Week 8 NFL takeaways: Eagles make a statement in road win

The Chiefs have reason for hope next week against the Vikings if they have to play again without QB Patrick Mahomes. Matt Moore played better than the Chiefs had a right to expect against the Packers, considering he joined them after the preseason and received no practice time with the starters while serving as the backup. He should only improve with another week of practice and as the Chiefs better understand his strengths and weaknesses. -- Adam Teicher

Next game: vs. Minnesota (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Tennessee Titans 27, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23

The Titans have found ways to win close games the past two weeks. Coach Mike Vrabel took Bucs coach Bruce Arians' "no risk it, no biscuit" mantra to another level by calling for a fake field goal when the Titans had a four-point lead with 3:45 remaining. It was a highly questionable decision, but Tennessee's defense bailed him out. The Titans are converting turnovers into points too, scoring 14 of them against the Bucs. The marriage of an efficient offense (three touchdown passes from Ryan Tannehill), bend-but-don't-break defense and solid special-teams play has the Titans winning. If they can hit in all three areas and win the turnover margin, they're tough to beat. -- Turron Davenport

Next game: at Carolina (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The chatter about whether Jameis Winston is the Buccaneers' future at quarterback won't die down after a two-interception performance. Arians was adamant those picks weren't on his QB but the result of a poor performance from his receivers. The Bucs nearly won anyway, but an early whistle by the officials cost them a late touchdown. On a fake field goal attempt by the Titans, linebacker Devin White stripped Titans punter Brett Kern of the ball, and safety Andrew Adams scooped it up and scored what would have been a touchdown had it not been for the officials calling the play dead. "The inadvertent whistle was a huge, huge play. You pick up a fumble and run it in for a touchdown to win the game, is not good," Arians said. -- Jenna Laine

Next game: at Seattle (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Los Angeles Chargers 17, Chicago Bears 16

Joey Bosa and the defense came up big in a game the Chargers needed. The Ohio State product was dominant, finishing with seven combined tackles, including four for a loss, and two sacks. With that effort, Bosa became the first Charger since Kevin Burnett in 2010 to post back-to-back games with two-plus sacks. "It's very unselfish of him to play the run more than going after the passer," Chargers coach Anthony Lynn said about Bosa. "It says a lot about him as a person and a teammate. He's been all over the place. I can't say enough good things about him." After snapping a three-game losing streak, the Chargers will attempt to keep the momentum going at home next week against the Packers. -- Eric D. Williams

Next game: vs. Green Bay (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Coach Matt Nagy wants consistency on offense. Nagy lauded rookie third-round pick David Montgomery, who rushed for a career-high 135 yards on 27 carries Sunday, but also lamented the fact Chicago went 1-for-5 in the red zone in the Bears' crushing loss. "That can't happen," Nagy said. The dilemma facing Nagy is there are few options at his disposal to fix the offense, which is almost entirely healthy. Outside of benching quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, there are few moves Nagy can make. -- Jeff Dickerson

Next game: at Philadelphia (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New Orleans Saints 31, Arizona Cardinals 9

The Saints are only going to get better. They would have been thrilled to start this season 7-1, even before quarterback Drew Brees missed five games because of a thumb injury and running back Alvin Kamara missed two because of ankle and knee injuries. They should have all their key players healthy after the Week 9 bye. And they're firing on all cylinders after the offense exploded in the second half of a victory over Arizona. It will obviously be "Super Bowl or bust" from here on out. -- Mike Triplett

Next game: vs. Atlanta (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 10)

The Cardinals are heading into a short week down running backs. Chase Edmonds injured his hamstring Sunday, and coach Kliff Kingsbury said he's "definitely concerned" about Edmonds' availability for Thursday night. If Edmonds can't play, Arizona could be without its top two running backs, as it's expected David Johnson, who missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury, won't play Thursday, either. That means the Cardinals will be left playing Zach Zenner and Alfred Morris, both of whom signed Wednesday. -- Josh Weinfuss

Next game: vs. San Francisco (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

Indianapolis Colts 15, Denver Broncos 13

The Colts haven't slowed down minus quarterback Andrew Luck. A complete effort the entire season has the Colts leading the AFC South, and none of their next three opponents has a winning record. Adam Vinatieri made up for two missed kicks earlier Sunday with his 29th game-winning field goal of his career with 22 seconds remaining. The Colts are 14-3 in their past 17 regular-season games going back to last season. -- Mike Wells

Next game: at Pittsburgh (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The offense isn't getting it done. After Denver's sixth loss of the season, third loss in the game's final 22 seconds and seventh game of failing to score more than 16 points, it's clear the Broncos' offense bears most of the responsibility for Denver's 2-6 start. As running back Phillip Lindsay said: "Our defense is doing its job.'' Sunday was the latest example of the Broncos failing to close out a game. First-year offensive coordinator Rich Scangarello will take the heat for this one, after the Broncos had multiple chances to put the game away in the final minutes. Broncos players said they would prefer to go out swinging and would like to see a little more risk-taking. -- Jeff Legwold

Next game: vs. Cleveland (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Seattle Seahawks 27, Atlanta Falcons 20

The Seahawks' win over the Falcons was similar to their first half of the season in this sense: The result was more encouraging than the way it came about. They gave up 460 passing yards to backup Matt Schaub and let the 1-7 Falcons make a game of it after the Seahawks had jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Four of the Seahawks' wins this year have come by a combined eight points. Only one of their wins was against a team that entered Week 8 with a winning record. We don't know how good the Seahawks are, but they'll take a 6-2 record, including 4-0 on the road, into Week 9. -- Brady Henderson

Next game: vs. Tampa Bay (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The first half was more miscommunication issues and lack of tackling that have plagued the Falcons during their 1-7 start. Allowing Seahawks rookie receiver DK Metcalf to break wide-open for two goal-line touchdown receptions was inexcusable and indicative of the kind of blatant mistakes the Falcons have made all season on defense, even with Dan Quinn as the defensive coordinator. Those two plays were part of the reason the Falcons trailed 24-0 at halftime. You can't have those type of mental breakdowns eight games in when you're preaching about fixing those problems. Now the Falcons have next week's bye to think about all that's gone wrong. -- Vaughn McClure

Next game: at New Orleans (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 10)

Philadelphia Eagles 31, Buffalo Bills 13

The Eagles responded to a tumultuous couple of weeks. Those included a pair of blowout losses, criticism from anonymous teammates and former cornerback Orlando Scandrick teeing off on his former club. Safety Malcolm Jenkins was asked if he was interested in seeing how the Eagles would respond. "I'm not interested to see," he said after practice Friday. "I know we will respond." The Eagles did in a win over the Bills that will calm some nerves inside the organization and out. A loss in Buffalo, and the wheels could have come off this season. But the Eagles rose to the occasion, and return home for a key three-game stretch against the Bears, Patriots and Seahawks. -- Tim McManus

Next game: vs. Chicago (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Bills laid an egg in their best opportunity to beat a quality opponent since a Week 4 loss to the Patriots. More upsetting than the loss was how the Eagles were able to win: Running the ball straight up the middle. Buffalo allowed 218 rushing yards Sunday, marking just the fifth time the Bills have allowed 200-plus rushing yards under coach Sean McDermott. "I'm concerned any time a team can run the ball like that on our football team," McDermott said. It'll be on mind as the Bills prepare for Washington in Week 9.-- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Washington (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Los Angeles Rams 24, Cincinnati Bengals 10

Nearly a year after Cooper Kupp underwent season-ending knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, the Rams' third-year receiver has proved he's better than ever. Kupp caught seven passes for a career-high 220 yards and a touchdown at Wembley Stadium in London. The Rams improved to 5-3, winning back-to-back games on a 10-day road trip, and they return to L.A. for a bye week. Next up is trip to the Eastern time zone to play the Steelers in Week 10. -- Lindsey Thiry

Next game: at Pittsburgh (4:25 p.m. ET, Nov. 10)

Cincinnati's defense has been problematic all season. The Bengals couldn't stop the Rams' passing attack when the game was in question. Cincinnati allowed a season-high 372 passing yards, with most of that coming in the first three quarters. The Rams averaged 8.3 yards per play. While Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is more worried about points than yards, the amount the Bengals conceded should be troubling. It's worth noting this unit struggled last season before Anarumo was hired. Anarumo won't be absolved of all blame, but the roster should undergo serious evaluations after another rough outing. -- Ben Baby

Next game: vs. Baltimore (1 p.m. ET, Nov. 10)

Detroit Lions 31, New York Giants 26

The Lions have something to build on. They found a pass rush and did decent job against Giants running back Saquon Barkley, and Matthew Stafford had his best game of the year. It wasn't a complete performance, but it was necessary after three consecutive losses. Coach Matt Patricia said he felt his players played "tough" and was happy with how the Lions handled in-game adjustments. Considering where Detroit has been, that's progress. -- Michael Rothstein

Next game: at Oakland (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Daniel Jones made progress and showed signs he's a franchise QB. He went 28-of-41 passing for 322 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Giants lost, but Jones' growth and development is what this season is all about. Tight end Evan Engram noted Jones has become more "vocal," and receiver Golden Tate said the constant communication (texts and conversations on and off the field) is a noticeable positive. Coach Pat Shurmur said, "He battles throughout the game. All the things that we see all the time. He was in it all the way to the end to win it. He's a gritty, tough young man that has a bright future." The Giants (2-6) need that right now. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: vs. Dallas (8:15 p.m. ET, Nov. 4)

Jacksonville Jaguars 29, New York Jets 15

Gardner Minshew II is making a bid to remain the starter once Nick Foles returns. The possibility of Jacksonville being above .500 at its bye seemed remote at best the moment Foles suffered a broken collarbone in the season opener. What Minshew has done since -- 1,976 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions -- has to at least make the coaching staff think about keeping him on the field, especially if he plays well next week in London. Foles returned to practice last week and has another week of practice before he becomes eligible to return to the active roster. Since the Jaguars have a bye after the Houston game, Foles is on track to return for the Nov. 17 game at Indianapolis, though that timeline could get pushed back if the Jaguars think Foles needs additional time. -- Mike DiRocco

Next game: vs. Houston (9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday)

The Jets' offense is broken, and it's affecting Sam Darnold's development. That's a scary proposition for the franchise, which has pinned its future to him. The second-year quarterback has seven interceptions over the past two weeks. Darnold and coach Adam Gase face the winless Dolphins next week. If Gase can't beat his old team, the "Fire Gase" crowd will be screaming. -- Rich Cimini

Next game: at Miami (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

San Francisco 49ers 51, Carolina Panthers 13

The 49ers should be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender. Any lingering doubt about their legitimacy is buried under the pile of points they hung on the Panthers in Sunday's win. The Niners have had their share of skeptics pointing to the schedule and recent struggles as reasons why their undefeated start could be no more than a mirage. But the evidence continues to mount as these Niners not only win but do so in convincing fashion. Moving forward, any remaining doubters must do so at their own peril. -- Nick Wagoner

Next game: at Arizona (8:20 p.m. ET, Thursday)

The conversation in the locker room was keeping Sunday's loss from turning into what a 52-21 loss to Pittsburgh did in 2018. The Panthers lost seven straight following a 6-2 start after that one, but players insisted they learned from the loss to the Steelers and can avoid the pitfalls. How the Panthers (4-3) respond in a home game against Tennessee will determine whether they are the playoff-caliber team they appeared to be during a four-game winning streak. They looked nothing like that against the Niners. -- David Newton

Next game: vs. Tennessee (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

New England Patriots 27, Cleveland Browns 13

This game had coach Bill Belichick's fingerprints all over it. It was his 300th win as a head coach (regular season and playoffs), as he joined Don Shula (347) and George Halas (324) as the only coaches to reach the mark. The win had a familiar look to the others that have helped the Patriots get out to an 8-0 start: The defense set the tone with three turnovers in the first quarter, and the offense complemented the unit by not turning the ball over while continuing to manage a challenging personnel situation in which new pieces are being integrated weekly. -- Mike Reiss

Next game: at Baltimore (8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday)

The Bad News Browns struck again, inconceivably turning the ball over on three consecutive plays in the first quarter. What's more, Cleveland, already the league leader in penalties coming into the weekend, became the first team to commit 13 or more penalties in two different games this year. The schedule softens significantly beginning next Sunday in Denver for the Browns, who have only two games left against teams with winning records. Though the opportunity is there for Cleveland to surge down the stretch, it's becoming increasingly difficult to envision that happening for a team seemingly hell-bent on self-destruction. -- Jake Trotter

Next game: at Denver (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Houston Texans 27, Oakland Raiders 24

Houston is going to have to figure out how to replace defensive end J.J. Watt. The Texans lost the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the rest of the season because of a pectoral injury. Watt had four sacks this season, but according to ESPN's pass rush win rate powered by NFL Next Gen Stats, Watt created the first pressure on 62 pass rushes, easily the most in the NFL. No other player had more than 49 first pressures created. Outside linebacker Whitney Mercilus is now the only proven pass-rusher Houston has for the second half of the season. -- Sarah Barshop

Next game: vs. Jacksonville (9:30 a.m. ET, Sunday)

The Raiders cannot beat themselves the way they did Sunday. Not if they fancy themselves a legitimate playoff contender and have ideas about rattling off victories on their upcoming three-game homestand against the Lions, Chargers and Bengals. But 100 yards in penalties and the defense's inability to get off the field in the second half at Houston -- Oakland's offense had three possessions total in the third and fourth quarters -- were the self-inflicted wounds that had the Raiders on the wrong end of a loss that dropped them to 3-4. "There's about three or four plays in a game that really determine the outcome," rookie defensive end Maxx Crosby said. "We've got to finish ... when we have the quarterback wrapped up at the end of the game, when we have running backs wrapped up and we're getting penalties -- like my personal foul, it can't happen." -- Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. Detroit (4:05 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Minnesota Vikings 19, Washington Redskins 9

The Vikings clawed their way back from an up-and-down start. They squashed the frustrations on offense with a shift in playcalling, and quarterback Kirk Cousins has been the catalyst for success these past four weeks. If Minnesota can clean up penalties and drops, and keep the balance between the league's leading rusher Dalvin Cook and receivers Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen, this offense will be at its best in the second half. "We're just a work in progress," Diggs said. "Things are going good, but there was a point where things weren't good, and the house was burning down and everybody was panicking, so at this point, we're taking it one minute at a time, one day at a time." -- Courtney Cronin

Next game: at Kansas City (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)

Dwayne Haskins isn't yet ready to lead the Redskins. Sure, they haven't done well finishing drives under Case Keenum, and Haskins has entered two games on the road with his team trailing. But he also hasn't helped himself with certain throws. He's seeing things for the first time live -- a few reps in practice won't change that, but it's a way to feel comfortable -- and he needs time, something the Redskins have said since the draft. But they also do want to win, which means Keenum will return to the lineup when healthy. Washington plays the Jets after the bye week, and that could be when Haskins gets the nod for good. -- John Keim

Next game: at Buffalo (1 p.m. ET, Sunday)