It was a difficult start to Week 8 for football lovers. Injuries plagued several different matchups. Kirk Cousins hurt his ankle, Kenny Pickett took a gnarly hit, Minkah Fitzpatrick came up limping, Tyrod Taylor went to the hospital — never what you want. Football is a dangerous sport, but this week felt particularly unfortunate on the injury front.
There was, however, some quality football on display as well. A few teams beat the odds and pulled off upsets. A couple of rookie QBs shined in their first starts. The Cowboys dropped 43 points. The Saints and Eagles both dropped 38. On the other end of the spectrum, the Panthers — previously 0-6 — edged out Houston 15-13.
Per usual, there are standouts both positive and negative worth highlighting. As the MVP race takes shape, the standings evolve, and the trade deadline looms... here are your Week 8 NFL winners and losers.
Winner: A.J. Brown
Is it time to mount the A.J. Brown MVP campaign?
The Philadelphia Eagles outlasted the Washington Commanders 38-31 in a shootout. Jalen Hurts naturally garners credit as the Eagles' reigning MVP runner-up, but one could argue the real heavy-hitter in Philadelphia's offense right now is A.J. Brown. It's hard to imagine the Eagles getting to 7-1 without Brown's immense contributions.
He was once again on his A-game Sunday, catching all eight of his targets for 130 yards and two scores. Brown is now the first player in NFL history to post 125+ receiving yards in six straight weeks. Positively nuts.
MVP, anybody?
Brown's ability to make impossible catches in traffic — especially in the red zone — is the defining feature of the Eagles' offense these days. There was much to write home about from Sunday's game, including Julio Jones' first TD catch with the team. But, it's Brown's city at the moment.
Loser: C.J. Stroud
The Houston Texans fell below .500 with a difficult 15-13 loss to the previously winless Carolina Panthers. Stroud only managed 140 yards without a touchdown. Meanwhile, the No. 1 pick Bryce Young put together a strong game, completing 22-of-31 passes for 235 yards and a TD.
Stroud has been the best rookie in the NFL to date, with very few noticeable blemishes. But... he lost the No. 1 vs. 2 pick matchup by a solid margin, restoring the hope of Carolina fans and leaving a paper-dry taste in the mouths of Houston fans.
One game does not make a career, of course, but this is one Stroud definitely wanted. Rather than a statement win, it was a middling loss. Houston will look to turn it around in a winnable matchup with the Bucs next week.
Winner: Rookie QBs
Will Levis stepped into the Tennessee Titans' starting QB role in place of the injured Ryan Tannehill. Levis was a source of controversy leading up to the NFL Draft. The Kentucky product was widely speculated as a top-10 pick, which led to a nasty discourse cycle. Then... he fell all the way to the second round where the Titans traded up to No. 33 to steal him.
It's only one game, but Levis made a strong first impression. He completed 19-of-29 passes for 238 yards and four TDs, all without a single turnover. Second-year Titans QB Malik Willis got the call for a couple designed runs, but it was Levis' game atop the QB depth chart and he delivered — against a top-10 defense, no less.
On a slightly less impressive note, Giants rookie Tommy DeVito made his debut in place of the injured Tyrod Taylor. He didn't exactly light up the stat sheet — 2-of-7 passes for -1 yard — but he managed a six-yard touchdown scramble in the third quarter for his first career score.
Good for him! Just ignore what happened after the score.
Loser: Commanders' postseason hopes
The Washington Commanders fell to 3-5 with a narrow 38-31 loss to the Eagles. That would appear to set the front office's trade deadline plans in motion. The expectation is that Washington will now engage in a fire sale, with stars Chase Young and Montez Sweat being the primary trade candidates.
The NFC East was always a difficult hurdle to clear for Ron Rivera and the Commanders. Philadelphia is a bonafide superpower. The Cowboys are too, half the time. Even the Giants' pitiful season hasn't been enough to restore hope for D.C.'s team. New ownership has provided the green light for a busy deadline, per Adam Schefter, so expect the moves to come fast and furious now that the Commanders' status as a pretender is established.
It was far from a terrible loss for Washington. Sam Howell completed 39 passes for 397 yards and four scores. He continues to flash a high ceiling at QB. Four separate receivers found pay dirt. But, the nature of the loss doesn't matter. What does matter is the impact on the standings and what it means for the Commanders' future.
Winner: Rashid Shaheed
Finally, the New Orleans Saints' offense has some oomph to it.
New Orleans put the hurt on Indianapolis, 38-27, behind Derek Carr's strongest showing to date. He completed 19-of-27 passes for 310 yards and a couple scores. Taysom Hill ran for two scores. Alvin Kamara went for 110 yards from scrimmage and scored twice, too.
A real standout, however, was speedy WR Rashid Shaheed, who collected all three of his targets for 153 yards and a score.
There has been a lot of grumbling about New Orleans' WR room and the potential for trade deadline reinforcements, but Carr appeared to solve a few problems on Sunday. Maybe, just maybe, the Shaheed deep threat unlocks the offense even more in the weeks to come.
Loser: Rams fantasy owners
Aside from the obvious bad break — Matthew Stafford suffered a thumb injury — the Los Angeles Rams' offense continues to flatline at a concerning rate.
Most concerning is the lack of production from Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The Rams' top wideouts struggled not only in terms of yardage but in terms of catches. Kupp was targeted 10 times and only managed four receptions. Puka was targeted seven times but managed three receptions.
Los Angeles will face a difficult road forward if Stafford is forced to miss any time, but at 3-5, the season is essentially over. Dallas was up 33-3 at one point and finished the game with a commanding 43-20 win. There were a few vintage Stafford flashes before the injury, but on the whole, Los Angeles' entire system needs a reboot.
Winner: Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb
The Dallas Cowboys' offense has been on a roller coaster lately. One week removed from an ugly 20-17 win over the Chargers and two weeks removed from an abysmal 42-10 loss to the Niners, the Cowboys trounced the Rams, guns-blazing, 43-20. At one point, Dallas led 33-3 — in the first half. The perfect marriage of a prolific offense and a fearsome defense.
Dak Prescott was nearly flawless. He tossed a pick, but otherwise, he completed 25-of-31 passes for 304 yards and four scores. Two of those TD darts went to CeeDee Lamb, who corralled 12 of 14 targets for 158 yards. A complete monster playmaker.
It's all a matter of consistency for Dallas at this point. The Cowboys, at their peak, are maybe the best team in the NFC. It's a matter of reaching that peak on a weekly basis — and, projecting forward, once the postseason arrives.
Sure, the Rams aren't the best barometer for success, but this was a huge week for America's team.