With the regular season nearing the halfway point, many teams are jockeying for playoff position. Week 8’s slate of games present a slew of matchups they will likely have an effect on how the playoff seedings look come January.
Here are the five most intriguing Week 8 matchups including a "Monday Night Football" meeting between two AFC West teams.
5. Oakland Raiders (3-4) at Buffalo Bills (4-2)
The Raiders hope to build positive momentum after a 31-30 victory over the Chiefs on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 7 in what was a classic game. Buffalo has not reached the postseason since 1999, but can help buoy their playoff chances this Sunday after a 4-2 start.
They defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30-27 in Week 7.
In his first two seasons, wide receiver Amari Cooper averaged 77.5 receptions for 1,111.5 yards. Now in his third season, he entered Week 7 with only 18 catches for 146 yards in six games. He finally showed up for his fantasy owners and had a breakthrough performance last Sunday. In the win over Kansas City, Cooper finished with a career-high 210 receiving yards. His 11 receptions were the second-most he has ever ended a game with, and he had his second career two-touchdown performance.
Cooper and the Raiders face an aggressive Bills defense that has forced three turnovers in each of their last three games. Not only does Buffalo do a great job of taking away the football, but they also have been excellent at not giving it away.
Their three giveaways are only more than the Chiefs, and Buffalo’s +10 turnover differential is the best in football.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Detroit Lions (3-3)
The Steelers hold a 1.5 game lead over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North and are currently on a two-game winning streak. After giving the Chiefs their first loss of the season, they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday 29-14.
Detroit has lost two in a row and are looking to stay in the NFC North hunt. They got trampled on by the New Orleans Saints last Sunday in a 52-38 losing effort.
Known more for their offense in recent seasons, the Steelers’ defense has been one of the better units on the season. While they may not reach the heights of the vaunted “Steel Curtain” of the 1970s, Pittsburgh ranks third in the league, allowing just 16.6 Points Per Game.
They allow 147 passing yards per game which is best in the NFL, and are giving up only 4.3 yards per pass attempt, and have more interceptions (7) than passing touchdowns allowed (6).
They face a Lions team that was doing a great job protecting the football until last week. After turning the ball over just three times in their first five games, they had five turnovers in their loss to New Orleans. Matthew Stafford entered last Sunday’s game with only one interception on the year but threw three against the Saints’ defense.
3. Dallas Cowboys (3-3) at Washington Redskins (3-3)
The two NFC East rivals meet up in an important matchup as both teams are likely fighting for a wild card spot as they sit behind the 6-1 Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cowboys ended their two-game losing streak in Week 7 by easily disposing of the winless San Francisco 49ers by the score of 40-10. The Redskins fell to .500 with their Monday night 34-24 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas has yet to put together a win against a team who is .500 or above, as their wins have come against the 1-6 New York Giants, 3-4 Arizona Cardinals, and 0-7 49ers. Their losses have come against the 3-3 Broncos, 5-2 Los Angeles Rams, and 4-3 Green Bay Packers. Opponents have completed 64.3% of their passes against them with 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
They meet up with a hot quarterback in Kirk Cousins. In the Redskins’ last four games, Cousins has completed 71.8% of his passes, averaged 304.5 yards passing, and thrown for 10 touchdowns.
His 8.3 yards per attempt on the season place him only behind Alex Smith and Tom Brady.
2. Houston Texans (3-3) at Seattle Seahawks (4-2)
The Texans are coming off a bye and sit a half game behind the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars for first place in the AFC South. It doesn’t seem like Seattle has completely hit their stride this season, yet they have won three in a row including last week’s 24-7 victory over the Giants.
Houston has been one of the most exciting teams to watch since inserting Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Deshaun Watson into their starting lineup. They are averaging 39.3 points per game in their last four outings, and Watson is tied for second in the league with 15 passing touchdowns.
He has also added another two on the ground.
The stellar rookie matches up against the vaunted Seahawks defense which added Dwight Freeney to their pass rush on Tuesday. Seattle leads the NFL allowing only 15.7 points per game. Opposing quarterbacks have struggled against their defense, as they have allowed just five touchdown passes and 5.0 yards per attempt.
1. Denver Broncos (3-3) at Kansas City Chiefs (5-2)
Both AFC West rivals have lost momentum and are both very much in need of a win. Denver has lost two in a row both to under .500 teams, most recently a 21-0 blanking at the hands of the Los Angeles Chargers. After a 5-0 start, the Chiefs also have lost two in a row. They lost a thriller in Week 7’s "Thursday Night Football," falling to the Oakland Raiders 31-30.
Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian has cooled off rapidly after getting to a quick start. He completed 65% of his passes with six touchdowns and two interceptions in the team’s first two games. In his last four outings, he is completing 62.3% of his throws but has just two touchdowns and five interceptions.
It will be interesting to see how the NFL’s leading rusher Kareem Hunt fares against a Broncos defense that is second in rushing yards allowed per game (71.8) and yards allowed per carry (3.0) while not allowing a single touchdown on the ground. As great as Hunt has been in his rookie season, he has gone four straight games without finding the end zone.
