NFL Week 8: What To Expect

If you had both the New York Giants and Jets pegged as teams that would be at the top of the league standings through seven weeks of the season, no you did not. No one saw this coming! But they are just two surprises in a season that’s been full of them.

MVP contender Geno Smith? Christian McCaffrey, running back for the…San Francisco 49ers? We aren’t at the halfway point of the 2022 season yet and the NFL just keeps delivering. So what can we expect from this weekend’s games? With Elias Insights as our guide, let’s have a look at some of the biggest Week 8 matchups.

Giants vs. Seahawks

Scenario A: Giants Stay Perfect On The Road, Go To 7-1 (Giants Win + Cover)

By winning six out of his first seven games, Giants head coach Brian Daboll joined an exclusive club, as only five other coaches have won six of seven to start their coaching careers. Despite that success, the Giants are slight underdogs coming into this game. Have the oddsmakers seen the resurgent Saquon Barkley, who leads the NFL in touches and has recorded the second-highest total of fantasy points by a running back this season? In the end, the Giants may have the last laugh— over the last 20 years, the 12 teams that have started a season 6-1 or better and entered game number eight as an underdog have gone 10-2 straight up and 11-1 against the spread.

Scenario B: Geno, Seahawks Keep Flying At Home (Seahawks Win + Cover)

The Seattle Seahawks have been a pleasant surprise this season, just like their Week 8 opponents from New York. In order to defeat the road warriors that are the Giants, Seattle, whose offense ranks fifth in scoring, will hope for continued contributions from rookie Kenneth Walker III on the ground after a breakout 168-yard performance last week. Pair that with a quarterback in Geno Smith who is in the top-10 in the NFL in passing yards, touchdowns, and interceptions, and you can envision Seattle’s offense handing New York its first away loss in 2022.

Patriots vs. Jets

Scenario A: Patriots Bounce Back From MNF Disappointment (Patriots Win + Cover)

The Patriots put their 12-game winning streak against the Jets on the line on Sunday, but against a tough Jets defense, they’ll need some clarity at the game’s most important position. Mac Jones was benched early in Monday’s loss to the Bears, and while Bailey Zappe engineered two scoring drives, he was ineffective in the game’s second half. However, running back Rhamondre Stevenson has put up several strong performances this season, as one of only four backs in the NFL with four games of 20+ fantasy points so far in 2022. The Jets have gotten mediocre quarterback play themselves from Zach Wilson and lost rookie sensation Breece Hall for the season last week, so the Pats should be able to get right against their AFC East rival.

Scenario B: Jets Beat Patriots For Fifth Straight Win (Jets Win + Cover)

The New York Jets won their fourth straight game last week, beating the Denver Broncos at Mile High to move to 5-2 on the season. The loss came at a price, as the Jets lost rookie running back Breece Hall for the season with a knee injury, but they acted quickly by acquiring James Robinson from Jacksonville to fill the void. With the Jets winning and covering the spread in four straight games, New York’s AFC representatives are counting on a Michael Carter-Robinson rushing attack, plus a defense surrendering just 14 points a game over the last four weeks to end their 12-game losing streak to Bill Belichick’s team.

49ers vs. Rams

Scenario A: Niners Complete Sweep Of Rams (49ers Win + Cover)

After giving up 44 points in a Week 7 loss to the Chiefs, the Niners look to get back to their usual defensive standard against a Rams team that they kept out of the end zone in a 24-9 victory earlier this season. Last week aside, the big question mark for San Francisco resides on the offensive side of the ball, but Jimmy Garoppolo is 7-1 in his career against the Rams, and is undefeated against Los Angeles during the regular season. The offense also debuted former Panther Christian McCaffrey, who contributed 62 yards on 10 touches. Adding more star power to the offense should help balance the 49ers and help them knock off the defending champs again.

Scenario B: Rams Get Revenge On San Francisco (Rams Win + Cover)

The Los Angeles Rams had a much-needed bye week in Week 7 after starting their season at 3-3. Los Angeles has lost to the San Francisco 49ers once this season, failing to score a touchdown in a 15-point loss in Santa Clara. For the Rams to avoid getting swept by their NFC West rivals this week, Matthew Stafford may need to do a better job of spreading the ball around. Cooper Kupp’s cup has runneth over with targets so far this season, with the Rams targeting him nearly a third of the time when passing. But if Allen Robinson can build off his performance in Week 6 (five catches for 63 yards and a score vs. Carolina), a 49ers defense that surrendered 44 points last week might not be able to slow down LA’s offense enough to avoid splitting the season series.

Packers vs. Bills

Scenario A: Bills Get Statement Win Over Packers (Bills Win + Cover)

The Buffalo Bills come into Sunday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers as 10.5-point favorites at home. Coming off of their bye, against a Green Bay team that is struggling mightily over the last three weeks, expectations are high for the team favored to win the Super Bowl this season. With Josh Allen at quarterback, the Bills are 16-2 straight up and 11-5-2 against the spread as favorites of seven or more points. Combine that with Allen’s 8-3 mark both straight up and against the spread in primetime games, and the Bills Mafia may have reason to celebrate a blowout win on Sunday.

Scenario B: Bills Win Ugly In Orchard Park (Bills Win + Packers Cover)

Buffalo has shown the football world why they are the favorites to win the Super Bowl this season, starting 5-1. This week, the Bills are heavy favorites at home against a struggling Packers team. However, Buffalo faces a Green Bay team that ranks at the top of the league in pass defense this season, allowing 168.9 passing yards per game to opponents. Buffalo will be expected to win this game, but they may not crush the Packers the way Bills fans will crush folding tables during the pre-game tailgate for this Sunday night affair.

Scenario C: Packers Offense Wakes Up In Win (Packers Win + Cover)

The Packers have averaged 18.3 points per game, which ranks 23rd in the NFL coming into Week 8. Against one of the top defenses in the league in the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay is a double-digit underdog for the first time with Aaron Rodgers as their quarterback. But Matt LaFleur coached teams are 16-2 straight up and 14-4 against the spread in primetime games, and the Packers cannot be counted out in this Sunday night contest. A desperate Rodgers might just be a dangerous one, and one of only a few quarterbacks who can win a shootout against Josh Allen and Co. Green Bay will be feeling the heat to win or watch their season slip further away.

That’s all for Week 8, but make sure to come back next week for another round of detailed breakdowns and analysis of the best the NFL has to offer!

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