NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sep 28, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback William Gay (22) reacts after a defensive stop against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Buccaneers won 27-24. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Home » Blog » NFL Week 8: Notes and observations

NFL Week 8: Notes and observations

Matt Verderame News NFL

It feels like a few weeks ago, we were just getting the NFL season started. Turn around, and here we are, almost halfway through the dance with the playoff picture starting to come to fruition.

Going into Sunday, every team not named the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers are still in the race for a postseason berth. Yes, even the Indianapolis Colts can lay some sort of claim to being viable, considering the mediocrity of the AFC South.

So what should we be watching for this weekend? Let’s start in the NFC South, where the Carolina Panthers are taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay was the hot pick many to make a big move this year, but it hasn’t materialized to this point. The Buccaneers are only 2-4 and currently on a three-game losing streak. Meanwhile, Carolina has to get going again after losing twice in the last two weeks, falling to 4-3. The winner feels like it might be onto something. The loser is in free fall.

Staying in the NFC, the Washington Redskins are playing host to the Dallas Cowboys. Both are 3-3 and sitting 2.5 games behind the Philadelphia Eagles, who are hosting the winless 49ers. In other words, whoever loses at FedEx Field is going to likely be 3.5 games behind the Eagles, with little chance of making contact again. The Redskins are also desperate for an NFC East win, having lost both contests against the Eagles to this juncture.

In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders are playing an important game in western New York. Buffalo is 4-2 and has a chance to continue putting pressure on the New England Patriots in the AFC East, while simultaneously gaining ground in the wild card chase. On the other side, the Raiders are trying to keep playoff hopes alive. Oakland has a tough schedule ahead and with a 3-4 mark, would be in tough shape with another defeat.

Finally, the Sunday night matchups is intriguing, with the Pittsburgh Steelers visiting the Detroit Lions. Detroit is trying to continue fighting for the NFC North, with the Minnesota Vikings beginning to pull away. At 3-3, the Lions could take a major step in that adventure with a win over the Steelers, who are 5-2 and atop the AFC with wins over the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals in the last two weeks. Pittsburgh has notoriously been an inconsistent team, making this somewhat of a coin flip. If Detroit can find a way to contain Le’Veon Bell, the Lions have a good chance to pull off the home upset.

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