NFL Scores Week 8: Results and Top Fantasy Football Stars for Sunday Games

Most NFL teams live and die with their quarterbacks, a maxim readily apparent in the Week 8 action on Sunday.  

The same can't necessarily be said of fantasy football squads, but a bad game from a signal-caller can limit the effectiveness of even the most consistent of fantasy performers. On the flip-side, a strong passing game can elevate the play of an entire team.

Ben Roethlisberger put in a performance for the ages in the Pittsburgh Steelers' 51-34 shootout win over the Indianapolis Colts. Big Ben racked up over 500 yards passing and six touchdowns without throwing a pick. I'll just go ahead and assume he got the game ball—unless Canton comes looking.

The Vulcan mind meld between Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski was at its strongest in the New England Patriots' 51-23 win over the Chicago Bears.

Blake Bortles' three turnovers, including two pick-sixes, allowed the Miami Dolphins to roll over the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 27-13. The New York Jets hardly had a chance against the Buffalo Bills after Geno Smith's three first-quarter interceptions.

Here is a complete rundown of the final scores from Sunday, followed by the top fantasy performers from the afternoon round of games.

Away	Score	Home
Detroit Lions	22-21	Atlanta Falcons
Houston Texans	30-16	Tennessee Titans
Seattle Seahawks	13-9	Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears	23-51	New England Patriots
Miami Dolphins	27-13	Jacksonville Jaguars
Baltimore Ravens	24-27	Cincinnati Bengals
St. Louis Rams	7-34	Kansas City Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings	19-13 (OT)	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Buffalo Bills	43-23	New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles	20-24	Arizona Cardinals
Oakland Raiders	13-23	Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis Colts	34-51	Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers	23-44	New Orleans Saints

Top Fantasy Performances from Early Sunday Action

Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots 

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Brady was essentially perfect on Sunday. The NFL may be easy on the passers, but stat lines like this don't come around very often.

CMP/ATT	YDS	AVG	TD	INT	RTG
30/35	354	10.1	5	0	148.4

His favorite target was of course the incomparable Gronkowski, who caught three of Brady's five touchdown passes, but his growing rapport with Brandon LaFell should have defensive coordinators around the league quaking in their boots. 

LaFell caught 11 passes for 154 yards and one score. It's staggering what Brady was able to accomplish by essentially honing in on just two talented targets. 

ESPN Stats & Info pointed out that Brady pretty much didn't have a single miscue in the game:

Fantasy football analyst Matt Chatham jokingly suggested this franchise QB is worth two actual franchises:

The offensive line should also get plenty of credit for Brady's performance, as they kept his jersey grass-free for most of the afternoon.

Brady eventually got a rest and gave way to backup signal-caller Jimmy Garoppolo in the fourth quarter. Hopefully, his fantasy owners didn't need him to run up the score any longer.

Brady vs. Peyton Manning in Week 9 is shaping up to be event television. 

Arian Foster, RB, Houston Texans

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Houston handled the Tennessee Titans on Sunday thanks to another star turn from running back Arian Foster. The sixth-year back racked up three touchdowns on the day and was a major threat both through the air and on the ground. 

CAR	YDS	TD	REC	REC YDS	REC TD
20	151	2	4	22	1

Foster was hot from the start, but things really started coming together when he ripped off a 34-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give the Texans a 10-3 lead. He was able to rip through the Titans defense with incredible ease throughout much of the day. His second score came on a one-yard plunge in the third quarter. 

ESPN Stats & Info pointed out he's practically been a lock to hit the century mark on the ground this season:

He didn't need to do much in the passing game, but was on the receiving end of a five-yard toss from Ryan Fitzpatrick in the third quarter. There is no need for Foster to hit the fantasy bench anytime soon, as the Texans have an interesting matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9.

Sammy Watkins, WR, Buffalo Bills

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Is it too early to call Sammy Watkins an NFL star? The rookie out of Clemson put in his second-straight standout fantasy performance, racking up 157 yards and a touchdown on just three receptions. 

Somehow, Watkins' 21 fantasy points might be a slight disappointment. Watkins' first catch of the game was an 84-yard streak that looked sure to end in a touchdown, but the young wideout got caught celebrating too early and was tackled just before the goal line. SB Nation provided a glimpse of the play:

He spent the rest of the afternoon making up for his boneheaded error. Quarterback Kyle Orton didn't look to him very often, but Watkins got his touchdown on a 61-yard bomb midway through the fourth quarter.

It's Watkins' second game in a row with over 100 yards receiving and he has the frame and vice-like hands to be a threat for years to come. He's established himself as a WR1 in recent weeks, although his value is ever so slightly diminished in PPR leagues due to Orton's status as more of a game manager.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England Patriots

Steven Senne/Associated Press

Gronk was at his secondary-eating best on Sunday, racking up a staggering nine catches, 149 yards and three touchdowns for 32 fantasy points. 

He terrorized safety Ryan Mundy on the day and was untouchable as far as the Bears' linebackers were concerned. He scored a touchdown in each of the first three quarters, with perhaps his finest grab coming on an over-the-shoulder dime from Brady in the first.

Comcast Sports Net's Tom E. Curran noted he was excellent on third down, while NFL.com's Albert Breer pointed out he may not even be completely healthy yet:

Gronkowski apparently overdid it a bit, as he left the game in the second half for dehydration, per ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss:

It didn't matter much, as the game—and Gronk's reputation as a destroyer of worlds—was already a foregone conclusion.

Gronkowski, when healthy, is quite possibly the premier TE1 in the league and could be set for another big game against the Broncos, a matchup that should feature plenty of offensive fireworks.

Miami Defense/Special Teams

Joel Auerbach/Getty Images

On a day where Miami's offense struggled, the defense took advantage of Bortles' lack of experience and posted a staggering 26 fantasy points in Week 8.

Safety Louis Delmas was responsible for most of the damage, taking a second quarter interception 81 yards to the end zone, and picking up a Bortles' fumble as well. The Miami Herald's Armando Salguero noted it was one of the Fins best defensive plays in quite some time:

Speaking of Grimes, he jumped an out route perfectly in the third quarter and took his pick 22 yards to the house, securing plenty of points for Miami D/ST fantasy owners.

Miami did a fine job of putting pressure on Bortles, picking up four sacks on the day.

The Dolphins did allow Shoelace Robinson to pick up over 100 yards rushing, but the turnovers and dismantling of the passing game more than made up for the lack of fortitude on the ground. 

This defense may be a bit of a one-hit wonder, as the Dolphins have to take on the San Diego Chargers in Week 9. Philip Rivers is playing some of the best football of his career and won't make the same blatant errors that Bortles did on Sunday.

Fantasy points and player stats courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.