NFL Week 8 takeaways: What We Learned from Sunday's 11 games

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• REWATCH: Dolphins-Falcons on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Tua responds to dismal Week 7 with four TD passes

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Dolphins offense exploded out of nowhere. Who had the Dolphins out-rushing the Falcons by nearly 100 yards Sunday? Following a mostly miserable offensive performance against the Browns last week, and seven turnovers in their previous two games, the Dolphins took out their frustrations on the Falcons with a balanced, efficient and shocking offensive showing. Tua Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns versus one of the better pass defenses in the NFL, in spite of popping up on the injury list with an illness and an eye ailment that compelled him to wear sunglasses pregame indoors at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and a visor for the first time in his career. With Tyreek Hill and Darren Waller out, Jaylen Waddle stepped up after his one-catch performance last week, grabbing five balls for 99 yards and a TD. But it really was Miami’s commitment to the run game early -- more runs than passes in the first half -- with a lot of heavy sets that set the tone for the day and a result few likely saw coming. Mike McDaniel might not be off the hot seat, but this was as good a showing as the Dolphins have had this season.
2. Falcons’ banged-up offense sank lower in Cousins’ first start of season. Following their statement victory over the Bills in Week 6, the Falcons were the talk of the NFL. But the offense has gone into a funk the past two games since, including Sunday’s stinker against the Dolphins with Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London out. Kirk Cousins started his first game since December, but he struggled amid good pressure to connect on throws 10-plus yards downfield. The Falcons went three-and-out on four of their first five possessions, not counting the halftime kneel-down. Then, with the Dolphins taking a three-score lead, the Falcons fumbled in the red zone and turned it over on downs on their 41-yard line, and it was goodnight, Irene. Bijan Robinson coughed the ball up in the red zone, his first lost fumble of the season, as the Falcons got nothing going on the ground. They struggled to run the ball in previous losses to the Buccaneers and 49ers, but this was a new low. If Atlanta wants to get back into the playoff picture, it probably needs Penix back, but the whole operation has looked rough the past eight quarters. 
3. Dolphins defense came ready to play. Miami’s defense entered Sunday as one of the worst units in the NFL statistically, especially against the run, ranked 29th in yards per carry (5.21) and dead last in rushing yards allowed per game (159.3). But you would not have known it from watching this game, as Miami held the Falcons to 10 first-half rushing yards and 45 for the game. With Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London out, it became easier for the Dolphins to sell out to stop the run. Even so, keeping a lid on Bijan Robinson (48 scrimmage yards, fumble) is not an easy assignment. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks made some big first-half plays, including nearly earning a safety. Jaelan Phillips and Brooks also helped supply ample pressure. The Dolphins had only one sack but kept the heat on Kirk Cousins while it was a close game. They actually played pretty well defensively last week at Cleveland, but it was lost amid all the offensive errors. This time, Miami’s defense was rewarded with a blowout win. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Dolphins-Falcons (via NFL Pro): Dolphins WR Jaylen Waddle clocked a top speed of 21.35 mph on his 43-yard TD on Sunday. 

NFL Research: The Dolphins have not allowed a first-quarter touchdown defensively in the past five games.

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• REWATCH: Bears-Ravens on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Henry breaks tie with Payton for fifth all time in rushing TDs
• READ: Harbaugh: Mix-up over Lamar Jackson's injury status 'honest' mistake

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Huntley stepped in for Jackson, helping save the Ravens' season. With Lamar Jackson surprisingly inactive for another game, Tyler Huntley took Jackson’s place and delivered a clutch performance in a statement victory over the Bears. The Ravens were reeling, and the Bears came in with four straight victories, but Huntley gave Baltimore a steadying force under center, leading the Ravens to six scoring drives in eight possessions and harming the Bears with his legs and arm. It wasn’t a Jackson-level showcase, but Huntley threw on time and on target all game, helped immensely by strong pass protection and a productive ground game. The red zone efficiency (3 for 6) wasn’t great, but the Ravens played turnover-free ball and generally avoided negative plays. They’re still way back at 2-5, but 11 teams have made the playoffs since 1990 with that starting record. The Ravens have to wonder what Huntley might have done instead in Cooper Rush’s two starts.
2. Bears offense came up short in Baltimore. Even as the Bears moved down the field readily on their first drive, eating up most of the first quarter, they had to settle for two field goals deep in Baltimore territory. It set the table for Sunday’s theme against the Ravens, which was the Bears leaving points on the field in a disappointing loss. There’s typically no shame in losing in Baltimore, but the Bears cost themselves dearly in the setback. Caleb Williams had two intentional grounding calls in the first half that cost them, and trailing 16-13 with nine minutes remaining, he threw a back-breaking pick inside the Chicago 10-yard line that set up the Ravens’ game-winning TD. Down two scores late, Williams hit DJ Moore to get the Bears inside the Ravens’ 5-yard line, with at least a chance to make it interesting. But the Bears turned the ball over on downs following a clunky red-zone possession, which was a fitting end in a frustrating showing. The Bears defense also struggled to get stops against a backup QB, but the self-inflicted errors against a Ravens defense that has roundly struggled were quite notable.
3. Ravens showed improvement. Baltimore’s defense bent a little early, allowing the Bears to string together two long drives to open the game. But the Ravens held the Bears to field goals on each, clamped down on Chicago until the fourth quarter and helped usher a much-needed victory. Roquan Smith was everywhere against his former team, keeping the Bears’ run game in neutral after a few early successful runs. A pair of rookies also stood out: Mike Green had his first NFL sack, and Teddye Buchanan played arguably his best game as a Raven. The key play came from cornerback Nate Wiggins, who undercut Caleb Williams’ pass for a pick, running it back to the Chicago 9-yard line and setting up the breathing-room touchdown to assure the Ravens wouldn’t blow the lead late. For good measure, the Ravens also kept the Bears out of the end zone in the closing minutes when a miracle was still possible. Poor tackling hurt the Ravens in losses to the Lions, Chiefs and Texans, but that wasn’t an issue against the Bears. Baltimore has stacked strong defensive showings in back-to-back games, including a good effort against the Rams before the bye. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bears-Ravens (via NFL Pro): Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton aligned in the box on 61.3% of his defensive snaps against the Bears, his highest rate in a game since Week 8, 2022 against the Buccaneers (78.8%). Hamilton rushed the passer 10 times and recorded two pressures, both season highs. Hamilton also registered two run stops along with his first run stuff of the season.

NFL Research: The Bears scored touchdowns on six of their first seven red zone possessions in their first three games of the season. In their past four games, the Bears are only 5 for 16 in the red zone.

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• REWATCH: Bills-Panthers on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Bills RB Cook gashes Panthers for 216 yards in blowout win

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Cook steamrolls path to victory. As has been seen for most of the 2025 season, James Cook is the driving force of Buffalo's offense. He pushed it into sixth gear on Sunday, ripping off multiple explosive runs and proving himself as one of the best backs in the NFL by knifing through Carolina's defense with his smooth style and elite vision. Cook masterfully hit holes, following his blockers on a well-designed inside run and making the last defender miss seemingly effortlessly on his 64-yard touchdown run, and added another score to his tally by cutting back on a zone toss and bursting forward through a closing alley late in the third quarter. Amid Buffalo's occasional offensive struggles, Cook has been the most consistent contributor to this offense. His efforts -- 19 carries for 216 yards and two touchdowns -- opened up almost every avenue toward success for the Bills on Sunday.
2. Panthers receive a dose of reality. Carolina was on a roll entering Week 8, winning three straight and riding a wave of confidence unseen in Charlotte in years. Facing their first opponent with a winning record since Week 2, the Panthers fell back to earth. The Panthers defense fought hard enough to limit the Bills to 12 points before the final two minutes of the first half, but with Andy Dalton at quarterback, Carolina's offense fell short of its intended mark. Add in an unfortunate turnover that positioned the Bills for a touchdown run inside two minutes, plus a sack Dalton could not afford to take just before the break, and the resulting product was a clear example of how far the Panthers still need to go. Things snowballed in the second half, but in the grand scheme, Carolina might look at this lopsided loss as a useful lesson in its journey. Hopefully, the Panthers will get Bryce Young back in Week 9.
3. Buffalo's defense takes an encouraging step forward. On paper, the Bills were walking into a significant mismatch in Charlotte. Thanks to a couple of memorable explosions from Rico Dowdle, the Panthers owned the league's third-best rushing offense, averaging 140.1 yards per game. The Bills, meanwhile, knew they had plenty of questions to answer regarding their porous 31st-ranked run defense, a glaring issue that inspired plenty of skepticism regarding Buffalo's outlook. The Bills responded in resounding fashion Sunday, bottling up Carolina's running game until the contest was out of hand, clearing their first objective before advancing to shutting down the Andy Dalton-led passing attack. Buffalo held Carolina to 244 total yards of offense and became an opportunistic defense, forcing three turnovers -- including A.J. Epenesa's game-changing interception of an attempted screen late in the first half. Rookie first-rounder Maxwell Hairston made his NFL debut, recording a tackle, and despite losing Ed Oliver to another injury, the Bills brought a sense of fight not seen since Week 2. Sunday's win wasn't quite a measuring stick, but was undoubtedly encouraging to witness after the Week 7 bye. We'll see if it holds against the big, bad Kansas City Chiefs next week.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Bills-Panthers (via NFL Pro): James Cook rushed 19 times for 216 yards and two touchdowns in the Bills’ Week 8 win, generating +121 rushing yards over expected, the fourth-most in any game since at least 2018. Cook gained 141 of his rushing yards before contact, the most by any player this season and third-most since 2018.

NFL Research: James Cook became just the fourth player in NFL history with 215-plus rushing yards and two-plus rushing touchdowns in a game on fewer than 20 carries. The other three players to do so are Pro Football Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell (1959), Bo Jackson (1987) and Derrick Henry (2018).

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• REWATCH: Jets-Bengals on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Fields leads Jets to first win under HC Glenn after emotional week

Michael Baca's takeaways:

1. Jets earn first win of season on trick play. Breece Hall was an absolute force with his legs, but it was his right arm that ultimately got the Jets out of the winless column. Down six points with two minutes remaining, Jets offensive coordinator Tanner Engstrand called for a running back pass on first-and-goal from the 4-yard line. Hall, first acting as if it were a sweep to the right, cocked his right arm, pumped and waited for what seemed like a lifetime as the sideline neared. Just before he was about to go out of bounds, Hall fired a pass toward the back of the end zone. At first it appeared as if the RB was trying to throw it away, but tight end Mason Taylor grabbed the ball out of the air over DJ Turner II for the game-tying score. After Nick Folk nailed the go-ahead extra point, the Jets defense did its part, forcing a turnover on downs at midfield against an offense that had its number for most of the game. Hall's TD throw was his third score of the day, an unexpected exclamation point to a 133-yard, two-TD day on the ground. 
2. Brutal loss from Bengals might be looked back upon. Joe Flacco had the Bengals offense humming for three and a half quarters, leading a unit that found points on six of its first eight possessions to maintain a two-score lead throughout a game in which the Jets hung around thanks to Cincinnati's defensive failures. The Bengals yielded 502 total yards against a Jets offense that entered Sunday pondering a quarterback change and without its best offensive weapon in Garrett Wilson. It got worse as it got later; the Bengals allowed three consecutive TD drives in the fourth quarter and two of those scores were followed up with successful two-point conversions to make it a 23-point failure in the final frame. There was still plenty of time and timeouts for Flacco to get the Bengals into field goal range to fend off the Jets, but the offense seemed shocked to be in that situation after compiling 398 yards and a season-high 38 points. Flacco's final three passes went incomplete for a turnover on downs at midfield, souring an otherwise fine afternoon (21-of-34 for 223 passing yards and two TDs; one rushing TD) that opened up a fruitful ground attack (181 yards). It appeared for three and a half quarters that Flacco was about to get the Bengals back to .500, which would have been huge in a jumbled AFC North. Instead, Cincinnati might be looking back at Week 8's ugly loss if it falls a game short from making the postseason. 
3. Jets offense finds get-right game. While we don't quite know if Justin Fields would've started Sunday if Tyrod Taylor had been healthy, he might have Aaron Glenn reconsidering that potential change. The Jets QB limited mistakes (no turnovers, no sacks) and piloted a Jets offense that wasn't deterred by the consistent two-score lead their defense permitted. He was aided by a Jets rushing attack that was unstoppable against the Bengals, totaling 254 yards with several chunk plays -- six 10-plus yard runs; 114 yards over expected, per Next Gen Stats -- for a 6.9-yard per-carry average. Breece Hall (133 yards), Isaiah Davis (65 yards), Fields (33 yards) and Isaiah Williams (25 yards; only carry) were all part of that effort, but the QB play put the Jets over the top on Sunday. Fields finished 21-of-32 passing for 244 yards with one TD, notching completions to nine receivers with none of them producing more than 64 yards. Fields' two-point conversions in the fourth quarter -- one rushing, one passing -- were clutch moments sprinkled into a day chock-full of momentous third- and fourth-down conversions he pulled out. Glenn can finally enjoy a victorious postgame news conference following a tremendous win that exemplified a team effort -- one that likely wouldn't have come without the play of their QB.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Jets-Bengals (via NFL Pro): The Jets’ win probability was as low as 2.9% facing a fourth down from their 49-yard line with 8:41 left in regulation, trailing 38-24. The Jets would score 15 unanswered points (including a successful two-point conversion) and limit the Bengals to only nine offensive plays in the final 10 minutes of the game. 

NFL Research: On his 1-yard run, Joe Flacco became the seventh player over the age of 40 to score a touchdown, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Doug Flutie, Warren Moon, Jerry Rice and Vinny Testaverde. Flacco also became the oldest player to score a TD in Bengals history, surpassing Terrell Owens (36).

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• REWATCH: Niners-Texans on NFL+ Premium

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Stroud dices up 49ers. That was more like it, Houston. C.J. Stroud turned back the clock to 2023, dicing up the Niners defense with an array of quick passes and savvy darts. For the first time all season, we got something closer to the offense we expected entering the campaign. Stroud was confident and decisive. He ate alive 49ers defensive backs with out-route after out-route. Even without Nico Collins, Texans receivers Xavier Hutchinson (five receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown), Jaylin Noel (6/53) and Jayden Higgins (4/34/1) continuously won off the line, giving Stroud easy targets. Getting the ball out quickly built Stroud’s confidence and helped avoid pressures that have killed Houston this season. That confidence built, Stroud stood tall when San Francisco did get pressure -- 6 of 7 for 103 yards and a TD under pressure. With the play action alive, Woody Marks and the run game also got going, with the rookie back generating 111 scrimmage yards. Yes, it was against a banged-up Niners club, but if the offense plays like this, the Texans have a shot to dig themselves out of their early season hole.
2. Slow start, sieve defense doom Niners. San Francisco did next to nothing for the first 29 minutes of the first half, generating zero first downs and 15 net yards on its first three drives. Mac Jones’ group finally got a first down with under 50 seconds remaining. The QB made things interesting with a dart to George Kittle for a late TD. Jones made several courageous throws into traffic to keep the Niners within scoring range, but a fourth-quarter interception on a deep shot iced the loss. With an injured defense unable to slow Houston for most of the game, allowing six drives of nine-plus plays, the Niners' offense needed to be near perfect. They weren’t on Sunday. With the injuries continuing to mount, general manager John Lynch might need to bring in reinforcements before the trade deadline.
3. Houston’s D-line dominates. Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and the rest of the Texans' defensive front controlled the contest. The crew might have only booked two sacks, but was constantly in Mac Jones’ face. Led by Anderson’s eight QB pressures, the Texans generated 22 QBPs on the afternoon. Jones repeatedly paid for the passes he got off. It wasn’t just the pressures where Houston’s D-line won. The crew stuffed Christian McCaffrey and the run game, holding the star back to just 25 yards on eight carries. This type of smothering effort, coupled with the offense coming out of its shell, is closer to what we expected from DeMeco Ryans’ team in 2025.

Next Gen Stats Insight for 49ers-Texans (via NFL Pro): The Texans offense allowed a season-low 21.4% pressure rate against the 49ers in Week 8. The 49ers blitzed on a season-high 33.3% of dropbacks, recording seven pressures on 14 blitzes (50.0%) compared to just two pressures on 28 dropbacks (7.1%) rushing four or fewer.

NFL Research: Despite being slowed, Christian McCaffrey became the fifth player ever with 5,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards in his career, joining Hall of Famers Marshall Faulk, Lenny Moore and Marcus Allen, and Tiki Barber.

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• REWATCH: Browns-Patriots on NFL+ Premium
• READ: QB Maye ignoring MVP chants as Pats stack fifth-straight win

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Patriots' creativity powers runaway win. New England encountered a stingy Browns defense and learned how difficult it is to score on it in the first half Sunday, settling for three field goals to take a narrow 9-7 lead into half. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels pulled out his easel and palette after halftime. He directed a well-balanced drive out of the break that relied on perimeter runs and well-timed play-action passes, slicing through Cleveland's resistance on a seven-play, 77-yard touchdown drive capped perfectly by a rollout touchdown pass to Hunter Henry. From there, the Patriots were off and running, capitalizing on a turnover with a short touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs before fully unleashing Drake Maye, who renewed his connection with Kayshon Boutte on a 39-yard dime for a touchdown. It took 30 minutes to work out the kinks, but McDaniels' vast experience shined once again, propelling another excellent day for Maye and Co.
2. Browns' offense continues to crawl. Outside of the opening script, Cleveland's offense can largely be described as a slog. The Browns jumped on the Patriots in their first drive, dialing up a couple of well-schemed passes to rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. for a score, then retreated to their ineffective form for the rest of the afternoon. Dillon Gabriel threw an ugly interception in the third quarter that set up a Patriots score, then heaved a prayer that resulted in his second turnover. He struggled to find targets beyond 10 yards and, coupled with an unremarkable running game, the Browns lacked much to counter New England's consistent scoring output in the second half. As has been the case for most of the 2025 season, Cleveland's offense didn't do its part, shifting too much responsibility to the shoulders of the defense, which buckled in the second half. Here's a note that illustrates the sad discrepancy between the two units: Myles Garrett recorded a career-high five sacks Sunday, resetting the Browns' single-game record and becoming just the 20th player to record that many sacks in a game since 1982. He's the first to do so in a losing effort in which his team was defeated by more than three points.
3. Welcome back, TreVeyon Henderson. Patriots rookie runner TreVeyon Henderson seemed to be falling out of favor in recent weeks, seeing just 17 carries over New England's last three games. Sunday's dose of 10 carries, while not prolific, offered Henderson a chance to get into a rhythm and he took advantage of it, racking up 77 yards. Most importantly, the fashion in which Henderson gained his yardage was encouraging, ripping off runs of 12, 18 and 27 yards, with the last of the three being the most impressive because of the vision and tackle-breaking ability it required. When Henderson entered the draft out of Ohio State, he was known for his home run-hitting explosiveness and he was able to show it Sunday -- a great sign for an offense that could use another ground threat to lean on opposite Rhamondre Stevenson.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Browns-Patriots (via NFL Pro): Drake Maye posted a completion percentage over expected of +15.5% on Sunday, marking his eighth straight game with a positive CPOE after doing so just seven times last season. He leads the NFL with a +10.8% CPOE entering the afternoon window.

NFL Research: Drake Maye had 200-plus passing yards and a 100-plus passer rating in his seventh straight game Sunday, tying Patrick Mahomes for the longest such streak in NFL history by any quarterback 23 or younger.

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• REWATCH: Giants-Eagles on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Giants rookie RB Skattebo dislocates ankle in loss
• READ: Battista: Eagles' rout of Giants showcases daunting reality for rest of NFC

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Barkley blasts off as Eagles fly away from Giants. On the second play from scrimmage, Saquon Barkley got perfect blocking and zoomed through the Big Blue secondary for a 65-yard touchdown, his first run of 20-plus yards this season. It was a sign of things to come for the Eagles' run game. Barkley gashed the Giants, picking up 6 and 7 yards with ease. The back averaged 10.7 yards per carry, generating 150 yards on 14 carries with the TD, and added another scoring catch. The blowout marked his first 100-plus-yard rushing game of the season. The negative: He left after another explosive 28-yard run, tweaking his groin, and didn’t return. With the bye next week, the hope is that Saquon won’t miss more than one quarter. Tank Bigsby took the RB2 role and also went over the century mark, powering his way for 104 rushing yards on nine carries. Add in Jalen Hurts peppering passes into the end zone, tossing four TDs, and even without A.J. Brown, this was the most efficient the Eagles offense has looked since their Super Bowl march.
2. Dart, Giants hemmed in. Credit the Philly defensive line with not only creating havoc in the backfield but maintaining their rush lanes to not allow Jaxson Dart many of the off-schedule pizzazz the rookie has feasted on this year. Dart was sacked five times on Sunday. The first rounder completed just 58.3% of his passes for 193 yards and added 17 rushing yards and a TD. Dart continues to show development, and his touch on the move is excellent. The weapons around him need to improve. Theo Johnson dropped a perfect pass between defenders that could have set up a touchdown. Darius Slayton, in his return, caught just two of five targets for 26 yards and was called for a questionable offensive pass interference. Big Blue’s weapons were further hindered with bulldozing runner Cam Skattebo leaving the game early on a cart after a gruesome ankle injury. It was a brutal injury that will make Dart’s life more difficult the rest of his rookie campaign.
3. More tush push chatter coming. The weekly discussion regarding the Eagles’ signature tush push added another layer on Sunday that will give opponents additional fuel. Facing a fourth-and-1 from the Giants' 11 early in the second quarter, Philly lined up to push Hurts’ tush. Going into the pile, the QB reached the ball out and had it ripped away by Kayvon Thibodeaux. It looked like a clear fumble. However, the refs ruled his progress was stopped -- despite Hurts still getting pushed and fighting forward. Refs informed Brian Daboll that he couldn’t challenge the fumble because forward progress is not reviewable. Instead, Daboll challenged the spot, even though it was a clear first down, and lost a timeout. Two plays after the controversial play, Saquon Barkley scored a TD, and the Giants trailed the rest of the way.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Eagles-Giants (via NFL Pro): Jalyx Hunt recorded one sack and generated nine pressures on 22 pass rushes (40.9% pressure rate), exceeding his previous career high of five pressures in a game.

NFL Research: The Eagles have started the season 6-2 or better for a franchise-record fourth straight season and are now 5-0 in Kelly green uniforms since bringing them back in 2023.

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• REWATCH: Buccaneers-Saints on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Saints bench Rattler for rookie QB Shough in blowout loss

Kevin Patra's takeaways:

1. Bucs defense forces four turnovers, slams door on Saints. From the first drive, Todd Bowles’ defense feasted on Saints miscues when Tampa forced a Spencer Rattler fumble on the opening possession. The highlights were just starting. In the second quarter, 6-foot-7 defensive lineman Anthony Nelson used his long wing span to tip a pass to himself for a pick-six, giving the Bucs a lead they’d never relinquish. Nelson was all over the field, earning two sacks, forcing a fumble and drawing penalties. Antoine Winfield Jr. was Jonny-on-the-spot for the two other forced turnovers. He scooped up a fumble, and the star safety ripped an interception away from Chris Olave. The turnovers were the highlights in a resounding win, but the Tampa defense controlled the entire game, giving no light in the run game (48 yards) and blanketing receivers. Tampa generated 28 QB pressures in the blowout. It was a smothering performance to bounce back from Week 7’s loss.
2. Quarterback change doesn’t jump start Saints offense. Spencer Rattler’s turnover issues continued in Week 8. The starter fumbled on the opening drive and threw an interception in the first half. Rattler was under siege. He peppered some short throws, but the offense never felt in rhythm. The struggles weren’t all on the QB, with zero run help and a slew of penalties that put the offense in rough shape. Then, Kellen Moore made his first big move, handing the reins to second-round pick Tyler Shough in the third quarter. The rookie had no more luck than Rattler. The offense remained stuck in the mud. A pass behind Chris Olave led to an interception, and he missed an open deep shot. On the final drive, Shough settled in, throwing a few tight-window balls. The rookie finished 17 of 30 for 128 yards (4.3 yards per attempt) with an INT and took two sacks. There is little to take away from Shough’s relief appearance. Sitting at 1-7, we’ll see if Moore takes this time to see what Shough has moving forward or goes back to Rattler following the benching.  
3. Bucs offense remains sluggish. For the second straight week, Baker Mayfield couldn’t find many splash plays, and the offense repeatedly stalled. With the run game struggling to find any traction sans Bucky Irving, teams have teed off on Mayfield. The injury-riddled wide receiver corps put up 86 yards, led by Tez Johnson’s 43. Mayfield didn’t complete a deep pass and took only one shot of 20-plus air yards. Tampa might want to spend extra time this week on its goal-line offense after getting stymied for seven plays from the 1-yard line. It didn’t matter in New Orleans. Good teams find ways to win when they don’t play their best. The hope is that after the Week 9 bye, the Bucs will get some of their weapons back.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Buccaneers-Saints (via NFL Pro): Baker Mayfield faced his highest blitz rate of the season (48.1%), completing just 4 of 11 passes for 12 yards against the blitz with a -18.9% completion percentage over expected (while taking two sacks). However, against four pass rushers or fewer, Mayfield completed 11 of 13 passes for 140 yards (+2.2% CPOE).

NFL Research: Since 2000, only three NFL players have recorded 30 or more forced fumbles and 20 or more defensive fumble recoveries: Lavonte David, Hall of Famer Jason Taylor, Hall of Famer Julius Peppers.

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• REWATCH: Cowboys-Broncos on NFL+ Premium

Eric Edholm's takeaways:

1. Broncos avoided another slow start with explosive offensive showing. After Bo Nix threw behind Pat Bryant for an interception on the Broncos’ third offensive play of the game, Denver appeared to be off to another slow start offensively. But that was quickly put to rest after the Broncos leaned on the Cowboys with four touchdowns in their next five first half possessions to take a commanding 27-10 halftime lead. RJ Harvey had his first two rushing TDs of the season in the first half on a 40-yard burst and a Wildcat sneak from the former high school QB, and later caught a TD pass. Nix also sharpened up quickly, hitting Troy Franklin and Bryant on long TDs before the half and finishing with four TD passes. Denver’s offensive line dominated, opening huge run gaps and allowing no sacks and only one QB hit, which came on a 39-yard bomb to Courtland Sutton. Other than a penalty wiping out a touchdown and Sutton dropping a perfect TD throw from Nix, it was a pretty great day offensively. It’s amazing what a strong start can do for an offense.
2. Cowboys couldn't do enough offensive damage. The Cowboys are likely going to be up against it defensively the rest of the season, and that’s no secret. They were down three starting defensive backs and lost Alijah Clark to injury on Sunday, obliterating the secondary depth. Even with the pressure to deliver big performances every week, the Cowboys offense wasn’t able to sting a Denver defense that hadn’t looked great in some matchups, including last week’s desperate win over the Giants. Dak Prescott threw a bad pick before halftime with a chance to score points and seemed to have trouble taking small profits against the Broncos’ pressure. He threw two picks after going INT-free the prior four games, but there was little help to be found. The Cowboys killed themselves with pre-snap penalties (five -- plus two declined), including a huge one from Denver’s 1-yard line, eventually settling for a field goal. Then, Brian Schottenheimer opted to punt on fourth-and-5 from the Dallas 44-yard line late in the third quarter, trailing 30-17, and the Cowboys’ maligned defense couldn’t get a stop the rest of the game.  
3. Broncos have new defensive concerns with Surtain injury. Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain II was ruled out with a left shoulder injury just before halftime after injuring his shin on the first defensive series of the game. You have to credit Denver’s defense for responding without Surtain, really tightening up after allowing an opening-drive TD in the third quarter to make it a 10-point game. But that TD drive exposed some possible future concerns. Riley Moss, who had two penalties last week (costing Denver 53 yards), was flagged twice against the Cowboys on goal-to-go plays, setting up Javonte Williams’ second TD. Moss and Kris Abrams-Draine, who replaced Surtain, battled but had their struggles. In a closer game, it might have been a bigger concern. Without knowing Surtain’s status, the Broncos likely will come out of this game trying to come up with contingency plans in case their top corner misses time.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Cowboys-Broncos (via NFL Pro): Bo Nix’s 24-yard TD pass to rookie WR Pat Bryant II had an air distance of 45.1 yards.

NFL Research: Dak Prescott was sacked twice in the Cowboys’ loss in Denver. In three games this season where Prescott has taken two or more sacks, he has thrown three touchdowns and five interceptions. In games where Prescott has been sacked once or less, he has thrown 13 TDs and no interceptions.

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• REWATCH: Titans-Colts on NFL+ Premium

Nick Shook's takeaways:

1. Colts continue to function like well-oiled machine. Indianapolis' first three possessions ended in this order: field goal, touchdown, touchdown. In a total of 24 plays, the Colts put 17 points on the board and did so entirely at their preferred pace. Coming out of the half, they popped an 80-yard Jonathan Taylor touchdown run to start a streak of three straight touchdown drives, effectively burying the AFC South-rival Titans with relative ease. Daniel Jones continues to light up the opposition and is playing with complete freedom and trust in his teammates, as indicated by two plays: a 50-yard missile to Alec Pierce (who made a great catch in single coverage) and his on-the-run touchdown toss to Josh Downs, who effectively adjusted his route to get open for a scrambling Jones. This team is completely in sync -- and I can't wait to see how they fare over the next month against Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Kansas City and Houston.
2. Titans are rightfully shifting focus toward Ward. If Brian Callahan's firing didn't provide a hint, Sunday's third-quarter script delivered enough evidence of what Tennessee's priorities are for the rest of this campaign: the maturation of Cam Ward. Facing a 31-7 deficit, most would expect Tennessee to increase the tempo in an attempt to climb back into the game, rely on the passing game and hope for a few lightning strikes along the way. Instead, the Titans tried to maintain a balanced offense, accepting runs for minimal gains while mixing in passes. As long as they continue to crumble against superior competition, this is and should be the way for the Titans for the rest of 2025. They'd be wise to avoid risking Ward's development by asking him to throw 60 passes every week because they're in a deep hole on the scoreboard and instead accept they're out to make steady progress with their franchise quarterback within the confines of a mid-season game. That is, of course, unless they're in a tight one, which hasn't often been the case this season and certainly wasn't by the middle of the third quarter Sunday.
3. Taylor is truly awesome. It's fair if you'd forgotten how good of a back Jonathan Taylor is after a few injury-marred seasons for the star runner, but after eight weeks, there's no longer any logical excuse. Taylor is in a special class of backs powering their offenses, and he's putting up points at an unbelievable rate. Sunday marked the fourth time this season in which he's accounted for three touchdowns in a game, rushing for two and adding a receiving score in the romp over the Titans. The fashion in which he scores is what punctuates how special he is, too, breaking tackles and extending runs that should have stopped after 5-6 yards and end up going for 15-plus (or in his case in the third quarter, 80 yards) solely because he refuses to go down and owns the athletic ability to ward off would-be tacklers and outrun the rest. It's marvelous to witness and shouldn't go overlooked. Fortunately, it appears as though these Colts will remain in the spotlight for the foreseeable future.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Titans-Colts (via NFL Pro): Daniel Jones was effective from a clean pocket, completing 19 of 23 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns, both season-high clean pocket totals for Jones. Jones also connected on a 50-yard pass to Alec Pierce in the third quarter that traveled 58.3 yards in the air, his longest completion by air distance in his career.

NFL Research: With three-plus touchdowns in four of his first eight games this season, Jonathan Taylor joined Gene Roberts (1949 Giants) and moved within two games of tying LaDainian Tomlinson (2006 Chargers) for the most such performances in a season. Tomlinson won NFL MVP in that season.

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• READ: Love outduels Rodgers, Steelers in runaway 'SNF' win

Grant Gordon's takeaways:

1. Love, Packers control second half for SNF win. While Sunday night’s anticipated matchup was must-see viewing due to Aaron Rodgers playing his former team of 18 seasons, it ended as a showcase for his Packers replacement, Jordan Love. After scoring a touchdown on their second drive of the night, Love and the Packers offense stalled out in the second quarter, while Rodgers and the Steelers surged ahead for a 16-7 halftime lead. Love was ablaze in the second half, however, and his defense followed suit in clamping down on Rodgers and Co. Quite simply, Love was on a heater, completing 20 straight passes at one point. He finished 29 of 37 for 360 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a sparkling 134.2 rating. In the second half, Love was 16 of 19 for 214 yards and a pair of TD tosses, the leader of the Pack piloting three straight TD drives out of intermission. Green Bay followed with two more field goal drives consecutively to turn this one into a rout. Before the game, Rodgers was the story, but Love took the torch by the end of the evening.
2. Rodgers, Steelers go softly into night. When all was said and done, Aaron Rodgers didn’t really play poorly in his first -- and likely only -- meeting with the Packers. Unfortunately, the Pittsburgh defense wilted and the Rodgers-led offense went silent in the second half. A stellar night by kicker Chris Boswell accounted for a 9-7 lead in the second quarter before Rodgers (24 of 36 for 219 yards, two touchdowns) hit DK Metcalf on a slant for six en route to a nine-point lead at the break. Rodgers’ ability and experience to quarterback a game is sensational, and he can still sling it and throw as beautiful a ball as anyone. For instance, Rodgers made a one-handed catch on a shotgun snap, was pressured quickly and flicked it to the outside where Calvin Austin III drew a defensive pass interference. It doesn’t show up in the box score, but that’s what the 41-year-old brings. Three plays later, he hit Metcalf for the TD. But the second half was an offensive disaster for the Steelers. As the Packers scored on possession after possession with an avalanche of 28 points, a Boswell field goal was Pittsburgh’s only retort until Rodgers hit Roman Wilson for a too-little-too-late touchdown with 2:07 to go. Rodgers gives Pittsburgh plenty, but he can’t take over games as he once did. For the second time in as many weeks, Rodgers has commanded the marquee: first with a battle of the ages against Joe Flacco and the Bengals, and on Sunday against the team with whom he won a Super Bowl and four MVPs. The Steelers have lost both, though, and have gone from having a stranglehold on the AFC North at 4-1 to 4-3, leaving the door open for the Bengals (3-5) and Ravens (2-5). Rodgers and the Steelers have garnered attention, but the results are worrisome as of late.
3. Burgeoning Kraft has career night. Rumbling and roaming wild, Tucker Kraft starred again in prime time. In Week 2 on Thursday night, Kraft put up six receptions for 124 yards and a touchdown. He was even better on Sunday night, racking up career highs of seven catches, 143 yards and two TDs. Since trading away Davante Adams, the Packers have scoured the earth for a bona fide No. 1 WR. It seems like they’ve got one -- it’s just a 6-foot-5, 260-pound 24-year old tight end who runs with rage after the catch. Kraft gained 131 yards after the catch, third-best in the Next Gen Stats era (since 2016). He’s a playmaker who is off to a sensational start, with his 469 receiving yards the most by a Packers tight end ever through seven games. It was National Tight End Day, but Kraft owned the night. 

Next Gen Stats Insight for Steelers-Packers (via NFL Pro): Aaron Rodgers’ rollout pass to Roman Wilson in the first quarter for 45 yards had an air distance of 55.7 yards. Wilson’s previous long was a 13-yard catch the prior week and Sunday's grab eclipsed his career (36 yards in seven games) total in one catch. Wilson finished the game with career highs of four receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown.

NFL Research: Tucker Kraft’s 143 yards on Sunday night are the second-highest single-game mark for a Packers tight end, trailing only Richard Rodgers’ 146 on Dec. 3, 2015. Rodgers’ quarterback that day in the Hail Mary Game win over the Lions was Aaron Rodgers.