NFL Week Eight

Week Eight of the NFL season proceded with six teams on their bye week.   A look at how the rest of the league did -


AFC


Patriots
- The Patriots cannot stay dead, even with seemingly escalating issues with injuries and poor play.  Tom Brady's hand is in some way broken, and the offensive line has struggled lately, and now has lost Sebastian Vollmer with a broken leg, perhaps for the season.

Yet Vollmer's injury served to illustrate a stunning irony - the line seemed to play better after the injury, as the Patriots erased a 17-3 gap with 24 unanswered points and blocked a Dolphins FGA.   Despite failing to reach 120 passing yards, Brady connected in key moments, with rookie Aaron Dobson almost taking over the receiving game.   As a result the Patriots are 6-2 and look still up to winning twelve games or even more.


NY Jets - The Jets cannot string together any consistency, as they got utterly destroyed by a Bengals squad that more and more looks like a juggernaut.   The Jets have won one week then lost the next week, and stand 4-4.



Dolphins - They showed they can play; they still haven't shown they can take it to another level.



Bills - See above.



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Steelers - The season more and more already looks lost with yet another loss to Oakland.


Bengals - They still have some iron to face down the road, but at 6-2 the Bengals also face a schedule taking a noticeable turn for the better.


Browns - The Browns are 3-5 even with a greater competitiveness now.



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Jaguars - 0-16 still looms


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Broncos - They remain fortunate they've been getting opponents who self-destruct despite racing to a 21-7 lead.  


Chiefs - Still unbeaten, but the iron of the schedule still looms.


Raiders - If nothing else they still own the Steelers



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NFC

Cowboys
- Same old Romo Cowboys, leaders of a weak division and showing no clutch ability.


NY Giants - They're not going to the playoffs but they are showing some improvement.

Eagles - It may now be time to give up on Michael Vick.


Redskins - Once again they squander an eminently winnable game.



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Packers - They still have firepower.

Vikings - Astonishing they have fallen apart like this.


Lions - Matthew Stafford appears to be stepping up his game big-time; that's a great sign for a Lions squad that's playoff-caliber.



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Saints - They're back to where they were in 2011.


Panthers - But the Panthers are looking better and better.


Falcons - They have become a bad team.


Buccaneers - They have become a worse team with a coach that may not make it to December.



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49ers - This week was mostly San Francisco vs. their own injured reserve list.


Cardinals - Amazingly the Cardinals are 4-4.


Seahawks - They've surpassed all expectations and their schedule now gets easier, even on the road.


Rams - They now appear to be running in place.





So it goes as the Monday Night game beckons and then Week 9 rolls up.