Last week I wrote that there was one unbeaten team left. That lasted one week. The Lions beat the Vikings in Detroit, and now every team in the NFL has a loss. Week 8 also gave us a wild finish in Denver and one of the strangest box scores you will ever see in Tampa.
The Last Unbeaten Team Falls
Minnesota came into Detroit at 6-0, and the Lions handed the Vikings their first loss, 19-15. Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 153 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, and Jared Goff threw the go-ahead touchdown to Jameson Williams. Minnesota finished with just 266 total yards and went 3 of 10 on third down. The Vikings are 6-1 and still tied for the best record in the NFC, but the perfect season is over. Detroit paid a price for the win, losing Jack Campbell, Brian Branch, D.J. Wonnum and D.J. Reed to injuries during the game.
Denver Steals One From Kansas City
The Chiefs led by 11 points in the fourth quarter in Denver and had first-and-goal from the 4 in the final minute. They still lost. Bo Nix hit Nate Adkins for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth down and found Jaylen Waddle on the two-point try to put the Broncos ahead 28-24. Kansas City drove back, but on fourth-and-goal from the 1, a false start wiped out what would have been a game-winning touchdown to Rashee Rice, and Patrick Mahomes was sacked as time ran out. Denver moved to 6-2 and the Chiefs fell to 5-2.
No Completions, No Problem
In heavy rain, Tampa Bay beat Atlanta 16-0 while Baker Mayfield went 0 for 3 passing. The Buccaneers ran it 55 times for a franchise-record 322 yards, led by Bucky Irving’s career-high 170 yards and Kenneth Gainwell’s 140. According to NFL Research, the Bucs are the first team since 1945 to win by 10 or more points without completing a pass. Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions for the Falcons, who went 0 for 12 on third down.
Monday Night: Bears at Seahawks
The Bears closed the week by going into Seattle and beating the Seahawks 34-17. D’Andre Swift ran for three touchdowns, two of them in the fourth quarter, and Caleb Williams threw a 1-yard touchdown to Luther Burden in the first quarter. Cairo Santos added two field goals. Seattle pulled within 20-17 early in the fourth when Sam Darnold hit Cooper Kupp for a touchdown and converted the two-point try, but Chicago answered with two straight touchdown drives. Darnold also threw a 43-yard touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba right before halftime. The Bears are 6-2, and the Seahawks fell to 4-4.
The Rest of the Slate
- Packers 27, Panthers 19 (Thursday): Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes to open the week at Lambeau.
- Bills 36, Ravens 10: Lamar Jackson left after one snap with a thumb injury, and Buffalo’s defense took over. Josh Allen and James Cook each ran for a touchdown.
- Bengals 43, Titans 36 (OT): Joe Burrow threw for 426 yards and five touchdowns and ran in the winner from 9 yards out in overtime. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins both topped 140 receiving yards.
- Cardinals 33, Cowboys 30 (OT): Gardner Minshew came off the bench, threw three touchdowns and led the tying drive, and Tyler Allgeier ran for 147 yards.
- Lions 19, Vikings 15: see above.
- Jaguars 42, Colts 7: Trevor Lawrence threw three touchdowns on just 14 attempts, and Bhayshul Tuten scored three times.
- Raiders 38, Jets 33: Brock Bowers caught two touchdowns, and Las Vegas snapped a four-game losing streak.
- Steelers 27, Browns 6: Pittsburgh ran for 200 yards and had eight sacks to stay alone in first in the AFC North.
- Rams 24, Chargers 9: The Chargers are 0-7, the first team to start that way after winning at least 11 games the year before.
- Patriots 24, Dolphins 19: Drake Maye threw two touchdowns and ran for another.
- Commanders 27, Eagles 10 (Sunday night): Jayden Daniels got his first win since October 2025, and the Eagles fell to 2-6.
Week 8 Scoreboard
| Matchup | Final | Records after |
|---|---|---|
| Panthers at Packers (Thu.) | GB 27, CAR 19 | GB 5-3, CAR 3-4 |
| Ravens at Bills | BUF 36, BAL 10 | BUF 6-1, BAL 4-4 |
| Titans at Bengals | CIN 43, TEN 36 (OT) | CIN 5-2, TEN 1-7 |
| Cardinals at Cowboys | ARI 33, DAL 30 (OT) | ARI 3-5, DAL 3-5 |
| Vikings at Lions | DET 19, MIN 15 | DET 5-2, MIN 6-1 |
| Colts at Jaguars | JAX 42, IND 7 | JAX 5-2, IND 2-6 |
| Raiders at Jets | LV 38, NYJ 33 | LV 4-4, NYJ 2-6 |
| Browns at Steelers | PIT 27, CLE 6 | PIT 6-2, CLE 5-3 |
| Falcons at Buccaneers | TB 16, ATL 0 | TB 3-5, ATL 3-5 |
| Chargers at Rams | LAR 24, LAC 9 | LAR 4-4, LAC 0-7 |
| Patriots at Dolphins | NE 24, MIA 19 | NE 5-3, MIA 1-6 |
| Chiefs at Broncos | DEN 28, KC 24 | DEN 6-2, KC 5-2 |
| Eagles at Commanders (Sun.) | WAS 27, PHI 10 | WAS 2-4-1, PHI 2-6 |
| Bears at Seahawks (Mon.) | CHI 34, SEA 17 | CHI 6-2, SEA 4-4 |
Byes: Texans, Giants, 49ers, Saints
Looking Ahead
For the first time this season, there are no unbeaten teams. Week 9 starts Thursday night with the Jaguars at the Ravens, and Baltimore will be without Lamar Jackson for the foreseeable future. He needs surgery on his right thumb and is headed to injured reserve, and Ravens coach Jesse Minter said the injury could potentially end his season. The games I am circling are Bills at Vikings on Monday night, Packers at Patriots, and Buccaneers at Bears on Sunday night.
Featured photo: Coast Guard flyover at a Seattle Seahawks home game, 2015 by Seaman Sarah Wilson, U.S. Coast Guard (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.
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