The 2019 NFL season thus far has been defined in part by close games. Entering Week 8, 69 of 106 games had seen a team come within one possession of tying or taking the lead in the fourth quarter. Only three previous seasons have had more one-point games through this point since the 1970 merger.
Yet based on the point spreads tied to the Week 8 NFL games scheduled for Sunday, close games were not expected to be the norm.
According to the game lines at Sportsbook Review, the Vikings, Rams, Saints, Patriots and Steelers opened as double-digit favorites over the Redskins, Bengals, Cardinals, Browns and Dolphins, respectively, making them relatively easy picks for Week 8. Minnesota took care of its business with a 10-point win over Washington on Thursday, and the three big favorites Sunday dominated their opponents, too. That includes the still-undefeated Patriots.
Following its win over Cleveland, New England now has a plus-189 point differential, tied with the 1942 Bears for the third-highest point different through a team's first eight games in NFL history. The Pats also have a turnover differential of plus-17, tied with the 1983 Vikings for the fifth highest turnover margin by a team through its first eight games since 1970.
The NFL's other undefeated team through eight weeks this season, the 49ers, benefited from an all-time performance from their rookie pass-rusher. Nick Bosa had three sacks and an interception in San Francisco's 51-13 win over Carolina. He became the third rookie since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to record at least three sacks and an interception in a single game.
Sporting News provided live scoring updates and highlights from Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season. Below are the results.
NFL scores, results for Week 8
Follow SN's live scoreboard for stats and more.
Thursday, Oct. 24
| Game |
| Vikings 19, Redskins 9 (Final) |
Sunday, Oct. 27
| Game |
| Eagles 31, Bills 13 (Final) |
| Seahawks 27, Falcons 20 (Final) |
| Chargers 17, Bears 16 (Final) |
| Saints 31, Cardinals 9 (Final) |
| Rams 24, Bengals 10 (Final) |
| Colts 15, Broncos 13 (Final) |
| Lions 31, Giants 26 (Final) |
| Titans 27, Buccaneers 23 (Final) |
| Jaguars 29, Jets 15 (Final) |
| 49ers 51, Panthers 13 (Final) |
| Patriots 27, Browns 13 (Final) |
| Texans 27, Raiders 24 (Final) |
| Packers 31, Chiefs 24 (Final) |
Monday, Oct. 28
| Game | Time | TV |
| Steelers vs. Dolphins | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN |
MORE: Watch every NFL regular season game and RedZone on DAZN (Canada Only)
Highlights from Week 8 NFL games
- Bills vs. Eagles
- Falcons vs. Seahawks
- Bears vs. Chargers
- Saints vs. Cardinals
- Rams vs. Bengals
- Colts vs. Broncos
- Lions vs. Giants
- Titans vs. Buccaneers
- Jaguars vs. Jets
- 49ers vs. Panthers
- Texans vs. Raiders
- Patriots vs. Browns
- Chiefs vs. Packers