New England Patriots defensive tackle Cory Durden reacts after the Cleveland Browns missed a field goal during the first half, Oct. 26, in Foxborough, Mass.
New England Patriots defensive tackle Cory Durden reacts after the Cleveland Browns missed a field goal during the first half, Oct. 26, in Foxborough, Mass.Greg M. Cooper/Associated Press
The Patriots had another feel-good win on Sunday when they crushed the Browns, 32-13, to improve to 6-2. But they weren’t the only AFC East team partying it up.
The entire division had a get-right day in Week 8. The Bills ended their two-game skid with a 40-9 beatdown of the Panthers. The Dolphins unloaded their frustrations on a shorthanded Falcons team in a 34-10 win. And the Jets finally got on the board with their first win, a dramatic 39-38 comeback over the Bengals in the only competitive game of the day.
“Yesterday, I was praying like crazy, just for a win,” Jets quarterback Justin Fields said. “When I was on the field, I damn near started crying.”
The AFC East’s feel-good day is where we begin the Week 8 review:
⋅ The 1-7 Jets looked headed for their eighth consecutive loss. Before this season, NFL teams had lost 135 straight games when trailing by 15 or more entering the fourth quarter.
But Fields led three late touchdown drives, the Jets’ defense finally came up big in the closing minutes, and Aaron Glenn proved his coaching chops by making the correct decision to go for 2 when the Jets made it an 8-point game, setting his team up for a 1-point victory.
Fields had a clean day with no turnovers and led the Jets to 502 yards of offense just five days after taking harsh criticism from team owner Woody Johnson.
“That’s outside noise, at the end of the day,” Fields said. “I get that he’s the owner of the team, but that’s outside noise.”
Quarterback Justin Fields led the Jets' fourth-quarter comeback against the Bengals.
Quarterback Justin Fields led the Jets' fourth-quarter comeback against the Bengals.Justin Casterline/Getty
Though the Jets’ season has been a disaster, they go into their bye week with positive momentum. They’ll need it in upcoming games against a tough Browns defense, then the Patriots and Ravens.
⋅ Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel can breathe a little easier after his team snapped its three-game losing streak with a dominant win over the Falcons to improve to 2-6.
“The results are nice to finally get them in what seems like forever,” McDaniel said.
Tua Tagovailoa bounced back from a spate of poor performances to throw four touchdown passes with no interceptions, while the Dolphins’ defense shut down a Falcons offense that didn’t have starting quarterback Michael Penix or receiver Drake London.
McDaniel’s seat remains scorching hot, and he shouldn’t get too comfortable. The Dolphins now face the Ravens, Bills, and Commanders (Madrid), and could realistically be 2-9 entering their bye week. But McDaniel at least got to spend a Monday without taking questions about his job.
⋅ The Bills had two weeks to chew on their Week 5 loss to the Patriots and Week 6 loss to the Falcons, and took all their frustrations out on the hapless Panthers in a 31-point rout. Josh Allen accounted for three touchdowns (two on the ground) but was mostly a sideshow for James Cook, who rushed 19 times for 216 yards and two TDs.
The Panthers didn’t offer much of a fight with backup quarterback Andy Dalton subbing for Bryce Young. The Bills improved to 5-2, remaining a half-game behind the Patriots in the AFC East.
“Obviously, coming off two losses, you know, it’s been lingering with us, so we’re wanting to come out here and put our best foot forward,” Allen said.
Sunday’s win was a good tune-up for next week’s showdown against the Chiefs. But it also was a costly victory, with the Bills potentially losing defensive tackle Ed Oliver for an extended with a torn biceps tendon. The run defense struggled without him earlier this season.
⋅ Speaking of teams that needed a win, the Ravens got a big one, defeating the Bears, 30-16, to improve to 2-5 and snap a four-game skid. The Ravens may have some bigger issues at play between Lamar Jackson, who missed his third straight game, and coach John Harbaugh, whose shenanigans with the injury report — listing Jackson as a full practice participant on Friday, then ruling him out on Saturday — has the Ravens under NFL investigation.
But Tyler Huntley had an efficient day passing (186 yards, TD) and Derrick Henry pounded across two touchdowns to help the Ravens grind out a win. With the Steelers, Bengals, and Browns losing this weekend, the 2-5 Ravens are still, amazingly, the betting favorites to win the AFC North (-125).
⋅ The NFL loves to publicize close games, fourth-quarter comebacks, and “any given Sunday” type of stories. It doesn’t love Week 8, which was full of blowouts.
Entering Monday night, 11 of the 12 games through the weekend were decided by two-plus scores, and eight by three-plus scores. The only one-score game was the Jets’ comeback over the Bengals, which for most of the game was trending to be a blowout.
As much as the NFL likes to promote its parity, Week 8 revealed a large chasm between the haves and have-nots.
Tracking former Patriots
49ers QB Mac Jones: Threw for 193 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in a 26-15 loss to the Texans. Jones has gone 4-2 filling in for Brock Purdy, but the more he plays, the more it’s clear he’s not Purdy.
Cowboys QB Joe Milton: Went 3 for 4 for 58 yards and a beautiful 35-yard touchdown pass in garbage time in a 44-24 loss to the Broncos. Boy, would Milton be intriguing for the Vikings right now.
Backup quarterback Joe Milton got into the game late in the Cowboys' loss to the Broncos.
Backup quarterback Joe Milton got into the game late in the Cowboys' loss to the Broncos.Jack Dempsey/Associated Press
49ers WR Kendrick Bourne: Caught 3 of 4 targets for 44 yards, his second consecutive quiet game after going for 142 yards in two straight.
Dolphins LB Matthew Judon: A week after being a healthy scratch, Judon played 17 snaps and finished with one tackle. The Dolphins would probably trade him for a ham sandwich before next Tuesday’s deadline.
Giants coach Brian Daboll: Fell to 2-6 with an 18-point loss to the Eagles, and lost Cam Skattebo, one of the only exciting things about the Giants this year, to a season-ending ankle injury. But Daboll should keep his job as long as Jaxson Dart keeps playing reasonably well.
Texans GM Nick Caserio and offensive coordinator Nick Caley: Improved to 3-4 with a win over the 49ers, and gained a season-high 475 yards on offense. They needed that in the worst way.
UNC coach Bill Belichick: Don’t look now, but his 2-5 Tar Heels are showing improvement. They took No. 16 Virginia to the limit in a 17-16 loss, and I loved his decision to go for 2 in overtime, even if it came up a few inches short.
Quick hits
⋅ Teams that have had a player with five sacks in a game are 16-4 all time. Three of those losses came by 1, 2, and 3 points. The other was a 19-point loss by the Browns and Myles Garrett on Sunday to the Patriots.
⋅ Congrats if you had Daniel Jones and Drake Maye as the MVP favorites after eight weeks.
⋅ Actually, the Colts have two legitimate MVP candidates. Running back Jonathan Taylor had his fourth game already this year with three touchdowns, and is on pace for 2,244 total yards and 30 TDs.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) scored another three touchdowns on Sunday.
Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) scored another three touchdowns on Sunday.AJ Mast/Associated Press
⋅ More Colts: They lead the NFL in point differential at plus-116. The Patriots are next at plus-67 (before the Chiefs played on Monday night).
⋅ The Jets’ Breece Hall became the first non-quarterback in NFL history to rush for two touchdowns and throw for another in a fourth quarter. He’s also the first non-QB to throw a winning touchdown pass inside two minutes since Washington’s Rod Gardner in 2003.
⋅ As boring as it sounds, the Chiefs, Bills, and Eagles will all be there at the end of the season.
⋅ When did the 49ers forget how to run the ball? Christian McCaffrey ran just eight times for 25 yards on Sunday, and is averaging an anemic 3.5 yards per carry this season, 42nd out of 46 qualified running backs.
⋅ The Broncos are the first team in NFL history with more than 35 sacks (36) and fewer than 10 sacks allowed (8) through eight games.
⋅ The Packers won their first game in Pittsburgh since 1970. They had lost six in a row.
Dan Shaughnessy and Ben Volin break down the Patriots’ winning streak, the NBA gambling scandal, and the meeting between Bob Cousy and Bill Russell’s daughter.
Ben Volin can be reached at ben.volin@globe.com.