Big names to be traded before deadline? Start of late charge in Baltimore? QB uncertainty in Minnesota? NFL Week 8 takeaways

By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The theme of the 2025 NFL season’s Week 8 was gnarly blowouts from pre-game favorites, with a sprinkling of shock results.

There wasn’t a more surprising result than the New York Jets getting their first win of the season in a high-scoring affair against the Cincinnati Bengals, while the under-fire head coach of the Miami Dolphins, Mike McDaniel, also got a much-needed win on the road against the Atlanta Falcons.

Here are the three main takeaways from Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season.

Big names to be traded before deadline?

All 32 teams have until November 4 to agree to trades to improve right now or acquire assets to bolster their future.

One team that could be shipping off some of its star players is the New York Jets, who have reportedly been receiving calls for defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and running back Breece Hall.

According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, it would take a “huge offer” for Williams to move from New York, but teams have enquired about the possibility of trading for the three-time Pro Bowler.

Hall, who scored three touchdowns as the Jets got their first win of the season on Sunday, is more unlikely to be moved but has still received interest, per Rapoport.

The 1-7 Tennessee Titans are also likely to be sellers ahead of the deadline, with the franchise reportedly open to trading away anyone aside from 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward and star DT Jeffery Simmons.

One of the Super Bowl contending teams who could be active at the deadline is the Buffalo Bills.

The team’s run defense has been porous to start the season and could get worse following the torn bicep suffered by defensive tackle Ed Oliver; Bills head coach Sean McDermott confirmed Oliver would undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely.

Buffalo might look for help in the middle of their defensive line with Oliver absent, with Williams making a lot of sense to fill that gap.

Whether it be Super Bowl-aspiring teams looking for that final piece to get them over the top or another trying to unload big contracts in return for draft picks, there could be plenty of action over the next week.

Start of a late charge in Baltimore?

It’s been a season to forget in Baltimore for many reasons.

Injuries have plagued the roster at numerous key positions, including star quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has missed the last four weeks, and two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike, who suffered a season-ending neck injury in Week 2.

And with the roster down to its bare bones, the Ravens have struggled, falling to 2-5 and their playoff hopes hanging by a thread.

But in Week 8 – coming off a bye – they got back to winning ways.

Baltimore’s game against the Chicago Bears saw the return of full-back Patrick Ricard on offense – a key component in their usually-proficient running game – as well as star linebacker Roquan Smith and starting cornerback Chidobe Awuzie all taking to the field.

With a more complete team, the Ravens looked much more like their usual selves, romping to a 30-16 victory in which every facet of the team shone.

The Ravens were still without Jackson on Sunday, despite some confusion around his availability as he looks to return from a lingering hamstring injury.

The two-time NFL MVP was listed as a full participant in Friday’s practice before being ruled out of Sunday’s game; his practice participation grade was later changed to limited.

After Sunday’s victory, head coach John Harbaugh said he was “hopeful” that his star QB would return for Baltimore’s Week 9 game against the Miami Dolphins on Thursday.

“As a coach, you ask: ‘How is he doing?’ That’s about as much as you do,” Harbaugh told reporters. “‘How are we doing it? What do you think?’ … The coaches aren’t involved in statuses and whether guys play or not. That’s not a coaching decision.”

In Jackson’s absence, Tyler Huntley played one of his best career games, throwing 17-of-22 for 186 yards and a touchdown while orchestrating the offense with proficiency.

The win improves the Ravens to third in an AFC North where no team is running away with it – the Pittsburgh Steelers lead with a 4-3 record and Baltimore still has to play them twice – and a late season surge could be on the cards.

QB uncertainty in Minnesota?

Having been drafted in the first round of last year’s draft and missing the entirety of last season, there was plenty of excitement about JJ McCarthy’s first foray into NFL action.

But it’s been a slow start for the former Michigan quarterback, enduring two rocky games before missing the next five with an ankle injury.

In his absence, Carson Wentz has filled in, but the 32-year-old was placed on injured reserve on Monday after undergoing season-ending surgery on a shoulder injury.

It opens the door for McCarthy to return to the lineup finally; head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters last week that if their Week 8 game had been on Sunday not Thursday, McCarthy might’ve been ready to play.

With a star-studded roster and aspirations of making a deep playoff run in Minnesota, the 22-year-old will be under pressure immediately to show drastic improvements from his showing earlier this campaign.

His Week 1 debut against the Chicago Bears was wrought with errors for three quarters before a magical turnaround in the final 15 minutes salvaged a win for the Vikings. In Week 2, McCarthy played poorly, throwing two interceptions and fumbling three times.

McCarthy will return to a Vikings team whose offensive line is dealing with injuries, not an ideal situation for a young quarterback – left tackle Christian Darrisaw, right tackle Brian O’Neill and center Ryan Kelly are all banged up.

But following Minnesota’s Week 8 blowout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday Night Football, O’Connell said it’ll take a team-wide effort to get the season back on track.

“We’ve got to try to find a way to find our rhythm, find our identity as a group,” he said. “And with JJ, he’ll play an integral part of that from a standpoint of his ability to throw completions, his ability to get our playmakers involved and his ability to use his athleticism that we saw early on in the season. … But it’s got to be an all-11 thing.

“We’ve got to protect him. We’ve got to find a way to provide the quarterback with time to find those open players.”

Full Week 8 scores

Home vs. away (winners in bold)

Thursday

Los Angeles Chargers 37-10 Minnesota Vikings

Sunday

Atlanta Falcons 10-34 Miami Dolphins

Baltimore Ravens 30-16 Chicago Bears

Carolina Panthers 9-40 Buffalo Bills

Cincinnati Bengals 38-39 New York Jets

Houston Texans 26-15 San Francisco 49ers

New England Patriots 32-13 Cleveland Browns

Philadelphia Eagles 38-20 New York Giants

New Orleans Saints 3-23 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Denver Broncos 44-24 Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts 38-14 Tennessee Titans

Pittsburgh Steelers 25-35 Green Bay Packers

Monday

Kansas City Chiefs 28-7 Washington Commanders

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