Sunday Coffee: NFL News & Notes Week 8
All Access Football insider Bo Marchionte brews up some fresh takes for Week 8 as he goes around the league with the latest news and notes!
By Bo Marchionte | Follow @BoMarchionte
We’re almost near the midway point of the season, depending on if you think the glass is half full, or half empty. With seven weeks of NFL games in the books we’ve come to learn that we’ve learned … well, nothing.
The San Francisco 49ers have lost two straight games and Kirk Cousins looked like Joe Montana against the Niners last Monday. Bill Belichick dominates another AFC East team in the Patriots' big win over the Bills, as Buffalo appears to be out of the running for the No. 1 seed in the conference, unless more mysterious outcomes emerge as the season progresses.
The tantalizing thing about Week 8 is the NFL trade deadline for the 2023 season is this Tuesday, Oct. 31 at 4 pm eastern. Although some smaller deals have already been made, expect more to come, blockbuster or not, to either help contending teams, or give additional draft picks to fading teams.
The new generation of football enthusiasts might assume the barrage of NFL trades that now occur was not the case years ago. Tuesday will mark 36 years to the very day when the Rams traded Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson to the Colts. It was one of the biggest trades in NFL history and now we’ve become numb to hearing names like Tyreek Hill or Devante Adams suiting up in new uniforms. Back in the day, or at least back in my day, it was unheard of that players were dealt.
It’s also Halloween on Tuesday and I wonder if NFL teams are going to Trick-or-Treat us to more household names moving onto new cities via a trade.
AFC EAST
Miami Dolphins (5-2)
Philadelphia held Miami to just one touchdown during the Dolphins 31-17 loss to the Eagles. A couple things to take from this game; not many teams have a defensive front like Philadelphia and the Miami offensive line was missing key players such as left guard Isaiah Wynn who was placed on injured reserve with a quad injury. Miami got knocked around a bit but they held the Eagles to 99 rushing yards, which is 51 yards below their average.
Buffalo Bills (5-3)
In June, head coach Sean McDermott signed a contract extension that runs through the 2027 season, which coincided with general manager Brandon Beane receiving the same deal. The pair has won three AFC East division titles with four consecutive playoff appearances. However, McDermott is starting to creep towards Tony Dungy territory, as a coach who failed to get his team over the hump and deliver a championship. The Bills are fifth in scoring, fifth in points allowed and plus-three in the turnover category. On Thursday Night Football, Buccaneers receiver Chris Godwin was inches away from catching a hail mary pass that would have sunk the Bills at home.
New York Jets (3-3)
The Jets are winners of their last two games with Zach Wilson at quarterback. Wilson and the Jets could make it three in a row with a win over the New York Giants this weekend. A victory would get Wilson one game closer to the four-game winning streak he put together last season with wins over the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers.
New England Patriots (2-5)
In December of 2021, New England traveled to Buffalo and beat the Bills 14-10 in a game that was plagued with immense weather elements, which made putting the ball vertical near impossible. Bill Belichick devised a scheme for the ages, with quarterback Mac Jones attempting just three passes as New England ran the football 46 times for 222 rushing yards, one touchdown and a two-point conversion. Two weeks later, the Bills beat New England, then demolished the Patsies in a wildcard playoff match in Buffalo. Last week, Belichick snapped a four-game losing streak to Buffalo and won his 300th game with a huge upset reminiscent of the last win he had against the Bills in 2021.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens (5-2)
Lamar Jackson won MVP of the National Football League in 2019 and after seven games that year, Baltimore was 5-2, the exact record they have now. In 2019, Jackson’s passing numbers after seven games were 136-of-215 passing, for 1,650 passing yards along with 10 touchdown passes and five interceptions. He also carried the football 83 times, for 576 rushing yards and three scores. What do they look like this year? Jackson has completed 142-of-200 pass attempts, for 1,610 passing yards, with eight touchdowns and three picks. Escaping the pocket, Jackson has amassed 363 yards rushing on 69 carries with five touchdowns. Needless to say, he is absolutely playing at an MVP level.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2)
Better late than never I suppose. The Steelers had zero rushing touchdowns prior to their west coast trip last weekend to Los Angeles. Pittsburgh ran the football for three scores to beat the Rams 24-17. Might be hard for this team to challenge and surpass the single season record of 33 rushing touchdowns set by the 1976 team (in 14-games). What’s even more impressive is their defense that season, which allowed just five rushing touchdowns. The epitome of the meaning ‘Steel Curtain’.
Cleveland Browns (4-2)
The Browns quarterbacks over their last two games have thrown six interceptions and zero touchdown passes. Yet, Cleveland was a remarkable 2-0 during the span. This team seems to have found lady luck to be a friendly companion in the win/loss column. Cleveland has nine total interceptions–only Las Vegas has thrown more with 12 to lead the league.
Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
Cincinnati is currently 3-3 and it’s hard to envision the team going 9-1 down the stretch like last season. Coming off their bye-week, the Bengals travel to San Francisco, the losers of two straight games. The question is this – Will the 49ers lose three straight games? Probably not and the Bengals will fall to 3-4 on the season.
AFC South
Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2)
The Jaguars entered the NFL in 1995 and played in the AFC Central that featured the Browns, Bengals, Oilers and Steelers. The format changed in 2002 with Jacksonville becoming part of the AFC South, along with the Colts, Texans and Titans. Where am I going with this? Jacksonville has a head-to-head advantage against just six teams in the National Football League. Three of those six teams reside in the AFC North. The Jaguars are 13-11 against the Bengals 13-10 versus the Ravens and 12-6 taking on Cleveland. That leads us to this week’s game against the Steelers, where Jacksonville can tie the series at 13-13 with a win over Pittsburgh and placing them one game away from having a winning record against every team in the AFC North.
Houston Texans (3-3)
The Texans come off a bye to play the Carolina Panthers in a game that features the top three overall picks of the 2023 NFL Draft (Panthers Bryce Young, plus Texans C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson)—a first in NFL history. Anderson better get to work on his former Alabama teammate in Young, if he wants to match the numbers of some of the best sack artists in the game. After six weeks into his rookie season, Nick Bosa had seven sacks during his rookie year. Others sack specialists in their rookie seasons also had productive debuts such as Von Miller (six sacks), Myles Garrett (five sacks), T.J. Watt (five sacks) and Joey Bosa (four sacks).
Indianapolis Colts (3-4)
Current Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis and his Colts defense ranked ninth overall in points allowed. The defensive performance under Eberflus helped him land his first head coaching job in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears. Since his departure and under the direction of Gus Bradley, the Colts have finished 28th in 2022 in points allowed and currently rank 30th in the league. The team is hemorrhaging points after allowing 76-points in their last two games.
Tennessee Titans (2-4)
Last week’s read - '“Among the many famous quotes in the movie Pulp Fiction there is one that reminds me of the current situation in Tennessee with the Titans in last place in an ugly AFC South division. Actor Ving Rhames character Marsellus Wallace says to boxer Butch Coolidge played by Bruce Willis, “That’s pride f*%king with you. F*&k pride. Pride only hurts, it never helps,” when trying to convince the boxer to take a dive in his upcoming fight. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel appears to conduct himself in an old-school fashion that resonates in the toughness and physicality of Tennessee. I’d imagine Vrable would be much like Willis’s character in the movie. With the October 31st trade deadline approaching the Titans could move both veterans Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry and begin the rebuild of the franchise. However, Vrabel might highly disagree with that statement and act completely in contrast to the advice of Mr. Wallace and try to knock out the competition in their last remaining 11 games.” – The Titans traded Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard to the Eagles. Has the purging of the Titans roster begun?
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs (6-1)
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton is expected to miss roughly two months after injuring his wrist in Kansas City’s 31-17 win over the Chargers. Bolton has become a key component in defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s defense. Currently, Kansas City ranks second in the entire league in points allowed and time will tell how much his absence will impact one of the stingiest defenses in the National Football League.
Las Vegas Raiders (3-4)
Jimmy Garoppolo started every game of the regular season in 2019 for the San Francisco 49ers. Amazing when you considered his well-documented history of games missed due to a variety of issues that have limited him. Garoppolo has played in 37 of his last 57 games, which averages out to him missing 36 percent of his games since 2020.
Los Angeles Chargers (2-5)
The Chargers are 2-6 over their last seven games, which includes their playoff loss to the Jaguars last year. Head coach Brandon Staley has already made a few extremely bold and well scrutinized play calls late in games this year that helped contribute to wins for Los Angeles. Staley was hired for his defensive expertise and under his direction the Chargers have allowed an average of 25.1 points per game. The previous coaching staff under Anthony Lynn averaged 21.3 points per game. I’m telling you that things have gotten worse defensively since Staley has arrived.
Denver Broncos (2-5)
For what it's worth, the Broncos are the best 2-5 team in the league. While that might sound comical, I do feel that they’ve played extremely better over the last four weeks going 2-2 and we could applaud the defensive effort against the Chiefs two weeks ago in the 19-8 loss in Kansas City. That leads us to this week’s AFC West showdown between these two teams. The Broncos have been on the losing end in the last 16 straight games against Kansas City dating back to November 15, 2015. It ties for the third longest losing streak against an individual opponent in NFL history.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles (6-1)
Philly went out and acquired another Tennessee Titan via trade. First it was A.J. Brown and now safety Kevin Byard. The Eagles struck before the trade deadline to net the two-time first team All-Pro (2017-2021). If Reed Blankenship can stay healthy, the back end of the Eagles secondary is going to be almost as good as their defensive front.
Dallas Cowboys (4-2)
Micah Parsons entered the season as a favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year and after six games he has registered five sacks. Fifteen other players in the NFL have more sacks than Parsons who is currently tied with three other players, which includes the Chargers Morgan Fox. You’re asking yourself – Who the heck is Morgan Fox? Four of Parsons’ sacks came in the first three weeks of the season and over the Cowboys last three games, he racked up just one. If Parsons wants to continue the hype of defensive player of the year type honors, he better start moving into the neighborhood of Vikings Danielle Hunter who leads the league with nine sacks.
Washington Commanders (3-4)
It’s well known that the Commanders have invested heavy draft capital along their defensive line; Jonathan Allen (2017), Daron Payne (2018), Montez Sweat (2019) and Chase Young (2020). As a result, it has left the cupboards empty for offensive help. The last investment of a first-round pick to address the offensive line was in 2015 with the selection of Brandon Scherff fifth overall. A five-time Pro Bowler during his seven seasons with Washington, Scherff has spent the last two years in Jacksonville. Washington’s o-line has given up 40 sacks after seven weeks to lead the league! Maybe the Commanders need to hit the 2024 NFL Draft looking for offensive linemen.
New York Giants (2-5)
Saquon Barkley has averaged 22.5 carries over the last two games since missing three games with a bad ankle. His 24 carries against Buffalo for 93 yards kept the Giants in the game and many feel some odd calls by the refs cost New York the win. This past week in the 14-7 victory over Washington another 20-plus carry performance helped keep backup Tyrod Taylor efficient and off his back. Barkley’s health more than Daniel Jones will be a key factor in how the last nine games shake out for the Giants.
NFC North
Detroit Lions (5-2)
Last week I wrote - “Love seeing the Lions at 5-1 and I’ll say it again. I love seeing the Lions at 5-1, but I need to see some more before I put them in the same realm as San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas. They are the new kids on the block and when you are those kids you must beat the big boys up repeatedly to convince us you belong. They opened the season winning in Kansas City and holding the Chiefs to just 20-points in the 21-20 victory. The following week the Lions lost to the Seahawks and gave up 37-points to Geno Smith and company in the 37-31 loss. Their next four wins came against teams with a combined 8-14 record. It’s plausible that their last four opponents, the Falcons, Packers, Panthers, and Buccaneers could finish with six wins or less on the season. Not exactly powerhouses of the NFL.” – Detroit got steamrolled by the Ravens 38-6. The jury is still out on who exactly the Lions are in terms of elite teams in the NFL.
Minnesota Vikings (3-4)
Kirk Cousins was magnificent in the Vikings 22-17 win over the 49ers to hand San Francisco their second consecutive loss. Cousins threw the football 45 times and was not sacked once by the formidable 49ers defensive front. Hats off to the entire Minnesota offensive for a performance for the ages. It was a well-rounded win with the Vikings defenses forcing Brock Purdy into two costly interceptions. Minnesota has a lot to figure out to get anywhere near their 13-4 season from last year. Their next six games (Packers, Falcons, Saints, Broncos, Bears, and Raiders) offer the Vikings a chance to get back into the wildcard race.
Green Bay Packers (2-4)
Jordan Love posted a 61.2 completion percentage during his collegiate career at Utah State. The college completion percentages of Trevor Lawrence (69.2), Joe Burrow (76.3), Kyler Murray (69.0) and Bryce Young (65.8) should shed more light on Love’s current struggles. Currently, his 57.5 completion percentage is last among the 32 starters in the NFL, which should be a big red flag for Green Bay. In a league hellbent on passing the football, passing it effectively is an enormous importance.
Chicago Bears (2-5)
Justin Fields is in his third season and flash plays continue to push the narrative that he's got the tools to play quarterback in the NFL and he is 6-25 as the starter. His undrafted rookie back-up Tyler Bagent from DII school Shepherd is 1-0 after helping the Bears beat the Raiders 30-12. While Fields is the undisputed starter when he gets healthy, Bagent’s 72.1 completion percentage should give Chicago hope in case Fields misses extended time.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
Desmond Ridder fumbled three times inside the 10-yard line last week in the Falcons ugly win over Tampa Bay 16-13. The entire NFC South is awful and Atlanta beating the Buccaneers says nothing about improvement for either side. Just one bad team getting the chance to squeak but another bad team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4)
The Buccaneers got off the mat twice against the Bills but came short in their 24-18 loss in Buffalo on Thursday. It was hard not to notice running back Rachaad White and his explosiveness in the passing game. Heading into the Thursday night game, the Buccaneers were 31st in rushing yards and managed just 78 against Buffalo, giving the team 545 after seven games. White might not be effective running the ball but White has the most receptions (13) over the last two weeks, as offensive coordinator Dave Canales seeks new ways to implement White into his system.
New Orleans Saints (3-4)
The Saints offense is as explosive as it once was but one unexpected player is playing very well. Alvin Kamara has been a hard running, explosive dual-threat back since entering the league as a third round out of Tennessee in the 2017 NFL Draft. Suspended the first three games of this season, he is currently averaging 65.9 yards rushing per game, second only to his 69.1 average in 2019, in which he made the Pro Bowl.
Carolina Panthers (0-6)
This was how last week’s Carolina post began- “Frank Reich is 3-10-1 over his last 14 games as a head coach between Carolina and Indianapolis where he was fired after nine games into the 2022 season.” – Reich is now 3-11-1 over his last 14 games as a head coach and now has given the play calling duties over to offensive coordinator Thomas Brown. It also appears that owner David Tepper is making life uneasy for Reich in Carolina. “He wants to bring a winner to the Carolinas,” Reich said, via the Charlotte Observer “He wants it now. He pushes me, and pushes us, to that end. He wants to do whatever it takes, turn over every stone, churn it as much as he has to to produce a winning football. So, I appreciate those conversations. They’re always very challenging. He’s a super-competitive person. He’s not going to sit idly by.” Tepper appears he will not sit idly by and if Reich continues to lose games, expect more changes in Carolina.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers (5-2)
Is it time to press the panic button in San Francisco? No! Last year the 49ers lost two in a row in week six and seven that gave them a 3-4 record. Then Kyle Shanahan and company won their next 10 games and transformed into one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. Expect the 49ers to get back on track and stack wins like last season.
Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
This was written last week - “Jaxon Smith-Njigba was the Seahawks 20th overall pick in round one of the 2023 NFL Draft. After five games he still awaits his first chance to celebrate after scoring his first touchdown.” Well, Smith-Njigba delivered catching his first NFL touchdown pass from Geno Smith that covered 28-yards. It also marked his highest targeted game (7) so far this season.
Los Angeles Rams (3-4)
Aaron Donald is playing in his tenth season in the NFL and as the NFL trade deadline looms one would think every contender would consider adding the three-time Defensive Player of the Year. With 7.5 sacks in his last 18 games, Donald is still a premier defender that could instantly change the fortunes of any team.
Arizona Cardinals (1-6)
Kyler Murray is close to returning to action. What is he returning to in Arizona? With starters James Conner (knee) and Zach Ertz (strained quadriceps) currently on injured reserve the Cardinals are suffering from a lack of talent. Rookie head coach Jonathan Gannon has the Cardinals playing hard and that’s so important for a team lacking elite talent. Will Murray coming back hurt or help his chances to win over a franchise that is possibly looking for his replacement with each loss?
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