It’s an abbreviated slate this week for the National Football League. There are eight interconference games on a schedule that has only 13 games.
Last week’s bold picks were less than a hit. So much for both the Buccaneers and Texans pulling off road wins at Detroit and Seattle, respectively. The Bengals did knock off the Steelers on Thursday night, but there was no shutout by the Panthers last Sunday—although Carolina did knock off the Jets.
Will this be the week the league’s last winless team finally comes up with a victory?
Here are 3 bold predictions for NFL Week 8
Dolphins’ QB Tua Tagovailoa doesn’t throw an interception, but…
It’s already been a rough year for Mike McDaniel’s club. The Miami Dolphins are 1-6 and in the midst of another three-game losing streak. The team’s starting signal-caller, Tua Tagovailoa, has been a turnover machine. In each of his last two appearances, he’s been picked off three times. The ‘Fins are one of four teams in the league with an NFL-high 12 turnovers, and Tagovailoa has 11 of them via 10 interceptions and a lost fumble.
This week against the unpredictable Falcons, the six-yar pro stays clean. However, Bijan Robinson runs wild against the NFL’s bottom-ranked run defense which is allowing 159.3 yards per game.
Jets’ ground attack paves way for first victory of 2025
Speaking of ground attacks, the New York Jets have one of the best in the game—averaging 129.3 yards per game. Aaron Glenn’s winless club is led by Breece Hall. He’s totaled 448 yards on 99 carries—a solid 4.5 yards per attempt. The Jets come off a 13-6 home loss to the Panthers, the fifth setback by seven points or less by the Green and White.
Meanwhile, the Bengals’ offense rolled up 470 yards in beating the Steelers in Week 7. Zac Taylor has quarterback Joe Flacco and plenty of firepower with Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Cincinnati also has the NFL’s 27th-ranked run defense, which will prove to be their undoing.
Houston has no problem with first-place 49ers
The reigning AFC South champions had an opportunity on Monday night to even its record at 3-3 if they could knock off the Seahawks. DeMeco Ryans’s club forced four turnovers on Monday night, and Will Anderson Jr. recovered a Sam Darnold fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. However, Houston’s offense failed to score a touchdown in a 27-19 setback.
Last Sunday night, 49ers’ running back Christian McCaffrey was a one-man show in the team’s 20-10 victory over the Falcons. Kyle Shanahan and company will find out that the Texans’ defense is a different story, and the Houston pass rush has a field day.