Rams OLB Byron Young (L) & RT Darnell Wright / Credit: UT Athletics
Here are my Week 8 NFL Game Predictions, both straight-up and against the spread and my results from last week and the season.
You’ll also find an array of fantastic notes down below for Week 8 and the 2025 season courtesy of NFL Communications press releases.
There are 26 VFLs on 53-player rosters in the NFL. There are 3 more on practice squads and 2 on injured reserve bringing the league total to 31 with NFL teams. See how each did in Week 7 here. Look for a VFL in the NFL, ex-Vol and local player update blog soon on this feed and website, 991TheSportsAnimal.com.
Vince’s Picks Results
Week 7: 14-1 straight-up & 12-3 spread
Season: 75-33 (69%) straight-up & 60-48 (56%) spread
Winners are in bold. Pick against the spread selection is listed to the side.
Week 8
Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025
8:15pm
Minnesota at LA Chargers (-3.5) – LA Chargers -3.5
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025
1pm
Miami at Atlanta (-7.5) – Atlanta +7.5
Chicago at Baltimore (-6.5) – Chicago +6.5
Buffalo (-7) at Carolina – Buffalo -7
NY Jets at Cincinnati (-6.5) – NY Jets +6.5
San Francisco at Houston (-1.5) – San Francisco +1.5
Cleveland at New England (-7) – New England -7
NY Giants at Philadelphia (-7.5) – NY Giants +7.5
4:05/4:25pm
Tampa Bay (-4) at New Orleans – Tampa Bay -4
Dallas at Denver (-3.5) – Denver -3.5
Tennessee at Indianapolis (-14.5) – Indianapolis -14.5
8:20pm
Green Bay (-3) at Pittsburgh – Pittsburgh +3
Monday, Oct. 27, 2025
8:15pm
Washington at Kansas City (-12.5) – Kansas City -12.5
Off This Week: Arizona, Detroit, Jacksonville, LA Rams, Las Vegas, Seattle
NEW YORK — Oct. 21, 2025 — Entering Week 8, six of the eight divisions have a team in first place or tied for first place that did not win its division last season: AFC East (New England), AFC North (Pittsburgh), AFC South (Indianapolis), AFC West (Denver), NFC North (Green Bay) and NFC West (San Francisco and Seattle).
For Week 8 capsules, click here.
Here’s a look at a few interesting storylines entering Week 8:
- Rodgers faces Green Bay for first time: When the Pittsburgh Steelers(4-2) host the Green Bay Packers (4-1-1) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m. ET, NBC), it will mark Aaron Rodgers’ first career start against the team that selected him No. 24 overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. In 230 regular-season games (223 starts) from 2005-22, Rodgers totaled 59,055 passing yards and 475 touchdown passes with Green Bay. Additionally, he made 21 postseason starts, recorded 5,894 passing yards and 45 touchdown passes while leading the Packers to the Super Bowl XLV title following the 2010 season.
- With a win in Week 8 against his former team, Rodgers can become the fifth starting quarterback ever record a win against each of the 32 teams, along with Pro Football Hall of Famers Brett Favreand Peyton Manning as well as Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
- Last week, Rodgers recorded his 36th career game with at least four touchdown passes, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manningfor the third-most such games in NFL history. He also surpassed Ben Roethlisberger for the fifth-most regular-season passing yards all-time.
- In four career Sunday night starts, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Lovehas 12 TDs (11 passing, one rushing) with no interceptions for a 121.1 rating. In Week 8, he can join Drew Brees (twice) and Aaron Rodgers as the only quarterbacks with at least two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in five consecutive Sunday night starts.
- Green Bay defensive lineman Micah Parsonshad a career-high three sacks last week, his 16th career game with at least two sacks since entering the NFL in 2021, tied with J. Watt for the fifth-most such games by a player in his first five seasons since 1982. Only Pro Football Hall of Famers Reggie White (24 games), Richard Dent (19) and Jared Allen (17) as well as J.J. Watt (21) have more.
- Tennessee Titans (1-6) at Indianapolis Colts (6-1) (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The Colts lead the NFL in scoring offense (33.1 points per game) and rank second in total offense (380.3 total yards per game) this season. Indianapolis has 16 rushing touchdowns in 2025, trailing only the 2004 Kansas City Chiefs(17) and 1975 Miami Dolphins (17) for the most rushing touchdowns by a team in its first seven games of a season in the Super Bowl era.
- The Colts, with a league-low six sacks allowed and only four giveaways, are the sixth team since 1970 with 10-or-fewer combined sacks allowed and giveaways in their first seven games of a season, joining the 1997 Miami Dolphins(eight combined sacks allowed and giveaways), 1974 St. Louis Cardinals (nine), 2007 Indianapolis Colts (10), 2008 New York Giants (10) and 2008 Tennessee Titans (10).
- Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Joneshas a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of the Colts’ six wins this season and became the third quarterback since 1950 with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in six of his first seven starts with a team, joining Sam Darnold (2024 with Minnesota) and Ryan Tannehill (2019 with Tennessee). In Week 8, Jones can join Brock Purdy as the only quarterbacks ever with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of their first five home starts with a team.
- Colts running back Jonathan Taylorleads the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns, including three rushing touchdowns in Weeks 3 (at Tennessee), 5 and 7. He is the third player in the past 20 seasons (2006-25) with three games of three-or-more rushing touchdowns in a season, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson (five games in 2006) and Derrick Henry (three games in 2021).
- Taylor, who has 61 career rushing touchdowns and is set to appear in his 75th career game on Sunday, is the fifth running back since 1990 with at least 60 rushing touchdowns in his first 75 career games, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers LaDainian Tomlinson(71 rushing touchdowns), Emmitt Smith (69) and Terrell Davis (60) as well as Adrian Peterson (66).
- On a streak: Five teams, four that missed the postseason in 2024, enter Week 8 on a win streak of three-or-more games. The Chicago Bears, Denver Broncosand New England Patriots have each won four consecutive games while the Carolina Panthers and Indianapolis Colts have won their past three.
- Chicago Bears (4-2) at Baltimore Ravens (1-5) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Bears look to record their first five-game winning streak with at least 25 points in each win since 1990 (Weeks 5-10). Chicago leads the NFL with 16 takeaways entering Week 8.
- Bears defensive back Kevin Byardleads the NFL with four interceptions this season and leads all players with 33 interceptions since he entered the league in 2016.
- Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jacksonhas a 24-3 record in 27 career starts against NFC teams and his .889 winning percentage is the highest by a quarterback against the opposing conference since 1970 (minimum 10 starts).
- Buffalo Bills (4-2) at Carolina Panthers (4-3) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): The Panthers, since Week 16 last season, have won four consecutive home games and can win five consecutive home games for the first time since 2017-18 (10 consecutive home wins).
- Carolina running back Rico Dowdleis one of three players, along with Bijan Robinson and Jonathan Taylor, with 500-or-more scrimmage yards (511) at home this season.
- With a win, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allencan surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (80 wins) and Ben Roethlisberger (80) for the fourth-most regular season wins by a quarterback in his first eight seasons in NFL history.
- Cleveland Browns (2-5) at New England Patriots (5-2) (1 p.m. ET, FOX): The Patriots have allowed 20 or fewer points in each game during their four-game winning streak and look for their first five-game winning streak since 2021 (seven consecutive wins from Weeks 7-13).
- New England quarterback Drake Mayeleads the NFL with a 75.2 completion percentage (152 of 202) this season and is the second player all-time with a completion percentage of 75-or-higher in his team’s first seven games of a season (minimum 200 attempts), joining Drew Brees [77.4 percent (188 of 243) in 2018].
- Maye is the third player under the age of 24 to record at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in six consecutive games in NFL history, joining Patrick Mahomes(seven consecutive games in 2018) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (six games in 1984).
- Cleveland rookie quarterback Dylan Gabrielis the sixth quarterback in the Super Bowl era with at least 100 pass attempts and no interceptions in his first three career starts, joining Tom Brady, Case Keenum, Pro Football Hall of Famer Warren Moon, J. Stroud and Carson Wentz.
- Dallas Cowboys (3-3-1) at Denver Broncos (5-2) (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS): The Broncos, since Week 8 of the 2024 season, have won eight consecutive home games, the longest active home winning streak in the NFL. Denver leads the league in sacks (34) and ranks third in total defense (273.1 yards per game allowed) and fourth in scoring defense (18.1 points per game allowed) in 2025.
- In Week 7, Denver defeated the New York Giants, 33-32, after trailing 19-0 entering the fourth quarter and 26-8 with six minutes remaining, becoming the first team since 1970 to overcome a deficit of 18-or-more points with six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and win in regulation.
- Last week, Denver quarterback Bo Nixbecame the first player in NFL history with two touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns in a fourth quarter. Since 2024, Nix is one of three quarterbacks, along with Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson, with at least 40 touchdown passes (40) and five rushing touchdowns (seven).
- Dallas quarterback Dak Prescottis the third player in NFL history with at least three touchdown passes and a passer rating of 120-or-higher in four consecutive games, joining Russell Wilson (five consecutive games in 2015 with Seattle) and Andrew Luck (four consecutive games in 2018 with Indianapolis).
- Chicago Bears (4-2) at Baltimore Ravens (1-5) (1 p.m. ET, CBS): The Bears look to record their first five-game winning streak with at least 25 points in each win since 1990 (Weeks 5-10). Chicago leads the NFL with 16 takeaways entering Week 8.
DRAKE MAYE
New England quarterback Drake Maye has at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in each of his past six starts.
With at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in Week 8, Maye can become the second player under the age of 24 and fifth player in NFL history to record at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating of 100-or-higher in seven consecutive games, joining Aaron Rodgers (12 consecutive games in 2011 and eight in 2020), Tom Brady (eight in 2007), Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (eight in 2004) and Patrick Mahomes (seven in 2018 at age 23).
The players with at least 200 passing yards and a passer rating 100-or-higher in the most consecutive games within a single season in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | SEASON | GAMES |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 2011 | 12 |
| Tom Brady | New England | 2007 | 8 |
| Peyton Manning HOF | Indianapolis | 2004 | 8 |
| Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay | 2020 | 8 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 2018 | 7 |
| Drake Maye | New England | 2025 | 6* |
| *active streak | |||
PATRICK MAHOMES
Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes passed for 286 yards and three touchdowns with a 126.6 passer rating last week, his 93rd career regular-season win – the most ever by a player under the age of 31.
Mahomes has 45 career games with at least three touchdown passes and on Monday Night Football against Washington (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC), can tie Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (46 games) for the most such games by a player in his first nine seasons in NFL history.
Mahomes has 39,966 career passing yards, including the playoffs, entering Week 8 and with 34 passing yards, can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (41,082 passing yards) as the only players in NFL history with at least 40,000 passing yards in their first nine seasons, including the postseason.
With a passer rating of 100-or-higher on Monday night, Mahomes can tie Matt Ryan (61 games) for the third-most games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in his first nine career seasons, trailing only Russell Wilson (74 games) and Dak Prescott (63).
The players with the most games with a passer rating of 100-or-higher in their first nine seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Russell Wilson | Seattle | 74 |
| Dak Prescott | Dallas | 63 |
| Matt Ryan | Atlanta | 61 |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 60* |
| *in ninth season | ||
JUSTIN HERBERT
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert recorded 37 completions and a career-high 420 passing yards last week, his 30th career game with at least 300 passing yards.
Herbert has 2,128 career completions and with his next completion, will surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning (2,128) for the most completions by a player in his first six seasons.
With 300 passing yards on Thursday Night Football against Minnesota (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video), Herbert can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (30 games) for the third-most games with at least 300 passing yards by a player in his first six seasons in NFL history. Only Patrick Mahomes (41 games) and Pro Football Hall of Famer Dan Marino (32) have more.
The players with the most games with at least 300 passing yards in their first six seasons in NFL history:
| PLAYER | TEAM | GAMES |
| Patrick Mahomes | Kansas City | 41 |
| Dan Marino HOF | Miami | 32 |
| Justin Herbert | L.A. Chargers | 30* |
| Kurt Warner HOF | St. Louis Rams | 30 |
| *in sixth season | ||
JUSTIN JEFFERSON
Since entering the NFL in 2020, Minnesota wide receiver Justin Jefferson leads all players with 7,960 receiving yards in 83 career games.
With 40 receiving yards on Thursday Night Football at the Los Angeles Chargers (8:15 pm. ET, Prime Video), Jefferson can:
- surpass Julio Jones(85 games) as the fastest player to reach 8,000 receiving yards in the Super Bowl era.
- join Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss(8,375 receiving yards) as the only players all-time under the age of 27 with at least 8,000 receiving yards.
- join Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss(8,375 receiving yards) and Torry Holt (8,156) as the only players with at least 8,000 receiving yards in their first six seasons in NFL history.
CHRISTIAN MCCAFFREY
San Francisco running back Christian McCaffrey leads the NFL with 981 scrimmage yards (516 receiving, 465 rushing) this season and has recorded at least five receptions and 100 scrimmage yards in each of the 49ers seven games.
On Sunday at Houston (1 p.m. ET, FOX), McCaffrey can join Priest Holmes (2002 with Kansas City) and Adam Thielen (2018 with Minnesota) as the only players in NFL history with at least five receptions and 100 scrimmage yards in each of their first eight games of a season.
Additionally, with 35 rushing yards in Week 8, McCaffrey can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk (1998 with Indianapolis and 2000 with the St. Louis Rams) and Timmy Brown (1965 with Philadelphia) as the only players in NFL history with at least 500 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in their team’s first eight games of a season.
McCaffrey, who has 6,852 rushing yards and 4,982 receiving yards in his career, can become the fourth player in NFL history with at least 7,000 rushing yards and 5,000 receiving yards, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Marcus Allen and Marshall Faulk as well as Tiki Barber.
JONATHAN TAYLOR
Indianapolis running back Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL with 10 rushing touchdowns this season and has 61 rushing touchdowns in 74 career games, the third-most since he entered the league in 2020.
With a rushing touchdown against Tennessee on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) in his 75th career game, Taylor can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (61 rushing touchdowns) for the fifth-most rushing touchdowns by a player in his first 75 career games in the Super Bowl era.
The players with the most rushing touchdowns in their first 75 career games in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | RUSH TDs |
| LaDainian Tomlinson HOF | San Diego Chargers | 71 |
| Emmitt Smith HOF | Dallas | 69 |
| Adrian Peterson | Minnesota | 66 |
| Earl Campbell HOF | Houston Oilers | 63 |
| Eric Dickerson HOF | Los Angeles Rams, Indianapolis | 61 |
| Jonathan Taylor | Indianapolis | 61* |
| *in 74 games | ||
JA’MARR CHASE
Cincinnati wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase recorded a single-game franchise-record 16 receptions for 161 yards and a touchdown in Week 7, his third game with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception this season.
On Sunday against the New York Jets (1 p.m. ET, CBS), Chase can become the fourth player ever with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown reception in 20 games in his first five seasons, joining Pro Football Hall of Famers Lance Alworth (24 games), Randy Moss (24) and Jerry Rice (21).
Chase has 15 career games with at least 125 receiving yards since entering the NFL in 2021 and with 125 receiving yards in Week 8, can tie Odell Beckham Jr. (16 games) and A.J. Brown (16) for the fourth-most such games by a player in his first five seasons in the Super Bowl era.
The players with the most games with at least 125 receiving yards in their first five seasons in the Super Bowl era:
| PLAYER | TEAM(S) | GAMES |
| Justin Jefferson | Minnesota | 23 |
| Randy Moss HOF | Minnesota | 17 |
| Julio Jones | Atlanta | 17 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | New York Giants | 16 |
| A.J. Brown | Tennessee, Philadelphia | 16 |
| Ja’Marr Chase | Cincinnati | 15 |
| *in fifth season | ||
NIK BONITTO & JONATHON COOPER
The Denver Broncos lead the NFL with 34 sacks this season, as linebackers Nik Bonitto (eight sacks) and Jonathon Cooper (six) rank first and second, respectively, in the AFC in sacks.
With two sacks by Cooper – who had two sacks in Week 6 and 1.5 sacks in Week 7 – against Dallas on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS), Bonitto and Cooper can become the sixth pair of teammates and first since 2017 (Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram with the Los Angeles Chargers) each with at least eight sacks in their team’s first eight games of a season.
The teammates each with at least eight sacks in their team’s first eight games of a season since 2000:
| TEAM | SEASON | PLAYER | SACKS | PLAYER | SACKS |
| L.A. Chargers | 2017 | Joey Bosa | 8.5 | Melvin Ingram | 8.5 |
| Denver | 2014 | Von Miller | 9 | DeMarcus Ware HOF | 8 |
| Kansas City | 2013 | Justin Houston | 11 | Tamba Hali | 9 |
| Pittsburgh | 2008 | James Harrison | 10 | LaMarr Woodley | 9.5 |
| Tampa Bay | 2000 | Warren Sapp HOF | 10.5 | Marcus Jones | 10 |
| Denver | 2025 | Nik Bonitto | 8* | Jonathon Cooper | 6* |
| *in team’s first seven games | |||||
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