NFL Week 8 Recap: The Two Sweetest Words in the English Language

VIKINGS LOSE!!!

I had said for a while that the Minnesota Vikings are flat out frauds. It's basically Kyler Murray and Justin Jefferson carrying a load, while only beating one real team entering this week (Packers in Week 1). People talk all this good stuff about the Vikings defense, but when you play teams like the Bears, Colts, Bucs, and Dolphins, any defense can look like the 1985 Bears. This week, they had the rival Detroit Lions. I knew the Lions would win. And guess what? I was right.

I am seriously tired of being right all the time.

The Lions won it, 19-15, handing the Vikings their first loss of the season, which means two things. One, for the 54th straight season, the surviving members of the 1972 Dolphins can pop the champagne; still the only perfect team in NFL history. Secondly, the Packers, who were victorious on Thursday, gain ground in the North. I said this would happen. The Vikings can't handle real teams. And it'll get worse for them, because after this, they host Buffalo (MNF), and then, they go to a place where many Vikings die: Lambeau.

On a serious note, many hopes and prayers to Jack Campbell, and I hope he'll be OK after that serious neck injury. I heard comparisons to Ryan Shazier from a few years back, oh man.

To me, for this week, the two sweetest words are "Vikings lose," but as Homer Simpson will tell you, the words are, "De-fault! De-fault! De-fault!" Based on what I've seen in the NFC East this week, that's pretty much how the Giants (who were idle this week) will win the division. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders are sputtering, yet there they were on Sunday Night Football (seriously, why have flex scheduling if you're not going to use it?!). As expected, the Commanders dominated the Eagles, who have now lost six straight and see their season dead with Hurts being among many players out.

The main problem is, of course, the Dallas Cowboys. On Sunday's early window, the Cowboys hosted the Arizona Cardinals, and they needed this. They led 17-3 early, and they had a 10 point lead just a hair before the last two minute warning. Cards made it a three point game, and after all Dallas could muster was another Brandon Aubrey FG, the Cards (led by Gardner Minshew) managed to go all the way with six seconds left. However, they missed the extra point. Tie game, on to OT. Cards had the ball first, went 3 and out. With OT now sudden death, Dallas had the ball, Dak gets sacked on third down. Cards ball, they get to FG range, and Chad Ryland wins it. The Cowboys, despite having two double digit leads, lost at home to a sputtering Cardinals team in OT.

Like I said: the Giants could win this division by default.

The Ravens are screwed, and like the Eagles, they did it to themselves. Lamar Jackson was back, until he wasn't. Thumb injury on his first play. It needs surgery. Done for the season, possibly done in Baltimore. Snoop Huntley was back in again, but once Lamar was out, I knew the Bills would win this, and boy did they. 36-10 was the final score; Bills improve to 6-1, and the Ravens' season ends on Dia de los Muertos. This allowed the Pittsburgh Steelers to capitalize and get a big win over the Cleveland Browns, 27-6, to take over first place in the AFC North, and it looks like they could stay there.

Elsewhere in the early window, the Jacksonville Jaguars beat down the hapless Indianapolis Colts, 42-7, to increase their AFC South stranglehold. The Raiders snapped a three-game losing streak with their high-scoring 38-33 win over the Jets. The Buccaneers shut out the Falcons, 16-0, in a game where the Bucs had no completed passes. Dead serious. And finally, the Bengals won a thrilling OT shootout, 43-36, over the Tennessee Titans, and Joe Burrow had one hell of a day! For the first time this season, let's go to the fantasy numbers for this one!

It's been a while since I mentioned fantasy scoring, but here's how it goes for QBs. It's one point per every 25 passing yards, so it's either PY (Passing Yards)/25 or (PY * 4)/100 for the total in that regard. Passing TDs are 4 points each, but interceptions are a one point deduction. Rushing scoring rules also apply; one point per every 10 rushing yards--RuY (Rushing Yards)/10 or RuY(0.1), and rushing TDs are six points each. Burrow's stats:

462 passing yards = 18.48 points

5 passing TDs = 20 points

3 interceptions = -3 points

10 rushing yards = 1 point

1 rushing touchdown = 6 points

Burrow's fantasy score: 42.48 points! WOWZA!

The true game of the week ended up being the AFC West battle between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos, a rematch from Week 1, which saw the Broncos trounced in Arrowhead. This time, it was closer and came down to the wire, with the Broncos having a chance after Harrison Butker missed yet another field goal. Denver went all the way, but KC had one last chance. Goal to go. Fourth down, four seconds left. False start penalty negated a game winning touchdown. Repeat of fourth down saw Mahomes sacked. Broncos win it 28-24 and take over the AFC West lead, while Chiefs fans do the most ironic thing: complain about officiating.

Elsewhere, in the late window, the battle of LA went the Rams way, winning 26-9 and putting them at .500, while the Chargers dropped to 0-7. The Patriots easily defeated the Dolphins, and on Monday Night Football, the Bears trounced the Seahawks 34-17. Bears are 6-2, a half game behind Minnesota. If Seattle had actually done their jobs, we'd be in third place via tiebreaker. But of course, you can't trust a team who has nothing but a kicker. I told people that the Seahawks would miss the playoffs. They're 4-4 and well behind the playoff line. Like I said, I'm tired of being right all the time.

Week 9, the first full week in the month of November, begins with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens facing off on Thursday Night Football; a bittersweet game in such a spot due to the situation with Lamar. And we have an early international game, as the Atlanta Falcons and the Cincinnati Bengals will battle it out in Madrid. On Sunday Night Football, it's the Chicago Bears hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and on Monday Night Football, the Minnesota Vikings host the Buffalo Bills.

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Check out my story about Week 8's Thursday Night Football contest!