5 Bold Predictions for Week 8 of the NFL Season
TJ Inman
Host · Writer
The calendar has turned to October, and the weather is turning a bit chillier, but the action in the NFL is just heating up! Here are five bold predictions about what the headlines will be after this week’s slate.
1. Atlanta Falcons Deliver Knockout Blow to Mike McDaniel’s Tenure
Michael Penix is inconsistent, and when he plays poorly, it looks really ugly. The Atlanta Falcons have had a hard time staying competitive. Thankfully for the Dirty Birds, Bijan Robinson will be suiting up this weekend, and they’ll be playing the woeful Miami Dolphins. Mike McDaniel‘s increasingly bizarre tenure will come to an end this weekend after the Falcons hand his team another blowout loss. Tua Tagovailoa could get benched, but it won’t make a difference either way as the Dolphins fail to slow down the Falcons, and another odd press conference will be the final straw as the Dolphins move on from McDaniel. At least he’ll look cool though!
Week 8: Miami at Atlanta (-7.5)
2. Cleveland Browns Hit Their Stride and Upset Patriots
The Cleveland Browns finally broke a streak of offensive ineptitude and broke through to score more than 30 points as they shredded the Miami Dolphins to improve to 31-6. The Browns leaned on their strong defense, limiting the Dolphins to just six points, and then handed the ball to Quinshon Judkins 25 times for 84 yards and three touchdowns. Dillon Gabriel managed the game and completed 13 of 18 passes while the defense sacked the Dolphins’ quarterbacks four times. The Patriots have a strong defense, and Drake Maye is undoubtedly much better than anything the Dolphins put on the field, but the Patriots are just 1-2 at home, and Cleveland is ready to grab a huge win. The defense forces a few turnovers, and Judkins controls the game on the ground in the upset victory.
Week 8: Browns at Patriots (-6.5)
3. Eagles Get Revenge on Giants in Shootout Win
The Philadelphia Eagles suffered one of the worst losses of the Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts era a couple of weeks ago as they fell 34-17 to the newly energized Giants at MetLife Stadium. The defeat seemed to re-energize the Philadelphia Eagles on offense, and they unleashed Hurts and the passing game last weekend, beating the Minnesota Vikings 28-22. Hurts was 19-23 for 326 yards, and the Eagles seemed to be having fun for the first time in a while. They return to Philadelphia, and you better believe the Eagles’ faithful will be out for blood against the Giants. Despite going up against a strong defensive line, Hurts repeats his 300-yard performance, and the Eagles get their revenge.
Week 8: New York Giants at Philadelphia (-7.5)
4. Panthers Run All Over Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills were outstanding to begin the season, starting 4-0 and looking like the league’s best team. However, the Bills have dropped two in a row, and they are struggling mightily on defense. Buffalo ranks at the very bottom of the NFL in rush yards allowed per attempt, and they are playing a Carolina Panthers team that is quite content taking advantage of that weakness. The Panthers are 3-0 at home and now 4-3 on the season after picking up their first road victory last week. The Panthers have run for more than 200 yards in two of the past three games, and Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard are a dynamic duo that is going to give Buffalo fits and hand the Bills their third-straight defeat.
Week 8: Buffalo Bills (-7.5) at Carolina Panthers
5. Patrick Mahomes Leads Chiefs to Blowout Win
If not for a series of bumbling misfortunes against Jacksonville, the Kansas City Chiefs would be winners of five straight games and clearly seen as the favorite in the AFC (again). If you watch the Chiefs, it’s easy to see that they have figured things out on offense, and Patrick Mahomes is playing at a very high level again. Mahomes has averaged better than 280 yards during this stretch of games, and the Chiefs have scored 30 points or more in three of the past four games. They now host the wounded Washington Commanders on Monday Night Football, and receiver Rashee Rice should be even more dangerous in his second game back from suspension. The Commanders are missing key members of a secondary that wasn’t good to begin with, so Mahomes and the Chiefs are going to feast in a blowout primetime win.
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