More than a few NFL teams could be in for a sudden turn in Week 8.
The Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will meet in the second of two NFC South matchups. Philadelphia Eagles-Cincinnati Bengals losers may feel like all the good fortune they’ve accumulated over the past few weeks is gone. The AFC South could get even tighter when the Houston Texans host the Indianapolis Colts. Two struggling NFC powerhouses, the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers, will meet on Sunday night.
What storylines are Mike Sando, Zak Keefer and Jeff Howe interested in in Week 8? Read more Sunday primers.
The Vikings (now 5-2) lost to the Rams on Thursday night. The Bears (Commanders), Lions (vs. Titans) and Packers (Jaguars) all play Sunday. Who is your pick now to win the NFC North? Do you expect all four teams to make the playoffs?
shirt: Detroit is the clear favorite, having won in Minnesota, has the best roster, and has logged the most “duty time” with this group of coaches/players. I don’t think all four teams in the division will make the playoffs, but based on the Bears’ next three games against Washington (without Jaden Daniels), Arizona, and New England, that could be the case in the short term trend. NFC North teams will battle each other down the stretch.
Kiefer: Give me the Lions in the NFC North. Dan Campbell’s job continues to be among the best in the league – and so far there are no hangovers from last season’s crushing division title game loss. Detroit’s victory was exactly what he envisioned: with two of the best front lines in the league. Jared Goff is playing like an MVP. This team is going to have a tough time in the NFC playoffs.
Hao: Even without Aidan Hutchinson, the Lions are still playing like the best team in the NFC. They will be a force on both ends of the floor, especially if Goff remains in the MVP conversation. As for the playoffs, all four teams are good enough to make the playoffs, and I’d say there’s a good chance these four teams will be in the top seven of the NFC power rankings by the end of the season. But they’ll beat each other up, and the team in the East or South can sneak into the final wild-card spot with a more favorable roster.
The NFC North has a case for contention in the league’s toughest division in 2024. Titans. (Jeffrey Becker/Imagn Images)
A rib injury may cost us Caleb Williams against Jayden Daniels, but the Bears’ game at play is still an important one. What is your favorite thing about Williams and Daniels? What would you like to see every rookie quarterback show or prove that they haven’t already?
shirt: I liked the way both quarterbacks started out in Week 1, no game was too fast for them and no job (franchise quarterback) was too big for them. Based on what we’ve seen, they both appear to be capable of handling the job on and off the field. Daniels needs to prove he can stay on the field all season long. That’s part of the franchise quarterback job, too. His durability was a question heading into the season. He is already dealing with injuries that could keep him out of games. As for Williams, I want to see him perform well against good teams. He hasn’t had many opportunities to do so. The Houston game was a struggle.
Kiefer: I spent time with Daniels in Washington last week, and as the story goes, his preparation set him apart. His teammates were surprised that he was in the building so early every day. Washington’s offense is built around the things he does well without forcing him to throw the ball 40 times a game. In Chicago, Williams has been significantly better of late, but the challenge now is to prove his ability against tougher competition. Beating Carolina and Jacksonville doesn’t mean much these days. Backing up that notion after a bye week against Washington — who has led the NFC East since Week 3 — makes that point even more clear.
Hao: Daniels does everything right, but I admire the way the commanders continue to set him up for success. The coaches are great and the running game helps. Daniels then did his part to help his teammates. I’m not sure how much more Daniels can improve at this point, but the pre-draft concern was his ability to stay physical, and he’s already dealing with a rib injury. It took Williams a little longer to adjust due to some line issues and technical injuries, but he never seemed to lose his bearings or confidence. He just keeps believing in his ability and it’s obvious the game has slowed down for him over the past few weeks. He’s more confident going into the next game, and I think Williams has the potential to help the Bears advance.
To the eye and the odds, the Browns’ woes are about to get even worse heading into Sunday’s game against the Ravens. Serves as Cleveland general manager. What would you do with Deshaun Watson and his contract?
shirt: If there is no deal to clear Watson’s contract through another team, I would release Watson after June 1st. The release is simple — cut him and watch his existing 2025 cap charge rise from nearly $73 million to nearly $119 million. Contract laundering would provide an unlikely opportunity to mitigate some of the cap and cash consequences. In this scenario, the Browns would trade Watson and draft capital to a team that accepts draft capital, assumes some of the cap/cash burden, and releases Watson, who would waive his no-trade clause and become his own part of your exit strategy.
Kiefer: I’d be asking my boss — that’s owner Jimmy Haslam — to release Watson after June 1 and eat the dead money. It’s a huge hit (nearly $119 million short of the 2025 cap hit), but I think it’s the best outcome for both parties in the long run. Cleveland will pay dearly for its mistake by giving him a $230 million fully guaranteed contract through 2022, but there’s also a chance to move forward without letting Watson’s situation linger for years, gobbling up headlines and slowing down the team. footsteps. There’s no way around it. Even if he returns in 2025, Watson will be a $46 million quarterback who’s coming off four years of serious injuries and doesn’t look like he’s in great shape. It’s time to let logic prevail, not stubbornness.
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Hao: The damage has been done. Remember when the consensus was that the Packers would be in trouble in 2023 because they would be facing over $50 million in dead money after the Aaron Rodgers era? (I know, this example doesn’t work because they made it all the way to the playoffs, but I’m using it to provide perspective.) Well, the Browns already have a dead cap hit of $23 million in 2025, with a cut after June $1 would add an additional $119 million. That would have disastrous ripple effects for the rest of the team — worse than the one the Broncos were forced to cut after releasing Russell Wilson. The Browns need to stop restructuring Watson’s deal to address future salary cap issues. Even if he plays at a Mahomes-like level and has a salary cap hit of $72.9 million, the Browns will need to perform well on his rookie contract to become a playoff threat. Unless they have plans to spread Watson’s cap hit over decades like Bobby Bonilla did, it’s time to face reality and realize that this contract undermines their roster construction for the foreseeable future. .
Injuries to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will be a challenge for the Buccaneers to overcome. The Falcons seem capable of beating anyone and capable of losing to anyone. As these two teams prepare to meet on Sunday, what do you think of the top team in the NFC South?
shirt: The Buccaneers will win this division, and it’s still possible. Injuries to wide receivers open the door for the Falcons to move past them, and Kirk Cousins’ surgically repaired Achilles could return to stronger form late in the season.
Kiefer: That’s a pretty good synopsis, and one of the reasons I feel like no one can trust the Falcons right now. The Buccaneers were my preseason pick again to win the NFC South — they’ve quietly won four in a row — but with the recent losses of Evans and Godwin, Atlanta is set to New opportunities. Sunday’s loss to the Falcons could set up a long few weeks for the Buccaneers. They’ll face two teams from last year’s Super Bowl — Kansas City and San Francisco — in back-to-back weeks before a bye. While the 49ers are hurt as well, you don’t want to play those teams shorthanded.
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Buccaneers’ Chris Godwin to undergo surgery; Mike Evans to miss several weeks
Hao: Aside from a few troubling turnover-prone plays from Baker Mayfield, the quarterback has performed well enough to be a fringe MVP candidate. I think he can still keep the Buccaneers competitive unless the Falcons make a change. Tampa offensive coordinator Liam Cohen has also taken the offense to a higher level, and his philosophy will free up some lesser-known players to fill the void of Evans and Godwin. I’m still more concerned about a defense that allows the fifth-most points in the league. It’s impossible to build a winning streak if the offense is in trouble. The Falcons were playing well before a tough loss to the Seahawks. I don’t think we’ll see the best from Kirk Cousins this season due to his Achilles recovery, but they’re good enough to win the division while keeping games close.
The Cowboys and 49ers meet again in one of the league’s fiercest rivalries. But both teams are struggling. What do the 49ers need to do to win? What will it take for Dallas to win Sunday night?
shirt: The 49ers won by running the ball against Dallas’ weak run defense to control the tempo of the game, capping off an easy night for quarterback Brock Purdy. The Cowboys won on the back of a strong performance from Dak Prescott and game-changing performances on special teams, and Dallas has been a better team than San Francisco this season.
Kiefer: Personally, I feel like this game is more about the Cowboys than the 49ers. San Francisco’s situation isn’t great — too many injuries — but I don’t think Seattle is going to run away with the division. The 49ers just have to keep chasing until Christian McCaffrey returns. For a veteran like that, a December game isn’t out of the question. But as of Sunday, the Cowboys’ season appears to be on the verge of collapse. Dallas couldn’t win at home, couldn’t beat any decent team, and couldn’t stop getting in its own way. This game won’t help. The 49ers have defeated the Cowboys three straight times, two of which came in the playoffs. Remember last year’s game: a 42-10 defeat by San Francisco that foreshadowed the Cowboys’ postseason embarrassment three months later.
Hao: The 49ers’ injuries are the main story, but subplots — perhaps glimpses of a more pernicious problem — have been taking away from the game. The way these games are looking, there’s no reason for them to lose to the Rams and Cardinals. Then they made too many mistakes to take advantage of the Chiefs. For a team with division title expectations, these trends are concerning. I think the 49ers will beat the Cowboys, but they haven’t proven they can finish the season. Meanwhile, the Cowboys didn’t consistently run the ball or stop the run. Until these elements are improved, they do not pose a threat to NFC.
(Top photo of Caleb Williams: Michael Reeves/Getty Images)
