NFL Pro Reacts to EVERY Sunday Week 8 Game

Richardson was not inserted into the Colts' blowout loss to Jacksonville until very late in the game, despite ample runway for him to get meaningful snaps if the coaching staff were concerned with developing a potential next quarterback option. Kingsley Suamataia interpreted Steichen's reluctance to play Richardson sooner as a sign that the head coach does not expect to be with the team much longer and is prioritizing his own job security over the team's future development.

Early-season struggles appeared tied to offensive line issues and lack of run game support; Broncos' offensive identity was forced to be pass-heavy at the start, but the addition of Jonah Coleman as a three-down back should allow for more balanced play-calling and reduce pressure on Nix.

May see increased opportunity following Tampa Bay's win by double digits without completing a pass, suggesting a potential shift toward run-heavy offensive approach that could benefit Irving.

Irving had 25+ carries in Tampa Bay's game against Atlanta and was part of a dominant rushing attack that accumulated 347 yards after contact and 119 yards after missed tackles despite facing 7+ defenders in the box 90.3% of the time (47 of 52 carries). The Buccaneers' run game was so effective that they won without completing a single pass—the first team since 1974 to do so. Irving generated 10 explosive runs of 10+ yards and had negative 0.4 yards before contact per carry, showcasing elite contact balance.

Despite the Titans' overtime loss, Kingsley Suamataia identified Cam Ward's performance as potentially the best game of his career and the most encouraging of his young career. In the second half, Ward went 11 of 15 for 132 yards with two touchdowns and a 139.4 passer rating (8.8 yards per attempt). Against man coverage specifically, Ward was exceptional: 11 of 17 for 158 yards, two touchdowns including a perfectly thrown slot fade in the red zone, 133.9 passer rating, and 9.3 yards per attempt. Suamataia attributed the breakthrough to Ward finally playing with decisiveness and arm strength after feeling pressure early in the season; once the Titans entered 'fire sale mode' following the Jeff Simmons trade, Ward played like his Miami version—letting it rip without fear of mistakes.

Ward was part of a high-volume passing game in the Titans' overtime loss to the Bengals, 43-36, in which the two quarterbacks combined for over 750 passing yards.

The Titans deployed no-huddle offense at a season-high rate in the Cam Ward game: 41.4% of plays (29 total plays), the highest of any team so far this season. When running no-huddle, the Titans averaged 8.5 yards per play compared to the NFL average of 5.3 yards per play. This uptick in no-huddle usage correlates with Ward's best performance and mirrors the college version of Cam Ward, who operated with more freedom and decisiveness in similar pace-based systems.

Cam Ward thrived in the Cardinals' no-huddle game plan against Cincinnati, running 29 total plays (highest of any team this season) with an 8.5 yards per play average when going no huddle versus the NFL average of 5.3. Kingsley Suamataia attributes this success to Ward's college-style ability to play off vibe and instincts; when playing no huddle, the pace is so sped up that there's no time to overthink, and Ward is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL at playing off instinct despite his struggles. The no-huddle approach worked because Joe Burrow on the other side ensures the Bengals will match any pace, so the Cardinals had no reason to pump the brakes.

Jones continued to struggle for the Colts in their blowout loss to Jacksonville, posting a 2.59 time to throw but only a 32.4% success rate. Kingsley Suamataia noted that despite getting rid of the ball almost as quickly as possible, the Colts' offensive approach was not changing and was failing. Head coach Shane Steichen's decision to keep starting Jones over Anthony Richardson suggested the coaching staff knows it is probably not going to be there much longer and is 'going down on his sword.'

Watson's performance against Pittsburgh was described as 'awful' and 'unplayable'; he took eight sacks primarily due to his own decision-making rather than offensive line failures. He froze when facing zone defenders even when they were out of position, had poor footwork mismatches (quick-game drops with developing routes), and made easily makeable throws like boundary hole shots against cover two that a quarterback making a quarter billion dollars should complete. Kingsley Suamataia questioned whether Watson should remain the starter going forward, comparing his performance unfavorably to backup Shudra Sanders.

May is playing at an elite level and has shed the early-season demons of holding the ball too long and panicking. He was 11-for-15 on passes with more than 2.5 seconds time to throw, demonstrating comfort in the pocket. He has now stacked multiple weeks of strong performance and set a Patriots record with five consecutive games of 3+ total TDs (active streak), halfway to Tom Brady's franchise record of 10 set during his 2007 MVP season. Kingsley Suamataia has 'so much faith' in May and believes he is playing the quarterback position at a high level; the final score of 24-19 did not appropriately reflect how in control he was, as the Patriots were never truly threatened despite being down 13-3 at halftime.

Absolutely having a breakout through the first half of the season, especially in the Chiefs-Broncos Week 8 game; contributed significantly to Kansas City's offensive production through yards after catch.

Since 2019, in games where Minshew does not start but enters mid-game in relief, he leads the NFL with 125 completions and over 1,300 yards; he ranks second in passing touchdowns (8) and passing first downs (65), and leads the NFL with 16 completions of 20+ yards. When entering as a backup with no pressure, he represents the best version of himself and poses a historic threat to opposing defenses.

Performed well against Brian Flores' aggressive 89.7% blitz rate in Week 8; threw a perfect backward pass to Amon Ross St. Brown on a CFL-style play that worked to perfection, demonstrating elite execution under pressure and validating Flores' respect for Goff's ability despite the extreme blitz rate.

Daniels had a strong performance against Philadelphia's defense in the Commanders' 27-10 win, generating more than two-thirds of his 217 passing yards (148 yards) against man coverage on 8-of-13 completions with a touchdown. This was a career-high for passing yards against man coverage, demonstrating his ability to exploit man-to-man situations despite Philadelphia's talented secondary featuring Quinone Mitchell and Cooper DeGene.

Burrow was part of a high-volume passing game in the Bengals' overtime victory over the Titans, 43-36, in which the two quarterbacks combined for over 750 passing yards.

Kingsley Suamataia praised Burrow's performance as one of the most impressive of his career despite three interceptions; Burrow completed nearly 80% of passes, threw six total touchdowns, and accumulated almost 500 passing yards in the overtime victory against Tennessee. Suamataia characterized Burrow as 'beyond rare'—a quarterback that comes around once in a franchise's history—and emphasized his ability to keep firing at an elite level with deep throws into tight windows.

Joe Burrow is positioned as a high-volume passer in the Bengals' offensive scheme; Kingsley Suamataia notes that Burrow will be up to the task in any pace race (whether 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, or 60 points), and the ball is in his hands approximately 80% of the game. In Week 8 against Arizona, Burrow's pass play rate was 72.9%, and it has been close to 80% in other games as well. The Bengals are living by the sword and dying by the sword, putting the ball in Burrow's hand as much as possible rather than relying on a strong run game, despite the offensive line's improved performance in both run and pass game.

Led Broncos in both rushing and receiving with 41 rushing yards and a touchdown plus 63 receiving yards (15.8 average); breakout game signals the beginning of his takeover of the backfield as a three-down back, potentially transforming Denver's offensive identity toward a more balanced attack after early-season struggles.

Kingsley Suamataia previously considered Jonathan Taylor as a potential landing spot for the Cincinnati Bengals to address their missing explosive piece out of the backfield. However, upon further reflection, Suamataia questions whether a premium running back matters for the Bengals given that the ball is in Joe Burrow's hands 80% of the game anyway. The Bengals' offensive philosophy prioritizes Burrow's volume over run game development, making the identity of the running back less critical to fantasy production.

Herbert threw an interception in all seven of the Chargers' games through Week 8, the only quarterback in the NFL with that dubious distinction. Kingsley Suamataia expressed being 'flabbergasted' at his performance, noting he has never looked this bad before and the offense has never looked this bad. The Chargers had their worst offensive performance of the season in Week 8 coming off a bye, and their second-worst before the bye, showing deterioration as the season progresses. They have gone 27 straight possessions without a touchdown since October 11th, are 0-4 in the red zone, and have at least one turnover in every game (17 total in 7 games, averaging over 2 per game).

Felt like no one was going to slow down on the planet this season, but the Broncos' 5-2 odd-front defense with three down defensive linemen and two outside linebackers on the line of scrimmage successfully bottled him up early in the game, similar to how the Seattle Seahawks slowed him the week before.

Below 60% completion percentage for the second time this season (third game at or near 60%); 30% third-down conversion rate and 38.7% run success rate in Week 8 loss to Cardinals; performance has been inconsistent and not good enough, with the speaker waiting for the Kyler of five years ago to show up but doubting it will happen.

Penix threw four interceptions against Tampa Bay in heavy rain, but Kingsley Suamataia emphasized that weather was not the primary culprit. Multiple picks were attributed to poor decision-making: the Anzalone interception was a coverage mistake, and the final interception on a switch verts route was particularly egregious—he had a receiver wide open on a divide route for a touchdown but instead threw to a DB staring at him over the top. Kingsley Suamataia noted massive week-to-week swings with Penix halfway through the season and questioned what he is as a player.

Michael Wilson picked apart three different types of zone coverages for 61 yards on the Cardinals' final drive in the second half, forcing overtime after the Cowboys switched to conservative cover-four and cover-three looks (70% coverage rate in quarters 3-4 vs. 54.2% man coverage in first half). Kingsley Suamataia praised Wilson's technical soundness and ability to win in multiple ways, noting he accomplished this performance with broken ribs.

Kingsley Suamataia expressed strong conviction in Michael Wilson's pre-draft profile, highlighting his physical play, technical soundness, and multiple ways to win at the position. Suamataia called him 'an absolute dog' and 'a culture builder through and through,' indicating high regard for his work ethic and commitment despite playing through injury.

Wilson was one of two guys leaned on very heavily in the Cardinals' culture-win game against Dallas; he exemplifies the type of player who puts his body on the line and will get every yard physically possible every single time he touches the ball.

Characterized as more of a receiver than a runner in Denver's early-season backfield, suggesting limited rushing upside compared to Jonah Coleman, who was expected to take over as the primary three-down back.

Lawrence was 'absolutely dealing' in Jacksonville's dominant win over Indianapolis, posting three touchdowns and 210 yards on just 10 completions for a 153.3 passer rating. Kingsley Suamataia called this 'the best version of him that we have ever seen,' including his college days at Clemson, noting that he is both efficient and explosive—a rare combination. He demonstrated the ability to be efficient while still generating explosive plays.

McBride was part of the Cardinals' core group in their culture-win game against Dallas; he exemplifies the type of player who puts his body on the line and will get every yard physically possible every single time he touches the ball.