NFL Weekly Wonder, Halloween, Edition #8

By Peyton Schultze

A wild showdown out west saw Kyler Murray and the Cardinals pull off a shocking 4th quarter comeback against the previously undefeated Seattle Seahawks (via Seattle Seahawks).

It’s time for the second annual edition of our Halloween Football coverage, as we’ll be looking at a highly-anticipated Week 8 in the NFL full of some of the game’s best rivalries.

Outside of the Sunday Night Football game, Week 7 was not really the most exciting week of the season so far, but there were still some notable headlines that took over the sports world. From the historic performances from Tyler Lockett and Davante Adams to the Steelers’ narrow escape from a late Titans’ rally in the 4th quarter, there were still some nail-biting games that caught everyone’s attention. And with Week 8 coming up tomorrow with the Thursday Night Football game between the Falcons and Panthers, the attention in the league suddenly turns toward this week’s schedule full of some of the best current rivalries in all of sports.

So what will we see in Week 8? Which AFC North superpower will take control of first-place in the division? Can Joe Burrow and Justin Herbert keep riding their wave of momentum to huge games on Sunday? Will the Cowboys find a way to recover from last week’s disappointment and head out of Philadelphia with a win? And will the 49ers be able to go on the road and beat the rival Seahawks, or will Russell Wilson get his team back on track after last week’s thriller in Arizona? Let’s look ahead at a Week 8 slate full of hard-hitting intensity full of some of the biggest games all year long.

Game-by-Game Looks

Jalen Ramsey and the rest of the Rams’ defense were able to spook Nick Foles from the start and disrupted the Bears’ offense all night long in an impressive win on Monday Night Football (via PFF).

Thursday: Atlanta @ Carolina (-2.5), 5:20 PM PT, FOX/NFL Network

Be careful with the first week of the Week 8 calendar, especially since Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ offense always has potential for a full-blown explosion when healthy. The Panthers have been the much-better team so far in 2020 under head coach Matt Rhule and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but they have been a little bit inconsistent and are coming off a tough loss over the weekend to the rival Saints. Maybe our mind could change if running back Christian McCaffrey is cleared from IR and is able to return to the field again in the Panthers’ backfield, but look for Atlanta to surprise some people with only their second win of their disappointing year.

Carolina: 23 Atlanta: 24

Sunday: Pittsburgh @ Baltimore (-3.5), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

The game of the week, and maybe even the game of the season up to this point, the undefeated Steelers head on the road this weekend to face off with a Ravens’ team coming off a much-needed bye week. Although many thought Pittsburgh would be a playoff team in 2020, few thought they would be in a great position to challenge the rival Ravens for first in the AFC North after a ridiculous 2019 season. But here we are at this point, and both teams have a chance to prove a ton on Sunday. Coming off a bye week could work wonders for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens’ offense as they prepare to face the league’s best defense, and we’ll take Baltimore to come out on top on Sunday in a very close battle.

Pittsburgh: 20 Baltimore: 24

Sunday: Indianapolis (-2.5) @ Detroit, 10:00 AM PT, CBS

Detroit quietly sits at 3-3 through six games, and still has a fighter’s chance at a playoff spot in the 2020 season. But if the Lions want to gain some momentum and rattle off a couple of wins in the next few weeks, they need to beat a good-but-not-great Colts’ squad. Indianapolis easily boasts one of the best defenses and the best offensive lines in the league, but they seem to still be lacking another player on offense that strikes fear into their opponent. This means the game could come down to which quarterback plays better: Matthew Stafford or Philip Rivers. We’ll take Stafford in the duel at home, which would be the Lions’ biggest win in several seasons and the upset of Week 8 in the NFL.

Indianapolis: 20 Detroit: 24

Sunday: Minnesota @ Green Bay (-7.0), 10:00 AM PT, FOX

When these two teams met up in Week 1, many thought Minnesota would roll to an easy home win over Green Bay. But after seven weeks of play so far, these two remain on separate courses with Green Bay looking like a true contender. After a slipup versus the Bucs two weeks ago, the Packers dominated the Texans last week and hold onto sole possession of first in the NFC North right now. and especially if running back Dalvin Cook is unable to suit up again for the Vikings, look for Green Bay to pave their way through another divisional game and get their sixth win of the season.

Minnesota: 23 Green Bay: 34

Sunday: Los Angeles R. (-4.5) @ Miami, 10:00 AM PT, FOX

All eyes are on Tua Tagovailoa this weekend in his first career start, but the main focus should really be how close this game will end up being. The Dolphins are not a bad team by any means, but the insertion of Tagovailoa means that they really don’t have their mind set on contention in the AFC this season. The same can’t be said for the Rams, who look more and more like a team who could represent the NFC in the Super Bowl once again at years end. This one shouldn’t be close from the jump, as the Rams will keep moving along on their way toward a playoff berth in the NFC.

Miami: 17 Los Angeles R.: 38

Sunday: New England @ Buffalo (-3.5), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

New England has looked downright awful in back-to-back weeks, and now they’ll head on the road to Buffalo in somewhat of a must-win game if they want to keep pace in the division. Meanwhile, although quarterback Josh Allen is slumping a little bit right now too, the Bills remain comfortable in first place and are looking for a nice win against the team that has taken over the division for the past two decades. But New England simply does not have enough firepower on offense to compete against a Buffalo offense that appears to be one game away from an offensive explosion once again, so look for an easy Sunday morning drive for the Bills.

New England: 21 Buffalo: 27

Sunday: Tennessee (-6.0) @ Cincinnati, 10:00 AM PT, CBS

If you ignore their poor record in close games this year, the Bengals have actually been pretty exciting to watch in Joe Burrow’s first season. Although they only have one win so far, Cincinnati has been in every game so far this season and is looking for one big break to get some wins under their belt. So how will they fare against an AFC contender? Watch out if you’re the Titans, because this game could be much more tough than many imagine if they let Burrow find a rhythm early against a defense that lacks a strong pass rush. It shouldn’t be enough to pick the Bengals in the end, but expect a very close game in the north on Sunday.

Cincinnati: 27 Tennessee: 28

After a tight battle with the Giants in Week 7, the Eagles will face a must-win matchup against the rival Cowboys this weekend on Sunday Night Football (via USA Today).

Sunday: Las Vegas @ Cleveland (-2.5), 10:00 AM PT, FOX

A huge matchup that could have massive late-season playoff implications in the hunt for a wild card spot in the AFC, Las Vegas travels up north to Cleveland for a battle with Baker Mayfield and company. Mayfield was dominant last weekend against the Bengals with five touchdowns, while the Raiders’ defense was carved up like a pumpkin by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers’ offense all afternoon long. So that should lead to another easy Browns’ win, right? Not so fast, especially if quarterback Derek Carr can continue his extremely high level of play against a weak Browns’ secondary that has been burned far too often in the 2020 season.

Cleveland: 27 Las Vegas: 30

Sunday: New York J. @ Kansas City (-19.0), 10:00 AM PT, CBS

A game that would likely go down as one of the greatest upsets in NFL history if the Jets were to come out and beat the defending Super Bowl champions, a battle between Gang Green and Chiefs Kingdom should not be close from the start. Yet Kansas City has played down to opponents in recent years in the first half, a trait that could come back to bite them a bit if the Jets come out playing with nothing to lose. The Adam Gase appears to be to near its end, but maybe his final curtain call with the team will be to not let them lose by more than an insane nineteen point spread.

New York: 17 Kansas City: 34

Sunday: Los Angeles C. (-3.0) @ Denver, 1:05 PM PT, CBS

This game is tough to call based on how great quarterback Justin Herbert has played in his short career so far, but Los Angeles has often had trouble in the Mile High City in years past under Philip Rivers. In addition, although the Denver offense may be faltering right now, their defense in Year Two of the Vic Fangio-era has been one of the best units in the league this year despite a plethora of injuries. Don’t be shocked at the outcome if Denver plays well on Sunday, but we’ll take the hotshot rookie signal caller to have another huge outing for the Chargers on Sunday afternoon.

Denver: 20 Los Angeles C.: 24

Sunday: New Orleans (-4.0) @ Chicago, 1:25 PM PT, FOX

New Orleans is searching for a big win to gain some confidence down the stretch in a packed NFC playoff picture, and they have a chance to find that moment this weekend on the road in the Windy City. The Bears’ played awful on Monday night against the Rams, and they’ll need to find momentum through the air against a Saints’ defense that has allowed far too many big plays in 2020. But this is a must-win for the Saints, especially a week before a huge Sunday night matchup with the Bucs next weekend. The Saints have the edge at every position on offense, but tread very cautiously with this pick on Sunday in what should be a pretty low-scoring affair and could come down to one or two key plays.

Chicago: 17 New Orleans: 20

Sunday: San Francisco @ Seattle (-3.0), 1:25 PM PT, FOX

Right behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh, Seattle and San Francisco would take the cake for the league’s best current rivalry. With the stakes consistently high when these two teams meet, the NFC West has become a weekly minefield for all four teams playing so well right now. And even though Seattle fell to an improving Arizona team last week and San Francisco dominated New England on the road, the Seahawks deserve to be slight favorites over the banged-up Niners. This game could still go either way, especially if Jimmy Garoppolo can have a big day for the 49ers’ offense, but when it doubt, take Russell Wilson to get it done for Seattle.

San Francisco: 31 Seattle: 33

Sunday: Dallas @ Philadelphia (No Line), 5:20 PM PT, NBC

Due to the uncertainty of the Cowboys’ quarterback room heading into Week 8, the line for this game remains up in the air. But even if the Cowboys were to bring back a prime version of Troy Aikman for this weekend’s divisional bout, there is no way anyone can have any confidence in picking them right now. This isn’t to say the Eagles on the other side are that good; in fact, they’ve been almost as big of a disappointment as their fellow rivals. But the Cowboys are hard to take seriously when they seem completely distant on both sides of the ball, which should be great news for Eagles’ fans in their hunt for first place in the NFC East.

Dallas: 13 Philadelphia: 28

Monday: Tampa Bay (-11.0) @ New York G., 5:15 PM PT, ESPN

Does any team in the league look better right now than Tampa Bay? Quarterback Tom Brady has already entered the conversation for league MVP once again after a string of excellent games, and he’s been backed up by one of the best defenses in the league on the other side all year long. The Buccaneers’ injuries are a little bit of a concern right now for sure, especially at the wide reciever position, but Brady’s presence has transformed this team from perennial laughingstock to legitimate contenders. The New York defense may shows sign of life early in the game on Monday, but don’t expecting the struggling Giants to put up a close game in the end.

New York G.: 12 Tampa Bay: 31

Daily Fantasy Targets

Quarterback Drew Lock played poorly last week against the defending champions, but he’ll look to bounce back this weekend when Los Angeles heads to Denver (via USA Today).

Quarterback: Teddy Bridgewater (Carolina Panthers) and Drew Lock (Denver Broncos)

The Panthers’ passing offense has been a major surprise in 2020, with their brand-new quarterback Teddy Bridgewater throwing the ball all over the yard. With a very good group of wide receivers on the outside as well as a possible return for Christian McCaffrey this week, Bridgewater and the Panthers have an opportunity to put up a ton of numbers this week against a poor Atlanta secondary. Look for several big plays down the field from Bridgewater, as well as some extended plays with his legs, in another positive performance from the Carolina offense. Meanwhile, the Broncos’ second-year quarterback, Drew Lock, is riding somewhat of a cold streak since his return from a shoulder injury. Lock’s supporting cast has certainly fallen apart at the seams, but the youngster has a chance at a big-time game this weekend against a Chargers’ secondary that is battered and has not been very consistent in 2020. If Lock can generate some big plays through the air by getting the ball into the hands of Tim Patrick and tight end Noah Fant, look for the quarterback to have his best performance of the season against a divisional opponent at home on Sunday.

Running Backs: Jonathan Taylor (Indianapolis Colts) and Boston Scott (Philadelphia Eagles)

There are a ton of elite rookie running backs taking the league by storm, but none may be more impressive than Colts’ back Jonathan Taylor. Taylor runs behind a flat out dominant offensive line, but he is looking for his career breakout performance this weekend against a Detroit defense that has been poor against the run all year long. The running back should see plenty of volume this week against the Lions, so look for Taylor to see over twenty touches with a few opportunities for some scores in the endzone. Meanwhile, the Sunday Night Football game between the Cowboys and Eagles could be a major factor in the race for the NFC East crown, but the Eagles are not likely to have Miles Sanders in the lineup. However, the Eagles still have a phenomenal backup running back in Boston Scott, who should see plenty of rushing and receiving opportunities this weekend against one of the worst defenses in the league. Scott should be a primary focus for the Eagles’ offensive attack from the beginning, so look for a huge game from the quick running back on Sunday night.

Wide Receivers: DJ Moore (Carolina Panthers) and Tyler Boyd (Cincinnati Bengals)

Wide reciever remains a crowded field for this weekend, but two recent performers remain great options for the upcoming week. Panthers’ wideout DJ Moore has responded from a slow start over the past three weeks alongside Bridgewater, and a matchup against an awful Falcons’ secondary could spell well for his fantasy hopes once again. Moore is a little reliant on touchdowns for fantasy output, but don’t let that discourage you against a defense that is allowing big plays at an unreasonably high rate. Over in Cincinnati, Tyler Boyd has become Joe Burrow’s top target in the Bengals’ passing game. With plenty of volume and opportunities in the red zone, the connection between Burrow and Boyd has blossomed and appears to be a good matchup week in and week out. And with a matchup on the way against an inconsistent Titans’ secondary, the results for Boyd and the Bengals’ passing attack could be there once again.

Tight Ends: Richard Rodgers (Philadelphia Eagles) and Darren Waller (Las Vegas Raiders)

The Eagles’ tight end room continuously remains one of the best at the position in all of football, and with Zach Ertz and Dallas Goedert out of the lineup, veteran tight end Richard Rodgers steps into the fray as a target for Carson Wentz. Rodgers is not always the most recognizable name among tight ends, but his veteran presence should combine well with Wentz’s relationship with tight ends. The Cowboys’ defense remains arguably the worst in the league, especially against opposing tight ends, so look for Wentz to aim his sights toward Rodgers in the red zone. For our other tight end option, we will once again go with the Raiders’ dominant tight end, Darren Waller. Waller has quickly become a premier option at the position as Derek Carr’s top target, and his reliability in the red zone should play well for fantasy owners week in and week out. And now facing a Cleveland defense that struggles to defend anyone through the air, Waller and the Raiders’ passing attack could be in for a huge outing on Sunday.

Defenses: New Orleans (vs Chicago) and Buffalo (vs New England)

New Orleans has been far too inconsistent on defense in 2020 with a tendency to allow some big plays through the air (as evident last week versus Carolina), but they have an opportunity for a breakthrough performance on Sunday. With a Bears’ team on the schedule that lacks any elite playmaker outside of wide reciever Allen Robinson, New Orleans might be able to feast on Nick Foles and a Chicago offense that struggled to do anything whatsoever on Monday night versus the Rams. Meanwhile, with New England struggling so much on offense right now, any defense that they are preparing to face has to at least be considered. Luckily, although they have struggled a little bit in 2020, a very good Bills defense appears to be set to cause havoc for Cam Newton and the Pats once again on Sunday. A few turnovers from the Patriots’ offense could be the difference maker in the game on Sunday, so look for Buffalo’s pass rush to ramp it up and try to get Newton to make some forced throws into traffic.

Fanatical Focus

49ers’ Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo

Although they pulled off a big win on the road last weekend against the Patriots, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has been pretty shaky so fat this season for the 49ers (via Yahoo! Sports).

A year ago, the 49ers were cruising to a record-breaking title in the NFC West, before later appearing in the the Super Bowl as the NFC champions. The Niners led for most of the game before Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense ramped up their efforts in a Super Bowl-winning, but San Francisco still had an opportunity late in the game with the offense on the field. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo stepped back to throw a deep ball to then-Niners’ receiver Emmanuel Sanders on a 3rd and 10 with less than two minutes left in the game, who was wide open over the top, but overthrew him by mere feet. San Francisco couldn’t convert and punch it into the endzone on that drive, and Kansas City would later become the Super Bowl champions on a crisp Miami night, while the 49ers would fade away into an uncertain offseason.

The 49ers have returned to legitimacy once again in 2020, but the injury bug has bitten them team harshly so far, including serious injuries to defensive superstars like Richard Sherman and Nick Bosa. But although doubt remains throughout the organization in a crowded NFC West full of four capable playoff teams, San Francisco still sits at 4-3 with realistic hopes of once again returning to the postseason despite this plethora of injuries,. A lot of this particular blame is pointed in the direction of their signal caller, Jimmy Garoppolo, who has played quite poorly according to his standards so far this season, including a shaky game last weekend on the road against his former team in New England.

Garoppolo has found a ton of success during his tenure as the starter in San Francisco so far, but keep this in mind: the 49ers did at least consider pursuing a 43-year old Tom Brady in the past offseason after their Super Bowl appearance last season. And while names such as Matt Ryan have been floated around as possible options for San Francisco in the near future due to their relationship with the head coach, it is clear that the Niners have a very short leash for their current starter at quarterback, possibly even in this current season. Maybe that has to do with Garoppolo’s Super Bowl mishap or maybe it is due to his athletic limitations in Kyle Shanahan’s playbook, but the disconnect between quarterback and organization appears to be a lingering problem that could lead to a serious breakup in the near future if high expectations are not met.

Even though the Niners escaped with an easy win in New England due to their defensive dominance, Garoppolo did not play well by any means against his former team with two ugly interceptions. This weekend, San Francisco heads up to the Pacific Northwest for a battle with Seattle in a high-stakes game of serious rivals in Week 8. The Seahawks certainly have one of the worst passing defenses in all of football, if not the worst, so look for head coach Kyle Shanahan to use his passing attack much more this weekend. If that is the case, all the 49ers will need is for Garoppolo to take care of the football and get the ball into the hands such as playmakers in George Kittle and Deebo Samuel. But if Jimmy G can’t get that done and San Francisco falls to Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, look for a ton of criticism in the football landscape to head in the direction of the 49ers’ current starting quarterback. The pressure is all on Garoppolo right now, and every single throw he makes from now until the end of the season will be under a watchful eye from above in the press box.