Week 8 was a wild one in the NFL on Sunday. Almost a half-dozen quarterbacks were replaced due to either injury or performance, the Dolphins rolled over the Patriots again, the Panthers got their first victory of the season, and Will Levis chucked four deep touchdowns in his first career game for the Titans. And that doesn’t even account for half of it.
Relive some of Week 8’s biggest stories with our roundup of the latest winners and losers:
Winner: Will Levis
The Titans turned to their second-round rookie in place of an injured Ryan Tannehill against the Falcons, and just like that, it’s possible the starting job is Levis’ to lose. The Kentucky product chucked deep shot after deep shot, unlocking DeAndre Hopkins as a downfield threat, en route to four touchdowns and the most promising win by Tennessee in a long time.
Touchdown favorites in Denver two weeks after silencing Russell Wilson and Sean Payton in prime time, the reigning Super Bowl champions fell to the Broncos for the first time since Peyton Manning wore blue and orange. And it wasn’t pretty, either, with Patrick Mahomes tossing two ugly picks. K.C. is still 6-2, but it’s been harder than usual for the offense to move.
It’s not that Seattle is cruising. It’s just that the rest of the NFC West is falling apart. The 49ers have now dropped three straight and have some growing concerns at the most important position in sports (more on that below). And the Rams just got embarrassed by the Cowboys while losing Matthew Stafford to a throwing-hand injury.
The second-year phenom is quickly losing the “phenom” label for his crunch-time results, or lack thereof. While Purdy opened 2023 with the same poise that marked his improbable 2022 debut, he’s suddenly building a reputation as a late-game turnover magnet, and his two picks against the Bengals were a big reason San Francisco’s 5-3 after a 5-0 start.
The Saints may not inspire a ton of confidence with the ball in their hands, but this guy should. Any time Derek Carr has chucked it up in his direction, the second-year wideout has put a highlight on tape. Shaheed topped 150 yards on just three catches to help New Orleans past the Colts, and he’s easily averaging more than 16 yards per reception early in his big-play career.
When has a road win over the Packers felt so deflating for this group? Minnesota is definitely on the rise, now 4-4 after a third straight win Sunday. But all hope for a wild card push seemed to vanish upon news that Kirk Cousins suffered a likely Achilles tear in the victory. Where do they go from here? Lean into the rebuild? Desperately scramble for QB help? Such misfortune.
The No. 1 pick has struggled to elevate the Panthers for much of 2023, and plenty of his early critics were looking forward to watching Texans rookie C.J. Stroud run away with a victory on Sunday. Instead, Young delivered veteran-level throws in a close game to give Carolina its first “W” of the season. That’ll build confidence right there.
You somehow manage to hold a late fourth-quarter lead against the Jets and their vaunted defense even after losing Tyrod Taylor to injury? Solid. You then proceed to forfeit said lead and lose to Zach Wilson in overtime? Not solid. Brian Daboll’s squad was already ailing, barely beating the Commanders a week ago. But to squander a very winnable one this time out still hurts.
Speaking of the NFC East, the Commanders may not be ready to contend. But they at least briefly scared the Eagles for the second time this season, and the second-year QB was once again chiefly responsible for it. On a day A.J. Brown dominated the stat sheet for Philly, Howell was just as lethal, approaching 400 yards and four scores against the Eagles’ opportunistic “D.”
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Author: Cody Benjamin
October 29, 2023 | 8:20 pm
