NFL Scores Week 8: Results, Standings and Top Fantasy Stars from AFC, NFC Games
It's Week 8 of the 2017 season. And as we pass the halfway point for several teams, the standings are starting to crystallize, both in the NFL and your fantasy league.
As is usually the case, those two coincide. The teams gaining some separation in their divisions' standings generally feature some consistent fantasy contributors. On a week-to-week basis, they often have a top performer.
Did that trend hold in Week 8? Tables below show the standings, as well as results and each game's top performer.
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| Dolphins | 0-40 | Ravens | BAL D/ST | 0 points allowed, 2 INTs, 2 TDs |
| Vikings | 33-16 | Browns | Jerick McKinnon | 50 rush yds, 1 TD, 6 rec, 72 yds |
| Chargers | 13-21 | Patriots | Melvin Gordon | 132 rush yds, 1 TD |
| Panthers | 17-3 | Buccaneers | CAR D/ST | 3 points allowed, 2 fumbles recovered, 2 INTs |
| Falcons | 25-20 | Jets | Josh McCown | 26-of-33, 257 yds, 2 TDs |
| Raiders | 14-34 | Bills | LeSean McCoy | 151 rush yds, 1 TD, 6 rec, 22 yds |
| 49ers | 10-33 | Eagles | PHI D/ST | 10 points allowed, 2 INTs, 1 TD |
| Bears | 12-20 | Saints | Wil Lutz | 2-of-2 FGs, 2-of-2 XPs |
| Colts | 23-24 | Bengals | Andy Dalton | 17-of-29, 243 yds, 2 TDs |
| Texans | 38-41 | Seahawks | Deshaun Watson | 19-of-30, 402 yds, 4 TDs, 3 INTs, 67 rush yds |
| Cowboys | 33-19 | Redskins | Ezekiel Elliott | 150 rush yds, 2 TDs |
| Steelers | 20-15 | Lions | JuJu Smith-Schuster | 7 rec, 193 yds, 1 TD |
| Patriots | 6 | 2 |
| Bills | 5 | 2 |
| Dolphins | 4 | 3 |
| Jets | 3 | 5 |
| Steelers | 6 | 2 |
| Ravens | 4 | 4 |
| Bengals | 3 | 4 |
| Browns | 0 | 8 |
| Titans | 4 | 3 |
| Jaguars | 4 | 3 |
| Texans | 3 | 4 |
| Colts | 2 | 6 |
| Chiefs | 5 | 2 |
| Broncos | 3 | 3 |
| Chargers | 3 | 5 |
| Raiders | 3 | 5 |
| Eagles | 7 | 1 |
| Cowboys | 4 | 3 |
| Redskins | 3 | 4 |
| Giants | 1 | 6 |
| Vikings | 6 | 2 |
| Packers | 4 | 3 |
| Lions | 3 | 4 |
| Bears | 3 | 5 |
| Saints | 5 | 2 |
| Panthers | 5 | 3 |
| Falcons | 4 | 3 |
| Buccaneers | 2 | 5 |
| Seahawks | 5 | 2 |
| Rams | 5 | 2 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 4 |
| 49ers | 0 | 8 |
The Buffalo Bills are keeping pace with the New England Patriots in the AFC East thanks in large part to their explosive running back, LeSean McCoy.
After a rough start through the first five weeks, in which he averaged 56 yards and no touchdowns per game, McCoy has exploded since Buffalo's bye.
Last week, he went for 91 yards and two touchdowns. And in Sunday's 34-14 win over the Oakland Raiders, he added another 151 yards and this score shared by the NFL:
With McCoy seemingly in rhythm now, Buffalo's offense should be significantly more dynamic.
Baltimore Defense/Special Teams
This section could easily be devoted to the ineptitude of the Miami Dolphins offense, but the Baltimore Ravens deserve plenty of credit for Thursday's 40-0 demolition.
Not only did Baltimore's defense shut Miami out, it had two pick-sixes, including this one from C.J. Mosley, as seen on the NFL's Twitter account:
In terms of wins and losses, Baltimore's been up and down this season, but the defense has been fairly consistent. After Thursday's performance, it now ranks eighth in average yards allowed per play and first in total takeaways.
If the Ravens can maintain that level of play on the defensive side of the ball, the wins should start to add up.
Jerick McKinnon
The Minnesota Vikings cruised past the Cleveland Browns on the way to a 33-16 victory in London, England. And running back Jerick McKinnon was a big reason why.
McKinnon was a weapon in both the running and passing game, as he finished with 50 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground to go with his six receptions and 72 receiving yards.
As the NFL shared, he had plenty of reason to celebrate:
With Minnesota now 6-2, McKinnon rolling and Teddy Bridgewater reportedly near full health, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, things are looking up for the Vikings.
Deshaun Watson
Houston Texans rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson entered Week 8 averaging 22.8 fantasy points per game. Alex Smith was the only quarterback ahead of him, with 22.9.
Barring a monster performance from Smith on Monday Night Football, Watson will hold the crown for most productive fantasy quarterback for at least the next week.
On Sunday, Watson put up his fourth straight monster performance, going 19-of-30 for 402 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions.
His average outing since Week 4? Just 292.8 yards, four touchdowns and 1.3 interceptions. He simply looks unstoppable right now.
Unfortunately for Texans fans, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson went bomb for bomb with Watson and finished with 452 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.
The epic shootout between Watson and Wilson finished as a 41-38 win for the Seahawks. And the NFL shared video of the game-winning score:
The victory moves the Seahawks to 5-2, deadlocked with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC West. Their second matchup of the season, set for December 17, is sure to have playoff implications.
Ezekiel Elliott
In Week 2, the Denver Broncos held Ezekiel Elliott to a whopping eight yards and zero touchdowns on nine carries. Since then, he has 578 yards and six touchdowns on 131 carries.
Sunday's performance, in which he went for 150 yards and two scores, brought his averages for the last five games to 115.6 yards and 1.2 touchdowns.
The NFL shared one of his Week-8 scores:
Elliott appears to have found a rhythm now. And the Dallas Cowboys are back to relying heavily on him on offense. If he can keep this up, it should eventually open things up for Dak Prescott.
It may be tough to catch the 7-1 Philadelphia Eagles at this point, but if the offense is back on track, the 4-3 Cowboys should be very much in the playoff hunt.
JuJu Smith-Schuster
Pittsburgh Steelers rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster broke out in a big way on Sunday Night Football, hauling in s passes for a whopping 193 yards and a touchdown.
And, oh, that touchdown? It was this 97-yarder shared by the NFL:
Pittsburgh's offense already boasts Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell. Adding the speed of Smith-Schuster makes the Steelers even more dynamic. Especially if he's going to keep breaking off 20-plus mph sprints:
It's taken a while for this team to get going, but it looks like all the weapons are firing up now.
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