Unlocking the Secret Twist That Changes Everything in This Story

NFL Week 8 shook things up in ways nobody expected—and if you thought the Giants’ brief moment of hope was going to last, well, you might want to think again. After rookie Jaxson Dart and bulldozing Cam Skattebo brought some real excitement to New York, an injury derailed the momentum just as quickly as it had built. Meanwhile, James Cook out in Buffalo is turning heads with a season that’s shaping up to be truly historic, Myles Garrett keeps proving why he’s the premier defensive force in Cleveland, and Ja’Marr Chase is racking up targets like there’s no tomorrow. So, is Week 8 the NFL’s way of reminding us that unpredictability is the only predictable thing in football? Let’s dive into the highs, lows, and jaw-dropping moments that have defined this wild week. LEARN MORE

NFL Week 8 has been a weird, wild one. From Cam Skattebo’s injury to James Cook’s historic performance to Myles Garrett’s dominance, we’re reacting to all the action.

For a seemingly brief moment in time, there was so much excitement in New York.

Giants rookie Jaxson Dart had taken over under center, bulldozing workhorse Cam Skattebo was an instant fan favorite and wideout Malik Nabers was already a star in his second season.

In his first start after taking over for Russell Wilson, Dart and Skattebo helped lead the Giants to a 21-18 win over the then-undefeated Los Angeles Chargers. It was a costly win, however, as the team lost Nabers for the season due to a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee.

But Skattebo totaled 308 yards and four touchdowns over the next three games, and the Giants were on the verge of winning three of four with their young up-and-coming playmakers leading the way before blowing a 19-point lead while allowing 33 fourth-quarter points in a one-point loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 7.

The series of unfortunate events continued on Sunday when Skattebo, who had already caught a TD pass from Dart, suffered a gruesome dislocation of his right ankle midway through the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles. What had been a close game at the time turned into a 38-20 loss to the NFC East rivals, who New York had upset 34-17 in Week 6.

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How good had the fourth-round pick been?

Heading into Week 8, Skattebo ranked 11th in the NFL among those with at least 50 carries with 2.05 yards gained after contact and 10th in Opta’s big play number, which is a weighted formula that shows how many 20-yard or more burns or burn TDs a pass catcher generates.

As you might expect, he was also easily No. 1 with 16 forced broken tackles and 10th with .240 missed or broken tackles per touch.

The Giants will likely have to turn back to Tyrone Tracy Jr. in the backfield moving forward. Tracy had 839 yards on 4.4 per carry in his 17 games (12 starts) last season, but he’s totaled 53 yards on 17 carries (3.1 per carry) in his two starts in 2025.

The future remains bright in New York as the Giants build around their young trio, but it looks as though fans will have to wait quite a while to see them all in action together again.

Cook Adds to What Looks to Be a Career Year in Buffalo

What was being referred to as a hot start earlier in the season might now be considered the makings of a career year for James Cook III in Buffalo.

The Bills running back piled up 153 rushing yards in the first half on Sunday and wound up with 216 and two touchdowns on 19 carries in a 40-9 rout of the Carolina Panthers.

Cook’s yardage was the most in a first half since his brother Dalvin Cook also had 153 in 2021 and his total rushing yards were the most since Jonathan Taylor ran for 218 on Dec. 22, 2024. The two-time Pro Bowl selection’s 11.4 yards per carry were the third most in the past 65 years among those with at least 19 carries.

With 753 yards on 126 carries (6.0 per carry), seven touchdowns and 842 scrimmage yards in his seven games, Cook is on pace to reach career highs in rushing yards (1,122), yards per carry (5.7) and scrimmage yards (1,567).

Cook and Josh Allen lead the NFL in combined rushing yards by a QB-RB tandem.

It hasn’t all been easy, though, as Cook has had to be one of the league’s best in terms of making something out of nothing. Entering Week 8, he ranked third in the league among those with 50+ carries with 4.16 yards gained on plays with a run disruption and ninth with .244 missed or broken tackles per touch.

Garrett Continues to Be One of the Few Bright Spots in Cleveland

Regardless of all the poor play and losing around him, Myles Garrett hasn’t stopped being a one-man wrecking crew in Cleveland.

The star defensive end had a career-high 5.0 sacks and a forced fumble in Sunday’s 32-13 road loss to the New England Patriots. His previous high was 4.5 in a 26-6 rout of Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears in 2021.

Garrett is the first player to record at least that many sacks and a forced fumble in one game since Chandler Jones did it with two forced fumbles for the Arizona Cardinals in 2021. Garrett, the 2023 AP Defensive Player of the Year, is now on pace to shatter his career high of 16 sacks, set in both 2021 and 2022.

The more advanced data tells a similar story. Garrett entered Week 8 third in the NFL with 30 hurries and 40 pressures behind only Micah Parsons and Aidan Hutchinson.

But since 2021, no one has had more sacks than Garrett (70 in 74 games) and on Sunday, he showed he’s still able to get it done at a high level.

Chase Racking Up Targets at a Dizzying Pace

Say what you want about the ageless Joe Flacco, but he’s been around long enough to know the best player on the team should get plenty of touches.

After receiving a total of 24 targets from previous starting QB Jake Browning in three starts, Cincinnati Bengals star wideout Ja’Marr Chase has caught 38 passes on a ridiculous 54 targets from Flacco in the past three games.

With those 38 catches, Chase, a four-time Pro Bowl selection who won the receiving triple crown last season, matched Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints for the most receptions over a three-game span (since 1953). Thomas’ run came in 2018, a year before he would set the single-season record with 149 receptions in 2019.

Chase was targeted 23 times – tied for the third most over the past 65 years – in a 33-31 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 7 before getting 19 more in Sunday’s 39-38 loss to the previously winless New York Jets. He’s also been doing his part, ranking second in the NFL in total burn yards behind only Jaxon Smith-Njigba of the Seattle Seahawks.

For a little perspective on Chase’s 54 targets in three games, the NFL leader through six weeks heading into that stretch was Puka Nacua of the Los Angeles Rams with 65.

Though the Bengals have dropped two of the three games since Flacco took over as the starter, the 40-year-old signal caller has been rejuvenated in Cincy. After throwing for an average of 203.8 yards with two TDs and six interceptions in Cleveland, Flacco has totaled 261.3 passing yards per game with seven scores and no picks with the Bengals.

Taylor Back to Being the Best RB in the NFL

In 2021, rising star Jonathan Taylor was on top of the world after easily leading the NFL in both rushing with 1,811 yards and TDs on the ground (18).

Then an ankle injury slowed Taylor for much of the next two seasons, when he totaled 1,602 yards and 11 scores over 21 games for the Indianapolis Colts.

But Taylor showed signs of returning to form with 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns while earning his second Pro Bowl selection last season. And this season, nobody’s been better.

He had 153 yards with two TDs on just 12 carries and also caught a touchdown pass in Sunday’s 38-14 win over the Tennessee Titans that moved the Colts to an NFL-best 7-1 on the season.

Taylor is not only back on top of the league with 850 rushing yards, but his 12 rushing touchdowns are tied with Dalvin Cook (2020) and LaDanian Tomlinson (2006) for the most through eight games since 2006. And his nine rushing scores over a four-game stretch are the most since DeAngelo Williams of the Carolina Panthers had 11 in 2008.

He had 649 yards and six TDs through eight games when he won the rushing title in 2021.

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The post NFL Week 8 Reaction: Cam Skattebo’s Injury Extinguishes the Excitement in New York appeared first on Opta Analyst.