Brian Flores outcoached Sean McVay once again, a Lamar Jackson interception proved costly, Joe Burrow continued his remarkable ascent and Dalvin Cook erupted against the Green Bay Packers; here's a look at what we learned in Week Eight...
Los Angeles Rams 17-28 Miami Dolphins
Are the Dolphins the best team in the AFC East? I think they might be (*ducks for cover*). On current form, they certainly are. We're learning more about this Miami outfit every week, one of those things being just how talented a head coach Brian Flores is. Having foiled Sean McVay and Jared Goff while calling the defensive plays for the New England Patriots at Super Bowl LIII, Flores used that as a blueprint on Sunday to frustrate the Rams quarterback, who threw the ball 61 times.
A blitz-heavy approach ultimately tested Goff and the Rams to go and beat him, to which they had no answer. All eyes had been on Tua Tagovailoa at the start of the day ahead of his first NFL start. By the end of it the attention was on a Dolphins defense that forced four first-half turnovers. Andrew Van Ginkel recovered the fumble from Emmanuel Ogbah's strip sack for a 78-yard touchdown return, Shaq Lawson's strip sack teed up Myles Gaskins' one-yard rushing score and Christian Wilkins and Eric Rowe both came up with interceptions. This is a good team. Cameron Hogwood
Up Next - Rams BYE WEE; Dolphins @ Cardinals (Sunday, 9.25pm)
New England Patriots 21-24 Buffalo Bills
For a very short period earlier this season, it looked like Cam Newton was going to be an effortless replacement for Tom Brady and the Patriots would continue to be the Patriots, but on Sunday Newton underlined that he may soon be a problem for New England.
Having stayed competitive throughout against the Bills, they were trailing by three with just over four minutes in hand, starting on their own 21-yard. Ideal Brady territory to win the game. 11 plays later they are within field goal range to level the game, back in the redzone with a chance to win it.
Newton tried to make the gain on the ground himself, but instead saw the ball punched out of his grasp as the Bills recovered to win the game. The Patriots have now lost four successive games during a season for the first time since 2002, sit behind Buffalo and Miami in the AFC East and may mischievously be starting to think about what QB prospect they most desire in the Draft. Paul Prenderville
Up Next - Patriots @ Jets (Tuesday, 1.15am), Bills v Seahawks (Sunday, 6pm)
Los Angeles Chargers 30-31 Denver Broncos
It may have taken three-and-a-half quarters but when the Denver Broncos offense finally woke up they did so in a big way. Phillip Lindsay sprang loose for a 55-yard touchdown run with six minutes left in the third quarter and that became the spark that ignited the offense.
It's been a tough season for quarterback Drew Lock, who suffered a rotator cuff injury just two games into the season and struggled against the Kansas City Chiefs last week in his second game back. But his play late on - including leading the Broncos on a 14-play, 81-yard drive for the game-winning touchdown as time expired - is exactly what Vic Fangio and John Elway were hoping they would get when they drafted him last year.
The Chargers meanwhile have major concerns on defense as they blew a 16-point+ lead for a record fourth straight game. Learn to see out games and this team has the personnel to reach the playoffs. Sonny Cohen
Up Next - Chargers v Raiders (Sunday, 9.05pm), Broncos @ Falcons (Sunday, 6pm)
New Orleans Saints 26-23 Chicago Bears (OT)
We learned that Chauncey Gardner-Johnson knows how to rub people up the wrong way. It wasn't quite Gervonta Davis' vicious knockout punch against Leo Santa Cruz on Saturday night, but Javon Wims threw two right hands at the Saints safety before all hell broke loose. That's the same Chauncey Gardner-Johnson that was punched by Saints receiver Michael Thomas in practice earlier this season. Wims, responding to Gardner-Johnson poking Anthony Miller in the eye, was subsequently ejected from what might prove his final game for some time.
As for the football, Matt Nagy invited further criticism of his play-calling as the Bears went punt, interception, punt, turnover on downs to begin the second half before falling short in overtime. There's only so long this Bears defense can continue to hold out for its offense. Cameron Hogwood
Up Next - Saints @ Buccaneers (Monday, 1.20am), Bears @ Titans (Sunday, 6pm)
Tennessee Titans 20-31 Cincinnati Bengals
While Joe Burrow turned in the sort of performance we are becoming accustomed to, the offensive line bucked the trend with a strong display. They gave up no sacks to the Titans on Sunday and usually gave Burrow plenty of time to throw. In crunch time the o-line led the way for an 11-play drive that burned 5.40 off the clock and put the win to bed.
Rookie wide receiver Tee Higgins had another impressive day as he posted six receptions for 78 yards. It is clear that the Bengals coaching staff want to get him involved, it being the fourth game in a row he has had at least one carry. Higgins has fit in nicely alongside Tyler Boyd and A.J. Green to give Burrow a solid receiver corps at his disposal. Sonny Cohen
Up Next - Titans v Bears (Sunday, 6pm), Bengals BYE WEEK
Minnesota Vikings 28-22 Green Bay Packers
Old problems came back to haunt the Green Bay Packers as Dalvin Cook ran all over the defense. He racked up 163 yards and three touchdowns on the ground and added two receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown.
Cook punctuated his monster performance with a 50-yard reception on a screen pass that saw him weave through traffic for the game-deciding score. The Vikings offense is a completely different proposition with him in the line-up, providing them with a do-everything back that can take the pressure off of Kirk Cousins.
The Vikings seemingly followed the game plan set by the San Francisco 49ers in last year's NFC Championship game. On that day Raheem Mostert had 29 carries for 220 yards and four touchdowns. If the Packers are going to make a run this postseason then they will need to fix that run defense. Sonny Cohen
Up Next - Vikings v Lions (Sunday, 6pm), Packers @ 49ers (Friday, 1.20am)
New York Jets 9-35 Kansas City Chiefs
This was a meeting between two teams at very different ends of the NFL scale - the reigning champions are a testament to roster-building, coaching and playing while the Jets appear to be the polar opposite of all three as they move to 0-8 for the second time in franchise history.
We know all that! However sometimes it's worth pausing to remember just how good Patrick Mahomes is, and Sunday was that day as the Super Bowl MVP went through his full repertoire.
He completed passes to 10 different receivers as he racked up 416 yards (31 of 42 attempts) and five touchdowns - including this underhand, flip to Travis Kelce, which took this writer at least three attempts to see what happened. Paul Prenderville.
Up Next - Jets v Patriots (Tuesday, 1.15am), Chiefs v Panthers (Sunday, 6pm)
Indianapolis Colts 41-21 Detroit Lions
This Colts team should sneak under the radar no more. This was a statement win of sorts, even though Detroit are only 3-4 on the season with defeat.
The Lions were coming in red-hot, having won three of their last four, and they raced out into an early 7-0 lead, only for Philip Rivers to respond with three unanswered touchdown passes before the half. Their dominant defense then took over after the interval, including a 29-yard pick six returned for a touchdown by Kenny Moore.
People have been slow to crown the Colts after they suffered a surprise opening day defeat to the Jaguars, but they now sit tied for the lead in the AFC South and are well in the playoff hunt. David Currie
Up Next - Colts v Ravens (Sunday, 6pm), Lions @ Vikings (Sunday, 6pm)
Las Vegas Raiders 16-6 Cleveland Browns
The full effect of the Odell Beckham Jr injury, good or bad, may not be felt until the Browns are back from their bye as the wind (rain, sleet and freezing temperatures) made this a tough affair to judge either team or their quarterbacks who combined for 49 attempts between them.
What was a surprise is that it was the Raiders' ground game that prevailed. The Browns have been dubbed the best backfield in the game, but shorn of the engine of Nick Chubb they were exposed as Kareem Hunt was largely bottled up and was supported by very little.
In contrast, Josh Jacobs had his first 100+ rushing game of the season and the Las Vegas defense was a more reliable proposition than its Browns counterpart. Paul Prenderville
Up Next - Raiders @ Chargers (Sunday, 9.05pm), Browns BYE WEEK
Dallas Cowboys 9-23 Philadelphia Eagles
Eeesh. This one was ugly!
Cowboys players and fans can perhaps take some comfort in that it wasn't the scoreline that was ugly like it has been the last two weeks in blowout defeats to Arizona and Washington. They were competitive - even leading at half-time. No, this was ugly just generally due to the bad play on show by both teams.
The Eagles did just enough, eventually romping clear in the second half, but not before they had committed four turnovers to keep the Cowboys interested, including two interceptions by Carson Wentz which now takes him up to a league-high 12. Ugly. David Currie
Up Next - Cowboys v Steelers (Sunday, 9.25pm), Eagles BYE WEEK
San Francisco 49ers 27-37 Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco's recent resurgence was brought crashing down to earth in Seattle by their most familiar of foes, the Seahawks.
This Seahawks D was on a record pace through the first seven weeks of the season - in a bad way - in terms of yards allowed, but they suddenly stepped up in a big way with the visit of the banged-up 49ers.
San Fran lost three more players during this one, with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo - who, admittedly, was playing poorly - as well as running back Tevin Coleman and star tight end George Kittle all limping out at some point in the second half.
Backup QB Nick Mullens tried his best to make the score respectable late on, but Russell Wilson (261 passing yards, four TDs) and D.K. Metcalf (12 catches, 161 yards, two TDs) had already done their damage by then. David Currie
Up Next - 49ers v Packers (Friday, 1.20am), Seahawks @ Bills (Sunday, 6pm)
Pittsburgh Steelers 28-24 Baltimore Ravens
As far as talent is concerned, this remains the best rivalry game in the NFL. There should be zero doubts about whether we'll see the Steelers and Ravens in the playoffs.
A number of factors decided this one. But it's difficult not to focus on Lamar Jackson, whose interception on the Ravens' first play of the second half was followed up by successive touchdown drives from the Steelers either side of a Baltimore three-and-out. The Ravens had rushed for 179 yards in the first half - why come out passing? In the end, it was a game-changer. As dedicated as John Harbaugh and Greg Roman are to developing Jackson as a passer, there was nothing wrong with playing to his biggest strength here.
For the Steelers, their frightening defense has playmakers in abundance. Robert Spillane returned a Jackson interception for a touchdown on the third play of the game before racking up a team-high 11 tackles, Stephon Tuitt came up with two sacks and Alex Highsmith was well-positioned for the momentum-swinging pick after the interval. A team worthy of its unbeaten start. Cameron Hogwood
Up Next - Steelers @ Cowboys (Sunday, 9.25pm), Ravens @ Colts (Sunday, 6pm)
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