WHAT I LEARNED FROM SUNDAY'S WEEK 8 GAMES

Here's what we've learned from Sunday's Week 8 games, which kicked off with Eagles versus Jaguars in London:

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 30, MINNESOTA VIKINGS 20

1. Minnesota couldn't muster any miracles this time around. In their first nationally televised home game since the Minneapolis Miracle victory over New Orleans in last year's Divisional Round, the Vikings got out to a first-half lead over the Saints, but were undone by turnovers on either side of the half and surrendered momentum, the lead and the game in quick succession to New Orleans. Up 13-10 and driving at the end of the first half, the sure-handed Adam Thielen fumbled in the red zone, and New Orleans turned that turnover into seven points within two plays. Minnesota never recovered from Thielen's fumble and scored just once in the second half. The game was officially salted away when Kirk Cousins tossed a pick-six in his own territory, handing the Saints a two-score lead it would not relinquish. Whereas the Saints, paced by Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram's ground attack, took advantage of their second-half opportunities to extend the lead, Cousins' Vikings didn't rise to the moment as they had nine months ago when Case Keenum was under center. Whether it was due to poor decision-making, offensive-line play, balance or all of the above, Minnesota shrunk in prime time, playing not to lose and eventually doing just that.

2. The Saints didn't need a bravura performance from Brees to silence Minnesota in the second half. That responsibility fell to Kamara and Ingram, the recently reunited RB tandem who played keep away from the Vikings with 168 total yards on 36 touches. Their punishing one-two punch proved pivotal on a 15-play, eight-minute field-goal drive straddling the third and fourth quarters on which the duo picked up three of New Orleans' six first downs. The Saints are a perfect 3-0 since Ingram returned from suspension. Meanwhile, Brees, in the midst of an MVP season, was forced to throw for just 120 yards, his lowest output as a Saint in a game in which he started and finished. In fact, the longest pass of the play belonged to Taysom Hill, who split time under center and at tight end Sunday night. At one point, Brees, Hill and Teddy Bridgewater were all on the field for a play. The Saints are playing loose, and they deserve to. New Orleans has won six straight since losing their home opener and have defeated three consecutive division contenders (WAS, BAL, MIN). Another playoff hopeful awaits next week. The undefeated Rams are coming to the Bayou with NFC supremacy on the line.

3. After missing out on Patrick Peterson, New Orleans made a move for Giants cornerback Eli Apple this week. The Saints slotted him on the outside across from Marshon Lattimore, kept P.J. Williams into the slot and sent Ken Crawley to the inactives as a healthy scratch. Upon first glance, the shakeup in the secondary didn't help matters; Cousins still threw for 359 yards and two scores. But perhaps it facilitated an improved Saints pass rush. New Orleans hit Cousins nine times and sacked him on four occasions. Those QB takedowns were split by 2016 first-rounder Sheldon Rankins and 2018 first-rounder Marcus Davenport.

LOS ANGELES RAMS 29, GREEN BAY PACKERS 27

1. A battle between two NFC heavyweights lived up to the hype in a back-and-forth affair at the L.A. Coliseum. Characterized by lulls and explosions by each offense, Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff matched score for score in the second half. The Rams got off to a slow start, facing their largest deficit of the season, trailing 10-0 in the second quarter. L.A. responded with a 23-3 scoring run to take a 23-13 lead before Rodgers and Packers' offense got back on track. ARod's 40-yard touchdown shot to Marquez Valdes-Scantling gave Green Bay the lead 27-26 midway through the fourth quarter. However, a bad Packers punt gave the Rams great field position to kick a go-ahead field goal with 2 minutes remaining.

The world was waiting for Rodgers to do what he does and burn the opponent for leaving too much time on the clock. Instead, a Ty Montgomery fumble on the kickoff gave the Rams the ball and iced the game. Rodgers didn't get a shot to produce his magic. And the Rams remained the only undefeated team in the NFL.

2. Special teams played a huge role for the Rams as the offense started slowly and the defense got burned by Rodgers at times. Punter Johnny Hekker tossed a first-down pass to Sam Shields early in the first half. Later, with the Rams still down 10-0, Hekker's perfect punt was downed by Shields on the 1-yard-line leading to a safety. The special teams play jumpstarted the Rams, who went on an offensive run. After generating just 89 yards on their first five series, L.A. went for 223 yards on their next four possessions to open a 10-point lead. Greg Zuerlein, returning from injury, went 2-for-2 on field goals, including the game-winner. And the kick coverage team forced the pivotal Montgomery fumble. Throughout the season, Sean McVay's undefeated team showed it can win with all three phases.

3. The Green Bay defense did its best to slow a Rams offense that came in averaging 33.6 points per game and 446.4 yards per game. Mike Pettine brought pressure repeatedly forcing Goff into errant throws and five sacks. The well-timed blitzes forced the Rams slow start to the game. Led by a dominant performance by Kenny Clark (2 sacks, 5 tackles) and Blake Martinez (12 tackles, 1 sack), the Packers defense looked like the version fans expected when Pettine was hired this offseason. Corner Jaire Alexander, returning from injury, had a fantastic game, looking like the shutdown corner the Packers needed with their first-round pick. The rookie has the speed to stick with receivers in space and showed great ball-skills breaking up five passes and blanketing wideouts. When the young backend of Green Bay's defense plays as well as it did for most of Sunday's affair against a great offense, it's a good sign for the future of a unit in which Green Bay invested heavily.

ARIZONA CARDINALS 18, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 15

1. From early ugly offenses to a low score, the battle of 1-6 teams produced what could be expected. But somebody had to win this matchup, and the Cardinals showed grit to overcome a 15-3 deficit early in the fourth quarter to improve to 2-6 and extend a winning streak over the 49ers to eight games.

Rookie quarterback Josh Rosen shook off a sluggish three quarters to lead the comeback, throwing two touchdowns in the final quarter. Rosen's first touchdown went to veteran wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald for 13 yards. The second scoring pass came on a laser in the back of the end zone to rookie wide receiver Christian Kirk for a 9-yard touchdown to cap off an impressive 12-play, 73-yard drive with :39 remaining on the clock. Fitzgerald caught the 2-point conversion to give the Cardinals a three-point lead.

Rosen finished the game completing 23 of 40 passes for a career-high 252 yards, while Fitzgerald produced eight catches for 102 yards on 12 targets, all season highs, to go along with his touchdown. Kirk chipped in with three catches for 42 yards and a touchdown.

2. The change in offensive coordinators in Arizona from Mike McCoy to Byron Leftwich didn't produce immediate magic. The Cardinals entered the game ranking last in the league with a 23 percent third-down conversion rate, but finished making 6 of 14 attempts (42 percent) mostly because of the fourth quarter.

The Cardinals, however, appeared to make a concerted effort to get the ball in running back David Johnson's hands as much as possible. Johnson touched the ball 19 times as a rusher and receiver, totaling 101 yards to mark the first time he eclipsed the 100 total yards barrier since Week 4. The Cardinals dodged a scare late in the game when Johnson left to be evaluated for a concussion, but he returned late on the team's final drive.

3. Holding a 15-3 lead early in the final quarter, the 49ers played with fire and quarterback C.J. Beathard didn't do enough to hold off the Cardinals' comeback. Beathard finished the game completing 14 of 28 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown, but he completed just 5 of 10 passes in the final period, where the 49ers converted 1 of 4 third-down attempts. The 49ers gained just 55 total yards in the final quarter, while the Cardinals produced 150 total yards. The loss dropped the 49ers to 1-7 on the season.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS 42, OAKLAND RAIDERS 28

1. Indianapolis' offense is coming together. With Marlon Mack, T.Y. Hilton and Jack Doyle returning to the lineup over the last three weeks, the Colts have developed into a well-oiled, balanced machine, taking care of the bottom-feeding Bills and Raiders in consecutive games with a contender's ease. On Sunday, Andrew Luck (239 yards, 3 TDs, zero sacks again) chose to rely on pass-catchers not named Hilton on Sunday, who recorded a season-low one reception. Instead, three Colts tight ends (Doyle, Eric Ebron, Mo Alie-Cox) caught touchdown passes in Oakland, the first time that has occurred in NFL history. In his first game back from a five-week hip injury, Doyle (6 rec, 70 yards) was Luck's go-to target on Indy's go-ahead fourth-quarter scoring drive. Even longtime Chargers receiver Dontrelle Inman (6 rec, 52 yards) got in on the act in just his second game in Indy. On the ground, Mack had a career day, becoming the first Colts running back since Joseph Addai in 2007 to rush for 100 yards in consecutive games. Sure, the Colts opponents the last three weeks haven't been world-beaters -- but you could say the same things about the remainder of Indy's schedule. The 3-5 Colts play just one team (at HOU) currently with a record over .500 over the next eight weeks.

2. At the tail end of a week during which his star receiver was traded out of town, his starting running back was placed on injured reserve and he was unfairly ridiculed for reportedly crying on the sideline, Derek Carr (four total TDs) bounced back with his most impressive showing of the season. Without Amari Cooper or Marshawn Lynch, Carr completed 75 percent of his passes and threw three touchdowns -- at one point, he led four straight TD drives and completed 17 straight passes -- but Carr's best wasn't enough. After the Colts tied the game at 28 in the fourth, Oakland's offense went three-and-out and then on its next possession Doug Martin fumbled away the game. It was a frustrating end for Martin, who in replacing Lynch was having the best game of his Raiders career (13 car, 72 yards). The Raiders offense can bounce back from its recent departures. The defense is a different story. Jon Gruden switched it up in the secondary, starting Daryl Worley and Gareon Conley at corner and sitting Reggie Nelson at safety, but the results were the same. Expect more changes to come in Oakland before Tuesday's trade deadline with everyone save for the rejuvenated Carr at risk of losing his job.

3. Adam Vinatieri made history Sunday. Again. With a second-quarter 25-yard field goal, the Colts kicker became the NFL's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Hall of Fame kicker Morten Andersen (2,544). Vinatieri entered the game with 2,540 points and tied Anderson's mark with a first-quarter extra point and field goal. The kicker recorded 10 points on the day and closed with 2,550 career points. There are few records remaining for Vinatieri to break. He is unlikely to break Andersen's record for most games played (382) or George Banda’s record for oldest player to play in an NFL game (48 years, 109 days). But Vinatieri has not counted out a return next season and beyond. "I don't ever want to get to a point where it's, 'I should have hung it up a year ago,'" Vinatieri told NFL Network's Judy Battista in a feature published this month. "I'm not putting a time on it." Keep on kickin', old man.

CINCINNATI BENGALS 37, TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 34

1. Jameis Winston's days in Tampa Bay might be numbered. The quarterback threw four interceptions, including a pair of really ugly ones, putting the Buccaneers in a deep hole and the worst part of it all was none of it was surprising. The final blow was enough for Dirk Koetter, feeling the warmth on his backside, to bench Winston for Ryan Fitzpatrick, who immediately sparked an 18-point fourth quarter that nearly sent the game to overtime.

The difference in the offense's image was stark with Fitzpatrick on the field. While their scoring plays are similar on paper (Winston hit DeSean Jackson for a 60-yard touchdown; Fitzpatrick connected with Mike Evans for a 72-yard touchdown), the pace was different and most importantly, so was the self-inflicted damage (or lack thereof). Winston is under contract in 2019 (the Bucs picked up his fifth-year option in April), but the money isn't guaranteed until the new league year begins in March. That leaves a window for the two to part ways, if one side so desires. After Sunday's display and taking a look at Winston's career turnover total, it's simple to see: The guy is going to take chances and turn the ball over. It seems as though the Bucs are finally tiring of it.

2. Had the Buccaneers turned to Fitzpatrick earlier, this might have been a different story and we might have been burying the Bengals after what would have been three straight losses. Instead, Cincinnati salvaged a game that quickly became a meltdown -- so much that Marvin Lewis afterward twice emphasized how disappointed he was to see his team allow the opponent back in the game -- by doing just enough to get into range for Randy Bullock's game-winning field goal. The Bengals allowed 45 points to the Chiefs last week, and the Steelers to go down the field for a game-winning touchdown within the final two minutes the week before that. This time around, they surrendered 576 yards to a team that benched its quarterback late in the third. Defensive concerns are justified for these Bengals, even with their six sacks and four interceptions.

3. Lost in this wacky game was the offensive production of three key Bengals: Joe Mixon, Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green. The latter made a good portion of his living on the final drive to set up the game-winning field goal, while the other two paced the Cincinnati offense for much of the day. Boyd caught his first five targets and finished with nine receptions (on 10 targets) for 138 yards and a touchdown (and was painfully close to another), while Mixon racked up 123 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. Cincinnati's offense was humming -- until it wasn't. The Bengals twice went three and out in the fourth, then punted after an eight-play possession. That allowed Tampa Bay to make up ground and necessitated the game-winning kick. There are reasons to continue to be encouraged, but the Bengals right now seem like a puzzle with a piece or two missing.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS 33, CLEVELAND BROWNS 18

1. Baker Mayfield took his lumps in a rough-and-tumble outing that saw the Browns rookie passer constantly on the run as Cleveland amassed just five yards in the third quarter. Unable to close drives, the Browns squeezed out 10 marches that went for fewer than 30 yards (including four for negative real estate) and finished at just 4.0 yards per play. Mayfield threw a deep shot that was picked off by ex-Browns corner Joe Haden, a turnover that set up a long Steelers touchdown drive before the half. The first-overall pick returned in the third quarter to unfurl a pretty scoring strike to Antonio Callaway and a garbage-time touchdown to Seth DeValve, but those were the lone bright spots on a day hurt by kicker Greg Joseph missing a 41-yard field goal and an extra point. Embattled left tackle Desmond Harrison also killed the team with a hold in the end zone for a Steelers safety.

2. The Steelers started slow until Antonio Brown (6/74/2) caught fire during a second-quarter drive that saw him pile up three grabs capped by a beautiful 43-yard touchdown strike from Ben Roethlisberger. I thought Cleveland's defense looked gassed at the end of the first half as James Conner moved the sticks and Big Ben completed nine straight lobs during a 16-play, 87-yard series capped by the Brown's second score to build a 14-6 lead at the break. Tight end Vance McDonald made a handful of tough catches, while Conner -- a special player on Sunday -- devastated the Browns with 212 yards off 30 touches. The versatile back put this contest away with long, leg-churning runs; yards after the catch; and two second-half touchdown bursts that buried Cleveland for good.

3. Losers of 15 straight in Pittsburgh, the Browns must earn our trust. Sunday didn't help. Cover man Denzel Ward continues to highlight Cleveland's talented rookie class, jumping on a second-half fumble and giving this Browns defense some bite. The Steelers, though, house established stars, guys like Brown who always get well when these teams clash. Cleveland is coming off a week tainted by in-house tension between the coaching staff and whispers about the job security of play-caller Todd Haley. The Steelers, meanwhile, overcame their on-field ups and downs to do what they've done for endless eons against the Browns: Wait for Cleveland to unravel. Sitting at 4-2-1, Pittsburgh now has the chance to create separation in the North with next week's encounter against the suddenly spiraling 4-4 Ravens.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS 20, NEW YORK GIANTS 13

1. The gulf between first and last place in the NFC East seems remarkably shallow, with a top-tier defense proving to be the difference-maker over a team that might be just as focused on harvesting draft picks as it is winning games. Washington's stifling pass rush caused a multitude of problems for Eli Manning, limiting the Giants to 273 total yards. Matt Ioannidis, Ryan Kerrigan and Da'Ron Payne played key roles in dominating the line of scrimmage. Ioannidis finished with 2.5 sacks as Washington tallied seven sacks and 10 hits on Manning. The secondary did their part, too. When Manning did have time to throw and venture beyond 10 yards, the Redskins usually made him pay. D.J. Swearinger picked off Manning twice, with his first interception coming in the red zone to dissolve what was the Giants' best chance at a touchdown early in the game. Barring two pass interference penalties that helped fuel a late Giants field-goal drive, it was another impressive performance for an underrated defensive unit that has been the driving force behind the team's 5-2 start.

2. With the trade deadline less than 48 hours away, are the Giants (1-7) going to keep avoiding the elephant in the room and not address their dismal quarterback situation? Eli Manning was almost completely ineffective, limited to mostly short-yardage passes that produced points only when paired with good field position off Redskins turnovers. It wasn't all his fault -- the O-line couldn't give him consistent protection and there were several dropped passes. The Giants left potential points on the field following a 43-yard fumble return by Olivier Vernon when Evan Engram let a very catchable fourth-down pass through his fingers in the fourth quarter. Still, Manning struggled to piece together drives as the Giants went 2 for 14 on third downs and were 1 for 4 in the red zone. Manning finished with a garbage-time padded 30-of-47 passing for 316 yards, with his touchdown coming in the final seconds of a 2-yard pass to Engram. Had it not been for the game's final drive and some incredible catches by Odell Beckham, the numbers would have been a more accurate reflection of what was a bland performance. Manning is once again wading into the subpar malaise that spurred the franchise's old brain trust to bench him last year. It's difficult to fathom the Giants faring much better with Alex Tanney or Kyle Lauletta at QB, but the Giants could be a lock for the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 if something doesn't change. After the game, Giants coach Pat Shurmur didn't want to discuss the possibility of benching Manning. "I don't want to go there. I don't want to tease that. I'm going to look at everything."

3. Adrian Peterson continues to showcase the ageless skills that have made him one of the steals of this year's afterthought free-agent market. His spectacular 64-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter put the game away. The 33-year-old churned out 149 yards on 26 carries and, in the process, passed Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett for ninth on the all-time rushing list. He offers the Redskins a strong one-two punch in combination with Alex Smith, especially when the quarterback doesn't have his best game. Smith completed 20 of 32 passes for 178 yards and a TD in the win.

CHICAGO BEARS 24, NEW YORK JETS 10

1. No Khalil Mack, no problem for the Bears. With the pass rusher inactive for the first game of his career, the rest of Chicago's defense stepped up to ground the New York Jets. Vic Fangio's crew dominated the first three quarters, holding the Jets to 98 total yards and four first downs heading into the final frame. On the day, the Bears allowed Gang Green to cross midfield just twice, while holding the Jets to 207 total yards, with six three-and-outs and 3-of-14 on third downs. Lead by the perennial underrated defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, the Bears smothered New York's ground game, allowing 1.8 yards per carry to running backs. With a secondary that blanketed the receivers, the Bears more than made up for Mack's absence and a lack of consistent pass rush against a limp Gang Green offense.

2. Mitch Trubisky's in-game roller-coaster season continued. The Bears quarterback had a rickety first half. A perfectly timed screen call by Matt Nagy against a Jets blitz went for a 70-yard first-quarter touchdown by Tarik Cohen -- the call was so good that center Cody Whitehair released to block, but he didn't have anyone to hit. Outside of that big play, Trubisky completed just four of 12 passes in the first half for 46 yards. The second-year signal-caller bounced back in the second half, looking calmer in the pocket. Behind great protection, Trubisky went through his progressions and used his legs with aplomb in the final two quarters as the Bears pulled away. Despite continued struggles with inaccuracy, the QB finished 16-of-29 passing for 220 yards and two touchdowns. After generating 174 yards of offense in the first half, Chicago ended the day with 395 total yards. Sunday's win was another example of the ups-and-downs Trubisky will experience as he continues to learn Nagy's system. Credit the coach with working through the struggles and putting his quarterback in a position to overcome bouts of inconsistency to produce wins.

3. A banged-up Jets receiver corps missing Robby Anderson and Quincy Enunwa provided Sam Darnold little chance to make plays. New York receivers rarely gained separation, and offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates couldn't creatively scheme open shots for his rookie quarterback. Too often the Jets' OC slammed his running backs into a brick wall on first down. If New York doesn't at least threaten with play-action on first downs early in the game, the run game will continue to struggle against good defenses. With no ground game to speak of and receivers who don't get open, it's impossible to properly judge Darnold's progress. The rookie has moments of clairvoyance, especially his sublime pocket excitability. There just isn't enough help around the first-round pick right now.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS 30, DENVER BRONCOS 23

1. Denver was faced with a tall task of attempting to keep pace with Kansas City's well-oiled machine, and for a half, it did a bang-up job. Phillip Lindsay led the way on the ground, rushing 18 times for 95 yards and bringing much-needed balance to the Broncos. Devontae Booker spelled him nicely, carrying the ball nine times for 78 yards, and Case Keenum spread the ball among eight different targets. Courtland Sutton made another high-ball grab, Emmanuel Sanders found spaces to make catches and move the chains and Demaryius Thomas did his part. Even Jeff Heuerman and Tim Patrick got involved with touchdown grabs. But the prevailing lesson from watching the Broncos' offense in Week 8: The offensive line is still struggling to block as a cohesive unit. That's to be expected from a team replacing a starting guard and starting tackle (playing Max Garcia in place of Ron Leary and Billy Turner in place of Jared Veldheer), but needs to be shored up for this team to reach its full potential.

2. Credit is due to Denver's defense for finding a way to frazzle Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs still couldn't be completely contained -- they scored 30 points, after all -- but the Broncos at least made Mahomes work for it, forcing him to scramble like mad at times and intercepting him once. Unfortunately, it wasn't nearly enough, especially with an offense that has struggled to keep pace. The play of the day best summarized how the afternoon went for both teams. Running an option to the right, Mahomes saw the toss to Tyreek Hill was going to be covered, so he shoveled it forward to Kareem Hunt, who sliced through the defense, hurdled a defender and stumbled into the end zone for a touchdown. It was a highlight-reel play that encapsulated how Denver did some, but not enough to take down a Chiefs team that keeps on rolling.

3. The mid-season catch-up to Andy Reid's offense has arrived, but these Chiefs are different. They're simply talented enough with their surplus of weapons to overcome most good defensive gameplans. On Sunday, it was the Chiefs taking advantage of mismatches over the middle with Sammy Watkins, either against soft zone coverage or linebacker-on-receiver matchups. Outside of that, Week 8 was more of the same excellence from a Kansas City team that keeps rolling and did a good job of beating back a feisty Broncos squad bent on scoring an upset a week after dominating the lowly Cardinals.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 24, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 18

1. Laughing in the face of one of the NFL's most ferocious pass rushes, Carson Wentz's talent and resiliency radiated brightly in a game the Eagles (4-4) desperately needed to win to remain out of the abyss of the NFL's also-rans. Following a rough first quarter that saw Wentz fumble away the ball and throw an interception, the quarterback refocused and put in one of his finer performances of the season. Taking advantage of a Keelan Cole fumble recovery that was picked up by Malcolm Jenkins, Wentz jump-started the Eagles' comeback in earnest when he connected on a beautiful 32-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert in the closing seconds of the first half. Philly's steady scoring output continued in the second half thanks to a 36-yard touchdown dump off to Wendell Smallwood and a 5-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz to cap off a six-play, 75-yard drive. Wentz finished the game completing 21 of 30 passes for 286 yards and three TDs. Wentz was his usual Houdini self when it came to ducking and twirling around Sacksonville's top-ranked pass-rushing unit, but he had plenty of help from his offensive line. The unit performed very well without Lane Johnson, who was carted off early in the first quarter after suffering a sprained MCL. Jason Peters also sat out most of the first half while undergoing evaluation for a head injury. With the O-line helping Josh Adams and Smallwood establish a run-game to complement the passing attack, the defending Super Bowl champions once again showed the world why no one can underestimate them despite their middle-of-the-road record.

2. Blake Bortles performed much better following his benching last week against the Houston Texans, but the quarterback was ineffective in the fourth quarter when the Jaguars (3-5) needed their starting QB to spearhead a comeback. Some of it wasn't his fault. A dropped pass by rookie D.J. Chark in the end zone with seven minutes left in regulation forced the Jaguars to settle for a 24-yard field goal. After the Jaguars' defense forced the Eagles to go three-and-out on the ensuing possession, Bortles couldn't figure out how to beat the Philly secondary despite having plenty of time in the pocket. He completed two passes on the Jaguars' final possession before the drive fizzled out at mid-field. Although Bortles converted on some critical first downs and made some nice passes en route to completing 24 of 41 passes for 286 yards and a touchdown, he was inconsistent at junctures for an offense that continues to sorely miss Leonard Fournette's production. Carlos Hyde, who the team acquired via trade last week had fewer rushing yards (11) than Bortles (43).

3. Josh Lambo's smashing performance kept the Jaguars in the game. He became the first Jags kicker to hit 21 consecutive field goals when he kicked a 57-yarder in the second quarter -- the longest field goal in International Series history at Wembley. He also hit a 50-yarder earlier in the game. He ended up kicking four field goals, but it wasn't enough to extend the Jaguars' Wembley winning streak to four games.

CAROLINA PANTHERS 36, BALTIMORE RAVENS 21

1. Chiefs coach Andy Reid isn't the only old dog willing to learn new tricks. Panthers coordinator Norv Turner, who has been calling plays since the Cowboys dynasty of the early 1990s, is helping Cam Newton reach the next level as a passer through creative play designs and pre-snap acumen. Newton's accuracy and decision-making have been markedly improved, particularly in his willingness to settle for underneath routes rather than rifling scattershot throws downfield. Against a defense that entered the week ranked No. 1 overall and No. 2 against the pass, Newton started with an array of impressive tight-window throws, took advantage of a few lucky bounces and broke Baltimore's back with a 12-yard bootleg touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Carolina's brass has long envisioned a Ben Roethlisberger-like transition for Newton. It's finally here. Leading a quick-tossing attack with an arsenal of playmakers, Newton is completing a career-high 66.4 percent of his passes at just 6.9 yards per attempt for a rating of 97.4.

2. There's an old football maxim that suggests a decent team is only an injury or two away from reaching its true potential, allowing younger, more talented players to replace veteran progress-stoppers. Limited to the Cordarrelle Patterson package of end-arounds, sweeps and slants early in his rookie season, D.J. Moore was thrust into a starring role with Torrey Smith nursing a knee injury. Showcasing a Percy Harvin-like elusiveness with the ball in his hands, Moore dominated a 99-yard scoring drive with chunk plays of 33 and 37 yards in addition to an 11-yard end-around in the red zone. It's going to be hard to keep him out of the lineup going forward. Throw in a healthier Greg Olsen, steadily improving dual-threat tailback Christian McCaffrey and promising second-year playmaker Curtis Samuel, and this offense has plenty of room to grow in the second half of the season.

3. After jumping out to a 7-0 lead on the game's opening drive, the Ravens unraveled for the rest of a lopsided first half, drowning in a sea of ill-timed penalties, mental errors, poor field position and just plain bad luck. A blown blocking assignment led to Kyle Love's forced fumble on Alex Collins, setting up a quick Newton touchdown to Panthers tight end Greg Olsen. A bold fake-punt conversion from Baltimore's own 10-yard line was negated by an illegal shift penalty. Willie Snead lost a key first down due to his own pass interference, forcing a third-and-long situation that resulted in an egregious Joe Flacco interception just before halftime. It didn't help matters that the ball bounced Carolina's way on the 99-yard scoring drive, highlighted by an errant backfield pitch that ended up in Moore's hands for a big gain which paved the way for a leaping Christian McCaffrey touchdown off a pass deflected by safety Eric Weddle.

Unable to stop Newton's offense in the second half, the Ravens had no chance to mount a serious comeback bid. On this day, at least, the Panthers were the superior, luckier, more-physical, better-coached team.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 28, DETROIT LIONS 14

1. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson started off hot, connecting on his first 10 passes to finish the first half completing 11 of 12 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns for a perfect 158.3 passer rating. Wilson didn't cool off coming out of halftime and kept the pressure on in the second half, picking apart a Lions pass defense that entered the game ranked a respectable seventh in the league. Outside of Wilson finishing the game by completing 14 of 17 passes (82.4 percent) for 248 yards and three touchdowns, another statistic proved just how good he was through four quarters: The seventh-year pro finished Sunday's matchup with a perfect 158.3 passer rating, easily surpassing his previous single-game high rating of 151.1 set on Nov. 17, 2013 against the Minnesota Vikings.

2. The Seahawks entered the game ranked seventh in the league in rushing, and found a perfect matchup to add to the totals against a Lions run defense that ranked 29th (139.3 yards allowed per game) in the league. In the first half, running back Chris Carson paced the Seahawks with 61 yards rushing, as the team totaled 95 yards on 19 carries entering halftime. The Seahawks' offensive line also deserves some kudos here, as Carson found some open running lanes throughout the game because of the front five. Carson finished with 105 yards rushing and a touchdown on 25 carries, as the Seahawks totaled 176 yards on the ground on 42 carries.

he Seahawks' dominance on the ground translated to success in other areas. Wilson thrived on play-action calls with Detroit defenders frozen at the line of scrimmage out of respect for the run game. Additionally, the Seahawks easily won the time of possession by a wide margin of 34:55 to the Lions' 25:05 en route to improving to 4-3 on the season.

3. The Lions looked great on the opening possession, marching down the field on a 13-play, 91-yard drive capped off by quarterback Matthew Stafford's 39-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marvin Jones.

And then the wheels came off, as Detroit quickly fell behind 21-7 before losing 28-14.

While a lot of the credit should go to the Seahawks' ability to control the game on offense, the Lions failed to gain any semblance of momentum even when they had the ball after the opening possession. Detroit had a favorable matchup against a Seattle run defense that ranked 24th in the league, but couldn't get rookie Kerryon Johnson going. Johnson, who exploded for 158 yards in Week 7, managed just 22 yards rushing on eight carries as Detroit totaled a season-low 34 yards on the ground as a team.

And despite a 310-yard passing and two-touchdown performance, Stafford didn't help the cause with a brutal red-zone interception with the Lions down 14 in the fourth quarter. Sunday's loss dropped the Lions to 3-4.

MY WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM NFL WEEK 8

The league’s most dominant defense was smashed to bits. Adrian Peterson outplayed Saquon Barkley. And a former No. 1 overall pick hit a new low. These were the biggest winners and losers from NFL Week 8.

Before Sunday’s slate of games got going, there was some serious drama in London as the Jacksonville Jaguars made headlines for all the wrong reasons.

That should have clued us in to the fact that NFL Week 8 was going to get weird.

The league’s most dominant defense was smashed to bits. Adrian Peterson outplayed Saquon Barkley. And a former No. 1 overall pick hit a new low.

THESE WERE THE BIGGEST WINNERS AND LOSERS FROM NFL WEEK 8.

WINNER: JAMES CONNER CONTINUES TO DOMINATE

The Pittsburgh Steelers really aren’t missing Le’Veon Bell. Not even a little bit. James Conner’s rise to prominence has been one of the biggest storylines of the 2018 season.  And he continued his dominant play Sunday leading Pittsburgh to victory over Cleveland.

Conner was brutally effective on the ground, racking up 146 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries. In Le’Veon-esque fashion, he also shredded through the air, adding 66 more yards on five receptions — that’s a 212-yard, two-touchdown performance.

Folks, Conner now has 922 yards and nine touchdowns on the season and is on pace to finish with 2,107 yards and 20 touchdowns.

LOSER: JAMEIS WINSTON PROBABLY LOST HIS JOB

Despite missing the first three games of the 2018 season to suspension, Winston exits Week 8 with 10 interceptions, good for second-worst total in the league. He threw four of them on Sunday against Cincinnati, including a truly nauseating pick-six, before being benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Even more damning as it concerns Winston’s potential job security (or lack thereof) is the fact that once Fitzpatrick entered the game, suddenly the Bucs were alive on offense. After the pick-six, Cincinnati was up 34-16. Fitzpatrick tied the game up with three scoring drives in the final 17 minutes of the game before the Bengals won it on a field goal as time expired.

Winston cannot keep his job after this, and he’s teetering dangerously toward the bust label.

WINNER: CAM NEWTON SHREDS LEAGUE’S BEST DEFENSE

Heading into Week 8, Baltimore’s defense was playing better than any other the league had to offer. It ranked third in yards allowed and first in points allowed, leading many to speculate that Sunday wasn’t going to be a banner day for Cam Newton.

That couldn’t have been further from the truth. Playing like a legitimate MVP candidate, Super Cam showed up in a big way. Executing Norv Turner’s offense to perfection, he utterly shredded the Ravens, both on the ground and through the air.

Newton completed 20-of-29 passes for 219 yards and no interceptions — though, its true teammate Christian McCaffrey bailed him out in a big way in the end zone. He rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries. More importantly, the Panthers crushed the Ravens at home, 36-21, to improve to 5-2 on the season.

LOSER: BIG BLUE BLUES CONTINUE

To nobody’s surprise, the New York Giants are still completely broken on offense. Despite big games from Odell Beckham Jr. and Saquon Barkley, who combined for 247 yards, Big Blue managed just 13 total points — well below their already pathetic average of 19.6 per game.

Eli Manning was wrecked in the pocket as New York’s abysmal offensive line resembled a wet paper bag against Washington’s vaunted defensive front. He was sacked seven times and hit 10 times. He also threw two bad interceptions.

New York’s defense also is partly to blame for the outcome Sunday, as it collapsed down the stretch when it needed to step up the most. The Giants head into the second half of the season with a single win, and that feels like it happened ages ago.

WINNER: COLTS STAMPEDE IN WIN OVER RAIDERS

The Indianapolis Colts are inching back into contention in the AFC South. They followed up a big win at home against Buffalo with another win on the road in Oakland in Week 8. The weak competition sure helps, but they’ll take their wins however they can get them.

On Sunday, they got a win because the offense absolutely rolled against the hapless Raiders. Andrew Luck, who’s been red hot lately, stayed sharp. He finished with 239 yards and three touchdowns, and Indy didn’t turn the ball over once.

Additionally, like we saw last weekend, the run game came alive. Marlon Mack and Nyheim Hines combined for 210 yards and two touchdowns (both scored by Mack), as the Colts piled up a total of 461 yards in their 42-28 blowout win.

LOSER: TY MONTGOMERY CHOSE…POORLY

The Green Bay Packers nearly pulled off a huge upset against the undefeated Los Angeles Rams. They did so many things right, including a defensive effort that held the Rams under 30 points and allowed just 5.5 yards per play — pretty good numbers against Los Angeles.

Late in the fourth quarter, they were going to have a shot at coming back after the Rams scored a go-ahead touchdown. With just under two minutes remaining, they were down by two points when Greg Zuerlein kicked off to Ty Montgomery.

The ball went into the end zone. Especially because of the new rules that give offenses 25 yards on a touchback, it was stunning that Montgomery made the decision to take the ball out — the chances of getting past the 25-yard line aren’t great, and it takes time off the clock as well.

Interestingly enough, head coach Mike McCarthy said after the game that Montgomery was told to take a knee if he could. After all, the Packers have a guy named Aaron Rodgers who’s one of the best of all-time when it comes to coming back in the fourth quarter.

Well, Montgomery didn’t listen. Then he fumbled the ball on the return, and the game was over.

WINNER: OLD MAN PETERSON KEEPS TRUCKING

Before he was lost for the season due to a neck injury in 2017, it was almost a sure thing that a good game from Adrian Peterson would be followed up by a poor one. That hasn’t been the case in 2018.

The veteran is running as hard as ever before. On Sunday, he eclipsed 100 total yards for the fourth time this season, racking up 156 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-sealing 64-yard scamper.

He’s been the main weapon in Washington’s offensive arsenal all year long, and the past three games have seen him rack up a total of 360 yards. Talk about productive.

LOSER: THE BROCKETSHIP CRASH-LANDED

Brock Osweiler was actually pretty darn good in the three games he appeared in prior to Thursday night’s blowout loss in Houston. He had thrown six touchdowns and just two interceptions, giving Miami a real chance with Ryan Tannehill out of commission.

That run of success didn’t carry over in Week 8. He had some really nice rapport with DeVante Parker, who caught six passes for 134 yards. But outside of that, Osweiler failed to do much of consequence that helped his team. Throwing to players not named Parker; he completed 15-of-28 passes for 107 yards — not good.

Even worse, his interception in the first quarter led to the second touchdown of the game for Houston, which took all the momentum away from the Dolphins.

WINNER: DESHAUN WATSON RISING

There’s a lot of warranted gushing about what Patrick Mahomes is doing in his second season. But let’s not forget about Houston’s second-year passer, who is back with a vengeance after an ACL took him out as a rookie.

Watson and the Texans improved to 5-3 with a blowout win over Miami on Thursday night. He was nearly perfect, completing 16-of-20 passes for 239 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions.

This brings his seasonal total up to 2,176 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air, and he’s heating up as his offensive line and running game rounds into shape.

LOSER: DETROIT STINKS UP FORD FIELD

The Seattle Seahawks were one of our upset specials this weekend on the road in Detroit, and boy did they deliver. Though, a lot of that had to do with a poor effort by the Lions in front of their home crowd.

It’s impossible to single out one player. Matthew Stafford definitely deserves some blame, especially for his two fourth-quarter turnovers that doomed Detroit’s comeback bid.

That said, other players shoulder plenty of responsibility as well. Cornerback Teez Tabor was roasted multiple times by David Moore. Ameer Abdullah fumbled on a return, leading directly to points for Seattle. It was an all-around team effort at stinking up Ford Field.

Now the Lions are 3-4 facing what figures to be a rough schedule this next month.

WINNER: THUNDER AND LIGHTNING DISPLAY IN CHICAGO

The Chicago Bears had little trouble dispatching the banged-up New York Jets. Though, a big reason why they were able to cruise to a 24-10 win at home was that Tarik Cohen and Jordan Howard both had big games.

Chicago has struggled to get Howard going this year, but he pounded out a nice performance on Sunday, tallying 81 yards on the ground with one touchdown. Cohen got the offense going in a major way early with an electric 70-yard touchdown reception, and he finished with 110 total yards.

The thunder and lighting duo is starting to come alive, which is a problem for the rest of the league. Also, Chicago moved to 4-3 on the season and remains in great shape for a playoff push.

LOSER: JAGUARS’ TANK-FEST HITS NEW LOW

Jacksonville continues to swirl around the drain after getting dominated yet again on Sunday.

Carson Wentz overcame a really rough start — he had two turnovers on the Eagles’ first two drives — and finished with three touchdown passes. The Eagles were able to impose their will on Jacksonville’s defense and racked up 133 yards on the ground.

New addition Carlos Hyde might as well have not played (he gained 11 yards on six carries), as the Jaguars abandoned the run game completely in the second half.

From Super Bowl contenders to…well…to whatever the Jaguars are now — the fall from grace has been precipitous. Jacksonville has now dropped four straight games and is third place in the AFC South, two games behind the Texans.

WINNER: JOSH ROSEN GETS HIS FIRST FOURTH-QUARTER COMEBACK WIN

The Arizona Cardinals think they have a franchise passer in rookie Josh Rosen. On Sunday he gave them a first taste of what they hope will be coming in droves as the years go by.

Down by 12 points after Robbie Gould kicked a field goal early in the fourth quarter, Rosen led the Cardinals on two touchdown-scoring drives, including one that put them ahead for good with just 34 seconds left on the clock.

The rookie showed some guts, and got the Cardinals out of the NFC West basement in the process. It wasn’t always pretty, but it was a huge first step that shows he’s capable of much, much more.

LOSER: OAKLAND’S FOURTH-QUARTER WOES CONTINUE

Fourth-quarter collapses are all the rage for the Oakland Raiders this year. So, it wasn’t really that surprising to see them blow the lead, up by a touchdown once the third quarter ended.

The Colts engineered three straight touchdown-scoring drives in the fourth quarter as Oakland’s defense collapsed completely. The offense, which had been red hot all afternoon, went ice cold, going punt, fumble, and turnover on downs in consecutive fourth-quarter drives.

That’s how you get to 1-6.

WINNER: BIG-PLAY MAHOMES KEEPS SETTING RECORDS

No anybody’s surprise, the Kansas City Chiefs won on Sunday, sweeping their AFC West rival Denver Broncos with a 30-23 victory.  Patrick Mahomes threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns. He also got Sammy Watkins heavily involved, as the receiver hauled in eight passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns.

Along the way, the second-year quarterback made more NFL history, setting records for most pass yardage and most pass touchdowns in a player’s first nine career games. The sky is the limit to what he can accomplish.

LOSER: TWO HUGE TURNOVERS SUNK THE VIKINGS

In a game that was ultimately decided by 10 points, two huge mistakes loom large for the Minnesota Vikings in their loss at home to the New Orleans Saints.

All-world receiver Adam Thielen — who had his eighth-straight 100-plus yard receiving game to set a new record, by the way — fumbled near the end of the first half. This turnover not only negated a huge interception of Drew Brees, but it led to a Saints touchdown right before halftime.

Then in the third quarter, near midfield and down by a touchdown, Kirk Cousins threw an ugly interception. He was being harried and panicked, throwing right to P.J. Williams, who romped to the end zone on what turned out to be a dagger pick-six (watch here).

Those two turnovers, and the points gained off of them, were the difference in the game.

WINNER: JARED GOFF TOOK A BEATING AND KEPT ON SLINGING

The Packers got to Jared Goff early and often, and he didn’t have a lot of success at the outset of Sunday’s game. Green Bay ended up sacking the young quarterback five times and hitting him eight times throughout the contest.

The former Cal Bears star didn’t wear down, however. Instead, he continued to stand tall in the pocket and deliver under pressure. In the end, he put together a phenomenal outing, outplaying Aaron Rodgers along the way, throwing for 295 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

Goff also kept the Rams undefeated with a fourth-quarter comeback win. Not too shabby.

LOSER: JOE FLACCO HAD A BRUTAL GAME

Baltimore Ravens fans are not happy with Joe Flacco right now. He was awful on Sunday as the Ravens dropped to 4-4 on the season and generated just 14 points while the veteran quarterback was in the game.

Flacco threw two really bad interceptions, and his lone touchdown went to a running back. He completed just 22-of-39 passes for 192 yards against a defense that allowed an average of 275 passing yards per game before Sunday.

Making matters worse, at least from an optics perspective, is that rookie Lamar Jackson looked fantastic after he replaced Flacco, throwing for 46 yards and a touchdown on just five attempts.

Baltimore is now 4-4, in third place in the AFC North, just 1.5 games ahead of Cleveland.

WINNER: SAINTS GET SOME REVENGE IN MINNEAPOLIS

Sunday night’s big win over the Vikings won’t take the sting of last year’s Minnesota Miracle away completely. But it had to have felt wonderful to go into Minneapolis and wax their opponent like the Saints did.

Rookie Marcus Davenport is making his impact felt on defense, and boy, did that unit come through in a big way against the Vikings. Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs and Latavius Murray all had some big plays. But on the whole Minnesota’s offense was harangued all night long and came away with just 20 points while giving seven away.

Drew Brees didn’t do much damage through the air and actually threw his first interception of the season. But Alvin Kamara had a huge night, and kicker Wil Lutz mopped up when touchdowns weren’t forthcoming.

It was a huge team win, and the sixth straight for the NFC South-leading Saints.

LOSER: POOR DECISIONS HAUNT 49ERS

First off, Matt Breida should have never been playing Sunday on his balky ankle. Sure, he looked great early on a 10-yard carry. But the poor guy finished with just 42 yards on 16 carries against the league’s second-worst rushing defense. Clearly, he wasn’t healthy.

Alfred Morris and Raheem Mostert both looked much better, combining for 46 yards on just eight carries. It’s hard to understand what Kyle Shanahan was thinking there.

Then late, the 49ers got too conservative — both on offense and defense — with the lead, allowing the Cardinals to get back into, and ultimately, win the game.

WINNER: ADAM VINATIERI BREAKS YET ANOTHER NFL RECORD

Future Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri has already made NFL history this year.

He needed just five more points on Sunday to add another accolade by breaking Morten Andersson’s all-time record for most points in NFL history.

He got those points, and then some, helping the Indianapolis Colts beat the Oakland Raiders. Nailing 2-of-2 field goals and all four of his extra-point attempts, Vinatieri finished Week 8 with 10 points and another NFL record to add to his legacy and legendary career.

I RANKED THE 31 GREATEST WRESTLERS OF ALL-TIME

31. TRISH STRATUS

We have to give some major love to the best women’s wrestler of all-time. Trish Stratus embodied a true persona of confidence, athleticism, and unabated sex appeal. Stratus’ ability on the mic should also be majorly applauded. Her natural talent would routinely pop off the screen — particularly when having to connect with fellow personnel. Plus… there hasn’t been a single female wrestler offering anything close to her level of ‘Stratusfaction.’

30. JOHN CENA

An incredibly polarizing figure within the wrestling universe, John Cena has been a headlining act dating back to 2003. Cena wrestles with an incredible amount of energy. His personality on-camera has developed quite nicely over time. Fans of all ages are overly elated whenever the ‘Attitude Adjustment’ or ‘Five Knuckle Shuffle’ comes out. Over the course of his career, he’s held the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the WWE Championship on 13 other occasions.

29. BROCK LESNAR

Brock Lesnar’s respective placement within this list is limited by a number of factors. One, he doesn’t appear very often on RAW. It’s almost as if Lesnar is this mythical figure coming out every now and then for a match. Secondly, he’s not an overly technical wrestler. With that said, Lesnar’s physical nature is perhaps unlike anything we’ve ever seen. He’s a brute in the best sense of the term — and one which can be downright terrifying. Lesnar is currently the holder of the Universal Title.

28. KANE

Kane (real name Glenn Jacobs) was a core staple within the highly popular attitude era. For a large chunk of time, Kane had no real personality. He lumbered around the ring whilst punishing fellow wrestlers. However, his character turned from a lovable rogue into a heel. This corresponded with Kane’s decision to drop the mask. To this day, Kane’s in-ring entry — complemented with shooting gusts of fire — still remains as one of the best in WWE history.

27. BUDDY ROGERS

Buddy Rogers (real name Herman Rohde Jr.) set the stage for others (such as Ric Flair) to follow in his footsteps. Rogers first started wrestling professionally in 1939. He portrayed an athletic, handsome, good looking guy with a penchant for trying to make opponents tap out. Rogers’ personality was such that he immediately endeared himself to the fan base. Physically, Rogers wasn’t afraid to take to the air — as he routinely hopped off the top rope in search of theatrics. Lastly, his most famous influence came in the form of the figure-four leg lock. Unsurprisingly, Flair was highly taken by Rogers and his ability to entertain.

26. ANTONIO INOKI

Antonio Inoki (real name Kanji Inoki) was largely responsible for popularizing wrestling in Japan. An immense presence in the ring, Inoki utilized a plethora of signature and finishing moves. While Inoki didn’t wrestle in the United States, he gained universal interest when pitted against Muhammad Ali in what turned out to be the early origins of MMA. Ali boxed whilst Inoki used leg kicks mixed with wrestling techniques. Later on, he was instrumental in creating New Japan Pro-Wrestling — a company which in all likelihood is only second to all of the WWE brands. Inoki’s lasting impact on the sport truly is impactful.

25. BRUNO SAMMARTINO

Bruno Sammartino helped tremendously in creating the strong, tight-knit fabric of this profession. One of the strongest men to ever wrestle, Sammartino routinely threw opponents around the ring like rag dolls. Throughout the course of his career, Sammartino — a native of Italy — was a two-time WWWF Heavyweight Champion, a two-time WWWF International Tag Team Champion, and was a one-time winner of the WWWF United States Tag Team Championship. In 2013, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. However, Sammartino sadly passed away in 2018 at the age of 82.

24. EDGE

Edge’s career arc saw a strong upswing as he aged. Initially a part of the successful Edge-Christian tag team, the 6-foot-5 athlete (real name Adam Copeland) ultimately became a seven-time World Heavyweight Champion. His skills on the mic were decent as a tag team member. However, Edge’s proclivity for being somewhat of a heel increased even further with more exposure. Unfortunately for Edge, he was forced into early retirement due to neck issues.

23. Triple H

Paul Levesque’s rise up throughout the company has been nothing short of phenomenal. As a wrestler, Triple H was a leading influence in the infamous stable D-Generation X. From there, he headlined most events as a constant championship belt holder/contender. Triple H is a nine-time WWE/WWF Champion and a five-time World Heavyweight Champion. Currently, Levesque has taken a Vice Presidential role in terms of story development. His fingerprints have continued to be involved with the brand for nearly 30 years.

22. BOB BACKLUND

One has to appreciate Bob Backlund’s all-in mindset when it comes to his involvement in wrestling. Originally, Backlund wrestled all over the country (and even in Japan). Time after time, Backlund’s technicality as a wrestler shone brightly. The two-time WWF Champion had one of the most iconic matches in recent history when taking on Jimmy Snuka (in a steel cage). Fans today fondly associate Backlund with his patented bow tie.

21. CHRIS BENOIT

 ‘The Rabid Wolverine’ was a true professional. Chris Benoit brought loads of intensity to the table. One brief look at his face above will tell you all there is to know about Benoit’s dedication to the profession. A truly technical wrestler, Benoit routinely slung opponents around the ring with picture-perfect German suplexes. From there, the Canadian could force the opponent into submission via the sharpshooter as well as his patented ‘Crippler Crossface’ (seen above). Sadly, Benoit passed away in 2007 at the age of 40.

20. TED DIBIASE

 ‘The Million Dollar Man’ was a truly great heel. His gimmick as the rich guy with a distaste for those beneath him worked very well throughout the ’80s. Ted DiBiase was immensely technical in the ring. He relied far more on positioning and execution rather than top-notch athleticism. This allowed for DiBiase to become the ’88 King of the Ring as well as a three-time Tag Team Champion. However, DiBiase unquestionably is known for his ability with the microphone in his hand. He was excellent in getting the crowd to hate him.

19. HARLEY RACE

For 50 years, Harley Race has been known for his wrestling prowess all over the United States. He’s been in virtually every promotion imaginable. Along the same lines, the Missouri native has held title belts in companies such as WCW, NWA, AWA, and WWF. A true professional, Race worked tirelessly to sell every move in the ring. His dedication — coupled with his raw passion for the business — has made him a widely respected person for all generations of past and current wrestlers.

18. BILL GOLDBERG

Bill Goldberg is a wrestling treasure. During the height of the rivalry between WCW and WWF, Goldberg was the premier talent fighting for World Championship Wrestling. As his personality continued to grow, so did his success in the ring. At one point, Goldberg held the longest undefeated streak (173-0) in the business (though it’s up for interpretation as to how long it actually was). His sheer power was evident whenever hoisting up large men for his famed ‘jackhammer’ finisher. Goldberg enjoyed a little bit of success in (what is now) the WWE — though he’s most known for his time on WCW Monday Nitro.

17. RANDY ORTON

Orton is the total package when it comes to being a professional wrestler. His physique is tremendous, and truly fits what the ideal performer in this business would look like. Orton’s natural athletic ability enables him to move around the ring with immense fluidity. Lastly, Orton gives off the vibe that he doesn’t care about the crowd or anything having to do with wrestling. It results in him being a terrific heel. Over the course of his career, Orton had worn the WWE Championship nine times. He’s also held the World Heavyweight Championship on four separate occasions.

16. RICKY STEAMBOAT

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat (real name Richard Blood Sr.) enjoyed a professional career of nearly 30 years. From an early age, it was evident that Steamboat was built for stardom. A fantastic athlete and technically savvy, there really wasn’t anything Steamboat couldn’t do. The New York native was involved in a number of high profile matches. This included the likes of Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage, Ric Flair, and Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts. The rivalry with Flair in particular was both captivating and awesome at the same time.

15. KURT ANGLE

The real-life Olympic gold medalist was also a fixture within the WWE landscape for quite a long time. At first, Kurt Angle garnered the role as a hero. Fans loved and respected his patriotic garb. In the ring, Angle’s technicality shined. No one will forget his penchant for the suplex, or the famed ‘Angle Slam’. As he got older, Angle suddenly turned into a heel. This juxtaposition showcased Angle’s acting skills in a big way. He’s since returned to the company after spells with other promotions. Currently, Angle is an on-screen general manager for RAW.

14. CHRIS JERICHO

Charismatic and creative, wrestler Chris Jericho (real name Chris Irvine) has enjoyed a multi-decade career with WWE. Initially, Jericho was a high-flyer around the ring. His patented Lionsault was only accentuated further by the iconic ‘Walls of Jericho’ (an altered form of the Boston Crab). As he got older, Jericho’s athleticism diminished — though his in-ring skills as a heel only increased. He remains to this day as one of the most popular wrestlers in the company’s history.

13. BRET HART

Though ‘The Montreal Screwjob’ will forever be associated with Bret Hart, his ability in the ring should also be marveled at. From a young age, people knew he was going to be special. His family worked tirelessly in developing him into a viable prospect. As opposed to relying on gimmicks or props, Hart looked at the profession as a craft. He was clinical in the ring, and operated with the precision of a surgeon. In a sense, Hart broke the mold — allowing for a new generation of wrestlers to come in and focus on skill rather than substance. Hart is one of the purest sportsmen in the long history of professional wrestling.

12. MICK FOLEY

Mick Foley has no regard for his body whatsoever. Whether it be flying off of steel cages, getting smacked in the face with chairs, or being thrown back first onto a pile of thumb tacks, Foley was sure to entertain the crowd. His myriad of characters throughout the years were both funny and clever. An innately jovial human, Foley has long been synonymous with everything great about the business. Duly, he surely enjoys large amounts of adoration from fans based upon his rather normal appearance.

11. RANDY SAVAGE

There were few as electric as Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage (real name Randy Poffo). Savage had an intensive process in learning how to become a wrestler. His father — Angelo Poffo — was also a professional. As such, Savage began climbing up the proverbial ladder rather quickly. For a decade, ‘Macho Man’ was instrumental in carrying the WWF. The eclectic personality would routinely brawl with Hulk Hogan and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. Savage eventually transitioned over to WCW — where he won the World Heavyweight Championship. In 32 years as a professional, Savage won 29 titles. In 2011, he passed away at the age of 58.

10. STING

Sting (real name Steve Borden) is one of the few names that didn’t spend the majority of his prime with WWE. Instead, the legendary wrestler plied his trade in WCW. There’s an instant level of ‘cool’ when it comes to Sting. His distinct face paint allows for his character to stand out among the rest. A physically gifted individual, Sting’s lethal nature became even more impressive when brandishing his black baseball bat. His (bizarre) time in TNA lasted nearly a decade. We do wish he would’ve come to WWE in his prime. Had that scenario occurred, there’s no telling how far up Sting would’ve registered within this piece.

9. ROWDY RODDY PIPER

There are showmen…and then there’s Rowdy Roddy Piper (real name Roderick Toombs). Very few possessed Piper’s ability to entertain. Whether it be jabs on the mic, thrills in the ring, or overall presence, Piper was a giant in the industry. Throughout his time as a professional, he accumulated 34 titles. Those who are real fans of Piper will never listen to Scottish bagpipes the same ever again. In 2015, Piper passed away unexpectedly at the age of 61.

8. DUSTY RHODES

In many regards, Dusty Rhodes (real name Virgil Runnels Jr.) was the patriarch of professional wrestling in the United States. Professional wrestlers generally have a jacked physique with ‘desired’ physical traits. Rhodes simply did not have this appearance. Instead, he represented the average fan sitting at home on the couch. For them, it was a thrill to see a charismatic, energetic, talented man take down muscular giants. Rhodes worked in professional wrestling for nearly 50 years as a performer, producer, promoter, and trainer. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 69.

7. HULK HOGAN

Speaking of cool, Hollywood Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bollea) was highly revered. He’s who men wanted to be, and women wanted to be with. Hogan’s garish in-ring presentation took on a life of its own. The red and yellow feathered boa became Hogan’s calling card. Additionally, the audience was treated to Hogan’s deep-rooted rivalries with Ric Flair and Andre the Giant. ‘Hulkamania’ swept all across the world — making Hogan one of the company’s largest global stars.

6. THE UNDERTAKER

The Undertaker (real name Mark Calaway) had a career characterized by longevity, success, and widespread adoration. There were multiple periods in which different variations of The Undertaker emerged. This included riding a motorcycle to the ring — or making the slow, melodic walk to the ring under clouds of smoke and darkness. Elements of mystery and intrigue surrounded the character. This made him appear to be even more of an anomaly. Calaway’s athleticism for a man 6-foot-10 cannot be overstated enough. Aside from the famed tombstone piledriver, rarely can a man tiptoe the top rope before thunderously slamming his opponent in the back of the shoulder.

5. ANDRÉ THE GIANT

There might not be a more famous wrestler than André the Giant (real name André Roussimoff). At the height of his career, the massive human registered at 7-foot-4, and (at least) 500 pounds. Though André wasn’t overly technical, he was incredibly special. This stemmed from his obvious frame — but also his professionalism and gregarious personality. He was beloved by virtually everyone. Iconic matches with Hulk Hogan during Early WrestleMania events were Earth-shattering in terms of intrigue. There’s also André’s reported drinking exploits. One story had him drinking 156 beers in one sitting. Sadly, Roussimoff passed away in 1993. He was 46 years of age.

4. SHAWN MICHAELS

Shawn Michaels (real name Michael Hicken bottom) is a true superstar. Nicknamed ‘The Heartbreak Kid’, Michaels’ theme song got the entire crowd into frenzy whenever he sauntered towards the ring. Athletic and daring, Michaels wouldn’t be afraid to throw his weight around in the ring. He enjoyed success both as an individual wrestler and a tag team participant. Michaels is a three-time WWF World Heavyweight Champion and a five-time World Tag Team Champion. Plus, his ‘sweet chin music’ finisher is immensely fun to watch. Simply put, Michaels is charisma personified.

3. THE ROCK

Before becoming the world’s biggest actor, Dwayne Johnson garnered notoriety for his portrayal as The Rock. Interestingly enough, The Rock began his career as a heel (and boy, was he a good one). From there, the audience was introduced to a number of catchphrases and Rock-isms. These traits effectively transformed his character into the biggest star in the company. While Johnson wasn’t an elite wrestler from a technical standpoint, his physical prowess helped in mitigating any deficiencies. To this day, there hasn’t been another wrestler who has come close to replicating Johnson’s skills on the mic. He’s truly unrivaled in this regard.

2. STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN

“Give me a hell yeah” became a saying synonymous with wrestling during the attitude era. This is completely attributed to the iconic Stone Cold Steve Austin (real name Steve Williams). Much like The Rock, Austin was excellent on the mic. His ability to involve the audience during live taping was simply brilliant. In the ring, Austin was both brutish and clinical. His ‘stone cold stunner’ finishing move delighted fans across the WWE/WWF universe. It was always a fun time seeing Austin crack open a couple of beers during the post-match celebration. Other noteworthy scenes included Austin beating up Booker T in a supermarket, going undercover as a nurse before beating up Vince McMahon in a hospital, and his liberal use of the middle finger.

1. RIC FLAIR

Ric Flair is the greatest wrestler in the history of the sport. There have been bigger and better athletes. There’s even been better looking participants in wrestling. However, Flair is unparalleled when it comes to in-ring presence. He had a charm about him — where women were throwing themselves at him, and men were doing everything in their power to be him. He exuded class, wealth, and unadulterated joy. His persona was in many ways larger than life. Strutting down towards the ring in a garish robe was simply Flair in a nutshell. After all, he is the “Rolex wearing, diamond ring wearing, kiss stealing, wheeling dealing, limousine riding, jet flying son of a gun.”

CONNER IS MY PLAYER OF THE WEEK

JAMES CONNER

RUNNING BACK

The first time these teams met this season – on Sept. 9 at FirstEnergy Stadium – his fumble with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter sparked a Browns comeback that had the game end in a 21-21 tie. In the rematch today at Heinz Field, James Conner finished off the Browns.

Conner rushed for 146 yards on 24 carries (6.1 average) and added another 66 yards receiving on five catches to finish with 212 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches. He also scored two rushing touchdowns, the second of which came with 2:04 remaining, upped the Steelers’ lead to 33-12, and iced a victory that ended up being 33-18 after a garbage time touchdown by Cleveland. Conner became the first running back in Steelers history to post two rushing touchdowns in three straight games.

CONNER IS MY OF THE WEEK.

Also considered were the starting offense line – Al Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro, and Matt Feiler – who paved the way for the Steelers to finish with 168 yards rushing (5.4 average) and two touchdowns, while also providing Ben Roethlisberger with the time to pass for 257 yards and two touchdowns on 36 attempts while only being sacked once; Roethlisberger, who completed 67 percent of those 36 attempts and also converted two third downs with sneaks; Joe Haden, who had three tackles, two passes defensed, and an interception while helping to hold Jarvis Landry to 39 receiving yards; Stephon Tuitt, who had seven tackles, a sack, and two total hits on the quarterback; T.J. Watt, who had seven tackles and a sack; and Antonio Brown, who had six catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns.

WHAT WENT RIGHT, WRONG VS. CLEVELAND

The highs and lows of the Steelers matchup vs. the Cleveland Browns.

COIN TOSS: Cleveland calls tails. It's heads. Steelers win the toss and defer. The Browns will receive the opening kickoff.

What Went Wrong: The Browns took the opening kickoff and shrugged off a holding penalty on Orson Charles that effectively cost them 41 yards in field position and put together an 11-play, 66-yard drive that ended in a 34-yard field goal from Greg Joseph and a 3-0 lead with 9:10 remaining in the first quarter. On a third-and-3 from the Steelers 13-yard line, T.J. Watt and Mike Hilton combined to dump Nick Chubb for a 3-yard loss and force the field goal. On the drive, Baker Mayfield completed 6-for-7 for 57 yards.

What Went Wrong: Facing a third-and-2 from deep in their own territory, James Conner ran the ball up the middle and appeared to get the first down, but Xavier Grimble was penalized for an illegal block in the back. That nullified the first down, and two plays later Jordan Berry got off a 48-yard punt.

What Went Wrong: It’s now six turnovers by Ben Roethlisberger against the Browns so far this season. On a third-and-6 from the Steelers’ 42-yard line, Roethlisberger’s attempt for Vance McDonald was tipped and then intercepted by Derrick Kindred at the Browns 44-yard line.

What Went Wrong: After the Ben Roethlisberger interception, the Browns came out running the football, and Nick Chubb gained 20 and then 11 yards on the first two plays of the drive. The Steelers defense then stiffened and had a chance to change the early course of the game, but Anthony Chickillo dropped an interception when a Baker Mayfield pass hit him right in the hands. Greg Joseph followed with a 45-yard field goal, and the Browns had a 6-0 lead heading into the final three minutes of the first quarter.

What Went Right: Less than 90 seconds into the second quarter, the Steelers offense had yet to make a single first down, and the Browns were lining up for a 41-yard field goal to take a 9-0 lead. But Greg Joseph’s attempt missed to the right, and the Steelers took over at their own 31-yard line with 13:29 remaining in the second quarter.

What Went Right: Following the missed field goal by Greg Joseph, the Steelers took a 7-6 lead with a 43-yard pass from Roethlisberger to Antonio Brown. On the six-play, 69-yard drive, Roethlisberger converted one third down with a 15-yard completion to Brown, and then he converted a second-and-10 with an 11-yard pass to Justin Hunter. The Steelers took the lead with 11:26 left in the second quarter.

What Went Right: On the Browns possession following the Steelers touchdown, Baker Mayfield converted one third down situation with a 9-yard scramble, but on Cleveland’s next third down, Mayfield’s pass deep down the right sideline for Breshad Perriman was intercepted by Joe Haden, who made a leaping grab at the Steelers 13-yard line.

What Went Right: The Steelers extended their lead to 14-6 with a 16-play, 87-yard drive that ate up 7:12 of the game clock and ended with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown with 8 seconds left in the first half. The possession began at the Pittsburgh 13-yard line thanks to Joe Haden’s interception. Then Ben Roethlisberger took over from there and completed 7-for-7 for 54 yards and the touchdown, in addition to converting two different third-and-short situations on quarterback sneaks. Following Chris Boswell’s PAT, the Steelers took a 14-6 lead into the locker room at halftime.

HALFTIME SCORE: Steelers 14, Browns 6

What Went Wrong: The Steelers took the second half kickoff and appeared to be on the way to extending their 14-6 lead. After completing a 22-yard pass to Vance McDonald for one first down, and then passes of 14 and 13 to James Conner for two more, Roethlisberger’s 4-yard dump-off to Stevan Ridley became a turnover when the ball was stripped free and recovered by CB Denzel Ward at the Browns 29-yard line.

What Went Right: The Steelers defense responded to Stevan Ridley’s fumble by forcing the Browns offense into a three-and-out, and then the Steelers offense managed one first down before Jordan Berry had to be sent onto the field to punt. Berry’s punt traveled 42 yards and was downed by Darrius Heyward-Bey at the Cleveland 4-yard line with 8:52 remaining in the third quarter.

What Went Right: Two plays after Jordan Berry’s punt was downed at the 4-yard line, Browns tackle Damon Harrison was flagged in the end zone for holding Bud Dupree. That turned into a safety and a 16-6 Steelers lead.

What Went Wrong: A series of mental and physical errors by the Steelers handed the Browns a touchdown and cut the lead to 16-12 with 5:24 left in the third quarter. It started on the free kick following the safety when Rosie Nix signaled for a fair catch and then stepped away from the ball, and the Ryan Switzer didn’t cover the bouncing ball. That gave Cleveland possession at the Pittsburgh 24-yard line when the Browns fell on the loose ball. Then came penalties on Cam Heyward for roughing the passer, pass interference calls on Terrell Edmunds on one play and then another on Joe Haden on the next, both of which came in the end zone. It ended when Baker Mayfield completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Callaway. Greg Joseph missed the PAT, and the Steelers’ lead was 16-12.

What Went Right: The Steelers offense delivered a quick response to the Browns touchdown. A five-play, 75-yard drive consumed 2:42 worth of game time and ended with a 12-yard run by James Conner for the touchdown. On the drive, Conner carried four times for 60 yards and the touchdown. The Steelers led, 23-12.

What Went Right: A seven-play, 31-yard drive that was capped by a 42-yard field goal by Chris Boswell extended the Steelers’ lead to 26-12 with 13:29 left in the fourth quarter. On the drive, James Conner carried three times for 25 yards.

What Went Right: After the Chris Boswell field goal, the Steelers defense authored a three-and-out capped by a sack by Stephon Tuitt. Following the punt, the Steelers took possession at their own 41-yard line with 11:00 left in the game.

What Went Right: The Steelers iced the game with a 10-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 22-yard run by James Conner that upped the lead to 33-12 with 2:04 remaining in the game. On the drive, Conner carried six times for 53 yards and the touchdown.

FINAL SCORE: Steelers 33, Browns 18

TOP TAKEAWAYS FROM SUNDAY'S WEEK 8 NFL ACTION

NFL’s Week 8 action lacked the drama that we had seen throughout the first half of the season. The early slate of games were not too competitive, starting with the Jacksonville Jaguars dropping their fourth consecutive game. As the attention turned from London to stateside, both the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers staked their claim to be the top contenders in the AFC North. Meanwhile, Cam Newton continued his stellar play in a blowout win over the Baltimore Ravens. And during the late-afternoon action, the Los Angeles Rams made yet another major statement over the Green Bay Packers in what was the most highly anticipated game this week. It’s in this that we check in on the top takeaways from Sunday’s Week 8 NFL action.

STEELERS SHOULD JUST TRADE LE’VEON BELL

In a game that saw Ben Roethlisberger struggle out of the gate, Pittsburgh relied a lot on second-year running back James Conner to do his thing. While Big Ben turned it around in a blowout win over Cleveland, it was Conner who did a bulk of the work. Replacing holdout Le’Veon Bell, Conner put up 212 total yards and two touchdowns on 29 touches. He’s now on pace for 2,107 total yards and 21 touchdowns on the season. Those are, in fact, Le’Veon Bell numbers right there. It also leads us to believe Pittsburgh should simply just trade Bell before Tuesday’s deadline. We’ve seen drama unfold behind the scenes in the Steel City. It led to a questionable start to the season for the team. Now, having won four of their past five, and with Conner playing at an All-Pro level, the Steelers should move on from Bell altogether. Period.

THE SAINTS ARE JUST SCARY

In a game that saw Drew Brees throw for exactly 120 yards, New Orleans defeated the Minnesota Vikings on the road by the score of 30-20. Just think about that for a second. These Saints were so reliant on Brees and his offense early in the season that the idea of the defense stepping up was just foreign. After all, this unit had allowed a 112.2 passer rating on the season heading into "Sunday Night Football." That changed, and good, against the Kirk Cousins-led Vikings. Taking advantage of a mistake-riddled Vikings offense, New Orleans forced two huge turnovers. That included a pick-six from P.J. Williams. Now winners of six consecutive, the Saints have staked their claim as one of the best teams in the NFL. If their defense continues to perform at this level, there’s no telling how far Mr. Brees and Co. can go.

ANDREW LUCK IS ONCE AGAIN A TOP-FIVE QUARTERBACK

It didn’t take Luck too long to announce his presence as an alpha dog after missing all of last season due to a shoulder injury. The former Pro Bowler had put up 15 touchdowns over his previous four games entering Sunday’s action against the Raiders in Northern California. He did, however, also have five interceptions during that span. Fortunately for Luck and the Colts, he played flawless football in a 42-28 win over the hapless Raiders. In leading the Colts to their most points since Week 12 of the 2014 season, Luck completed 22 of 31 passes with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Marlon Mack added another 132 yards on the ground for a Colts offense that’s now in the top seven of the league in scoring. Despite still being just 3-5 on the season, one has to think that Indy might have something to say about things in the pedestrian AFC South moving forward. Luck is the primary reason for this.

JAGUARS FALL FLAT IN LONDON

A season that started with realistic Super Bowl expectations has now morphed into complete irrelevance in Duval. Jacksonville was hoping to get it right against the defending champion Eagles in London on Sunday. Having won his past three starts across the pond, Blake Bortles struggled to do anything of substance until it was too late. His stats weren’t bad (281 yards, zero interceptions). But that doesn’t tell us the entire story. The Jags scored six points in the first half and were playing from behind throughout. That’s evidenced by the fact that they called 31 consecutive pass plays to conclude the game. Meanwhile, a once-dominant defense allowed nearly 400 total yards en route to Jacksonville dropping its fourth consecutive game by the score of 24-18. Now at 3-5, these Jags are pretty much done.

PROBABLY TIME FOR THE BRONCOS TO FIRE VANCE JOSEPH

Teams tend to give coaches at least two full seasons before drawing a conclusion about what to do moving forward. But for the Broncos, the time might be now to move on from Vance Joseph after just 24 games as the team’s head coach. Sunday’s loss to Kansas City is just the latest example of a head coach who's in over his head. Denver opened the game up with an 81-yard touchdown scoring drive earlier in the first quarter. From that point on, it was all Patrick Mahomes and Co. until a late push from Denver. In the end, Joseph’s squad fell by the score of 30-23 in a game that was not really close until the very end. Now four games behind Kansas City in the AFC West and pretty much out of the playoff race, it will be interesting to see if Joseph is fired. Though, we’d expect defensive coordinator Joe Woods to be the first one to go.

RAMS MAKE YET ANOTHER STATEMENT

Playing in front of a home crowd that seemed to be more than 50 percent Packers fans, the Rams took care of business in what might have been the best game of the weekend. It was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. Green Bay actually opened up a 10-0 lead with Los Angeles’ offense faltering early on. But when all was said and done, the likes of Jared Goff and Todd Gurley came up big time in the 29-27 win. Goff threw for nearly 300 yards with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Two of those scores went to a youngster in Josh Reynolds who was only seeing action due to Cooper Kupp’s injury. Meanwhile, Gurley went for 195 total yards and a score. A special teams forced fumble late in the game sealed the win. Now at 8-0 on the season, it’s rather clear these Rams are the class of the NFL.

JAMEIS WINSTON SHOULD BE BENCHED FOR GOOD

It’s rather simple. This fourth-year quarterback has not progressed at the level most would have expected from a former No. 1 pick. In fact, one could say that Winston is in the midst of a full-blown meltdown. Having entered Sunday’s action with six interceptions and four fumbles in three games (two starts), he’s proved to be a turnover machine since returning from suspension. That didn’t change in Sunday’s loss to the Bengals in Week 8. On the Bucs’ very first possession, Winston threw a horrible red-zone interception on a pass intended for Mike Evans. Later in the first half, he one-upped himself with another horrible pick. All said Winston threw four interceptions before being benched for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Shockingly, Fitzpatrick led the Bucs back from a two-score deficit to tie it before a game-winning Bengals field goal. Now at 3-4 on the season, it’s high time Tampa go back to Fitzpatrick for good. This team must also prepare for a future without Winston. He’s not the answer.

NO, ADRIAN PETERSON IS NOT WASHED UP

Even with Alex Smith and the Redskins’ passing game continuing to struggle, Washington finds itself at 5-2 heading into Week 9. Its most recent win over the New York Giants tells us a story of a team that’s relying a great deal on its defense as well as ageless wonder running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson scored both of the Skins’ touchdowns in the 20-13 win, catching a pass from Alex Smith in the first quarter and putting the game away with a 64-yard touchdown run late in the final stanza. All said the future Hall of Famer went for 156 total yards on 27 touches. Peterson is now on pace for 1,700 total yards in what has been a shocking season for the 33-year-old back. He’s doing so for a first-place team that now has a stranglehold on the NFC East. Whew.

AMARI COOPER MIGHT HAVE BEEN AN ADDITION BY SUBTRACTION

The Oakland Raiders made headlines this past week by trading former top-10 pick Amari Cooper to Dallas for a first-round pick. The trade itself seemed to be lopsided in Oakland’s favor given Cooper’s struggles since the start of last season. This doesn’t mean that the 2018 version of the Raiders were any better because of the trade, right? Now we’re not too sure. Derek Carr played the best game of his career in a losing effort to Indianapolis, completing passes to seven different receivers. All said, he completed 75 percent of his attempts with three scores and zero interceptions. Sure the Raiders defense let this team down en route to a seventh loss in eight games. But their offense looked so much better than what we saw with Cooper in the mix. Do with that what you will.

CARSON WENTZ THROWS HAT INTO MVP CONVERSATION

It’s becoming readily apparent that the Eagles are going to be relying a whole heck of a lot on Wentz if they want to turn this season around. Despite heading into Sunday’s action at 3-4, Wentz had thrown 10 touchdowns compared to one interception thus far this season. After starting slow, he continued that domination against the Jaguars in London. The third-year quarterback would go on to complete 21 of 30 passes for 286 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also led the Eagles on two long touchdown-scoring drives in the second half, putting this game away. Those two drives saw Philly put up 170 total yards with Wentz going 8-of-9 for 119 yards and two scores. Yeah, he’s back.

SEAHAWKS CONTINUE TO MAKE NOISE

Prior to Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions, we looked at the possibility that this outing might have wide-ranging playoff ramifications in the NFC. Sure the Los Angeles Rams have control over their division. But this doesn’t mean Russell Wilson and Co. can’t be major players in the wild-card race moving forward. Sunday’s 28-14 win over the Lions in Detroit adds to this belief. Having already won three of four heading into Week 8, Seattle absolutely dominated what had been a hot Lions squad. Wilson went 14-of-17 for 248 yards with three touchdowns and zero picks. Coming on strong, second-year back Chris Carson continued to create balance by putting up 105 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Seattle’s young defense held the Lions to 14 points and 331 total yards. Now 4-3 on the season, the Seahawks have to be considered legit playoff contenders.

CAM NEWTON CONTINUES TO SHINE AGAINST NFL’S BEST

It’s quite possible that Newton is playing his best football since the star quarterback earned the NFL MVP back in 2015. Taking on the league’s best defense in the form of the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, Super Cam continued his dazzling on-field brilliance. Baltimore’s defense entered Week 8 ranked No. 1 in total defense, No. 2 against the pass and No. 1 in points allowed. Newton responded by playing a near-flawless game. He completed 21 of 29 passes for 271 total yards with three total touchdowns and zero interceptions in the 36-21 blowout win. Newton has now compiled 17 total touchdowns compared to four interceptions en route to leading Carolina to a 5-2 record thus far this season. That’s just great stuff.

DRAMA IN CLEVELAND. IMAGINE THAT

Embattled head coach Hue Jackson was on the hot seat even prior to Cleveland’s blowout loss to Pittsburgh on Sunday. And in the lead up to that game, rumors suggested that Jackson might look to fire offensive coordinator Todd Haley. It’s not even known at this point if the brass in Cleveland would allow Jackson to do just that. None of this was resolved in what would become a 33-18 loss to the red-hot Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland put up just 237 total yards of offense and couldn’t get anything going until garbage time. Rookie Baker Mayfield was battered throughout the afternoon, suffering a shoulder injury in the process. All of this led to yet another loss and a 2-5-1 record on the season. With the disconnect between Jackson and Haley, we have no idea just how much more drama will unfold in Cleveland. Whether that leads to a firing or something else remains to be seen.

49ERS JUST CAN’T CLOSE GAMES OUT

Sunday’s outing between two one-win teams in the desert represented a comedy of terrors for both the 49ers and Cardinals. But it looked like San Francisco would come away with its second win after having opened up a 15-3 fourth-quarter lead. As we’ve seen throughout the young Kyle Shanahan era, it just wasn’t to be. Taking on a rookie quarterback and an offensive coordinator calling his first-ever game, San Francisco allowed Josh Rosen to orchestrate two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. They totaled 148 yards, leading to an 18-15 Cardinals win. Again, this is just a manifestation of what we’ve seen from the 49ers. They’ve now lost four games by one score this season and nine by that margin since the start of last season. San Francisco held a fourth-quarter lead in seven of those games. It’s readily apparent that defensive coordinator Robert Salah and Co. struggle under these conditions. Sunday was the most glaring example, and it has San Francisco at 1-7.

WHAT EXACTLY IS THE GIANTS’ PLAN?

We have to give the Giants defense some credit for its performance Sunday against the first-place Washington Redskins. Prior to Adrian Peterson icing the game with a 64-yard touchdown late in the fourth, New York’s defense had yielded 13 total points. Given the team just recently traded defensive tackle Damon Harrison and cornerback Eli Apple, that’s some good news.

That’s pretty much the extent of the good news outside of one elite young performer. The team put up six points prior to a garbage-time touchdown late in the fourth. Eli Manning threw two more interceptions in yet another horrible overall performance from the washed-up quarterback. Now at 1-7, we’re left wondering if Pat Shurmur’s squad will blow this roster up even more prior to Tuesday’s trade deadline. The good news? Barkley has tallied 1,016 total yards halfway through the season.

THE NFC NORTH IS GOING TO BE A BATTLE

By virtue of the Vikings and Packers losing difficult matchups and the Chicago Bears coming away with a win, Matt Nagy’s squad will head into Week 9 in first place in the old black-and-blue division. Detroit’s loss to Seattle has Matt Patricia’s squad in last place. But that’s not even the kicker here. Only one game separates the Bears and the Lions. Want more? Chicago headed into Week 8 in last place in the division. There’s good and bad news here. We’re pretty sure only one team will come out of the division and earn a playoff spot. That’s the bad news. On the other side of the ledger, we’re going to be privy to some huge divisional matchups throughout the final half of the regular season. It’s going to be pretty darn fun.

NFL SCOREBOARD

STEELERS 33, BROWNS 18

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger threw two touchdown passes to Antonio Brown, James Conner scored twice to bring some solace to a city grieving from tragedy.

The Steelers (4-2-1) overcame a slow start and their own mistakes to win their 15th straight at Heinz Field over the Browns (2-5-1), who have lost 25 consecutive road games — one shy of the NFL record.

The win brought temporary comfort to Pittsburgh’s fans a day after a gunman stormed into the Tree of Life Synagogue and killed 11 people. A moment of silence was observed before the game and several signs with the Steelers’ helmet logo — inlaid with a Star of David — were displayed by fans.

Roethlisberger connected on TD passes of 43 and 1 yard with Brown, and Conner continued to minimize Le’Veon Bell’s absence. Conner rushed for 146 yards, and scored on a 12-yard run in the third quarter that put the Steelers ahead 23-12.

Conner’s 22-yard TD with 2:04 left made it 33-12.

Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a pair of TD passes, but the Browns squandered some early scoring chances and remain winless in Pittsburgh since 2003.

RAMS 29, PACKERS 27

LOS ANGELES — Greg Zuerlein hit a 34-yard field goal with 2:05 left and Ramik Wilson forced and recovered Ty Montgomery’s fumble on the ensuing kickoff return, allowing the Los Angeles Rams to remain unbeaten without a late defensive stand in a 29-27 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Jared Goff passed for 295 yards and three touchdowns while the Rams (8-0) were sternly tested by the Packers (3-3-1) and Aaron Rodgers, who threw for 286 yards.

Both teams rallied from 10-point deficits to take a lead in front of a bipartisan Coliseum crowd, but Rodgers never got the chance to mount one of his trademark winning drives.

Instead, the Rams extended their best start to a season since 1969 with another key play from LA’s superlative special teams — and two crushing special-teams mistakes by Green Bay.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Rodgers with 8:50 left to put the Packers ahead 27-26, but Goff and Todd Gurley drove the Rams into range for Zuerlein’s second field goal of the fourth quarter after a 25-yard punt by JK Scott.

Montgomery then coughed up his return. Gurley ran 17 yards for a key first down and stopped before reaching the end zone in the final seconds — probably enraging his fantasy owners, but allowing the Rams to run out the clock.

Josh Reynolds caught two touchdown passes for Los Angeles, while Gurley rushed for 114 yards and scored a touchdown in his franchise record-tying 11th consecutive game on a 30-yard pass in the third quarter.

EAGLES 24, JAGUARS 18

LONDON (AP) Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes to different players.

Tight end Dallas Goedert caught one of the touchdown passes in the first half, and running back Wendell Smallwood and tight end Zach Ertz scored theirs in the second half for the Eagles (4-4), making their first appearance in England.

Blake Bortles restored as the starter despite being pulled in a loss to the Houston Texans a week earlier, completed 24 of 41 passes for 286 yards for the slumping Jaguars (3-5), who lost their fourth consecutive game.

Despite Jacksonville’s familiarity with playing in England — it was the Jags’ sixth consecutive year of playing overseas, and they had won their last three — the record crowd of 85,870 formed a decidedly pro-Eagles crowd.

Philadelphia lost 2017 All-Pro RT Lane Johnson injured his left knee on the Eagles’ opening drive and did not return.

SAINTS 30, VIKINGS 20

MINNEAPOLIS — Drew Brees and New Orleans paid back Minnesota for a last-second loss in the playoffs last season, using two key turnovers, including a 45-yard interception return by P.J. Williams.

Alvin Kamara had two touchdowns and Will Lutz made three field goals for the Saints (6-1). They needed only 120 passing yards by Brees to beat the Vikings (4-3-1).

Stefon Diggs had 119 receiving yards and a score in his curtain call after the “Minneapolis Miracle” catch in the NFC divisional round in January, but he stopped his drag route in a miscommunication with quarterback Kirk Cousins right before Williams picked of the ball off for the pivotal third-quarter touchdown.

Adam Thielen had another record-setting performance for the Vikings with 103 yards and a score, but his red-zone fumble in the second quarter was returned 54 yards by Marshon Lattimore to set up the go-ahead touchdown for the Saints.

CARDINALS 18, 49ERS 15

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Josh Rosen threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Christian Kirk with 34 seconds to play to rally the Cardinals in a matchup of teams with two of the worst records in the NFL.

The Cardinals beat San Francisco for the eighth straight time and second time in three weeks.

Arizona (2-6) got two fourth-quarter touchdown passes from Rosen after the 49ers (1-7) had built a 15-3 lead.

Rosen’s 13-yard pass to Larry Fitzgerald cut the lead to 15-10 with 11:06 to play. Fitzgerald also caught a 2-point conversion pass after Kirk’s TD.

Fitzgerald, in his 15th NFL season, caught eight passes for 102 yards, his best game of the season.

C.J. Beathard connected with Marquise Goodwin on a 55-yard play for the 49ers’ only touchdown.

Fitzgerald’s 112th career touchdown catch moves him past Tony Gonzalez alone into seventh on the NFL career list. He’s caught a TD pass in each of his last two games after getting none the first six games of the season. He needs three to tie Antonio Gates for sixth.

COLTS 42, RAIDERS 28

OAKLAND, Calif. — Andrew Luck threw his third touchdown pass of the game to break a tie with 5:28 to go and the Colts won in consecutive weeks for the first time in three years.

Luck connected with all three of his tight ends, with the 10-yard pass to Jack Doyle putting the Colts (3-5) up 35-28. Luck connected earlier in the game on passes to Mo Alie-Cox and Eric Ebron and finished with 239 yards against an overmatched defense for the Raiders (1-6).

Marlon Mack ran for a career-high 132 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the personal mark he set last week against Buffalo with 126 yards. Mack’s second TD came after Doug Martin lost a fumble for Oakland and sealed the victory.

Derek Carr threw three TD passes and ran for a fourth just days after Oakland traded his top receiver, Amari Cooper, to Dallas. But it wasn’t enough to prevent another loss in what is quickly becoming a lost season to begin Coach Jon Gruden’s second stint with the team.

Vinatieri set the record as the NFL’s top all-time scorer in the first half. He kicked a 26-yard field goal in the first quarter to tie Morten Andersen with 2,544 points, and then added a 25-yarder late in the second to set the record. Viantieri scored three more points, giving him 2,550 for his career.

PANTHERS 36, RAVENS 21

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Cam Newton torched the league’s No. 1-ranked defense, completing 21 of 29 passes for 219 yards and two touchdowns and running for 52 yards and another score.

Christian McCaffrey had two touchdowns and electrifying rookie wide receiver D.J. Moore turned in his best game as a pro with 129 yards from scrimmage as the Panthers won their ninth straight game at home.

Trailing 7-0 early, the Panthers (5-2) scored on four straight possessions in the final 16 minutes of the first half to break open the game and take a 24-7 halftime lead.

Newton threw an 11-yard TD pass to Greg Olsen; McCaffrey ran for an 11-yard score and caught a 6-yard TD pass that ricocheted off the hands of safety Eric Weddle and into his arms in the end zone. After the Ravens (4-4) climbed within 13 on Joe Flacco’s TD pass to Javorius Allen, Newton calmly drove the Panthers 85 yards in nine plays and scored from 12 yards on a naked bootleg to put the game away early in the fourth quarter.

The Panthers rolled up 386 yards against a Ravens defense that had come in allowing a league-low 280.6 yards and 14.4 points per game.

CHIEFS 30, BRONCOS 23

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Patrick Mahomes threw for 303 yards and four touchdowns, Sammy Watkins had 107 yards receiving and two of the scores.

Travis Kelce and Kareem Hunt added touchdown catches for the Chiefs (7-1), who have won 19 of their past 21 games against division rivals. That includes all three games this season.

Case Keenum had 262 yards passing and two scores for the Broncos (3-5), while Phillip Lindsay had a big day in his first career start. The undrafted rookie had 95 yards rushing and a score while catching three passes and providing a spark out of the backfield.

Still, that production couldn’t help the Broncos overcome their own sloppiness. They were flagged 10 times for 83 yards, several of the penalties wiping out big gains — and that doesn’t include a few that were declined or offsetting, including a personal foul on defensive tackle Derek Wolfe.

Denver has lost seven straight to its biggest rival.

REDSKINS 20, GIANTS 13

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Safety D.J. Swearinger intercepted two passes, Matt Ioannidis had 2½ sacks, and the NFC East-leading Redskins rode their defense to a third straight win.

Adrian Peterson caught a 7-yard touchdown pass from Alex Smith and ran for a season-high 149 yards, with the last 64 coming on a touchdown jaunt with 3:06 to play, as the Redskins (5-2) matched their best start since 2008.

Dustin Hopkins added field goals of 53 and 39 yards for the Redskins, who will finish the week with a 1½-game lead in the division. The three-game winning streak is their longest in two seasons.

The Redskins sacked a battered Eli Manning seven times, forced the two turnovers and made big play after big play in sending New York (1-7) to its fifth straight loss.

Aldrick Rosas kicked field goals of 37 and 21 yards for the Giants. Manning, 30 of 47 for 316 yards, hit Evan Engram on a 2-yard touchdown pass with: 17 to play.

BENGALS 37, BUCCANEERS 34

CINCINNATI — Jessie Bates returned Jameis Winston’s fourth interception for a touchdown, and Randy Bullock kicked a 44-yard field goal on the final play.

Winston was benched after matching his career high with four interceptions. Ryan Fitzpatrick rallied the Buccaneers (3-4) to a 34-34 tie with a pair of touchdown passes, including his 18-yard toss with 1:05 left.

The Bengals (5-3) recovered from their second-worst drubbing under Marvin Lewis and pulled it out with only their scoring drive in the second half. Andy Dalton had completions of 23 and 9 yards to A.J. Green that got them in field-goal range.

Tampa Bay has allowed at least 30 points in five games and changed defensive coordinators two weeks ago. This time, Winston was the Bucs’ biggest problem.

He threw four interceptions for the third time in his career, including one directly to Bates that the safety returned for Cincinnati’s fourth defensive touchdown of the season. Winston went to the bench, and Ryan Fitzpatrick pulled Tampa Bay even.

Fitzpatrick threw a 72-yard touchdown to Mike Evans, his fifth TD pass of at least 50 yards this season — most in the NFL. He also led an 88-yard drive to the tying score, hitting O.J. Howard for an 18-yard touchdown and completing another pass for the conversion.

Now, the Bucs have to decide which one will lead the NFL’s top-ranked offense in yardage.

SEAHAWKS 28, LIONS 14

DETROIT — Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes in the second quarter to put the Seahawks ahead.

The Seahawks (4-3) looked sharp on both sides of the ball coming off their bye and won for the fourth time in five games after opening the season with two losses.

Wilson completed 10 passes, two for scores, before having an incompletion late in the second quarter. He finished 14 of 17 for 248 yards, leading to a perfect quarterback rating. Wilson’s 24-yard pass to Tyler Lockett, 15-yard throw to David Moore and 12-yard pass to Ed Dickson for touchdowns gave Seattle a 21-7 lead at halftime.

Chris Carson, who had 105 yards rushing, scored on a 7-yard run early in the fourth to put the Seahawks up 28-7.

Detroit acquired run-stuffing defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison from the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick just four days before the game, but he wasn’t able to immediately help one of the NFL’s worst run defenses.

The Lions (3-4) had won three of four.

BEARS 24, JETS 10

CHICAGO — Mitchell Trubisky threw for two touchdowns for the short-handed Bears.

The Bears (4-3) got the win after dropping two in a row to fall out of the NFC North lead, even though star pass rusher Khalil Mack (right ankle) and No. 1 receiver Allen Robinson (groin) missed the game.

With Sam Darnold struggling against Chicago’s defense, the Jets (3-5) managed just 207 yards and lost their second straight game.

Trubisky was shaky but did enough to help the Bears come out on top. He connected with Tarik Cohen for a 70-yard touchdown on a screen pass in the first quarter and threw a 4-yard scoring pass to Anthony Miller in the third, making it 14-3. But the second-year pro was wild again after struggling with his control against New England the previous week.

Trubisky was 16 of 29 for 220 yards. He also ran for 51 yards on six attempts.

Cohen’s lone reception was the big touchdown. He also ran for 40 yards on five carries.