The Week 8 NFL schedule for the 2021 season is stacked with great matchups, and we got you covered with what you need to know heading into the weekend.
Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a big stat to know and a betting nugget for each contest, and our Football Power Index and a game projection.
Let’s get into the full Week 8 slate, including a meeting between AFC South running backs Derrick Henry and Jonathan Taylor, Jameis Winston facing his former team and a Sunday night showdown between two of the NFL’s top wide receiver groups.
What to watch for: Can the Colts’ defense contain Titans’ Derrick Henry? The best running back in the NFL has topped at least 100 yards in four straight games against the Colts, rushing for 542 yards and four touchdowns in those four matchups — and he picked up 113 on the ground against Indianapolis earlier this season.
The Titans’ defensive front has found its mojo over the past two games thanks in large part to a package that features former Colt Denico Autry and Bud Dupree on the outside with Jeffery Simmons and Harold Landry on the interior.
What to watch for: Can the Bills’ defense have another dominant performance against Miami, or will the Dolphins’ offense support quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and put up more of a fight in Buffalo? When the AFC East foes met in Week 2, the Bills held the Dolphins scoreless, but Tagovailoa was also knocked out of the game with an injury.
Bold prediction: The Dolphins have held consecutive opponents under 100 rushing yards, and they will extend that streak to three on Sunday.
What to know for fantasy: Buffalo QB Josh Allen has thrown for multiple touchdowns in all seven of his career starts against the Dolphins, but the 16.7 fantasy points he scored against them in Week 2 was a career-low against the divisional rival.
And on the other side, the Steelers’ ground game has gotten better with the offensive line finding cohesion and Najee Harris getting into his rhythm, but the Browns will be their toughest test yet.
What to know for fantasy: Pittsburgh is coming off its bye, but in Weeks 1-6, Harris was one of only two players in the league who had 15-plus touches in every game .
Bold prediction: Los Angeles’ defensive tackle Aaron Donald will earn his first multi-sack game of the season, and its secondary will continue it’s multi-interception streak to four games.
And on top of it all, Bears star pass-rusher Khalil Mack missed practice all week with a foot injury and is iffy to play in Week 8 and beyond.
The Niners’ offense needs a spark, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if they pull out a few Halloween tricks to try to snap their four-game losing streak.
Add in that Carolina has allowed 25 or more points in three of its past four games, and Atlanta has scored 25 or more in four of its last five games, and there’s a case for a potential big day for the Falcons.
Stat to know: Falcons rookie tight end Kyle Pitts has 471 receiving yards — the most by a tight end through six career games in NFL history.
The Jets have been outscored in the first quarter 44-0, and the mojo probably won’t change with White, who makes his first NFL start.
2 signal-caller should see the field, and he will get his second TD throw of the season.
What to watch for: Could this be the week that the Lions get their first victory under coach Dan Campbell? Detroit is coming off a tough road loss against former franchise star Matthew Stafford and the Rams. They played tough and even had the lead entering the fourth quarter.
Seriously, is there a matchup more ripe for a draw? Both clubs are in the dumps, neither feels particularly deserving of a win, and it would fit perfectly with the tone of this season if each fanbase walked away dissatisfied.
Stat to know: Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts is the only player in the NFL with at least 10 passing touchdowns and five rushing touchdowns this season.
What to know for fantasy: Lions running back D’Andre Swift has four games with more than 10 carries and more than 50 receiving yards this season.
What to watch for: Will Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert step up to the occasion? He has been solid this season, but he’s facing Patriots coach Bill Belichick who can fool just about anybody.
He has played in 36 career games and has 126 receptions with no TDs — the first player since the 1970 merger with that kind of combination.
What to watch for: Can the Seahawks keep their defensive turnaround going against quarterback Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars? If the improvement they’ve shown in recent weeks is real, it will continue Sunday against the NFL’s 27th-rated quarterback in terms of QBR.
He has 13 catches for 128 yards and one TD combined in five games this season, but it wouldn’t be surprising if he came close to those numbers on Sunday.
What to watch for: Saints quarterback Jameis Winston’s first game against his former team will add extra intrigue, but this matchup doesn’t need it, as these two teams continue their battle for NFC South supremacy.
Stat to know: Buccaneers receiver Mike Evans and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore will square off Sunday, and it’s a matchup that Lattimore has dominated.
What to know for fantasy: In an era where mobility at the QB position is close to mandatory, Tampa Bay’s Tom Brady has been a top-four fantasy option at the position in four of the past six weeks.
Four of the Broncos’ seven opponents, including the last three, have scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game, while Denver has scored one first-possession TD all season.
But in the past three games, Denver is 22nd in yards per carry allowed and 29th in yards allowed per game.
One of those instances was to Travis Kelce, and there’s no shame in that, but the other three names on that list are Robert Tonyan .
Dallas is averaging a league-best 34.2 points per game compared to Minnesota’s 24.5 — and with a host of high-end skill players on both offenses, it could very well take 40 points for one team to emerge victorious.
He has thrown 17 touchdowns and five interceptions in his career against the Cowboys, but he has not been intercepted in two games against Dallas since joining Minnesota.
Stat to know: Prescott has four straight games with at least three touchdown passes, the longest streak in Cowboys history and tied with Patrick Mahomes for the longest such streak in the NFL this season.
What to watch for: Can the Chiefs’ offensive line and quarterback Patrick Mahomes handle the Giants’ pressure? The Chiefs did a poor job of handling the Titans’ pass rush last week, when Tennessee blitzed just one time in 44 dropbacks but pressured Mahomes on 18 of those plays.
Bold prediction: Kansas City tight end Travis Kelce will have 150-plus yards receiving and two touchdowns.
Stat to know: When getting the ball out within 2.5 seconds, Mahomes has a 13-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and an 86% completion percentage this season.