There won't be any teams on a bye during Week 8, leaving us with a full schedule to enjoy. There will be no shortage of exciting games with the Seahawks against the Bills and the Bengals against the Eagles being among the matchups.
Each week of the NFL season, I'll share my picks for each game and rank their selections for those who play in a format that requires it. The games will be grouped into locks, semi-confident picks, and toss-ups. The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least confident pick. The winner picks are italicized.
Some weeks, you may see a subcategory of "Wait and See" because some platforms require all games to be selected before the kickoff of Thursday Night Football. There may still be some injury questions for Sunday and Monday games. If that's the case, I'll leave those games off to the side and suggest where they should be placed if a player is in or out. Let's get to our Week 8 picks.
The number listed next to the game shows my confidence level, counting down to my least-confident pick. The higher the number, the better. The winner picks are italicized.
Talk about a mismatch. The Lions have won four straight games to improve their record to 5-1 on the season. The Titans are 1-5, have lackluster options at quarterback, and traded wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Chiefs on Wednesday. Look for the Lions to win convincingly.
The Broncos are 4-3 and sitting in second place in the AFC West behind the Chiefs. Their defense has led the way, allowing only 15.1 points per game. The Panthers already have problems putting points on the board, averaging just 15.7 points per game. Now, Andy Dalton (thumb) is out. This could get ugly with Bryce Young starting again.
The Packers facing the Jaguars has the potential to be another lopsided affair. The Jaguars have allowed the most passing touchdowns in the league. Jordan Love has thrown at least two touchdown passes in every game that he has played in this season. The Packers offense should thrive in this matchup.
The Chiefs added Hopkins to bolster their wide receiver options. The Raiders already traded away their top wide receiver, Davante Adams. They are also going back to Gardner Minshew II at quarterback with Aidan O'Connell (thumb) now on injured reserve. The Chiefs are primed to improve their record to 7-0.
Chris Olave (concussion) could return for this game, but Derek Carr (oblique) is unlikely to play. Even if Olave returns, the Chargers are the team to go with here. Their defense has allowed only 13.8 points per game. Their offense relies heavily on the running attack, which is favorable for this matchup because the Saints have allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per game in the league.
9 - Baltimore at Cleveland
Normally, the Ravens against the Browns would be a lock. The Ravens are back atop the AFC North with a 5-2 record and they are averaging 31.1 points per game. The only reason to somewhat hesitate in taking them is that the Browns could be more competent on offense with Jameis Winston taking over at quarterback for Deshaun Watson (Achilles). Still, the Ravens are heavy favorites and should come away with the victory.
8 - New York Jets at New England
The Jets might seem like the vastly superior team here, but their 2-5 record is just one game better than the 1-6 Patriots. The big difference here is that the Jets have significantly better weapons on offense with Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall in the fold. The Patriots have looked better on offense with Drake Maye under center, but don't expect them to score enough to keep up with the Jets.
7 - Pittsburgh vs. New York Giants
The Giants are 2-5 because their offense can't score. They have averaged just 14.1 points per game with Daniel Jones struggling to complete deep passes. He was also constantly under pressure last week with star left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot) now out for the season. The Steelers are allowing just 14.4 points per game, so don't expect the Giants offense to wake up against them.
The Texans offense has not looked the same since Nico Collins (hamstring) went down. Last week, C.J. Stroud only threw for 86 yards against the Packers. While he had three touchdown passes the week prior against the Patriots, he only threw for 192 yards. With Jonathan Taylor (ankle) potentially coming back, the Colts could cause the Texans problems.
5 - Atlanta at Tampa Bay
When these two teams faced off in Week 5, the Falcons won 36-30 in overtime. In that game, Chris Godwin and Mike Evans combined for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Godwin (ankle) is now out for the season and Evans (hamstring) is going to miss multiple games. Baker Mayfield can still work magic, but this is going to be an uphill battle for the Buccaneers.
4 - San Francisco vs. Dallas
Brandon Aiyuk's (knee) season is now over, robbing the 49ers of yet another one of their top offensive options. They will likely rely heavily on Jordan Mason, which should help them in this matchup because the Cowboys have allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game in the league. Still, with the 49ers dealing with so many injuries, it would not be a surprise if the Cowboys came out of their bye week with a victory.
3 - Minnesota at Los Angeles Rams
The Vikings are the better team here, but there is a stat that makes me pause. The Rams are 0-3 on the road, but they are 2-1 at home. They also have a healthy Kyren Williams, who has scored at least one touchdown in every game this season. Another positive for the Rams is that Cooper Kupp (ankle) is expected to play.
The Bengals have recorded two straight wins to improve their record to 3-4. The Eagles are 4-2, but three of their wins have come against the Saints, Browns, and Giants. Those teams are a combined 5-16 this season. The Bengals are averaging 25.4 points per game, so if Jalen Hurts isn't locked in, the Eagles could have a tough time winning on the road. Neither of these teams is consistent enough to feel good about picking.
We can't pick this game just yet because we don't know the status of Jayden Daniels (ribs). He is being labeled as week-to-week with his injury, but he has not been ruled out for Week 8 yet. The Commanders offense has significantly less upside with Marcus Mariota under center.
Miami vs. Arizona
This is another game that we need to wait on because of an injured quarterback. Tua Tagovailoa has missed the last four games with a concussion, but he practiced Wednesday and could potentially return against the Cardinals. The Dolphins offense has been anemic without him, but it becomes a completely different unit with him at the helm. If he plays, the Dolphins are the way to go here. If he doesn't, the Cardinals become much more appealing.
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