NFL Week 8 schedule, TV times, and confidence picks for every game

Bassyonni

ago 5 hours

NFL Week 8 schedule

A busy Week 8 is here, headlined by a nostalgia-flavored Sunday night in Pittsburgh and a heavyweight Monday night at Arrowhead. Below are the national TV windows, every kickoff time, and quick-hit leans with matchup notes to help you navigate the slate.

Week 8 NFL schedule (ET)

Thursday

Vikings at Chargers — 8:15 p.m.

Sunday early window (1:00 p.m.)

Dolphins at Falcons
Jets at Bengals
Browns at Patriots
Giants at Eagles
Bills at Panthers
Bears at Ravens
49ers at Texans

Sunday late window

Buccaneers at Saints — 4:05 p.m.
Cowboys at Broncos — 4:25 p.m.
Titans at Colts — 4:25 p.m.

Sunday Night Football

Packers at Steelers — 8:20 p.m.

Monday Night Football

Commanders at Chiefs — 8:15 p.m.

Byes: Lions, Raiders, Rams, Cardinals, Seahawks, Jaguars

(Local simulcasts apply for Thursday; standard national arrangements for Sunday night and Monday night.)

Week 8 quick picks and why

Thursday: Vikings at Chargers (8:15 p.m.)
Lean: Chargers — Short week at home with a pass-first script and protection help returning on the edge. Minnesota’s disguised pressures can bother anyone, but chunk plays tilt toward the Bolts.

Dolphins at Falcons (1:00)
Lean: Falcons — Atlanta’s defensive front has quietly stacked wins on early downs, and Miami’s offense has been inconsistent on the road. Red-zone defense is the swing stat; Falcons have been sturdier there.

Jets at Bengals (1:00)
Lean: Bengals — Cincy’s interior rush vs. a banged-up Jets line is the mismatch. If New York can’t run efficiently, third-and-long will snowball.

Browns at Patriots (1:00)
Lean: Patriots — New England’s run fits and special teams edge travel. Cleveland’s plan requires early-down success; falling behind script invites takeaways.

Giants at Eagles (1:00)
Lean: Eagles — Philly’s trench advantage on both sides plus vertical shots off play-action. Giants need explosive plays to keep up; that’s been sporadic.

Bills at Panthers (1:00)
Lean: Bills — Buffalo’s defensive disguise menu vs. a quick-game attack. If Carolina can’t generate explosives, the Bills’ drive-to-drive efficiency wins out.

Bears at Ravens (1:00)
Lean: Ravens — Chicago’s surge meets a fresh Baltimore group. If the Ravens’ QB is back to full speed, option looks and layered play-action stress the Bears’ second level.

49ers at Texans (1:00)
Lean: 49ers — Houston’s young offense is a blast, but San Francisco’s pass rush and YAC machine are a tough road ask. Turnover margin decides any upset case.

Buccaneers at Saints (4:05)
Lean: Buccaneers — Saints’ defense is legit, but Tampa’s scripted openers and perimeter matchups look favorable. If the Bucs stay ahead of the sticks, late-down variance shrinks.

Cowboys at Broncos (4:25)
Lean: Cowboys — Denver’s altitude and late surge last week were real, yet Dallas’ speed on defense plus explosive passing should travel. Watch third-and-medium; that’s where Dallas tilts games.

Titans at Colts (4:25)
Lean: Colts — Indianapolis’ ground game and play-action depth vs. a Tennessee team struggling to finish drives. If Indy gets a lead, their pass rush can pin its ears back.

Sunday Night: Packers at Steelers (8:20)
Lean: Packers, tight — Narrative fireworks aside, Green Bay’s defense has been better in late-down spots, and explosive play rate favors the visitors. Pittsburgh thrives as a home dog under the lights—live for a field-goal game.

Monday Night: Commanders at Chiefs (8:15)
Lean: Chiefs — Even with injuries on the opponent’s side, Kansas City’s multiple looks on offense plus defensive third-down prowess are a tough Monday formula to crack at Arrowhead.

Five matchup levers to watch

Explosive plays (20+ yards): Chargers, 49ers, Chiefs typically create two-plus per half; teams that hit that mark win these profiles at a high clip.
Red-zone TD rate: Falcons–Dolphins and Bucs–Saints likely hinge on 7s vs. 3s.
Pressure without blitzing: Bengals, 49ers can wreck plans with four—if they do, it’s lights out.
Early-down success rate: Ravens–Bears and Bills–Panthers come down to staying out of 3rd-and-7+.
Special teams hidden yards: Patriots and Chiefs often steal a possession’s worth of field position.