Week 8 of the 2025 NFL season started in Los Angeles on Thursday evening, with quarterback Justin Herbert and the Chargers cruising to a win over the Vikings. Herbert threw three landing passes and rushed for 62 yards, whereas rookie tight finish Oronde Gadsden II continued his sizzling begin with 77 yards and a landing.
Within the early window Sunday, working again James Cook dinner III carried the Payments to a blowout win over the Panthers. He completed with two touchdowns and 216 speeding yards by means of three quarters, which was essentially the most by any NFL participant since 2018. The Eagles additionally acquired a classic efficiency from working again Saquon Barkley, who led them to an enormous win over his former staff within the Giants.
Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all of the motion, answering lingering questions popping out of every sport and detailing the whole lot else you should know for each staff. Let’s get to it.
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NYG-PHI | BUF-CAR | MIN-LAC
Compensate for the motion: Field rating | Recap
Eagles
Is that this model of Saquon Barkley right here to remain? We’ll must see about his well being first: he got here up limping after a 28-yard run on the finish of the third quarter and didn’t return attributable to a groin damage. The Eagles undoubtedly discovered one thing within the floor sport towards New York that had been lacking all season. Barkley eclipsed 100 yards speeding for the primary time all yr. It seemed similar to 2024 when he reached a pace of over 21 miles per hour throughout a 65-yard run on the second play from scrimmage, with the play well-schemed and effectively blocked. Barkley stated this week he felt like he was the identical participant and he seemed it due to a pleasant number of run calls by offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo and sound execution up entrance.
Most stunning efficiency: Reserve working again Tank Bigsby had 87 yards speeding on eight carries within the win. He was acquired from the Jaguars in September for a pair of draft picks and primarily used as a kick returner for the primary handful of video games. That did not go in addition to hoped, however he has began getting extra work within the backfield of late and has capitalized with a handful of chunk runs. The Eagles have a very good working again rotation going proper now with Barkley, Bigsby and Will Shipley. With Bigsby extra energetic, AJ Dillon has dropped to fourth on the depth chart. — Tim McManus
Subsequent sport: at Packers (Nov. 10, 8:15 p.m. ET)
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Stay on FOX: Hurts finds Goedert for a 6-yard TD
Jalen Hurts fires a fast cross to Dallas Goedert who finds the tip zone to extend the Eagles’ lead over the Giants.
Giants
What now for rookie RB Cam Skattebo and the Giants offense? Dropping Skattebo for the season is a large blow. His grotesque ankle damage within the second quarter left teammates visibly disturbed. Skattebo was turning into a playmaker for the Giants and fellow rookie Jaxson Dart. He scored his seventh landing within the first quarter of Sunday’s contest. Skattebo’s absence now leaves the Giants much more shorthanded on offense, as Dart is already working with out star receiver Malik Nabers. The offense struggled with out them, totaling lower than 200 whole yards beneath the ultimate two drives when the sport was out of hand.
Pattern to observe: The Giants had been thirty first within the NFL permitting 5.2 yards per carry coming into Sunday. That solely acquired worse when Barkley and the Eagles ran throughout them for 277 speeding yards. Barkley averaged 10.7 yards per carry on this contest. The Eagles averaged 8.4 per carry. The run protection, for the third straight season, stays an actual drawback for New York. Even on second-and-26 within the fourth quarter, the Giants instantly allowed a 29-yard run. It is arduous for them to win with this deficiency. — Jordan Raanan
Subsequent sport: vs. 49ers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Compensate for the motion: Field rating | Recap
Payments
Can the Payments’ protection use this sport as a leaping off level? Buffalo’s protection got here out of the bye in whole command, permitting 9 factors, sacking Andy Dalton seven instances and forcing three takeaways after not recording a couple of in any of the six earlier video games. The Panthers had been held to considered one of their lowest speeding totals of the season (114 yards). These are promising indicators for a unit that has struggled to seek out consistency, however the long-term image is clouded by the standing of defensive deal with Ed Oliver, who was rapidly dominated out with a biceps damage within the first half.
Most stunning efficiency: Working again James Cook dinner III. It isn’t a shock Cook dinner had an enormous day; he is been sturdy all season. Nevertheless it was the extent of Sunday’s efficiency. He had a career-high 216 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns towards a protection that allowed greater than 100 speeding yards in solely three of their first seven video games. Cook dinner broke a number of data Sunday, together with essentially the most speeding yards by one participant in a single sport towards the Panthers. — Alaina Getzenberg
Subsequent sport: vs. Chiefs (Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET)
Panthers
What occurred to the run protection? This seemed extra just like the NFL’s worst protection in 2024, not the one ranked eighth towards the run heading into Sunday. However the blowout loss to the Payments was an entire catastrophe, filled with unhealthy tackling and no hole management. Carolina had allowed simply 131 speeding yards over the earlier three video games mixed, however Cook dinner had 130 yards speeding earlier than contact within the first half. This was an embarrassing effort.
What to make of the QB efficiency: As Bryce Younger’s substitute, Dalton was as unhealthy because the Carolina run protection. The 37-year-old’s interception and two misplaced fumbles led to 17 factors for Buffalo. He took sacks he should not have. He is 1-6 as a starter in his three seasons with Carolina. It might be time for the Panthers to develop one other backup. — David Newton
Subsequent sport: at Packers (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Compensate for the motion: Field rating | Recap
Chargers
Can the Chargers survive one other damage storm? This was the sport wherein the Chargers had been lastly presupposed to be again to full well being: offensive tackles Joe Alt and Trey Pipkins III had been each energetic, and linebackers Khalil Mack and Denzel Perryman had been additionally again for a second sport collectively. However the Chargers sustained extra accidents Thursday. Security Derwin James Jr. (ankle), cornerback Tarheeb Nonetheless (knee) and proper guard Mekhi Becton (knee) did not end the sport. Coach Jim Harbaugh had no replace on their accidents postgame, however dropping three impression gamers might considerably harm the Chargers transferring ahead.
Most stunning efficiency: Quarterback Justin Herbert has a brand new favourite goal: rookie Oronde Gadsden II. The fifth-round choose caught 5 passes for 77 yards and a landing, turning into the primary rookie tight finish since Mike Ditka in 1961 with 240 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in a two-game span. Extra essential, Gadsden caught the entire passes focused to him. — Kris Rhim
Subsequent sport: at Titans (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)
Vikings
Is it J.J. McCarthy time? It needs to be, proper? Carson Wentz has stuffed in as a mean backup quarterback, profitable two of 5 begins, however has supplied no indication that he is able to be the subsequent veteran reclamation of coach Kevin O’Connell. McCarthy has hit the excessive finish of the timetable for therapeutic his proper excessive ankle sprain (six weeks). McCarthy carried out poorly in his first two NFL begins, ending with a QBR (20.3) that ranked second-to-last within the NFL on the time, however he must play. That is the Vikings’ prime organizational precedence, and if it would not occur subsequent week, when will it?
Most stunning efficiency: The Chargers gashed the Vikings’ protection in each approach possible. Some opponents have managed to build up yards towards them this season, however earlier than Thursday evening, the Vikings had at the very least restricted scoring. They entered the sport tied for No. 10 within the NFL with 20 factors allowed per sport. However they’d no solutions for Herbert, who weaved by means of their blitzes to hurry for 62 yards and likewise threw three landing passes. The Chargers confronted little resistance in amassing 419 whole yards and 29 first downs. — Kevin Seifert
Subsequent sport: at Lions (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)