Tom Brady.AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio
Record: 0-7
Week 7 result: Lost to the Rams, 28-19
Week 8 opponent: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
One thing to know: Credit where credit is due. The Lions came out fighting last weekend, pulling off two fake punts and an onside kick to put the Rams on their heels early. They still lost by two scores. Despite Dan Campbell's preseason comments, the kneecaps of the NFL remain unbitten.
Record: 1-6
Week 7 result: Lost to the Falcons, 30-28
Week 8 opponent: at Buffalo Bills
One thing to know: It's hard to imagine how the vibes in Miami could be worse until you remember the team is reportedly in trade talks with the Texans to acquire Deshaun Watson.
Record: 1-5
Week 7 result: Lost to the Patriots, 54-13
Week 8 opponent: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
One thing to know: The Patriots beat up the Jets so bad you would be forgiven for thinking Tom Brady was still in New England. Adding injury to insult, the Jets lost rookie quarterback Zach Wilson after a hit by Matthew Judon, leaving Mike White to enter the game in relief. White is set to start Sunday against the Bengals, but the Jets have also brought back QB Joe Flacco as Wilson remains sidelined.
Record: 1-6
Week 7 result: Lost to the Cardinals, 31-5
Week 8 opponent: vs. Los Angeles Rams
One thing to know: The Houston Texans are averaging just 13.9 points per game this season and just 10 points per game over their past three outings. Meanwhile, they're giving up 29 points per game, good for fifth-worst in the NFL. That's not a winning combination.
Record: 1-5
Week 7 result: Bye
Week 8 opponent: at Seattle Seahawks
One thing to know: The Jaguars are coming off of a win and a bye week and facing a Seattle team that has been decimated by injuries. Running back James Robinson should be in for a good game facing a Seahawks defense that is giving up more yards on the ground than all but two teams in the NFL.
Record: 2-5
Week 7 result: Beat the Panthers, 25-3
Week 8 opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs
One thing to know: Giants safety Jabrill Peppers is out for the season due to an ACL injury, joining the already long list of injured players on the New York roster.
Record: 2-5
Week 7 result: Lost to the Raiders, 33-22
Week 8 opponent: at Detroit Lions
One thing to know: The Eagles traded away backup quarterback Joe Flacco to the Jets, promoting Gardner Minshew into the No. 2 slot behind Jalen Hurts. With Hurts struggling through the first half of the season, another poor game against the hapless Lions could mean Minshew gets some time under center before the year is out.
Record: 2-5
Week 7 result: Lost to the Packers, 24-10
Week 8 opponent: at Denver Broncos
One thing to know: Taylor Heinicke fulfilled a lifelong dream of completing a Lambeau Leap last week against the Packers. The only problem? His touchdown was overturned as he was called short of the goal line. Tough break.
Record: 3-4
Week 7 result: Lost to the Browns, 17-14
Week 8 opponent: vs. Washington Football Team
One thing to know: After starting 3-0, the Broncos have lost four straight. If there was ever a spot to pull out of the tailspin, it's against a similarly struggling Washington team.
Record: 2-5
Week 7 result: Lost to the Saints, 13-10
Week 8 opponent: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
One thing to know: The Seahawks just haven't been the same since losing Russell Wilson to injury. While there's still a chance that Wilson will return this year once his hand is healed up, at 2-5, it's not clear whether the Seahawks will still be in the hunt by the time he's ready to get back onto the field.
Record: 3-4
Week 7 result: Lost to the Giants, 25-3
Week 8 opponent: at Atlanta Falcons
One thing to know: Sam Darnold started the season on a tear, leading the Panthers on a 3-0 opening stretch. Since then, Carolina has lost four straight, with Darnold throwing just four touchdowns against seven interceptions over the past four weeks.
Record: 3-4
Week 7 result: Lost to the Buccaneers, 38-3
Week 8 opponent: vs. San Francisco 49ers
One thing to know: The Chicago Bears defense played about as well as you will ever see for a defense that gave up 38 points. Justin Fields throwing three interceptions didn't help the Bears' cause.
Record: 2-4
Week 7 result: Lost to the Colts, 30-18
Week 8 opponent: at Chicago Bears
One thing to know: The San Francisco 49ers are hard to figure out, partly because they are still trying to figure themselves out. How long is Jimmy Garoppolo going to hold on to the starting job? How different does the offense need to look when Trey Lance inevitably takes over. The 49ers feel caught between worlds.
Record: 3-4
Week 7 result: Beat the Jets, 54-13
Week 8 opponent: at Los Angeles Chargers
One thing to know: The Patriots have now won 12 straight games against the New York Jets dating back to 2016. Of those 12 wins, just three have been by a touchdown or less.
Record: 3-4
Week 7 result: Beat the 49ers, 30-18
Week 8 opponent: vs. Tennessee Titans
One thing to know: After an 0-3 start to the season, the Colts are turning things around, winning three of their past four games. A win this week over the Titans could vault them back into contention for the division and relevancy in a crowded AFC.
Record: 3-3
Week 7 result: Beat the Dolphins, 30-28
Week 8 opponent: vs. Carolina Panthers
One thing to know: After a slow start to the year, rookie tight end Kyle Pitts is looking as good as advertised, finishing Sunday's game against the Dolphins with seven receptions for 163 yards.
Record: 3-3
Week 7 result: Bye
Week 8 opponent: at Cleveland Browns
One thing to know: Head coach Mike Tomlin was rightfully ticked off when asked about potentially leaving the Steelers to coach at USC. "Never say never, but NEVER," Tomlin said. Tomlin is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the NFL and has more job security than any coach in the league. Why would he give that up to answer to boosters?
Record: 3-3
Week 7 result: Bye
Week 8 opponent: vs. Dallas Cowboys
One thing to know: Kirk Cousins is 8-16 in his career playing in primetime, including a somewhat miraculous 0-9 run to start his career on "Monday Night Football" — a streak he broke last year with a win over the Bears. This week, Cousins faces the Cowboys on Sunday night.
Record: 3-4
Week 7 result: Lost to the Titans, 27-3
Week 8 opponent: vs. New York Giants
One thing to know: The Chiefs have lost four games already. Should they lose another, it will be the first time the team has tallied five regular-season losses in the Patrick Mahomes era. Going up against the Giants looks like a good spot for a get-right game from Kansas City. With games against the Packers, Raiders, and Cowboys next on the schedule, they need it.
Record: 4-3
Week 7 result: Beat the Broncos, 17-14
Week 8 opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
One thing to know: No Baker? No problem. Case Keenum stepped up in a big way for the Browns last week, doing just enough to let the Browns pull out a win against the Broncos. While Mayfield may be back on the field this week against the Steelers, Keenum has already shown that he can get the job done when called upon if Mayfield suffers a setback.
Record: 4-2
Week 7 result: Beat the Seahawks, 13-10
Week 8 opponent: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
One thing to know: Alvin Kamara is now 5th on the Saints' all-time rushing list and 12th on the team's all-time receiving list. Talk about versatility.
Record: 4-2
Week 7 result: Bye
Week 8 opponent: vs. New England Patriots
One thing to know: The Chargers have the worst run defense in the NFL, giving up 163 yards per game to opponents. That could be a good matchup for the Patriots, who have produced a 100-yard rusher in two of their last three games.
Record: 5-2
Week 7 result: Beat the Eagles, 33-22
Week 8 opponent: Bye
One thing to know: The Raiders seem all-in on interim head coach Rich Bisaccia. "He has the ear of the locker room. He has the pulse, he has the heartbeat, and he's our leader," quarterback Derek Carr said of Bisaccia after last week's win. "We would love for him to still be our head coach for the future."
Record: 5-2
Week 7 result: Beat the Ravens, 41-17
Week 8 opponent: at New York Jets
One thing to know: Rookie Ja'Marr Chase now has 754 receiving yards through seven games. That's good for second in the NFL behind Cooper Kupp and first all-time in the first seven games of a player's career.
Record: 5-2
Week 7 result: Beat the Chiefs, 27-3
Week 8 opponent: at Indianapolis Colts
One thing to know: Derrick Henry is lapping the field for the rushing title this year, sitting 290 yards ahead of his nearest competition as we hit the halfway point of the season. Against the Chiefs, Henry ran for "only" 86 yards. It was only the second time this year he failed to reach 100.
Record: 5-2
Week 7 result: Lost to the Bengals, 41-17
Week 8 opponent: Bye
One thing to know: The Ravens were due for a dud, and the Bengals gave it to them. Rather than seeing it as a disappointment, think of it as spicing up the AFC North race. When these two teams meet again on the day after Christmas, there could be a ton at stake in the division and conference.
Record: 6-1
Week 7 result: Beat the Washington Football Team, 24-10
Week 8 opponent: at Arizona Cardinals
One thing to know: Wide receivers Davante Adams and Allen Lazard are both expected to miss Thursday's game against the Cardinals due to COVID-19, leaving Aaron Rodgers with few receivers. Somehow, I think he'll come up with something.
Record: 5-1
Week 7 result: Bye
Week 8 opponent: at Minnesota Vikings
One thing to know: We're not even halfway through the NFL season, but the Dallas Cowboys are already basically a lock to win their division. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Cowboys have a 94% chance to win the NFC East, tied with the Bills as the biggest favorite to win their division in the NFL right now.
Record: 4-2
Week 7 result: Bye
Week 8 opponent: vs. Miami Dolphins
One thing to know: The Bills are averaging 33.8 points per game this year, second only to the Dallas Cowboys. After years of teams attempting to keep pace with the scoring of the Chiefs offense to keep pace in the AFC, Buffalo now stands as the team to chase down.
Record: 6-1
Week 7 result: Beat the Lions, 28-19
Week 8 opponent: at Houston Texans
One thing to know: Cooper Kupp is the most unstoppable receiver in football right now. He's scored two touchdowns in four of the seven games the Rams have played and has failed to clear 90 yards receiving just once. It's a wild pace, but if he can keep it up, he'll deserve consideration for Offensive Player of the Year.
Record: 6-1
Week 7 result: Beat the Bears, 38-3
Week 8 opponent: at New Orleans Saints
One thing to know: In between Tom Brady throwing his 600th touchdown pass and the drama that followed, NFL fans might have lost track of the fact that Brady now leads the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. Could the GOAT add another MVP award to his mantle?
Record: 7-0
Week 7 result: Beat the Texans, 31-5
Week 8 opponent: vs. Green Bay Packers
One thing to know: The Cardinals are the last undefeated team in football, with a high-octane matchup against the Packers set for national television on Thursday night. A win there, and it's tough to see how Arizona takes a loss before December.
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