Seven Game-Changing Factors To Watch For During Week 8 Of The NFL Season

The midpoint of the 2026 NFL season is quickly approaching and narratives are being to take full form. Standings are becoming solidified. Tiers are being formed, and favorites are being identified.

But there’s still plenty of time for those narratives to shift. If they’re going to do so, they need to begin with Week 8, where a number of teams will determine which direction their season is likely to head.

The NFL trade deadline is just under two weeks away, and some teams, namely the Colts and Titans, have already positioned themselves as sellers. Meanwhile, others, such as the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, need to make a call on which way they’re headed.

With that being said, we’re taking a look at the biggest factors that could determine how Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season pans out.

Lamar Jackson Is Back In Action

Lamar Jackson participated in drills at Wednesday’s practice, working on taking snaps and dropping back to pass.

Is this a sign that he could be available Sunday?

🎥: Josh Tolentino, Brian Wacker https://t.co/CzQQk4bsDD

— The Baltimore Sun (@baltimoresun) October 28, 2026

At 4-3 on the season, the Baltimore Ravens are in a bit of a unique position. On one hand, they survived three games without superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson and remained above .500.

On the other hand, that 4-3 record still puts them in last place in a surprisingly strong AFC North.

Now, Jackson is set to make his return on Sunday as the Ravens travel to the 5-1 Buffalo Bills, a familiar foe in recent years. Jackson and the Ravens are 3-2 in regular-season play all-time against the Josh Allen-led Bills. But the Bills and Allen are 2-0 against Jackson and the Ravens in the playoffs.

This isn’t a playoff game. But it may well feel like one for Baltimore if it wants to keep pace with the rest of the AFC North.

New Faces In New (And Old!) Places

Breaking: The Titans are trading All-Pro DT Jeffery Simmons and a 2028 fifth-round pick to the Chicago Bears, sources tell @AdamSchefter and @RapSheet.

Tennessee will receive 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and a 2027 fourth-round pick. https://t.co/RQoJk6eKHi

— ESPN (@espn) October 29, 2026

While the trade deadline isn’t until Nov. 10, it appears that some teams are getting an early jump on things.

On Thursday morning, the Chicago Bears made a blockbuster move to acquire superstar defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons from the Tennessee Titans for a pair of first-round draft picks. Simmons, perhaps the best player in the league at his position, bolsters a Bears defense that needed the help and may well make Chicago a Super Bowl favorite out of the NFC.

But they weren’t the only ones to act. After firing general manager Chris Ballard, the Indianapolis Colts are in the midst of a fire sale.

That includes sending All-Pro guard Quenton Nelson to the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, and sending three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle DeForest Buckner back to the San Francisco 49ers, with whom he began his career.

Coincidentally, the former teammates in Indianapolis will now be foes in the NFC West on a pair of teams that both have Super Bowl aspirations.

How Real Are The Minnesota Vikings?

After the first seven weeks of the 2026 NFL season, there’s just one lone undefeated team remaining. And, as we all expected, that team is, of course, the Minnesota Vikings.

Yes, the team that spent the offseason deciding between Kyler Murray and J.J. McCarthy at quarterback is 6-0. But the Vikings have thus far survived almost entirely on the back of a light schedule and a remarkable defense led by coordinator Brian Flores.

How real are the Vikings?

We’ll find out a bit more this weekend when they travel to take on the NFC North rival Detroit Lions. Can and will the Vikings offense come to life? Or will Minnesota’s flaws be exposed?

Can The Dallas Cowboys Finally Gain Some Momentum?

Week 7 was the best performance I’ve seen from Javonte Williams since he joined the #Cowboys.

He led the NFL in rushing yards over expectation (50) this week, and it’s not hard to see why.

Here are all of his rushing attempts against the Eagles on Monday Night Football: https://t.co/aDGS65CGgU

— Marcus Mosher (@Marcus_Mosher) October 27, 2026

The Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles were widely expected to compete for the NFC East division crown this season. But through seven weeks, both teams have struggled.

Philadelphia started 2-0, but has been injury-riddled since and has lost five straight. Dallas, meanwhile, has been one of the worst defensive teams in the league through seven games.

The Cowboys seemed to find their footing in Week 7 with a win over Philly on Monday night, and their ground game showed up for the first time all season.

Now, Dallas has the chance to keep the momentum going with a favorable matchup against Arizona. Can it roll past the heavy underdog Cardinals? Or will it be another step back in the Cowboys’ disappointing season?

Jets-Raiders Could Be The Start Of One Era And The End Of Another

Nobody had high expectations for the Las Vegas Raiders or the New York Jets entering the 2026 season. After all, the two teams selected No. 1 and No. 2 in April’s NFL Draft.

After starting 3-0, the Raiders have since lost four consecutive games, leading fans to wonder if it might be time for No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza to take over as starting quarterback for Kirk Cousins.

Meanwhile, the Jets are coming off a brutal loss to the previously winless Miami Dolphins. The loss dropped head coach Aaron Glenn to just 5-18 across 1.5 seasons in charge.

The clock may well be ticking on Glenn, and Mendoza could well be the one to put the final nail in the coffin of his head coaching career.

Which Team Can Control The Trenches In Pittsburgh?

The aforementioned AFC North has shockingly been one of the best divisions in all of football to start the season. A large reason for that is the emergence of the Cleveland Browns, who lead the division (via tiebreaker) at 5-2.

This week, Cleveland travels to take on the 5-2 Pittsburgh Steelers in a battle for first place in the division. Despite trading away superstar defensive end Myles Garrett, the Browns have been one of the best teams in the league at the line of scrimmage this season.

So, however, has Pittsburgh.

Whichever team can find a way to dictate things up front should have the advantage on Sunday, and could well walk away with sole possession of the AFC North lead.

A Battle For AFC North Supremacy

For all the talk this season of Bo Nix’s extreme regression at quarterback, the Denver Broncos still sit at 5-2, just a half game off the division lead of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs, meanwhile, seem to add a new injury to the list with each passing quarter, and their offense was stifled entirely by the Seattle Seahawks in a 20-3 loss a week ago.

Can Kansas City get back on track while still in search of a game-changer at wide receiver? Or will Denver’s defense be able to replicate the success that Seattle had and keep the Chiefs’ offense at bay enough for Nix and the offense to put in their fair share?

The winner of that game will control the future of the AFC West and should feel confident heading into the back half of the season.