Week 8 may have looked relatively tame coming in, but once the action got underway, we got arguably the best week of the NFL season. Ten of the week's 16 games were decided by one possession -- most since Week 2 -- with the highlight being the Commanders' game-winning Hail Mary.
Big plays good and bad loomed large as the halfway point of the regular season nears. Here's what we liked and didn't like from Week 8.
Five things we liked in Week 8
1. Russell Wilson's under-center, play-action prowess
The Steelers going from Justin Fields to Russell Wilson was a big call -- a change in styles in the middle of what was a solid 4-2 start. But as Mike Tomlin said last week, "That's why I'm well-compensated."
Wilson doesn't have Fields' scrambling, but he still diversifies the Pittsburgh attack thanks to his under-center, play-action abilities. The Steelers have been under center on 57% of their snaps over the last two weeks; that was 42% during the first six games with Fields. And Wilson brought the goods on Monday night: How about this dime to George Pickens?
Wilson is 14-for-18 for 268 yards on under-center, play-action throws this year in two games. Fields only had 208 yards on those plays over six games. Last week we praised Wilson's deep, perimeter throws. This week, add another layer to Wilson proving Tomlin right.
2. National Tight Ends Day founder goes wild on National Tight Ends Day
Sunday was National Tight Ends Day, and the position went absolutely wild with 177 catches league-wide, most in a single day in league history according to NFL research.
Let's shout out the holiday's founder, George Kittle, and his crossing routes. Of Kittle's season-high 128 yards receiving against the Cowboys, 73 came on crossing routes. He beat overzealous defenders who were fooled on play action and overmatched defenders when they gave him free releases. He's big, he's strong, and he's just really good.
With Brandon Aiyuk out, expect to see more Kittle as a downfield, middle-of-the-field threat. Sunday was a great start.
3. The Commanders' auxiliary pass catchers
With Jayden Daniels at the helm, Terry McLaurin is finally getting the quarterback he and the Commanders have craved. McLaurin is fourth in yards receiving this season, a true breakout for a player limited by the quarterback situations of years past.
But Washington's other top receiving options have been pleasant surprises. Obviously we have to start with Noah Brown, who was on the receiving end of the Hail Mary.
But Brown, added just days before the season began, has been much more than this play this season. He has been a key physical presence as both a receiver and a blocker.
Zach Ertz has been a massive addition, too. He's second on the team in both receptions and yards, and more than that, he's been a reliable over the middle, an area it was thought Daniels might struggle. Daniels has 186 yards passing to Ertz on throws between the numbers, most of any receiver on the team, and Ertz's 11 receptions that result in first downs are second-most on the team. Brought in as a veteran who knew Kliff Kingsbury's system well, Ertz has exceeded expectations.
4. Ball-hawking safeties
When we boil things down, there are two major ways to be a successful defense. One is to be really good down-to-down. The other is to create havoc -- turnovers, negative plays, etc. Truly great units can do both.
The Lions, Packers and Falcons defenses are not truly great on a down-to-down basis. But they have been excellent creating turnovers this season.
Defensive success rate (NFL rank) | Takeaways (NFL rank) | |
Packers | 21st | 1st |
Lions | 11th | T-2nd |
Falcons | 30th | T-12th |
That continued in Week 8 thanks to excellent safety play, a theme of the entire season. Starting with the Packers, Xavier McKinney collected his lead-leading sixth interception this season. He's the first safety with six interceptions through eight games since Kevin Byard in 2017.
Kerby Joseph is right behind McKinney with five interceptions, including this one against the Titans. Remember, the Lions also have Swiss Army Knife safety Brian Branch and his four interceptions this season as well.
And finally, Jessie Bates III had an incredible interception as well as a fumble forced and recovered in the Falcons' win over the Buccaneers.
Bates is the only player with an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery in a game this season.
If you can't be strong play-in, play-out, you'd better have some playmakers. All three of these teams have them.
5. This C.J. Stroud strike
Who doesn't like quarterbacks making awesome throws? After highlighting absolute bullets from Geno Smith and Jordan Love last week, let's give some credit to C.J. Stroud for this dot on the move with pressure bearing down.
After struggling mightily against the Packers, Stroud answered the bell against the Colts.
Five things we didn't like in Week 8
1. Trevor Lawrence's ball security
Trevor Lawrence does a lot of good things on a football field. He makes some great downfield throws. He scrambles. The potential oozes.
But "potential" is such a frustrating word, because his ball security remains a huge issue. Against the Packers, Lawrence had two more turnovers: the interception to McKinney and this fumble.
This can't be a fumble. Not deep in your own territory, not when a sack would be OK, if far from ideal. Lawrence's 22 fumbles since entering the league in 2021 are most over that span. Lamar Jackson is second with 15, a huge gap. Lawrence's 65 turnovers since 2021 are also the most.
It's not just the pure number of turnovers. It's also that they happen at awful times -- deep in his own territory and deep in opponent territory, meaning the Jaguars give other teams great scoring opportunities while wasting their own. This was yet another example.
2. The Browns' double-edged sword
It was awesome to see the Browns offense explode in Week 8. Jameis Winston combined his aggressive downfield throwing with some easier short and intermediate throws, and while things could have looked a lot different if the Ravens didn't drop three potential interceptions, there were overwhelmingly positive signs from Winston, Cedric Tillman and David Njoku.
All this, unfortunately, makes Cleveland starting Deshaun Watson for seven weeks even harder to swallow. In seven games, Watson had four completions at least 20 yards downfield. Sunday alone, Winston had three. The Browns were finally able to marry their power running game with their play-action game. What should be a breath of fresh air is just a reminder of what could have been.
At 2-6, the Browns still believe, but from 2000-2023, 95 teams were 2-6 through eight games. Two went on to make the playoffs. There's no room for error; starting Watson for that long was the error.
3. Vikings can't get stops
Throwing it way back to Thursday, the Vikings committed not one, not two but three defensive penalties on third down that resulted in Rams first downs. That's tied for the most by any team in a game this season.
Of course, not all penalties are created equal. But one in particular -- Stephon Gilmore interfering with Cooper Kupp short of the sticks on a late, underthrown pass on -- was particularly tough.
The Vikings had nine defensive penalties through seven games. They had six against the Rams alone.
4. Seattle's self-inflicted wounds
Listen, things were far from perfect for the Seahawks entering the game. No DK Metcalf. An offensive line and a defense in flux. Rain. An opponent, as we mentioned before, that is among the best in any situation but maybe even better, relatively speaking, in bad weather.
But there was absolutely no reason for it to get this ugly.
The Seahawks ran seven plays from inside the Buffalo 5-yard line. Those seven plays lost 22 yards.
OK, so teams struggle, right? The Seahawks didn't just struggle, though. They imploded. Geno Smith got a personal foul for throwing a ball at a Bills defender, and defensive linemen Jarran Reed and Derick Hall got in a fight after Hall's awful roughing the passer penalty.
5. Celebrating early
Maybe it was because it was National Tight Ends Day. More likely, it's because the officiating crew couldn't get the right replay angle. But somehow, this Kyle Pitts touchdown was upheld after instant replay.
It's encouraging to see Pitts get going as a big-play downfield weapon. But please, please, please -- and this goes for everyone, because we see this several times a year -- can we just sprint and protect the ball all the way to the end zone?