The Seahawks stumble badly and other Week 8 NFL disappointments

As we approach the midway point of the NFL season, certain teams and players are left wondering how they will manage to power through the rest of the schedule. There were some lowlights for a few individuals and units this past weekend, and we’ll go over their shortcomings in detail. All statistics are sourced from Football Reference.

It’s been a roller coaster season for Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson. He’s been brilliant at times with remarkable physical feats, but has also been erratic with his play. Sunday’s performance qualifies in the latter bucket, and he actually took himself out of the lineup due to an embarrassing reason.

As covered by Yahoo Sports, Richardson asked out of the game for a play because he was tired. “Tired, ain’t gonna lie. That was a lot of running right there that I did, and I didn’t think I was gonna be able to go that next play. So, I just told (the head coach) I needed a break right there.” It’s an honest answer, but one that won’t make the Colts feel great about Richardson as their franchise leader.

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The Seahawks had their hands full going up against a stout Buffalo Bills team in Week 8, but they shot themselves in the foot too many times early in the game. As they were in a goal to go situation, center Connor Williams snapped the ball way over quarterback Geno Smith’s head, pushing them out of a realistic chance to score a touchdown.

On a subsequent drive, Williams accidentally stepped on Smith’s foot on first and goal, which caused the quarterback to trip and blow up another play. The Tacoma News Tribune captured many quotes from Seattle players and coaches, who were frustrated that they didn’t give themselves a chance to remain competitive at home.

Coming in the 2024 campaign, the New York Jets’ defense was supposed to be the anchor of the team. They walloped a lackluster New England Patriots offense in Week 3, and there was no reason why more of the same couldn’t take place during the rematch in Week 8. New York was alright on defense, but broke in some key spots that caused the team to fall to 2-6.

With the game on the line and the Patriots driving, the Jets forced New England into a third and nine situation late in the fourth quarter. Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett couldn’t find anyone open downfield, so he took off and ran for the first down. Brissett would late find Kayshon Boutte to setup a goal to go situation, which Rhamondre Stevenson would punch into the end zone.

The Bengals hung right with the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half and for a good part of the third quarter. This matchup was shaping up to be one of the better games of the day, as both teams found ways to move the ball down the field. However, one inexplicable decision put the Bengals in a bad position that they never recovered from.

At their own 39 yard line with time winding down in the third quarter, Cincinnati decided to go for a long fourth and one. Joe Burrow threw the ball to Ja’Marr Chase on a quick swing pass, but the star receiver was swallowed up behind the line, which gave the Eagles great field position. CBS analyst Charles Davis first-guessed the decision, saying that it was a desperate move.

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In a matchup of two teams with ascending rookie quarterbacks, the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders got to play in the featured game of the late afternoon window. It was a defensive struggle, to say the least, for most of the contest. However, the game ended on a thrilling note, as Washington won on a last-play Hail Mary by a final score of 18-15.

While successful Hail Mary’s are amongst the most exciting plays in the game, it’s also fair to wonder how the Bears defense let it happen in the first place. Chicago only ended up rushing three defenders, with a fourth serving as a spy. It gave Jayden Daniels time to scramble around, gather himself, and launch a bomb down the field. The Bears defensive backs were also unable to knock the ball down.

The Raiders put a thumping on Kansas City last Christmas, a game which has been often mentioned by Las Vegas throughout the offseason. Things didn’t quite unfold the same way during the AFC West rivals’ first tilt in 2024. The Raiders only lost by seven, and had a golden chance to make the game even more compelling.

With less than six minutes to go in the third quarter, Patrick Mahomes threw an interception to Raiders defensive back Tre’von Moehrig from his own end zone. Moehrig brought the ball back to the three yard line, which instantly set Las Vegas up with first and goal. The Raiders ran the ball up the middle three times, before Gardner Minshew was sacked on fourth down. Las Vegas somehow couldn’t come away with points in that situation.

The Panthers’ website wrote right after the Panthers’ 24-14 loss to the Denver Broncos that the team has not made a decision on whether Bryce Young will get another chance to start moving forward. The former number one overall pick threw for 224 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement, or a particularly good sign that Young did not demonstrably wrestle his job back. The franchise would love nothing more than to give Young another chance if he deserves it, but it seems like veteran Andy Dalton will be back under center once his sprained thumb heals.

Even though he hasn’t played much in recent years, Jameis Winston has been one of the most entertaining personalities in the NFL for a while. After leading the Cleveland Browns to an exciting comeback win against the Baltimore Ravens, he quoted Eminem in a postgame interview, saying he wasn’t going to blow this opportunity.

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The headlines wrote themselves after Cleveland’s victory. ESPN wrote that Winston injected life into the Browns to help them end their losing streak. NBC News wrote that even though the Browns lost struggling starter Deshaun Watson for the season, they were able to beat the hottest team in the NFL in Baltimore by believing in a motivated Winston.