The NFL continues working through October and Week 8 is moving fast. We will still have ten weeks of regular season action after Monday closes out Week 8, but we’re seeing some huge results as teams position themselves ahead of the 2023 trade deadline.
The Jaguars opened the week with a 31-24 road win over the Saints on Thursday Night Football. QB Trevor Lawrence was banged up coming into the game, but he managed to play well in spite of a sprained knee. The Jaguars were able to build on their lead with the Colts losing to the Browns on Sunday.
The early slate opened the door for the Dolphins to take a commanding two-game lead as the Patriots shocked the Bills. New England led most of the day, but Buffalo took a three-point lead with less than two minutes remaining. It looked like they would escape, but Mac Jones led a rather improbably 75-yard drive to secure the last-second win.
The Ravens made a statement at home and left the Lions wondering what happened to them. Lamar Jackson threw for 357 yards and three touchdowns and added a rushing score to guide Baltimore to a 38-6 win. The AFC North is not going to be a cakewalk for them, but they’re playing solid football.
The NFC South is determined to have somebody win the division, and this week the Falcons have taken the lead. They played poorly but still managed to secure a huge 16-13 road win over the Bucs. That coupled with the Saints’ loss gives Atlanta a half-game lead on Tampa Bay and a full-game lead on New Orleans.
4 p.m. window: The NFC West wraps up on Monday when the 49ers play, but in the meantime, the Seahawks are hanging close. They beat the Cardinals while the Rams lost to the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s win moves them into a tie for second with the Browns, with both teams sitting a half-game back of the Ravens. The Chiefs beat the Chargers to extend their lead in the division.
Next week, we get a break from the byes as all 32 teams will be in action. Week 8 brings nothing immediately pressing, but there are a few interesting matchups. We get some interesting inter-conference matchups, including Bucs-Bills on Thursday, Saints-Colts, Browns-Seahawks, and Bengals-49ers on Sunday, and Raiders-Lions on Monday. The Bengals-49ers might be the closest to a Super Bowl preview in that group of games.
Here’s a look at what the playoff picture looks like as the NFL heads toward Monday Night Football to close out Week 7.
AFC playoff picture
1. Kansas City Chiefs, 6-1
2. Miami Dolphins, 5-2
3. Baltimore Ravens, 5-2
4. Jacksonville Jaguars, 5-2
5. Pittsburgh Steelers, 4-2
6. Cleveland Browns, 4-2
7. Buffalo Bills, 4-3
8. Houston Texans, 3-3
9. New York Jets, 3-3
10. Cincinnati Bengals, 3-3
11. Indianapolis Colts, 3-4
12. Las Vegas Raiders, 3-4
13. Tennessee Titans, 2-4
14. Los Angeles Chargers, 2-4
15. New England Patriots, 2-5
16. Denver Broncos, 1-5
NFC playoff picture
1. Philadelphia Eagles, 6-1
2. Detroit Lions, 5-2
3. San Francisco 49ers, 5-2
4. Atlanta Falcons, 4-3
5. Seattle Seahawks, 4-2
6. Dallas Cowboys, 4-2
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3-3
8. Minnesota Vikings, 3-4
9. Los Angeles Rams, 3-4
10. Washington Commanders, 3-4
11. New Orleans Saints, 3-4
12. Green Bay Packers, 2-4
13. New York Giants, 2-5
14. Chicago Bears, 2-5
15. Arizona Cardinals, 1-5
16. Carolina Panthers, 0-6