Week 8 of the NFL season is underway, and it is a pivotal one. That's because this Tuesday, all 32 teams will have until 4:00 p.m. ET that day to make trades. Whether it's an organization looking for a big-time player to add to their roster for a Super Bowl run or teams looking to move on from their best players on expiring contracts for draft capital, there will be some movement in the coming days, especially after the games are played.
There were strong wins, such as the Philadelphia Eagles improving to 7-1 with a win over the Washington Commanders. There were also some upsets, like the Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Denver Broncos.
Fans are wondering, as they do every year, which coaches could be on the hot seat. After Week 8, here are three who could probably be in consideration.
Todd Bowles oversaw Buccaneers' loss to Bills
Remember when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were 3-1 to start the year and looked like the favorites to win the NFC South? Yeah, that's just about done now.
Entering Week 8, head coach Todd Bowles oversaw the team fall into a two-game losing streak, with a 20-6 defeat to the Detroit Lions and a 16-13 "L" to the Atlanta Falcons. On "Thursday Night Football," the Buccaneers faced off against a Buffalo Bills team that has been far from dominant, barely beating the New York Giants in Week 6 and losing to the New England Patriots in Week 7.
Instead, the Buccaneers lost 24-18 to the Bills.
Yes, quarterback Baker Mayfield was dealing with a knee injury, but the offense was slow and plodding in upstate New York. Perhaps the most notable portion of the game was the Buccaneers were trailing 24-10 with a little over 10 minutes remaining. There obviously had to be a sense of urgency. Yet, the Buccaneers ran a 17-play drive and killed over seven minutes on the clock...while down two scores!
The Bills did bail the Buccaneers out by punting it back to them with 21 seconds left. But Tampa Bay still lost after a Mayfield Hail Mary fell past the hands of wide receiver Chris Godwin.
Yes, the roster of the Buccaneers is far from the greatest, and Bowles was put in a tough position to find a replacement for quarterback Tom Brady, but you have to win with the talent provided. After a strong start to the season, the Buccaneers are now on a three-game losing streak. As a head coach through his time with the New York Jets, the Miami Dolphins, and the Buccaneers, Bowles is now 37-54.
Ron Rivera in danger with looming fire sale
The Washington Commanders and head coach Ron Rivera got off to a strong start, holding a 2-0 record in the first two weeks of the season. This comes one year after they finished in last place in the NFC East and were the lone team in the division to not make the playoffs. But the positive vibes for the Commanders ended, as they lost four of their next five games, including a 14-7 loss to the New York Giants in Week 7. This weekend was a pivotal one, as reports indicated that the result of this game would determine whether or not the team would sell at the trade deadline on Oct. 31.
Well, they're likely selling now.
On Sunday, the Commanders kept pace with the Eagles for the most part and took a 24-17 lead in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Sam Howell to tight end Logan Thomas. But Washington's defense surrendered three unanswered touchdowns to the Eagles' offense (which is never ideal) and lost 38-31.
The Commanders did hang in the game for the most part, but they were made aware that there was still a sizable talent gap between them and the Eagles. But now, there is uncertainty about which players will be staying and who will be leaving by the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline this Tuesday.
Washington has a new team owner, Josh Harris. Eventually, he will want to bring in people that he entrusts, whether it's at head coach or general manager. If the Commanders miss out on the playoffs this year, Rivera could very well be shown the door.
Bill Belichick should be on the hot seat after another loss
It's odd to put a head coach who won six Super Bowls with one team on the hot seat. But for Bill Belichick, it might be time, and it sounds as though New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft is considering moving on from him if things continue to spiral out of control.
The Patriots ended a three-game losing streak last week with a 29-25 win over the Buffalo Bills. Granted, it is a Bills team that is playing far from perfect football this season but still managing to pick up wins. But this weekend, the Patriots had to face a Miami Dolphins team that was convincingly beaten by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Well on Sunday, the Patriots lost 31-17 to the Dolphins, bringing their record to 2-6 on the year.
The Patriots did get off to an early 7-0 lead on a 24-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mac Jones to wide receiver Kendrick Bourne. From there, the Dolphins responded with a 42-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Tyreek Hill on the following drive. New England would go three-and-out the ensuing drive. Miami would respond with a 14-play, 53-yard drive culminating in a one-yard touchdown reception by Cedrick Wilson. On New England's next drive, Jones threw a pass to Bourne that was intercepted by Dolphins cornerback Jalen Ramsey, allowing the team to move closer to "points range," and get a 30-yard field goal by Jason Sanders to enter halftime with a 17-7 lead.
What a disastrous sequence of events for the Patriots.
New England would cut their deficit to 24-17 in the fourth quarter on a three-yard touchdown reception by JuJu Smith-Schuster. But that was all for naught, as the Dolphins would reach the end zone one more time on a 31-yard catch by Jaylen Waddle.
Yes, Belichick did secretly sign a new contract, but it doesn't sound like it's a given he will return after next season based on recent reports. Again, if Kraft is not pleased with how the team looks by the end of the season, Belichick's status with the team could be in serious question.
