National Football League

NFL Week 8: Predictions, analysis, key matchups and stats for every game

Updated Oct. 28, 2022 6:01 p.m. ET

With the trade deadline looming next week, Week 8 of the NFL season will help several surprise teams determine if they're contending … or just pretending.

FOX Sports' staff of NFL reporters has you covered from top to bottom. We'll tell you what to expect, who to watch, which numbers to be aware of — and predict the outcome of each game.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Denver Broncos (2-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) (ESPN+, 9:30 a.m. ET)

Overview: This London matchup features two struggling teams on four-game losing streaks. For the Broncos, it has nothing to do with their defense, which ranks in the NFL’s top five in points allowed, third-down efficiency and red-zone efficiency. It has everything to do with an offense that is not improving. Denver has the worst scoring and red-zone offense and sits second-worst in third-down efficiency. Broncos coach Nathaniel Hackett said quarterback Russell Wilson is "trending" toward returning for Week 8 after being sidelined last Sunday with a hamstring injury. Whether he plays or not in London, the offense needs to find enough to keep the team's season from spiraling further into disaster.

The Jaguars don't know how to finish games, and that came to a head again in their 23-17 home loss to the New York Giants. Receiver Christian Kirk was downed a yard short of the game-tying touchdown (and game-winning PAT) as time expired. All of Jacksonville's losses have come by eight points or fewer. A positive? Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars offense are posting big yardage. On the flip side, the defense — a stout unit to begin the year — has given up an average of 28.5 points and 435 yards per game in the past two weeks.

Matchup to watch: Jaguars OTs Cam Robinson, Jawaan Taylor vs. Broncos LB Bradley Chubb, edge depth

Denver is one of the best teams in the league at getting to the quarterback. It has pressured opposing QBs on 26.3% of dropbacks, fourth in the NFL. Getting after Lawrence and forcing him into bad throws is the Broncos' best chance of winning this game, considering their offensive woes. But they'll have to find a way to do so without tons of help on the edge for Chubb, the team’s sack leader (5.5). Baron Browning, second on the team in sacks, is reportedly expected to miss several weeks with a hamstring injury. Randy Gregory is on injured reserve.

Key stats: The Broncos offense ranks 32nd in scoring offense (14.3 PPG) while their defense is first in yards allowed per play (4.5).

Prediction: The Jaguars snap their four-game skid. The Broncos haven't provided any reason for optimism offensively. Even if Wilson plays, he could be limited — and he was playing poorly before the injury anyway. A weakened defense does nothing to improve Denver's chances of winning this game.

Jaguars 18, Broncos 15 –Ben Arthur

Carolina Panthers (2-5) at Atlanta Falcons (3-4) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: It's hard to imagine there will be a bigger shocker in this NFL season than what the Panthers did last Sunday, crushing Tom Brady and the Bucs 21-3 with third-stringer P.J. Walker at quarterback, an interim coach at the helm and just days after they traded their best player in RB Christian McCaffrey. Yes, the Bucs are a mess, but was that just an anomaly or a sign that the Panthers found some kind of weird spark? It might be better to bet on the anomaly since the Panthers were barely even competitive in the previous three weeks.

The Falcons have been competitive all season long, except when Cincinnati QB Joe Burrow lit them up through the air last week. That doesn't feel like something Walker will do.

Matchup to watch: Falcons CB Darren Hall vs. Panthers WR D.J. Moore

Moore is the Panthers passing game, especially with McCaffrey and WR Robbie Anderson gone. No other receiver on their roster has more than eight catches on the season (Shi Smith). Since the key to beating Atlanta is to throw the ball — and figuring the Panthers might want to showcase Moore ahead of the Nov. 1 trade deadline — this matchup is huge. The Falcons might be missing injured corners A.J. Terrell and Dee Alford. But Hall has been outstanding in coverage this season. If he shuts down Moore, this could be an easy game.

Key stats: The Falcons rank 32nd in passing defense (allowing 306.6 Pass YPG). That's how you beat them. They give up only 100 yards per game on the ground (fifth-best in the league). They have allowed up an average of 329 passing yards in their four losses, and 276.7 in their three wins. But here's the problem: The Panthers average 169.7 passing yards per game. Walker has thrown for a total of 237 yards in his two starts.

Prediction: Beating the Bucs was a nice surprise, but to believe the Panthers are capable of winning two straight would be to admit they're better off without McCaffrey and Anderson and with a third-stringer at quarterback. That's a really hard sell on a team that wasn't very good when it had all its pieces in place. The Falcons aren't the Bucs, but they've done a remarkable job of slowly outmuscling teams all season long. They run the ball well and they stop the ball well, and that's a great formula against all but the most explosive passing teams. So unless Walker and Moore can magically become explosive, expect the Panthers' bubble to burst and the Falcons to continue doing what they do best — forcing opponents into tight games. They should win this one.

Falcons 20, Panthers 13 –Ralph Vacchiano

Chicago Bears (3-4) at Dallas Cowboys (5-2) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: This game looks a bit more interesting than it did even a few days ago. The Bears came out of a long weekend and played their best game of the season against New England on Monday night, trouncing the Patriots by forcing four takeaways and finding their best offensive balance of the year.

Justin Fields and the Bears offense need to keep that rolling if they're going to maintain the success against the Cowboys. The Dallas defense rebounded from a loss to Philadelphia by getting back to what has worked: terrorizing the quarterback and forcing turnovers.

With Dak Prescott back from injury, this Cowboys team will present a heck of a test to determine whether the Bears have actually made progress, or if that big win in Foxborough was just a one-off.

Should you be impressed with Dak Prescott's return?

David Helman discusses the return of Dak Prescott to the Cowboys' starting lineup, saying Dak did everything he needed to do in his return to take home the win.

Matchup to watch: Dallas pass rush vs. Chicago offensive line

As we've said before, this could be the key matchup of every game the Cowboys play. Largely thanks to Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, this Dallas pass rush is good enough to overwhelm the vast majority of its opponents.

Chicago is a special case, though. The Bears offensive line is notoriously bad, having allowed an NFL-worst 27 sacks through seven games, while the Cowboys lead the league with 29 sacks on the year.

Two of the Bears' three wins have come when they allowed four and five sacks, respectively, so it's not impossible. But Fields has often struggled finding receivers downfield when flustered by the pass rush. If the Cowboys can get to him consistently, it will go a long way toward limiting Chicago's ability to move the ball.

Key stats: The Bears lead the NFL in rushing offense (181.0 rush YPG), which has been a problem spot for the Cowboys throughout the season. Dallas ranks second in scoring defense, allowing 14.9 PPG.

Prediction: The Bears' ability to run the ball makes this interesting. They are great at the one thing the Cowboys struggle with, which could be an interesting wrinkle in this game.

Unfortunately for Chicago, Prescott is back and should be able to get points on the scoreboard. If Dallas can get out to a lead and force Fields to pass, it's going to be open season for Parsons and the Cowboys' pass rushers. At the end of the day, that sounds like a strategy for the Cowboys to pull away after halftime — even if the Bears hang with them for a while.

Cowboys 27, Bears 14 –David Helman

Miami Dolphins (4-3) at Detroit Lions (1-5) (CBS, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Lions don't feel like a 1-5 team. They suffered each of their first four losses by four points or fewer. It seemed like, maybe, they'd stay relevant if they could just get over their late-game hump. But alas, Detroit has been a mess in the past two weeks, with the offense putting up just six points total against the Patriots and Cowboys. So it's about time for the Lions to show up. Can Jared Goff get back to his early-season form when he was lighting up defenses? Or will the defense, worst in points and yards allowed, ruin everything?

Certainly, Tua Tagovailoa will be pleased to see the Detroit defense on Sunday. He looked rusty in Week 7 — and that's being generous. His stat line looked clean, but he nearly threw four interceptions against the Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, which kindly dropped every single opportunity. The Dolphins are trying to find the qualities that helped them win three straight games to start the season (rather than the ones that defined their three-game losing streak from Weeks 4 to 6). The Lions, as feisty as they can be, are likely to be a good punching bag for Mike McDaniel's squad.

Matchup to watch: Dolphins LB Jerome Baker vs. Lions RB D'Andre Swift (or Jamaal Williams)

It's unclear whether Swift will be healthy enough to play this weekend, but Detroit's starting RB — whoever it may be — will be key to their success as an offense. Meanwhile, the Dolphins will be without their leading tackler, safety Brandon Jones, who suffered an ACL injury last week and is out for the year. It's time for Baker to step up and solidify the center of that defense.

Key stats: Tagovailoa is 10-2 in his past 12 starts, dating back to last season. The Lions are 0-8-1 in their past nine nonconference games.

Prediction: Sorry, Detroit. I don't think you stand a chance in this one. The Dolphins are taking the Lions seriously. And I think Tua is poised to start putting up big numbers.

Miami 28, Lions 13 –Henry McKenna

Arizona Cardinals (3-4) at Minnesota Vikings (5-1) (FOX, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: We aren't talking enough about the Vikings. They've hit their power rankings high of third in this week’s list and are settling into their new system while simultaneously winning games. They're coming off their bye week to face a Cardinals team that turned in a dominant performance against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football and are coming off a mini-bye week of their own.

Quarterback Kyler Murray looked like a new player with his buddy DeAndre Hopkins returning to the lineup. Hopkins caught 10 of 14 targets for 103 yards in his first game back and will likely only build upon that this coming weekend.

However, the Vikings have an elite receiver of their own in Justin Jefferson, and I'm not sure Arizona has the secondary to contend with him. Minnesota cornerback Patrick Peterson will be facing the team that drafted him just as he's seeing an uptick in his own performance this late in his career.

Arizona also comes to town having never won in Minnesota, going 0-10 there. However, the Cardinals have won 10 of their past 12 regular-season road games.

Matchup to watch: Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins vs. Vikings CBs Patrick Peterson/Cam Dantzler

If you know Murray relies so heavily on Hopkins, the first order of business should be to take Hopkins away, plain and simple.

Key stats: Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has won four straight starts. He has never won five straight starts in his career, and a win would push the Vikings to 6-1 for the first time since 2009.

Prediction: Minnesota is coming off a bye and gets to stay home. You have to think with the time off, coach Kevin O'Connell has been able to get even more kinks worked out. He has shown he can adjust week in and week out, as well as in games themselves. Who knows what he can do with 13 days off?

Vikings 27, Cardinals 21 –Carmen Vitali

Las Vegas Raiders (2-4) at New Orleans Saints (2-5) (CBS, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Raiders travel to the Big Easy in search of a second win in a row after taking care of the Houston Texans last week. Running back Josh Jacobs was the catalyst offensively for Las Vegas, rumbling for 143 rushing yards and three scores.

Meanwhile, the Saints look to get back on track after a disappointing road loss to the Cardinals. Quarterback Andy Dalton threw three interceptions in that game, including two returned for scores. However, even with Jameis Winston healthy, Dalton will still be the guy under center for New Orleans. The Saints have committed 16 turnovers this season (most in NFL) and have the worst turnover differential (minus-10) in the league.

Matchup to watch: Raiders TE Darren Waller vs. New Orleans secondary

In the last meeting between these two teams, Waller finished with 12 catches for 105 yards and a score in a 34-24 win for Las Vegas two years ago. The talented tight end is working his way back from a hamstring injury but has a chance to play this weekend.

New Orleans is banged up in the secondary. Top cornerback Marshon Lattimore is dealing with an abdomen injury and did not play last week. Cornerback Paulson Adebo was limited during practice this week with a knee injury, and defensive back Bradley Roby was put on the injured reserve list with an ankle injury suffered against Arizona. The Saints are giving up nearly 29 points a contest. Only the Detroit Lions' defense allows more per game (32.3).

Key stat: With a loss, the Saints would be off to their worst eight-game start to a season since 2005 (started 2-6, finished 3-13).

Prediction: Saints coach Dennis Allen faces his former team in the Raiders, so perhaps that provides some extra motivation for New Orleans. However, it's difficult to see the Saints slowing down the Raiders from running the football with Jacobs, along with playmakers like Davante Adams, Hunter Renfrow and Waller in the passing game.

Raiders 30, Saints 27 –Eric D. Williams

New England Patriots (3-4) at New York Jets (5-2) (CBS, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: There hasn't been a Patriots-Jets matchup with this level of stakes in years. In fact, the last time the Jets entered a game with the Patriots as the team with the better record was Week 12 of the 2001 season. New York looks like the better team through seven weeks this season, and it can cement its advantage over New England with a win on Sunday.

The Patriots are managing a quarterback controversy. After Mac Jones missed three weeks with an ankle injury, he returned for the first quarter of Week 7. But when Bill Belichick pulled Jones after an interception, it seemed the coach was benching his starter in favor of Bailey Zappe. Apparently, it wasn't what it looked like; Belichick was merely managing Jones' health in his return. Jones got most of the first-team reps in practice on Wednesday, signaling that he’ll start on Sunday. His performance will be crucially important because New England is surely short on confidence after a blowout loss to the lowly Chicago Bears.

Mac Jones or Bailey Zappe: Which QB is the answer for Patriots?

Bill Belichick seems unwilling to commit to either passer, leaving Craig Carton and Greg Jennings to weigh the two against each other.

The Jets have a quarterback problem of their own, but unlike New England, New York has been able to mask Zach Wilson's shortcomings with a supporting cast on offense and an excellent defense. That has been the Jets' recipe for success this year. Belichick has made a habit of drawing out the worst in Wilson, so the young QB will have to keep his mistakes to a minimum, which — in Wilson's defense — he has done this season. He has one passing touchdown, one rushing touchdown, two interceptions and no fumbles.

Matchup to watch: Jets CB Sauce Gardner vs. Patriots WR DeVante Parker

Gardner won the AFC Defensive Player of the Week after a sensational shutdown performance against Denver’s Courtland Sutton. There was some controversy, with some folks feeling the officials missed a few defensive pass-interference calls. But no flags, no problems for Gardner. He's likely to see all the Patriots receivers, but I look forward to watching his matchup against Parker, who has been a jump-ball threat for New England, along with rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton, who has proven a dangerous speed threat.

Key stats: The Patriots have won 12 straight matchups against the Jets, tied for the second-longest active winning streak by one team against a single opponent (the Eagles have beaten the Jets 12 straight times, and the Chiefs have beaten the Broncos 13 straight times).

The Patriots have lost three straight regular-season divisional games, dating back to last season. New England has never lost four straight games against the AFC East under Belichick (since 2000).

Prediction: With a win, the Jets would finish 5-0 in October. They have not gone 5-0 in a calendar month since November 1981. But I believe these two teams are pretty close to equal, despite their records. I'll give this one to the Jets, if only because they have homefield advantage.

Jets 26, Patriots 24 –Henry McKenna

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) (CBS, 1 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Eagles are well-rested, coming off their bye, but don't count on much of a letdown against a Steelers team that has lost five of six and is starting a rookie quarterback in Kenny Pickett. The Eagles' leadership seems too good to let that happen. Also, the Steelers don't look like the kind of team that can knock them off. The Eagles can score. In fact, they've become known for building big leads and then shutting down in the second half.

The problem with the Steelers is that they're not good enough on offense to mount a comeback against a defense as strong as the Eagles’. Pittsburgh is going to need to start fast. But take it from the Jaguars, who had a 14-0 lead in Philadelphia and ended up losing 29-21 in Week 4, neither getting that lead nor keeping it in Philly is easy to do.

Matchup to watch: Steelers WRs (Diontae Johnson, George Pickens, Chase Claypool) vs. Eagles CBs (Darius Slay, James Bradberry, Avonte Maddox)

Let's face it: If the Steelers are going to win the game, their passing offense is going to have to get in gear, and Pickett — who has two touchdown passes and seven interceptions in his four games — will need all the help he can get. The Steelers' trio of receivers is pretty good. But the Eagles' trio of corners might be the best in the league. Johnson, Pickens and Claypool will have to get open consistently for their rookie quarterback, and getting open is not something any team has been able to do consistently against the Eagles.

Key stats: The Eagles have committed only two turnovers this season (the fewest in NFL) and have the best turnover differential (plus-12). Nothing predicts who will win a game quite like the turnover ratio. The Eagles have done a great job on both sides of the ball. Facing a rookie quarterback, that could be a very big advantage.

Prediction: There's always a chance for a post-bye letdown, especially for a team that seems to know it's currently the best in football. But the fact that the Eagles are home and playing a bad team led by a rookie quarterback would seem to make that letdown a lot less likely. The Eagles do everything well: They throw, they run, they play defense. They are very likely to come out full-speed and take an early lead, just like they have in most of their games. Someday this season their penchant for second-half letdowns will cost them. There are good teams on their schedule that will make them pay for their inability to put the game away. But the Steelers are likely not one of those teams.

Eagles 27, Steelers 16 –Ralph Vacchiano

Tennessee Titans (4-2) at Houston Texans (1-4-1) (CBS, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Titans, one of the hottest teams in the league, and the Texans, the league's worst team, meet for the first time this season. Tennessee hasn't played pretty, but it has clawed its way to four straight wins. It beat Indianapolis last Sunday without scoring an offensive touchdown to remain atop the AFC South. While the Titans offense as a whole has been inconsistent, Derrick Henry has found his rhythm (three straight games of at least 100 rushing yards), and the defense has a penchant for delivering in big moments.

Despite the loss last week to the Raiders, the Texans can build off an impressive performance by quarterback Davis Mills and the offense. Mills had his best game of the season through three quarters, pacing an offense that put up a season-high 404 yards. But run defense continues to be an Achilles’ heel for Houston. It gave up 143 rushing yards and three touchdowns to Las Vegas' Josh Jacobs, who averaged more than seven yards per carry. Plus, starting defensive lineman Jonathan Greenard is reportedly headed to injured reserve, a major blow to the Texans' defensive front.

Matchup to watch: Titans RB Derrick Henry vs. Texans front

Henry has given the Texans nightmares in recent years, with more than 200 rushing yards in each of his past three meetings against them. And he's poised for another monster performance Sunday. The Texans are allowing a league-high 164.7 rushing yards per game.

Key stat: The Titans are 15-3 in their past 18 divisional games.

Prediction: I think the Texans stun the Titans at home for their second win of the season. Houston played Tennessee tough last season, stealing a win in Nashville. We know how tough division games can be. And we've seen in the past the Titans’ propensity to play to the level of their opponent.

Texans 28, Titans 26 –Ben Arthur

Washington Commanders (3-4) at Indianapolis Colts (3-3-1) (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Overview: The big story in this matchup: It’s the first career start for Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger, the 2021 sixth-round pick tasked with saving Indianapolis' season — and quite possibly the jobs of coach Frank Reich and general manager Chris Ballard. Ehlinger replaces veteran Matt Ryan, who has a shoulder injury that will keep him out this week, but Reich made clear that Ehlinger is the QB1 for the rest of the year. The Colts' offensive success in Week 6 against the Jaguars appeared to be an outlier. Their disappointing O-line was overwhelmed (again) in a key division loss to the Titans last week.

Taylor Heinicke will get his second straight start for the Commanders at quarterback following Carson Wentz's placement on IR on Oct. 22. Washington got a big win over the struggling Packers last week, but can it build on that? The Commanders rank 25th in scoring, are tied for 22nd in red-zone efficiency and tied for 20th in third-down efficiency. Washington has had a banged-up offense this season, at the skill positions and center.

Matchup to watch: Colts O-line vs. Commanders defensive front

After missing the previous two games, star running back Jonathan Taylor looked like his old self against Tennessee with a limited workload (10 carries for 58 yards). With a green quarterback, Indianapolis will need to lean on him more than ever offensively. The Colts have scored only two rushing touchdowns this season (tied for fewest in the NFL). What remains to be seen is if the Indianapolis offensive line will be able to run block adequately for Taylor against Washington’s strong defensive front, or pass protect well enough for Ehlinger to find any ounce of comfort.

Key stats: Ehlinger will be the eighth different QB to start a game for the Colts since the start of the 2017 season (Scott Tolzien, Jacoby Brissett, Andrew Luck, Brian Hoyer, Philip Rivers, Wentz, Ryan). The Colts have a minus-7 turnover differential this season (second-worst in NFL), after leading the league with a plus-14 turnover differential in 2021.

Prediction: The Commanders reach .500. Ehlinger's mobility could change the outlook of the Colts offense, and maybe he does some good things. But a guy who hasn’t thrown an NFL pass turning out to be the savior for Indianapolis feels far-fetched. Washington figures to rattle Ehlinger with its strong pass rush. Heinicke is also an experienced backup, better suited to lead his team to victory.

Commanders 27, Colts 18 –Ben Arthur

San Francisco 49ers (3-4) at Los Angeles Rams (3-3) (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Overview: Sean McVay will get his first look at do-everything running back Christian McCaffrey in a San Francisco uniform when the Rams host their NFC West rivals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. The L.A. coach's reaction when learning the Rams lost out to the 49ers in the chase for McCaffrey? "Oh s---, they got another great player," McVay told reporters this week.

Niners coach Kyle Shanahan has McVay's number, as San Francisco has won seven straight regular-season games against Los Angeles, including a 24-9 victory at Levi's Stadium in Week 4. However, the Rams are coming off their bye week, and likely will have a couple players returning from injury available in Pro Bowl center Brian Allen, cornerback Troy Hill and speedy receiver Van Jefferson.

Matchup to watch: Rams LT Alaric Jackson vs. 49ers edge rusher Nick Bosa

The Rams struggled to block San Francisco's potent pass rush in the earlier matchup, with the 49ers sacking Matthew Stafford seven times. Bosa and Samson Ebukam led San Francisco with two sacks each in that matchup.

However, the Rams moved Jackson from right guard to left tackle after losing starter Joe Noteboom for the season due to an Achilles tendon tear. So far, Jackson has held up well. The Rams believe Jackson could be a long-term answer at the position after losing Andrew Whitworth to retirement following the team's Super Bowl victory.

Key stat: The 49ers have allowed more points in their past two games (72) than they allowed in their first five games combined (61).

Prediction: The Rams are desperate to prove that they can compete against San Francisco after losing convincingly on the road earlier this year. McVay's Rams are 3-2 after the bye week since he's been in Los Angeles. However, the Rams have one of the worst rushing offenses in football and likely will struggle to get the ground game going against one of the better run defenses in the league. And offensively, the 49ers will be tough to contain with George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and McCaffrey.

49ers 25, Rams 23 –Eric D. Williams

New York Giants (6-1) at Seattle Seahawks (4-3) (FOX, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Overview: It's the battle of the NFL's most amazing reclamation projects. The Giants have pulled themselves out of the ashes of the past decade and gotten off to a 6-1 start. And the Seahawks have surprised the league with Geno Smith, who has gone from a punchline and career backup to what sure looks like a Pro Bowl-bound QB. Smith and rookie RB Kenneth Walker III have the Seahawks offense rolling, averaging 34 points per game over the past four weeks. Walker could be a difference-maker in this game since the Giants' biggest vulnerability is their inability to stop the run. Of course, the Seahawks defense can't stop the run either, which could be good news for Saquon Barkley.

Matchup to watch: Giants RB Saquon Barkley vs. the Seahawks linebackers

Barkley leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage, and the Giants are committed to leaning on him no matter what. Even last week, when he had 38 rushing yards through the first three quarters, they kept going to him until he wore the Jaguars defense down. He ended up with 110 yards. He's also at his most dangerous when he's out in space, where he has an uncanny ability to make linebackers look silly. Seattle should look at this game in a simple way: Stop Saquon and the Seahawks have a chance to win. Don't, and the Giants might just grind them down like they've done to everyone else.

Herd Hierarchy: Bengals, Giants climb in Colin's Top 10

Colin Cowherd shares his Top 10 NFL teams heading into Week 8, including the New York Giants.

Key stats: The Giants are the second team in NFL history to start 6-1 or better with each of their first seven games decided by one possession (eight points or fewer), joining the 1988 Saints. This is New York’s formula: Keep it close, then win it in the fourth quarter. The Giants do it with a grinding ground game and a quarterback who has been remarkably clutch in the fourth quarter.

Prediction: Figure the over/under on rushing yards in this game will be about 300, because both teams live on the ground. The Giants just live there a little more. Their whole offense is geared around the running power of Barkley and QB Daniel Jones, mostly because they know they don't have the receivers to sustain much of a passing attack.

The Seahawks have a better passing attack, but star WR DK Metcalf is questionable with a patellar tendon injury. So they may have to grind this game out, too. That's not a bad strategy playing in Seattle, one of the toughest places to play on the road in the NFL. But that's also just playing into the Giants' hands. They want physical, grinding games, not shootouts. They want games to come down to the fourth quarter. And at this point, it's hard to bet against them when they do.

Giants 23, Seahawks 20 –Ralph Vacchiano

Green Bay Packers (3-4) at Buffalo Bills (5-1) (NBC, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Overview: Aaron Rodgers fired off comments about a need for a changing of the guard among the offensive skill players. It seems he's not happy with the players he's throwing to. And it couldn't be at a worse time, when Rodgers seems closer and closer to retirement every offseason. So while the Packers have a secondary that has allowed the fewest passing yards per game, they also have an offense that cannot score points.

Buffalo, meanwhile, is the picture of functionality. They are fresh off a bye, which might help with their injury issues that plagued them to start the season. And Josh Allen is coming off a quarterback duel against Patrick Mahomes, during which the Bills quarterback upstaged his rival. Buffalo has to be pleased with where it's at on both sides of the ball. Because while Allen has been unstoppable, the defensive unit has been arguably better. It’s the top-ranked defense in DVOA, per Football Outsiders.

Matchup to watch: Packers CB Jaire Alexander vs. Bills WR Stefon Diggs

The Bills are throwing for the most passing yards per game. The Packers are allowing the fewest. Alexander is the No. 1 corner in Green Bay. Diggs is the No. 1 receiver in Buffalo. There really isn't a more intriguing option in the NFL this week.

Key stats: The Packers have never won in Buffalo (0-6 all time). Green Bay has lost three straight games for the first time since 2018. The Packers have not lost four straight games since 2016.

With a win, the Bills would be 6-1 for the first time since 1993. They are 7-0 in their past seven games following a bye.

Prediction: The Packers are in need of a trade or two to stay relevant. And their quarterback — and coach — are willing to openly admit it. The Bills are a super team.

Bills 30, Packers 20 –Henry McKenna

Monday, Oct. 31

Cincinnati Bengals (4-3) at Cleveland Browns (2-5) (ESPN, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Overview: The Bengals are a top-five offense in passing yards and the Browns are a top-three unit in rushing offense. That tells the tale of their two identities.

Cincinnati appears to have shaken its early-season rust. In a 35-17 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow finished with 481 passing yards and three touchdown passes. He has come a long way since Week 1, when he threw four interceptions and sunk his team against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bengals also have the eighth-best defense in points allowed and 11th-best in yards allowed. Their slow start has concealed the fact that they are, once again, among the best teams in the league.

As well as Cleveland has run the ball, the Browns haven't been able to win games on that alone. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been more or less what we expected: replacement-level. He has struggled to elevate the passing attack. The bigger problem is the defense. The Browns are allowing the fourth-most points per game (26.6). They simply don't have a good enough passing attack to keep pace in a high-scoring game.

Matchup to watch: Bengals LB Germaine Pratt vs. Browns RB Nick Chubb

Pratt leads the Bengals with 50 tackles and figures to be influential in keeping Chubb in check. Pratt and linebacker Logan Wilson should be the Bengals' answer for the Browns' rushing attack with Chubb and Kareem Hunt. But Chubb is the NFL's leading rusher in yards (740) and touchdowns (8). There has yet to be a team that has really shut him down.

Key stat: Four of the Browns' five losses this season have been by three points or fewer.

Prediction: The battle for Ohio will go pretty much how you'd expect. The Browns will spend the game chasing the Bengals and Cincinnati will protect its lead with help from Burrow.

Bengals 31, Browns 23 –Henry McKenna

FOX Sports’ Week 8 NFL preview was compiled by:

AFC South reporter Ben Arthur (@benyarthur)
AFC East reporter Henry McKenna (@McKennAnalysis)
NFC West reporter Eric D. Williams (@eric_d_williams)
NFC East reporter Ralph Vacchiano (@RalphVacchiano)
NFC North reporter Carmen Vitali (@CarmieV)
Dallas Cowboys reporter David Helman (@davidhelman_)