Assessing performances and assigning report card marks to every franchise competing in Week 8
Nov 2, 2026
at
11:41 pm ET
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20 min read
Greetings and welcome to our Week 8 team evaluations!
This slate of games could ultimately be remembered as one of the most peculiar weekends in league history: one franchise secured a victory despite failing to connect on a single throw, an unprecedented final scoreline was recorded, and Baltimore suffered injuries to a pair of signal-callers prior to halftime.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the unusual events that unfolded:
- Baker Mayfield missed on all three of his pass attempts during Tampa Bay’s 16-0 shutout against Atlanta. With that outcome, the Buccaneers became the initial franchise since 1974 to earn a victory without completing a pass.
- Atlanta permitted Tampa Bay to rack up 324 yards on the ground, representing the highest rushing total allowed in a single contest in franchise history.
- Baltimore became the inaugural squad since 2017 to feature three separate passers taking snaps during the opening half. Lamar Jackson exited on their first play from scrimmage owing to a thumb issue, while Tyler Huntley subsequently departed in the second period with a toe ailment. That left undrafted newcomer Joe Fagnano as the sole available quarterback on their depth chart.
- Cincinnati outlasted Tennessee 43-36, generating a scorigami (signifying that this particular final score had never occurred previously in NFL history).
- Dallas surrendered a 14-point advantage in the final period, a historic collapse for the franchise. The Cowboys had amassed a 202-0-1 record on home turf when holding a lead of 14 points or greater entering the fourth quarter before relinquishing a 24-10 edge to fall against Arizona on Sunday.
- Jahmyr Gibbs shredded Minnesota’s defense for 153 rushing yards, becoming the first athlete since 2011 to gain at least 150 yards on the ground against an opponent carrying an unbeaten record of 6-0 or better into the matchup.
- Additionally, Monday night saw Seattle’s impressive run come to a sudden halt. The Seahawks had completed 30 consecutive contests without suffering a defeat by five points or more, but that run was snapped during a primetime setback against Chicago. This marked the fourth-longest stretch without a loss of five or more points since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.
Turning our attention to the Bears and Seahawks, let’s examine the weekly report cards, beginning with Chicago’s decisive victory.
Bears defeat Seahawks 34-17
