Week 8 didn’t take long to remind everybody how strange this NFL season already is. Green Bay walked out of its 27-19 win over Carolina at 5-3 despite a team rushing total of just 485 yards through eight games - the first club ever to own a winning record at that point while being under 500 rushing yards as a team.
The Packers have also become only the third team since 1950 to go through that stretch without a single player logging a 50-yard rushing game. It’s a bizarre kind of success, and it set the stage for a weekend built for more surprises.
One of the biggest swings could come in Minnesota, where the Vikings enter as the league’s lone unbeaten team largely because Brian Flores’ defense has turned into a nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Minnesota has allowed the fewest points in the NFL at 12.3 per game, and it also leads the league in red zone defense, goal-line defense, completion percentage allowed, touchdown-to-interception ratio allowed, sack rate, pressure rate and blitz rate. That last number is especially wild: the Vikings are blitzing at 71.8%, the highest rate by any team in the last 20 years.
Still, Jared Goff looks primed to push through it. The Lions quarterback has been on a ridiculous run to begin 2026, leading the league in passing yards per game at 298.0, touchdown-to-interception ratio at 14-0 and passer rating at 112.5.
He’s thrown 223 passes without an interception, the most through the first six games of a season in NFL history, and his 14 touchdown passes without a pick are tied for the most ever over that span, matching Russell Wilson in 2019. After being sacked five times in each of his last two games against Minnesota, Goff is still projected to flip the script with 250-plus passing yards, at least three touchdowns and no more than one sack, handing the Vikings their first loss.
Tony Pollard is another veteran who may be ready to keep his resurgence rolling. The Titans running back looked like he might be fading fast in the first six weeks, averaging 58.2 rushing yards per game, 4.0 yards per carry and only one rushing touchdown.
Then Week 7 happened. Against Cleveland, Pollard ran for 129 yards and a career-best three rushing touchdowns, and now the prediction is that he carries that momentum into Cincinnati with another big outing: more than 120 rushing yards and multiple scores.
The Bengals have improved a lot on defense, especially after remaking the front with Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Boye Mafe and rookie Cashius Howell. They’ve gone from 30th in scoring defense last season at 28.9 points allowed per game and last in rushing defense at 147.1 yards allowed per game to eighth in scoring defense this year at 20.3 and 19th against the run at 116.3. Even so, Pollard is expected to stay hot, especially with 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward leading a passing game that doesn’t exactly strike fear.
Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren is also lined up for a monster day. Through Week 7, Warren had 855 yards from scrimmage, fourth-most in the league, and his 705 since Week 3 were the most in the NFL over that stretch.
His 6.8 yards per touch this season would be the best single-season mark on 15-plus touches per game since C.J. Spiller did it in 2012.
Against a Browns team that just gave up Pollard’s 129 rushing yards and three scores, Warren is expected to break loose for a career-high 200 yards from scrimmage and help even the season series at a win apiece.
Justin Herbert’s season has been so rough that a clean game almost counts as a bold call. The Chargers quarterback is tied for the league lead in interceptions with eight and turnovers with 10, and he’s the first quarterback in NFL history to open 0-6 with an interception and multiple sacks in each of his team’s first six games.
Against the Rams, though, the expectation is that he finally settles in. With Omarion Hampton helping control the pace and Aaron Donald now on a five-game sackless streak, Herbert is projected to turn in multiple touchdown passes without a turnover.
And then there’s the Jets, who had an ugly Week 7 when they lost to the previously winless Dolphins and Garrett Wilson got into an animated exchange with Geno Smith and passing game coordinator Seth Ryan after managing just three targets, two catches, 26 yards and no touchdowns. Week 8 gives them a shot to cool things off against the Raiders, who have dropped four straight after starting 3-0 and have been gashed for 35.8 points per game and 11 passing touchdowns during that skid. The setup points to a rebound for Smith and a much bigger night for Wilson, who is projected to top 100 receiving yards and find the end zone.
In Other News...
Vikings May Have Found The Easiest Way To Settle Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray has had four full games to settle into the Vikings offense, and the results have been uneven enough that Minnesota still looks like a team searching for the cleanest path to rhythm. The next chance comes against Detroit, a defense that has had its share of trouble this season, and the matchup points toward a place Minnesota can lean on without overcomplicating things.
T.J. Hockenson stands out as the obvious pressure valve in that plan. The Lions have been vulnerable in the middle of the field, which gives the Vikings a chance to keep Murray on schedule and let the tight end do the heavy lifting in the passing game. If Minnesota wants a simpler way to steady the offense, this looks like the kind of opponent that can make that approach work. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Could Make One Offensive Move Fans Won't Stop Debating
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Vikings are at least doing their homework on offense. NFL insider James Palmer reported that general manager Nolan Teasley has been actively exploring trade options, with running back and tight end among the positions Minnesota is monitoring as it tries to sort through a stretch of injuries and keep the roster balanced.
The running back chatter is the part that will keep fans talking, especially with Minnesota already connected to Jonathan Taylor as a possible target. The Vikings also have multiple draft picks to work with, which gives them some flexibility if they decide to make a move, but for now the bigger question is how aggressive they want to be before the deadline passes. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Running Back Need Just Put Jonathan Taylor Back In Play
Jonathan Taylors name has already been floating around the league as the Colts continue reshaping their roster, and the latest chatter only adds to the uncertainty. His wife, Ayanna Taylor, drew attention with videos expressing concern about Indianapolis changes after a series of trades, while Taylor himself has said he is aware of the rumors without spending much time on them and has backed her right to speak openly.
For Minnesota, the timing is hard to ignore. Reports have linked the Vikings to a possible pursuit of Taylor, and the teams interest at running back is no secret as it looks for ways to stay active in that market. Whether the conversation turns into something more concrete remains to be seen, but Taylors situation is one worth watching closely from a Vikings perspective. [Read more 🡒]