#285: 2021 Week 8 NFL Preview (with Hal Bent)

1. Week 7 Takeaways

-Me: House cleanings await the Bears and Broncos

-Hal: Bengals with statement win, Gruden might have been holding the Raiders back all along, Kyle Pitts and Ja’Marr Chase are stars in the making

2. Truth or Exaggeration

-NO team should trade for Deshaun Watson until his legal issues are resolved

-The Panthers would be a MUCH better destination for Deshaun Watson than the Dolphins

-Albeit with a 17-game caveat, Kyle Pitts will break the all-time rookie receiving yardage record for tight ends, which was set by Mike Ditka in 1961 with 1,076

-Ja’Marr Chase is already making an excellent argument to be considered a top-five WR in the NFL

-Should the Raiders make the playoffs, they should HIGHLY consider promoting interim head coach Rich Bisaccia to full-time head coach

-Even though they are still yet to win a game this season, the Lions are absolutely headed in the right direction under Dan Campbell

-D’Ernest Johnson is going to permanently force his way into the Browns RB rotation over these next several weeks, making it a three-headed monster once Kareem Hunt gets healthy

3. Packers at Cardinals Preview

-How do the Packers attack the Cardinals through the air minus Davante Adams, Allen Lazard AND Marquez Valdes-Scantling?

-After seeing Kyler Murray take quite a pounding against the Texans, how should the Cardinals protect him better (other than better OL play) on a short week?

-Key matchups and picks

4. Cowboys at Vikings Preview

-Is this Vikings secondary significantly less fearsome than it has been in recent years and thus extremely vulnerable if the front four can’t get to Dak Prescott?

-Even with Dalvin Cook fully healthy, should the Vikings still give around 25-33% of the touches to Alexander Mattison?

-Key matchups and picks

5. Picks for all other Week 8 Games

       -49ers at Bears

       -Eagles at Lions

       -Panthers at Falcons

       -Dolphins at Bills

       -Bengals at Jets  

       -Steelers at Browns

       -Titans at Colts

       -Rams at Texans

       -Patriots at Chargers

       -Jaguars at Seahawks

       -Washington at Broncos

       -Bucs at Saints

       -Giants at Chiefs

6. Bold Predictions

       -Hal: Lions win in OT on a blocked punt return for a TD

       -DKrom: Aaron Rodgers throws for at least 350 yards and 4 TD’s, 150 of those yards and 3 of those TD’s to Randall Cobb

7. Challenge Flags

       -DKrom: Patrick Mahomes….don’t go for the home run all the time

       -Hal: Bengals, Rams, Bills….do NOT overlook your opponents, no matter how inferior they are