PodcastFrom NFL: The Insiders
Week 8 Picks + Confidence Rankings | NFL Pro
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
39 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Oct 28, 2026
Published
Wed, October 28, 2026
30
Player insights
28
Players mentioned
Topics
Jared GoffKyler MurrayAmon-Ra St. BrownBaker MayfieldBijan RobinsonBo NixBryce YoungCaleb WilliamsDarnell WashingtonDerrick HenryDeshaun WatsonJacoby BrissettJayden DanielsJaylen Warren
Player analysis
Player insights
Amon-Ra St. Brown
PositiveUsage20:20
The source notes that the Lions work Amon Ra St. Brown over the middle as part of their strategy to counter Minnesota's blitzes, positioning him as a key target in the matchup.
Insight pageBaker Mayfield
NegativeUsage10:57
The source notes that in the Buccaneers' win over Carolina, Mayfield had only five passes that were past the line of scrimmage in the game, yet the team scored as much as they did and controlled the game, indicating a run-heavy approach that may not translate against Atlanta's better offensive line.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
PositiveMatchup10:51
The source questions whether the Buccaneers have what it takes to defend Bijan Robinson out of the backfield with their linebackers, expressing doubt that they do, positioning Robinson as a potential mismatch advantage for Atlanta against Tampa Bay's defense.
Insight pageBo Nix
NegativeMatchup30:09
Nix has struggled significantly against blitzes this season, and the source expresses concern about his Week 8 matchup against Kansas City's Steve Spagnuolo, who loves to blitz. The source also notes Nix's poor performance against press man coverage and references Week 1 tape as some of the worst of the season, making this a stylistic mismatch despite Denver's recent offensive improvements.
Insight pageBryce Young
NegativeRole6:33
The source questions whether the Panthers' success is entirely dependent on Bryce Young being a top 8 quarterback in the league, framing this as a fine line to walk, especially against a Packers team that takes the ball away a lot. Young's turnovers are cited as a concern in the matchup.
Insight pageCaleb Williams
PositiveProjection35:36
Williams has been amazing this season heading into Week 8 against Seattle. In an evenly matched game between two teams with great coaching and similar trench talent, the source identifies Williams' superior quarterback play as the deciding factor, noting he can make three to four more plays than Sam Darnold.
Insight pageDarnell Washington
PositiveRole24:02
Washington is characterized as one of the premier matchup nightmares in the NFL for Week 8 against Cleveland, described as someone a defensive coordinator simply does not have an answer for. While not necessarily leading in statistics, his role as a difficult assignment makes him a key part of Pittsburgh's offensive advantage.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
PositiveProjection17:36
The source emphasizes that the Dallas Cowboys' offense is top three, if not number one in the NFL in points per drive, plays per drive, and yards per drive, and states that the name of the game is to just score more points than the other team, using this as justification for picking Dallas at the 10 confidence spot despite defensive concerns.
Insight pageDeshaun Watson
PositiveMatchup25:06
Watson has been very good on final potential game-winning drives this season in Week 8 against Pittsburgh, though the source still favors the Steelers overall. His clutch performance in late-game situations is noted as a strength for Cleveland despite the team's overall disadvantage.
Insight pageJacoby Brissett
NegativeUsage16:57
The source identifies that Jacoby throwing 45-plus times is not a winning formula for the Cardinals, noting that the Arizona offense is the issue and that the team needs to find balance on offense to be competitive.
Insight pageJared Goff
PositiveMatchup19:50
The source highlights that historically, Jared Goff has been one of the few quarterbacks that succeeded against Brian Flores' blitzes, noting that Goff has seen these blitzes so many times that even if the Vikings do it a lot, he won't get flustered by it the same way other quarterbacks have. The source also states that by quality of quarterback in the Lions-Vikings matchup, Goff is nowhere near Kyler Murray at this point and it's not even close.
Insight pagePositiveMatchup20:28
Goff's experience against aggressive defenses like Minnesota's under Flores positions him well for Week 8; the source notes he has seen these blitzes many times and won't get flustered the way younger quarterbacks do. Goff is having his best statistical year in quarterback rating, EPA per drop back, total EPA, completion percentage, and success rate against pressure, making him well-equipped to handle Flores' aggressive scheme even if blitzed 80% of the time.
Insight pageJayden Daniels
PositiveProjection33:26
Daniels has played really well when on the field for Washington in Week 8 against Philadelphia, with the source noting that outside of two mental missteps, his tape looks solid. The source trusts Daniels at quarterback significantly more than Philadelphia's options, making him a key advantage for Washington despite the Eagles' overall roster concerns.
Insight pageJaylen Warren
PositiveRole24:00
Warren is described as an emerging super weapon for Pittsburgh in Week 8 against Cleveland, contributing both on the ground and through the air. The source credits him as having been incredible this season, positioning him as a key offensive weapon alongside the Steelers' strong offensive line and other playmakers.
Insight pageJordan Love
PositiveProjection5:54
The source describes Love as "flat out awesome" this year, highlighting his strong performance as a key component of the Packers' improved offense over the last month despite the team dealing with significant injuries including the loss of Edge Cooper for the season.
Insight pageJosh Allen
PositiveProjection15:03
The source expresses faith in the Buffalo Bills and specifically highlights the way Josh Allen has played for the majority of the year as a key reason for confidence in Buffalo's chances against Baltimore.
Insight pageJosh Jacobs
PositiveRole7:07
With Josh Jacobs back, the source believes the Packers offense is capable of unlocking a good ground game that they haven't had most of the season, positioning them to continue playing well offensively and beat the Carolina Panthers.
Insight pageKenneth Walker III
NegativeMatchup30:30
The source frames Week 8 against Kansas City not as Kenneth Walker versus the Broncos' defense, but rather as Bo Nix versus Steve Spagnuolo's defensive scheme. While Walker's performance matters, the matchup is primarily about quarterback play against pressure rather than running back performance.
Insight pageKyler Murray
NegativeProjection20:53
The source directly compares Kyler Murray to Jared Goff in the Lions-Vikings matchup, stating that Murray is nowhere near Goff at this point and it's not even close, even when reducing the matchup to just quality of quarterback.
Insight pageNegativeMatchup20:55
Murray's mobility as a passer does not compare favorably to Jared Goff's overall quarterback quality in the Week 8 matchup against Detroit. The source explicitly states Murray is nowhere near Goff at this point and that it's not even close, making Detroit the clear choice from a quarterback standpoint.
Insight pageLamar Jackson
PositiveProjection12:30
The source notes that through Lamar, all things are possible, acknowledging he's a two-time MVP for a reason, and states that if Lamar plays against Buffalo, it will be razor thin and really close, with at least a chance for Baltimore to win. However, if he doesn't play, the source doesn't think it will be that close.
Insight pageLeonard Fournette
PositiveUsage9:03
The source highlights that Fournette got 11 touches on one drive in the Buccaneers' win over Carolina, putting the team on his back, as part of describing Tampa Bay's best-case scenario where the run game gets going and Baker doesn't have to throw much with an injured hand.
Insight pageMatthew Stafford
NegativeProjection27:07
Stafford hasn't looked like himself this season heading into Week 8 against the Chargers. The source notes his performance decline as part of the Rams' overall struggles, despite the team coming off a win.
Insight pageMichael Penix Jr.
NegativeMatchup10:18
The source identifies that the book on Michael Penix is that you must pressure him to get after him, and notes that the Buccaneers have struggled with pressuring the quarterback this season, being very up and down at it, which could be problematic for Tampa's defense in this matchup.
Insight pagePuka Nacua
NegativeInjury27:07
Nacua is playing hurt heading into Week 8 against the Chargers, gutting it out despite his injury status. The source notes his compromised availability as part of the Rams' overall injury concerns in this matchup.
Insight pageSam Darnold
NegativeProjection35:35
Darnold hasn't been as good this season as he was in his Minnesota and first Seattle years heading into Week 8 against Chicago. The source notes turnovers, accuracy, and decision-making have been issues, and while he hasn't been horrible, he hasn't been good either, making him inferior to Caleb Williams in an otherwise evenly matched game.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
NegativeRole16:00
The source notes that Saquon is coming off injury and has less to work with in the Eagles' banged-up offense, contributing to skepticism about giving the Dallas defense credit for their Monday night performance against Philadelphia's depleted roster.
Insight pageTanner McKee
NegativeRole16:00
The source expresses uncertainty about the Eagles' offensive performance with Tanner McKee as the backup quarterback, noting that with an offensive line that banged up and Saquon coming off injury, it's hard to assess how much credit to give the Dallas defense for their Monday night win.
Insight pageTyler Huntley
NegativeProjection14:23
The source highlights that Tyler Huntley is dead last amongst qualified starters in the NFL when it comes to air yards per attempt, contrasting sharply with Lamar Jackson who is first, demonstrating that the Ravens offense is totally different explosively and with potential when Lamar is out there versus when Huntley starts.
Insight pageZay Flowers
PositiveUsage15:15
The source notes that Zay Flowers has been taking advantage of a lot of different areas, including the linebacker level, suggesting he could be a factor in the Ravens-Bills matchup and that shutting him down would be key for Buffalo to win the game.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Welcome to the NFL: The Insiders for Week 8.
0:03Thank you for listening on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:08Be sure to follow and subscribe to the show.
0:10Alright everybody, welcome to Week 8 of NFL Pro's Game Picks.
0:14Trevor Sykema and Brett Coleman here with you guys as always.
0:17Brett, I'm not going to lie my friend, I think this past week in Week 7, it was like the Carolina Panthers,
0:24the Kansas City Chiefs, the second half of the Baltimore Ravens.
0:27Just burn the tape. Don't go back to it.
0:30There's nothing to learn, there's nothing to be drawn from.
0:33Just burn it. Burn it and move on to Week 8.
0:37What we do here on this show is we take our 10 most compelling games, the games that we want to talk
0:44about, and we will pick them here for you guys.
0:47But not only will we pick the winners, we will rank them in terms of confidence.
0:52And the reason why I set it up the way that I did, Brett, is because even ranking these games in confidence,
0:58not the best week from either of us. And I say that very kindly because I think that this was actually the worst week from both of us.
1:07It was awful, and we knew it was awful while watching these games together.
1:11There was maybe 20 minutes on Sunday where I was semi-confident in what was going down, and then it all just, it got worse from there.
1:19So, you know, it is what it is. It's a burn the tape kind of week, to your point.
1:25And I feel like we have to address the elephant in the room, which is a lot of the comments that we
1:32got last week, which is that you have unfortunately received a much harsher hammer from the minus 10 rule than I have so far this season.
1:40So, if anybody's listening to this and they're new here, what we're doing is we're ranking these games in confidence of 10
1:47to 1, the games that we think are most confident in the picks that we're making.
1:52And we implemented a rule, you know, a couple of weeks into the season and said, hey, you know what, if we
1:58miss our 10 confident game, our most confident games, not only should we not get the opportunity to get those 10 points, we should be punished for it.
2:07And you know what, that's a good call out by you guys.
2:11Since then, the whole reason why we implemented this rule is actually because Brett missed two back-to-back weeks.
2:16of his 10 pick, and we're like, all right, we need to be punished for this.
2:21And since then, basically, all I've done is miss my 10 picks.
2:25So, that's why we're retroactively going in. And so, Brett, you're not only going to miss the 20 of the two weeks
2:32that you had right before we implemented the rule, but just for fun, we also both missed our 10 confidence game in week one.
2:39So, it's an extra minus 10. It's a minus 10 for me.
2:43It's a minus 10 for you. So, technically, on our total scores, you're going minus 30.
2:48I'm going minus 10. Which brings our totals on the year.
2:51Before week seven, so prior to last week's games, you were up on me 177 to 168.
2:57So, quite a lot closer than the Hail Mary strategy I felt like I had to go with last week.
3:03And Brett, you earned, last week, 10 points. Oh, God.
3:06That's it. Barely into double digits. How many games did I even get right?
3:10Like, two? You got Cincinnati and Baltimore right. You got New England and Chicago right.
3:15You got Green Bay and Detroit. And you got Dallas and Philly.
3:18So, you only got four games right. You missed six.
3:22Well, Trevor, you only did slightly better than me because you got 12 points, which is only two more than me.
3:28And if you count- I did better than you?
3:31You did better than me. Barely. But you did.
3:34Bringing your entire season total, all including the minuses and the retroactives and everything like that, you are at 180 for the season.
3:41Okay. So, you're at 187. I'm at 180. We're back in this, baby.
3:45It's single digits once again. The contest is back on.
3:48Before we dig into these 10 games here for this week, which we said, we're burning the tape.
3:53We're getting better. It's going to be a lot better this week.
3:57We got to shout out some fans who have been doing this along with us.
4:02We shout out to you guys. We get more entries every single week into this.
4:06So, when we reveal the 10 games that we are picking, we want you guys to pick it and rank it in confidence as well.
4:14And if you do good, you're going to get a shout out on the show.
4:19Like Keegan, who scored 45 points last week. Crusher and Eric Tide, also scoring 43 apiece.
4:24The New York Giants and the Houston Texans game.
4:26That was the big trap game. 107 of the 113 fans.
4:30That's 95% of you out there. Picked the Houston Texans.
4:33And only six picked the Giants. JJ McCarthy, believers.
4:36Shout out to you for getting the picks and the big points there.
4:40It cost fans 1,226 points combined. About 29% of everything that was dropped.
4:44So, shout out to those guys that came in on the top of the leaderboard here last week.
4:49Last week was a tricky week. And Brett, we got some tough matchups here this week as well.
4:55So, let's get right into it. The Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers.
4:59Thursday night football. Who you got and where is it going to start your confidence list?
5:04You could argue that the Packers should have won last week.
5:07And I would agree with that. They were on the wrong end of, let's just say, some questionable calls.
5:13And leave it at that. Wasn't their best day as far as being on the right side of the refs.
5:19Not to mention two missed field goals. You know, they get a fourth down stop deep in Lions territory.
5:25Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. Whether it was special teams, officiating, anything like that.
5:31They probably should have won that game. And yet, they didn't.
5:34So, taking that into account. I think this Packers team has been a lot better over the last month than what they were early on in the season.
5:43Despite dealing with some pretty significant injuries. Right? You lose Edge Cooper for the season.
5:47You still don't have Micah Parsons back. Jonathan Gannon, I think, has called himself a really good defense despite those talent deficiencies.
5:54Jordan Love, I mean, I think he's been awesome this year.
5:57Flat out awesome. His receivers, whether it's Watson, Golden, they've been great.
6:01You know, you've had some inconsistent play up front.
6:04You've had an inconsistent run game to be kind about it.
6:07And yet, this is still a really good team.
6:10Meanwhile, the Panthers, I'm not really sure what to make of them.
6:14Because their defense is either playing entirely downhill on someone.
6:17And, quite frankly, it's a really good defense. Or, they have weeks like last week.
6:21Where they allow the Bucs to run damn near 80% of the time.
6:25And there's nothing they can do about it. And I never really know which version of this Panthers defense is going to show up.
6:33Now, the Bryce Young turnovers don't help. And so, part of me thinks, okay, are the Panthers, is their success entirely dependent
6:40on Bryce Young being a top 8 quarterback in the league?
6:43If so, that is a fine line to walk.
6:46Especially against a Packers team that takes the ball away a lot and has their own super weapon at quarterback.
6:52So, give me Green Bay here. I acknowledge the Panthers are a good team.
6:56I really do. But, the matchup here is so favorable to Green Bay that I put this in my 10 spot.
7:03Is that crazy? Oh! A Thursday night football game at the 10 spot.
7:07Man. I also took the Packers here. Which, man, I almost feel bad.
7:11It feels a little disrespectful to Carolina that we're not split on this one.
7:15But, I also took the Packers. This one's in my 7 spot.
7:19Because, it is coming off of a short week here where Carolina's really struggled.
7:23They have struggled to defend the run. And, if you're going to open the door for the Packers offense to unlock something
7:30that they really haven't had the last couple of weeks.
7:33Or, most of the weeks this season. And, that is a good ground game.
7:37Now, with Josh Jacobs back. I think this team is absolutely capable of continuing to play really well on the offensive side of the ball.
7:45And, to beat the Carolina Panthers. I really do.
7:48I think this is going to be a close game.
7:51This is going to be a fun game. But, coming off of how Carolina struggled last week.
7:56It's got me worried on a short week. Like, how much.
8:00Outside of just looking in the mirror and saying, hey, we just have to play better up front.
8:05And, defend the run better. Outside of that, it's hard to think there's a lot of adjustments that can be made before they get to Thursday night.
8:13So, the way that the Packers have really been able to take advantage of teams deep down the field specifically.
8:20And, Carolina being banged up in the secondary. I'm also going to go with the Green Bay Packers here in this one.
8:26You got it at your 10 spot. I got it at the 7 spot here.
8:31What about the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
8:34This will stay in the NFC South. And, where do you have this matchup?
8:38And, who do you have winning? It's at my 4 spot.
8:42Because, I don't know how you could be that confident in any NFC South team from week to week at this point.
8:49This game is also at my 4 spot. Oh, it is.
8:52Okay. So, we're along the same lines of thinking as far as lack of confidence in it.
8:57I did choose Tampa Bay. I'm not that confident in it.
9:01But, when Tampa Bay plays at their best. And, they get the run game going.
9:05And, Bucky is getting 11 touches on one drive.
9:08And, putting this team on his back. And, you know, Baker doesn't have to throw that much with an injured hand.
9:15And, the defense gets multiple turnovers. Which, I don't remember the last time this Bucs secondary got multiple turnovers in one game by jumping routes.
9:22And, that's kind of a new thing for them.
9:25You know, Yaya Diaby finally got going. Last week was the Bucs team that we thought we were getting back in August.
9:32And, they really haven't shown up until right now.
9:35I question whether or not I should believe it without seeing it for multiple weeks.
9:39But, at the same time, I don't really know what I'm getting from Atlanta either.
9:44Because, they also got four turnovers from the Niners.
9:47Which helped them win that game. But, are they going to get four turnovers every single week?
9:52Like, that's a tough thing to really bank on as well.
9:55It's going to be a close game. Maybe it's cliche to say whoever wins the turnover battle is going to win this game.
10:02But, I truly feel like that's the truth here.
10:05So, I'm going to go Tampa Bay. But, very narrowly, you could sell me on Atlanta.
10:10You could sell me on Tampa. But, if I had to choose one, give me the Bucs.
10:15But, I don't feel that good about it. Well, you said you could sell me on the Falcons.
10:21I'm going to sell you on the Falcons. I think the Falcons are going to win this game.
10:26And, the reason why is because the book on Michael Penix right now is you've got to pressure him.
10:32Pressure him and you'll really be able to get after him.
10:36Well, the Buccaneers have kind of struggled with that.
10:38They've been very up and down this season at pressuring the quarterback.
10:42Atlanta's offensive line has been a lot better. Do the Buccaneers have what it takes to defend B.
10:48John Robinson out of the backfield with their linebackers?
10:51And, I just don't believe that they do right now.
10:54And, when you look at how Mayfield played last week.
10:57And, you kind of talked about there. To say that Mayfield didn't have to do much is putting it lightly.
11:03He had five passes that were past the line of scrimmage in that game.
11:07And, yet they scored as much as they did.
11:10And, they controlled it as much as they did against Carolina.
11:13I don't think they'll have that same success on the ground or anywhere close to it.
11:18And, I'm going to take the Falcons in this game.
11:21I think the Falcons are the more stable team, to be honest with you.
11:26And, I am one of those. Maybe I'm a little bit more cynical just because Tampa is my team.
11:32But, I got to see it for multiple weeks here.
11:35Now, something that's good with them is their secondary is playing a lot better.
11:39McCollum's playing a lot better. Parrish has been playing well all year long.
11:43Tykee Smith got the pick last year. They didn't even have, or last game, they didn't even have Antoine Winfield Jr.
11:49So, I think that things are kind of turning in the right direction in ways for the Buccaneers.
11:55But, I got to see it. I got to see it multiple weeks in a row.
12:00And, I'm worried about how much they're really going to be able to pressure Penix in this game.
12:05So, give me the Falcons here in this one.
12:08What about the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills?
12:11Obviously, a tricky game here because we're filming this in the middle of the week.
12:16Right? And, we don't know exactly, you know, hard and fast is Lamar going to play in this game.
12:22Go against the Bengals. But, I think you got to feel kind of confident about him playing in this game.
12:28So, if Lamar's in this one, or maybe you're even factoring the fact that he might not be in it.
12:34Where is this on your ranking? Honestly, I would choose Buffalo either way.
12:38I feel like Buffalo is the deeper team. I feel like they're the more complete team this year.
12:43I feel like they're the more reliable team this year.
12:47You know, through Lamar, all things are possible. We know that.
12:50He's a two-time MVP for a reason. Josh is also an MVP for a reason.
12:55I don't think either team wants this to be like week one last year.
12:59Where it's just, you know, bombing it down the field and trading explosive plays.
13:03And, it comes down to who has the ball last.
13:06Like, I don't think either team wants to play that way.
13:10Both teams want to be able to control the trenches.
13:13Both teams want to be able to run the ball.
13:16Slow the game down. Limit total number of possessions.
13:19And, win on efficiency. It's just both teams are also capable of winning a shootout.
13:23But, looking at the rosters as they stand now, I think the Bills have more weapons to work with.
13:29Their offensive line is less banged up. You know, Ioane has an MCL sprain, which doesn't help because he's been arguably their best offensive lineman this year.
13:37And, all things being equal, at the quarterback position, you just choose the infrastructure around the quarterback.
13:43Which is offensive line, weapons, and, you know, how deep is each team in those categories?
13:48And, I feel like Buffalo's deeper. So, give me Buffalo in this game.
13:52I think if Lamar plays, it'll be razor thin.
13:54It'll be really close. If he doesn't play, I don't think it'll be that close.
13:59But, that's why I put it at the three spot.
14:02Is because if Lamar plays, there's at least a chance for Baltimore to win this game.
14:07Yeah, I agree with you. I think I'm just more confident in Buffalo overall for a couple of reasons.
14:13Not that Baltimore can't hang with them if Lamar plays.
14:16I think that you're totally right. But, I just have more faith in a lot of different units along that Buffalo team
14:23than I do the Ravens, even when Lamar is out there.
14:26Now, it's a major difference of when Lamar is out there versus when he's not.
14:31I mean, I think it was you who was highlighting this in the reaction show.
14:35Or, maybe it was in the preview show before the week.
14:39Like, Tyler Huntley basically dead last amongst qualified starters in the NFL when it comes to air yards per attempt.
14:45And, Lamar's first. So, it's just a totally different offense, explosively and with potential, when Lamar is out there.
14:51But, all that to say, I mean, give me the Buffalo Bills.
14:55Give me them at the five spots. So, I'm close to you here.
14:59I'm taking the Buffalo Bills as well. I put them right in the middle.
15:03I do have faith in this team and how well they are playing up front in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
15:10And then, of course, the way that Josh Allen's played for the majority of the year.
15:15So, give me Buffalo in this one. Although, man, Zay Flowers, he's been taking advantage of a lot of different areas, including, obviously, that linebacker level.
15:23So, we'll see how much Buffalo's linebackers are up to the task there.
15:27But, if you shut him down, I think you've got a good chance of winning this game.
15:33The Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys. What do you think about this one, Brett?
15:37After Monday, I really want to believe in Dallas and that that's the Cowboys team that we've been waiting for this whole
15:44year, where the defense plays better and the offense puts up, you know, almost 40 points.
15:49But, I'm not sure how much credit I want to give them for that because this Eagles offense is so banged up.
15:56And, you know, how much do you really expect out of the, you know, the Tanner McKee experience?
16:01No shade to Tanner McKee. But, like, with an offensive line that banged up and Saquon coming off injury and, you know, less everything to work with.
16:10Not to mention the offense wasn't that great even when they had their guys in.
16:14I don't know if I could really say, okay, the Dallas defense has turned the corner.
16:19And, at the same time, we get something different from Arizona every single week.
16:23And, they're a really plucky, hard-nosed team that even with a talent deficiency, they still do tend to make it difficult on the opposing team.
16:31Like, they do play tough even when they're overmatched.
16:34I think the Cardinals special teams has every opportunity to flip this game, which they've done a couple times this year.
16:40Their defense is also way, way more crafty than I think they're given credit for.
16:45It's just the offense. You know, the Arizona offense is the issue.
16:49Their offensive line, which we talked about in the reaction show, because of injuries, you know, you lose Paris, you lose Besantis before the season.
16:56Their offensive line hasn't been that great. And, you know, Jacoby throwing 45-plus times is not a winning formula for them.
17:03But, if they have any success whatsoever running the ball, and find any kind of balance on offense, I think their special
17:10teams and defense are tough enough where they could legitimately make this a game and make it hard on Dallas.
17:16Because, Dallas is also not really a balanced team in their own right.
17:20So, I am choosing the Cowboys to win, but I only put it at the 2 spot.
17:25Because, I feel like neither team is complete, and both teams have their flaws, and those flaws kind of match up together to be a pretty close game.
17:34So, I also picked the Dallas Cowboys. And, you know what?
17:37It's worked out so well for me so many times already this year.
17:41I put this at the 10 spot. Oh, Trevor.
17:44The Dallas Cowboys at the 10 spot once again.
17:47Oh, God. We've done this before, man. I can't quit the offense.
17:50I can't do it. We've done this like four times.
17:54Points per drive, plays per drive, yards per drive.
17:56They're top three, if not number one in the NFL in all of these categories.
18:01The name of the game is to just score more points than the other team.
18:06I don't care how bad a defense is. Just score 40.
18:09They didn't do that yesterday. But, they were close.
18:12I'm taking, you know what? I'm doing it. I'm buying the offense again.
18:16I'm going back to it. And, if they burn me again, so help me, I will never pick the Cowboys at the 10 spot ever again.
18:24But, I'm taking the Cowboys at the 10 spot.
18:27Oh, Trevor. Trevor, Trevor, Trevor. That's what this show is for.
18:30Moments like that. You're trying to get the first negative week of the season.
18:34You're close. You're close. I really am. I really am.
18:37Truly. What happens first? You get negative points or Brian Flores gets 100% blitz rate?
18:42It might be for Flores. Because he was, he's mighty close himself.
18:46What was it, last week against Daniel Jones? 85?
18:4985? Football's back. Hey, it's Drew Franklin from NFL Cover Zero.
18:52Enjoy the NFL season while listening to NFL Cover Zero.
18:55We have storylines, predictions, and lots of silliness. Here's what you can expect from the podcast in our second season.
19:01When you meet people and you say your job's a sports announcer, it's always interesting to see what the first thing they say is.
19:09I did have one of the more difficult questions, though.
19:12He sits next to me and he sees I'm on my computer and he goes, big sports fan.
19:17And I was like, yeah, actually. And he goes, what do you think about my Jaguars this year?
19:23I realized, like, no one's ever asked me that question ever about anything.
19:27And I was like, do you have all? Listen to NFL Cover Zero on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
19:34Crazy. Okay, speaking of Minnesota, the Vikings play the Detroit Lions.
19:38The Lions, they're coming off of a pretty thrilling win over the Green Bay Packers.
19:43And so you got another divisional opponent here with Minnesota.
19:46What do you think about this game? Who are you taking in this one?
19:50So I'm going Detroit because historically speaking, I know not immediate history, but historically speaking, Jared Goff has been one of the
19:57few quarterbacks that succeeded against Flores and all of his blitzes.
20:00In particular, you go back a couple years, you know, when Ben Johnson was there and they really leaned into under center
20:07heavy play action stuff to keep the linebackers in place so that Cashman and all of them couldn't, like, expand out to the hook zones.
20:15You know, Ben Johnson's no longer there, but I think the approach still holds up, where if they do a lot of
20:21their under center stuff and you're faking it to Jameer, and then you're working Laporte over the middle, you're working Amon Ra
20:28over the middle, and Goff has just seen these blitzes so many times now, where even if you're doing it a lot, it's still stuff that he's seen.
20:37And I don't think he's going to get flustered by it the same way that a lot of the other quarterbacks that
20:44the Vikings have played this year have gotten flustered by it.
20:47Because even if he gets beat, it's not going to rattle him and, you know, make him play like the younger Jared Goff that would get rattled.
20:55So I'm going to go Detroit here. Also, side note, if you're just looking at quality of quarterback in this matchup, Kyler
21:02Murray, well, he has used his mobility well this season as a passer.
21:06He's nowhere near Jared Goff at this point. It's not even close.
21:10So even if you're just reducing it to who has the better quarterback by a long shot, it's got to be Detroit.
21:17And while I do have questions about the Lions defense, I have even more questions about the Vikings offense.
21:23So I feel like that kind of cancels each other out.
21:26So give me Detroit. I put it at the five spot.
21:29Not super confident, but confident enough. I'm also taking Detroit in this game and I'm putting it at the three spot because
21:36of the things that you listed about having worry about the offense.
21:40I just don't know exactly what the ceiling of this offense is right now.
21:44And if I had to guess, I'd say pretty low based on what we have seen so far.
21:50And right now, I think that the Vikings are truly just succeeding off of other offensive coordinators and other opposing quarterbacks, not
21:56being able to handle just the level of aggressiveness that Flores has.
22:00Now he has basically everybody on that team playing at an incredibly high level.
22:04Everybody knows their role in a complex and aggressive and fast defense very, very well.
22:09And that is a hat tip to him. No question about it.
22:13But you mentioned it. One of the quarterbacks that actually can go toe to toe with Flores because he's got the experience.
22:20He's got the games against him. Everything is Jared Goff.
22:23And I think that the book on Jared Goff for a long time was you pressure him, you get him out of
22:29the pocket, you get him on the run and he's just going to crumble.
22:34He isn't this year. This is his best year when it comes to quarterback rating, EPA per drop back, total EPA, completion
22:41percentage, all of the success rate against pressure. And so I think that it's less about like if Flores just goes, hey,
22:47we're going to blitz you 80% of the time against Jared Goff.
22:51I like that for the Detroit Lions. Now, I wouldn't say that against most teams.
22:56But for the Lions specifically, I would say that.
22:58So I'm taking Detroit here as well. It's only in my three spot because I think this is going to be, you know, too great.
23:06Like one of the best offenses in the NFL and one of the best defense in the NFL going head to head.
23:13And I think it is a coin flip type of a result on that side of the ball.
23:19But yeah, give me Detroit in this one and I'll have it at the three spot.
23:23Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pretty big game when it comes to the AFC North.
23:28Do you have a leaning one way or the other?
23:31Who are you picking in this one? Aaron Rodgers played a lot better last week.
23:36And I don't know if it was his best game like statistically, but as far as just looking, like watching the game
23:43back on film, vibes wise, that to me felt like the best he's looked as a stealer.
23:48Which I think is encouraging. Not to mention it's one of the five best offensive lines in football this year.
23:54And they're not five. They're better than that. You have an emerging super weapon in Jalen Warren, both on the ground and through the air.
24:02He's been incredible this season. And you have, you know, one of the premier matchup nightmares in the NFL.
24:08Maybe not statistically, but as far as if I'm a defensive coordinator, somebody who I just don't have an answer for.
24:14And that's Darnell Washington. Right. So add all those things together, not that Aaron has to be, you know, 2011 Aaron Rodgers,
24:21but if he's the Aaron Rodgers from like a few years ago and he's just a solid starter plus great offensive line
24:28run game and, you know, the freaking Hulk and Darnell Washington and the defense played a lot better too.
24:34Overall, I feel like that's a better team than Cleveland, even though Cleveland has some really exciting parts to it that I adore.
24:41I love their young receivers. I think their defense has played well overall this year.
24:46I feel like Pittsburgh's more complete and therefore more likely to win this game.
24:50So I picked the Steelers and I put it at the nine spot.
24:54Oh, okay. I also took the Steelers, but I put them at the six spot.
24:59I echo a lot of the things that you said, although I do think this is going to be a close game to the end.
25:06We've seen how Deshaun Watson has played really well on those final potential game winning drives, been very good at it this season.
25:13And ultimately, though, the reason why I went with the Pittsburgh Steelers is because I could not have been more impressed by
25:20their defensive front last week in Paris against the New Orleans Saints.
25:24I mean, they rendered that offensive line useless. Keanu Benton, Cam Hayward.
25:28Obviously, we know the edge rushers play well almost every single week.
25:31But then the guys behind the defensive lines playing so well.
25:35I mean, Patrick Queen, the aggressiveness and the speed at which he was playing and the same thing for Peyton Wilson.
25:41I mean, that whole front seven for the Pittsburgh Steelers was so stout.
25:45And I think that that unit is on such a roll.
25:49They're going up against an offensive line that is either playing inexperienced guys.
25:53I mean, DeJuan Jones is somebody who doesn't have a ton of speed to him.
25:57The other guys are kind of new free agents that are there on the team.
26:02I think this Steelers defensive line is just going to be too much for them.
26:06So give me Pittsburgh here and give me them at the sixth spot.
26:10We've got a battle of L.A. The Chargers, the Rams.
26:14Who's the home team? Who's to say? Playing in the same stadium here.
26:18Who are you taking in this game here between the Rams and the Chargers?
26:22If I pick the Chargers at this point, I would just feel stupid.
26:26There's only so many times I can do it this year before I'm just asking for disappointment.
26:31So I'm going to pick the Rams. Coming off the bye.
26:34Do you really think it matters? Coming off the bye.
26:38It's all I'm saying. I'm John just saying. Coming off the bye.
26:41They're starting like all rookies on the offensive line.
26:44Like, it just hasn't been good this year. Rookies coming off the bye though.
26:48Rookies coming off the bye. I'm just saying. The Rams are also banged up.
26:53I mean, if we're talking about banged up offensive line versus banged up defensive line, this might be the game of the
26:59season as far as players who were not slated to be starters in August starting against each other.
27:05Yeah. Truly. And Devontae is hurt. And Stafford hasn't looked like Stafford this year.
27:09Puka's playing. He's gutting it out, but he's playing hurt.
27:12Neither one of these teams is really putting their best foot forward so far this season, even with the Rams coming off a win.
27:20Like, we know this still isn't what the Rams were supposed to be.
27:24Their season's hanging on by a thread. So, I am picking the Rams, but this is one of the few teams at
27:31this point that I would confidently pick the Rams against just because the Chargers have been so bad this year.
27:37And I do want to credit the Chargers defense.
27:40They played as well as they could have. They're trying.
27:43They're trying to keep their team in it every single week, but their offense has just turned the ball over so much.
27:49I still think, even with a bye week, I'm pretty sure their defense still leads the NFL in terms of drives that
27:56they've had to defend that have started in their own territory.
28:00Even with a bye week, I think they still lead the NFL in that stat.
28:04So, it's not the defense's fault. It's the offense's fault.
28:07But the offense still isn't good. But, so, give me the Rams.
28:11I'm putting it at the sixth spot, and I really think this might be the only team that I would put the
28:18Rams at the sixth spot against right now. That's how concerned I am still about the Rams.
28:23Yeah, I hear you. I'm taking the Rams, not putting it at the eighth spot.
28:28There's a lot of tighter matchups this week. I think normally on weeks where the matchups weren't as close, I think this is much lower on my list.
28:36But, as we see it, this is still, one team is heavily motivated.
28:40The other team is the Chargers. And so, I'm taking the team that's heavily motivated.
28:45I mean, if you drop this game and you're the Rams, what does the rest of your season look like?
28:51I mean, this would be a truly demoralizing loss for the Los Angeles Rams in this game.
28:56They are in a stretch that you and I have pointed out before.
29:00Therefore, they have to win the majority of these games in this five-game stretch.
29:05They already dropped the one to start the five-game stretch to the Cardinals.
29:09They beat Vegas last week. I think that this one has to be a must-win for them as well.
29:15So, I'm going to take the Rams because they're the desperate team, and I'm going to put that at the eighth spot.
29:21What about the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos?
29:25That's the next matchup we got here. So, the Broncos just had a good day offensively, and I think that's what a
29:31lot of people have been waiting to see is the Broncos having a good day offensively to go along with their defense
29:38that's played well all year, even with their own injuries and everything.
29:42Like, Broncos' defense has been awesome. And the Chiefs are coming off a loss where not only was it a loss, it was a particularly bad loss.
29:50They got dominated. They didn't have a single snap in the red zone.
29:54Like, that's the kind of domination we're talking about here.
29:57And so, I think, you know, looking at recent trends of Broncos up, Chiefs down, you could argue, okay, Denver in this game.
30:04But I just can't get over week one. I can't get over what we saw.
30:09I can't get over how bad Bo Nix has been against Blitzes this season, and we know Steve Spagnuolo absolutely loves to Blitz.
30:16You know, the Broncos against press man coverage haven't exactly been great either.
30:20They're just matchup-wise and the stylistic matchup here, even if the Broncos tackled better than they did in week one, which is
30:27almost impossible to be worse than they were in week one.
30:30I have to imagine they're going to tackle better.
30:33It's really not, to me, about, you know, Kenneth Walker versus Broncos' defense.
30:37It's about Bo Nix versus Steve Spagnuolo. And I still just don't have confidence in that.
30:42Yeah. Maybe he could prove me wrong. I fully welcome him proving me wrong.
30:46The last time we saw it, it was some of the worst tape of the season.
30:51And Bo Nix has had a lot of bad tape this season.
30:55That was still the worst, in my opinion. So give me the Chiefs here.
30:59I put it at the seventh spot. I am fully acknowledging this could blow up on my face and we could be
31:06flooded with comments from Broncos fans saying, Brett, you're an idiot.
31:09You're right. If they win this game, I'm an idiot.
31:13But I really do need to see it before I believe it.
31:16Well, I am taking the Broncos in this game.
31:19I'm only putting it at the two spot because with them being at home, I think that that leans into it.
31:25Them being a different team than what we saw week one.
31:29I think that they're certainly the missed tackles. I mean, you cannot replicate the missed tackle rate that they had in that game.
31:36So it's going to be a lot better there.
31:39But I'm worried about how Nix is going to play against pressure with Steve Spagnuolo as the defense coordinator.
31:45He's going to identify a lot of Nix's issues and really want to attack those as aggressively as he possibly can.
31:51But I feel as though, you know, Denver's rolling certainly a lot more confidently than they were to start the season.
31:58I think they're a lot more ready for this one.
32:01If this is in Kansas City, probably feel a different way.
32:04But with this being in Denver, give me the Broncos.
32:07Give me them at the two spot here. What about the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders?
32:12We got one in this game. Let me ask you this.
32:16Okay. How many teams in the NFL would you pick the Eagles against right now?
32:20Um, not Washington. Same. Not Washington. Not that I think Washington's like that good this year.
32:25Yeah, right. Right. The Eagles are in a free fall.
32:28Yeah. It's not entirely their own fault. It couldn't be worse right now for the Eagles, it feels.
32:34No. And they know. No. They know what the rest of the season is.
32:38They're evaluating. Right. The entire point of the remainder of 2026 for the Philadelphia Eagles is we know what our problems are.
32:45We are evaluating if you could be part of the solution.
32:48That's the only goal right now. If they win some games along the way, great.
32:53But they know they're not winning the Super Bowl this year.
32:57It's not going to happen. But meanwhile, Washington, everybody's kind of coaching for their lives right now.
33:02And everybody's playing for their lives. So if we're talking about motivation, Washington is incredibly motivated.
33:07But I also think Washington, even with their own talent deficiencies in losing Terry for the season, I still might take their
33:13remaining talent over the remaining talent that the Eagles have.
33:17Yeah. That's how bad it is in Philly right now.
33:20So. Jaden, Jaden's had the big mental blunders that I think most people remember as the focal point this season.
33:26But I mean, Jaden has played really well when he has been out there.
33:30So if you take away those two, you know, mental missteps from him, you'd look at Jaden Daniels tape and be like,
33:37OK, yeah, outside of the injury, like Jaden's playing really well this season.
33:41And I think that this game simply just comes down to I trust Jaden at quarterback a lot more than whatever the
33:48Philadelphia Eagles feel is their best option at quarterback.
33:51And that's as simple as it is to me, especially with Washington hosting this one.
33:55And you mentioned a lot of people in Washington are coaching for their jobs right now.
34:00It's not like I think the Washington's a way better roster than Philly.
34:04But they to me, they've got the most important position and they've got it by a lot.
34:09So where did you have this one in the rankings?
34:12I put this one at the eighth spot. And it's really more a reflection of the Eagles than the commanders to me.
34:19I thought this was going to be an opportunity for me to get a bunch of points on you here.
34:25I got them at the nine spot. So we're similar.
34:28Man. Oh, we both just do not believe in Philly at all whatsoever.
34:32Which, of course, even Philly fans don't believe in Philly right now.
34:36Yeah, but from the universe, that just means that you know what happens.
34:40Philly's going to win by 30. So you know what happens there.
34:44Probably not. Last game is the Chicago Bears and the Seattle Seahawks.
34:48What a game this is. Potential NFC championship type of game here with Seattle and Chicago matching up.
34:53Who you got winning this game and where you got it in the confidence rankings.
34:58So if I recall correctly, we both have this at the one spot.
35:02You are correct. Do we not? Yes. Yes. You are correct.
35:05So this game is not going to do a whole lot of damage to either of us, which means we get to watch it stress-free, which is awesome.
35:14Thank goodness. Thank goodness. I picked the Bears. And not that I feel amazing about it, because I put it at the one spot.
35:21But I feel like the general theme of the picks this week, and it's really the foundational pillar of analysis that we
35:28all fall back on when we don't know what to really expect.
35:32It's who has the better quarterback. Because both these teams have great coaching staffs.
35:36And I think, you know, offensively versus defensively, trench talent versus trench talent, this is one of the more even matchups of the week.
35:43Yeah, I agree. And sometimes when you have very evenly matched teams, the only thing that really can move the needle is quarterback play.
35:51Right. And not that I think Sam has been, like, gross this year.
35:55He certainly hasn't been as good this year as he was the last couple years.
36:00You know, going back to the Minnesota year and then his first year in Seattle.
36:04The turnovers have been an issue. The accuracy has been an issue.
36:08Decision making has been an issue. He hasn't been horrible, but he hasn't been good either.
36:13Meanwhile, Caleb, I think he's been amazing this year.
36:16So if the one thing in an evenly matched game in terms of total roster talent, coaching staffs, whole kit and caboodle,
36:22if the one thing that can really move the needle, three to four percent in your favor is who has the best quarterback.
36:29That's Chicago. So give me the Bears as reductive as it is, as cliche as it is.
36:35Sometimes when you watch football, that's just what it is.
36:38Who has the best quarterback that can make three more plays than the other guy?
36:42That's Chicago right now. I'm taking Seattle just because of how good they looked last week against the Kansas City Chiefs.
36:49But I will say this. I know Seahawks fans won't agree with me here.
36:53The season gets a lot more fun if Chicago wins this game.
36:57Because if Seattle wins this game, you know, it's back-to-back weeks where Seattle was kind of like back against the wall a
37:04little bit, had a few weeks there where they didn't look so good.
37:08But then it was like, okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
37:11But we're locking in and they beat the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears.
37:16So throughout the entire rest of the season, I think when we talk about Super Bowl favorites or who's the best in
37:23the NFL, especially with the Seahawks trading for Quentin Nelson, a lot of people are just going to go, yeah, but when
37:30the Seahawks are locked in, I mean, like that's just the best team in the league.
37:35Whereas if they lose to Chicago, like if Chicago beats them here, I think it opens up a lot of stuff.
37:41Okay, well, Kansas City lost to Seattle, but Seattle lost to Chicago.
37:45And you get to kind of like have this fun game with the best teams in the NFL.
37:50And there's a lot more parity with it. And then Vikings fans are going to say, yeah, but Chicago lost to us.
37:57But that's the thing is that if Chicago wins this game, I think you open up the parity of who it really
38:04is the best team in the NFL. Who is the Super Bowl favorites?
38:08It's who do you feel the best about any given Sunday?
38:11And I think Chicago and Seattle are two of those teams.
38:15But I'll take Seattle here because with how much they really locked in against the Chiefs, I think they're going to continue
38:21to be locked in at home against Chicago. And so I just can't wait to watch this one.
38:27I'm glad that we've got it both at the one spot here.
38:31And I'm glad that we're both a little bit different on what is an incredible game.
38:36Those are our game picks. Like we said at the top of the show, we would love to hear yours.
38:42Those are the 10 games that you choose from.
38:45Don't just pick the winner, but in the comments section, rank them in order of confidence.
38:50And we keep score of all of this as we have the last couple of weeks.
38:54And if you're the top scorer every single week, we'll give you a shout out at the show next week.
39:01So appreciate everybody watching. Enjoy the games. And we will indeed see you next week.
39:05Thanks for listening to our Week 8 Game Picks.
39:08Listen to NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
