NFL Week 8

Ten (Not So) Quick Hits:

1/ Oakland is suddenly the league's hottest team. They've won their last two games by a combined margin of 75 points and both their offense and defense continue to purr. I caught the last few minutes of their beatdown of Seahawks, when the game was already long gone, and all I can say is, that looked like one confident sideline.

2/ Why, oh, why did you allow yourself to be talked back into this league, Brett Favre? Your body can't take hits like this anymore.

3/ The Saints offense is clicking again and, just like year, it's impressive. Their short passing game took the sting out of the Steelers pass-rush (probably the best part of Pittsburgh's D) and took very calculated shots down-the-field. When you're making Steelers safety Troy Polamalu look bad in pass coverage – and New Orleans did that repeatedly – you know you're playing well.

4/ If Sunday showed us one thing, it's that having Matthew Stafford back healthy is going to make Detroit a lot better. I expect a big second half out of them.

5/ Is it weird that Chris Johnson is second in the league in rushing but, because of his lofty preseason goals and his 2000+ yards of last season, people seem to be considering his season so far a failure?

6/ The Jets offense certainly didn't play well (more on this later), but Green Bay's banged-up D more than played its part in shutting New York out.

7/ San Francisco has been crying out for a spark-plug all season, and though he is by no means the finished article, quarterback Troy Smith, with his mobility and the winner's mentality he acquired in college, may be just that.

8/ Every week, Dallas seems to hit rock bottom. And then they lose the next week too. They have a brutal last nine games, and the way they're playing right now, I could honestly see them finishing the year with three total wins or less. They haven't that bad since the late 1980s.

9/ I thought you were hurt, Antonio Gates...

10/ That was some press conference, Mr. Moss.

-Here's some of the studs of the week:

a. Jaguars quarterback David Garrard: Played as well as he ever has for Jacksonville, picking on a Cowboys defense that is giving up over 30 points a game on average the last four weeks. He was almost perfect, completing 17 of 21 passes for 4 touchdowns and 260 yards. Now if he can only do this, or something like it, consistently.

b. Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles: Averaged 8 yards a carry on a big day where he collected 177 yards on the ground. Didn't get into the endzone, but consistently broke big runs against the Bills.

c. Lions defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch: Picked on Redskins rookie left tackle Trent Williams all day, collecting two sacks – forcing a game-sealing fumble with one of them – and four other quarterback hits. That's exactly Jim Schwartz paid big free-agent bucks for him this offseason.

d. Raiders receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey: Caught five balls for 105 yards and a touchdown, showing his deep-threat ability. He took his knocks after being a major disappointment as a rookie last year, but he's beginning to show why Oakland liked him so high in that draft.

e. Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitus: Did everything you could possibly want out of a middle linebacker. He was all over the field: he made 7 tackles, got a sack, intercepted a pass, and defended another. The second year man is a big part of the Rams defensive improvement.

-Here's some of the goats of the week:

a. Jets offense: I usually put individuals, not entire units, here. That should give you an idea how bad the Jets offense was. Three turnovers inside Green Bay territory; numerous dropped passes; and a quarterback completing 42 percent of his passes and throwing two picks all added up to zero points on the board in four quarters of football. A missed 37-yard field goal by Nick Folk was as close as they got to troubling the scorers.

b. Cardinals quarterback Max Hall: Was benched before the end of the first half after throwing 2 interceptions and completing 8 of 16 passes for 71 yards. This has to be the week that Ken Whisenhunt figures out Hall isn't ready to be an NFL starting quarterback yet.

c. Seahawks offensive line: Completely overpowered by the Raiders front seven. They gave up eight sacks of Matt Hasselbeck (by five different players), allowed countless other pressure, and couldn't run block either: the Seahawks ended with 47 yards of net rushing on 19 attempts.

d. Panthers quarterback Matt Moore: Was back to his disappointing early season self against St. Louis. A paltry 51.0 quarterback rating and three interceptions thrown.

e. Steelers tight end Heath Miller: Made this list for just one play: this boneheaded one. Completely took the wind of Pittsburgh's sails.

-Rookie of the week: A committee: After scrounging around for potential candidates for my last few columns, there were suddenly too many good rookie performances to choose from on Sunday. There was Rams quarterback Sam Bradford leading his team back to .500, Tampa Bay running back LeGarette Blount vaulting his way to an excellent day and Ndamukong Suh sacking away and scoring his first NFL touchdown. Take your pick.

-Play of the Week: That's how you get low, Derek Cox.

-Ridiculous Play of the Week: If T.O. ever makes it to Canton, I bet this won't make it to his highlight reel.

Picking NFL Week 8

How I did last week: 8-6.

Not exactly clairvoyant (I picked the Broncos, who only lost by 45 points) but I'll always take a winning week any day.

Record on the season: 58-46

Inching (and that's no exaggeration) up towards 60 percent on my picks. That would be a nice number to hit.

Bills at Chiefs: The play of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has given hope to Buffalo fans. Hope at least that they might win one game at some point this season. Fitzpatrick quarterback rating on the season is 102.2, second only to Peyton Manning's, believe it or not. Talk about shining in obscurity. So yes, I predict the Bills will win a game this season, it just won't be against the upstart Chiefs at Arrowhead on Sunday. Chiefs.

Panthers at Rams: With Matt Moore suddenly back in form, this actually looks like a interesting game because Moore was so effective at running Carolina's offense when he started last year. But last year is last year, and Sam Bradford and the Rams organization is turning it around in 2010. Rams.

Broncos at 49ers: Call it a leap of faith but I like former Heisman winner Troy Smith getting the start ahead of David Carr at quarterback this week. I never felt that Smith got a fair shot at the starting job in Baltimore. But his main job on Sunday will be handing off to Frank Gore, who has to have a big game against the disappearing act that is Denver run's defense. 49ers

Redskins at Lions: Matthew Stafford's back. Great news for the Lions, but there's bound to be a bit of rustiness for the second-year man on Sunday. The Redskins have specialized in playing close games this year, and rustiness costs you in close games. Redskins.

Packers at Jets: Green Bay showed some signs of life against Minnesota last week after a disappointing 3-3 start. But the Jets have shown this season that they do many different things well. On top of that they're at home and have had a bye to rest up for this one. Jets.

Dolphins at Bengals: I liked Cincinnati in this one until I found out this nugget: the Bengals have only one fully fit cornerback, rookie Brandon Ghee, going into Sunday's game. Against a team with a big target like Brandon Marshall and one of the league's best slot receivers, Davone Bess, that's not great news. Dolphins.

Jaguars at Cowboys: This game has redemption victory written all over it for Dallas. Starting quarterback lost for the season, playoffs all but gone, ditto for the head coach, a furious owner, and players who want to prove they're better than the product they've been putting out on the field for the season's first seven weeks. Jon Kitna will pass for minimum 300 yards, and the Cowboys defense will come up with some big takeaways. Cowboys.

Titans at Chargers: If last Sunday's game against the Eagles proved anything, it's that the Titans doesn't need Chris Johnson to put points on the board. Even with Johnson being held to 66 yards, they still scored 37 points on Philly. On top of that, in terms of points allowed, the Titans D is much better than the Chargers. Titans.

Buccaneers at Cardinals: I wonder if a bookie would take a bet on third string Cardinals quarterback, John Skelton, getting into this game at some point.Bucs.

Vikings at Patriots: Brett Favre's streak of 316 straight starts (including playoff games) may well be in jeopardy on Sunday because of his ankle injury. Favre has hinted that he could play but Vikings head coach Brad Childress appears to be thinking that fielding a hurt Favre, who isn't playing very well anyway, might not be the best route for the franchise to take. Regardless of who starts under center, the Patriots, one the few consistently impressive teams in the league this year, will be too much for the Vikes to handle. Patriots.

Seahawks at Raiders: One question will determine the winner of this one: Can the Raiders run the ball on Seattle? Oakland rushed for 328 yards against Denver – with Darren McFadden accounting for over half of that – but the Seahawks have been miserly against the run this season, allowing just 77.5 yards of rushing a game (second only to the Steeler D). So it's strength against strength. And I've generally found that, when it comes to running the ball, a strong run defense will shut down a good runner. Seahawks.

Steelers at Saints: An interesting match-up between last year's Superbowl-winning team and the team that many think could be this year's champion. The Saints will want to show that they're not out of it yet, but neither their offense nor their defense has been as good as last season so far. Meanwhile, the Steelers defense might be the most impressive single unit (on either side of the ball) in the NFL at the moment. Steelers.

Texans at Colts: Houston finally beat longtime nemesis Indianapolis earlier this year. To repeat the upset they'll have to rely on a heavy dose of Arian Foster, as the Colts still rank in the top ten of the league's worst rushing defenses. The Foster surprise factor is gone this time around, however, while the Texans pass defense is so porous that it's giving up over 300 yards a game through the air. Can't see Peyton Manning missing out on that a second time. Colts.

NFL Week 8 Rankings

The Fab Five:

1. Saints (7-0): The Saints stayed unbeaten despite a stiff test from the Falcons. Until a team manages to stop their high-powered offense, it's hard to see them falling from the top spot.

2. Vikings (6-1): Yes, they have lost a game, but that loss came against the Steelers at Heinz Field, a tough game for any team in the league. Bottom line: I feel that the Vikings would beat the Colts if they played tomorrow, and that's why they sit at 2.

3. Colts (7-0): They may be undefeated, and have the best defense in terms of points allowed, but I can't ignore their weak schedule. They've only played one team with a winning record so far, the Cardinals at 4-3. In the next four weeks they play the Texans twice, the Patriots and the Ravens. After that stretch, we'll know a lot more about this team.

4. Broncos (6-1): Even the Broncos were given a real shellacking by the Ravens, I can't ignore their previous body of work, including impressive wins against the Cowboys, the Patriots, and the Chagers.

5. Patriots (5-2): I could have gone with a number of 5-2 teams here. Up to this point, very little separates the Patriots from the Cowboys, Eagles and Steelers. Even the Ravens could stake a claim to this spot. Why I went for the Patriots? I have a feeling Tom Brady will warmed up and ready for the big games against the Colts and the Saints next month.

The Fat Five:

32. Buccanneers (0-7): As the only team without a win, the Bucs were a slam dunk for this spot. They had the bye week to think about their beat down by the Pats. Is it time for rookie quaterback Josh Freeman to be handed the keys against Green Bay?

31. Browns (1-7): Rookie GM George Kokinis has been made the scapegoat for the Browns dismal start, as he was shown the door on Monday. I'm not sure the move will keep the fans off head coach Eric Mangini for too long though.

30. Lions (1-6): The Lions lost the battle of the basement against the Rams on Sunday. Rookie QB Matthew Stafford had a bad day, and the Lions couldn't stop Steven Jackson.

29. Chiefs (1-6): Coming off a bye week and the Larry Johnson distraction, the Chiefs should be wary of an angry Jacksonville who lost to the winless Titans.

28. Rams (1-6): The Rams and the Titans both won their first games this weekend, but still stake a claim to this spot. However I can't overlook the Titans' potential (they were 13-3 last year after all), especially if the resurrection of the 2007 version of Vince Young continues.

Photo: Associated Press

MNF Thoughts: Week 8: Falcons Vs Saints

-Drew Brees and the Saints offense wasn't in full steamroll mode but they had too much for the Falcons. Brees took some pressure and hits in the first half, and the Falcons ended up sticking around until the fourth quarter. However, despite some late game theatrics, the Saints were just a little too good for the Falcons. Brees had 308 yards passing, and spread the ball around well to his stable of receivers. Saints look awfully good at 7-0

-Matt Ryan has still got some learning to do: His nickname is “Matty Ice”, and everyone talks about how great Matt Ryan's decision-making is but, boy, was that an ugly throw at the end of the second quarter.

Ryan threw a pass that just wasn't there to Roddy White, which Saints corner back Jabari Greer intercepted and took to the house. That decision meant his team went in at halftime down by 14 instead of 7.

His second pick of the night came on a deflection by Saints 'backer Jonathan Vilma, so can't be entirely pinned on him, but it nonetheless occurred at a crucial moment in the game, in the fourth quarter, with the Falcons down four.

He also threw an interception the very end of the game on a Hail Mary toss.

-Brent Grimes is only 5ft 8. He had no right to get up that high to intercept Brees' pass in the first half. Man, what a vertical.

-The fall of Reggie Bush: Pierre Thomas was an undrafted running back out of Illinois in 2007. Not only did Mike Bell go undrafted out of Arizona in 2006 but he has already been cut by two NFL teams in his short career.

Yet both of them appear to be ahead of Reggie Bush, the second overall pick of that same 2006 draft, in the Saints rushing depth chart right now. Bell had 17 carries on the night, Thomas had 14 but Bush only had two. Bush, the former Heisman winner, seems to have had his role reduced to that of a part-time gadget player and return man.

The Saints coaches seem intent on working to help Bush regain his confidence. They put the ball in his hands from a few yards out for an easy score in the first half but more tellingly when faced with the same situation in the fourth quarter, it was Thomas' number that got called. The question is: how long can they continue to coddle their former prize pick?

NFL Week 8

-Brett Favre certainly enjoyed his return to Lambeau. He threw four touchdowns, to four different receivers. Although Green Bay managed to turn around what had all the makings of a blow out with the Vikings up 24-3 two minutes into the third quarter, Favre and the Vikings didn't let the momentum shift get to them first coming up with a number of big defensive plays, and a couple touchdown drives to finish the Packers off. Look out for Favre's budding relationship with rookie wide-out Percy Harvin, who is also a threat in the return game. Character questions caused Harvin to slide to 22^nd overall in the first round, but so far his head seems to be on straight, making him one of the steals of the draft.

-Both New York teams get cold: Through Week 4, the Giants were 4-0, and the Jets were 3-1, having just lost what was billed the game of the week against the red-hot Saints. Four weeks on and both teams sit at 4-4, with the Giants getting crushed by the Eagles, and the Jets losing another shoot-out with the Dolphins. In addition to Eli Manning inconsistent's play, the Giants much-heralded pass rush was non-existent against the Eagles, as McNabb picked their injury depleted secondary apart. With safety Kenny Philips is out for the year, and cornerback Aaron Ross missing Sunday's game with lingering hamstring issues, backups CC Brown and Michael Johnson and Terrell Thomas need to start performing.

For the Jets, the loss wasn't by as wide a margin, but it was perhaps more heartbreaking. Having already lost a Monday night thriller to the Dolphins, this time it was their turn to have the ball in the dying seconds with a chance to snatch the win. Sanchez took a sack on third down in the red zone, leaving him having to convert a fourth and thirteen. Pressured on the play, he backed up to the Dolphins' 30 before overthrowing his target in the end zone.

With the Yankees being as hot as they are right now, maybe there isn't enough room for another form team in the Big Apple at the moment.

-Baltimore look awfully good for a 4-3 team. First they lost to the Bengals when Carson Palmer connected with Andre Caldwell for the winning TD with 22 ticks remaining, then Steve Hauschka missed the go-ahead field goal with 2 seconds left against the Vikings. After two tough losses and coming off their bye, Baltimore looked like a hungry team against the Broncos. They knew they had a chance to knock off one of the last undefeated teams in the NFL, and came out firing.

Ed Reed's jarring hit caused Knowshon Moreno to fumble early on and was a sign of things to come. Baltimore's D shut down Orton and the Denver passing game, as receivers Brandon Marshall and Eddie Royal had quiet games. What a difference two weeks makes for the Broncos who were also coming off a bye. thoroughly dominated the Chargers the last time they took the field.

-Miles Austin may not have had his best game statistically but he is one of the hottest receivers in the NFL right now: His stat sheet for the day, 5 catches for 61 yards and a touchdown, doesn't tell the whole story. He tormented Marcus Truffant all day, causing him to concede two pass interference penalties, and drew enough attention to open up other receivers for Tony Romo. No coincidence that Romo had his best game of the year throwing for over 250 yards and three touchdowns. Austin did lose some style points however for failing to get up over the crossbar for a celebratory dunk on his touchdown.

-Always be wary of teams that win when they're off their game: How often do the Colts win when Manning doesn't throw a touchdown pass? Joseph Addai accounted for the Colts' only TD when he found Reggie Wayne in the corner of the end zone on a trick play, as they moved to 7-0. Their game against the Texans looks like one of the best matchups of next weekend.