What did we learn in NFL Week 8? Our big takeaways and looming questions off every single game

Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season began in Los Angeles on Thursday night, with quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers cruising to a win over the Vikings. Herbert threw three touchdown passes and rushed for 62 yards, while rookie tight end Oronde Gadsden II continued his hot start with 77 yards and a touchdown.

In the early window Sunday, running back James Cook III carried the Bills to a blowout win over the Panthers. He finished with 216 rushing yards through three quarters, the most by any NFL player since 2018. The Eagles also got a vintage performance from running back Saquon Barkley, who led them to a big win over his former team in the Giants.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.

Jump to:
SF-HOU | CLE-NE | NYG-PHI
BUF-CAR | MIN-LAC

Houston 26, San Francisco 15

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Texans

Can this pass protection continue for quarterback C.J. Stroud? When Stroud has protection, he's proven he can shred a defense. He proved that today, as he threw for 318 yards with two touchdowns. He was pressured on only 19% of his 42 dropbacks, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, and wasn't sacked. It will be interesting to see if the Texans and Stroud continue this momentum into their matchup against the Broncos, who currently lead the league with 34 sacks.

Trend to watch: The Texans' defensive line only has nine sacks in the past five games after starting the first two weeks with seven sacks. Houston finished last season tied for fourth in sacks (49), so we know that they are capable of producing much more in the future. -- DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: vs. Broncos (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

49ers

Should this loss make the 49ers more or less urgent before the trade deadline? After the Texans dominated them for most of the game, it was made clear how much help San Francisco needs. That's especially true on the defensive line, where pressure was nearly non-existent and two more starters -- defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and defensive end Sam Okuayinonu -- left the game with ankle injuries. But this game also brought to light issues in pass protection, coverage and tackling in the back seven. A trade or two could undoubtedly help the Niners, but giving up valuable draft picks for temporary fixes likely wouldn't be enough to make them a Super Bowl contender -- and could also do more harm than good in the long-term.

Stat to know: After 14 games and 469 pass attempts, the 49ers finally got an interception. Cornerback Deommodore Lenoir picked off an errant Stroud pass to end the first half, bringing an end to the longest active streak in the NFL. Lenoir's attempt to return it for a touchdown went for naught though, as he didn't get out of bounds or down quickly enough to give the Niners a last-second field goal attempt. -- Nick Wagoner

Next game: at Giants (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

New England 32, Cleveland 13

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Patriots

What step did quarterback Drake Maye take as he continues to build his MVP candidacy? Maye was under siege in the first half against a relentless Myles Garrett and the Browns defense, which led to Maye's first interception since Week 3. But he didn't back down and then took over the game after halftime with a mix of what has made him so potent this season -- running, keeping plays alive in the pocket and focusing his eyes downfield to connect on passing plays. Despite being sacked six times, Maye finished with 282 passing yards (171 coming on throws of 15-plus air yards), three touchdowns and 50 rushing yards on seven carries.

Turning point: The entire third quarter. The Patriots led 9-7 at halftime and Garrett was wreaking havoc, but after an initial stop on defense in the third quarter, New England exploded for three touchdowns in a 21-point quarter as the Patriots found the key to neutralizing Garrett. All three touchdowns were throws by Maye, who became the first Patriots quarterback to throw for three touchdowns in a game since Tom Brady on Dec. 9, 2018 at Miami. -- Mike Reiss

Next game: vs. Falcons (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

play

0:36

Drake Maye throws a precision TD pass to Kayshon Boutte

Draye Maye lets a 39-yard pass fly to Kayshon Boutte for a touchdown to put the Patriots on top 30-7.

Browns

How much longer will the Browns stick with Dillon Gabriel at quarterback? One week after finally eclipsing 17 points, Cleveland's offense reverted to its old form, mustering two touchdowns in the loss at New England. Gabriel also couldn't take care of the ball -- the one thing coaches had consistently praised him for -- with two interceptions. Backup quarterback Shedeur Sanders was inactive because of a back injury, but the calls for him to play will only grow louder after the Browns' Week 9 bye, which should give Sanders even more time to heal. And if Gabriel's struggles continue, Cleveland might have to consider making a move sooner rather than later.

Stat to know: With his first of five sacks, Garrett passed Reggie White for the most sacks by a player (108.5) before turning 30 since sacks became an official stat in 1982. Garrett's first two sacks came in the red zone on third down and forced the Patriots to settle for a field goal. The five-sack total marks a franchise record and career-high for Garrett for a single game. -- Daniel Oyefusi

Next game: at Jets (Nov. 9, 1 p.m. ET)

Philadelphia 38, N.Y. Giants 20

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Eagles

Is this version of Saquon Barkley here to stay? We'll have to see about his health first: He came up limping after a 28-yard run at the end of the third quarter and did not return due to a groin injury. The Eagles definitely found something in the ground game against New York that had been missing all season. Barkley eclipsed 100 yards rushing for the first time all year. It looked just like 2024 when he reached a speed of over 21 miles per hour during a 65-yard run on the second play from scrimmage, with the play well schemed and well blocked. Barkley said this week he felt like he was the same player, and he looked it Sunday thanks to a nice variety of run calls by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and sound execution up front.

Most surprising performance: Reserve running back Tank Bigsby had 87 yards rushing on eight carries in the win. He was acquired from the Jaguars in September for a pair of draft picks and primarily used as a kick returner for the first handful of games. That didn't go as well as hoped, but he has started getting more work in the backfield of late and has capitalized with a handful of chunk runs. The Eagles have a good running back rotation going right now with Barkley, Bigsby and Will Shipley. With Bigsby more active, AJ Dillon has dropped to fourth on the depth chart. -- Tim McManus

Next game: at Packers (Nov. 10, 8:15 p.m. ET)

play

0:20

Live on FOX: Hurts finds Goedert for a 6-yard TD

Jalen Hurts fires a quick pass to Dallas Goedert who finds the end zone to increase the Eagles' lead over the Giants.

Giants

What now for the Giants offense after RB Cam Skattebo's injury? Losing Skattebo for the season is a massive blow. His gruesome ankle injury in the second quarter left teammates visibly disturbed. Skattebo was becoming a playmaker for the Giants and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart. He scored his seventh touchdown in the first quarter of Sunday's contest. Skattebo's absence leaves the Giants even more shorthanded on offense, as Dart is already operating without star receiver Malik Nabers. The offense struggled without them, totaling less than 200 yards until the final two drives when the game was out of hand.

Trend to watch: The Giants were 31st in the NFL allowing 5.2 yards per carry entering Sunday. That only got worse when Barkley and the Eagles ran all over them for 277 rushing yards. Barkley averaged 10.7 yards per carry in this contest. The Eagles averaged 8.4 per carry. The run defense, for the third straight season, remains a real problem for New York. Even on second-and-26 in the fourth quarter, the Giants immediately allowed a 29-yard run. It's hard for them to win with this deficiency. -- Jordan Raanan

Next game: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Buffalo 40, Carolina 9

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Bills

Can the Bills' defense use this game as a jumping off point? Buffalo's defense came out of the bye in total command, allowing nine points, sacking Andy Dalton seven times and forcing three takeaways after not recording more than one in any of the six previous games. The Panthers were held to one of their lowest rushing totals of the season (114 yards). These are promising signs for a unit that has struggled to find consistency, but the long-term picture is clouded by the status of defensive tackle Ed Oliver, who was quickly ruled out with a biceps injury in the first half.

Most surprising performance: Running back James Cook III. It's not a surprise Cook had a big day; he's been strong all season. But it was the level of Sunday's performance. He had a career-high 216 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns against a defense that allowed more than 100 rushing yards in only three of their first seven games. Cook broke several records Sunday, including the most rushing yards by one player in a single game against the Panthers. -- Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)

Panthers

What happened to the run defense? This looked more like the NFL's worst defense in 2024, not the one ranked eighth against the run heading into Sunday. But the blowout loss to the Bills was a complete disaster, full of bad tackling and no gap control. Carolina had allowed just 131 rushing yards over the previous three games combined, but Cook had 130 yards rushing before contact in the first half. This was an embarrassing effort.

What to make of the QB performance: As Bryce Young's replacement, Dalton was as bad as the Carolina run defense. The 37-year-old's interception and two lost fumbles led to 17 points for Buffalo. He took sacks he shouldn't have. He's 1-6 as a starter in his three seasons with Carolina. It may be time for the Panthers to develop another backup. -- David Newton

Next game: at Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

L.A. Chargers 37, Minnesota 10

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Chargers

Can the Chargers survive another injury storm? This was the game in which the Chargers were finally supposed to be back to full health: offensive tackles Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins III were both active, and linebackers Khalil Mack and Denzel Perryman were also back for a second game together. But the Chargers sustained more injuries Thursday. Safety Derwin James Jr. (ankle), cornerback Tarheeb Still (knee) and right guard Mekhi Becton (knee) didn't finish the game. Coach Jim Harbaugh had no update on their injuries postgame, but losing three impact players could significantly hurt the Chargers moving forward.

Most surprising performance: Quarterback Justin Herbert has a new favorite target: rookie Oronde Gadsden II. The fifth-round pick caught five passes for 77 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first rookie tight end since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 240 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a two-game span. More important, Gadsden caught all of the passes targeted to him. -- Kris Rhim

Next game: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Vikings

Is it J.J. McCarthy time? It has to be, right? Carson Wentz has filled in as an average backup quarterback, winning two of five starts, but has provided no indication that he's ready to be the next veteran reclamation of coach Kevin O'Connell. McCarthy has hit the high end of the timetable for healing his right high ankle sprain (six weeks). McCarthy performed poorly in his first two NFL starts, finishing with a QBR (20.3) that ranked second-to-last in the NFL at the time, but he needs to play. That's the Vikings' top organizational priority, and if it doesn't happen next week, when will it?

Most surprising performance: The Chargers gashed the Vikings' defense in every way imaginable. Some opponents have managed to accumulate yards against them this season, but before Thursday night, the Vikings had at least limited scoring. They entered the game tied for No. 10 in the NFL with 20 points allowed per game. But they had no answers for Herbert, who weaved through their blitzes to rush for 62 yards and also threw three touchdown passes. The Chargers faced little resistance in amassing 419 total yards and 29 first downs. -- Kevin Seifert

Next game: at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)