Week 8

THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL:

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-3) vs. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-3)

Thursday Oct. 23, 2025 @ 8:15 pm E.T. on Amazon Prime

This will be a very interesting matchup to begin the eighth week of the regular season. The Vikings have been an up-and-down mediocre football team all year, while the Chargers have stumbled over their last four games. This is a must-win for both teams and it will make for exciting drama. One more loss for either of them and their playoff hopes are in serious jeopardy.

The Vikings will once again roll with Carson Wentz at quarterback because JJ McCarthy is still recovering from the ankle sprain he suffered in week two against Atlanta. Wentz has been serviceable this year, but he has thrown five touchdown passes and four interceptions. Last week against Philadelphia, the Vikings had plenty of chances to pull off an impressive upset, but they were horrible in the red zone and a pick six from Jalyx Hunt proved to be extremely costly. However, if there is any week to bounce back, it is against a Chargers defense that has regressed from last year. This past Sunday, this group got its doors blown off by the Indianapolis Colts at home. Wentz has a chance to be the hero at the end of the night, but he cannot turn the ball over at any point. That has been an issue for this Vikings offense all year long with 11 giveaways and Justin Herbert is not exactly the type of quarterback you want to grant a short field. 

Right now, this Chargers offense is incredibly battered. Their best running back is Kimani Vidal and the offensive line has resorted to Bobby Hart playing right tackle. I did not even think he was still in the league! However, this team has coughed up the football seven times in their last four games, so the last thing they need is to make any mistakes on their end. Herbert threw for over 400 yards on Sunday, but there are a couple catches to this. He had two interceptions in the first half and at one point in the fourth quarter, he was down 38-17. This Vikings defense is going to be one of the toughest he will go up against and they will do everything they can to attack him in different directions. There is no question that Herbert will be under the spotlight the most and it will be up to him to dictate the flow of the game.

FINAL LOCK: I am picking the Chargers to win in a pretty close fight for the simple fact that I trust Justin Herbert more than Carson Wentz. I believe both teams are going to be extremely well coached and that they will play their tails off the entire night. However, if this does come down to the final two minutes, I do not think it is hard to figure out which quarterback I want to have the ball in their hands.

FINAL SCORE: LA 26-20

THE 1:00 SLATE:

MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-6) vs. ATLANTA FALCONS (3-3)

Both teams are coming off a loss the previous week, but they are each heading in different directions. The Falcons have a strong running attack and a powerful defense, yet their passing game is inconsistent. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are an absolute trainwreck that is pretending everything is fine. Because of this, I do not think it is hard to predict who will win this game.

The main focal point of this offense has been and will be Bijan Robinson. Last Sunday night, the 49ers simply took him out of the gameplan and dared Michael Penix Jr. to win the game by himself, which he could not do on a prime time stage. However, if there is any week for Atlanta to bounce back, it is against the worst rushing defense in the league. Miami might be eleventh in passing yards allowed, but it is not necessarily because their secondary is strong. Penix does not even need to have that huge of a game. If they can run the ball effectively, all he has to do is not be the one to screw things up and the rest will take care of itself.

I hate saying this because I am actually one of the few that supports Tua Tagovailoa, but this is the worst season of his career as a starting quarterback. He is tied for the league lead in interceptions with Geno Smith at 10. In the last two weeks, he has thrown six, including three just on Sunday against Cleveland. Unfortunately for him, this Falcons defense is just as potent and strong. They might not be the best against the run, which has been a trend for coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, but they give up the fewest passing yards in the NFL at 141 per game. At some point in time, you just wonder how many more chances Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is going to give Mike McDaniel and Chris Grier. We all see the writing on the wall, yet management is stubborn and wants to keep them around for the sake of “stability.” The babysitting has to stop.  

FINAL LOCK: This was not a difficult decision. I am picking the Falcons to win this game by double digits. I believe that their rushing attack bounces back after a dismal Sunday night performance, but more importantly, I expect this defense to set the tone from start to finish. 

FINAL SCORE: ATL 34-10

NEW YORK JETS (0-7) vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-4)

Let’s see here. The Jets are still winless, the Bengals are coming off a thrilling victory over the Steelers, and Spero Dedes is on the call? Yeah this sounds about right. Do I think this will be a blowout? No. Do I have faith in New York to pull off the upset? Absolutely not. Why? Because it’s the Jets!

Despite their defense looking solid the last two weeks, their offense is absolutely atrocious because they do not have a quarterback. If Justin Fields is not pushing the ball down the field, then Tyrod Taylor is turning it over. Without Garrett Wilson, there is no passing game if Breece Hall gets shut down on the ground. The offensive line is even worse, giving up 15 sacks in the last two weeks. When you give up more sacks than the Tennessee Titans, there is a serious problem with your team. The Bengals defense might be absolutely atrocious themselves, but if they cannot find a way to shut down this offense, then that just means there is no chance that Cincinnati makes the playoffs.

On Thursday night, Joe Flacco put on a show with well over 340 yards and three touchdown passes. Ja’Marr Chase looked invincible with 16 catches for 161 yards; however, this Jets secondary can give the Bengals offense some headaches. Chase Brown is going to have to pick up exactly where he left off. On Thursday, he ran for 108 yards on just 11 touches, by far the most he has had all season. The Bengals desperately need to keep running the football and not stray away from it at the worst possible time. Otherwise, this is going to be an incredibly ugly low-scoring game. 

FINAL LOCK: Although I do not think this will be a blowout, I just have zero faith in the Jets. When the owner is saying that it would look good if his team could complete a pass, then how do you expect to win if Breece Hall is not running for 200 yards and four touchdowns? Let’s just hope Cincinnati does not find a way to screw this one up.

FINAL SCORE: CIN 16-10

CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-5) vs. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (5-2)

The Patriots have been on a tear with four straight wins, but this upcoming matchup against the Browns is not going to be a walk in the park at home. While their defense can slow down the run and force Dillon Gabriel to win the game by himself, this offense is going to face a quietly tough challenge against defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and former Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett. There are a lot of X factors on both sides, so let’s see what each team needs to do for them to win.

So far this year, the Browns have been winless on the road but just demolished the Dolphins 31-6 last week. Their formula in their two victories this season has been straightforward: play outstanding defense and run the football. However, New England gives up the third fewest rushing yards in the league, so this is going to be a tough afternoon for standout rookie Quinshon Judkins. That means Gabriel needs to have a strong performance for Cleveland to have a chance. Otherwise, Drake Maye is going to continue to rise up the MVP ladder and put this game out of reach.

This Browns defense has been exceptionally better than they were last year. They are third against the pass and fourth against the run. They let up 256 total yards per game, which is the fewest in the NFL. For the Patriots, they cannot let the opposition hang around for too long and give them breathing room in the final minutes. While Cleveland has flaws offensively, they have pieces that can make timely plays down the stretch, which could be enough to pull off an upset. New England has risen up the power rankings list week after week, but a loss to the Browns might force them to fall down the ladder. There is no need to be overly aggressive or careless with the football. If they can string together a couple of successful drives, that could be enough.

FINAL LOCK: I do not see this as a blowout but I believe the Patriots will still be able to take care of business at home. The Browns might have a strong defense, but I always bet against the offense when they cannot run the ball particularly well. More importantly, New England has a vastly superior quarterback and I think that Drake Maye’s exceptional play is going to be the biggest difference in this football game.

FINAL SCORE: NE 24-10

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-5) vs. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (5-2)

For the second time in three weeks, the Eagles will take on the Giants, this time in Philadelphia. The last time these two teams played against each other, New York pulled off a convincing 34-17 upset on prime time television. However, now that the Eagles have the home field advantage, they are going to take out whatever anger they still had from that game on a Giants team that had one of the worst fourth quarters in recent memory.

To make a long story short, New York was ahead of the Broncos 19-0 at the start of the fourth. The defense proceeded to give up 33 points, Jude McAtamney missed a costly extra point that gave Denver a chance to win the game, but it was an interception thrown to Jaxson Dart that caused everything to get out of hand. The Giants had this game in the palm of their hands but everybody self-destructed. We can scapegoat defensive coordinator Shane Bowen, yet nobody gets a pass for this loss. Entering this week, they have proven that they match up extremely well against the defending champs. The Eagles could not stop the run and their offense completely shut down in the second half, so they must do the exact opposite to avoid another humiliating defeat. 

Philadelphia’s offense is going to be the biggest X factor in all of their games moving forward. The reason why is because the longer they stall out, the more vulnerable their defense becomes over the course of a game. Last week, Jalen Hurts had a perfect passer rating against the Vikings and performed spectacularly. Saquon Barkley did not have that great of a game, but Minnesota had no answers for AJ Brown or DeVonta Smith. This was the type of performance that we have been waiting to see all season long, so they have plenty of momentum heading back home. 

FINAL LOCK: I find it hard to believe that the Giants are going to beat the Eagles twice this year, so I am going to pick the home team to get some revenge. Philadelphia has not lost to their division rival since 2013, so for New York to flip the script, they are going to have to play exactly the way they did just a couple weeks ago.

FINAL SCORE: PHI 24-17

BUFFALO BILLS (4-2) vs. CAROLINA PANTHERS (4-3)

Interestingly enough, this is going to be one of the most competitive games of the week. The Bills might be considered the better team, but the Panthers have not lost at home all season yet and they have played exceptionally well after starting the year 0-2. 

In my mind, the quarterbacks are not going to be the ones that will determine who wins this football game. It is the rushing attacks. Both Buffalo and Carolina are two of the top three teams running the ball and they both have incredible backs to control the line of scrimmage. James Cook is still a stud with the fourth most rushing yards, but Carolina has two guys that can disrupt the game: Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. At the same time, however, each of these defenses handle this aspect a little differently. The Panthers only let up 93 rush yards per game, the eighth fewest in the league, while the Bills give up the second most at 156 a night! There is no excuse for Buffalo to come out of the bye week and get run off the field. I get they are still dealing with key injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but everyone is counting on them to win the AFC this year and they have not inspired confidence so far.

Unfortunately, Bryce Young will not be playing as he is dealing with a high ankle sprain. That means Andy Dalton will make his first start of the 2025 season. My guess is Buffalo is going to sell out in stopping the run, which is understandable because that has been their biggest weakness all year. If that is the case, then Dalton needs to play exceptionally well. One tiny mistake and Josh Allen is going to steal all of the momentum needed to win. The Panthers offense is starting to get healthier, which is a strong sign, but this will be their toughest test yet. 

FINAL LOCK: Even if Young was healthy enough to play in this, I would not have picked the Panthers to win this game. I believe that Buffalo is a better constructed football team and with Andy Dalton starting on the other side, it is just going to take a perfect afternoon for an upset to take place.

FINAL SCORE: BUF 30-14

CHICAGO BEARS (4-2) vs. BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-5)

Right now, the Chicago Bears have cautious optimism. The key word is “cautious” because they were 4-2 last year before a Hail Mary turned out to be the downfall of their entire season. Now they have to go on the road to play a Ravens team rested on a bye week, while getting a bunch of their starters back from injury. 

Baltimore has a lot of ground to make up for at 1-5, so the hope is that Lamar Jackson can allow this team to run the table and steam-roll their way back into the playoffs. However, hamstring injuries are always the most finicky, so it will be interesting to see what gameplan Todd Monken will have in place. Hopefully, it is to feed the king that is Derrick Henry. The Bears allow the fourth most rush yards in the league and if the Ravens get away from one of their best players, then they are going to struggle offensively, especially against a defense that leads the league in takeaways. Jackson’s return is huge for this offense, so if he can return to MVP form, then they might win by double digits.

Now that the Ravens have returned from the bye week, their defense is going to be under a huge microscope. Even before all the injuries took place, they have been one of the worst units in all of football and their performance on Sunday is going to tell us how they will look the rest of the year. They have dramatically regressed against the run, they are the fifth worst passing defense, and they give up the most points out of any team in the league. Caleb Williams looked fantastic against the Dallas Cowboys in week three, whose defense is also abysmal, so there is a 50% chance that a similar performance could be replicated. However, pride needs to be restored for Baltimore sooner than later, or else their season is going to be over by the time December rolls around.

FINAL LOCK: With Lamar Jackson back in the lineup, I believe that the Ravens are going to bounce back with a strong victory. However, the one thing they cannot do is turn the ball over. This has to be a clean mistake-free performance from start to finish. The Bears might be raw, but they are an opportunistic team that has proven to take advantage of sloppy football.

FINAL SCORE: BAL 31-17

THE 4:05/4:25 WINDOW:

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-2) vs. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-6)

Since 2022, the Bucs have won five out of their last six matchups against the Saints, including three straight at the Superdome. So far, both teams are heading in completely opposite directions. One of them is fighting for another division title while the other is bound to finish last place. 

The Bucs are in desperate need of a bounce back performance. They not only got crushed by the Lions on Monday Night Football, but they just lost Mike Evans due to a fractured clavicle. However, Detroit was dealing with several injuries on the defensive side, so Tampa simply got their butts kicked. Fortunately, they will be going up against a very vulnerable Saints defense with little depth on all three levels. Just last Sunday, the Bears ran for 200 yards with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai as the lead backs. It is uncertain when Bucky Irving will return to the lineup, so Rachaad White and Sean Tucker are going to be asked to pick up the slack. Last year in New Orleans, the Buccaneers totaled 277 yards on the ground, averaging eight yards a carry! While it is impossible that they will repeat history, establishing that side of the ball can truly keep this team ahead and not allow themselves to give up any momentum.

It is getting really redundant to say this over and over again, but the biggest obstacle for the Saints is their inability to finish. They do a good job of keeping games close, yet they hardly make the most critical plays down the stretch. Unless the defense plays out of their minds, the offense just plays relatively pedestrian football. Nobody is going to have faith in New Orleans winning unless they actually pull it off with zeros on the clock. 

FINAL LOCK: At this point, the only way I can believe the Saints will win is if I see it myself. The Bucs might be on the road, but they are seething after last week’s loss and will not be afraid to take all their anger out on an inferior division rival.

FINAL SCORE: TB 34-23

DALLAS COWBOYS (3-3-1) vs. DENVER BRONCOS (5-2)

In my opinion, this is the game to watch on Sunday afternoon, but it is a historical mismatch. The Dallas Cowboys have not beaten the Denver Broncos since 1995, which is ironically the last time they won the Super Bowl. In their last two meetings, quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Teddy Bridgewater had the game of their lives against Dak Prescott. Thirty years later, Bo Nix might be the next guy in line to have a spectacular showing, especially against a horrid Dallas defense.

For three quarters against the Giants, the Broncos could not score a point. In the final fifteen minutes, they totaled 33. Nix was sensational in that span with four total touchdowns, but looked shaky beforehand. The Cowboys defense might be terrible. However, they just came off their best performance of the season at home against the Washington Commanders by forcing multiple turnovers and holding them to 22 points. Nix cannot afford to make a mistake entering this game because even though he has a superior defense with playmakers on all three levels, this Dallas offense has been absolutely fantastic to start the year and they are capable of stealing momentum after one little slip-up. 

Only one team averages more points per game than the Cowboys this season. That is insanely impressive. I have to apologize to head coach Brian Schottenheimer because I did not think he was made for the job. Yet, this offense is insanely more innovative and creative than it ever was with Mike McCarthy. As a result, Dak Prescott is playing like an MVP candidate. Javonte Williams is one of the top five leading rushers in the NFL. CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are one of the best receiving duos this season. Jake Ferguson has emerged as an outstanding tight end. If they had a defense, this team would have a way better record. Having said all of this, this matchup against the Broncos will be their toughest test. All three of their losses this year have been on the road and Mile High is one of the most challenging places to play for anybody. It is time to see what Dallas is truly made of this year. If they pull off this upset, then we seriously have to consider them going on a deep playoff run. I know that sounds blasphemous, but it is not out of the realm of possibility at this point in the season.

FINAL LOCK: Not only am I siding with history on this one, I just think that the home field advantage the Broncos have is going to be a little too much for the Cowboys to handle, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It has literally been three decades since the last time Dallas won this particular matchup and I believe that streak will continue in 2025.

FINAL SCORE: DEN 30-20

TENNESSEE TITANS (1-6) vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-1)

It might be a divisional rematch, but with the way both teams are playing right now, it looks like we are going to get a boring and predictable sweep. The Colts have the best record in football and are on track to steam-roll their way to an AFC South title while the Titans are positioned to get another top three draft pick. 

There is really not too much to explain here. Daniel Jones is fifth in both completion percentage and passing yards, he is second in quarterback rating, and he has thrown 10 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Jonathan Taylor is the league’s leading rusher. The Colts defense is a typical “bend but don’t break” unit: they give up plenty of yards but little points. The Titans, on the other hand, are still a trainwreck. No quarterback has been sacked more times than Cam Ward and he has only thrown five touchdown passes to four picks. The running game is in circles, there is little explosion in the passing game, and their defense can only do so much when they are on the field too long. This is just a very ugly mismatch and my question is not how bad the score will be, but when will the mess begin?

FINAL LOCK: I fear that this is going to be an ugly blowout. There is no clear direction with the Tennessee Titans, whereas the Indianapolis Colts have successfully turned things around after being stuck in purgatory for the last five years. At Lucas Oil Stadium, I expect Indianapolis to just simply take care of business and not take their foot off the gas.

FINAL SCORE: IND 40-13

SNF AND MNF:

GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-1-1) vs. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-2)

Sunday Oct. 26 @ 8:20 pm E.T. on NBC

In what is likely to be the last season of his NFL career, Aaron Rodgers will be playing against the Green Bay Packers at Pittsburgh on Sunday Night Football. All eyes are going to be glued into this game for what should be an outstanding showdown between the “teacher” Rodgers and the “student” that is Jordan Love. Both of these teams are expected to be legitimate playoff contenders, so this game is going to simply come down to who wants it more.

Many are going to make the narrative solely focus on Rodgers, which is understandable because he is going up against his former team. However, one storyline that gets thrown in the dusk is how much a win would mean to Jordan Love. Keep in mind, the Steelers have the second worst passing defense in the league and just let Joe Flacco throw for over 340 yards and three touchdowns against them last Thursday night. Love is having a solid season with over 1400 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and only two interceptions. However, Pittsburgh is fifth in sacks and seventh in takeaways, so ball security and time of possession are going to be the biggest keys to the game for Green Bay to win. 

As for Rodgers, he is coming off an exceptional performance, but in defeat. He threw four touchdown passes but also two interceptions that gave Cincinnati the points they needed to hang on for the win. Over their last few games, the Packers defense has been particularly shaky and they lost the shine they had in the first two weeks of the season. Micah Parsons is coming off a three-sack performance against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, but Rodgers has only been sacked nine times this year and he has a tendency to get rid of the football quickly. 

FINAL LOCK: On the surface, this should be a high-scoring affair between two former teammates. However, something tells me in the back of my mind that these defenses are going to do their best to step up. The Steelers have not lost to the Packers at home since 1970, so based on that history and the fact that Rodgers has a chance to beat all 32 teams after Sunday night, I think that the Packers might be the ones playing from behind most of the way.

FINAL SCORE: PIT 23-20 

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (3-4) vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (4-3)

Monday Oct. 27 @ 8:15 pm E.T. on ABC/ESPN

Some NFL fans and experts were hoping that this would be the Super Bowl matchup last year. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Before the season started, we were excited to see the showdown between Patrick Mahomes and Jayden Daniels. However, the latter of the quarterbacks was ruled out due to a hamstring injury, so Marcus Mariota will be the starter on Monday night. 

The last time Mariota played the Chiefs in Arrowhead Stadium was in the Wild Card round of the 2017 postseason. Kansas City was ahead 21-3, until the third year quarterback pulled off a stunning comeback with 19 unanswered points to win the game and move onto the second round. Even if the Titans were not good enough to beat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots the following round, this was the most signature performance of Mariota’s career. I bring this up because the 2017 Wild Card matchup and this upcoming Monday night showdown present similar circumstances. Nobody is expecting Washington to win or for Mariota to be the best player on the field, yet this has happened before. However, to repeat history is way easier said than done, especially because Patrick Mahomes is not exactly Alex Smith.

With Rashee Rice back in the lineup, this Chiefs offense has taken off and they have been clicking at the right time. Last week, they predictably shut out the Raiders at home. Now they are in position to have another strong performance against a mediocre-at-best Commanders defense, especially without their best pass rusher Dorance Armstrong. They just let up 44 points to Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys on the road. Now they have to try to turn things around against Patrick Mahomes on a primetime stage in his house. An upset against this team is going to require complete perfection and I just do not know if Washington has the personnel to do that.

FINAL LOCK: If Jayden Daniels was healthy, I would say this would be a closer game, but I would not have changed the outcome. As I said earlier, the Chiefs are rolling at the perfect time and it feels like their 2-3 start to the season never even happened. Getting a win against Marcus Mariota would not be their biggest statement win of the year, yet it will tell us that Kansas City will once again be the team to beat in the AFC.

FINAL SCORE: KC 30-20