This Week in the National Football League: Week 8

Photo of Saints’ quarterback Jameis Winston’s horrifying injury.

Yahoo! Sports

Photo of Saints’ quarterback Jameis Winston’s horrifying injury.

New England Patriots Take Down Los Angeles Chargers

Mac Jones and the New England Patriots won 27-24 against a very formidable opponent in their away game Sunday, October 31 against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert is very talented, being drafted with the sixth overall pick in the first round from the University of Oregon in the virtual 2020 National Football League Draft. He has led his team to many victories this season, but came up just short against the Patriots. 

This game was a very back-and-forth one. Within a few minutes of the first quarter’s beginning, the Chargers had already scored a touchdown, and the Patriots clapped back with Damien Harris’ touchdown on the very next drive. Then, early in the second quarter, the Chargers had a quick drive, which ended in a touchdown. On the drive right after, the Patriots scored a field goal. One minute from half-time, Justin Herbert threw an interception; and when the Patriots took over, they eventually scored a field goal in the final seconds of the half. 

An early fumble in the third quarter by the Patriots gave the Chargers the ball, but they weren’t able to capitalize on the scoring opportunity. While up by one point in the fourth quarter, the Chargers’ quarterback threw an interception, which was taken for a touchdown on the very same play, putting the Patriots in the lead. Despite the Chargers’ efforts to regain the lead, they lost the game by just three points to Mac Jones and the Patriots. 

Tom Brady Loses in a Heartbreaker to the New Orleans Saints

Tom Brady, who’s in his second year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, fell just short to the New Orleans Saints, 36-27. A few costly mistakes throughout the game didn’t aid the Buccaneers’ attempt to make a comeback, with Tom Brady throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball, totalling three turnovers. The Saints’ quarterback, Jameis Winston, a former Buccaneer, was carted off of the field after suffering a gruesome-looking knee injury, which after some tests, was discovered to be season-ending. His backup, Trevor Siemian, a former Denver Bronco and New York Jet, came in and helped the team beat the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Other Storylines From This Week in Football

Arizona Cardinals were handed their first loss of the season on Thursday Night Football, getting beat 24-21 by the Green Bay Packers

The Detroit Lions remain winless for another week, getting blown out 44-6 by the Philadelphia Eagles

The Denver Broncos have traded talented veteran defender Von Miller to the Los Angeles Rams, and will receive a second-round, and third-round pick in the upcoming 2022 National Football League Draft (there are seven rounds, so second and third are very high up) 

Tennessee Titans star running back Derrick Henry injured his foot in the team’s thrilling win in overtime over the Indianapolis Colts, 34-31. He’ll likely be out for the season, which will impact the Titans greatly. Luckily, they have skillful receivers, Julio Jones and AJ Brown, though. Will the Titans be able to do well without their best player, Derrick Henry? We’ll find out in the upcoming weeks.