Biggest headline of Week 8: must watch games and what to watch for in the NFL this weekend

The halfway point of the season is approaching and we are still searching for answers to questions we have had since Week 1. Are the Eagles as good as they were last year? Are the Chargers going to challenge the Chiefs in the AFC West? Will the Packers or the Steelers be legitimate contenders in their respective conferences? Can the Cowboys offense make up for their dreadful defense? Many of these questions will be answered this weekend.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Thursday @ 8:15 p.m. ET

Both of these teams had high hopes for this season, but here they are coming into Week 8 surrounded in doubts following a few down weeks. Minnesota has been exchanging wins and losses each week, and they are still 3-3, but .500 football is not going to cut it in the NFC North. Carson Wentz has been confirmed as the started for the Thursday night game, so he will look to lick his wounds suffered in the loss to Philly, and hope to rebound against a Chargers team that is sliding. Justin Herbert has been left to try and do everything for an LA team that has seen both of their top two running backs go down with lengthy injuries. They have lost three of four, with their only win coming over the Miami Dolphins in a narrow victory in Miami. Both of these teams desperately need a win to stop sliding, so Thursday night will be a must watch in LA.

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday @ 1 p.m. ET

It’s round 2 of the NFC East matchup between two heated rivals. Round 1 of this matchup introduced the world to the two Giants rookies that have enamored the nation and brought a little excitement back to the Big Apple. It was only a couple of Thursdays ago that Jaxson Dart and Cam Skatteboo led the Giants to a shock win over the Eagles from the Meadowlands, and now they have to head to the City of Brotherly Love and try to do it again against a team that might have found it’s offensive groove last week. Jalen Hurts and the Eagles lit up the Vikings defense last week, and will be looking to build on that, but this could be Saquon Barkley’s game to turn it on in what’s been a relatively quiet season for the reigning Offensive Player of the Year.

Chicago Bears vs. Baltimore Ravens, Sunday @ 1 p.m. ET

Will he or won’t he? That’s been the one and only question in Baltimore since Lamar Jackson went down in the game against the Detroit Lions in Week 3. Since then, the Ravens have lost four gams, and are dangerously close to falling out of the playoff race before we hit the halfway point of the season. He has been dealing with a hamstring injury that has led to the disappearance of the Ravens offense, but a BYE week might have been just what the two time MVP QB needed to heal his hammy and get back under center for Baltimore. If he comes back, he will face a Chicago defense that looks to be hitting stride under Dennis Allen. They turned he Saints over four times last week and the offense is starting to take shape as Ben Johnson continues to inject some of that explosive ability he brought from Detroit when he was the Lions offensive coordinator. It’s a Chicago team that has won four in a row against a Ravens team that has lost four in a row.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday @ 4:25 p.m. ET

On paper the matchup is simple. One of the best defenses in the league going up against one of the top offenses in the league. Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys have been nothing if not entertaining this year. The problem is, they can’t stop a nosebleed which means they have to light the scoreboard up in each and every game they play. That may not be the easiest thing to do against a Broncos team that is giving up less than 20 points a game. Denver is coming off of a miraculous fourth quarter comeback led by Bo Nix as they rattled of their fourth straight win and all of the sudden they lead the AFC West. The Cowboys have yet to win a game on the road, and are averaging just 21 ppg away from home while they score 41 ppg at home. Something’s got to give in the Mile High City on Sunday. Will it be the top offense in the league lighting up the Broncos D, or will one of the best defenses in the league shut down Dak and Dallas in Denver?

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, Sunday @ 8:15 p.m. ET

Are these teams for real? Is it too early to tell? The Green Bay Packers are technically the team with the best record in the NFC. They only have one loss, but they also only have four wins. That tie really puts a wrench in things, and the fact that they have been struggling to beat teams like the Bengals with a newly introduced Joe Flacco and a sliding Cardinals team that had their back up QB under center. It’s been a while since they have played a good team, so this game against the Steelers should be a good barometer of where the Pack stand. The Steelers were thrown off tracks last week in a primetime division game on a short week. T.J. Watt and the defense got shredded by Joe Flacco, Ja’Marr Chase and the Bengals last week, and now they host a Packers team that is looking to find their stride on the offensive end. Their records tell you these are two good teams, but you can’t ignore the fact that there are a lot of questions surrounding both the Packers and the Steelers. We should get some answers on Sunday night.

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