National Football League

By the Numbers: Cowboys-Vikings, Bucs-Saints headline Week 8

Updated Oct. 30, 2021 8:07 p.m. ET

We're nearing the halfway point of the season, and the NFL action continues to ramp up.

The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings will square off in a much-anticipated Sunday night battle, as Dak Prescott looks to prove he's fully healed from a calf injury that marred the conclusion of his team's wild Week 6 win over New England.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a crucial battle with the New Orleans Saints, who are eager to usurp them atop the NFC South, and the Steelers and Browns have a pivotal conference matchup in their own right.

Here are the numbers to know for the Week 8 slate.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-4) vs. ATLANTA FALCONS (3-3)
1 p.m. ET on FOX

Matchup: Although they split the 2020 season series 1-1, the Falcons are 9-2 in their past 11 games against the Panthers.

4: This is Carolina's current losing streak. They're one of two teams (Broncos) to start 3-0 before losing four straight. The most recent team to lose five straight after starting 3-0 was Carolina in 2002.

100: Kyle Pitts has 100-plus receiving yards in each of his past two games. He is the first rookie TE to reach 100-plus receiving yards in back-to-back games since Raymond Chester (Raiders, 1970). Pitts’ 163-yard performance in Week 6 was the best by a rookie TE since Mark Bavaro pulled in 176 in 1985.

8: The number of turnovers Sam Darnold has given up in his past four games. He had just two in Carolina’s first three games.

200, 250: Cordarrelle Patterson is one of two players (D’Andre Swift) with 200-plus rushing yards and 250-plus receiving yards this season.

10: Matt Ryan has tossed 10 TD passes in his past four games (3-1 record). In the same stretch, he has just one interception.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-6) at BUFFALO BILLS (4-2)
1 p.m. ET on CBS

Matchup: The Bills have won six straight against the Dolphins for just the second time. They have never won seven in a row vs. Miami.

29: The Dolphins rank 29th in scoring offense (18.1 PPG), while the Bills are tied for first in scoring defense (16.3). Miami is also 30th in passing defense (allowing 297.1 YPG) and 31st in scoring defense (29.6 PPG).

4: Tua Tagovailoa's TD passes last week. It was a career high for the young lefty.

6-1: Josh Allen's record through his past seven starts vs. Miami, including six straight wins. Allen will be making his 50th career start Sunday (32-17).

1: The Bills' defense ranks first in passing defense (180.5 YPG), yards allowed per play (4.7) and turnover differential (+11). It's tied for first in takeaways (16).

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-4) at CHICAGO BEARS (3-4)
1 p.m. ET on FOX

Matchup: This is the first matchup between the 49ers and Bears since Week 6 of 2018, in which Chicago won 14-9.

3: Jimmy Garoppolo has lost three straight starts for the first time in his career.

5: The Niners have the fifth-best passing defense in the league (205 YPG). They're also sixth in yards allowed per play (5.2).

200: Chicago's quarterback, Justin Fields and Andy Dalton, have yet to have a 200-yard passing game through seven games. The Bears are the first team to go so far without one since the 2008 Titans, who didn't reach the mark until their ninth game.

25/80: Chicago has the lowest third-down conversion rate in the league (31.25%).

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (3-3) at CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-3)
1 p.m. ET on CBS

Matchup: Including their 2021 wild-card win, the Browns have beaten the Steelers in back-to-back meetings for the first time since 1999-2000. Cleveland has not beaten the Steelers three times in a row since a seven-game run from 1986 to 1989.

21: The number of consecutive games in which Ben Roethlisberger has thrown a TD pass (the longest active streak in the NFL).

4-0: Pittsburgh has won four straight following a bye week.

9.5: Myles Garrett leads the NFL in sacks with 9.5. No Browns player has ever ended a season as the NFL’s sacks leader.

136: Najee Harris' touches. He's third in the NFL in that metric. Only one other rookie (Chuba Hubbard, 101) has 100-plus touches this season.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-5) at DETROIT LIONS (0-7)
1 p.m ET on FOX

Matchup: The Lions have won their past three matchups against the Eagles. Their most recent face-off was in 2019, when the Lions won 27-24.

3-12: Philadelphia's record in its past 15 games.

11: When it comes to winning, Detroit isn't much better. The Lions have lost 11 straight games dating to last season, the longest active losing streak in the NFL. With another loss, they would have 12 consecutive losses for the first time since they lost 19 straight games from 2007 to 2009.

5/5: The Eagles are 5-for-5 on two-point conversion attempts this season, the most successful in the NFL.

2010: The last time the Lions won a game without Matthew Stafford in the lineup was 2010. Shaun Hill won that matchup, a 20-13 victory over Minnesota. The other QBs to start a game since then are Jeff Driskel (0-3), David Blough (0-5) and Jared Goff (0-7).

TENNESSEE TITANS (5-2) at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (2-4)
1 p.m. ET on CBS

Matchup: The Titans defeated the Colts 25-16 in their first matchup this season (Week 3). The last time the Titans swept the season series against the Colts was 2017.

2: This matchup features the NFL’s two leading rushers, Derrick Henry (869) and Jonathan Taylor (579). Henry has rushed for 100-plus yards in each of his past four games against the Colts.

4-0: The Titans are 4-0 this season against 2020 playoff teams, having defeated the Seahawks, Colts, Bills and Chiefs.

1: Henry is leading the NFL in rushing yards (869), rushing touchdowns (10), yards from scrimmage (1,023) and touches (209).

+9: The Colts have a plus-9 turnover differential this season, second in the NFL.

16: The Colts have 16 takeaways this season, tied for first in the NFL.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-2) at NEW YORK JETS (1-5)
1 p.m. ET on CBS

Matchup: The Bengals have won their past three matchups against the Jets, with the most recent coming in 2019.

2: Joe Burrow is the only quarterback with at least two passing touchdowns in each game this season.

754: Ja’Marr Chase (754) has the most receiving yards through a player’s first seven career games in NFL history. He leads the NFL in yards per reception (21.5).

40: The Bengals have 40 tackles for loss this season, the most in the NFL.

3: The Bengals have not won three straight games in the same season since 2015.

32: The Jets rank 32nd in scoring offense (13.3 PPG) and rushing offense (72.0 YPG).

LOS ANGELES RAMS (6-1) at HOUSTON TEXANS (1-6)
1 p.m. ET on FOX

Matchup: This is the first matchup between the Rams and Texans since 2017. The Rams defeated Texans 33-7 in Week 10 that year.

7: Cooper Kupp (809 receiving yards, nine receiving touchdowns) is the first player in the Super Bowl era to reach 800-plus receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns in the first seven games of a season.

1: Kupp is leading the NFL in receptions (56), receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. Steve Smith in 2005 was the most recent player to lead the NFL in all three categories.

50: Sean McVay is seeking his 50th career regular-season win. He would be the fourth Rams head coach to reach 50-plus regular-season wins and the first since Mike Martz.

3-0: The Rams are 3-0 on the road this season.

3: Matthew Stafford is the only quarterback in the top three in passing yards (2,172), passing touchdowns (19) and passer rating (116.7).

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-5) at SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-5)
4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

Matchup: This is the first matchup between the Jaguars and Seahawks since 2017, when the Jaguars won 30-24.

2: The Jaguars have the fewest takeaways in the NFL (2).

4: The Seahawks have committed the fewest turnovers in the NFL (4).

12: The Jaguars are 0-12 in their past 12 nonconference games.

0-3: The Seahawks are 0-3 in home games this season. They have not started a season 0-4 at home since 1992.

20: The Seahawks have scored 20 or fewer points in three straight games for the first time since Weeks 11-13 of the 2014 season.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (3-4) at LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (4-2)
4:05 p.m. ET on CBS

Matchup: The Patriots have won six straight matchups against the Chargers and are 9-1 in their past 10 games against them. The Chargers' most recent win against the Patriots came in 2008.

4: Hunter Henry has a receiving touchdown in four straight games, the longest active streak in the NFL.

6: The Patriots rank sixth in scoring defense, allowing 20.0 PPG.

32: Chargers rank 32nd in rushing defense, allowing 162.5 YPG. They have allowed 208.5 rushing YPG the past two games.

38: In their first four games, the Chargers allowed 18.5 PPG. In their past two games, the Chargers have allowed 38.0 PPG.

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (2-5) at DENVER BRONCOS (3-4)
4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

Matchup: This is the first matchup between these two teams since Week 16 of the 2017 season, when Washington won 27-11.

56.9: Washington’s opponents are 58/102 (56.9%) on third-down conversion attempts this season, the highest opponent third-down conversion rate in the NFL.

19: Washington has allowed 19 passing touchdowns this season, the most in the NFL.

4: The Broncos are one of two teams (Panthers) to lose four straight games after starting 3-0 this season.

6: Teddy Bridgewater had no turnovers in the Broncos’ first three games (all wins) but has six in their past four games (all losses).

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (6-1) at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-2)
4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

Matchup: The Saints swept the Buccaneers in the regular season in 2020, but the Buccaneers defeated the Saints 30-20 in the NFC divisional round.

1: Tom Brady is leading the NFL in completions (203), passing yards (2,275) and passing touchdowns (21). Peyton Manning (2013) was the last quarterback to lead the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns in the same season.

67.4: The Buccaneers rank first in rushing defense, allowing only 67.4 rushing YPG.

5: Brady threw 12 interceptions in the 2020 regular season, and five of those 12 were in his two games against the Saints.

11: Including the 2021 playoffs, the Buccaneers are 10-1 in their past 11 road games.

80.8: The Saints rank third in rushing defense, allowing 80.8 YPG.

DALLAS COWBOYS (5-1, -2) at MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-3)
8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

Matchup: This is the third straight season in which the Cowboys and Vikings will play each other, with the teams splitting the past two matchups.

1: The Cowboys' offense ranks first in yards per play (6.6) and scoring offense (34.2 PPG).

35: Dallas has scored at least 35 points in four straight games for the first time since 2014.

7: Trevon Diggs leads the NFL with seven interceptions. With one more, he would be the first Cowboy to record eight in a season since Everson Walls (1985).

21: The Vikings have 21 sacks, tied for the most in the NFL.

5: Five of the Vikings’ six games this season have been decided by seven points or fewer.

65: Justin Jefferson has at least 65 receiving yards in nine straight games dating to last season, the longest active streak in NFL.

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-5) at KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (3-4)
8:15 p.m. ET Monday on ESPN

Matchup: This is the first matchup between the Giants and Chiefs since Week 11 of 2017, when the Giants won 12-9.

4: The Chiefs are 4-0 in their past four Monday games and 7-1 in their past eight, while the Giants are 0-4 in their past four Monday games and 1-6 in their past seven.

3: The Chiefs’ three-point output in their 27-3 loss to the Titans in Week 6 was their lowest total under coach Andy Reid. It was also their fewest points scored since Week 17 of 2012, when they lost 38-3 to the Broncos.

17: The Chiefs have committed 17 turnovers this season, the most in the NFL. They have now gone three straight games with at least three turnovers.

6: Patrick Mahomes has thrown an interception in six straight games for the first time in his career. His nine interceptions are tied for the most in the NFL this season (Zach Wilson). He threw 11 interceptions in the previous two seasons combined.

2-0: The Chiefs are 2-0 against the NFC East this season (WFT, PHI).

MILESTONES/STREAKS

Longest active winning streak: Green Bay Packers (seven)

Longest active losing streak: Lions (11)

Most career games with four-plus passing touchdowns: