If you're a fan of close NFL games, Week 8 would have been a good time to go pumpkin picking. Multiple contenders and six teams in total were on bye. Only one game all week was decided by a single possession, and that one was a 39-38 fourth-quarter comeback by the previously winless Jets over the Bengals, meaning few people probably had that one on TV or cared very deeply about it in the first place.
The good thing about such a week is even without many exciting finishes, there's still a lot to be learned. Teams like the Colts, Bills and Packers re-established themselves as strong contenders, while the Titans and Saints proved that they have one foot out the door and one in 2026 draft prep after yet another lopsided loss.
Each new game feels like the most important one a team has played, and our opinions of both teams and players can turn based on just one result. Overreacting is the name of the game on a Monday during the NFL season, but sometimes those overreactions turn out to be proper reactions that will eventually be justified by time. Here are five that sure feel true as we approach the halfway point of the season.
The Texans and Ravens are a long way from being done
Coming into the year, the Texans and Ravens were huge favorites in their respective divisions. Each one was expected to challenge the Chiefs for AFC supremacy, but while Kansas City has righted the ship after a slow start, the Texans and Ravens have continued struggling all throughout October.
That changed on Sunday, with both teams securing desperately needed wins over teams with winning records. The Texans took it to the 49ers, winning 26-15 in a game that didn't even feel that close. CJ Stroud threw for 318 yards, more than he has in a single game in over a calendar year, and Houston's defense became the first unit to slow down Christian McCaffrey, limiting him to 68 yards on just 11 touches. The win moved the Texans to 3-4 and within shouting distance of, if not the shockingly unstoppable 7-1 Colts, then at least the rest of the AFC Wild Card contenders.
The Ravens have had even deeper problems than the Texans, because at least Houston could count on its defense to show up nearly every week. Baltimore has been bad in every facet, and it hasn't helped that Lamar Jackson has missed multiple games. Lamar was expected back this week, but when that didn't come to pass, Tyler Huntley saved the day in a game that Baltimore had to have.
Huntley didn't blow up the box score, but he was in total control against a Bears defense that came in leading the league in takeaways. He connected on 10 of his first 11 passes on his way to a 186-yard day, and he chipped in 53 yards on eight rushes, most of which kept the chains moving. Only Justin Herbert, who torched the Vikings on Thursday night, had a better QBR this week.
The Ravens also got their best defensive effort of the season, as they frustrated Caleb Williams and held a suddenly resurgent Bears running game in check. Chicago drove down the field the first two times they had the ball but were held to field goals, and they didn't score again until the fourth quarter.
The Ravens are only 2-5, but with losses by everyone else in the AFC North, they couldn't have asked for a better Sunday. They're only two games back of the Steelers and still get to face Pittsburgh twice. They also have an extremely manageable upcoming schedule, and should get Lamar back for their next game.
The Texans are very much alive, too. They have the top scoring defense in the NFL, and if Stroud, who put up those numbers without a concussed Nico Collins in the lineup, can keep playing like this, they'll definitely be in the mix by season's end.
The Eagles should build the entire plane out of Saquon Barkley
The Eagles should still be basking in the glow of February's dominant Super Bowl win, but it seems like this whole season all we've heard are grumbles and complaints about what's happening with the defending champs, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The passing attack has completely disappeared at times, and Saquon Barkley hasn't come close to matching last season's otherworldly production.
Nick Sirianni's team has mostly been able to continue winning despite its offensive shortcomings, but the underwhelming paths the Eagles have taken to the win column haven't inspired confidence in a possible repeat. Sunday's result may have begun to turn the tide, though, and that's because Saquon finally got going.
The Eagles were an excellent football team last year, but the biggest reason they were the best team in the league was the signing of Saquon, their former NFC East rival. It seemed not a week went by without the former Penn State product galloping down the field for a long touchdown or two. He was so good that he even invented a new move, the reverse hurdle, which landed him on the Madden cover this year.
The Eagles were out for revenge after getting embarrassed by the Giants earlier this month, and Saquon helped them deliver it with a 65-yard touchdown run on the game's second play from scrimmage. He tacked on another 109 all-purpose yards, including a nine-yard touchdown reception in which he was so open that he could have watched a few clips from Always Sunny before crossing the goal line.
The Eagles were without AJ Brown in this game. Much has been made of their No. 1 receiver's inability to get consistent looks from Jalen Hurts, but this game proved that the most important thing for this offense is to feed Saquon the ball. Devonta Smith and Dallas Goedert were more than enough to keep the passing game afloat, but it's Saquon that makes the whole thing go.
Saquon left the game in the third quarter with groin tightness, but he said after the game that the injury isn't serious. Philly has a perfectly-timed bye week next week to ensure that's the case, so he should be good to go for sure when they travel to Green Bay for a Week 10 Monday night matchup against the Packers.
If the Eagles climb aboard the Saquon express, they have what it takes to repeat.
The Bears aren't ready to be contenders yet
There are opportunities, and then there are missed opportunities. When the Bears got the surprise news that Lamar Jackson wouldn't be able to go in yesterday's game, that was an opportunity to get to 5-2 and win their fifth straight game for the first time since 2018. Instead, they missed their opportunity by performing poorly on both sides of the ball in a loss to Tyler Huntley.
Caleb Williams had an erratic day against what had previously been a bad Baltimore defense. He missed some open throws, he was flagged twice for intentional grounding and he threw a killer pick from his own end zone. He wasn't the only problem, though. The Bears continued to cripple themselves with penalties, and the defense, which had been taking the ball away with regularity, didn't do it a single time against an offense led by a backup quarterback.
This is the second straight year that a 4-2 Bears team came into a road game against a Beltway opponent and walked out with a loss. Last year's loss to the Commanders was the first of what ended up being 10 in a row, and while nobody expects that to happen now that Ben Johnson is in charge instead of Matt Eberflus, it's clear that this team is still a year away at best from really being contenders.
Caleb's inconsistency is a big issue, but even more problematic is the defense. The Bears played this game without their top three cornerbacks, and they also got banged up on the defensive line as the game went along. This wasn't a shutdown D to begin with, as proven by the Bears ranking last in the league in yards per play allowed, but the turnovers helped mask most of those problems. Now that good teams know they can easily move the ball if they just don't give it away, it's going to be very difficult for the Bears to get stops, especially with how nicked up they are.
To fight for a playoff spot, Caleb is going to have to realize more of his potential at a quicker rate, and he's going to have to do it with almost no room for error. It's likely going to take at least 10 wins to make the playoffs in the NFC, and to do that, the Bears will have to go 6-4 against a schedule that includes two matchups with the Packers, one against a Lions team that beat them by 31 in Week 2, and other games against the Steelers, Eagles and Niners.
The AFC West is the new best division in football
It's been a three-team race all year for the title of best division in football between the NFC North, the NFC West and the AFC North. Compelling arguments can be made for each division, but after Week 8's results, it feels like the AFC West has pulled into the lead.
The NFC North is running third thanks to losses by the Bears and Vikings. Minnesota has looked dreadful whether they've been quarterbacked by JJ McCarthy or Carson Wentz, and the wheels fully came off in a 37-10 blowout at the hands of the Chargers on Thursday night. We just went over what the Bears looked like, but to reiterate, it wasn't good.
The Packers handled their business in their first and probably only Aaron Rodgers revenge game. Green Bay has been doing just enough to win for the most part this year, but with Micah Parsons running amok and Josh Jacobs and Tucker Kraft providing multiple dimensions to the offense, they have to be mentioned on any shortlist of Super Bowl contenders.
The Lions had the week off, but they're undoubtedly a top contender, too. Still, two teams isn't enough to be called the best division in the league.
The Rams and Seahawks, two of the top contenders in the NFC West, were also off. So were the 2-5 Cardinals, but the less said about them, the better. The only team in action was the Niners, but much to their chagrin, the Mac Jones carriage turned into a pumpkin against the Texans.
By contrast, the AFC West has had a great week, and it still has the Chiefs in action tonight in a game that has blowout written all over it against the Jayden Daniels-less Commanders. For one thing, the Raiders were off, so they couldn't mess it up. The Chargers made the Vikings look like an FBS team on Thursday, and they should have another easy win lined up since they face Tennessee next week.
The big story was the Broncos, who were on Fraud Watch after surviving by the skin of their teeth the last three weeks. Denver, and Bo Nix in particular, have been slow starters this season, but they came out firing against the Cowboys in what ended up being a runaway 44-20 win. Nix far outplayed MVP dark horse Dak Prescott, throwing for four touchdowns in his most efficient outing of the year. JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey combined for over 150 yards on the ground, and Troy Franklin broke out with a two-touchdown day.
Every offense has looked good against this miserable Cowboys defense, but we still needed to see the Broncos prove they could do it after so many lackluster first halves. This was an emphatic win, moving the Broncos to 4-0 at home and 6-2 overall. Their five straight wins are tied with the Patriots for the best active streak in the league.
Drake Maye is the league's next superstar
Speaking of the Patriots, it looks like we've found the next NFL superstar. Stop me if you've heard this one before, but it's a Patriots quarterback.
Jayden Daniels won last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year award, establishing himself as the clubhouse leader after Year 1 of the 2024 draft class that saw six QBs taken in the first round. The former Heisman Trophy winner has come back to earth this year though, and he's been plagued by injuries, opening the door for someone else to step through.
Maye hasn't just stepped through, he's knocked the door down and then hit a receiver with a perfectly-placed 40-yard spiral. He's been phenomenal every week since a season-opening loss to the Raiders, vaulting the Pats to the top of the AFC East and himself firmly in the MVP discussion.
It's not a fluke, either, as Maye looks like a seasoned veteran who is in complete control of the offense. He's using his legs with purpose, taking off for first downs when given even the slightest opening and buying himself time to hit chunk plays down the field when they're there. He's completing over 75 percent of his passes, and after enduring criticism for sometimes forcing balls and trying to do too much in college, he's thrown only three picks on the year through eight games.
Maye out-dueled Josh Allen in primetime at the beginning of the month, but this Sunday was his toughest defensive test, as the Browns and Myles Garrett came to town. Garrett destroyed New England's offensive line, sacking Maye five times on the day, but that didn't stop the young gunslinger from averaging 11.8 yards per attempt and throwing for three touchdowns.
Maye is doing it all, and it's almost like he's combining the best aspects of other top quarterbacks. He can zip the ball in there like Justin Herbert, drop a feathery soft dime like Baker Mayfield and improvise and keep plays alive like Josh Allen. He's doing this in just his second season, and not only does it look sustainable, the rest of the league should be terrified because he's only going to keep getting better.
The Patriots are now 6-2, with a comically easy schedule the rest of the way. This is only the beginning of the Drake Maye era, and it really looks to be the start of something special.