NBA SCOREBOARD

CELTICS 117, BUCKS 113

The Boston Celtics nearly blew a 15-point fourth-quarter lead Thursday night, but they took advantage of a missed free throw by Eric Bledsoe with 12.8 seconds left to hand the visiting Milwaukee Bucks their first loss of the season, 117-113.

The Celtics used 3-point shooting to begin each half with dominant runs, allowing them to lead most of the way en route to their fourth straight win.

Horford and Gordon Hayward had 18 points apiece and Marcus Morris 17 for the Celtics, who swept a two-game homestand that began with a win over Detroit on Tuesday.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was the game's leading scorer with 33 points and leading rebounder with 11 for the Bucks, who were playing just their third road game of the season.

TRAIL BLAZERS 132, PELICANS 119

Damian Lillard scored 26 points as Portland beat visiting New Orleans, who were without big man Anthony Davis for the third time in four games.

Jusuf Nurkic scored 20 points and collected nine rebounds, and Al-Farouq Aminu contributed a season-high 17 points and 10 boards for the Trail Blazers, who won their third straight game. Evan Turner added a season-high 14 points, seven rebounds and seven assists off the Portland bench.

Julius Randle scored a season-high 29 points to lead the Pelicans, who lost for the fourth straight time after a 4-0 start to the season. Davis missed back-to-back games with a sprained right elbow before playing 41 minutes against Golden State on Wednesday.

76ERS 122, CLIPPERS 113

Joel Embiid had a season-high 41 points to go along with 13 rebounds and four blocked shots to lift Philadelphia past visiting Los Angeles.

It was Embiid's sixth game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. JJ Redick added 18 points, Ben Simmons had 14 points and 11 assists, and Landry Shamet scored 13 points for the Sixers.

The Sixers have won 15 straight home games, the longest active streak in the league and their longest since they won 24 straight in the 1982-83 season.

NUGGETS 110, CAVALIERS 91

Juan Hernangomez came off the bench to score 23 points and Paul Millsap had 16 points and six rebounds as Denver overcame a sluggish first quarter to beat host Cleveland.

Gary Harris scored 14 as the Nuggets won their third in a row and second in as many nights. Denver's star center, Nikola Jokic, had only four points on 2-of-5 shooting, but his production was not needed.

Jordan Clarkson scored 17 points and Cedi Osman had 13 for Cleveland. After winning Tuesday in the first game since Tyronn Lue was fired, the Cavaliers could not make it two straight with acting head coach Larry Drew on the bench.

THUNDER 111, HORNETS 107

Russell Westbrook narrowly missed his first triple-double of the season with 29 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and Oklahoma City rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit to beat host Charlotte.

Westbrook scored 13 of his points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder stormed back after trailing 66-47 midway through the third quarter. Westbrook's drive with 35.1 seconds remaining gave the Thunder a 108-102 lead, and the Hornets never got closer than three from there.

Alex Abrines added 25 points for the Thunder, Dennis Schroder scored 21, Paul George finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Jerami Grant scored 10. The Thunder have won three straight.

KINGS 146, HAWKS 115

Sacramento, behind a triple-double from De'Aaron Fox and 27 points from Buddy Hield, coasted past host Atlanta to increase its winning streak to five games.

The Kings won in Atlanta for the first time since 2006, breaking an 11-game road losing streak. Sacramento also got 19 points from Nemanja Bjelica and 18 points and five rebounds from first-round draft pick Marvin Bagley III.

The Hawks lost their fourth straight game. Atlanta got a season-high 23 points from Jeremy Lin, who was 8-for-13 from the field. Rookie Trae Young and Kent Bazemore each scored 14 for the Hawks. Young had 10 assists, but committed eight of the team's 22 turnovers.

NFL TEAM GRADES FOR WEEK 8

Week 8 of the 2018 NFL season was wild. We had a trick-or-treat bag filled to the brim with a variety of contests—including one-sided thrashings, offensive shootouts and fourth-quarter comebacks.

Thankfully, with essentially half the season in the books, we're finally getting an idea of which teams deserve to be considered contenders. Unfortunately, there's a middle-of-the-pack group that remains mired in murkiness.

Teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers shined brightly in Week 8, while teams like the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles...well, they won.

How did your favorite team grade out in Week 8? Let's take a look.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Cleveland Browns

RESULT: Won 33-18

The Steelers had perhaps their most complete game of the season against the Browns on Sunday. The defense pressured rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield for four full quarters, Ben Roethlisberger settled into a rhythm and running back James Conner (146 yards rushing, 66 yards receiving, and two touchdowns) feasted on Cleveland's defense.

Pittsburgh had to shake off a little bye-week rust, and it spotted the Browns a 6-0 lead during the process. After that, it was a smooth ride to a dominant divisional win.

When the Steelers play like they did in Week 8, they're going to be difficult for anyone to beat. Oh, and with Conner going off like he has recently, the Steelers probably aren't worried about getting Le'Veon Bell back this season, either.

We're likely to find out just how dangerous the Steelers can be in the coming weeks. They face the Ravens next week and the surging Panthers the week after. Winning at least one of those games will be critical, as Pittsburgh finishes the year with the Patriots, Saints and Bengals.

WEEK 8 GRADE: A+

SEASON GRADE: A

ARIZONA CARDINALS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: San Francisco 49ers

RESULT: Won 18-15

It wasn't pretty for the Arizona Cardinals—none of their games have been this season—but they did get a win and a little bit of hope for the future. Practically all of that came from rookie quarterback Josh Rosen, who led the Cardinals back from a 15-3 fourth-quarter deficit.

Rosen was 12-of-18 for 150 yards and two touchdowns in that final quarter.

Of course, Rosen completed just 50 percent of his passes and had just 102 yards passing in the first three quarters, so he deserves a little bit of the blame for landing in the fourth-quarter hole.

Still, fans can embrace the fact that Rosen didn't shy away from the game's biggest moments and that he showed the leadership needed to put his team in position to win.

This year is about the future for the Cardinals, but for the first time in a while, that future appears just a little bit bright.

WEEK 8 GRADE: C+

SEASON GRADE: D

ATLANTA FALCONS

WEEK 8 Bye

The Atlanta Falcons slogged through a sloppy win against the New York Giants before heading into their Week 8 bye. That win may have saved Atlanta's season. At 3-4, the Falcons are simply trying to stay alive in the NFC South.

The offense has been humming for Atlanta, but the defense—ranked 30th in both yards (419.4) and points (30.3) allowed per game—continues to be a liability. Playing the New Orleans Saints (Nov. 22) and Carolina Panthers (Dec. 23) is going to be a massive challenge.

From here, Atlanta has back-to-back road games against the Washington Redskins and Cleveland Browns.

SEASON GRADE: C-

BALTIMORE RAVENS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Carolina Panthers

RESULT: Lost 36-21

Just who are the 2018 Baltimore Ravens? It's a good question and one that lacks a clear answer. This team has embarrassed the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans while coming an extra point away from taking the New Orleans Saints to overtime. This team has also been blown out by the Cincinnati Bengals and lost to the Browns in overtime.

The Ravens are 4-4, but are they a good .500 team or a bad one?

Against the Carolina Panthers, the Ravens looked like a lower-tier team. The defense napped through the first half, allowing the Panthers to jump out to a 24-7 halftime lead. The offense committed two turnovers during that span—Joe Flacco also finished with two interceptions—and it couldn't climb out of that hole in the second half.

If the Ravens are going to be a factor in the AFC North in the second half of the season, they had better start playing more efficiently in a hurry. Next week, they'll host the Steelers, who looked dominant in Week 8.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D+

SEASON GRADE: C

BUFFALO BILLS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: New England Patriots

WHEN: Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET

NATIONAL TV: ESPN

It's been a rough season for the Buffalo Bills. Their 2-5 record is bad, the play of rookie quarterback Josh Allen has been worse, and the fact that Allen is out with an elbow injury and the Bills are forced to start Derek Anderson is even worse.

Yet, a win over the rival New England Patriots would cause fans to forget all about the first seven weeks of the season.

CAROLINA PANTHERS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Baltimore Ravens

RESULT: Won 36-21

If there is going to be a challenge to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC South this season, it's going to come from the Panthers. Carolina proved that on Sunday with a dominant win over a Ravens team New Orleans barely beat.

What makes Carolina so dangerous is the fact that it is playing complementary football. The defense, while not a shut-down unit, is opportunistic. It creates big plays, gets turnovers and makes key stops when it needs to.

It allows Cam Newton and the Carolina offense to play a run-oriented, grinding style of offense. The Panthers rushed for 154 yards against a quality Ravens defense and controlled the clock for 34 minutes of game time.

The Ravens never had a chance of mounting a comeback.

The brand of football the Panthers are playing right now will give them a good chance against explosive teams like the Buccaneers and Steelers—the next two teams on their slate—and, of course, the Saints.

WEEK 8 GRADE: A

SEASON GRADE: B

CHICAGO BEARS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: New York Jets

RESULT: Won 24-10

When second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky avoids big mistakes, the Chicago Bears are a tough team to handle. Their defense has the potential to win games on its own, and with weapons like Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton, the offense is no slouch either.

The New York Jets found this out the hard way in Week 8 in a game that became more lopsided as it wore on.

Chicago held a mere 7-3 halftime advantage, but it was able to play through its defense and running game and find separation in the second half. New York could do little offensively. Chicago forced six three-and-outs, and the Jets totaled just 207 yards on the afternoon.

Trubisky protected the ball this week—he had two interceptions against the New England Patriots in Week 7—which prevented the Jets from getting any easy scoring opportunities. As a result, Chicago rolled.

WEEK 8 GRADE: A

SEASON GRADE: C+

CINCINNATI BENGALS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RESULT: Won 37-34

A week ago, the Cincinnati Bengals looked like they didn't belong on the same field as the Kansas City Chiefs. On Sunday, they bounced back with a win, but their defense still had issues.

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston tossed four interceptions, and the Bengals carried a 34-16 advantage into the fourth quarter. Then Ryan Fitzpatrick entered the game, took advantage of Cincinnati's 29th-ranked pass defense (300.7 yards per game allowed) entering Sunday and mounted an 18-point comeback.

Thankfully, the Buccaneers defense is also bad, and Cincinnati was able to drive down and kick a game-winning field goal in roughly a minute.

Cincinnati has enough firepower on offense to hang with most teams. If that offense stumbles at all, however, the defense is going to make it hard to beat playoff-caliber opponents down the stretch. The Bengals will face just such a team in two weeks when they visit the Saints.

Next week is Cincinnati's bye.

WEEK 8 GRADE: C+

SEASON GRADE: B-

CLEVELAND BROWNS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Pittsburgh Steelers

RESULT: Lost 33-18

Sorry, Browns fans. It's shaping up to be another losing season in Cleveland. These Browns are competitive, and with two overtime losses and a tie, they could easily have a winning record right now. Sunday's blowout loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, however, showed just how far away this team is from being a legitimate contender.

Mistakes and mismanagement are costing Cleveland more than a lack of talent. The players on the field are giving themselves opportunities, but miscues are taking them away. Case in point, a missed Greg Joseph field goal cost Cleveland an early 9-0 lead.

Poor coaching is a bigger problem, though. The offense consistently loses its way in the red zone—which is why that potential 9-0 lead was never in danger of being a 21-0 lead. The defense has a habit of breaking down at the worst possible times, and penalties are a steady problem in all phases.

Cleveland now has 65 penalties on the season.

When your team regularly starts slow, loses focus and gets in its own way, that's a coaching problem—and it's not too early for owner Jimmy Haslam to start weighing his coaching options for 2019.

WEEK 8 GRADE: F

SEASON GRADE: C-

DALLAS COWBOYS

WEEK 8: Bye

The Dallas Cowboys made a big move during the bye week, sending a first-round pick to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for wide receiver Amari Cooper. This should help the Cowboys offense because Cooper will give it a field-stretching outside receiver, but it isn't going to fix all the problems.

One issue that has plagued Dallas is uncreative and timid play-calling. Cooper will find it difficult to be a difference-maker if the Cowboys continue making themselves easy to defend.

At 3-4, Dallas is alive in the NFC East, but it remains a couple of notches below the top teams in the conference.

SEASON GRADE: C-

DENVER BRONCOS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Kansas City Chiefs

RESULT: Lost 30-23

Case Keenum might not be the quarterback of the future, but he's giving the Denver Broncos chances to win that they didn't have a year ago. Against the Kansas City Chiefs, it was the once-vaunted defense, which came in allowing 373.2 yards per game (21st in the NFL), that let the Broncos down.

Denver did a good job of shoring up its run defense, which has allowed two 200-yard rushers this season. It held Kareem Hunt to just 50 yards rushing and 3.1 yards per carry, so that's a positive. However, the Broncos defense had no answer for Patrick Mahomes and the passing game—though to be fair, no one has this season.

Mahomes finished with 303 yards and four touchdowns with one interception.

Yes, Keenum had two turnovers, but poor offensive line play, a lackluster performance from the secondary and a missed field goal all played parts in the loss. The Broncos weren't a quarterback away from being title contenders coming into the season. While Keenum is an upgrade over the mess Denver had at quarterback last season, the Broncos have the same 3-5 record they had last year.

WEEK 8 GRADE: C-

SEASON GRADE: C-

DETROIT LIONS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Seattle Seahawks

RESULT: Lost 28-14

We saw the return of the pass-heavy Detroit Lions in Week 8, partially because the Seattle Seahawks jumped out to a 21-7 lead in the first half. This proved to be costly because Detroit doesn't have a shutdown defense.

Coach Matt Patricia's defense is opportunistic, but it is more effective when Detroit is able to control the tempo with the running game. Instead, it was the Seattle Seahawks who controlled the tempo—and the clock, for nearly 35 minutes—to grind out a win.

Matthew Stafford attempted 40 passes, and the offense ran the ball just 13 times. This is not a winning formula for the 2018 Lions.

Take a look at Detroit's first possession—a 13-play, 91-yard, nearly seven-minute touchdown drive—for an idea of what that winning formula is.

Mistakes also hurt the Lions, as an early fumble set up Seattle's second touchdown and Stafford had two turnovers during Detroit's comeback attempt. The club will need to tighten things up with a pivotal matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on tap for next week.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D

SEASON GRADE: C

GREEN BAY PACKERS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Los Angeles Rams

RESULT: Lost 29-27

It's rare that Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers doesn't go out and do something incredible. The Los Angeles Rams have a fast and physical pass rush, and Rodgers laughed in the face of it while leading the Packers to an early 10-0 lead.

Rodgers also led Green Bay back from a 26-20 fourth-quarter deficit to take a late lead. However, he doesn't play defense or return kicks.

Green Bay's defense held up well in the first half, but it allowed 21 second-half points. Rodgers' second chance at a fourth-quarter comeback never got off the ground because Ty Montgomery fumbled a kickoff return with just over two minutes remaining.

This was a back-and-forth game that could have easily gone Green Bay's way. The Packers proved that when Rodgers is healthy, they can hang with the best teams in the NFL. However, they also proved they don't have enough overall talent to win those games when making critical mistakes.

WEEK 8 GRADE: C

SEASON GRADE: C+

HOUSTON TEXANS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Miami Dolphins

RESULT: Won 42-23

The Houston Texans are beginning to put it all together, and that's bad news for the rest of the AFC South. Not only is quarterback Deshaun Watson back to 100 percent and playing at a Pro Bowl level, but defensive end J.J. Watt is too.

In fact, Watt (8.0 sacks, four forced fumbles this season) is playing like a potential Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The Miami Dolphins had no answers for either Watt or Watson on Thursday night. Watt only had one sack, but he and the Texans pass rush harassed Brock Osweiler throughout the game. No one harassed Watson, as he dissected the Miami offense for an efficient 239 yards and five touchdowns. Lamar Miller (133 yards, one touchdown) also ran wild over his former team, and the Texans cruised to their fifth consecutive victory of the season. How did this team lose to the New York Giants?

WEEK 8 GRADE: A

SEASON GRADE: B

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Oakland Raiders

RESULT: Won 42-28

Quarterback Andrew Luck is back to pre-injury form; we've known that for a few weeks now. What is going to make the Indianapolis Colts a little dangerous down the stretch is the fact that the running game is finding its way and the defense is making at least the occasional stop.

Indianapolis' defense allowed the Raiders to score 28 points, but it also produced a fourth-quarter fumble and got a key stop on Oakland's next possession. Because of that Colts rushing attack, which totaled 222 yards, the Raiders didn't get many possessions, either.

Oakland only got nine tries with the ball because Indianapolis controlled the clock for more than 36 minutes. When you only get nine possessions and one ends with a fumble and one ends with the end of the half, you're not going to beat a team capable of dropping 42 points.

This team is far from perfect, but the Colts don't need to rely on Luck to carry them anymore. If they get down and need him to pull them back, though, the quarterback is obviously capable. This gives Indianapolis a fighting chance in the AFC South, even at 3-5.

WEEK 8 GRADE: B-

SEASON GRADE: C-

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Philadelphia Eagles

RESULT: Lost 24-18

No team has fallen harder this season than the Jacksonville Jaguars. This team fell just a few plays short of the Super Bowl last season. It started 2018 slow, and it has spiraled out of control from there. A week ago, starting quarterback Blake Bortles was benched in favor of Cody Kessler because of inefficiency and turnovers.

The Jaguars bounced back to a degree against the Philadelphia Eagles in London. The defense wasn't the sieve it had been in the previous three weeks, and Bortles (286 yards passing, one touchdown, and zero turnovers) was much more effective.

However, Jacksonville couldn't trade punches with Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense. Part of the problem was a running game that has struggled with Leonard Fournette sidelined by injury. Bortles actually led the Jaguars with 43 yards rushing. Jacksonville is now 2-11 when he's the leading rusher.

Jacksonville kept the game close but couldn't pull ahead in the fourth quarter. Close isn't good enough for a team that is now 3-5 and in serious trouble.

WEEK 8 GRADE: C-

SEASON GRADE: D+

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Denver Broncos

RESULT: Won 30-23

Is anyone going to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' passing attack? No, probably not. A more realistic question is whether anyone is going to slow it enough to win a game that doesn't devolve into a complete shootout.

The Broncos couldn't, and the Chiefs rode Mahomes and the passing game to their seventh win in eight tries. Some Denver mistakes helped mask another questionable outing by the defense, which allowed 411 yards of offense.

Still, it was Mahomes and the high-flying passing attack that netted Kansas City a win.

If the Chiefs offense ever stumbles for more than a handful of drives, the defense will make this team vulnerable. Right now, though, that hasn't been a problem.

WEEK 8 GRADE: B

SEASON GRADE: A-

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

WEEK 8:  Bye

The Los Angeles Chargers were on bye in Week 8, and that could be bad news for the Seahawks and Raiders, who host Los Angeles over the next two weeks. The 5-2 Chargers are one of the league's hottest teams, and they'll be well-rested.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they'll have a healthy Joey Bosa coming out of the bye.

Even without Bosa, the Chargers have looked like a playoff team...and a dangerous one at that.

SEASON GRADE: B

LOS ANGELES RAMS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Green Bay Packers

RESULT: Won 29-27

The Rams remain the NFL's lone undefeated team. However, they narrowly escaped and showed they aren't invincible. In fact, this easily could have been a loss had the Rams not been handed the ball with a late two-point lead on a fumbled kickoff return. The fact that the L.A. defense allowed 359 yards and 27 points against one of the game's best quarterbacks isn't alarming. However, it is cause for concern because, well, top quarterbacks are exactly what the Rams will face in the postseason.

It's what the Rams will face next week, in fact, as they'll head to New Orleans to take on Drew Brees and the Saints.

As long as Jared Goff and Todd Gurley (114 yards rushing against Green Bay) are on the field, there aren't going to be many questions about Los Angeles' offense. However, it's unclear if the defense can carry the team against a top-tier opponent if needed.

There's no arguing with 8-0, though, and there's always the chance the Rams never need the defense to carry them.

WEEK 8 GRADE: C+

SEASON GRADE: A

MIAMI DOLPHINS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Houston Texans

RESULT: Lost 42-23

In a lot of ways, Miami is the polar opposite of Houston right now. The Dolphins started the season 3-0 and looked like a potential playoff team. Since then, they've gone 1-4, they've had to start Brock Osweiler at quarterback because starter Ryan Tannehill isn't healthy, and they've looked like a middling team at best.

Against the Texans, the Dolphins played like one of the worst teams in the league. You can blame having Osweiler in at quarterback and the injury absences of wideouts Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills for the disjointed offensive effort. However, there's no excusing the defense, which often appeared as if it was just there for show.

Houston averaged an impressive 7.8 yards per offensive play and finished half of its drives with touchdowns.

The Dolphins can climb back to the right side of .500 against the Jets next week, but right now, they're reeling.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D

SEASON GRADE: C-

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: New Orleans Saints

RESULT: Lost 30-20

The Vikings didn't have a disaster of an outing against the Saints, but mistakes cost them. Kirk Cousins had an interception returned for a touchdown, a lost fumble led to an easy Saints touchdown, and Laquon Treadwell couldn't come down with the ball on a critical fourth-down conversion attempt.

Was this a disappointing loss for fans? Sure, but it isn't the kind of loss that should incite panic. If even one of these mistakes doesn't happen, this is close to an even game.

There are positives to take away too. Latavius Murray continues to run well, Adam Thielen had yet another 100-yard game—a record-tying eighth consecutive to start the season—and the defense didn't make things easy on the Saints, who finished with a so-so 270 yards of offense.

Still, the loss puts the Vikings in a precarious position. At 4-3-1, they're now sitting behind the Bears in the NFC North, with important games against the Lions and those same Bears upcoming.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D+

SEASON GRADE: C+

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Buffalo Bills

WHEN: Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET

NATIONAL TV: ESPN

The Patriots were in trouble when they fell to 1-2 on the back of an embarrassing prime-time loss to the Lions. At least, that was the general perception.

Since then, New England has ripped off four straight wins and can get to 6-2 with a win over the Bills on Monday night.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Minnesota Vikings

RESULT: Won 30-20

There was no miracle in Minneapolis this time. The Saints struck first against the Vikings, scored often and made enough plays defensively to open up a 17-point fourth-quarter lead. From there, it was only a matter of holding on, which New Orleans did.

Much to the chagrin of some fantasy owners, Drew Brees wasn't a major piece of the victory. He had just 120 yards and a touchdown with one interception. Saints fans will enjoy the fact that Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram were able to carry the offense while the defense chipped in with a touchdown of its own.

New Orleans was dangerous down the stretch last season because the defense, while not dominant, was able to play an opportunistic brand of football. That's what it did against the Vikings—it allowed 423 yards but also forced two turnovers, had a key fourth-down stop and a defensive score.

Perhaps this game was a sign that we'll see the same trend in the second half of 2018.

WEEK 8 GRADE: A

SEASON GRADE: A-

NEW YORK GIANTS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Washington Redskins

RESULT: Lost 20-13

Could this be the end of the road for Giants quarterback Eli Manning? Head coach Pat Shurmur at least isn't ruling it out.

Manning was part of the reason New York lost. He had 316 yards passing and a garbage-time touchdown, but he also had two interceptions—one in the red zone—and was sacked seven times. However, quarterback play is far from the only issue with this team.

The offensive line is a mess (Did we mention those seven sacks?), and while the defense is talented, it makes too many mental errors.

Washington amassed 360 yards and held the ball for nearly 34 minutes of game time. Yes, Manning helped derail the Giants' comeback attempt, but he wasn't the reason New York had to mount one in the first place.

WEEK 8 GRADE: F

SEASON GRADE: F

NEW YORK JETS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Chicago Bears

RESULT: Lost 24-10

Give the Jets credit. Even with a rookie quarterback in Sam Darnold, they've stayed competitive in 2018. The reality, though, is that they don't have enough talent to hang with playoff-caliber teams. We saw that last week against the Vikings, and we saw it again against Chicago.

Darnold protected the ball for the most part—he did have another fumble, but he recovered it. The problem is that he struggled to find open targets and push the ball downfield, especially early. Darnold had just 54 passing yards in the first half.

New York couldn't get much going on the ground either. The Jets had just 57 yards rushing for the game and averaged a mere 2.4 yards per carry. Isaiah Crowell, who had a 200-yard game earlier this season, averaged less than two yards per run.

The defense kept the Jets in the game during the first half, but it couldn't hold up for four quarters with the offense not doing its part.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D

SEASON GRADE: C-

OAKLAND RAIDERS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Indianapolis Colts

RESULT: Lost 42-28

The Raiders are a complete mess, and not just because they've traded away Khalil Mack and Amari Cooper. In fact, Oakland didn't miss Cooper one bit against the Colts, as Derek Carr was still able to throw for 244 yards and three touchdowns.

The Raiders didn't miss Marshawn Lynch, either, as Doug Martin rumbled for 72 yards on just 13 carries.

What Oakland is missing is a cohesive game plan—and we're not talking about the obvious one that involves turning the corner on the rebuild in Las Vegas.

The Raiders defense is a complete liability, and it quickly became obvious that it wasn't going to even slow the Colts offense. Instead of trying to control the clock and keep the defense off the field, though, Jon Gruden chose to lean on Carr and the passing game. Oakland ran just 17 times if you don't count a couple of quarterback sneaks from Carr.

Perhaps Gruden is tanking. Perhaps the Raiders are going to use their collection of first-round picks in the next couple of drafts to build a dynasty. What's clear now is the Raiders are irrelevant in 2018.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D

SEASON GRADE: D-

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Jacksonville Jaguars

RESULT: Won 24-18

The Eagles faced a tough situation in Week 8. Coming off a disappointing loss to the Panthers, they had to travel to London to play a Jaguars team that has played there once a year since 2013. It wasn't a dominant performance, but Philadelphia did what was needed.

A lot of the credit has to go to Carson Wentz, who had to overcome an early fumble and a steady Jaguars pass rush.

Wentz used his mobility to keep plays alive and find yardage on the ground. The Jacksonville defense was stouter than it had been recently, but Wentz still managed to finish with 286 yards passing, 28 yards rushing and three touchdowns.

The Eagles defense came up with some timely stops in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Philadelphia doesn't look like the same team that won the Super Bowl in February, but it is still very much alive in the NFC East.

WEEK 8 GRADE: B-

SEASON GRADE: C-

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

WEEK 8 OPPINENT: Arizona Cardinals

RESULT: Lost 18-15

The San Francisco 49ers might not be the worst team in the NFL, but they're in the running. We got a good look at just how far the Cardinals are from contention when the Broncos demolished them in prime time in Week 7. The 49ers couldn't even put them away after holding a 12-point fourth-quarter lead.

Injuries are obviously part of the issue. Jimmy Garoppolo was lost for the season in Week 3, while offseason acquisition Jerick McKinnon never made it on the field for San Francisco. However, there's still a serious lack of overall talent.

All that hype the 49ers got heading into the season? Yeah, that was overblown.

In a battle of NFC West basement-dwellers, it was the Cardinals who came out on top. San Francisco averaged 3.5 yards per carry as a team, quarterback CJ Beathard completed just 50 percent of his passes, and the defense surrendered 321 yards of total offense—much of it in the fourth quarter.

The 49ers were at least close to winning, and that keeps them from getting a hard F. However, this was still an embarrassing loss in a futile season.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D-

SEASON GRADE: D-

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Detroit Lions

RESULT: Won 28-14

It's too bad the Rams are running away with the NFC West, because the Seahawks could make things interesting most years. They're not a dominant group, but they have a team identity.

The Seattle defense is vulnerable, so the plan is to keep it off the field as much as possible with a methodical run-first offense and let Russell Wilson break things open with a few chunk plays per game. When the defense can come up with a couple of turnovers, as it did against Detroit, Seattle has the potential to take over a game.

All of this is possible because of the emergence of Chris Carson, Mike Davis and the rest of Seattle's rushing attack. It racked up 176 yards on the ground against the Lions, and Seattle was able to script a nearly flawless game.

The Seahawks won't challenge for the division crown, but if they slip into the postseason as a wild card, other teams should be wary.

WEEK 8 GRADE: A+

SEASON GRADE: C+

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: Cincinnati Bengals

RESULT: Lost 37-34

It's premature to say that FitzMagic is back in Tampa Bay, but uncertainty at the quarterback position certainly is.

Jameis Winston got benched after throwing four interceptions against the Bengals. Fitzpatrick came in and racked up 194 yards and two touchdowns in just over a quarter of play. He helped the Buccaneers rattle off 18 straight points. Naturally, they had to have all 18 for even a shot at overtime because of Winston's poor play and because the defense was, once again, underwhelming.

Questionable defense is still a problem for Tampa, but the bigger issue is that coach Dirk Koetter has to figure out who the best quarterback is for this season.

Neither Winston nor Ryan Fitzpatrick may be the man beyond 2018, and it feels like a near-certainty that Koetter will be out as well.

WEEK 8 GRADE: D+

SEASON GRADE: C-

TENNESSEE TITANS

WEEK 8:  Bye

If there's one thing we know about the Tennessee Titans, it's that first-year head coach Mike Vrabel has them playing hard. What we don't know is whether there's enough talent on the roster to push for a playoff spot in the second half of the season. The 3-4 Titans have knocked off the Texans and the defending champion Eagles. They've also been embarrassed by the Ravens and barely outlasted the Bills. There has been inconsistency in the running game, while Marcus Mariota and the passing game continue to stall.

We'll get a better idea of how good the Titans are next Monday night when they take on the Cowboys.

SEASON GRADE: C

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

WEEK 8 OPPONENT: New York Giants

RESULT: Won 20-13

Of all the storylines we might have predicted for Washington during the offseason, Adrian Peterson returning to Pro Bowl form wasn't one of them.

Peterson is becoming the centerpiece of the Redskins offense, and he's regularly giving it the opportunity to close out games. He racked up another 149 yards rushing against the Giants—including 64 on a touchdown run—and he helped slam the door shut on New York in the fourth quarter.

Washington is evolving into a complete team. The defense, which came in ranked fifth overall (322.4 yards per game allowed) is keeping the Redskins within striking distance, while Alex Smith is playing the role of game manager to perfection.

There's nothing flashy about the Redskins or the way they win games, but style points aren't going to win the NFC East. Smart, efficient football will, and that's what Washington is providing.

WEEK 8 GRADE: A+

SEASON GRADE: B+

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.