NFL Contenders and Pretenders for Week 8

Entering Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season, some teams are on a winning streak, and that’s often a good sign mid-season. In this post, we’re going to handpick four teams and one entire division on a streak and breakdown their Week 8 matchups to see if they can keep hope alive.

The teams we have selected to discuss this week include the entire AFC North - Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Cincinnati - who are a combined 8-0 over the last two weeks, with no team below .500 on the season. We’ll also look at the Jets, Jaguars, Chiefs, and (for contrast) the Detroit Lions, who just took a beating from Baltimore, but were on a four-game winning streak prior to that.

Which of these teams is a legit contender in Week 8 and who has a matchup that you can exploit to win your weekly Pick X contest on Splash? Let’s get into it!

Baltimore Ravens (W2) @ Arizona Cardinals (L4)

The Ravens are riding high after a 38-6 drubbing of the Detroit Lions in front of a home crowd in Week 7. Baltimore dominated in all facets of that game. The defense was outstanding and Lamar Jackson showed he is still one of the best dual-threat QBs in the league. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have lost four straight by an average of more than 16 points. The Cardinals' last win came at home against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, an outcome that shocked many. But that result was much more a factor of Dallas’ poor play than Arizona’s talent level, or capabilities. Ride the hot team. Pick the Baltimore Ravens.

Pittsburgh Steelers (W2) vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (W4)

Pittsburgh has rattled off two good wins in a row against Baltimore and the Los Angeles Rams, and now settles in for a stretch of three home games, starting by hosting the red-hot Jacksonville Jaguars. The Steelers formula for success for the past two weeks has been to harass the QB on defense while containing top players and limiting turnovers by the offense. It is classic Steelers style and it is working. Jacksonville has been winning in a different way. Over the last four games, Jacksonville has won by an average of 10 points, largely by getting good work from QB Trevor Lawrence (5 TDs vs. 1 INT) and RB Travis Etienne Jr. (299 yards and 6 TDs). The Jaguars are also good (3-0) as an away team. I think this will be a dogfight but Pittsburgh’s defense will make the difference at home. Pick the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Cleveland Browns (W2) @ Seattle Seahawks (W1)

The Cleveland Browns have a great defense though it sure didn’t look that way in a 39-38 nailbiter of a win over the Colts in Week 7. Despite trouble moving the ball on offense, the Browns managed to win the turnover battle +3 and have a perfect day in the kicking game -- just enough to get over the top of Indy. The defense was also the difference vs San Francisco in Week 6. Seattle, meanwhile, has an identical 4-2 record and is coming off a win against the Cardinals in a game that was closer than it needed to be. Seattle’s defense is also quite good, allowing just less than 20 points per game, while the offense has sputtered the last four weeks after posting an average of nearly 35 points per game through the first three weeks. We’re going to stick with our AFC North theme here, even on the road against a quality opponent. Pick the Cleveland Browns.

Cincinnati Bengals (W2) @ San Francisco 49ers (L1)

The Bengals are coming off a week’s rest preceded by wins over the Cardinals and Seahawks to pull to 3-3 on the season. QB Joe Burrow has been more efficient during that stretch, posting 5 TDs vs. 2 INTs in the two wins. The key to success has been getting star WR Ja’Marr Chase more involved (over the last two games: 32 targets, 21 receptions, 272 yards, and 3 touchdowns). As I write this, the 49ers, who lost to the Browns in Week 6, are preparing for a MNF game against Minnesota. The big storyline there is the health of WR Deebo Samuel (out), and star RB Christian McCaffery, who is questionable to play. If McCaffery is healthy, you have to go with the 49ers at home in this game. If he’s not, and Cincinnati can find a way to move the ball on the ground, it could get interesting. Pick the San Francisco 49ers.

New York Jets (W2) @ New York Giants (W1)

It doesn’t matter that they are in different conferences and only play each other every few years; these two teams do not like one another and when they clash it is usually a hard-fought game. The Jets are riding high after wins at Denver in Week 5 and in a Week 6 shocker over the vaunted Philadelphia Eagles. The difference was the turnover margin (+4 in each game). That’s both a result of active defensive play and efficiency on offense. The New York Giants, on the other hand, are celebrating their first win in five attempts after edging Washington 14-7 in Week 7. The return of RB Saquon Barkley was the difference in that game, but he’s right back to questionable for the NYJ match-up with another injury. Neither team is great but the Jets are better, and hotter, and coming off rest. Pick the New York Jets.

Kansas City (W6) @ Denver Broncos (W1)

The Chiefs are the top team in the AFC and arguably the best in the league as we near the midway point of the season. After stumbling out of the gates vs. Detroit, KC has rattled off six wins in a row by an average of 12 points per game. Their defense is top five by points allowed and the offense is tied for fifth by points scored.  Patrick Mahomes has a 101 passer rating on the season and TE Travis Kelce is shaking off small injuries to post big numbers the last two games in a row (total: 21 receptions, 303 yards). Denver is Denver. They beat a bad Packers team in Week 7. That’s not going to happen against Kansas City in 2023, not even at home. Pick the Kansas City Chiefs.

Detroit Lions (L1) vs. Las Vegas Raiders (L1)

The day after getting thumped by the Baltimore Ravens, the Detroit Lions and The Motor City are reeling. The jabber on local sports radio has gone all SOL (Same Old Lions). How bad is it? Local network coverage actually cutaway to TB vs. ATL when the Lions score got to 35-0 for the Ravens. This is on the heels of the previous weeks’ fan proclamations that ‘the Super Bowl’ goes through Detroit! Take a breath Lions fans -- it’s just one game and this franchise needed the loss. The Raiders, meanwhile, are acting like the Raiders do -- inconsistently and seemingly without a plan. In a Week 7 battle of backup QBs, the Raiders got thumped by the Bears by a score of 30-12, and it wasn’t really that close. With or without a healthy Jimmy G., this is not a team built to travel for a visit with what will no doubt be a very motivated Lions team in Week 8. Check RB David Montgomery’s status before game time, but I like the home team to get its house back in order in this game. Pick the Detroit Lions.