10 NFL Teams at Crossroads Entering Week 8
We've reached a key point in the NFL campaign with seven weeks in the books.
For the most part, the contenders have begun to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. On the opposite side of the coin, teams that entered the fall with limited expectations have seen limited success.
But for a few clubs, the arrival of Week 8 has seen a list of teams come face to face with a crossroad. Years of building a roster through free agency, trades and the NFL draft set the table for 2023. Have expectations been met, exceeded or does the puzzle remain unsolved?
For organizations like the Detroit Lions, are Super Bowl aspirations legitimate, or are they more of a fallacy?
While keeping in mind the immediate past, present and future for each of the following teams, here is where 10 of the NFL's most head-scratching units stand and what to expect moving into a crucial part of the campaign.
Detroit Lions
1 of 10
Led by general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell, the Detroit Lions have more than surpassed the label of "relevant"—a moniker they failed to meet in seasons past.
An organization that struggled for years to stay out of the basement of the NFC North, Campbell's group entered 2023 with expectations in abundance following its first nine-win campaign since 2017. A Week 1 win over the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs only raised aspirations.
Now seven games in and the leaders of their division, the Lions, however, remain a group where an immediate projection remains muddied. Both sides of the ball have seen high-profile additions via offseason transactions over the last few years, yet consistency against the league's top rosters has lacked.
While blowouts over the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers look good on a box score, a loss to the Seattle Seahawks (37-31) and a 32-point drubbing by the Baltimore Ravens has us questioning whether Detroit can consistently win the big games necessary to elevate into one of the league's elite.
If they can, as they showed in Week 1, the stratosphere is the ceiling for a youth-infused Lions roster. And considering the holes in the armor displayed recently from the San Francisco 49ers with two consecutive losses, slotting Detroit behind the Philadelphia Eagles as conference favorites shouldn't be considered an exaggeration.
While a rather weak remaining schedule looks fortuitous for Detroit to secure its first NFC North title since 1993, playoff football will ultimately showcase what to expect from the Lions this spring in filling positional holes, and in the seasons to come.
Minnesota Vikings
2 of 10
Following an 0-3 start, the Kevin O'Connell-led Minnesota Vikings have maneuvered their way back into playoff conversations with three wins in their last four games.
While the first month of the campaign looked as if the Vikings were going to clean house, tempers have simmered and O'Connell has the Vikings playing good ball. However, they've already matched their loss total from 2022 and remain without Justin Jefferson.
After leaving their Week 5 matchup early against the Kansas City Chiefs due to a hamstring injury, the Vikings placed Jefferson on injured reserve, an indication that he'd miss at least the next four weeks. Reports indicate the Vikings will test his health when he's eligible to return ahead of their Week 10 game against the New Orleans Saints, but if the injury lingers to any extent, the all-world talent could remain on the shelf until after the team's bye in Week 13.
While teams can't predict injuries and how long players are unavailable to suit up, Minnesota entered the year with high hopes.
The hiring of Brian Flores to improve one of the worst defenses in football has received mix reviews, but the focus has, once again, turned to the play of quarterback Kirk Cousins on where ultimately Minnesota will sit in the NFC come playoff time.
If you studied the tape from Week 7, you'd think Cousins would be an MVP candidate as he was at points last fall during the Vikings' 13-win regular season. Yet lapses are evident in his now 35-year-old season. He also remains without a contract past this fall.
Although the team's biggest question remains the present and future at the most important position in sports, Minnesota undoubtedly has the infrastructure in place to make noise if it continues to execute at a high level.
Los Angeles Chargers
3 of 10
Year three of head coach Brandon Staley's tenure has seen his seat reach a temperature unmatched as Chargers bench boss.
While a 10-7 mark last fall saw the team qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2018, this year's campaign has left many searching for more.
Currently 2-4 with losses to the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs in back-to-back weeks, the Chargers have a worse record than their talent level suggests.
Names on a spreadsheet may look good from a bird's-eye view, but manufacturing a unique game plan each week is a skill reserved for a select few coaching staffs even in today's game where resources are aplenty. Additionally, noncompetitive football in Los Angeles simply won't sway general manager Tom Telesco when it comes to end-of-year evaluations—if, of course, the current regime were to make it to that point.
With the skill sets in place on either side of the football for Staley headlined by quarterback Justin Herbert and a dynamic trio of edge-rushers in Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa and rookie Tuli Tuipulotu, quickly working back to .500 with matchups looming against the Chicago Bears and New York Jets will paint a picture toward immediate expectations for the Chargers.
On the other hand, should their dynamic offensive arsenal continue to underperform, changes within the lungs of the operation could materialize sooner rather than later.
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Cleveland Browns
4 of 10
One of the more captivating teams in football through six weeks, you'd be hard-pressed to find a surefire answer toward what to truly expect from the Cleveland Browns moving forward.
At 4-2, however, their record says they're primed to not only compete, but win games against the elite of the AFC.
Although a 25-point loss at the hands of Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens left a bad taste in the mouth of those involved in Week 4, back-to-back wins against the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts has showcased the talent and pure grit from head coach Kevin Stefanski's group.
Led by a dynamic group of athletes on defense, including this year's potential Defensive Player of the Year in Myles Garrett, Cleveland is playing with its hair on fire early this fall. A group headlined by six starters added via the NFL draft, combining player evaluation with player development has seen the Browns progress into one of the top defenses in football in points allowed per game.
Offense is where questions arrive, however, centered solely around the quarterback position and $230 million man Deshaun Watson. His success as a Houston Texan is long in the past, and four touchdown passes compared to three interceptions in 2023 has left many wondering if he'll get back to his 2020 form.
The team has seen both rookie fifth-rounder Dorian Thompson-Robinson and veteran P.J. Walker earn starts this fall, but if Cleveland eyes just its second playoff appearance since 2002, ironing out its questions under center will remain paramount toward outpacing the rest of the AFC North—the lone division in football without a team below .500.
Denver Broncos
5 of 10
A year after the failed regime under Nathaniel Hackett—now the Jets offensive coordinator—Sean Payton was viewed as the saving grace for a talented Broncos roster.
While Hackett was seemingly the lone figure of blame for a 5-12 record last fall, a 2-5 start in 2023 has ushered in an evaluation period for those in charge.
A Denver roster budding with young talent needs development, schematic influence and something to rally around. Most importantly, perhaps, improvement from quarterback Russell Wilson is required.
A seasoned vet and the face initially looked upon to push the Broncos over the hump in the AFC West, it simply hasn't come to fruition. Although a 2-2 record in the last month of the campaign has simmered tempers for those calling for Payton's job, it could be best to begin making moves for future seasons.
While seven games in is still relatively early in the cycle of an NFL season, matchups looming against the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills the next two weeks could quickly see Denver fall to 2-7.
Corner Patrick Surtain II and wideout Jerry Jeudy have already heard their names thrown around the trade block, and while you'd like to think the ship will eventually right itself with the talent in place, it could be in Denver's best interest to stock up on as much capital as it can for seasons down the line.
New Orleans Saints
6 of 10
The arrival of Derek Carr this offseason ushered in new expectations for New Orleans.
For any team looked upon as a 'quarterback away' from competing with the elite of the league, a multiyear contract handed out to a talented veteran signal-caller will undoubtedly raise internal aspirations.
While a 2-0 start kicked things off on the right foot, New Orleans has proved victorious just once in the last five weeks and has lost two consecutive games heading into Week 8.
For head coach Dennis Allen, righting the ship quickly on offense remains paramount in a wide-open NFC South.
While the finger of blame can be directed at many, issues stem from a lack of success on third down. Currently ranked 26th in football in conversion rate, an inability to keep drives alive has correlated directly to keeping the defense fresh.
In its first two weeks of the season, New Orleans allowed a combined 32 points in wins over the Tennessee Titans and Carolina Panthers. In its four losses, the team has given up 95.
With heavy draft capital allocated on either side of the ball the last few drafts including using first- and second-round selections in 2023 along the defensive front (Bryan Bresee and Isaiah Foskey), rapid improvement stemming from offensive efficiency should allow the Saints to challenge for a division title this season.
New York Jets
7 of 10
If Aaron Rodgers were healthy, the narrative on the Jets season would no doubt be entirely different. However, the future Hall of Famer remains on the shelf and Zach Wilson has maneuvered New York to a 3-3 mark through six games.
It hasn't been pretty, but two consecutive victories has placed the Jets between a rock and a hard place coming off their bye week and into a Week 8 matchup with the crosstown rival New York Giants.
Wins aside, six games of average play from the BYU product simply won't move the needle. However, running the football has been the Jets' script to wins since Wilson was given the keys to the offense.
The defense has also stepped up. After allowing 46 points combined the first two weeks of the season, the Jets haven't allowed a team to score over 23 points in the last month in matchups that included battles with the Kansas City Chiefs' and Philadelphia Eagles' high-flying attacks.
It's good to see the Jets competing, but there were expectations of deep playoff run entering the season.
So where does that leave us with the Jets? In fact, placing a finger on how their season concludes is one of the tougher questions in football considering the talent present.
The QB position holds a ton of weight. Saleh may get some slack following the injury to Rodgers, but another fourth-place finish in the East this fall could see the Jets make a move no matter who is under center for the future.
Washington Commanders
8 of 10
Sub-.500 football is what Commanders fans have come to expect under Ron Rivera.
Now in his fourth year in charge, the head coach has yet to lead Washington over .500 in his first three full seasons. His lone playoff appearance came via a 7-9 year in 2020 that was enough to win the division.
A 2-0 start under new ownership and second-year QB Sam Howell was a positive. Since its Week 2 win in Denver, though, Washington has fallen in four of its last five games including losses to a then-winless Chicago Bears roster and a 1-5 New York Giants unit in Week 7.
While expectations reached new heights this offseason with the hiring of Eric Bieniemy to run the offense in unison with Howell, the Commanders have quickly been forced to look themselves in the mirror.
Talent remains in abundance on either side of the football, and Washington has done its due diligence the last few offseasons extending foundational pieces in Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne and Terry McLaurin, yet the team looks unprepared and uninspired to suit up each week.
A roster ready to compete now despite the expected ups and downs of starting a young quarterback, the Commanders have found themselves in a similar hole they've been in since Rivera was granted the keys years ago.
With new ownership desperate for success, it might not be long until the hammer ultimately comes down if things don't change.
Pittsburgh Steelers
9 of 10
Since Mike Tomlin took over back in 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to finish a season below the .500 mark. An incredible achievement, surely, but how to take the next step within a deep AFC North is currently the question at hand for Pittsburgh.
Headlined by a veteran defensive front seven, it's an annual commonality that the Steelers will get after opposing quarterbacks. The tandem of T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith has been fantastic through the first seven weeks, as has the play from rookie defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and first-rounder Joey Porter Jr.
The pieces have begun to come together, but where the Steelers' ceiling reveals itself—as it does with many teams—is under center.
Year two for Kenny Pickett has seen its ups and downs. If you were to look purely at numbers, he's been underwhelming, tossing just one touchdown the last three weeks.
However, the All-22 tape paints a different picture. He's been poised and accurate under pressure. He's consistently showcased the ability to dissect the intermediate areas of the offense, as well.
And while much of the attention has surrounded offensive coordinator Matt Canada's scheme and unwillingness to evolve week-to-week, it's all fixable. Challenges of starting a young quarterback have been evident for Tomlin's group this fall, but making things easier schematically for Pickett early in games should allow him to work on time and with confidence to zip throws to different depths when the situation arises.
Cincinnati Bengals
10 of 10
Winners in three of their last four, the Cincinnati Bengals have slowly begun to look like the team that has reached the AFC title game in each of the last two seasons.
The Bengals go as Joe Burrow goes, and while health clearly hampered his ability to operate with confidence early in the campaign, five touchdown throws the last two weeks has seen Cincinnati's face of the franchise work back to 100 percent.
While victories the last month of the season quickly saw the dark cloud over the team's facility dissipate, the Bengals next tandem of games could ultimately showcase who exactly Cincinnati is in 2023.
Although wins against the NFC West's Arizona Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams look good on a spreadsheet, the San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills present an entirely unique set of obstacles to over come.
All in all, the team will need more than just Burrow to execute at a high level. It starts on defense and with a group that has enjoyed both its fair share of success and failure in six games.
Led by a veteran front seven, 13 points allowed their last time out against Seattle was a feather in the hat of coordinator Lou Anarumo. However, early season struggles against the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans (54 points combined) remain in the mind of Bengals faithful.
The attention starts and stops with Burrow and his array of offensive weaponry, but playing complementary football remains the goal. With much of its core intact from the last few seasons and an influx of youth-infused core contributors in all three phases (offense/defense/special teams), Cincinnati has all the pieces to make another playoff run.
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