X-Factors For Each Week 8 NFL Game

This weekend’s crop of games are the final tilts before the NFL’s trade deadline takes place on October 31. Front offices will need to make realistic decisions about whether their team can compete this season, or whether they should start retooling for next year. As a result, the potential X-factors for Week 8 have a little more riding on them than usual.

This should be a closer-than-expected contest, considering that Tampa Bay’s defense is one of the better units in the league. The Bucs will need to find a way to generate points, something they’ve struggled with the last couple of weeks. White hasn’t been great on the ground so far, but he’ll need to churn out yards in order to sustain drives.

It’s been a struggle thus far for Young, who was the first overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. On Sunday, he’ll face the second overall pick in C.J. Stroud, who has fared much better so far in his introduction to the league. It’ll be interesting to see if Young puts additional pressure on himself to justify being taken over Stroud last April.

Los Angeles appears to have a legitimate two-headed monster at wide receiver, and will face a ferocious Dallas defense in Week 8. One would think that Dallas would do whatever it took to negate the impact Cooper Kupp will have, which should leave Nacua with a lot of room to operate. Thus far, the rookie has taken full advantage of his opportunity.

Minnesota narrowly held on to defeat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football, and witnesses a coming out party for wide receiver Jordan Addison. Addison’s performance put the NFL on notice, and he’ll likely be targeted early and often against Green Bay. Alexander is the Packers’ best corner, but has been in and out of the lineup due to injury.

Indianapolis quarterback Gardner Minshew has been an all-or-nothing player this season. The nothing part of that moniker refers to his turnover-prone style of play, which was present last week against the Cleveland Browns. If Jordan can get in Minshew’s vicinity, there stands a good chance that he might be able to pry the ball loose.

New England figures to face an uphill battle against Miami, but they can look back positively at holding the Dolphins to 24 points in their first meeting. With that said, the Patriots will still need to find ways to score, and Bourne will be at the center of that process. He’s come on as a trusted option for embattled quarterback Mac Jones.

The battle of New York features one team whose spirits are starting to rise, and one whose outlook has been battered. The Giants fit into the latter category, and are going to have a rough time dealing with the Jets defensive line. They’ll need to get the ball out quickly, and should devise quick throws to Robinson around the line of scrimmage to accomplish that.

It wasn’t exactly a breakout performance, but Harris probably had his best game of the season in Week 7 against the Los Angeles Rams. With Pittsburgh’s ability to keep games close, all they need Harris to do is to be serviceable for 60 minutes. If Harris can replicate last week’s production, the Steelers have a great chance of coming out on top.

Atlanta head coach Arthur Smith returns to Tennessee, where he was once the Titans offensive coordinator. Smith helped Derrick Henry enhance his game to new levels, and will bring Robinson to the field as his newest project. Robinson was rendered a non-factor last week due to headaches, but should be able to suit up in Week 8.

This tilt is a rematch of an earlier season game that Philadelphia won in overtime. Washington tends to play their division rivals close, and Dotson caught a touchdown pass as time expired to send the game into the extra period. The former first round pick had a quiet day besides that touchdown, and will need to be more consistent for Washington on Sunday.

Cleveland has pulled games out at the very end in each of the last two weeks, and hopes they’ll be in position to do so again against Seattle. The Browns really only have one legitimate pass catcher in Amari Cooper, whom Witherspoon will look to lock down. If he can do that, the Browns will be hard pressed to move the ball through the air.

It can seem a little obvious to pinpoint Jackson as the key to Baltimore’s hopes against the Cardinals on Sunday, but he will need to set the tone. The Ravens are coming off a blowout victory over the Detroit Lions, and might look at Arizona as a layup victory. They can’t afford to have that mindset, and Jackson will need to have his teammates properly motivated.

This will be the second time in three weeks that Denver and Kansas City play one another, which will make adjustments imperative for both sides. At the end of the day, the Broncos will need to light up the scoreboard to keep up with the Chiefs, which means they’ll need Jeudy to step up more than he has so far in 2023.

All of a sudden, this matchup looks a little different than it might have just a few weeks ago. Cincinnati appears to be hitting their stride, and the 49ers have dropped two straight games. Fans saw what Jordan Addison did to San Francisco last week, which bodes well for Ja’Marr Chase. However, a healthy Tee Higgins might give the 49ers fits as to whom to shade coverage towards.

Sunday Night Football was supposed to feature a battle of the Justin’s this week(Fields vs Herbert). However, Fields doesn’t look like he’ll be able to make it back for this one, which means another week under center for Tyson Bagent. Bosa is still one of the most talented pass rushers in the NFL, and could make life difficult for the rookie in primetime.

On Monday Night Football in front of their home crowd, the Lions feel like a tremendous bet to bounce back from their drubbing at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens last week. Las Vegas also got blown out in Week 7, but their ability to bounce back is less certain. Regardless of who is under center, the Raiders will look to target Meyers to keep the chains moving in a hostile environment.