The Sports Lowdown For All Your News and OpinionsFor the first time in the National Football League’s history, five teams enter Week 8 with a perfect record. All five have taken their bye weeks, and sit at 6-0. The New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos are the there AFC teams, while the two NFC sides are the Green Bay Packers and the Carolina Panthers. One of those teams will lose this week, however, as the Packers travel to Denver in the big Sunday Night match-up.
Thursday Night Football
Miami Dolphins @ New England Patriots
The first game of the weekend is a big AFC East clash between the Dolphins and the Patriots. New England are a perfect 6-0, and will be looking to continue that run over the 3-3 Dolphins, but Miami have won two of the last three meetings and will pose a tough test. Tom Brady will need to be on form to become the first QB to go 7-0 this season.
International Series at Wembley – Game 3
Detroit Lions @ Kansas City Chiefs
The last game between these two teams saw Detroit win by 45. That was four years ago, and now the Lions are a struggling 1-6 side. This is the third game in London this season, and the Chiefs will be looking to end the Wembley season on a high with victory in their home game. They are currently 2-5 and also not finding form this season.
Sunday Evening Games
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
This NFC South match-up is a big game for the home team. Atlanta are 6-1, but with the Panthers a perfect 6-0, they are in second place in the division. A victory over their rivals here would put pressure on Carolina to keep their 100% record going. The Bucs are bottom of the division at 2-4, but a victory here could kickstart something towards the second half of the season.
Arizona Cardinals @ Cleveland Browns
The Browns have one of the worst defences in the league, one of the reasons why they are struggling for form at 2-5. The play their opponents this week once every four years, and in the last two, it has been the Cardinals that have come out on top. They are the favourites this time round, as they are 5-2, and at the top of the NFC West.
San Francisco 49ers @ St Louis Rams
This is a big NFC West clash. Neither team is playing well so far this year, with the Rams at 3-3, and the 49ers at 2-5. The Rams have beaten the Seahawks already this year, and will go into this match-up as the favourites, but Colin Kaepernick and his San Francisco side are just one good performance away from putting a good run together.
New York Giants @ New Orleans Saints
The Giants are top of the competitive NFC East with just a 4-3 record, but they have all three divisional rivals breathing down their necks for that top spot. They travel to New Orleans to face the 3-4 Saints, who will struggle to get a play-off place from here, with both the Panthers and Falcons having won six already. There has been a minimum of 70 points in each of the last three games between these two.
Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
There is also a big game in the NFC North this week, as the 4-2 Vikings travel to Chicago to play the 2-4 Bears. With a victory, Minnesota can close up on Green Bay, who play in the Sunday Night game, putting pressure on the Packers at Mile High. If Chicago win, their hopes of the play-offs are rejuvenated, but the Vikings have won two of the last three meetings.
San Diego Chargers @ Baltimore Ravens
Just a few years ago, there was a chance of this being the AFC Championship game. Now though, this is a battle between two struggling sides. The Chargers are 2-5, and they travel to Baltimore, who themselves have only won once this season. This is, possibly, the last chance for both of these teams to start a run for the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers
One of the games of the week comes in the AFC North, as the 4-3 Steelers host the perfect Bengals on Sunday. Both sides are playing well, but a win for Cincinnati would see them move into a three-game lead at the top of the division. Steelers fans can have hope though, as they have won the last three meetings between the two.
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
1-5 plays 2-5 at the NRG Stadium in Houston this week. Neither side has hit form so far, but their division, the AFC South, is the worst ranked in the league. The Colts lead it with a 3-4 record, meaning a defeat here would not mean either team is out of the play-off hunt. The Texans will be favourites, having won the last two games between the teams.
New York Jets @ Oakland Raiders
The Jets are going well this term, with a 4-2 record so far. They travel to Oakland to face the 3-3 Raiders at the O.Co. Both teams are behind a perfect team in their division (Patriots AFC East, Broncos AFC West), but they will both be looking for a wild-card spot if they can not overhaul their rivals. The Jets have won the last two meetings and will go in as slight favourites.
Seattle Seahawks @ Dallas Cowboys
One of the biggest NFC clashes sees two teams in poor form, with neither over .500. Seattle are only at 3-4, while the Cowboys are even worse, at 2-4. Both sides are in competitive groups, though, and have a chance of taking a spot in the playoffs, but a defeat here could be very costly. The Cowboys have the better of their recent match-ups.
Sunday Night Football
Green Bay Packers @ Denver Broncos
Two perfect teams go head-to-head in the biggest game of the weekend. Both the Packers and Broncos are 100%, having won all six matches played this season. The Broncos have the best defence in the league so far, but the Packers have won every game played between the two since 2007. Is this the game where Peyton Manning turns up for 2015?
Monday Night Football
Indianapolis Colts @ Carolina Panthers
The final 6-0 team to play this week is the Panthers, who host the 3-4 Indianapolis Colts. The Panthers have been the surprise package of the five teams who are perfect, but they have won their games with ease, and will look to do so against the under-firing Colts. The Colts last beat the Panthers in 2007, but will be looking for a repeat to keep the lead in the AFC South.
Byes: Buffalo Bills (3-4), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5), Philadelphia Eagles (3-4), Washington Redskins (3-4)
