The NFL season is approaching its midway point, and the stakes are getting higher.

From a marquee showdown between two of the AFC’s biggest stars to the league’s last unbeaten team facing its toughest test yet, here are five things to know heading into Week 8.

Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson

The marquee matchup Sunday features Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills, fresh off their bye week, hosting Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens.

Jackson is expected to return from an ankle injury, and the Ravens desperately need their two-time MVP back on the field after last week’s stunning collapse against the Cincinnati Bengals. Baltimore became just the third team in NFL history to lose by at least 20 points after leading by 13 or more at halftime.

Jackson is 3-2 all-time against Allen in the regular season but has lost both of their playoff meetings.

While both teams have Super Bowl aspirations, the stakes are considerably higher for Baltimore.

At 4-3, the Ravens suddenly find themselves in last place in what has become a surprisingly competitive AFC North. The 5-1 Bills, meanwhile, sit comfortably atop the AFC East.

Browns-Steelers: First place on the line

Speaking of the AFC North, how about those first-place Cleveland Browns?

Not many people expected Cleveland to be sitting at 5-2 heading into Week 8, but the Browns have found a way to win close games, thanks in large part to Deshaun Watson’s late-game heroics.

Watson has engineered a game-winning drive in all five of Cleveland’s victories this season. He’s the only quarterback with five game-winning drives this year and just the third in NFL history to accomplish that feat in his team’s first five wins of a season, joining Troy Aikman in 1990 and Matthew Stafford in 2016.

Now comes another major test.

The Browns head to Pittsburgh to face the 5-2 Steelers, who are coming off a long but happy flight home from Paris after beating the New Orleans Saints 16-10 last Sunday.

This is the second meeting between these division rivals this season, with Cleveland winning a 27-24 thriller in Week 4.

Can Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers get their revenge? One thing is certain: Somebody is leaving Sunday at 6-2 and sitting alone atop the AFC North (unless, of course, there’s a tie).

Perfect Vikings: How long can Minnesota keep this up?

And then there was one.

The Minnesota Vikings are the NFL’s last remaining undefeated team, sitting at a perfect 6-0. But a closer look at their numbers reveals one of the more unusual unbeaten starts in recent memory.

If you looked strictly at Minnesota’s offensive statistics, you’d probably guess this was a .500 team at best. The Vikings rank 28th in total offense and 23rd in scoring.

So how are they undefeated? Two words: Brian Flores.

Minnesota’s blitz-happy defensive coordinator has put together the most dominant unit in football. The Vikings are allowing just 12 points per game, easily the best mark in the NFL. The next-closest defenses, Kansas City and Jacksonville, are surrendering 17 points per game.

That’s an incredible gap, but it also raises a legitimate question: How long can Minnesota keep winning without much help from its offense?

We’ll get a better idea over the next four weeks, which will be their toughest stretch of the season. On Sunday, the Vikings travel to Detroit to face a dangerous Lions offense before taking on the Bills, Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers.

If Minnesota wants to keep its perfect season alive, Kyler Murray and the offense will likely have to do more than simply stay out of the defense’s way.

Battle of Los Angeles: Not exactly what we expected

Back in September, a Week 8 showdown between the Rams and Chargers looked like it could be one of the most entertaining games on the NFL schedule.

Fast-forward to October and this matchup has lost much of its luster.

The Rams finally snapped their two-game losing streak with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders, but at 3-4, they are still searching for the form that made them the preseason Super Bowl favorites.

Things are considerably worse for their Los Angeles neighbors.

The Chargers are the NFL’s only remaining winless team, stumbling to an 0-6 start for the first time since 2000. Despite that disastrous beginning, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers made no sweeping changes during their bye week, although Harbaugh said nothing was off the table as the team searches for answers.

At this point, the Chargers are playing for pride. The Rams, however, still have plenty to play for.

With the 49ers and Seattle Seahawks setting the pace in the NFC West, Los Angeles can ill afford another setback. A loss to the winless Chargers would drop the Rams to 3-5 and leave their once-promising season in serious jeopardy.

For a team that entered the season with championship expectations, this has suddenly become a must-win game.

NFC Championship preview?

For the second straight week, the defending Super Bowl champions find themselves in a massive prime-time showdown.

And this one could very well be a preview of the NFC Championship Game.

The Seahawks host the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, fresh off a dominant 20-3 victory over the Chiefs on Sunday night.

Seattle’s defense was nothing short of spectacular, holding Kansas City to its fewest points, total yards and first downs in any game started by Patrick Mahomes.

Now, Mike Macdonald’s defense faces a completely different challenge: trying to slow down arguably the most entertaining offense in football.

Ben Johnson has transformed the Bears into an offensive juggernaut, with Caleb Williams leading an attack capable of putting up points in bunches. In the three games Williams has started and finished, Chicago has scored 59, 31 and 30 points.

But lighting up the scoreboard against Seattle is an entirely different proposition.

Full Week 8 schedule

Thursday

Carolina Panthers @ Green Bay Packers, 8:15 p.m. ET

Sunday

Arizona Cardinals @ Dallas Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. ET

Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. ET

Atlanta Falcons @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET

Baltimore Ravens @ Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. ET

Minnesota Vikings @ Detroit Lions, 1 p.m. ET

Las Vegas Raiders @ New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET

Tennessee Titans @ Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET

Los Angeles Chargers @ Los Angeles Rams, 4:05 p.m. ET

New England Patriots @ Miami Dolphins, 4:25 p.m. ET

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET

Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET

Chicago Bears @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:15 p.m. ET