2026 NFL Week 8 Biggest Takeaways for Every Team

The NFL landscape dramatically changed prior to the start of Week 8 action since some teams already turned into pumpkins before Halloween.

All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks. The Indianapolis Colts also traded defensive lineman DeForest Buckner to the San Francisco 49ers. The Chicago Bears raided the AFC South as well by acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons from the Tennessee Titans.

All of that happened before the Carolina Panthers and Green Bay Packers officially took the field for Thursday Night Football .

As always, Bleacher Report NFL analysts Brent Sobleski , Kris Knox , and Moe Moton will follow all of the weekend's action to break down the biggest stories and questions coming out of each contest.

Will the Green Bay Packers Eventually Run The Ball With Any Effectiveness?

The Packers now sit at 5-3 despite fielding the league's worst rushing offense. As the Amazon Prime telecast noted, Green Bay became the first team in NFL history to own a winning record through eight games despite running for fewer than 500 yards.

During Thursday's contest, the Packers barely eclipsed their season-average by running for 66 yards. The team averaged 2.5 yards per carry. Josh Jacobs' return to the lineup has not helped. He carried the ball 32 times for only 75 yards over the last two games.

Yet Green Bay's offense remains competitive, because Jordan Love is playing at a relatively high level despite multiple issues around the quarterback position. Furthermore, Christian Watson and Matthew Golden are explosive targets, as long as they hold onto the ball.

Packers' Defense is Only Going to Get Better

Green Bay sacked Carolina Panthers' Bryce Young six times, hit the quarterback nine times and pressured him on 22 dropbacks, according to ESPN Stats & Info (h/t Mike Kaye ).

To understand how dominant the performance was, the Packers accumulated as many sacks as Young completed passes when pressured. Interestingly, each of the quarterback takedowns came from different Green Bay defenders.

The group did this without Micah Parsons in the lineup. Eventually, he's going to return and make the entire unit more potent, even if he's not quite as explosive because opponents will still key on the three-time first-team All-Pro.

Furthermore, Zaire Franklin didn't play Thursday due to a knee injury, but he's not expected to be out long.

Green Bay is flawed, particularly on offense, but the Packers' top 10 defense can carry its share of the responsibility plus more.

Panthers QB Bryce Young Desperately Needs Help

As the calendar flips to November, Young is no longer in the MVP conversation. He was to start the season, but everything has fallen apart around the quarterback.

Carolina's offensive line is a mess. Left guard Damien Lewis didn't play Thursday, and the Panthers certainly felt his absence. Rookie Monroe Freeling remains at right tackle after veteran Taylor Moton suffered a fractured fibula.

Green Bay pressured Young on nearly half of his dropbacks. The Panthers averaged under 3.6 yards per carry. The unit was also incapable of creating explosive plays based on how its currently constructed. As a result, Young has thrown from fewer than 210 yards in back-to-back games

Will Lee III is the latest Panthers cornerback to leave the lineup due to injury.

Based on Carolina's depth chart, the team is now down to its fifth and sixth cornerbacks if someone doesn't return in the short term. Starters Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are already on injured reserve. Throw Akayleb Evans onto that list. Lee is likely out for some time after pulling a hamstring. As a result, Green Bay had little trouble throwing the ball during Thursday's matchup. Watson and Golden combined to grab 15 catches for 192 yards.

The Panthers could be leaning heavily on Chau Smith-Wade and Marco Wilson in the coming weeks unless someone else is signed or brought in via trade.

The calendar officially flips to November and division rivalries kick into overdrive. Seven of Sunday's matchups are between divisional opponents, with the top spots in the AFC North and AFC West up for grabs when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs travel to the Mile High City.

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills (1 pm)

Tennessee Titans at Cincinnati Bengals (1 pm)

Arizona Cardinals at Dallas Cowboys (1 pm)

Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (1 pm)

Las Vegas Raiders at New York Jets (1 pm)

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers (1 pm)

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 pm)

Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars (1 pm)

Los Angeles Chargers at Los Angeles Rams (4:05 pm)

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (4:25 pm)

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (4:25 pm)

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders (8:20 pm)

[ Editor's Note: All times are Eastern Standard Time .]

Monday Night Football: Chicago Bears at Seattle Seahawks

Both the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks entered the NFL's arms race this past week by addressing their trenches.

Jeffery Simmons and Quenton Nelson will don new uniforms for the first time in their careers yet go head-to-head after battling for years as part of their previous AFC South franchises.

Each should help elevate their respective newfound franchise as both organizations go all-in to make a run through the second half of the 2026 campaign.

Javonte Carries Cowboys Back Into Race 😤