Jayden Daniels creates the Maryland Miracle; Dak Prescott continues the chilly streak

The center of the season often offers readability on the route groups are going.

But that is not precisely the case within the NFC West, the place three of the 4 groups are 4-4 by way of the primary eight weeks of the common season, and the Rams are only a half-game again at 3-4. On Sunday night time, the 49ers stored their Super Bowl aspirations alive by holding off the Cowboys to get again to .500, placing San Francisco in a tie with the Cardinals and Seahawks atop the division.

While the NFC West is messy, different groups have separated themselves on the prime of their divisions. The Buffalo Bills maintain a 3.5-game lead within the AFC East and appeared like a Super Bowl contender in a dominant highway win over Seattle.

And the Kansas City Chiefs proceed to win, shifting to 7-0 with a win over the Las Vegas Raiders and now holding a 2.5-game lead within the AFC West over the second-place Denver Broncos (5-3).

Of course, Week 8 gave us the Maryland Miracle when Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels defeated fellow rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears with a Hail Mary on the ultimate play of the sport. The Commanders are the stunning leaders of the NFC East at midseason.

Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at who’s sizzling and who’s chilly in week 8.

WHO IS HOT

James WinstonQB, Brown

In his first recreation as a starter instead of the injured Deshaun Watson, Winston offered hope for town of Cleveland. The FSU product completed with 334 yards passing and three touchdowns, a Week 8 excessive, with no interceptions in a comeback win over the AFC North-leading Baltimore Ravens.

Backed by defensive finish Myles Garrett and a dominant protection, the Browns lastly appeared just like the playoff contender most NFL observers anticipated, in the event that they performed competent quarterback.

Sitting at 2-6 and led by Winston’s unwavering perception, the Browns will see if they will transfer ahead subsequent week at dwelling towards the Los Angeles Chargers.

Marvin Harrison Jr., W.R., Cardinals

A statistical disappointment all through the primary half of the season, the Ohio State rookie is lastly warming up, creating higher chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray.

On Sunday towards the Dolphins, Harrison completed with six receptions for 111 receiving yards and a rating on seven targets. It’s simply his second 100-yard receiving try this season and first since Week 2. Harrison’s effort helped the Cardinals submit back-to-back wins for the primary time because the 2021 season.

Jayden DanielsQB, Commanders

Playing with an injured rib towards probably the greatest defenses within the league, Daniels delivered within the clutch with a 52-yard Hail Mary to Noah Brown for the game-winner. Daniels completed 21 of 38 for 326 yards, with one landing and no interceptions. He additionally ran for 52 yards.

According to FOX Sports analysis, Daniels threw the second-longest game-winning landing as time expired by a rookie quarterback within the Super Bowl period. Only Tim Couch’s 56-yard heave for a rating to Kevin Johnston on Halloween in 1999 was longer.

George KittleTE, 49ers

Not surprisingly, Kittle had one among his greatest performances of the season on National Tight Ends Day. In a recreation San Francisco wanted after a tricky loss to Kansas City final week, Kittle led the 49ers with six receptions for 128 yards and one landing on seven targets.

According to FOX Sports analysis, the tight ends completed with 177 receptions on the day, setting an NFL document for receptions by a good finish in a single day.

Kyle PittsTHE Hawks

Add one other tight end with an enormous day for his workforce in Pitts. He completed with 4 receptions for 91 yards and two touchdowns on 5 targets in Atlanta’s massive win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The win helped the Falcons transfer into first place within the NFC South with a mark of 5–3. Atlanta has a 4-0 document within the division.

WHO IS COLD

Anthony RichardsonQB, Colts

In Richardson’s second NFL season, the roster blossomed because it continued its inconsistent methods in a 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans. He completed a depressing 10-of-32 passing for 175 yards, with one landing and one interception for a passer ranking of 48.3.

Even extra regarding, Richardson requested to exit the sport after a scrum, one thing not often seen from a wholesome NFL quarterback. He mentioned he was drained and wanted a break. With a succesful backup sitting on the sidelines in Joe Flacco, can coach Shane Steichen hold Richardson because the starter and threat shedding the locker room?

Dak PrescottQB, Cowboys

The highest paid participant within the league retains giving the ball to the opposite workforce. In one more loss to San Francisco, Prescott threw two extra interceptions, turning into the primary Dallas quarterback to throw a number of interceptions in three consecutive video games since Troy Aikman in 1992.

Prescott now has eight picks this season for the Cowboys, who sit at 3-4 on the season and look nowhere close to a playoff workforce.

Derick SalaPOUNDS, Seahawks

Late within the first half, Hall drilled Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen late, nullifying an unlawful flip penalty on Buffalo’s Khalil Shakir. The results of Hall’s boneheaded penalty was a primary down for Buffalo on the Seattle 12-yard line.

Two performs later, Allen discovered tight finish Dalton Kincaid for a 14-3 lead and the rout was on. The play led to a confrontation between Hall and fellow defensive lineman Jarran Reed on the sideline after the landing, as Seattle appeared to crumble heading into halftime.

Hall and Reed later labored out their points, however Hall’s eventual hit was emblematic of an total sloppy efficiency for the Seahawks. Seattle completed with 11 penalties accepted for 82 yards and failed to attain a landing on subsequent drives that reached Buffalo’s 2-and-1-yard line.

Matt Eberflus, HC, Bears

Eberflus had a horrible day on the workplace. Late in a hotly contested recreation, he greenlit a play name from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron that had offensive lineman Doug Kramer hauling the ball from the 1-yard line, doing his greatest Refrigerator Perry impression.

Running again D’Andre Swift rushed for 129 yards towards the Commanders. Either he or short-yardage defender Roschon Johnson was clearly the higher possibility, as Kramer fumbled and Washington recovered, stopping the Bears from taking the lead.

However, the Bears pressured Washington to punt. Caleb Williams and the Chicago offense acquired the ball again, marched down the sector and this time gave it to Johnson for the go-ahead rating with 27 seconds left.

But even worse than the choice to move the ball to Kramer, Eberflus, the previous defensive coordinator, did not put his gamers able to cease a profitable Hail Mary from Daniels. The loss ended a three-game successful streak, sending the Bears again to Chicago with a 4–3 document and in final place within the NFC North.

What went incorrect in Chicago?

Tyrique StevensonCB, Bears

Stevenson was the defender seen waving at Washington followers on the ultimate play of the sport. He then ran towards the scrum and as a substitute of knocking the ball down, he returned it to Brown, who hauled it in for the game-winning landing.

Stevenson later admitted the expensive mistake, apologizing for his actions.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, protecting the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN e Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

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