Review and Preview : Week 8

football, news, week 8

 

Review

On Monday we went through our weekly roundup.

On Tuesday we reviewed the first half of the season in the AFC.

On Wednesday we repeated the process, but for the NFC.

On Thursday we remembered all of the things we’ve learned but may have forgotten.

Preview

Normal Girl Game of the Week

Bears at Packers, MNF on ESPN

Not only is this game a classic rivalry game, but it’s also the only Week 9 matchup that features two teams with winning records. (Seriously. Week 9’s lame factor is a little on the high side.) The Bears will be facing the Pack at home without key starters on offense and defense (Cutler and Briggs, respectively), so it might be a bit of a lopsided affair – however, it’s not like the Packers are coming in with fresh starters, either. This should be a decent Monday Nighter.

Also on the Radar:

1. Two competitive divisional matchups that used to favor the other team: Falcons at Panthers and Colts at Texans. It would be a surprise if the previous (recent) underdogs – Carolina and Indy – didn’t come away with wins.

2. Speaking of competitive divisional matchups: Ravens at Browns is not the sure win for Baltimore that it once was. The Browns have a real chance to win this one.

3. Can the Chiefs stay unbeaten? They play the Bills in Buffalo this week. I would be surprised if this turns out to be an easy win for KC, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising if they do come away with a win to reach 9-0.

At the Water Cooler : Week 8

games, football, week 8

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Panthers won, 31-13)

Who would have guessed at the start of the season that at the halfway point the Buccaneers would still be winless? It’s probably safe to say that things will probably get worse before they get better.

Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions (Lions won, 31-30)

I was watching the end of this game, rejoicing in the winning pick of the Cowboys that would give me the edge in our family fantasy league and an NFC North team loss, when the Lions charged down the field to score and win in the final minute of regulation. It kind of took the wind out of my sail…but mostly, it was awesome. That’s why we love football.

Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs (Chiefs won, 23-17)

Hail to the Chiefs, who remain unbeaten and are making a legitimate run at taking the AFC West title from the reigning Broncos.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (Patriots won, 27-17)

Apparently Tom Brady started celebrating Halloween early with a freaky right hand. But because of his year-round magical powers, it didn’t seem to hinder him any.

Buffalo Bills at New Orleans Saints (Saints won, 35-17)

The Bills almost gave the Saints a run for their money there at the beginning, but the Saints are so hard to beat at home. Especially when the “limited” Jimmy Graham plays like a beast.

NY Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (Giants won, 15-7)

The Giants and Eagles practiced solidarity in this one. No one really felt like scoring offensive touchdowns, so they let their defense and special teams do all the scoring. Someone probably needs to go get Giants’ kicker Josh Brown an ice pack.

San Francisco 49ers at Jacksonville Jaguars (49ers won, 42-10)

We’re sorry, London. That was a rough one.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Oakland Raiders (Raiders won, 21-18)

Raiders QB Terrelle Pryor now owns the record for longest touchdown run by a quarterback with his 93-yard touchdown run on Sunday. He has taken this starting job…and is literally running with it.

(I’m sorry. I had to.)

NY Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (Bengals won, 49-9)

More Halloween fun in the AFC. This time, slaughter-themed.

Washington Redskins at Denver Broncos (Broncos won, 45-21)

This one was really close until the Broncos opened up a little slaughter fest of their own and scored 38 unanswered points in the second half in Coach Shanahan’s return to Denver.

Atlanta Falcons at Arizona Cardinals (Cardinals won, 27-13)

Even more surprising than the Bucs fall from grace is their fellow NFC South team’s demise. It’s shocking to see the Falcons at  2-5 on the season.

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings (Packers won, 44-31)

Watching Aaron Rodgers throw a ball is an exercise in leaving your mouth hanging ajar. He’s just so good.

Seattle Seahawks at St. Louis Rams (MNF on ESPN)

Rams second strong QB Kellen Clemens will be meeting the Legion of Boom tonight. Chances are he won’t be looking to repeat the introduction anytime soon.

Bye: Chicago Bears, Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans

What To Know : After Week 8

Eight thoughts on Week 8:

  1. My mind continues to be boggled at the Jets refusal to use Tim Tebow in obvious offensive situations. No matter what his starting quarterback potential is, no one can deny that he was born to play on 3rd and short and in the redzone. It’s just what he DOES. And yet they continue to leave him on the sidelines when he could make a tangible contribution to winning games, something the Jets have not done much of lately. Even if they don’t want to start him at quarterback, at least use him effectively as a football player. (?!?!?!) (Or as Herm would say, YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME. Hello?!?!?!)
  2. The Colts are looking like the comeback kids. They won another game in OT this week (against the Titans) and since the AFC is particularly awful this year, they have a legitimate shot at being a real playoff contender.
  3. Unexpected thriller of the week: Dallas’ 24 point comeback in the second half against the Giants. It wasn’t enough to win the game, but it sure was one heck of an effort.
  4. Holy throwbacks, Batman. My eyes still hurt.
  5. The Eagles collapse continues to gain momentum. They just could not hold it together against the Falcons, who are steamrolling along at 8-0. More changes are sure to come, likely at the expense of Michael Vick.
  6. San Diego…what?! A 7-6 loss to Cleveland?
  7. Denver is in full swing under the leadership of Peyton Manning. Let’s just pause for a moment to consider how amazing a Broncos-Giants Super Bowl in New Orleans would be. The Manning brothers dueling it out in their hometown?! Doesn’t get any better than that. (Unless, of course, the Packers are in the Super Bowl.)
  8. Speaking of, a win is a win is a win. But the Packers just squeaking past Jacksonville doesn’t really bode well for them as it pertains to their former offensive prowess. They are decimated by injuries at it shows. Come on, bye week! Week 10 can’t come soon enough!

What To Know : Week 8

Here are the essential facts about week 8 in the NFL:

GAME OF THE WEEK: There are a bunch of noteworthy games on Sunday – Patriots vs. Rams in London (a geographic selection which never fails to confuse me) and the return of Joe Vitt as Interim Head Coach to the Saints in their night game in Denver – among them. But the big one to me is Giants at Cowboys: the classic NFC East battle. The Giants lost a shocker to the Cowboys on opening day of the season, but since then the roles have been reversed. The Cowboys have been frustratingly terrible and the Giants are coming off of multiple big wins in a row. However, you can never predict what will happen in a match up between these two teams. But you can predict the need for snacks ( see below) and a clearing of your schedule between 4:30 – 7:30pm.

PLAYER TO WATCH: Cam Newton. He came under quite a bit of fire this week for his downtrodden demeanor – both on the field and off – as it pertains to the Panthers losing streak. As many commentators have been wise to point out, this is the first time he’s actually lost and taken heat for it…ever. He’s always been on winning teams or been praised for his efforts. So he deserves a little time to adjust, but should probably speed up the process a bit to quiet the media and encourage his teammates.

(I find it ironic that he’s facing another QB famous for demeanor issues this week: Jay Cutler.)

STORYLINE TO KNOW: The unbeaten Falcons visit the floundering Eagles. Two big things to note here: 1. The Eagles are 13-0 under Andy Reid after the bye week. And this is the game after their bye week (excellent timing). 2. The Eagles fired their defensive coordinator, Juan Castillo, before the bye week, so there will be some first-time on-field adjustments to be made under a new coordinator, Todd Bowles. The Eagles are also playing at home, and the Falcons have not been overwhelmingly successful against the Eagles in the past.

So, all signs point to an Eagles victory. Which probably means the Falcons will win.

RECIPES TO MAKE:

(It’s halfway through the season…so let’s keep it healthy this week. Pace ourselves in preparation for the next 8 weeks.)

carrot chips

cinnamon and pear fruit leather

roasted rosemary walnuts

toasted almond guacamole with apricots

whipped feta with sweet and hot peppers