The NFL is a fantastic sport to watch because each and every football Sunday brings some incredible drama. Even if a team is going nowhere, they tend to deliver at least one moment a season that gives their fans some form of pride, and Week 8's shining example is the New York Jets.
There was a lot of drama swirling in New York as Aaron Glenn's team navigated a brutal 0-7 start and dealt with distracting comments from owner Woody Johnson. The franchise also experienced a tragic loss on Sunday morning and looked buried alive before mounting a remarkable comeback to earn their first win of the season. It feels only right to begin the latest look at the winners and losers of Week 8 with New York's stunning victory.
NFL Week 8 Winners and Losers
Winner - New York Jets
If there was ever a Sunday for Jets' fans to feel hopeless, it was this one. They brought a certified MASH unit to Cincinnati for a game against a Bengals' side that got extra rest after beating Pittsburgh in the Icy Hot Bowl in Week 7. On top of that, the franchise was in mourning after iconic center Nick Mangold passed away hours before the game, losing a battle with kidney disease just 12 days after going public with his need for a transplant.
Things looked rough for the Jets, who were gashed on the ground and trailed Cincinnati 31-16 late in the third quarter. New York rallied, however, as Glenn made aggressive calls to go for two that paid off and the Jets ran up over 500 yards of offense to stun Cincinnati with a 39-38 victory. The season still isn't going to result in much for New York, but Glenn and his team got a huge lift with a victory to guarantee they won't make history as the first 0-17 team in NFL history.
Loser - Cincinnati Bengals
While the Jets' comeback was remarkable, the Bengals also deserve a massive demerit for blowing this game. New York hadn't scored an offensive touchdown since Week 5 but shredded Cincinnati's defense for over 500 yards of offense, with Justin Fields looking like the second coming of Lamar Jackson in the second half of the contest.
Head coach Zac Taylor also made a bone-headed coaching decision after New York cut the deficit to 38-32 with 7:52 to go, calling three straight pass plays that burned just 1:02 of clock before giving the ball back to the Jets. Cincinnati averaged 7.9 yards per carry and needed to burn clock, but that unforced error gave the football back to New York with momentum, setting the stage for a well-deserved collapse.
Winner - Tua Tagovailoa
The vultures were circling around Tagovailoa after he was benched in Miami's Week 7 blowout loss to Cleveland, with numerous think pieces online positing how the Dolphins could get out from under his onerous contract. Tagovailoa put Miami on his back and delivered the day's most stunning result, tossing four touchdown passes as the Dolphins went into Atlanta and stunned a Falcons' team expecting an easy victory from a team that appeared to have quit on head coach Mike McDaniel.
The turning point of the game came late in the third quarter, when Tagovailoa dropped a dime to Jaylen Waddle that he ran into the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown to extend Miami's lead to 24-3. Even though Tagovailoa's yardage total was a modest 205 yards, he was extremely efficient, completing 20-of-26 pass attempts to show that he still has a future in this league.
Loser - Atlanta Falcons
Michael Penix Jr. was inactive for this game, leading Kirk Cousins to start for Atlanta and a strangely pass-happy game plan for the Falcons. While Bijan Robinson did have a crucial fumble in this game, he is still one of the NFL's best running backs and received just nine carries against a defense that entered the day giving up nearly 160 yards a game on the ground.
Perhaps motivated to showcase Cousins for a potential trade, the Falcons decided to keep chucking the ball, even with Drake London sidelined due to injury. Things have fallen flat for Atlanta after their huge win over Buffalo as they have dropped two straight games to raise the specter of another disappointing season despite their elite collection of talent.
Winner - Tight Ends
Sunday marked the latest installment of National Tight Ends Day, a holiday designed to celebrate the most underappreciated skill position in the league. Teams got the memo and fed their tight ends early and often, with nine different tight ends finding pay dirt in the early window, with Dallas Goedert recording two spikes for the Eagles in their big win over the Giants.
The tight end phenomenon was a nice cheat code for fantasy players who had to navigate an ill-timed byepocalypse in Week 8. Starting multiple tight ends proved to be a winning strategy as lesser known names like Mason Taylor, Charlie Kolar and Jake Tonges found their way into the end zone.
Loser - Chicago Bears
Everything appeared to be coming up Bears entering Week 8 as they entered their contest with struggling Baltimore on a four-game winning streak. Making things even better was the fact that Lamar Jackson was not ready to return from a hamstring injury, forcing Baltimore to turn to Tyler Huntley at the last minute, setting the stage for another opportunity to pick up a key win.
Things didn't work out well for the Bears, who saw their defense lay an egg as the Ravens committed to the run, gashing Chicago's front for 177 yards on 35 carries. Caleb Williams also tossed an ill-timed interception deep in his own end, setting up Baltimore for an easy touchdown that turned a manageable 16-13 deficit into a nearly overwhelming 10-point hole with 8:13 left in the contest.
Winner - Saquon Barkley
One week after the Eagles got their passing attack cooking, it was time for Saquon Barkley to have some fun. Barkley, who had been battling questions about whether his 2,000 yard season had exposed him to too many hits to be effective this year, got out of the gate fast with a 65-yard touchdown run as part of his first 100-yard game of the season.
Finally: Saquon Barkley breaks free for a 65-yard TD vs. his former team on his first carry of the game: pic.twitter.com/ddfl3902lN
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2025
Barkley turned 14 carries into 150 yards and a score while adding four catches for 24 more yards and a second touchdown. The end result has to be a point of pride for Barkley, who got to stick it to the Giants after underwhelming in a Week 6 loss to his former team in a short week spot.
Loser - Cam Skattebo
The Giants have looked fun thanks to the emergence of rookies Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo, with the fourth-round running back playing with an intensity that made him beloved to New York's fans. In what is a bummer for them and the league as a whole, Skattebo is out indefinitely after dislocating his ankle thanks to a rough tackle from linebacker Zack Baun in the middle of the field.
The injury should sideline Skattebo for the rest of the season, taking another weapon away from Dart as he tries to develop into a franchise-caliber quarterback. While Tyrone Tracy is ready to assume lead back responsibilities, he wasn't able to capture the hearts and minds of Giants' fans like Skattebo did in his short tenure as the starter.
Winner - Denver Broncos
Perhaps Denver coach Sean Payton should petition to move his team to the NFC East after the Broncos continued their domination of the division with a big win over the red-hot Cowboys in the 4:25 window. The victory was the Broncos' third against an NFC East foe in three tries, with Denver's defense bouncing back in a huge way after getting shredded by Dart and the Giants in Week 7.
Bo Nix also carried his strong finish from Week 7 forward against Dallas' weak defense, tossing key touchdowns to Troy Frankiin and Pat Bryant in the first half to help the Broncos build a big early lead. The victory allowed the Broncos to maintain first place in the very tight AFC West with a 6-2 mark, which is important cushion with two matchups against the Chiefs still to come.