Week 8 Takeaways: 49ers take down Cowboys, Commanders win thriller

Week 8 of the NFL season kicked off on Thursday with the Los Angeles Rams handing the Minnesota Vikings their second loss of the season.

On Sunday, the Detroit Lions blew out the Tennessee Titans, the QB Jameis Winston lifted Cleveland Browns past the Baltimore Ravens.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.

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MIN-LAR | PHI-CIN | TEN-DET
BAL-CLE | ARI-MIA | NYJ-NE

Patriots

Did coach Jerod Mayo’s call out of the team last week work? The Patriots answered the call. They didn’t play soft and, in fact, showed the mental toughness to pull out a dramatic win late in the fourth quarter. QB Jacoby Brissett took over for rookie Drake Maye (concussion) in the second quarter, and the veteran led the team to a 12 play, 70-yard touchdown drive to put the Patriots ahead with less than 30 seconds to go. This was a big response by the team after Mayo ran the risk of possibly losing the locker room by publicly calling out his players for “playing soft” last week. They looked like a different team this week.

Eye-popping stat: Before his injury, Maye reached a top speed of 20.33 miles per hour a 17-yard TD run, the second-fastest top speed by a QB on a touchdown this season (Arizona’s Kyler Murray hit 21.27). Maye ties for the fourth-fastest time on a TD run by a quarterback over the last five seasons.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Catching the ball. Patriots WRs let the team down for most of the afternoon. Kayshon Boutte, who talked about his sure-handed approach this week, had two drops. Veteran Kendrick Bourne had two drops, while Tyquan Thornton also had a costly drop on a beautiful ball from Maye. Safety Jaylinn Hawkins also dropped a would-be INT in the fourth quarter. — Mike Reiss

Next game: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Jets

Can the Jets be declared the league’s biggest bust of 2024? Absolutely. They began the season with the Super Bowl aspirations, and now their playoff dreams are cooked at 2-6 with a five-game losing streak. Heavily favored, the Jets came unraveled in every way possible, falling to 0-3 under interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. Owner Woody Johnson’s gambit, firing Robert Saleh after only five games, has backfired. The Jets were so unprepared that they had to burn three timeouts in the first quarter because the play clock was about the expire. Three weeks ago, they had a chance to move into first place. Now they’re tied for last place with the Patriots. Brutal.

Most surprising performance: The Jets’ defense fell apart in crunch time, allowing the Patriots to match for a 70-yard touchdown drive in the final seconds with a backup quarterback at the helm. New arrival DE Haason Reddick made no impact whatsoever, managing only two pressures in 26 snaps. Star CB Sauce Gardner allowed a big play late in the game, leading to their demise. Once upon a time, the defense was a vaunted unit. Not anymore.

Describe the game in two words: Wide left. Struggling K Greg Zuerlein may have secured a pink slip by missing a field goal and a PAT — both pulled to the left. He now leads the league with six field-goal misses. Zuerlein’s shocking decline has played a key role in three losses. The Jets auditioned kickers two weeks ago. It might be time to replace Zuerlein. — Rich Cimini

Next game: vs. Texans (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Cardinals

Is this the start of a run for Arizona? It very well should be. The way the Cardinals played in the fourth quarter to give them their first two-game winning streak of the season is the type of football needed to win another game or two — which, with games against the Bears and Jets coming up, is possible. Arizona finally got Marvin Harrison Jr. involved throughout the game and heavily in the fourth quarter, something it had hardly done all season. When Arizona needed a stop the most, its defense held on third-and-long late in the fourth quarter, leading to a punt, which led to Arizona’s game-winning drive.

Describe the game in two words: Hello, Marvin! Harrison had his best game since Week 2, with 111 yards and a diving touchdown on five catches, including 38 yards in the fourth quarter. He single-handedly helped the Cardinals march down the field in the fourth quarter to pull within two, showcasing his ability to do a little of everything.

Most surprising performance: A week after rushing for 101 yards and averaging 5.3 yards per carry, RB James Conner couldn’t get going Sunday in Miami. He finished with 53 yards on 20 carries for a 2.7 yards per carry average. — Josh Weinfuss

Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Dolphins

Is this a positive sign of things to come for the Dolphins’ offense? The NFL’s worst-scoring offense this season put up a season-high 27 points and a season high 377 yards in QB Tua Tagovailoa‘s return — but it was against a Cardinals defense allowing the sixth-most yards per game in the league. Miami looked worlds better than it did in its four games without Tagovailoa but faces a bigger test against a Bills team that’s won 12 of their last 15 games against the Dolphins.

Describe the game in two words: Tua Time. The Dolphins quarterback returned from a four-game absence (concussion) and led his team to a season-high in points and touchdowns in his first game back. He wasn’t flawless (28-for-38 for 234 yards and 1 TD), but his command of Miami’s offense was at a level we simply did not see from any of the trio of quarterbacks who replaced him over the past month.

Most surprising performance: Dolphins LB Chop Robinson recorded a game-high four quarterback pressures against the Cardinals and consistently harassed QB Kyler Murray. In three games without Jaelan Phillips (knee), Robinson has recorded a team-leading 12 QB pressures. He’s still looking for his first sack, but the lightbulb is coming on for the first-round rookie. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: at Bills (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Browns

Can QB Jameis Winston provide a spark for the rest of the season? With Winston starting for the injured QB Deshaun Watson, the Browns’ offense looked like a completely different unit. Cleveland reached 20 points for the first time all season and had a rhythm and flow to it that hadn’t been present. Winston was on the verge of giving the ball away a few times but provided way more good than bad as he led a game-winning drive in his first start since the 2022 season.

Describe the game in two words: Flacco-esque magic. Winston’s first game as starter was reminiscent of when Joe Flacco stepped in last year and settled the quarterback position for the Browns. It seemingly injected life into every phase of the team as the Browns pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Early prediction for next week: RB Nick Chubb will record his first 100-yard game of the season. It was also a solid second game for Chubb, who provided some tough runs against one of the NFL’s best run defenses. With Cleveland’s offensive line getting healthier, Chubb could have a breakout game against the Chargers. — Daniel Oyefusi

Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Ravens

How did the Ravens lose to the one-win Browns? Nothing should come as a surprise. The winning touchdown allowed by the Ravens — a 38-yarder from Jameis Winston with 59 seconds left — was the 21st completion of 25 or more yards given up by Baltimore, which leads the NFL. This was a secondary that was missing two of its top cornerbacks in Marlon Humphrey (knee) and Nate Wiggins (shoulder/illness) and had benched safety Marcus Williams. Plus, the Ravens have a history of playing down to their competitor’s level. Before reeling off five straight wins, Baltimore lost to the last-place Raiders. The Ravens were due for a hiccup like this.

Describe the game in two words: Another collapse. This marked the Ravens’ eighth loss when leading inside the final two minutes of the fourth quarter since the start of the 2022 season. That’s the most such losses in the NFL over that span. Finishing has been a problem for the Baltimore defense, which entered this game with the most points allowed in the fourth quarter (84).

Most surprising performance: Dropped passes. The Ravens’ wide receivers dropped a season-worst three throws from QB Lamar Jackson, all of which came on third down. Baltimore entered this game as the second-most efficient offense on third downs, converting 50% of the time. On Sunday, the Ravens failed on 8-of-10 third downs (20.0%). — Jamison Hensley

Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Lions

Can the Lions carry their momentum into the divisional showdown with the Packers? The Lions were impressive in all three phases, notably on special teams, where Kalif Raymond returned a punt 90 yards for a touchdown. CB Khalil Dorsey also had a 72-yard kick return as the Lions snapped their six-game losing streak to Tennessee. It’ll be hard to find a team more talented than Detroit right now, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down as they enter Green Bay on a roll. Even without its second-leading receiver, Jameson Williams, who was suspended for two games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing substances policy, Detroit put up 35 points in the first half for the first time since 1970.

Eye-popping stat: RB Jahmyr Gibbs reached a max speed of 22.03 mph on his career-long 70-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter, which is the fastest top speed any Lion has reached as a ball carrier since 2016, according to NFL Next Gen Stats. It was also the longest rushing touchdown scored at Ford Field since former Lions RB Jahvid Best rushed for an 88-yard touchdown on Oct. 10, 2011.

Most surprising performance: The Lions’ offensive line. Detroit allowed veteran QB Jared Goff to get sacked three times in the opening quarter for the first time in his career, per ESPN Research. Goff was also under pressure on three of his first six dropbacks (50%), and he fumbled after being sacked in the first quarter, but teammate Kevin Zeitler recovered it. — Eric Woodyard

Next game: at Packers (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

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Kalif Raymond takes a 90-yard punt return to the house

Kalif Raymond outruns everyone on the Titans for a 90-yard punt-return touchdown for the Lions.

Titans

Are the Titans the worst team in the NFL? The Titans entered the week in an intense competition with the Panthers, Browns and Patriots for the worst team, but the Patriots and Browns were victorious this week. The same can’t be said for the Titans who suffered a lopsided loss to the Lions. The defense might be the one thing that elevates Tennessee. Entering this week, they were tops in the NFL, allowing 272 yards per game. Although Detroit scored 52 points, they only gained 225 yards.

Most surprising performance: WR Calvin Ridley turned in the first 100-yard receiving performance of the season for the Titans. In the first quarter. Two of Ridleys’ first three catches went for over 20 yards. The first seven times QB Mason Rudolph targeted Ridley resulted in completions which was much higher than his 30% catch rate entering this week. Ridley finished the game with 10 receptions for 143 yards.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Colt Anderson’s special teams unit was terrible. Khalil Dorsey started with a 72-yard kickoff return, and Kalif Raymond, a former Titan, exploded for a 64-yard punt return in the second quarter and a 90-yard return for a touchdown later. Raymond is the first player with multiple 60-yard punt returns in a game since Gunner Olszewski for the Patriots in 2020. — Turron Davenport

Next game: vs. Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Eagles

Is it time to buy into this Eagles defense? It appears Vic Fangio’s group has arrived. After holding the Browns and Giants to a total of 12 points the past two weeks, questions remained about whether the Eagles’ defense could hold up against a more potent attack. They stabilized after a slow start against Cincinnati and came up with two huge, game-defining plays: A fourth-and-1 stick by CB Cooper DeJean on WR Ja’Marr Chase late in the third quarter that kept the Bengals short of the first-down marker, and a nice tip-drill interception from cornerback Isaiah Rodgers to safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson on a quarterback Joe Burrow deep ball early in the fourth quarter — one of two takeaways on the day. If Philadelphia can continue to play this kind of complementary football, it’s going to be a tough team to beat.

Describe the game in two words: Slow start. Thanks to an opening drive by Cincinnati that ate up more than 10 minutes, the Eagles failed to score in the first quarter for the eighth consecutive game, marking the longest first-quarter drought for the team in the past 25 years. Philadelphia put up just 55 yards of offense. Jalen Hurts helped lead the charge from there, however, posting four total touchdowns, including three rushing scores. It is his third career game with three rushing TDs, which is the most by any QB since the start of 1950.

Eye-popping stat: Hurts’ 45-yard TD pass to WR DeVonta Smith late in the third quarter had a completion probability of 21.6%, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, the least likely TD pass for Hurts this season. It’s the fifth-least likely TD of Hurts’ career, with three of those going to Smith. It’s the second-longest TD pass of Hurts’ career by air yards (45). — Tim McManus

Next game: vs. Jaguars (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Bengals

Were the last two weeks fool’s gold? Yes. Turns out, beating a scuffling Giants squad that benched its quarterback a week later and a Browns team led by QB Deshaun Watson weren’t high-caliber wins. In a game against a potential playoff contender and recent conference champion, Cincinnati struggled. The offense couldn’t produce much outside of a strong drive to open the game, and the defense couldn’t get enough stops. Instead of moving to .500, the Bengals are 3-5 and winless in four home games.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Cincinnati couldn’t get the run game going. At one point, the Bengals had 48 rushing yards on 17 carries. The lack of faith in the ability to get a yard needed was evident when coach Zac Taylor dialed up a swing pass for WR Ja’Marr Chase on fourth-and-1 that was stopped short of the sticks. What had been a bright spot at times this season was ineffective when Cincinnati needed it.

Eye-popping stat: The Bengals couldn’t find a way to disrupt Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Hurts was pressured on just two of his first 20 dropbacks. He completed both of them. That’s not a winning metric when Cincinnati didn’t blitz on 72.7% of those dropbacks. — Ben Baby

Next game: vs. Raiders (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Rams

With WRs Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back, could the Rams take the NFC West? Winning the division is absolutely still in play, and Los Angeles showed Thursday night how good their offense can be when healthy. This is the offense the Rams envisioned this offseason, and it gives coach Sean McVay many options as a playcaller. The Rams are still in the mix in a crowded NFC West, and they play in Seattle in Week 9 for a chance to move even closer to the top of the division.

Most surprising performance: The Rams kept Nacua’s return quiet, activating him from injured reserve despite the fact that he couldn’t practice because of the short week. QB Matthew Stafford went to Nacua early and often on Thursday night, and the second-year receiver led the Rams with seven catches for 106 yards on nine targets.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Stopping Justin Jefferson. Jefferson, the receiver Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula called “the best in the world” leading up to the game, had eight catches for 115 yards Thursday night. The Rams’ pass defense entered the game ranked 30th in DVOA, and the group struggled to stop the Vikings’ best player on what was otherwise a strong night for the defense. — Sarah Barshop

Next game: at Seahawks (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Vikings

Who are these Vikings? Close observers left SoFi Stadium wondering whether these Vikings are the same team that dominated the first five games of the season, with the biggest point differential in the NFL. Or whether they are the one that allowed 61 points in two losses over five days. This was certainly a tougher stretch of the season than some realized, having played arguably the best and most physical team in the NFL (Detroit) and then traveling to the West Coast to play on a short week. The Vikings have put themselves in position for a playoff run, but they’ll need to tighten up to stay on it.

Describe the game in two words: Overblown controversy. There is no doubt that referee Tra Blake and his crew missed a face mask foul late in the fourth quarter that would have reversed a safety and given the Vikings a first down on their final possession. But it’s hard to say that call cost the Vikings the game. They still would have had to move nearly 80 yards in 1:36 with no timeouts for a touchdown, and then get a 2-point conversion just to force overtime. It was a bad miss, but the Vikings can’t (and didn’t) blame it for their loss.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Vikings couldn’t find a way to get to Rams QB Matthew Stafford. They pressured him on only three of his 34 dropbacks; that 9% pressure rate was their lowest in a game since 2020. And even then, Stafford completed a pass against all three of those pressures, including a 7-yard touchdown pass to WR Cooper Kupp after eluding DT Harrison Phillips and LB Jonathan Greenard. The pass rush had been key to the Vikings’ hot start this season, and before Thursday they had posted at least a 24.6% pressure rate in every game. — Kevin Seifert

Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)