NFL Picks Week 8: Underrated Teams Who'll Rejoin Playoff Picture with Big Win

Put down your draft magazine. Wipe away those tears. Your team may not have gotten off to the start you wanted, but there is still a glimmer of hope for several dejected teams, some whose fanbases have already called it quits.

There are teams going from Suck for Luck hopefuls to playoff dark horses, and a big win this week will be another steps toward earning some much-needed confidence heading into the second half of the season.

Here are two underrated teams who will rejoin playoff talks after winning big in Week 8.

Kansas City Chiefs

Don't look now, but the Chiefs are rolling. They lost their best player on both sides of the ball to start their season, and felt sorry for themselves for the first three games of the season, but have since turned things around and have moved to 3-3.

They took down the Raiders last week, and a win over the Chargers on Monday Night Football wouldn't just put them back on the AFC map, it would make them the favorites in the division.

Arrowhead has been rejuvenated, and Philip Rivers is struggling. He threw two picks and no touchdowns last time he squared off against the Chiefs, and barely escaped at home by a field-goal margin. Now, he's got to go on the road against a team who has new life.

Aside from the Chiefs, the Chargers haven't beaten a single team with over two wins this season. Their soft schedule has people overrating the Chargers in a major way.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars came away with a huge win last week against the Ravens. All of a sudden, they're just two games away from the Texans. A win over Houston would turn the division on its ear, and Jacksonville has the tools to pull it off.

Maurice Jones-Drew has over 80 yards in every game he's played this season. The Jaguars are one dimensional, but they're great at what they do. When their defense performs up to its potential, they can ride MoJo to a victory against even the best teams in the league.

With Mario Williams and Andre Johnson falling to injury, the Texans enter this game without their best offensive and defensive player. Ray Rice managed to penetrate their defense and rush for over 100 yards in Week 6, and the Jaguars will replicate that success.

Arian Foster has been up and down all season long. He's an All-Pro, he's a one-hit wonder, he's healthy, he's hurting—it's exhausting. Foster is coming off a monster game with over 100 yards receiving and rushing, but the Jaguars have a top-10 run defense and Foster won't be able to turn his recent success into a string of great games.

The Jaguars have the most underrated defense in the league. By turning this game into a defensive struggle and turning it into a war on the ground between two of the league's best, Jacksonville gives themselves the upper hand against a far more talented team.