There was a lot going on in week eight, we saw great finishes and eve a few stunners, here are my winners and losers.
Winners:
- Oakland Raiders: Despite setting the record for most penalties in a single game, 23, quarterback Derek Carr threw for a franchise record 513 yards and four touchdowns including a 41-yard pass to wide receiver Seth Roberts that helped the Raiders defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-24 in overtime. The Raiders are 6-2, with an impressive 5-0 record on the road.
- Carolina Panthers: Coming off a bye, the defense had eight sacks. Running back Jonathan Stewart rushed for two touchdowns as the Panthers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 30-20. We’ll see if this a win that jumpstarts them.
- Denver Broncos: Running back Devontae Book rushed for a touchdown. The defense had four sacks and caught three interceptions as the Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 27-19.
- Atlanta Falcons: Once again it came down to the final few minutes, quarterback Matt Ryan’s go-ahead 11-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mohammed Sanu with just 31 seconds left. This time, the defense made the stops late to secure a 33-32 win over the Green Bay Packers in a thriller.
- Dallas Cowboys: Quarterback Dak Prescott overcame early mistakes, leading his team down the field throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jason Whitten capping off a comeback win over NFC East rivals Philadelphia Eagles 29-23 in an exciting game.
Losers:
- Seattle Seahawks: Unfortunately quarterback Russell Wilson’s pass to wide receiver Jermaine Kearse that would’ve been the game-winner didn’t count because Kearse was out of bounds. leading them to losing to the New Orleans Saints 25-20 in a stunner.
- Arizona Cardinals: Turnovers, penalties, running back David Johnson being held to just 24 rushing yards and quarterback Carson Palmer being sacked eight times were the Cardinals’ undoing in their loss to Arizona.
- Green Bay Packers: The defense gave up too many big plays late in their loss to Atlanta.
- San Diego Chargers: Turnovers and being only 7 for 17 on third downs stalled drives in their loss to Denver.
- Minnesota Vikings: Maybe it’s because they played on Halloween night but the defense gave up 403 total yards, were held to just 57 rushing yards and quarterback Sam Bradford was sacked five times in a loss to the Chicago Bears 20-10. That’s two bad games in a row by the Vikings, looks like there’s trouble in Minneapolis.
Storylines Going Into Week Nine:
In the AFC North, both teams coming off byes, Pittsburgh goes to Baltimore. Miami hosts the New York Jets. In the NFC East, Philly plays the New York Giants.
In the NFC North, Minnesota will try to rebound as they host Detroit. Carolina travels cross-country to play Los Angeles.
In the AFC West, Denver battles Oakland. In an intriguing intra-conference matchup in a battle of defense Buffalo plays Seattle.