NFL Week 8 grades from around the league

The Rams shredded Patrick Graham's defense in Week 6, but his game plans over the past two weeks have helped a Giants team missing just about all its fantasy-relevant players. Eighteen Tyreek Hill targets turned into just 94 yards -- all of those on underneath routes -- and Travis Kelce (four catches, 27 yards, one fumble) had one of his worst games as a pro. The Giants (2-6) saw their zone defense confuse Patrick Mahomes. Though this bending-not-breaking strategy may not have been ideal on Kansas City's game-winning drive -- a second red zone sack notwithstanding -- Graham's unit has turned in back-to-back strong showings in muzzling the Panthers and frustrating the Chiefs.

GIANTS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Raiders (Sun.)

Although the Chiefs navigated a Giants team missing its top skill players, they have not experienced this kind of offensive rut since Alex Smith's final days as their starter. The Giants kept their safeties deep, following other teams' Chiefs-defanging plan, and their zone rendered Mahomes inconsistent on a night in which he averaged 5.7 yards per pass -- his fourth sub-6-yard clip of the season. Considering the Chiefs (4-4) have their potential Hall of Fame receiving duo available and a mostly healthy O-line, this continued a troubling trend for the two-time reigning AFC champs. Scarier: Kansas City's final nine opponents are .500 or better.

CHIEFS GRADE: C-plus | NEXT: vs. Packers (Sun.)

The Cowboys' second- and third-string quarterbacks in 2018 -- Cooper Rush and Mike White -- became Week 8's biggest winners. Rush, on his second Dallas stint, did so on a bigger stage. The former undrafted free agent finished with 325 passing yards and stunned the Vikings, who had strolled downfield to take a late lead after a slew of Cowboys personal fouls, by hitting Amari Cooper for the clincher. Given the woes the Cowboys experienced without Dak Prescott last season, Rush's performance continued to showcase the franchise's quick repair effort. After missing the past two playoff brackets, Dallas (6-1) is ahead of schedule en route back.

COWBOYS GRADE: A-plus | NEXT: vs. Broncos (Sun.)

Being essentially gifted a primetime win, the Vikings converted 1 of 13 third downs in a game that instead proved emblematic of their Kirk Cousins-era status. Minnesota continues to tread water with Cousins, whose poor outing showed why the team tried to trade up for Justin Fields in April. With Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, and Adam Thielen healthy, the Vikings needed three personal fouls to move them into scoring position -- and that fourth-quarter opportunity still resulted in a short field goal. Missing Patrick Peterson also opened the floodgates for Cooper and CeeDee Lamb (234 combined yards). A disastrous loss ahead of a brutal second-half schedule.

VIKINGS GRADE: D-plus | NEXT: at Ravens (Sun.)

Although A.J. Brown carried the Titans offense with 155 yards and a touchdown, the AFC South leaders' attack runs through Henry. If Adam Schefter's Monday bombshell is accurate, a defanged Tennessee team (6-2) will greet foes for a while. Henry briefly left the Colts contest with a foot injury, one that may end up shelving him for the rest of the season (or possibly until the playoffs ). Henry leads the NFL in rushing by 292 yards, exiting Week 8 with 937, and has an irresponsible 219 carries (82 more than Joe Mixon for second-most this season). He moved past 200 with 28 totes (for 68 yards) Sunday. The Titans dialed up their superstar's workload over the past two seasons. The consequences for the AFC-leading team could be dire.

TITANS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Rams (Sun.)

Going 212 attempts without an interception, Carson Wentz briefly stabilized his rocky career. Wentz's post-Week 2 streak went down in flames, with his safety-preventing left-handed toss producing something much worse and an overtime INT dooming the Colts in a must-win game. Wentz boasted a 14-1 TD-INT ratio entering the fourth quarter, but the Colts are now 3-5 and likely done with a pipe dream of wearing home blues in the playoffs for the first time in seven years. In a clause reminiscent of the 1994 Jeff George trade, the Colts must give up their first-round pick if Wentz plays 75% of this year's snaps. The Eagles' potential selection looks better after Week 8.

COLTS GRADE: C-plus | NEXT: vs. Jets (Thu.)

Yes, officials bizarrely denied the Bengals a final drive by whistling Mike Hilton for a questionable tackling infraction late in the fourth quarter. But Cincinnati (5-3) allowed 511 yards to a Jets team missing its starting quarterback. Fresh off a dominant close-out of the soaring Ravens, the Bengals blew an 11-point lead with under five minutes remaining and lost despite winning the turnover battle 3-1. Jets rookie back Michael Carter tore apart the Bengals for 172 scrimmage yards, halting an improved Cincy linebacking corps' momentum. In a competitive division, this loss will be costly.

BENGALS GRADE: D | NEXT: vs. Browns (Sun.)

Even in this era of inflated passing yards, no Jet passer had eclipsed 400 yards since Vinny Testaverde in 2000. As backup quarterbacks ruled the day, White led the way with a stunningly dominant outing. White started 11-for-11 and led the Jets (2-5) back from multiple two-score deficits against DVOA's No. 5 defense. Set to relegate Joe Flacco to a Jets backup role yet again, White completed the most passes (37) by a quarterback in his first start in NFL history and threw for the second-most yards (405) by a first-start player. This outing certainly reflects better on OC Mike LaFleur, while simultaneously showing the work ahead for Zach Wilson.

JETS GRADE: A | NEXT: at Colts (Thu.)

A coverage bust on special-teamer Cyril Grayson led to the Saints blowing a 16-point lead, but P.J. Williams' game-sealing pick-six restored the New Orleans defense's Brady mastery. Yes, Brady bested the Saints in last year's divisional round, but it took the Buccaneers winning the turnover battle 4-0 to lift their offense that day. Brady threw for 375 yards and four touchdowns Sunday, but he committed three turnovers and is now 1-3 against the Saints (compared to 20-4 vs. everyone else) since joining the Bucs (6-2). Failing to beat a team down its top two QBs looks bad, but the Bucs' schedule still sets up a realistic home-field advantage run.

BUCCANEERS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Washington (Nov. 14)

New Orleans' on-hand fanbase brought its best Sunday when the Saints somehow beat the defending Super Bowl champions with a third-string quarterback. Trevor Siemian, who lost to Brady twice in his former life as the Broncos' starting QB, managed to balloon New Orleans' advantage to 23-7 and lead a game-winning drive to save the Saints after their coverage bust. But Jameis Winston's evidently severe knee injury clouds this Saints run, which has them at 5-2 and (at worst) atop the NFC's second tier. Taysom Hill, who missed Sunday's game, went 3-1 as New Orleans' starter last year and has a strong defense. Is that enough to keep the Saints afloat?

SAINTS GRADE: A | NEXT: vs. Falcons (Sun.)

Mike Tomlin's fake-field goal call ended with Chris Boswell concussed, leading to Steelers fourth-down tries and two-point attempts. With Eric Ebron out, second-round pick Pat Freiermuth rescued Tomlin's squad in its biggest game of the season to date. The Penn State product's juggling fourth-down TD catch ended up the game-winner in a revenge matchup of sorts after Pittsburgh's wild-card debacle. With Ebron, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and James Washington on expiring deals, Freiermuth represents a key piece for Pittsburgh's post- Ben Roethlisberger passing game. His Week 8 outing proved pivotal for this year's Steelers (4-3).

STEELERS GRADE: B-plus | NEXT: vs. Bears (Mon.)

The Browns (4-4) roster an $18 million-per-year wideout and another making $15M on average. Neither was particularly helpful in what could be a crucial defeat. Jarvis Landry lost a fourth-quarter fumble and dropped two passes on Cleveland's final drive. But Landry was at least involved. Odell Beckham Jr. caught one pass and exits Week 8 having caught more than two passes in just two 2021 games. This clunky Browns fit has effectively ruined Beckham's prime, with injuries intervening. He and Landry are not justifying their salaries, with Kevin Stefanski perhaps deserving blame here too for a situation hurting Baker Mayfield's development.

BROWNS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Bengals (Sun.)

Herbert's Offensive Rookie of the Year season encountered a low point against the Patriots, who beat the 2020 Chargers 45-0. Bill Belichick's troops won out a year later, and ex-Charger Adrian Phillips led the way with two interceptions -- which led directly to 10 points in the 4-4 Pats' three-point win. A special-teamer turned hybrid defender in Los Angeles, Phillips has started for the past two Patriot teams. The veteran safety's pick-six closed out the Bolts, who ran 45 plays to the Pats' 74 in yet another game that showed New England's defense remains capable of keeping the second post-Tom Brady team in contention.

PATRIOTS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Panthers (Sun.)

Mike Williams' belated breakout has stalled. The contract-year wide receiver amassed 471 yards and six touchdown receptions through five games. Against the top two defensive staffs on the 4-3 Chargers' schedule, Williams has four total catches for 46 yards. Herbert not lacking proven weaponry beyond Keenan Allen hurt in his second straight sub-par showing against the Patriots. In addition to the two INTs, one of which featuring a miscommunication with Jared Cook, Herbert completed 51% of his passes. The burgeoning star's two worst completion rates have come against the Pats, with this year's not quite as bad as 2020's letdown.

CHARGERS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Eagles (Sun.)

The caveat of receiving yards being easier to accrue now than in 1986 applies, but Deebo Samuel's 819 through seven games edged Jerry Rice's through-seven-games total (781) as the best in 49ers history. Arbitrary numbers aside, Samuel's versatile skill set powered a flailing 49ers team (3-4) to a much-needed win. His 171-yard day included a perfectly placed Jimmy Garoppolo deep toss to set up a first-half-ending field goal and a third-and-20 screen -- which became an 83-yard sprint -- that preceded a touchdown. After being part of the 49ers' injury ward in 2020, Samuel has eclipsed his 2019 receiving total. And he helped Garoppolo in a crucial spot. 

49ERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: vs. Cardinals (Sun.)

Apparently granted freer rein to run more without Matt Nagy in charge, Justin Fields played better in a game in which the Bears led in the second half. But Chicago's defense not only allowed Samuel to erupt, they could not pressure Garoppolo or contain Eli Mitchell (137 rushing yards). The Bears (3-5) allowed 13 plays of 15-plus yards, including three Mitchell 25-plus-yard scurries. Chicago was without Khalil Mack, but their young secondary buckled against a San Francisco team that has done little through the air all season. This marked Garoppolo's biggest passing day since December 2019 and another step back for a sinking Bears team.

BEARS GRADE: C | NEXT: at Steelers (Mon.)

Last week, Washington (2-6) decided to ditch its seven-year kicker -- Dustin Hopkins -- for Blewitt, the Pitt Panthers' kicker in the mid-2010s. Blewitt went five years without kicking in a regular-season game, and his first two Washington outings should prompt inquiries about why Ron Rivera axed Hopkins. Although Blewitt made a 52-yarder, the Broncos blocked two of his kicks. Of Blewitt's first five NFL kicks, three have been blocked. His two unsuccessful offerings Sunday were low-trajectory strikes that did not prove difficult to block. As Washington's miserable season rolls on, Hopkins is now with the Chargers.

WASHINGTON GRADE: C | NEXT: vs. Buccaneers (Nov. 14)

The Broncos (4-4) began Week 8 with two front-seven starters left -- interior linemen Shelby Harris and Dre'Mont Jones. They joined backup edge rushers in stopping a freefall. Jones and Harris combined for two sacks, and each was responsible for one of the Broncos' Blewitt blocks. Recent trade acquisition Stephen Weatherly and Von Miller backup Malik Reed added three combined sacks, each coming against WFT backup right tackle Saahdiq Charles. With Denver's offense sputtering for much of the game, its front four did enough to stop a four-game skid and keep the team from being a surefire trade-deadline seller yet again. 

BRONCOS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: at Cowboys (Sun.)

After trading Jay Ajayi in 2017 and Kenyan Drake two years later, the Dolphins welcomed the Tua Tagovailoa era by failing to outfit him with much at running back. Some failed midlevel investments have given way to ex-seventh-rounder Myles Gaskin, the de facto face of Miami's 30th-ranked ground attack. The Dolphins' defense flummoxed the Bills for nearly three quarters, but its one-dimensional offense failed to back that effort. Miami rushed for 68 yards, marking the sixth time this season the team finished with fewer than 80. This rebuild's O-line misfires have not helped, and Miami's run-game struggles have certainly stunted Tua's progress.

DOLPHINS GRADE: C | vs. Texans (Sun.)

The Dolphins managed three points through nearly 3 1/2 quarters, allowing the Bills offense sufficient time to awaken. Tre'Davious White yielded just three catches, while Jordan Poyer permitted only eight yards when targeted. Poyer's interception punctuated another strong day for this unit, which is getting quality production from slot corner Taron Johnson as well. Tagovailoa averaged 5.3 yards per attempt and threw 18 incompletions. After Buffalo's pass defense took a step back last season, it is back in form. The Bills (5-2) exit Week 8 first in both total defense and points allowed. 

BILLS GRADE: B | NEXT: at Jaguars (Sun.)

The Rams took a 38-0 lead and rested Matthew Stafford throughout the fourth quarter. One of the many mismatches the Texans' ineptitude has created this year allowed for the Rams to see a young linebacker show growth. The Rams (7-1) traded Kenny Young to the Broncos in an effort to see more from third-round rookie Ernest Jones, who did not let the team down in his first start. Jones recorded a Rams-high nine tackles, intercepted a pass -- to set up one of Los Angeles' five TDs -- and allowed just nine yards on three targets in coverage. The Rams' blueprint requires low-cost starters at many spots, and Jones is signed through 2024.

RAMS GRADE: A | NEXT: vs. Titans (Sun.)

Two days away from the trade deadline, the Texans still employ Deshaun Watson. They should still do so by next weekend, setting up a widespread 2022 bidding war that arms the team with full value for the embattled but talented passer. Because Houston (1-7) needs help nearly everywhere. The Rams breezed past the Texans' defense, which barely tested Los Angeles' O-line. (Houston's one sack came against John Wolford in the fourth quarter.) The Texans' QB headlines and odd collection of offensive pieces overshadows its defense, which ranks 31st. Draft capital is desperately needed. 

TEXANS GRADE: F | NEXT: at Dolphins (Sun.)

In the latest grimy Panthers offensive effort, Sam Darnold exited with a concussion and Robby Anderson absorbed a throwback hit. Carolina scored just one touchdown, but the team controlled time of possession and minimized its passing game's workload. The Panthers totaled 47 run plays -- fourth-most in team history and its most since 2009, in the DeAngelo Williams-Jonathan Stewart halcyon days -- and gained 203 yards. Chuba Hubbard lost a fumble and is a major step down from Christian McCaffrey, but the rookie led the offense in its most competent effort since Week 3. A reprieve for a still-embattled Carolina squad (4-4).

PANTHERS GRADE: B-minus | NEXT: vs. Patriots (Sun.)

After missing a game for mental health reasons, Ridley returned to action in Week 7. Atlanta's top wideout practiced throughout this week but was a surprise scratch Sunday morning, leaving the Falcons passing game in a vulnerable spot. The Panthers held Kyle Pitts to one catch, effectively neutralizing Matt Ryan on a 146-yard day. This was a winnable game for the Falcons (3-4), who showed signs of life -- albeit against bad competition -- in October. But with Ridley stepping away from football for the time being, in a year set to finalize his long-term value, Falcon opponents will not have much to worry about against this offense.

FALCONS GRADE: C-minus | NEXT: at Saints (Sun.)

Although the Eagles were down Miles Sanders and both starting guards -- Brandon Brooks and Isaac Seumalo -- they delivered one of their best rushing outings in years. Granted, the Lions were involved, but Philadelphia rushed for 236 yards and had three players -- Jalen Hurts, Boston Scott, and the indefatigable Jordan Howard -- go for 55-plus. The pain this may have caused Sanders' fantasy GMs aside, this was a multifaceted triumph for Philly's O-line. The Lions did not sack or even hit Hurts. Super Bowl LII starters Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson led the way in helping the Eagles halt their run of misfortune. 

EAGLES GRADE: A-plus | NEXT: vs. Chargers (Sun.)

Noticeably off the pace, they set after recovering an onside kick and converting two fake punts in L.A., the Lions were out of Sunday's game early. Down top O-linemen Taylor Decker and Frank Ragnow, the rest of the Lion line made Jared Goff's day miserable. After failing to sack Derek Carr and hitting him only twice last week, the Eagles recorded six sacks and 12 QB hits. One of those sacks denied the Lions points on a fourth down late in the first half. Though the Lions (0-7) have shown more signs of life this season, they head into their bye with a slight lead on the Jaguars (1-6) for a less exciting 2022 No. 1 overall pick. 

LIONS GRADE: F | NEXT: at Steelers (Nov. 14)

Quite competent on passes traveling nine or fewer yards in the air (29-for-33, 206 yards), Trevor Lawrence was much less effective on mid-range and deep targets. The No. 1 pick went 3 of 11 for 32 yards on those in a game not otherwise warranting much discussion on the Jaguars' end. Even with the 23-20 London win, Urban Meyer's squad has been outscored by 80 points through seven games. The Jags (1-6) are a mess, and despite Meyer's myriad issues in Year 1, ownership is back in his corner. 

JAGUARS GRADE: F | NEXT: vs. Bills (Sun.)

While it helped that Smith drew the Jaguars in what could be his final start, he completed his first 14 passes. Lockett, who has been largely out of the mix since Smith replaced Russell Wilson, boosted the backup by catching eight of those passes. Vexing Jags defenders on short, intermediate, and deep throws, Lockett totaled 12 receptions for 142 yards. In his previous nine-plus quarters with Smith, Lockett tallied just five catches. The seventh-year wideout did the most to stabilize Smith in a must-win game. Smith making another start would pose a major problem for the Seahawks (3-5), but Week 8 at least showed progress.

SEAHAWKS GRADE: A-plus | NEXT: at Packers (Nov. 14)

Down their top three receivers and then Robert Tonyan, the Packers relied on practice squad skill players and were forced into an embarrassing delay of game penalty after using their second-half timeouts. Fortunately, Green Bay's defense bought time despite missing its play-caller. Joe Barry's COVID-19 contraction led to DBs coach Jerry Gray calling plays. Without Barry and top players Za'Darius Smith and Jaire Alexander, the Packers constrained the high-flying Cardinals most of the way and limited them to a season-low 334 yards. The Packers (7-1) are fortunate to have Gray, a former DC with the Bills and Titans, as a position coach.

PACKERS GRADE: A-minus | NEXT: at Chiefs (Sun.)

Kyler Murray left State Farm Stadium in a walking boot, after a game in which DeAndre Hopkins missed parts of due to a lingering hamstring malady. J.J. Watt might well be done for the year, and fellow 30-something acquisition Rodney Hudson is on IR. Arizona's schedule currently features just two more games against winning teams -- the Rams and Cowboys -- but the 49ers and Seahawks tilts are somewhat deceiving at this point. Those will be difficult. Given Murray's struggles down the stretch last year with a shoulder injury, this mini-bye represents a key schedule sector. The 7-1 Cards' real bye is not until Week 12.

CARDINALS GRADE: C-plus | NEXT: at 49ers (Sun.)