Football is a brutal sport. It's unfair and unforgiving, and it seems like some teams are being reminded of that every week.
The Super Bowl LVIII rematch failed to live up to the hype, and now it appears the 49ers will be without Brandon Aiyuk for the remainder of the season. The same goes for Chris Godwin and the Bucs, while Deshaun Watson's tenure in Cleveland just reached an unfortunate new low.
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And the NFC North? Yeah, it's the best division in football by a mile.
Here is where the league stands heading into Week 8:
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32. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 31)
Record: 1-6
We knew the Andy Dalton magic (?) would wear off soon and it would be ugly. And boy was it ugly.
31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
Record: 1-5
Will Levis? Mason Rudolph? It doesn’t matter. Bad turnovers are inevitable with either.
30. New England Patriots (Last week: 30)
Record: 1-6
Drake Maye raises the ceiling of this offense, but it’s a terrible offense, so expect plenty of encouraging performances in bad losses.
29. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 25)
Record: 1-6
Nick Chubb scored in his first game back. Stoked for him. That's all I have to say about this game.
28. New York Giants (Last week: 28)
Record: 2-5
Absolutely brutal showing from Big Blue's offense. Daniel Jones was sacked seven times. Business as usual.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 27)
Record: 2-5
The Jags are playing better, as is Trevor Lawrence. Tank Bigsby and Brian Thomas Jr. are two young players they should lean on moving forward.
26. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 27)
Record: 2-4
This offense is borderline unwatchable right now. It sounds like Tua Tagovailoa is nearing a return, so there is light at the end of the tunnel.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 26)
Record: 2-5
Embrace the tank. Gardner Minshew is. On a positive note, Brock Bowers might break rookie tight end records with Davante Adams gone.
24. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 24)
Record: 2-4
This offense desperately needs Cooper Kupp back. Fortunately for them, Kyren Williams continues to be a touchdown machine.
23. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 20)
Record: 2-5
They were missing their starting quarterback and their two best wide receivers, but would they have had better success against this Denver defense if they were healthy? Saints are in free-fall.
22. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 22)
Record: 3-4
This offense has been such a disappointment. But against a Chargers offense with no weapons, they didn’t have to do much.
21. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 21)
Record: 4-3
Anthony Richardson is such a loose cannon, it’s hard to watch. But he’s the future … right? Get Joe Flacco on the TB12 Method.
20. New York Jets (Last week: 18)
Record: 2-5
Aaron Rodgers is not beating the washed allegations. Will his Davante Adams security blanket eventually help right the ship? I'm not so sure.
19. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 17)
Record: 3-3
Credit to Justin Herbert for continuing to make it work with his assortment of Joe Schmo receivers, but this offense needs help.
18. Denver Broncos (Last week: 23)
Record: 4-3
Bo Nix is not bad, but he's not good. And certainly not better than Brock Purdy, which was an absolutely absurd take, by the way. But his scrambling ability adds another dimension to an otherwise boring offense.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 19)
Record: 3-4
Don’t look now, but Joe Burrow and Co. are back on track. They do this almost every year, people. We’ve got to stop falling for it.
16. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 16)
Record: 4-3
A nice bounce-back win against a good opponent. I'm confident they’re the same decent-but-not-great team they were last year.
15. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 12)
Record: 3-4
The offense looked absolutely atrocious. Even without Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, Jauan Jennings and Christian McCaffrey, that was inexcusable. The injury woes continue. Things look bleak, but I still believe they will win the division.
14. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 14)
Record: 3-3 (Bye week)
Things are tense in Big D. There are fundamental problems that need addressing, and these next few weeks will dictate the team's direction. You know what, maybe they are "America's Team" after all.
13. Chicago Bears (Last week: 15)
Record: 4-2 (Bye week)
Caleb Williams and the offense were riding high right into the bye week. It's still early, but they might have finally found their guy. The matchup next week against Jayden Daniels (if Daniels is healthy) should be fun.
12. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 11)
Record: 4-3
Bijan Robinson continues to play well and be very involved, only for Kirk Cousins and the passing game to take a step back. Go figure.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 10)
Record: 4-3
Baker Mayfield has looked fantastic this season, but tonight he came back down to Earth. A milestone game for Mike Evans before injuries to he and Chris Godwin. Without those two, things could get ugly.
10. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 13)
Record: 5-2
Is Jordan Love trying to channel Brett Favre with these multi-touchdown, multi-interception games? An impressive showing from the Green Bay defense, as well.
9. Washington Commanders (Last week: 8)
Record: 5-2
The NFL is so much more fun with Jayden Daniels on the field. Need him back ASAP. This week, I learned Marcus Mariota still is in the league and is a pretty decent backup.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 7)
Record: 4-2
Saquon Barkley is such a gift to this offense. Jalen Hurts really doesn’t have to do much when his supporting cast is healthy.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 9)
Record: 5-2
That defense is so so so nasty. Russell Wilson stepped right in and played pretty decent football. The decision to bench Justin Fields was controversial, but I do think Russ elevates the offense.
6. Houston Texans (Last week: 4)
Record: 5-2
C.J. Stroud, what happened? Flush it and move on.
5. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 6)
Record: 5-2
Amari Cooper had a very nice Bills debut as Buffalo thrashed the lowly Titans at home. The Cooper trade was a slam dunk move. It should pay off big time. The Bills winning the AFC East? That also seems like a slam dunk seven weeks into the 2024 season.
4. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 5)
Record: 5-2
Lamar Jackson is in MVP form. His evolution as a passer was on display Monday night. Derrick Henry is a monster. The Ravens look unstoppable right now.
3. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 3)
Record: 5-1
They went toe-to-toe with maybe the best team in the league and almost won. Sam Darnold continues to sling it and is proving to be one hell of a game manager.
2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 2)
Record: 5-1
The NFL’s best offense continues to torch every defense in its path. They’re now atop the NFC North, and I don’t see that changing the rest of the season.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 1)
Record: 6-0
The champs are at their most vulnerable right now, but nobody can seem to take advantage. The best teams always find ways to win. Patrick Mahomes can win with literally anyone.
