The NFL Roundup 2018: Week 8 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​You know, the only word going through my mind right now when it comes to Week 8 in the NFL, is wow. Because this weekend was full of some incredible surprises, some record-breaking performances and some thrilling matchups. So, let’s waste zero time today and get down to recapping the top stories from the field and discussing what we learned from this weekend’s slate of games.
 
The New Orleans Saints are the real deal.
Let’s be honest, a lot of our attention this year has been focused upon the Chiefs and the Rams, because they are some dynamic and amazing teams to watch on Sundays. But one cannot forget about the New Orleans Saints, who have quietly put together a 6-1 record thanks to some powerhouse offense from Drew Brees and some surprisingly stout defense when the proverbial chips are down and well, after watching this team dismantle the Vikings in Minnesota, it’s high time we give this team the respect that they deserve. They’re for real, they’re a playoff contender and I expect them to continue their winning ways and potentially give the NFC’s elite a run for their money on their way to the postseason.
 
The Hue Jackson era has finally come to an end in Cleveland.
Perhaps the biggest surprise of 2017 to me, was the sheer fact that Hue Jackson was given another shot to turn the Browns around after a dismal 0-16 campaign. I’m not sure what Hue said to convince Owner Jimmy Haslam to give him another shot, but he talked his way into it and well, what a disaster that turned out to be. Because despite having better talent on the roster this year and the franchise finally getting it right at the quarterback position with the selection of Baker Mayfield in the draft, this team still stunk it up and well, Monday morning the organization made the right decision and sent Hue and Offensive Coordinator Todd Haley packing, giving the Browns a solid chance to pick the right person to develop the team’s franchise QB and lead this team back to some semblance of glory.
 
Adam Vinatieri is truly at the top of the NFL world.
Regardless of your stance on NFL records, and how they are falling at an incredible rate right now, I think we can all agree on one thing, what a time it is to be a football fan. Because to see this kind of history being made is just magical in its own right, but if I had to wager, one particular record that was recently shattered may actually stand for quite some time, because it takes a true iron man to shatter the all-time points record, and it now belongs to Colts Kicker Adam Vinatieri and well, I have to tip my cap to Adam simply because, this really is quite the accomplishment and his incredible leg and accuracy helped guide him to this prestigious record and I’ve no doubt that this is nothing more than the final exclamation point on his Hall of Fame resumé since Adam is one of the greatest kickers to ever play the game.
 
The Houston Texans continue to impress.
You know, I’ll be perfectly honest, I more or less left the Houston Texans for dead earlier this season thanks to their abysmal 0-3 start. But clearly something happened in that locker room after those ugly losses and this team quickly jelled together and put together a four-game winning streak before entering Sunday’s game against Miami and well, they looked impressive again. They simply scored at will against the Dolphins, dropping 42 on them and at this rate, they look downright unstoppable thanks to quality offensive play and their defense can light it up at will and well, this team may be the biggest surprise of the 2018 season with this kind of turnaround. Either way, I am happy to eat some crow when it comes to the Texans and give them the respect they are due because they are a phenomenal football team.
 
The Los Angeles Rams are still the team to beat in the NFL.
We’ve reached an important turning point in the Rams season, in that, this is where fans and writers begin to ponder as to whether or not this team can go 16-0, or if they can run the table and win the Super Bowl. But, when it comes to football, I’m not someone who subscribes to that kind of chatter. The Rams will lose this year, several times potentially. But regardless of whether they drop one or four, they will still be the team to beat in the NFL, because no matter the odds this team simply does not back down. They handle adversity better than any other squad in the NFL and for proof, just look at this Sunday’s game against the Packers. Because Green Bay stood tall and worked hard for the comeback, but the Rams never let up, answered when they needed to and took full advantage of Green Bay’s mistakes and that kind of confidence is almost impossible to break and I wish every team that thinks they can rattle them, the best of luck come gameday…

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