Wyatt Cushman, Staff Writer |
After eight weeks of play, we are now halfway through the regular season in the NFL. Some teams are already out of it, only hoping to hold onto their pride at this point. On the other hand, there are a lot of teams who still have hopes of making it all the way to Minnesota, the venue for this season’s Super Bowl.
In Week 8, one of the biggest factors for a few games was the weather. Throughout the Northeast, rain came down on players, coaches, and fans all day long. In New York, the Jets looked to even their record to 4-4 against Matt Ryan and the Falcons, but the Falcons prevailed 25-20.
Another game in the rain was the one between the now 7-1 Eagles and the 0-8 49ers. Both teams struggled to start, but Carson Wentz and the Eagles defense eventually got things going, and the Eagles beat the 49ers 33-10. It must be noted that at this point in the season, the Eagles have looked like the best team in the NFL. They have the best record so far and their quarterback has looked like an MVP. The Eagles have already matched their win total from a season ago, and they have showed no signs of slowing down.
Another good game this past Sunday was in Cincinnati between the Colts and Bengals. While neither of these teams are among the elites in the NFL, they did provide viewers with an entertaining game; this one went back and forth, with each team leading at different times throughout. In the end, the Bengals were able to hold on by a single point, winning 24-23. Their defense played well, scoring a touchdown and sealing the game with an interception to improve their record to 3-4. The Bengals aren’t a team that will go far this season, but everyone needs some recognition once in a while, and this win definitely felt good for them.
The most shocking game of the weekend was the shootout in Seattle between the Texans and Seahawks. Both teams have good defenses, so the thought coming in was that this would be a defensive battle, but it was far from it. Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson combined for eight passing touchdowns and the teams combined for 79 total points. Nobody could have predicted this, but they could have at least predicted the Seahawks’ inevitable win. The Seahawks are playing good football now, and it seems like they too are going to be in the NFC playoff picture down the line.
Looking ahead to Week 9, the Cowboys and Chiefs will be sure to put on a good game. The Chiefs have been one of the best teams in the NFL this season, and they are trying to solidify that claim with a win in Dallas. However, the Cowboys are trying to catch the Eagles in the NFC East and can’t afford a loss. These are the types of games that can change everything, and whoever wins will be carrying momentum with them for the stretch run of this season.
This week was really the first time we saw weather play a factor in a game, and while that may not seem like a good thing, part of the fun of football is watching the players overcome the elements. Things like rain, snow, and wind can be huge in any game, and hopefully, we will start to see more games in which the weather plays a part, just so long as it doesn’t cause our team to lose.
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