NFL: Preseason-Dallas Cowboys at San Diego Chargers
Aug 13, 2015; San Diego, CA, USA; A helmet from a San Diego Chargers player in a preseason NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys at Qualcomm Stadium. The Chargers won 17-7. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Home » Blog » NFL schedule: Week 8 gives us great games

NFL schedule: Week 8 gives us great games

Matt Verderame News NFL

Some weeks, the NFL schedule just doesn’t get the juices flowing. After all, it’s tough when good teams are on byes, and the best game on the slate ends up being something like the Jaguars and Titans dueling it in with a pool in the background.

This weekend, we won’t have those problems. While it should be noted that the Thursday night game isn’t so hot (Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens), the Sunday and Monday docket is worth watching regardless of your fandom.

On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills are playing host to the Oakland Raiders. ON the surface, not the sexiest game, but in reality, very important. Buffalo was supposed to be in full-on tank mode this season, and yet here we are with the Bills at 4-2. Now, Buffalo plays host to the Raiders, who at 3-4 need to win this game without the suspended Marshawn Lynch. If the Bills win, they have a real shot at getting to the playoffs for the first time since 1999, breaking the league’s longest active playoff draught.

Also in the early window is the Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots. Only a few weeks ago, the Chargers were not going anywhere, starting the season at 0-4 with a slew of heartbreaking losses. Now, Los Angeles is 3-4 and after shutting out the Denver Broncos, has a real chance to climb fully into the AFC wild card race. In the meantime, New England has to keep winning. Both the Dolphins and Bills are only a half-game off its pace, not to mention a race for home-field advantage.

In the late window, we have two great games. The Dallas Cowboys are visiting the Washington Redskins, with each NFC East team sitting at 3-3. The winner gets a huge divisional win and could use the victory as a springboard into the second half of the season. The loser finds itself in real trouble and an almost impossible spot considering the strength of the NFC playoff picture.

In the other late game, the Seattle Seahawks host the Houston Texans. Which team can continue on the right path, with Seattle at 4-2 and the Texans at 3-3. Seattle has to win to pull even with the surprising Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West, while Houston has to hope Deshaun Watson continues to prove he’s the long-term answer the franchise has been seeking forever.

Finally, the Monday night game features the Kansas City Chiefs and Broncos at Arrowhead Stadium. Kansas City is 5-2 and coming off a pair of brutal defeats, while the Broncos are 3-3 and desperate after being beat by the Chargers and Giants. Whoever wins will feel very good going into Week 9, with the loser having to wonder where to go from here.

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