With disruptions to the league schedule that were caused by COVID-19 now back to a minimum, the focus, roughly halfway through the 2020 NFL season, is on the emerging battles for playoff spots. Although few trades had been made heading into Week 8, anticipation was being built for the trade deadline on Tuesday, when teams would announce their 2021 Super Bowl aspirations depending on whether they traded for future draft picks or upgrades at some starting positions.
In Week 8, we saw the continued struggle of the New England Patriots against the resurgent Buffalo Bills, a huge division win on the road by the Pittsburgh Steelers to improve to 7–0 and a surprisingly tight contest between Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Giants. Without further adieu, let’s take a look at these matchups.
New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills
The New England Patriots traveled to Buffalo looking for a crucial division win after dropping three straight games, most recently a devastating loss at home to former Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. The Patriots’ run defense struggled all game, as it allowed two rushing touchdowns to Bills rookie running back Zack Moss and another to quarterback Josh Allen. Runs like these would accumulate to 190 total rushing yards allowed by the Patriots in the game, which is a troubling statistic for any team that thinks it has a shot at winning. On the offensive side, the Patriots’ rushing attack picked up pace later in the game, as a rushing touchdown by quarterback Cam Newton with 9:36 remaining tied the game at 21–21 and forced the Bills offense to a field goal. This gave the Patriots’ offense the opportunity to either send the game to overtime with a field goal or win it with a touchdown. The Patriots were in prime position to do either of these until Bills defensive tackle Justin Zimmer punched the ball out of Cam Newton’s hands to force a fumble and a turnover at Buffalo’s 14-yard line with 37 seconds remaining, allowing them to hold on and win 21–24. The Patriots have quickly fallen out of contention as they drop to 2–5 while the Bills improve to 6–2 and strengthen their lead in the AFC East.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens
The Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Baltimore for a highly anticipated matchup between two AFC North heavyweights who will surely be competing for a spot in the 2021 Super Bowl in February. The Ravens headed to the locker room at halftime with a 17–7 lead after a convincing defensive performance in the first half. The Steelers fought back quickly, however, and headed into the fourth quarter with a 21–17 lead courtesy of a passing touchdown from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to tight end Eric Ebron and a 1-yard touchdown run by running back James Conner. A passing touchdown from reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson to second-year wide receiver Hollywood Brown restored the Ravens’ lead, but a receiving touchdown by rookie sensation Chase Claypool only a few minutes later proved to be the game-winner for Pittsburgh. The Steelers’ defense came up big down the stretch; in the final two Ravens possessions, they forced a fumble by Lamar Jackson and an incompletion in the end zone as time expired to win the game 28–24. The Steelers remain the only undefeated team in the NFL with an easy schedule ahead. The Ravens drop to 5–2 as Lamar Jackson struggles once again to topple the best of the best.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New York Giants
The New York Giants gave Tom Brady a run for his money in what was supposed to be a lopsided matchup between the 1–6 squad and the NFC South leaders. The Bucs’ offense struggled to get going in the first half, resulting in visible frustration for Tom Brady, as we saw against the Chicago Bears. While the Giants held an unexpected 14–6 lead at halftime, tight end Rob Gronkowski hauled in the first Bucs touchdown of the day with six minutes remaining in the third quarter to make it a 15–14 Buccaneers lead. The Giants’ offense had just under four minutes to drive down the field after Bucs kicker Ryan Succop’s third field goal of the game made it an eight-point lead for Tampa Bay. The potential game-tying drive fell just short, however, as the Giants failed to convert the two-point conversion following the touchdown pass from second-year quarterback Daniel Jones to veteran wide receiver Golden Tate. The Buccaneers held on to win 25–23 and survived the threat of an upset to maintain their lead in the NFC South. The Giants continue to lose ground in a very wide-open NFC East division title race. This may be the last time we see the Bucs’ offense struggle this season, as they addsuspended star wide receiver Antonio Brown to an already very talented receiving core in Week 9.
