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The eighth week of the 2026 NFL season features several important divisional matchups. The Vikings, the lone remaining undefeated team at 6–0, will take on the Lions as they look to further their lead in the NFC North. In the AFC North, the other division where all teams are better than .500, the Steelers and Browns will compete for the division lead.
Meanwhile, the Falcons and Buccaneers will look to improve their standing in the NFC South when they face off and the Broncos will try to get revenge on the Chiefs for their embarrassing Week 1 loss. And on Sunday night, the Eagles and Commanders will fight to avoid being the NFC East cellar in an underwhelming prime-time matchup.
As another key slate of games gets underway on Thursday, here is the biggest question for every Week 8 matchup.
Bryce Young was one of the hottest quarterbacks to begin the season, but since returning from the bye after their statement prime-time win over the Lions, he has not performed as well. He’s completed less than 52% of his passes in each of his past two games, and against the Buccaneers last Sunday, he completed only 14-of-17 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions while taking five sacks as the Panthers were blown out 43–13. Can he rebound against the Packers this week? Thus far this season, the Packers have been good in pass defense, ranking fifth in EPA per pass allowed (-0.11) and ninth in passing yards allowed per game (208).
The Cowboys got back on track this past week with a win over the Eagles, but can they earn another win over the Cardinals? Arizona has not been good this season, and has fallen short of scoring 20 points in their past two games (including a win over the Rams). Still, the Cowboys cannot be trusted to stop anyone with the state of their defense, and actually have struggled against the Cardinals in recent years. The Cowboys have lost their last four games against the Cardinals, with three of those losses coming by double digits. They have not beaten Arizona since 2017, when Dak Prescott was a second-year pro and Adrian Peterson led the Cardinals in rushing despite playing only six games.
This year, the Cowboys’ defensive backs won’t have to worry about Marvin Harrison Jr.’s double moves, but the Cardinals still have several talented playmakers, including Trey McBride and Michael Wilson.
Trade rumors have surrounded Brian Thomas Jr. since last offseason, and those rumors have picked up steam since Thomas did not play in the second half of the Jaguars’ loss to the Texans. While it would have appeared the Jaguars were on their way to trading Thomas in the near future, coach Liam Coen said this week of him, “He’s going to be able to help us make plays this week. I know it. We’re going to continue to support him and put our arm around him.”
So, will Thomas make plays and show flashes of the rookie season that made him such an exciting player? Or will he struggle again, leading the Jaguars to seriously consider dealing him before the deadline on Nov. 10?
The two most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL face off on Sunday when the Browns and Steelers battle for the lead in the AFC North. Deshaun Watson has been sacked a league-leading 25 times while Aaron Rodgers ranks second with 22 sacks taken. When these teams last squared off on Thursday Night Football in Week 4, Rodgers was sacked five times while Watson was only taken down twice. Those sacks proved critical as the Steelers lost 27–24. The Steelers will look to get to Watson more and have Rodgers channel the vintage mobility he showed when he ran for a first down to help seal their win over the Saints.
RODGERS TAKES IT HIMSELF FOR THE FIRST DOWN
— NFL (@NFL) October 25, 2026
PITvsNO on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/vdXqQPQURQ
The Falcons have a top-five run defense in both rushing yards allowed and EPA per rush, but the unit was exposed a bit by the 49ers, who had their way running the ball against Atlanta until Kaelon Black fumbled deep in Falcons territory. In total, the 49ers rushed for 123 yards against the Falcons, a mark that could have been greater had they not fallen behind and needed to pass the ball more. Can the Falcons’ run defense return to form against a Buccaneers squad that is one of the best rushing teams in the NFL, ranking third in rushing yards per game (146.4) and tied for fifth in EPA per rush (0.01)? The Buccaneers just ran for 258 yards in a dominant win over the Panthers, including 106 yards from Bucky Irving and 88 yards on 14 carries from Kenneth Gainwell.
On the other side of the ball, Bijan Robinson will look to get going against one of the league’s best run defenses. Robinson leads the NFL in rushing yards, but averaged only 3.2 yards per carry against the 49ers. How will he fare against a Buccaneers’ run defense that ranks second in rushing yards allowed per game (77.3) and tied for fifth in EPA per rush allowed (-0.14)? After the Panthers’ loss to the Buccaneers last week, the winner of this game will be right in the thick of the division race again—and the outcome might just come down to who wins in the run game.
The Ravens’ old struggles under John Harbaugh have resurfaced under new coach Jesse Minter, particularly when it comes to their struggles to close out games in the second half. The past two weeks against the Browns and Bengals, Baltimore has held its opponents scoreless in the first half, only to lose after failing to score in the second half.
The Ravens have been without Lamar Jackson due to injury, but even with Jackson, they’ve still struggled with this in the past. When they faced the Bills in Week 1 last season, they held a 40–25 lead early in the fourth quarter, and lost 41–40. Will this year be any different? Or can they close out a game against Josh Allen & Co.?
Notably, Minter said this week when asked if he’s seeing what he wants from the leadership in the locker room when things begin to snowball, “We have guys that care and want to do it right, but there are also moments in the game where it’s like, ‘Who’s the guy that’s going to grab everybody and get them together on the sideline?’ I think, as a team, we’re working through who that is. Who is that person? Who are those players? … I think there are moments where we need a little bit more.”
This statement is particularly interesting after the Bengals praised Ja’Marr Chase for his halftime speech that helped them come back to beat the Ravens. Baltimore will need that kind of leadership against the Bills—especially if Jackson isn’t back.
A very honest answer from #Ravens HC Jesse Minter on player leadership when things are snowballing:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2026
“We have guys that care and want to do it right, but there are also moments in the game where it’s like, ‘Who’s the guy that’s going to grab everybody and get them together on the… pic.twitter.com/BgIjJp0zhg
Once again, a team facing the Vikings this season is being asked whether they can protect their quarterback. Not many squads have succeeded in the area, but the matter is particularly important for the Lions since Jared Goff struggled in two matchups against Brian Flores’s defense last season, playing a role in Detroit falling short of the postseason. Goff was sacked 10 times in those two matchups and turned the ball over four times—two interceptions and two strip-sacks—during their second loss to the Vikings, a defeat that sealed their fate to stay home for the playoffs. Goff notably has not thrown an interception yet this season—he’s the only starting quarterback that’s made every start and hasn’t been picked off—but that streak could come to an end if the Vikings’ pressure gets to him.
With the Raiders still rolling with Kirk Cousins instead of turning to Fernando Mendoza, the focus on this game turns to Aaron Glenn’s clock management. As mentioned in this week’s NFL winners and losers, Glenn’s Jets have been outscored 107–6 in the final two minutes of first halves, an atrocious point differential at a point in the game that allows teams to gain an extra leg up heading into halftime. The Raiders have been outscored 27–22 in the final two minutes of the first half this season, but have succeeded in scoring last-second field goals. In five of seven games this season, the Raiders have kicked a field goal in the final 10 seconds of the half. Can Glenn manage the clock better at the end of the half on Sunday, or even manage to score some points? If not, the calls for his job could grow louder.
Tony Pollard had his best game of the season against the Browns on Sunday, rushing for 129 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry. These figures were all season highs for Pollard, who had not reached 100 rushing yards in any prior game this year. Can he repeat this performance against the Bengals? The Bengals’ run defense has improved this season, though still is not a dominant unit. They are, however, coming off a strong game against the Ravens in which they held Derrick Henry to 45 rushing yards and 2.6 yards per carry.
In one of the most unpredictable twists of the season, the Chargers are the NFL’s last winless team after the Dolphins earned their first win of the year against the Jets last Sunday. At 0–6, there is little hope the Chargers will still make the playoffs, but can they at least come out of the bye and play respectable, clean football the rest of the season? The Chargers are 2–0 so far under Jim Harbaugh when coming out of the bye week, and will look to extend that streak to 3–0 when they face another one of the league’s disappointing teams this season in the Rams.
The Patriots are expected to rebound from their loss to the Bears, with a friendlier matchup against the Dolphins, who are fresh off their first win of the season. But will they be able to run the ball? Drake Maye led New England in rushing against Chicago with 26 yards while their other three backs—Rhamondre Stevenson, Corey Kiner and TreVeyon Henderson—all averaged less than 4.0 yards per carry. The Dolphins’ run defense has been good, ranking fifth in EPA per rush allowed (-0.14). The Patriots are also sorting through their running back room as they’ve given more touches to Kiner in recent weeks.
The Kenneth Walker III era in Kansas City got off to an incredible start thanks to his Week 1 performance against the Broncos, which saw him rush for 173 yards and a 60-yard touchdown while averaging 7.5 yards per carry. The Broncos’ run defense was atrocious, allowing Walker to run all over them while missing 14 tackles in the contest. Walker has been dominant this season, but the Seahawks just became the first team to truly stop him on Sunday by holding him to 36 yards on an average of 2.6 yards per carry. Can the Broncos emulate any of Seattle’s performance, or will they allow Walker to burn them again?
Both Nick Sirianni and Dan Quinn are on the hot seat this season. Quinn entered the year with a hotter seat, but Sirianni’s is growing warmer as the Eagles are dealing with a plethora of injuries and are on a five-game losing streak. Both franchises could move on from these coaches after the season, but whichever one gets the win in prime time could quiet the noise for the time being. For Quinn in particular, it will be important to avoid any more game-management miscues, particularly as they play in a stand-alone window.
The Seahawks have lost three games this season, but their defense remains top notch, ranking top two in yards allowed, passing yards allowed, EPA per play allowed and opponent success rate. All three of their losses—including their two high-scoring losses to the Commanders and 49ers—have come primarily because of offensive turnovers rather than defensive miscues.
Will Ben Johnson’s Bears be able to crack Seattle’s defense? No team has truly excelled against the Seahawks’ defense since the Rams faced them last season. The Bears boast a balanced attack. They lead with their running game, but as they displayed in their win over the Falcons two weeks ago, when their run game is held in check, they can still control the clock and lean on third-year quarterback Caleb Williams, who has been playing his best football the past two weeks. This game will mark a test of just how good Johnson and Williams are—so long as the Seahawks don’t hand the ball over to Chicago.
Byes: 49ers, Texans, Saints, Giants
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