Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season sees rookie matchups, renewed historic rivalries and opportunities for teams to change fortunes.
The week started with Impressive – but controversial – 30-20 victory for the Los Angeles Rams against the Minnesota Vikings THURSDAY.
Sunday is a blockbuster day of action without a team during a bye week, which means it’s a busy slate of games.
Here are the three matchups you don’t want to miss.
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Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) – 1 p.m. ET
The Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals have both had their ups and downs this season and have both faced their own questions.
The Eagles have struggled on offense, with questions surrounding head coach Nick Sirianni after the team’s poor finish to last season.
But they’ve responded to those criticisms somewhat in recent weeks, first beating the Cleveland Browns and then celebrating a dominant victory over the New York Giants, where they looked much more similar on offense and defense.
Running back Saquon Barkley had a big game against his former team and the return of wide receiver tandem AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith helped quarterback Jalen Hurts settle into a rhythm.
Before the Week 8 clash with the Bengals, Sirianni said he was impressed by the “selflessness” his team showed as it figured out its identity.
“When you build a team and you build as a group, you build together to try to do this, those things go a long way, selflessness,” he told reporters Wednesday. “But at the end of the day, it’s about winning the football game and what we have to do to be successful.
“And when you’re a guy who gets the ball a lot, like (Brown and Smith), and there comes a day where you don’t get the ball, how do you affect the game in a positive way when you’re not touching not at the football? And these guys, I can’t say enough.
For Cincinnati, the team is riding a two-game winning streak after falling into a 1-4 hole to start the season.
Quarterback Joe Burrow has played well despite the results, but now that the entire team is firing on all cylinders, the Bengals appear to be a much more formidable team than they were a few weeks ago.
Burrow is the only NFL quarterback ranked in the top 10 in all major passing categories, but he faces a tough test against Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who the 27-year-old says, “keeps you on your toes.”
“If you can just be successful, get the ball in your guys’ hands, then you’ll give them more opportunities to play after the ball, to score touchdowns, to get the ball into the hands of your playmakers “, Burrow said. “It’s not always going to be the media coverage you expect for the concept you’re advocating. It’s “can you still get a positive gain?”
“Some of the best plays end up being two, three, four yard gains, but maybe you had pressure and had to slide into the pocket. You get hit, but you find the back just trying to keep the ball in your guys’ hands, let them give them more opportunities to make plays.
Chicago Bears (4-2) vs. Washington Commanders (5-2) – 4:25 p.m. ET
Sunday’s matchup could see the top two picks in the 2024 NFL Draft face off, health permitting.
No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears and second pick Jayden Daniels Washington Commanders both shined during their brief NFL outings, showing why they were so highly touted.
Daniels had a historic start to his rookie campaign, but suffered a rib injury during Washington’s Week 7 win over the Carolina Panthers, leaving the game and not returning.
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn said after the win that Daniels was dealing “week to week” with his injury, but remained “hopeful” that he could play against the Bears.
The 23-year-old missed training throughout the week with his participation in question. If he’s unable to suit up, 2015 second overall pick Marcus Mariota will replace him.
With Daniels potentially out, all eyes will be on Williams, who has steadily improved after a rough start to life in the NFL.
The former USC star struggled to adapt to the precision and speed of professional football in his early appearances, but has flourished of late to help the Bears to three straight victories.
After two touchdowns and five turnovers in his first three games, Williams has seven touchdowns and just one turnover in his last three outings.
The 22-year-old is aided by a star-studded veteran offense as he links with DJ Moore and Keenan Allen while running back D’Andre Swift has also gotten into the rhythm.
Washington cornerback Mike Sainristil said he thought the Commanders’ defense had the tools to slow down Williams and the Bears’ offense, however.
“I think just going against different quarterbacks that we’ve faced this season has definitely helped us prepare so far,” Sainristil told reporters. “Caleb Williams is a good quarterback – mobile, can throw out of the pocket, can extend plays really well as well.
“But I think, early on, being able to keep him in the pocket and have him play quarterback in hashes is going to be big for us.”
The Bears are 4-2 coming out while the Commanders are 5-2, so this is a must-see game.
Dallas Cowboys (3-3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) – 8:20 p.m. ET
Sunday Night Football sees the renewal of one of the NFL’s most historic rivalries.
The duels between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers defined the 1990s, with the two star-studded teams meeting repeatedly in high-profile playoff matchups, with the winner often taking home the Lombardi Trophy as champions of the Super Bowl.
However, since those halcyon days, both have struggled for playoff success, but that doesn’t take away from the importance of the matchup between the Dallas Silver and Navy and the San Red and Gold Francisco.
The days of Steve Young, Jerry Rice, Deion Sanders, Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith are over. Now it’s Brock Purdy, Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb who represent the rivalry.
And both teams enter Sunday’s game looking to revive their stuttering seasons.
The 49ers have been plagued by injuries and are coming off a Super Bowl rematch loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 7.
They will continue to be without star running back Christian McCaffrey and receiver Brandon Aiyuk ruled out for the season after injuring his knee in last Sunday’s defeat.
San Francisco has gotten off to a poor start to the season – largely due to a slew of injuries – as they sit at 3-4 after seven weeks.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, come out of their bye at 3-3 and in need of some good vibes.
Their last game was a humiliating 38-point home loss to the Detroit Lions, meaning they lost all three of their home games and won all three of their away games.
Like the 49ers, their season was plagued by injuries, but some questionable decisions by head coach Mike McCarthy and Prescott didn’t help matters in Texas.
Both teams could use a win on Sunday to restart their season and reinvigorate their playoff aspirations.
For 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan, he says it’s important to rely on the character of his team because the results aren’t going their way.
“We’ve been in this situation before where everything doesn’t go perfectly and you’re a bit ‘backs against the wall,'” he told reporters on Wednesday. “But our group, our culture, it’s never really been a problem.
“I never had to make a big deal about things. And whenever that happens, I’ll call the guys and answer it. But we know each other pretty well, I think they know me pretty well. And we have a group of good people who don’t blame themselves and who know what to do after things like that. There’s only one thing, you can sit down and talk and evaluate it all or you can get to work and find a way to be better next week.
Complete Sunday schedule for week 8
Outside at home
Baltimore Ravens (5-2) vs. Cleveland Browns (1-6) – 1 p.m. ET
Tennessee Titans (1-5) vs. Detroit Lions (5-1) – 1 p.m. ET
Indianapolis Colts (4-3) vs. Houston Texans (5-2) – 1 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers (5-2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) – 1 p.m. ET
Arizona Cardinals (3-4) vs. Miami Dolphins (2-4) – 1 p.m. ET
New York Jets (2-5) vs. New England Patriots (1-6) – 1 p.m. ET
Atlanta Falcons (4-3) vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-3) – 1 p.m. ET
Philadelphia Eagles (4-2) vs. Cincinnati Bengals (3-4) – 1 p.m. ET
New Orleans Saints (2-5) vs. Los Angeles Chargers (3-3) – 4:05 p.m. ET
Buffalo Bills (5-2) vs. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) – 4:05 p.m. ET
Chicago Bears (4-2) vs. Washington Commanders (5-2) – 4:25 p.m. ET
Carolina Panthers (1-6) vs. Denver Broncos (4-3) – 4:25 p.m. ET
Kansas City Chiefs (6-0) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) – 4:25 p.m. ET
Dallas Cowboys (3-3) vs. San Francisco 49ers (3-4) – 8:20 p.m. ET
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