NFL Week 8: Who Plays on Thursday Night Football?
By Nick Ziegler
NFL Week 8 is here, and that means the eighth game of the season on Thursday Night Football. Who will be playing in primetime?
As the NFL season reaches the midway point for some teams, the Jacksonville Jaguars will be heading on the road to face the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football in NFL Week 8. The AFC South is shaping up like one of the worst divisions in football yet again, making this game have meaning.
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Despite both teams being under .500 at this point, they are both still very much alive in the division race. The Houston Texans currently lead the division with a 4-3 record, but they have looked very poor at times this season.
With both teams trying to keep pace in the division, this game on Thursday will be important. While playing on Thursday Night Football has been heavily criticized, the matchups between division opponents are appealing.
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For the Titans, they are in desperate need for a win in the division. Despite the AFC South being weak, they are 0-2 so far against division opponents. The Titans’ formula for success has been rather obvious this season. The addition of DeMarco Murray has really provided a spark for them, and he has drastically improved their offense. Using Murray often in the running game is key for the Titans.
While Murray has carried the load on offense, it has been the defense that has slipped in the past few weeks. The Jaguars’ offense hasn’t lived up to expectations, but they are still dangerous.
Despite having a very good offseason, the Jaguars have not made the leap to being a contender this season. Many were expecting quarterback Blake Bortles to improve once again this season. However, he has not played well at all.
In six games, Bortles has totaled nine touchdown passes and nine interceptions. The even ratio of touchdowns and interceptions isn’t going to help the Jaguars win many games. If the Jaguars are going to beat the Titans, they will need Bortles to play better.
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Due to Bortles struggling, his wide receivers are also having down seasons. Not much is going right for the Jaguars as of now, but a win could turn their season around. Even though the matchup isn’t great, the poor AFC South makes this an appealing game.
Tune in on the NFL Network this Thursday to see who comes out on top between these two teams.