Welcome to the Week 8 grades!
This might go down as the most bizarre Sunday in NFL history: We saw one team win a game without completing a single pass, we saw a final score that's never happened before and we saw the Ravens lose two quarterbacks to injury before the first half was even over.
Here's a closer look at some of the strange things that happened:
- Baker Mayfield went 0-for-3 passing in the Buccaneers' 16-0 win over the Falcons. That stat line makes the Bucs the first team since 1974 to have zero completions in a win.
- The Falcons gave up 324 rushing yards to the Bucs, which is the most they've ever surrendered in a game in franchise history.
- The Ravens became the first team since 2017 to have three different quarterbacks throw a pass in the first half of a game. They lost Lamar Jackson to a thumb injury on the first offensive play and then they ended up losing Tyler Huntley to a toe injury in the second quarter. That left undrafted rookie Joe Fagnano as the only healthy QB on the roster.
- The Bengals beat the Titans 43-36, giving us a scorigami (that means it was the first time in NFL history that final score has ever happened).
- The Cowboys blew a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter, which had never happened before. The Cowboys were 69-0 at home when leading by 14 points or more in the fourth quarter before blowing a lead and losing to the Cardinals on Sunday.
- Jahmyr Gibbs ran through the Vikings with 153 yards on the ground, making him the first player since 2011 to rush for at least 150 yards against a team that went into a game with a record of 6-0 or better.
Speaking of Gibbs, let's get to this week's grades, starting with Detroit's big win.
Lions (5-2) 19-15 over Vikings (6-1)
| B- |
|
| The Vikings are going to have to start asking themselves some hard questions about the quarterback position. Kyler Murray struggled with his accuracy while missing several open receivers on a day when he completed under 60% of his passes. The Lions went into this game with the worst pass defense in the NFL through the first seven weeks and the Vikings just weren't able to take advantage of that. The Vikings' rushing attack was also non-existent, which didn't help things. With better QB play, Minnesota might have won this game. The Vikings have a historically good defense, but that could go to waste if the offense keeps looking like this. |
| B+ |
|
| The Vikings have the best defense in the NFL, but Jahmyr Gibbs made the unit look mortal. The Lions superstar running back rushed for 153 yards, with 63 of those coming during a pivotal fourth quarter where the Lions scored a go-ahead TD. The Lions beleaguered pass defense had its best game of the year. Kyler Murray was under constant pressure, and that led to three sacks and a clutch second-quarter interception from D.J. Reed that seemed to flip the momentum in the game. The Lions took a page out of Minnesota's playbook and won a game by playing great defense. If Detroit's defense looks even remotely like this going forward, the Lions could soon be back on top of the NFC North. |
Bills (6-1) 36-10 over Ravens (4-4)
| D- |
|
| This felt like an unwinnable game for the Ravens after they were forced to turn their offense over to undrafted rookie QB Joe Fagnano. With Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley both going down, Fagnano took over in the second quarter and the offense didn't do much after that. To the Ravens' credit, they kept this a one-score game to the third quarter, but their lack of an offense eventually caught up with them. With Jackson now headed for injured reserve, the Ravens will have to prove they can win without him, or this could quickly turn into a lost season for Baltimore. |
| A |
|
| When you see a team that's down in the NFL, you need to keep them down and that's what the Bills did here. Buffalo's defense feasted on a Ravens' offense that was down to its third-string QB in Joe Fagnano. The Bills forced three turnovers, including two that came against the inexperienced Fagnano. The Bills didn't get an "A+" here because their offense sleepwalked through the first half, but they bounced back to put this game away in the second half. The Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL, and right now their biggest weakness is their defense. But if the defense keeps playing like this, Buffalo has to be viewed as the team to beat in the AFC. |
Steelers (6-2) 27-6 over Browns (5-3)
| F |
|
| The Browns finally came crashing back to earth and they did it with their sloppiest game of the season. This game felt like it was going to turn into a blowout before the first quarter was even over. On the Browns' first three possessions of the game, they lost two fumbles and had a three-and-out. The Browns' offensive line got absolutely bullied by a Steelers pass rush that sacked Deshaun Watson eight times. On the other side of the ball, the Browns' vaunted defense didn't get a single stop during the first two quarters. If the Browns want to be a playoff contender this year, they're going to have to start winning big games like this and they certainly didn't pass the test in Pittsburgh. |
| A+ |
|
| Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has gotten hot over the past few weeks and not even the Browns could slow him down. Warren plowed his way through the Browns' defense for 102 yards in the FIRST HALF alone on his way to 143 for the game on just 17 carries. When the Steelers are able to run the ball, that makes them nearly unbeatable. This is the fourth time this season that they've hit 100 yards rushing and they've gone 4-0 in those games. Of course, the real story of this game was the dominance of the Steelers' defense. The Browns never really sniffed the end zone until the game was out of reach in the fourth quarter. T.J. Watt (2 sacks), Cameron Heyward (1.5 sacks) and Patrick Queen (1.5 sacks) feasted on the Browns' offensive line that couldn't slow down the Steelers' pass rush. The Steelers will now get the comfort of heading into the bye as the leader in the AFC North. |
Buccaneers (3-5) 16-0 over Falcons (3-5)
| D- |
|
| The Falcons better hope that they don't see any more rain this season, because it's pretty clear Michael Penix Jr. doesn't play well when it's wet outside. With a heavy downpour falling, the Falcons tried to get their passing game going, but that plan backfired on a day when Penix threw four interceptions. Two of those four picks came inside Tampa Bay's 35-yard line, killing any Atlanta's chances of scoring on those two drives. The Falcons' defense deserves some credit for holding the Bucs to just six points despite four interceptions, but it doesn't deserve credit for much else. The Falcons got steamrolled for 324 yards on the ground, which is the most they've ever given up in a single game in franchise history. |
| B+ |
|
| The only thing we learned about the Buccaneers in this game is that they're much better at playing in the rain than the Falcons are. With a torrential downpour falling in Tampa, the Buccaneers decided to totally give up on the passing game. Instead, they decided they were going to win the game by running the ball and playing defense and that's exactly what happened here. Bucky Irving (170 rushing yards) and Kenneth Gainwell (140 yards) slogged while helping the Bucs rush for a franchise-record 324 yards. Baker Mayfield went 0-for-3 in the game, making the Bucs the first team since 1974 to win a game without throwing a pass. With the ground game rolling, the Bucs' defense carried things the rest of the way. The Bucs, who had four interceptions, were more than happy to see the Falcons put the ball in the air. After starting 0-4, the Bucs are starting to look like the best team in the NFC South after destroying the Panthers and Falcons in consecutive weeks. |
Jaguars (5-2) 42-7 over Colts (2-6)
| F |
|
| The Colts might as well go ahead and trade Jonathan Taylor and anyone else they're thinking about getting rid of, because their season is over. They could have stayed in the AFC South race with a win here, but instead, they got embarrassed. The offense sputtered through the first half with seven ugly possessions that ended with five punts, a lost fumble by Taylor and a pick-six by Daniel Jones. The Colts have already fired their general manager, and it wouldn't be surprising if they decide to move on from Shane Steichen after this performance. |
| A |
|
| It took eight weeks, but Bayshul Tuten finally had his breakout game, and it was impressive: The Jaguars running back topped 100 yards on the ground with a TD, and he added another 55 receiving yards with another TD. This was exactly what the Jags were hoping to see from Tuten when they let Travis Etienne leave in free agency. Tuten has been good this year and it looks like he might be ready to make the jump to great. Defensively, the Jags came out of their bye on fire: They harassed Daniel Jones to the tune of three sacks and Rayuan Lane III added a 92-yard pick-six that essentially iced the game in the second quarter (Yes, this game was over in the second quarter). The blowout win meant the Jags could bench several starters in the fourth quarter, a huge perk for a Jacksonville team that has to turn around and play on Thursday night. |
Raiders (4-4) 38-33 over Jets (2-6)
| B |
|
| Raiders coach Klint Kubiak made it clear this week that Kirk Cousins was going to be his starter and Cousins made his coach look like a genius for sticking with him. The Raiders QB was extremely sharp, especially in the red zone where the Raiders scored four touchdowns on four trips. Cousins accounted for all four scores with three TD passes and a rare TD run. The Raiders offense had an interesting new look with Mike Washington getting the brunt of the carries in the backfield. Ashton Jeanty had only 2 carries compared to 25 for Washington. With the Raiders performing well in the red zone and on third down --- they went 7 of 11 -- it won't be surprising if Washington continues to out-snap Jeanty going forward. The offense was clicking on Sunday with Kubiak's new plan. |
| B- |
|
| For the fifth time this season, the Jets lost a game by one score, and when that happens, it's usually a coaching problem. Aaron Glenn is a defensive-minded coach, but his defense couldn't stop anything in this game. The Raiders moved the ball at will, especially during the second half, when Vegas piled up 233 yards and 24 points. Offensively, the Jets were almost perfect: They became the first team this year to score on their first six possessions of the game. Adonai Mitchell had a career-high 142 receiving yards and Braelon Allen controlled things on the ground with 147 rushing yards, but it all comes back to the defense. You can't win in the NFL if you can't get any stops and the Jets just couldn't get any stops. |
Bengals (5-2) 43-36 over Titans (1-7)
| C+ |
|
| In their first game since trading Jeffery Simmons, the Titans could have rolled over and gotten blown out, but instead, they had one of their best performances of the season. Jacob Martin and Amani Hooker did their best to slow down Joe Burrow: Hooker picked him off three times while Martin sacked him three times. Offensively, Cam Ward had one of the best games of his career. For the most part, he made smart decisions and smart throws on a day where he threw for a career-high 304 yards, and he did that without Carnell Tate. There are no moral victories in the NFL, but this should feel like one for the Titans: Cam Ward took a huge step forward and Tennessee stayed firmly in the race to land the No. 1 overall pick. |
| C+ |
|
| Joe Burrow sure knows how to make things interesting. The Bengals QB kept the Titans in this game by throwing three interceptions, but he more than made up for it by becoming just the SECOND PLAYER in NFL history to throw for at least 450 passing yards with five passing touchdowns and one rushing TD in a single game. It's almost unfair how many weapons the Bengals have and Burrow used them all with Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase both topping 140 receiving yards. This certainly wasn't a statement game by a Bengals defense that got torched for 440 yards, but the unit did make two key stops with the game on the line, one late in the fourth quarter and the other in overtime. If you want to be good in the NFL, you have to beat the bad teams on your schedule, and the Bengals did that here, even if it was ugly. |
Cardinals (3-5) 33-30 in OT over Cowboys (3-5)
| B |
|
| The Cardinals might have just found themselves a new starting QB. With the offense going nowhere, Mike LaFleur decided to bench Jacoby Brissett in the third quarter in favor of Gardner Minshew, and that gamble paid off big time. Minshew entered the game and immediately proceeded to have one of the best fourth quarters of any QB this season: He threw for 166 yards and three touchdowns, including a game-tying 13-yard score to Michael Wilson with just six seconds left in regulation. The Cardinals have plenty of weapons on offense; they just need a QB who can utilize them, and it's possible that Minshew might be that guy. Minshew was so good that it wouldn't be surprising if the Cardinals decided to start taking offers for Brissett before the trade deadline. |
| D |
|
| This was an inexcusable loss for a Cowboys team that couldn't afford to lose. The defense has been a problem all year in Dallas and if you want to know how bad things have gotten, just watch the fourth quarter of this game. The Cardinals piled up 222 yards of offense and they scored a TD on all three of their possessions. The defense's failure is why Arizona was able to win despite trailing by 10 points with four minutes left to play. Through the first eight weeks, the Cowboys might be the most disappointing team in the NFL. |
Packers (5-3) 27-19 over Panthers (3-4)
| C |
|
| Through Carolina's first five games, Bryce Young looked like someone who might be a dark horse MVP candidate this year, but he has come crashing back to earth since Sunday. Young struggled against the Buccaneers in Week 6 and he wasn't much better in Green Bay. The Panthers' offensive line has struggled to protect Young all year and it only got uglier on Thursday night with two more starters out (RT Taylor Moton and LG Damien Lewis). Young tends to struggle when he's under pressure and he faced a lot of pressure while facing a Packers team that sacked him six times. If the Panthers can't figure out how to protect Young, this offense might struggle for the rest of the season. |
| B+ |
|
| There was a thought that the Packers defense would struggle without Micah Parsons this year, but that hasn't been the case. New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has Green Bay's defense playing like one of the better units in the NFL right now and this game was a solid example of why they've been so good this season. For one, they can generate a lot of pressure without blitzing. Not only did the Packers sack Bryce Young six times, but those sacks came from six different players. Rookie DE Dani Dennis-Sutton had one of those six sacks, which was fitting, because Green Bay's rookie class has helped spark the defensive turnaround. And let's not forget about Lukas Van Ness, who's finally playing like a first-round pick three years after being selected in the first round. The Packers still can't run the ball, but they're doing almost everything else right and that's why they're winning games. |
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