NFL TV Schedule Week 8: Most Intriguing Matchups to Watch This Weekend

At first glance it may seem as though there are plenty of lopsided matchups on the NFL's Week 8 slate, and while that may ultimately end up being true, there is a handful of games that football fans simply won't want to miss this weekend.

There is a lot of season left to be played, but things are certainly getting interesting in terms of playoff positioning. A win or loss this week could have a major impact on the postseason picture, and it could either provide teams with momentum or deflate them entirely.

Here is a breakdown of three particular encounters that will entertain the fans and have a great deal of importance moving forward.

Away Team	Home Team	Date	Time (ET)	Channel
San Francisco 49ers	Jacksonville Jaguars (London)	Sunday, Oct. 27	1 p.m.	FOX
Cleveland Browns	Kansas City Chiefs	Sunday, Oct. 27	1 p.m.	CBS
Miami Dolphins	New England Patriots	Sunday, Oct. 27	1 p.m.	CBS
Buffalo Bills	New Orleans Saints	Sunday, Oct. 27	1 p.m.	CBS
Dallas Cowboys	Detroit Lions	Sunday, Oct. 27	1 p.m.	FOX
New York Giants	Philadelphia Eagles	Sunday, Oct. 27	1 p.m.	FOX
Pittsburgh Steelers	Oakland Raiders	Sunday, Oct. 27	4:05 p.m.	CBS
New York Jets	Cincinnati Bengals	Sunday, Oct. 27	4:05 p.m.	CBS
Atlanta Falcons	Arizona Cardinals	Sunday, Oct. 27	4:25 p.m.	FOX
Washington Redskins	Denver Broncos	Sunday, Oct. 27	4:25 p.m.	FOX
Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	Sunday, Oct. 27	8:30 p.m.	NBC
Seattle Seahawks	St. Louis Rams	Monday, Oct. 28	8:40 p.m.	ESPN

Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions

This encounter between NFC rivals is meaningful for several reasons. Both the Cowboys and Lions are 4-3, and they are right in the mix when it comes to the playoffs. Dallas leads the NFC East, while Detroit is just a half game behind the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North.

A win would be huge for either team, so expect there to be a playoff atmosphere at Ford Field on Sunday. There has also been plenty of trash talk leading up to the clash, which will make things that much more heated.

Most of that talk has come courtesy of Cowboys stud receiver Dez Bryant. The former problem child finally came into his own last season, and he has carried over his excellent play into the 2013 campaign.

The Lions have an elite receiver in their own right in the form of Calvin Johnson, who set the single-season record for receiving yards last year. Bryant believes he is Johnson's equal, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, but ESPN's Marcellus Wiley presented an interesting stat on Twitter:

Even though Bryant may not be at the same level as Johnson quite yet, it certainly seems as though he is on the right track. Since Bryant and Megatron will likely try to do everything in their power to one-up each other in this game, expect plenty of offensive fireworks. Quarterbacks Tony Romo and Matthew Stafford have been playing great this season, and they should both have a field day on Sunday.

Washington Redskins vs. Denver Broncos

The Redskins' season got off to a less-than-ideal start as they were 0-3 out of the gates. Washington is still in a precarious position, but a huge win over the Chicago Bears last week allowed it to get to 2-4, which is just 1.5 games behind the Cowboys in the NFC East.

In order to keep pace, however, the 'Skins will have to beat an ornery Denver Broncos team. The Broncos lost their first game of the season last week to the Indianapolis Colts, and there is no question that they intend to stop their losing streak at one.

Despite Denver's loss, there is little reason to be concerned. Although the defense didn't look particularly good in Week 7, the offense was still banging on all cylinders. Peyton Manning and Co. weren't quite as dominant as they were in six previous games, but that was a nearly impossible pace to keep.

Denver is still on track to establish itself as the best offensive team in NFL history. That should continue on Sunday as the Broncos have made mincemeat out of NFC East opponents this season, according to ESPN Stats & Info:

The Redskins and Broncos have two of the worst pass defenses in football, which means that there should be plenty of points scored in this one.

Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is starting to elevate his play, and he seems more comfortable using his legs, which adds another dimension to Washington's offense. While Denver is likely to pull away in the end, this tilt will be extremely entertaining for much of the day.

Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots

The Patriots had a golden opportunity to take a stranglehold of the AFC East last week as they were facing the New York Jets, and the Dolphins lost to the Buffalo Bills. New England was unable to get the job done, however, as the Jets won in overtime after a controversial personal foul on a missed field goal attempt gave New York kicker Nick Folk a second chance, which he cashed in on.

The Pats still lead the division at 5-2, though, and a big game is on the horizon against Miami.

Losing to the Bills at home was a huge setback for the Dolphins as they have lost three straight since opening the season 3-0. They are still only 1.5 games behind New England, however, and a win on Sunday would really tighten things up.

Although New England is coming off a tough loss, things finally seem to be coming together. Tight end Rob Gronkowski is back in the lineup, and wide receiver Danny Amendola says that he is also ready to return, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN Boston:

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady hasn't been very Brady-like this season, but much of that has to do with the fact that he has largely been throwing to rookie receivers. With his full complement of weapons in place, Brady should be a different player in Week 8.

Don't count Miami out entirely, though, as second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill has had a fine season and has an opportunity to make his mark with a win over the Pats.

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