Week 8 was the shortest week in the NFL thus far. There were six teams on their BYE Week, leaving only 13 games on the slate. Despite one-less game, the action was just as exciting. Here is how it broke down:
The Young and the Restless
The young teams of the NFL that were expected to be a few years away are really playing well this season. The Chiefs, Bucs and Rams all were victorious in Week 8.
The Chiefs continue to surprise everyone with a 5-2 record and they are currently sitting in first place in the AFC West. They were able to just beat the Bills in overtime, 13-10. The game was an offensive slowdown for the Chiefs, who scored 42 points in Week 7, but a win is a win.
The Bucs are another solid young team. Who would have guessed the Bucs would have a better record than the Saints after 8 weeks? Certainly not me. The Bucs have had some luck so far, they have 5 wins despite being outscored by almost four points per game. Part of their success this Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals was due to the running of LeGarrette Blount. Check out his sweet spin move followed by a hurdle:
The Bucs came back from a 4th quarter deficit to win, 38-35.
The Rams drafted Sam Bradford #1 overall this past Spring, but no-one expected them to be competing for the division during his rookie season. That is exactly what they are doing. They are currently in 2nd place in the NFC West after their 20-10 win over the Carolina Panthers.
The Lions are another young team that are making some big strides this season. Matthew Stafford returned from injury and threw four TDs in their 37-25 win over the Redskins. Ndamukong Suh, the 2nd overall pick last Spring, is a large part of the Lions return to relevance. Suh returned a fumble for a TD this week and added two sacks giving him 6.5 on the season.
Same old, Same old
The Patriots are much younger this season, especially on defense, but they continue to win games behind the veteran leadership of Tom Brady. After their 28-18 win over the Vikings, the Patriots now quietly have the best record in the NFL.
The Colts are another team that simply continue to take care of business behind a veteran quarterback. Peyton Manning led the Colts to a 30-17 win over the Texans on Monday Night Football. It seemingly doesn’t matter who Manning has to throw the ball to. Despite tons of injuries on offense, the Colts continue to score points (albeit against the horrible Texans pass defense).
The Saints rebounded nicely from a disappointing loss to the Browns last week. Drew Brees was able to overcome the tough Steelers’ defense en route to a 20-10 win on Sunday Night Football.
The Rest of the Action
- The Packers and Jets took part in a defensive battle. The Packers emerged victorious, 9-0.
- The 49ers were able to get their second win of the season in London against the Denver Broncos, 24-16.
- The Cowboys showed everyone how bad they really are this season during their 35-17 loss to the Jaguars.
- The Dolphins were able to rebound from their tough loss last week to beat the Bengals, 22-14.
- The Chargers might have finally turned the corner. They have the #1 ranked offense and defense in the NFL, but they keep finding ways to lose – not this week. They were able to beat a good Titans team, 33-25.
- The Raiders picked up where they left off in Week 7 by beating the Seahawks 33-3. Over the past two weeks, they have outscored opponents 92-20.
That’s what you may have missed this past weekend, be sure to check back next week.
What was the most surprising game of Week 8?
[Photo Credit: lancaster-black-eyes.de]
