Week 8 Takeaways for the 2024 NFL Season
This week, we saw some of the best alternate/throwback uniforms (thanks to the Bengals and Buccaneers). We witnessed Packers QB Jordan Love go down with a groin injury, but it wasn’t enough to keep them from beating the Jaguars. Detroit hung 52 points on Tennessee with just 61 net passing yards. Two #1 pick contenders threw wrenches in our plans, defeating highly favored opponents. The unexpected continues to occur at an alarming pace. My job here is to try and make some sense of it all. It’s not easy, but I do my best! With that in mind, here are my week 8 takeaways for the 2024 NFL season.
TNF: Kupp, Nacua Returns Propel Rams Past Vikings
We expected Rams WR Cooper Kupp to return from injury this week, but the surprise was that fellow wideout Puka Nacua also got activated from IR and played in this game. To say that those two made life better for QB Matthew Stafford is an understatement. That needed to be the case, as we started on a path toward a shootout. Minnesota marched right down the field on the opening drive, which was of course powered by WR Justin Jefferson (8/115). The otherworldly wideout dominated the first half and set up easy TDs for his teammates. LA needed to respond, and they finally had the firepower to do it.
Stafford threw for Nacua immediately, but he dropped the pass. That was his lone mistake of the night. Nacua seemed like he never left, catching 7 passes for 106 yards. Kupp (5/51/1) didn’t have the same hot start, but he made some key plays and drew a pair of important PI flags. His TD came on a magician-like escape by Stafford (25/34, 279 yards, 4 TDs, INT), who appeared rejuvenated by his returning stars. He found RB Kyren Williams (23/97; 5/19/1 receiving) on his first TD to extend his streak of games with a score to 10. However, his rushing TD-specific streak snapped at 9 games despite his good running.
The first 4 drives of the game all ended in TDs, but things slowed down once the score hit 14-14. Nobody did anything the rest of the half, and right before the break, LT Christian Darrisaw left with a knee injury. The scoring only restarted after Stafford’s lone error, when he misfired and threw an INT to CB Byron Murphy. One insane Jefferson catch later, Minnesota took the lead on an FG. Stafford rebounded, firing two TDs to WR Demarcus Robinson, who benefitted from the attention given to Kupp and Nacua. Following another Viking FG, the Rams led 28-20 and began burning clock. They punted the ball to the MIN 5 with 1:46 to go.
Vikings QB Sam Darnold (18/25, 240 yards, 2 TDs), who had a terrific game, was sacked by OLB Byron Young in the end zone for a safety, giving LA a 30-20 win. However, Young grabbed his facemask, and no flag was thrown. That ending was unfortunate, but LA earned the win. They shut down RB Aaron Jones (19/58) and the running game and looked like a team reborn. Recall that they began last year 3-6 before getting healthy and reaching the playoffs. A similar turnaround may be in store now. Minnesota has lost two straight, but they’ve played well! Next week’s game against the Colts should return them to the win column.
Tua Tagovailoa’s Return Not Enough to Lift Dolphins over Cardinals
You’ve most definitely heard about this story: Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa made his return to the starting lineup this week after his latest concussion. His 3rd documented NFL concussion (4th unofficial one) caused many to implore him to retire or beg the team to make that decision for him. Tagovailoa was undeterred. He loves football (and assuredly the $167M guaranteed on his contract), but Miami wisely made him sit out for a bit by placing him on IR. Returning now was his decision to make, as the doctors cleared him. No matter how you feel about his choice, I know who is VERY happy to see him: his teammates.
This offense has been stuck in the mud since the moment he hit his head on the turf. It reached its nadir last week against the Colts, scoring just 10 total points. Miami matched that in the first quarter alone against Arizona. WR Tyreek Hill, who had been invisible for weeks, had 6 catches for 72 yards in a 27-point effort. Tagovailoa looked in rhythm right away and showcased his pinpoint accuracy. My favorite part though came when he ran for a first down and SLID, thus protecting himself. The Dolphins are back offensively, but unfortunately their defense didn’t hold up its end of the bargain.
Miami led 20-10, but as with last week against the Chargers, Arizona awoke from their slumber in the second half. WR Marvin Harrison Jr (6/111/1) in particular played a major role in the Cardinals’ comeback. He and QB Kyler Murray (26/36, 307 yards, 2 TDs) hooked up for some great connections and pulled within 2 points of tying the game. Down 27-25, Arizona copied their week 7 playbook by marching down the field, running the clock, and kicking a game-winning FG as time expired. Now 4-4, Arizona is right in the NFC West race. Miami’s road gets even tougher at 2-5, but at least they can finally score some points.
Brissett, Winston Lead 1-6 Teams to Unlikely Victories
When you’re 1-6, people aren’t expecting much from you. That’s particularly true for the Patriots and Browns, who entered this week with 6- and 5-game losing streaks, respectively. You’re mostly watching New England at this point to see how rookie QB Drake Maye (3/6, 28 yards; 3/46/1 rushing) does. Unfortunately, you saw very little this game as he exited with a concussion. That forced Jacoby Brissett back into the lineup. Patriots fans probably groaned at that sentence, but Brissett acquitted himself well! He went 15/24 for 132 yards, but the stats don’t encapsulate his toughness and poise to will his team to a win.
New York, now possessing OLB Haason Reddick (who did not register a single statistic), should have easily dispatched the Pats. Instead, sloppy play allowed New England to hang around. Down 22-17 with 2:57 to go, Brissett guided NE on a 12-play, 70-yard drive to score a TD and 2-point conversion. The Jets had no time to respond and lost 25-22. The Patriots should still be Maye’s team, but Brissett once again proved his worth as a backup. NYJ must be fuming. At 2-6, their season may very well be lost, and they have only themselves to blame. Both teams have the same record, yet one had the talent to go much further.
The disparity between Cleveland and Baltimore was even more glaring. Riding a 5-game win streak, the Ravens were expected to dominate, but divisional matchups (as seen above) are tricky. For some reason, Browns DC Jim Schwartz always seems to confuse Baltimore, and he did so again for 2.5 quarters, holding the Ravens to 10 points during that span. Over on offense, Jameis Winston got his first start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson, and the difference was striking. Unafraid to push the ball down the field, Winston started off slowly but heated up, throwing for 334 yards and 3 TDs on 27 of 41 passing.
These two teams went back and forth, and Baltimore seemed poised to break Cleveland’s heart. QB Lamar Jackson (23/38, 289 yards, 2 TDs; 8/46 rushing) led a 91-yard TD drive to take a 24-23 lead with 2:36 left, but Winston wasn’t done. The former #1 pick fired a 38-yard bomb to WR Cedric Tillman (7/99/2) to go back up 29-24, and the defense held on for the win. It’s telling how different the Browns look without Watson. Joe Flacco proved it last year, and now Winston is doing it again. Count Cleveland out of the #1 pick race; there’s too much talent here to bottom out. The next step is moving on from Watson for good.
2023 and 2024 First-Round QBs Produce Very Mixed Results
Any team that spent a first-round pick on a QB in one of the past two drafts has spent this season feeling a range of emotions. This week was a microcosm of that concept, with a wild spread of outcomes for these players. The top pick in the 2023 draft, Panthers QB Bryce Young, got a surprise start this week when Andy Dalton sprained his thumb in a car accident. He really did not take advantage. Young finished 24/37 for 224 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs. However, the tape was far worse, and those stats comprise 50% garbage-time production. He continues to look like a bust, and hope is fading fast.
In direct contrast to Young, his opponent, Bo Nix of Denver, had his best outing to date. The rookie #12 pick completed 28 of 37 passes for 287 yards, 3 TDs, and no INTs in a 28-14 win. He had 0 turnovers and would’ve done more damage had his teammates not lost two fumbles. This was Nix’s finest passing day, even if it came against a poor defense. Nix is slowly gaining confidence and seeing the game slow down. The more he plays, the more comfortable he will get. We’re seeing that in real time over the course of this season. His development has the Broncos at 5-3 and looking dangerous.
The #2 pick from 2023, Houston’s CJ Stroud, and the #4 pick from that draft, Indianapolis’ Anthony Richardson, went head-to-head this week. Stroud is a (good) known quantity, and he played like it with a 25/37 line for 285 yards and a TD. He lost WR Stefon Diggs to a knee injury and is still being pressured at an alarming rate, but he led his team to a nice 23-20 divisional win, granting the Texans a season sweep over their rival. When WR Nico Collins returns (which should be soon), I expect Stroud to look great once more. As it stands, he’s already leading a 6-2 team while shorthanded. You can’t ask for more.
As for Richardson…where do I begin? His accuracy, which I have surely complained about multiple times by now, is not getting any better. Somehow, he completed just 10 of 32 passes for 175 yards, a TD, and an INT. That includes 69 yards and a TD to WR Josh Downs (4/109/1) on one play, when nobody was within 10 yards of him. The worst part had nothing to do with Richardon’s performance. Before a 3rd-and-goal play from the 23, he tapped out. Was he injured? Nope. He was merely tired and wanted a play off. The on-field production is very bad right now. His mental makeup is now under serious fire as well.
Finally, we have this year’s #1 and #2 picks: Chicago’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Jayden Daniels, respectively (we already discussed Drake Maye, the #3 pick, above). The two top selections faced each other in a much-hyped matchup. Daniels (21/38, 326 yards, TD; 8/52 rushing), who came in with a rib injury, had a decent day. His stats were buoyed by a play that we’ll get to in a minute, but for 59.5 minutes, he managed just 4 FGs despite moving the ball very well. Conversely, Williams started 3/12 and scored no 1st-half points. A 56-yard RB D’Andre Swift (18/129/1) TD at the end of the third quarter finally got Chicago on the board.
To his credit, Williams (10/24, 131 yards; 10/41 rushing) played much better in the 4th quarter, and he even led a late TD drive to take a 15-12 lead with just 25 seconds left. Washington’s inability to reach the end zone seemed poised to do them, but the Bears had a defensive meltdown. From his own 35 with 6 seconds to go, Daniels threw an out route to star WR Terry McLaurin (5/125) for 13 yards. Chicago put more effort into defending the middle of the field, where the ball could not have possibly gone, than the sidelines. It was inexcusable, but a 52-yard Hail Mary was still needed. That’s when the Bears made even more errors.
CB Tyrique Stevenson started by taunting Commanders’ fans during the snap. Chicago also only rushed 3, letting Daniels buy time for more than 12 seconds. A fourth guy was useless as a spy, as Daniels obviously wasn’t running. His heave didn’t quite reach the end zone, but Stevenson erred again by tipping the ball up and behind him, where WR Noah Brown stood all alone in the end zone. Brown made the easiest Hail Mary catch you’ll ever see, and Washington escaped 18-15. Make no mistake: this was all luck for the Commanders. Chicago can only blame themselves for their horrific discipline and wonder what might have been.
TE Roundup for National Tight Ends Day
Every 4th Sunday in October is known as known as National Tight Ends Day, so let’s go through all of the key contributors at the position this week! Tampa Bay and Atlanta started things off with a bang, as Cade Otton (9/81) and Kyle Pitts (4/91), respectively, each had 2 TD catches in the same game. The former led his team in both catches and yards, while the latter keyed a big divisional win. Also in losing efforts, Cincinnati’s Mike Gesicki (7/73) played a major role, and though this wasn’t the biggest day for Raiders rookie Brock Bowers (5/58), I’m including him here to highlight how fantastic he has been all year.
The rest of our highlighted players all won, and that’s not a coincidence; when a TE goes off, good things happen. The Browns’ David Njoku caught 5 passes for 61 yards and a TD, including a strong hands catch where he leapt over a defender and Mossed him. Green Bay’s Tucker Kraft (3/78/1) led his team in yards and acted as a safety blanket for backup QB Malik Willis. Adam Trautman, a Sean Payton favorite who followed him to Denver, had his best game in years, catching 4 passes for 85 yards and a TD. The Chiefs’ Travis Kelce (10/90/1) has his best outing of the season and caught his first TD of 2024.
Washington’s Zach Ertz (7/77) turned back the clock to his Philly days and played a big role in a game where offense was lacking. Arizona earned a comeback win against Miami, but they couldn’t have done it without Trey McBride (9/124). He paced the Cardinals in catches and yards and was instrumental to their plan. Finally, SF’s George Kittle (6/128/1), the founder of this holiday, had the most successful day of all in a win over Dallas. This TE Day was one of the best ever in terms of production from the position. Teams are going to start making up other holidays to spark similar outbursts!