It may have come against an inept defensive team in the Dallas Cowboys, but I could not have been more impressed with the Denver Broncos as they romped to a 44-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Bo Nix led from the front with 247 passing yards and four touchdowns. But this was a balanced showing with 179 yards and two scores on the ground.
And there were a bunch of young players making big plays, including Nix. Rookie running back RJ Harvey scored twice, Troy Franklin had two receiving touchdowns and Pat Bryant also found the end zone.
Add in veterans such as Courtland Sutton at receiver and JK Dobbins at running back – all being tutored by the offensive mind that is Sean Payton – and you have a potent attack bubbling up nicely in Denver.
The defense is opportunistic and aggressive and pressures quarterbacks for fun. The Broncos have now won five in a row to move to 6-2 on the season and have truly announced themselves as contenders for the Super Bowl in the AFC, which was the bar Payton set for this team many months ago during the offseason.
Who's Hot…
Drake Maye… Drake Maye has the New England Patriots ahead of schedule in terms of their rebuild and comeback into the NFL playoff picture. Over the past three weeks, he has thrown eight touchdown passes and just 16 incompletions. He was red-hot again on Sunday night in a 32-13 win over the Cleveland Browns and is the major reason why the New England Patriots have won five in a row. Those hoping the Patriots would be downtrodden for years and years to come after all the glories of Tom Brady are in for some disappointment.
Jonathan Taylor… Indianapolis have scored at least 30 points in six of their eight games played so far on the way to 7-1, and Jonathan Taylor is a huge reason for that. He went for more than 150 rushing yards on Sunday night in a 38-14 win over Tennessee, scoring two on the ground and one through the air. And it was the receiving touchdown that told us everything about his desire to succeed. That game was over when he caught that pass out of the backfield, and he broke tackles all the way to the end zone. He would not be stopped. He now has at least three touchdowns in four of eight games this year, and he's not just the best running back in the NFL, he's playing like he's the best player in the league.
Tua Tagovailoa… After spending the past few weeks in the "Who's Not" section of this column, it's only fair that we give Tua Tagovailoa his flowers following a winning effort against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night. Tua threw for 205 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions as Miami rolled past a disappointing Falcons team, 34–10, in Atlanta. I'm not predicting some grand emotional or spiritual turnaround for the Dolphins, their quarterback, or head coach Mike McDaniel, but this was a glimmer of hope — a sliver of light in a dark season. Maybe, just maybe, Miami has found a little more fight going forward.
Who's Not…
The Cowboys defense… I got a good look at the Dallas defense in Sunday's heavy loss to the Denver Broncos, and like many Cowboys fans, there wasn't much to like. This unit entered the game allowing an NFL-worst 402 yards per contest — and then surrendered 426 more to Denver. That kind of performance puts enormous pressure on Dak Prescott, forcing him to take risks and play more aggressively just to keep Dallas in games. Prescott, who hadn't thrown an interception in a month, was picked off twice on Sunday. The issues are everywhere: poor communication in the secondary, a lack of physicality, and no true difference-maker to lean on. They're equal-opportunity offenders, too — giving up 247 yards through the air and 179 on the ground. For all the fireworks this offense can produce, the Cowboys' porous defense is holding them back from being a serious contender.
The Atlanta Falcons… What has happened to the Atlanta Falcons? Over the past two weeks, they've gone from one of the league's pleasant surprises to one of its biggest disappointments. It wasn't long ago that they were beating the Buffalo Bills and sending a real statement to the rest of the NFL. Since then, they've suffered back-to-back demoralizing defeats — handled easily by San Francisco in Week 7, and then thrashed 34–10 at home by Miami on Sunday night. The offense has completely stalled. Despite having Bijan Robinson in the backfield, Atlanta managed just 45 rushing yards. Kirk Cousins threw for only 173 yards, and the Falcons went a miserable 2-for-11 on third down. It doesn't get any easier from here, either — next up is a road trip to New England, where things could get even tougher.
The Fast Five…
- Buffalo want to be aggressive and run the football, but that is not always their identity. But on Sunday, James Cook rushed for 216 yards and two scores in a 40-9 win over Carolina, offering a blueprint for the rest of the season.
- Tyler 'Snoop' Huntley looked assured from start to finish as the Baltimore Ravens picked up their second win of the season against the Chicago Bears. With the Steelers stumbling to successive defeats, the Ravens are still alive in the AFC North.
- Good for you, Justin Fields. A week after being publicly slammed by Jets owner Woody Johnson, he helped to lead New York to their first win of the season, 39-38 over Cincinnati. Breece Hall was also key late in the game with two TD runs and a TD pass that proved to be the match-winner.
- Myles Garrett wanted away from the Cleveland Browns around the time of the Super Bowl and then re-signed with the team for record money. I wonder if he agitates for a trade in the coming weeks. He had a club record five sacks to no avail in Sunday's loss to New England.
- For the second week in a row, the Philadelphia Eagles displayed the kind of offensive consistency that had been missing for much of the season. Saquon Barkley scored twice and rushed for more than 150 yards and Jalen Hurts threw for four touchdowns.
Fact of the Week
Entering Week 8, no team had rushed for more than 240 yards in a game this season. Three teams achieved that feat in Week 8 – Philadelphia (276), New York Jets (254) and Buffalo (245).
Final Thought…
Week 8 across the NFL was a reminder that rebuilds can come quickly if you find your franchise quarterback. Just look at the New England Patriots with Drake Maye at the helm, or the Denver Broncos with Bo Nix. Turnarounds can come in dramatic fashion when you find your answer at the game's most important position. And that is why we see quarterbacks elevated in terms of their stock every single year ahead of the NFL Draft.
