (5-3) — LAST WEEK 11
The offense is struggling to lead this team. The talent at quarterback just isn’t there and David Montgomery spends too much time dancing in the backfield instead of hitting the hole. The Bears were in this game and had a chance at winning it, but everything just fell apart for them in overtime.
13. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (4-3) — LAST WEEK 15
Derek Carr doing all he can to help lead the Raiders to victory this week in Cleveland. Carr was running this game and picked up some key first downs that kept them marching down the field. Henry Ruggs has been a big part of this offense as well in his rookie year. The Alabama kids are working out pretty well for Las Vegas.
12. LOS ANGELES RAMS (5-3) — LAST WEEK 7
The Rams lost this game due to turnovers. They beat the Miami Dolphins in nearly every stat but the final score. The offensive line was the weak spot this week as the Dolphins had their way with them and got to Jared Goff at will.
11. TENNESSEE TITANS (5-2) — LAST WEEK 8
It’s hard to win football games when you turn the ball over and miss field goals. The Tennessee Titans were forced to throw their way back into this game because they were down by three scores at one point and it’s just not their style of play. The Titans are struggling right now.
10. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (5-2) — LAST WEEK 16
Talk about a complete team win. This was it for the Colts on Sunday — The defense was harassing Matthew Stafford all game and Phillip Rivers was tossing the pigskin downfield. The Colts are quieting holding a 5-2 recond. This is a team to keep an eye on moving forward.
9. ARIZONA CARDINALS (5-2) — LAST WEEK 9
On a Bye. Will not change place in rankings.
8. BUFFALO BILLS (6-2) — LAST WEEK 12
They did it. They finally beat the New England Patriots and are set to win the AFC East for the first time since 1995. The Buffalo Bills’ defense stepped up this week and forced a late turnover to seal the win. The offense needs to get back on track though if they want to be playing for the Super Bowl in January.
7. GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-2) — LAST WEEK 5
This team struggles to slow down the run and that was evident this week. Maybe it was just Dalvin Cook, but the Packers’ defense did not have an answer for him. The comeback was looking to be in motion, but it was just too late this time around for Aaron Rodgers.
6. BALTIMORE RAVENS (5-2) — LAST WEEK 4
Lamar Jackson is struggling to lead this team back when trailing in games. The defense is solid and the run game is there for Baltimore. What’s hurting them is their quarterback struggling to throw outside the hash marks when they need to keep time on the clock.
5. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-2) — LAST WEEK 6
This week’s game was a little closer than they would have liked but the offense made plays when they needed it most and next week they add Antonio Brown to the mix. The Bucs defense comes up clutch right at the end to seal this win and is the reason they won this game. They have been playing on a different level the last couple of weeks.
4. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-2) — LAST WEEK 10
The New Orleans Saints got one hell of a deal with Alvin Karma’s contract this offseason. He deserves to be the highest-paid running back after the way this offense has leaned on him this season. The defense once again makes the play when called upon to help lead them to victory. The Saints sit atop the NFC South for now but will have a chance to defend that position next Sunday night against Tampa Bay.
3. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-1) — LAST WEEK 3
The game ball goes to D.K. Metcalf this week. It is so confusing how a man at that size can be that fast. The Seahawks took advantage of a beat-up San Francisco 49ers team as they had 30 points on the board going into the fourth. This team is dealing with some injuries themselves but is still finding ways to put points on the board while dominating their opponents.
2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (7-1) — LAST WEEK 2
Patrick Mahomes is the best quarterback in the NFL. Their defense is better than it was last year and it’s noticeable as they have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Sammy Watkins should be returning soon along with Mitchell Schwartz. The offense isn’t even fully healthy and they are still putting up big numbers.
1. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-0) — LAST WEEK 1
Big game this week in Baltimore against the Ravens and the Steelers come out victorious once again. The Steelers have set the blueprint on how to maintain Lamar Jackson and beat the Ravens. This team is going to be tough to stop moving forward, especially with the addition of Avery Williamson