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We’re at the part of the NFL season when the good teams really begin to separate themselves from the bad. However, we’ve mentioned before that this season hasn’t provided us a clear answer of who the best team is, or, really, the best two or three teams.

That picture may become just a tad bit clearer after Week 8. Below are a few games I’ve got a closer eye on this weekend:

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET: Wait, didn’t these two just play each other? They did in Week 6, and the Giants upset the Eagles 34-17. New York could have followed that up with a nice win over the Denver Broncos in Week 7, but an epic fourth quarter collapse led to a one-point loss for the Giants. Now, the question is whether Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart can help his team bounce back against a division rival after putting together a nice string of games so far in his rookie year.

Philly, meanwhile, could be without receiver A.J. Brown, which would be an issue. The Eagles are in a bit of a weird spot after following up their two-game skid with a win over the Minnesota Vikings — can they get revenge over New York for that loss from two weeks ago, or are they still in a midseason slump?

Buffalo Bills vs. Carolina Panthers, 1 p.m. ET: I’d like this game a bit more if QB Bryce Young wasn’t going to be missing it, but it’s not necessarily the QB battle that I’ll be watching, anyway. Panthers RB Rico Dowdle has emerged as the top back for Carolina, averaging nearly 190 (!) yards from scrimmage per game over the last three weeks, while a now-healthy Chuba Hubbard is available to spell him. They’ll be facing a Bills run defense that’s allowed 156 yards rushing per game this season, with Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson going off on them two weeks ago for 170 yards and 8.9 yards per carry.

If Buffalo can’t stop the ground game, Panthers QB Andy Dalton might not have to be great to pull off this upset. Then again, we can’t forget who is on the other side: QB Josh Allen is coming off a bye, and has a chance to set more records as he looks to break the team’s two-game losing streak.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Denver Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET: I still feel like I can’t tell how good these two teams are, but I suppose I should take the Broncos more seriously after their four-game winning streak and come-from-behind win over the Giants last week. The fact is that Denver has a kick-ass defense and appears to be in full health outside of linebacker Dre Greenlaw missing the game due to suspension.

The Cowboys have an awful defense, meanwhile, allowing just over 400 yards per game, which makes me think Dallas will take the L here. However, the Cowboys’ offense is legit, scoring over 31 points per game, which makes me wonder if the Broncos’ mediocre offense can keep up. This one is truly tough to predict — it seems we could get a close game or a blowout on either side.

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m. ET: QB Aaron Rodgers is set to host his former team, and he insists that it’s not a “revenge game” whatsoever:

“I don’t have any animosity toward the organization,” he said. “Obviously, I wish things would have been better in our last year there. But I have a great relationship with a lot of people still in that organization. This is not a revenge game for me. I’m just excited to see some of those guys and be on ‘Sunday Night Football’ again.”

Heck, Rodgers even says that he plans to return to the Packers’ franchise in some capacity when he’s ready to retire. Even so, one must think that he’s going to be extra hyped for this matchup, and it looks like a good one on paper.

TNF recap: Chargers handle Vikings with relative ease

We’ve been lucky this year with some unexpected Thursday night bangers, but alas, yesterday’s matchup was the opposite of one.

The Los Angeles Chargers coasted to a 37-10 win over the Vikings thanks to a strong defensive effort and a ground game that earned over 200 yards and a score. After the game, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t mince words about his team’s (and his own) performance:

“We got outplayed. We got outcoached. There are no excuses. Injuries, short week, whatever it is, that is not in any way, shape or form, our standard of what we want to put on the field,” he said. “This is not a bury the tape kind of time for our organization. This is a watch it, view it, own it. Every coach, every player, and it starts with me. I did not have our team prepared to play.”

The most frustrating part of the night for Minnesota was the fact that quarterback Carson Wentz was allowed to keep playing despite clearly being banged up. Eventually, the team trotted out QB Max Brosmer once the game was out of reach, but he should have probably entered sooner. Nonetheless, the hope for Minnesota is to get QB J.J. McCarthy back from injury as soon as possible. That could be coming soon, per O’Connell:

“We talked about earlier in the week, we worked out J.J. and he was close, and J.J. and the medical staff didn’t quite feel like he was there yet, but there was a lot of encouragement that, especially with the time we have … and where he’s at and the confidence level he thinks he can get to, and I believe we’re right,” he said. “Hopefully, around the corner from seeing him be healthy, have a week of preparation and go compete, because that’s really what he wants, and that’s what he’s been working towards.”

Meanwhile, L.A. has to be happy about its bounce-back win after losing to the Indianapolis Colts last week. Now at 5-3, the Chargers could find themselves back on top of the AFC West if the Broncos drop their game against Dallas this Sunday.

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