Week eight is in the books, a week that was dubbed “bye-magedeon.” Six squads were on the bye, which killed many a fantasy team and diluted the quality of the product in the process. There were still stories worth highlighting, one of which we already covered in our story on the Jets and their win over the Bengals. But now let’s see if we can move the chains with these NFL stories!

First Down

That’s More Like It: As you may remember I was on the Packers in the preseason, and felt validated when they smacked the Lions week one. But since then it has felt like a lot of empty calories, despite their solid record. Sunday night they went to Pittsburgh for a primetime battle with their former QB Aaron Rodgers with a point to prove. They started slow but got it going in the second half, out scoring the Steelers 28-9 over the final two quarters, in route to a 35-25 win.

Rashon Gary and Micah Parsons terrorized Rodgers while Jordan Love, Tucker Kraft, and Christian Watson gashed the Steeler secondary. They made Pitt look bad, and while you may (rightfully) think the Steelers are a fraud, this was the kind of dominance we have been looking for out of Green Bay. Now they need to continue it if they will beat out the Lions for the North, who they are ahead of at 5-1-1.

Second Down

What The Hell’s Going Out There?: Where is Vince Lombardi when you need him? The Falcons, for the second time this year, were embarrassed on an NFL Sunday, this time 34-10 by the lowly Dolphins. The Raheem Morris hire never made sense for this team, and it’s making even less now with the Falcons putting in a brutal performance like that, despite having a wealth of talent. Morris in game coaching and game-plans leaves a lot to be desired, but no coach could have overcome how awful Kirk Cousins was Sunday.

Cousins started in place of the injured Michael Penix and set the quarterback position back 20 years with this hairball outing. I’ve said it on the pod, I’ve had enough of the Falcons and all their “promise.” At 3-4 I don’t think we’ll have to take them seriously much longer anyway…maybe another letdown will get Arthur Blank to make a change and find some serious football to run the show down there.

Third Down

Horses Coral Cowboys: No that title isn’t a mad lib joke in your local paper, it’s exactly what happened Sunday in the Mile High City. The Cowboys and their high flying offense rolled into Denver and got absolutely man handled. The Broncos, who are a bit bi-polar this year, were locked in Sunday afternoon and it was a sight to be hold. We have long discussed this team’s upside and haven’t seen it for more than a quarter here and a quarter there. They arguably played their best in their two losses…up until this week though.

Bo Nix was razor sharp with four touchdown passes, while JK Dobbins and RJ Harvey led the way on the ground. Meanwhile Denver’s skilled secondary forced Dak into throwing two picks, taking Denver to a 44-24 win, and it wasn’t even that close. At 6-2 they’re atop the West and looking primed for a big run…assuming they’re in the mood.

Fourth Down

Maye-be Drake is THE Guy: Time to go for it and let’s hope the OC dialed up a good one because your boy has one more take to get off his chest. This isn’t even a hot take, Drake Maye is THE guy Patriots fans have been waiting for. All of us suffering fans can’t bear the thought of them already finding another franchise guy but it sure looks like it’s the case. Number ten in blue and silver is dealing this year, and it’s got Pats fans dreaming big things. Maye is coming off another three touchdown pass performance against the Browns in a 32-13 New England win.

When he wasn’t busy being sacked by Myles Garrett, which happened a staggering five times, the righty was slinging it. He’s got 15 touchdowns to just three picks, an impressive ratio for a young relatively inexperienced starter. Perhaps most impressive is his accuracy on deep shots, as he is completing throws of 20+ yards at a 77.8% clip. Death, taxes, and Kayshon Boutte deep shot TD’s are all that’s certain in life. The Pats are humming at 6-2 atop the East, with another game against the Bills looming.

Chain Mover

MVP! MVP! MVP!: Good news! The OC dialed up a good one and we’ve got a fresh set of downs for one more topic. Our last stop on this week’s tour of the league is Indianapolis, home of the 7-1 Colts. Indy is led by a lot of good pieces. There is quarterback Daniel Jones who is enjoying a career year, wideout Michael Pittman who wins over the top with ease, and tight end Tyler Warren who makes Colston Loveland look like a broken down Prius. Even their o-line anchored by stud guard Quenton Nelson and their defense that is growing under DC Lou Anarumo deserves their flowers. But there is one player above all who deserves the bulk of the credit for powering this team’s 7-1 start.

That man is none other than running back Jonathan Taylor, who is having the kind of year most backs dream of. In just eight games Taylor has 850 yards and 12 touchdowns, staggering numbers for a back in the modern pass happy NFL. He has 23 runs of at least 20 yards, an impressive number considering the athleticism in the second level of NFL defenses. A two thousand yard season is on the table as he will continue to be the engine behind this offense, which in my opinion should make him the MVP of the league. I know it’s a QB award but my god he is the best candidate for it! Stop voting on the bias towards the position and call it what it is. The Colts are well on their way to an unexpected playoff berth, reward their best player for carrying them there.

On twitter you can find Mike @Mike_Sheerin, Tyler @TMon_19 and Sean @SeanMartinNFL. Subscribe to the site by hitting the follow button in the bottom right corner and entering your email address. Check out our Instagram feed @thebroadwaybreakdownsports for special gameday and promotional content. Our podcasts are available on Spotify. Visit the Rangers Ed Shop by clicking the link on our homepage. Check out our mailbag page to join the conversation here on the site and on our partners show, The Rangers Ed Podcast! We’ll be back with more soon.