NFL Week 8: Biggest questions, takeaways for every game

Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season began in Los Angeles on Thursday night, with quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers cruising to a win over the Vikings. Herbert threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 62 yards, while rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II continued his quick ascension with 77 yards and a touchdown.

In the early window Sunday, the Jets got their first win of the season and the three other AFC East teams also won their matchups (Bills, Dolphins and Patriots). Buffalo running back James Cook III finished with 216 rushing yards through three quarters against the Panthers, the most by any NFL player since 2018. The Eagles also got a vintage performance from running back Saquon Barkley, who dominated against his former team (the Giants) before exiting in the third quarter with a groin injury.

In the late window, the Bucs’ defense finished with four takeaways in their win over the Saints, who benched quarterback Spencer Rattler for rookie Tyler Shough in the second half. Colts running back Jonathan Taylor scored three touchdowns for the second straight week in their dominant win over the Titans. And the Broncos scored on five of their first eight possessions against the Cowboys.

and the lost to the quarterback’s former team, the 35-19 to wrap up the night’s slate.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let’s get to it.

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Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Packers

Has Tucker Kraft become one of the best tight ends in the league? Sunday night sure helped his case. He caught seven passes for a career-high 143 yards — his second 100-plus yard receiving game of the season — and two touchdowns. Of those 143 yards, 128 of them came after the catch. It’s the most YAC by a tight end in a game since 2018 (George Kittle, 135 vs. the Broncos). Kraft also has the two highest YAC games by a tight end this season. His 59-yard catch in the third quarter was his longest of the season, but he also had a 57-yarder earlier this year. The rest of the tight ends in the NFL have combined for three receptions of 50-plus yards.

What to make of the QB performance: Jordan Love did his best Aaron Rodgers impersonation.

At one point, Love completed a career-best 20 straight passes on the way to going 29-for-37 for 360 yards and three touchdowns. Love nearly doubled his previous long completion streak of 11. Love became the first Packers quarterback with 350 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions in a game since Aaron Rodgers in 2021 at the Vikings. Love got plenty of help from Kraft and the return of Christian Watson, who had four catches for 85 yards in his first game since tearing his ACL in last year’s regular season finale. — Rob Demovsky

Next game: vs. Panthers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Steelers

Have the 2025 Pittsburgh Steelers hit their ceiling? Two weeks ago, the Steelers were on the cusp of opening up a three-and-a-half game lead in a woeful AFC North with a defense on the rise and an offense finding its identity.

Unlike the Thursday night loss to the Bengals, Sunday night’s loss to the Packers doesn’t impact the Steelers’ divisional standings, but it does further reveal potentially fatal cracks in the foundation of the 2025 team. Playing behind an offensive line down a starter, Aaron Rodgers not-a-revenge game was marred by three sacks, drops by his receivers and miscommunication — and he was out-dueled by the man who replaced him in Green Bay.

And though the Steelers defense stopped the run, it couldn’t handle tight end Tucker Kraft. And when the injuries mounted and momentum started to turn late in the third quarter, the Steelers issues compounded into a mental mistakes, costly, preventable personal foul penalties and a sloppy turnover. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in almost a decade. The product they’ve put out the last two weeks hasn’t shown anything to suggest that trend could change any time soon.

Key stat to know: While the Steelers offense repeatedly stalled out, kicker Chris Boswell had three field goals of at least 50 yards, marking the third time in his career he’s had three of such field goals in a single game. No other NFL kicker has had that many games with three 50+ yard field goals, according to ESPN Research. Sunday night also marked the second game any kicker has made three fields of at least 50 yards at Acrisure Stadium — or Heinz Field. Unsurprisingly, the other was also Boswell with three in the 2024 Week 11 game against the Ravens. — Brooke Pryor

Next game: vs. Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Broncos

Did the Broncos rediscover their offensive mojo? After what has largely been a season of struggle for the Broncos’ offense, coach Sean Payton made the rare choice to start with the ball after Denver won the coin flip — and never looked back. The Dallas defense came into the game at (or near) the bottom of the league in every major defensive category, but the Broncos showed their best run-pass mix of the season with scores on five of their first eight possessions. The Broncos, fueled by a ground game that included a 40-yard touchdown run by RJ Harvey and J.K. Dobbins’ second 100-yard rushing game of the season, had 264 yards at halftime. They have scored 77 points in their past five quarters.

Trend to watch: The Broncos’ defense has been one of the league’s best, but it will bear watching if Denver will be without its most decorated player, cornerback Pat Surtain II. Surtain left at halftime after he had twisted his left arm/shoulder awkwardly on a tackle late in the first half. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year is the hub of the defense when the Broncos make their plans week to week. If he misses time, it will significantly impact the defense’s aggressiveness. — Jeff Legwold

Next game: at Texans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Troy Franklin brings it down for Broncos TD

Bo Nix airs one out to Troy Franklin for a Broncos touchdown vs. the Cowboys.

Cowboys

Are the Cowboys destined for an 8-8-1 record or worse? A win at Denver would have sent a message. It would have been the first time they had back-to-back wins since Weeks 15-16 last year. It would have been against a 5-2 Broncos team. Instead, the Cowboys defense reverted back to form by giving up their longest run of the year (40-yard touchdown by Harvey) and four Bo Nix touchdown passes. Dak Prescott was intercepted twice while the No. 1 offense was held in check. The Cowboys have now lost eight straight to Denver, tying for the longest losing streak to a single opponent in franchise history. Now 3-4-1, the Cowboys can’t find a level of consistency, and five of their next seven opponents currently have winning records.

Biggest hole in the game plan: Employing man coverage was fun while it lasted. After playing man coverage 59% of the time in last week’s win versus Washington, the Cowboys used zone coverage 71% of the time in the first half versus Denver, according to ESPN Analytics/NFL Next Gen Stats. The result? Nix completed 11 of 12 passes for 146 yards and two scores in the first two quarters. The Cowboys were without their top three safeties — Malik Hooker, Donovan Wilson and Juanyeh Thomas — and placed Trevon Diggs on injured reserve on Saturday. Limited in personnel choices, they felt like they had no choice. Can trade deadline acquisitions even help at this point? — Todd Archer

Next game: vs. Cardinals (Monday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Colts

Can Jonathan Taylor make a run at NFL MVP? No running back has won MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012, but Taylor emboldened his case with a 153-yard rushing performance with two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown. The centerpiece of his day was a spectacular 80-yard touchdown run on which he displayed his top-level speed and left the defense reeling. Taylor is on pace for more than 1,800 rushing yards, and with notable injuries to quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, there are fewer candidates at that position that normal. As Taylor leads the NFL’s top offense, he seems to be making a pretty strong bid.

What to make of the QB performance: Daniel Jones was a bit off on some of his first-half throws and seemed to be holding the ball too long at times. That contributed to more pass rush pressure than usual for the Colts. But even when he wasn’t at his best, Jones still managed to make smart decisions and remain efficient. He completed 21-of-29 attempts for 272 yards and three TDs, avoiding a turnover for the sixth time in eight games this season. — Stephen Holder

Next game: at Steelers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Titans

Is all of the losing slowing rookie QB Cam Ward’s development? This season was always about his development. The losing is clearly weighing on him, and he is getting a crash course on what can happen in the NFL without an adequate supporting cast. Despite the lack of playmakers, Ward has to learn to get rid of the ball quicker. Even though the rookie says he trusts his teammates, it’s not hard to imagine him having some hesitation given the lack of support. The pressure he’s under from opposing defenses will help speed up his process, but the results of that are shown by all of the turnovers.

Turning point: The Titans started the second half with the ball and drove to Indianapolis’ 42-yard line. Ward found wide receiver Van Jefferson for a six-yard gain to make it third-and-3. Running back Tony Pollard’s one-yard loss set up a fourth down, and Tennessee’s offense stayed on the field momentarily before interim head coach Mike McCoy decided to punt. Ward was livid and let McCoy know. Taylor’s 80-yard run came on the Colts’ first play after the punt to make it 24-7. — Turron Davenport

Next game: vs. Chargers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Buccaneers

What happened to the Bucs’ potent offense? Tampa’s downfield passing attack struggled for another week, with Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka connecting on only 3-of-9 targets. This is where it hurts to miss three of their top receivers. Egbuka is getting all the attention, and he’s not 100% with a hamstring injury. They also failed to punch in a touchdown on four straight tries at the 1-yard line. It nearly happened again — Mayfield failed to connect with Egbuka on third down as well — but running back Sean Tucker found the end zone on fourth down. It wasn’t pretty, but they head into the bye at 6-2 — tying the best eight-game start in franchise history — with a chance to get healthier.

Most surprising performance: The defense had four takeaways and five sacks. Stepping in for injured Haason Reddick, outside linebacker Anthony Nelson tipped a pass and returned it 3 yards for a touchdown. Lavonte David recovered a fumble forced by Nelson, and Jamel Dean force a fumble that Antoine Winfield Jr. recovered. Winfield also had an interception. — Jenna Laine

Next game: vs. Patriots (Nov. 9, 1 p.m. ET)

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Antoine Winfield Jr. picks off Saints in incredible fashion

Antoine Winfield Jr. caps off a great defensive effort for the Buccaneers with an interception off a pass from Tyler Shough.

Saints

Do the Saints stick with Tyler Shough moving forward? The Saints turned to their 2025 second-round pick eight games into the season, and it would not be a surprise if they make this an extended tryout for Shough. The Saints, who are now 1-7, will likely have a high draft pick in 2026 and will need to know exactly what they have in their quarterback room before making any decisions in the offseason. Giving both quarterbacks half the season would make sense for evaluation purposes.

What to make of the QB performance: So why did Spencer Rattler get benched? He picked a bad time to struggle for a second straight game, as last week, Saints coach Kellen Moore didn’t close the door on the possibility of Shough eventually playing. Rattler had four turnovers last week and two in the first half against the Bucs. It didn’t help that he was playing with a new center in Luke Fortner and was sacked three times. Rattler finished the game 15-of-21 for 136 yards, no touchdowns, an interception and a fumble. — Katherine Terrell

Next game: at Rams (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Ravens

How much did this win save the Ravens’ season? The Ravens not only won their first game in 42 days, but they also won their first game without quarterback Lamar Jackson since December 2022. A loss would have dropped Baltimore to 1-6, and only one team in NFL history — the 1970 Bengals — has reached the postseason after a 1-6 start. Tyler Huntley, who filled in for Jackson, created a spark for the Ravens with 239 total yards and one touchdown. It’s the most points that the Ravens have scored without Jackson since they put up 30 against the Packers four years ago. Now, Jackson is expected to return Thursday night. The Ravens are favored to win in Miami and in their next seven games after that, according to ESPN Analytics.

Turning point: With Baltimore up 16-13 in the fourth quarter, Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins stepped in front of Bears receiver Rome Odunze and picked off Caleb Williams at the Chicago 18-yard line. This marked Baltimore’s first pick in the fourth quarter since nose tackle Michael Pierce’s interception in Week 18 of last season. Two plays later, Huntley connected with tight end Charlie Kolar for a 10-yard touchdown. This helped the Ravens end their six-game losing streak when they were without Jackson. — Jamison Hensley

Next game: at Dolphins (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

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Caleb Williams gets picked off by Nate Wiggins

Nate Wiggins jumps in front of Rome Odunze to pick off Caleb Williams in Bears’ territory.

Bears

How do the Bears fix their offense? The past two games have felt like a regression for the Bears’ offense, namely Williams, who was 25-for-38 for 285 yards and an interception. Chicago had three times as many first downs (nine) as the Ravens had plays (three) in the first quarter. That resulted in six points, the byproduct of two failed trips inside the red zone. Costly mistakes (like Williams getting flagged for intentional grounding before halftime) eliminated critical yardage, and the Bears burned a timeout before a missed 58-yard field goal from kicker Cairo Santos. The Bears, who scored their fewest points of the season, didn’t score a touchdown until the fourth quarter, when D’Andre Swift broke through on a third-down run at the goal line. The next drive, Williams threw a game-sealing interception.

Biggest hole in the game plan: The Bears’ pass rush took a heavy hit in the first half when it lost defensive end Dominique Robinson and defensive tackle Shemar Turner (who also plays on the edge) to injuries. Chicago chose not to activate defensive end Austin Booker off injured reserve before Week 8, leaving just Daniel Hardy as depth on the edge. Coach Ben Johnson said he felt Booker would be able to help the Bears, but Chicago has until Tuesday to move him to the active roster, or he will stay on IR for the rest of the season. — Courtney Cronin

Next game: at Bengals (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Dolphins

Mike McDaniel hinted at changes; what were they, and will they continue moving forward? McDaniel said the Dolphins may need to change their playing style after a blowout loss to the Browns, and his team recommitted to the run in Sunday’s blowout win. Running backs De’Von Achane and Ollie Gordon II combined for 28 carries and 113 yards in their best performance since Week 3 — a game in which McDaniel said Miami had ideal ball distribution. With Atlanta having to respect the run game, Tua Tagovailoa picked apart a struggling Falcons defense, throwing four touchdown passes to four different receivers. Nine different Dolphins players touched the ball Sunday, which McDaniel would like to replicate moving forward.

Most surprising performance: Falcons running back Bijan Robinson entered this week averaging the sixth-most scrimmage yards of any player since the 2000 season (152.3). But the Dolphins’ league-worst run defense held Robinson to 13 total yards in the first half and just 48 by the end of the game. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks led the way with 10 total tackles, two run stuffs and a sack.

Best quote from the locker room: “When you get those type of matchups, me personally as a linebacker, you kind of licking your chops a little bit like man, ‘Alright, we got a real matchup this week’ and it’s a little bit more attitude going into the game,” Brooks said about facing Robinson. — Marcel Louis-Jacques

Next game: vs. Ravens (Thursday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

Falcons

What is to blame for the Falcons’ offensive woes? Some issues Sunday were due to quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Drake London being out. Robinson also had his worst game of the season. But that’s only part of the story. The Falcons came in 28th in the league in points per game (18.3). This is a franchise that invested heavily in its offense, with top-10 draft picks in every season from 2021 to 2024, and has a solid offensive line. They need to figure out how to score points — fast.

What to make of the QB performance: Penix had been pedestrian in recent games. While he missed this game with a knee injury, Kirk Cousins could not get into any kind of groove. With 11:20 left in the third quarter, the Falcons had just two first downs and had almost as many penalty yards accrued against them (55) as yards of total offense (65).

Best quote from the locker room: “I put everything on me,” Robinson said after a season low in total yards. “I’m the leader of this offense.” — Marc Raimondi

Next game: at Patriots (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Jets

Did Justin Fields make owner Woody Johnson regret what he said last week? You can’t make this stuff up. Five days after being publicly criticized by the Jets’ owner, Fields played his best game of the year, leading the team to a dramatic comeback for its first win of the Aaron Glenn era. Fields, whose job appeared in jeopardy last week, showed decisiveness in the pocket (no sacks) and threw accurately (21-for-32, 244 yards). And he did it without his starting wide receivers. You have to applaud his mental toughness: Fields was blasted by Johnson and withstood of a week of speculation about his job.

Trend to watch: If this was running back Breece Hall’s last game as a Jet, he went out with a bang, rushing for 133 yards and two touchdowns, his first two of the season. He also threw the game-winning touchdown on a halfback option to rookie tight end Mason Taylor for his first career score. Hall, the subject of trade speculation, played an unbelievable game. Isaiah Davis (109 yards from scrimmage) also had a huge game; he’d be the starter if they trade Hall and don’t get an RB1 in return. — Rich Cimini

Next game: vs. Browns (Nov. 9, 1 p.m. ET)

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Jets get tricky as Breece Hall throws winning TD pass to Mason Taylor

Breece Hall gets the ball and finds Mason Taylor for a touchdown as the Jets go up late over the Bengals.

Bengals

What does this mean for Cincinnati’s playoff chances? It doesn’t get much worse than this for Cincinnati. The Bengals had a shot to get back to .500 against a winless Jets team. But old problems continue to plague the team in a devastating loss at home. The Jets gained over 500 yards for the second time in the past 25 years, according to ESPN Research. After one of the worst losses of coach Zac Taylor’s seven-year tenure, any chance for the Bengals to keep their playoff hopes alive will now require stealing some wins in the second half of the season.

Stat to know: Sunday was all about Cincinnati’s rushing attack. The Bengals had two total rushing touchdowns through the first seven weeks of the season, but they had three by the midway point of the fourth quarter. It was an encouraging performance for a rushing attack that really struggled early in the season.

Best quote from the locker room: “This game should have been over when it was 16 (to) 31, 28, whatever the hell they had,” wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase said. It should have been over. It should have been over.” — Ben Baby

Next game: vs. Bears (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Texans

Can this pass protection continue for quarterback C.J. Stroud? When Stroud has protection, he’s proved he can shred a defense. He did that Sunday, as he threw for 318 yards with two touchdowns. He was pressured on only 19% of his 42 dropbacks, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and wasn’t sacked. It will be interesting to see if the Texans and Stroud continue this momentum into their matchup against the Broncos, who currently lead the league with 34 sacks.

Trend to watch: The Texans’ defensive line has only nine sacks in the past five games after starting the first two weeks with seven sacks. Houston finished last season tied for fourth in sacks (49), so we know that they are capable of producing much more in the future. — DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Kamari Lassiter’s interception seals game for Texans

Mac Jones’ pass is intercepted by Kamari Lassiter to stall the drive and seal the win for the Texans.

49ers

Should this loss make the 49ers more or less urgent before the trade deadline? After the Texans dominated them for most of the game, the 49ers clearly need help. That’s especially true on the defensive line, where pressure was nearly nonexistent and two more starters — defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and defensive end Sam Okuayinonu — left the game with ankle injuries. But this game also highlighted issues in pass protection, coverage and tackling in the back seven. A trade or two could undoubtedly help the Niners, but giving up valuable draft picks for temporary fixes likely wouldn’t be enough to make them a Super Bowl contender — and could also do more harm than good in the long term.

Stat to know: After 14 games and 469 pass attempts, the 49ers finally got an interception. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir picked off an errant Stroud pass to end the first half, bringing an end to the longest active streak in the NFL. Lenoir’s attempt to return it for a touchdown didn’t end well though, as he didn’t get out of bounds or down quickly enough to give the Niners time for a last-second field goal attempt.

Best quote from the locker room: “They kicked our ass,” coach Kyle Shanahan said, summing up a day in which he said the first half was “unacceptable” as the Texans handled the Niners with relative ease. “We’ve got to take it like men and come back, hopefully a little pissed off and go to work and play better next week than we did this week.” — Nick Wagoner

Next game: at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Patriots

What step did quarterback Drake Maye take as he continues to build his MVP candidacy? Maye was under siege in the first half against Myles Garrett and a relentless Browns defense, which led to Maye’s first interception since Week 3. But he didn’t back down and then took over the game after halftime with a mix of what has made him so potent this season: running, keeping plays alive in the pocket and focusing his eyes downfield to connect on passing plays. Despite being sacked six times, Maye finished with 171 passing yards on throws of 15-plus air yards, along with three touchdowns and 50 rushing yards on seven carries.

Turning point: The entire third quarter. The Patriots led 9-7 at halftime and Garrett was wreaking havoc, but after an initial stop on defense in the third quarter, New England exploded for three touchdowns as the Patriots found the key to neutralizing Garrett. All three touchdowns were throws by Maye, who became the first Patriots quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in a quarter since Tom Brady on Dec. 9, 2018, at Miami.

Best quote from the locker room: Coach Mike Vrabel explained why defensive tackle Christian Barmore didn’t start due to a disciplinary benching. “I had to make a decision. My job is to protect the team,” Vrabel said. “When there are actions that I don’t feel like are [in line] with what we want to do here, I got to make a decision — and we move on.” Barmore entered the game in the second quarter. — Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

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Drake Maye throws a precision TD pass to Kayshon Boutte

Drake Maye lets a 39-yard pass fly to Kayshon Boutte for a touchdown to put the Patriots on top 30-7.

Browns

How much longer will the Browns stick with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback? One week after finally eclipsing 17 points, Cleveland’s offense reverted to its old form, mustering two touchdowns in its loss at New England. Gabriel also couldn’t take care of the ball — the one thing coaches had consistently praised him for — with two interceptions. Backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders was inactive because of a back injury, but the calls for him to play will only grow louder after the Browns’ Week 9 bye, which should give Sanders even more time to heal. And if Gabriel’s struggles continue, Cleveland might have to consider making a move sooner rather than later, even though coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that Gabriel will remain the team’s starting quarterback for now.

Stat to know: With his first of five sacks, Garrett passed Reggie White for the most sacks by a player (108.5) before turning 30 since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Garrett’s first two sacks came in the red zone on third down and forced the Patriots to settle for field goals. The five-sack single-game total marks a franchise record and career high for Garrett.

Best quote from the locker room: “I would throw the whole performance away for a win,” Garrett said after his career high. — Daniel Oyefusi

Next game: at Jets (Nov. 9, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Eagles

Is this version of Saquon Barkley here to stay? We’ll have to see about his health first: He came up limping after a 28-yard run at the end of the third quarter and did not return due to a groin injury. The Eagles definitely found something in the ground game against New York that had been missing all season. Barkley eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the first time all year. It looked just like 2024 when he reached a speed of over 21 miles per hour during a 65-yard run on the second play from scrimmage, with the play well schemed and well blocked. Barkley said this week he felt like he was the same player, and he looked it Sunday thanks to a nice variety of run calls by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and sound execution up front.

Most surprising performance: Reserve running back Tank Bigsby had 104 yards rushing on nine carries in the win. He was acquired from the Jaguars in September for a pair of draft picks and primarily used as a kick returner for the first handful of games. That didn’t go as well as hoped, but he has started getting more work in the backfield of late and has capitalized with a handful of chunk runs. The Eagles have a good running back rotation going right now with Barkley, Bigsby and Will Shipley. With Bigsby more active, AJ Dillon has dropped to fourth on the depth chart. — Tim McManus

Next game: at Packers (Nov. 10, 8:15 p.m. ET)

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Live on FOX: Hurts finds Goedert for a 6-yard TD

Jalen Hurts fires a quick pass to Dallas Goedert who finds the end zone to increase the Eagles’ lead over the Giants.

Giants

What now for the Giants offense after RB Cam Skattebo’s injury? Losing Skattebo for the season is a massive blow. His gruesome ankle injury in the second quarter left teammates visibly disturbed. Skattebo was becoming a playmaker for the Giants and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart. He scored his seventh touchdown in the first quarter of Sunday’s contest. Skattebo’s absence leaves the Giants even more shorthanded on offense, as Dart is already operating without star receiver Malik Nabers. The offense struggled without them, totaling less than 200 yards until the final two drives when the game was out of hand.

Trend to watch: The Giants were 31st in the NFL allowing 5.2 yards per carry entering Sunday. That only got worse when Barkley and the Eagles ran all over them for 277 rushing yards. Barkley averaged 10.7 yards per carry in this contest. The Eagles averaged 8.4 per carry. The run defense, for the third straight season, remains a real problem for New York. Even on second-and-26 in the fourth quarter, the Giants immediately allowed a 29-yard run. It’s hard for them to win with this deficiency. — Jordan Raanan

Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Bills

Can the Bills’ defense use this game as a jumping off point? Buffalo’s defense came out of the bye in total command, allowing nine points, sacking Andy Dalton seven times and forcing three takeaways after not recording more than one in any of the six previous games. The Panthers were held to one of their lowest rushing totals of the season (114 yards). These are promising signs for a unit that has struggled to find consistency, but the long-term picture is clouded by the status of defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who was quickly ruled out with a biceps injury in the first half.

Most surprising performance: Running back James Cook III. It’s not a surprise Cook had a big day; he’s been strong all season. But it was the level of Sunday’s performance. He had a career-high 216 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns against a defense that allowed more than 100 rushing yards in only three of their first seven games. Cook broke several records Sunday, including the most rushing yards by one player in a single game against the Panthers. — Alaina Getzenberg

Best quote from the locker room: “[Cook is] playing outstanding,” quarterback Josh Allen said about the running back’s effort. “The more times we get the ball in his hands, the better that we’re going to be … I love handing it off and getting to throw my hands up from 50 yards out.”

Next game: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

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James Cook bursts through for 2nd TD of game

James Cook gets the ball and goes 21 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the game.

Panthers

What happened to the run defense? This looked more like the NFL’s worst defense in 2024, not the one ranked eighth against the run heading into Sunday. But the blowout loss to the Bills was a complete disaster, full of bad tackling and no gap control. Carolina had allowed just 131 rushing yards over the previous three games combined, but Cook had 130 yards rushing before contact in the first half. This was an embarrassing effort.

What to make of the QB performance: As Bryce Young’s replacement, Dalton was as bad as the Carolina run defense. The 37-year-old’s interception and two lost fumbles led to 17 points for Buffalo. He took sacks he shouldn’t have. He’s 1-6 as a starter in his three seasons with Carolina. It may be time for the Panthers to develop another backup.

Best quote from the locker room: Dalton didn’t mince words after having three turnovers and getting sacked seven times on Sunday. “I didn’t give us much of a chance today, so I’ve got to be better. . . . You can say this is a measuring stick, but at the end of the day we didn’t even give ourselves a chance,” he said. — David Newton

Next game: at Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Chargers

Can the Chargers survive another injury storm? This was the game in which the Chargers were finally supposed to be back to full health: offensive tackles Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins III were both active, and linebackers Khalil Mack and Denzel Perryman were also back for a second game together. But the Chargers sustained more injuries Thursday. Safety Derwin James Jr. (ankle), cornerback Tarheeb Still (knee) and right guard Mekhi Becton (knee) didn’t finish the game. Coach Jim Harbaugh had no update on their injuries postgame, but losing three impact players could significantly hurt the Chargers moving forward.

Most surprising performance: Quarterback Justin Herbert has a new favorite target: rookie Oronde Gadsden II. The fifth-round pick caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first rookie tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 240 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a two-game span. More important, Gadsden caught all of the passes targeted to him. — Kris Rhim

Next game: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Vikings

Is it J.J. McCarthy time? It has to be, right? Carson Wentz has filled in as an average backup quarterback, winning two of five starts, but has provided no indication that he’s ready to be the next veteran reclamation of coach Kevin O’Connell. McCarthy has hit the high end of the timetable for healing his right high ankle sprain (six weeks). McCarthy performed poorly in his first two NFL starts, finishing with a QBR (20.3) that ranked second-to-last in the NFL at the time, but he needs to play. That’s the Vikings’ top organizational priority, and if it doesn’t happen next week, when will it?

Most surprising performance: The Chargers gashed the Vikings’ defense in every way imaginable. Some opponents have managed to accumulate yards against them this season, but before Thursday night, the Vikings had at least limited scoring. They entered the game tied for No. 10 in the NFL with 20 points allowed per game. But they had no answers for Herbert, who weaved through their blitzes to rush for 62 yards and also threw three touchdown passes. The Chargers faced little resistance in amassing 419 total yards and 29 first downs. — Kevin Seifert

Next game: at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)