Key takeaways and analysis from Week 8 in the NFL

Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.

Bengals turn the corner

He's back, y'all.

Things didn't look so good for Joe Burrow and the Bengals early this season. The star quarterback's calf injury in training camp had lingered into September, and a powerhouse Cincinnati offense had begun to fall apart as a result. But we should have known better than to count this group out.

There were signs of a potential resurgence in recent weeks, with the occasional big play providing hope, but nothing compared to what we saw in Sunday's win over the 49ers. Burrow and Co. announced their triumphant return with a near-perfect performance against one of the league's premier defenses.

Burrow's progress with the calf injury allowed Cincinnati to implement more under-center looks from the offense during the bye week. This cleared the way for a more natural downhill run game, with Joe Mixon averaging a season-best 5.4 yards per carry against San Francisco's third-ranked run defense, and play-action opportunities that weren't previously available to the Bengals working exclusively out of shotgun.

Burrow took full advantage of his improved movement skills and the more expansive playbook, connecting on 28 of 32 passes - including 18 straight completions in the first half - for 283 yards, three scores, and no turnovers. He also showed off his mobility as a ball-carrier, topping 40 rushing yards for the first time since last December.

Continuing to manage this injury will be crucial for the Bengals, as any setbacks could quickly wash away all the progress we've seen with this offense. But it really feels like Burrow and the rest of this group have turned a corner.

The Bengals going on the road and outclassing the 49ers in this manner will be the game we all look back on if and when they find themselves in the AFC title game for a third consecutive year.

Brutal day for QBs

A rash of quarterback injuries was the top story coming out of Sunday's action, with a reported torn Achilles for Kirk Cousins being the most costly of them all.

Cousins, who is a free agent at the end of the season, had been playing some of the best football of his career before the devastating non-contact play in a win over the Packers. He was the driving force in the Vikings clawing back to 4-4 after an 0-3 start, and it's tough to imagine this team staying competitive without him. Cousins may have played his last game in Minnesota.

Elsewhere, Matthew Stafford's status will be worth watching this week after he exited a blowout loss to the Cowboys with a thumb injury. Stafford's stellar play after last year's injury issues has the Rams as a surprise playoff contender in the NFC. Any missed time would be a major blow to their chances, though, as they've only got so much room for error at 3-5.

Kenny Pickett was replaced by Mitch Trubisky after suffering a rib injury in Pittsburgh's loss to Jacksonville, Giants backup Tyrod Taylor left his start with a similar issue, and Desmond Ridder spent the second half on the sidelines despite clearing concussion protocol.

Levis shines in debut

Nobody saw this one coming - not even the Titans.

Any hype there could have been for Will Levis' first NFL start was effectively cast aside when it was revealed that both he and second-year quarterback Malik Willis would see time against the Falcons. It's tough for the public to have much confidence in a second-round rookie if his own team is so reluctant to hand him the keys.

As it turns out, even the Titans may have underestimated the progress in his development. Levis was sensational in leading Tennessee to a big win over Atlanta, completing 19 of 29 passes for 238 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.

The Kentucky product was the most criticized prospect of the consensus top four quarterbacks in this year's class. The physical tools were clear, and the toughness unmatched, but it seemed like he had a long way to go in terms of accuracy, decision-making, and pocket presence.

Those perceived issues may well peek through when Levis gets his shot as the full-time starter going forward, but the early returns couldn't have been much better. Levis was at his best pushing the ball downfield, showing off his effortless arm talent, some impressive touch, and more poise than you'd expect from a rookie who started the year buried on the depth chart.

It's still early, and more capable defenses will challenge him in different ways, so we won't make any sweeping judgments just yet. But Levis enjoying such immediate success - doubling Ryan Tannehill's season touchdown total in one game - at least opens the door for a major development for the future in Tennessee.

Levis saw his draft stock tumble after injuries and a subpar supporting cast impacted his play for his final year at Kentucky. Did the NFL overthink this one?

As ugly as it gets

Here's hoping your Sunday afternoon was spent watching any other game, or doing literally anything else, than suffering through the Jets-Giants dumpster fire. Football truly doesn't get much worse than this, folks.

The pair of offensive juggernauts combined for an incredible 24 punts on the day, with the Jets and Giants going 2-15 and 2-19 on third down, respectively.

Perhaps we could cut the Giants a little bit of slack here. Tyrod Taylor exiting late in the second quarter forced Tommy DeVito into the lineup, and Brian Daboll clearly had no interest in seeing the practice squad rookie air it out in the rain. But the numbers are what they are, and there's really no defending a team output of negative-nine passing yards on the day.

And that somehow may not even be the most embarrassing side of this matchup. Needing overtime to put away a Giants team that couldn't so much as manage positive yards in the passing game is the latest indictment of this Jets offense. Aaron Rodgers making an unprecedented return in time for the playoffs isn't going to mean much if Zach Wilson can't do the bare minimum to complement a top-five defense.

Lucky for us, the schedule has the Jets in prime time each of the next two weeks, and then featured again in a Black Friday afternoon game. Buckle up!

Deadline implications

The NFL's trade deadline is set for Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. ET. Let's check in on how some of this week's developments might impact how teams conduct business over the next two days.

Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes playing through an illness may have been a factor in Kansas City's shocking loss to Denver, but so was a glaring lack of talent at receiver. Whether it's DeAndre Hopkins, who caught three touchdowns this week, or Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton from the division-rival Broncos, there will be plenty of receivers available. The Chiefs can't sit around and hope someone will step up alongside Travis Kelce.

Vikings: A slow start seemingly had the Vikings headed for seller status at the deadline. Those plans surely went out the window when an impressive run saved their season, but now Cousins is likely done for the year. The Vikings should respond by revisiting those trade scenarios and dumping valuable veterans like Danielle Hunter and Harrison Smith. But throwing in the towel with a .500 record can be tough. Will they do the right thing?

Titans: The Titans may be less inclined to hold a full-fledged fire sale after beating the Falcons to get to 3-4. But Levis earning himself an extended look as the starting quarterback means there's no reason to keep Ryan Tannehill. The Jets and Falcons are the most obvious fringe contenders who could use an upgrade under center, and the latter's head coach knows the veteran quarterback quite well from his time in Tennessee.

Giants: As if it wasn't already clear, the Giants are going nowhere. That should open the door for a number of trade possibilities, with Saquon Barkley, Darren Waller, Leonard Williams, and Adoree' Jackson just a few of the many names who could be made available. As we saw with the Daniel Jones deal, however, self-scouting isn't exactly this organization's forte. Let's see if the Giants have the courage to prioritize the future.

49ers: Sunday's loss to the Bengals highlighted the major issues the 49ers have in the secondary. There's a clear need for at least one cornerback, and you can bet the ultra-aggressive tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch will be exploring any such possibilities right up until the deadline. Giants corner Adoree' Jackson and Panthers corner Donte Jackson could be good fits.

Quick slants

Regression was always coming

Brock Purdy threw two interceptions in the 49ers' loss to the Bengals. That makes it five picks over the course of a three-game losing streak for San Francisco. Purdy has been the same player throughout this season - he's still making many of the same impressive plays he did during a flawless five-game stretch to start the year - but teams are now capitalizing on the multiple turnover opportunities he tends to give them. It was bound to happen. Purdy has been a great find, and he may well prove to be the 49ers' long-term quarterback. The early numbers were just a little misleading.

Ramsey's impact

Contending teams have a busy few days ahead as they try to chase down a final piece or two before Tuesday's trade deadline. There could be plenty of action to that end, but it's tough to imagine any club making a more impactful addition than the Dolphins did with the healthy return of Jalen Ramsey this week. The defense was a real problem over the first seven games of the season, ranking 27th in success rate and 23rd in EPA/play. Ramsey getting an interception in his first game back was just a taste of the impact an All-Pro corner can have in taking a unit to another level.

Eagles win anyway

Watching the Eagles can be a frustrating experience. Jalen Hurts isn't quite playing at the level he did last year, the offense as a whole has struggled at times under new coordinator Brian Johnson, and there are real shortcomings in the secondary. Yet none of it ever seems to matter, just like it didn't matter in Sunday's win over the Commanders. A.J. Brown goes into beast mode whenever the offense needs a play, and the defense does just enough in big spots. The Eagles getting it done consistently despite playing a brand of football that feels far removed from their potential should be a scary thought for the rest of the league. They're going to be unstoppable if everything finally clicks.

Bryce flashes

The Bryce Young era hasn't gotten off to the best of starts, and that can be a tough look with other rookie quarterbacks hitting the ground running. Don't be so quick to write off the No. 1 pick, though. Young hasn't been getting much help from the Panthers' offense, but we're still seeing flashes of the brilliance that made him such a highly touted prospect. This throw, in particular, is a great example of the rare playmaking genius Young brings to the table. Give him time (and some receivers) and he should make this a more regular occurrence.

Chasing records

Tyreek Hill has racked up over 1,000 receiving yards so far. That'd be a great season for most, but it's only Week 8. He's the fastest to reach that mark in the Super Bowl era and on a 17-game pace for 2,154 yards. Anything even close to that mark would shatter Calvin Johnson's single-season record of 1,964 and should get him MVP consideration. While a non-quarterback winning the award feels impossible in today's NFL, this would be a stronger case than anyone's had since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Addison feasting

Justin Jefferson going down with a hamstring injury should have tanked this offense. Fortunately for the Vikings, their first-round rookie had other ideas. Jordan Addison has been a scoring machine in the early stages of his pro career, recording seven touchdowns over eight games. While the Cousins injury will likely hurt Addison's production from this point forward, the impression has been made. Whoever plays quarterback for the Vikings next season will have the luxury of throwing to one of the NFL's best young receiver tandems.

Credit to Howell

We've spent a lot of time poking fun at Sam Howell's astronomical sack numbers this year, but we also have to give credit where it's due. The Commanders' quarterback was largely excellent in Sunday's loss to the Eagles. Howell finished the day with career highs in completions (39), passing yards (397), and touchdowns (four). Most promising of all, he only took one sack against a loaded Philly defensive front. Howell's play will likely remain something of a roller-coaster ride, as evidenced by a rough sequence to close out the game, but there are certainly signs that he can be a player in this league.

Football shape is real

Anyone desperate to laugh at the idea of a running back getting paid probably enjoyed Jonathan Taylor's first two games back from injury. After an extended absence, though, it was only fair to expect that it would take some time for him to ramp up. We're once again starting to see signs of his All-Pro talent, with Sunday's 95-yard effort (7.9 yards per carry) against the Saints being his most productive day yet. Extending Taylor was a smart move.

Stat of the week

MNF lookahead

Raiders vs. Lions

The Lions are desperate to bounce back after getting embarrassed by the Ravens last week, and the Raiders may be the perfect opponent. Las Vegas just doesn't have the defensive talent to match up with such a masterfully designed Detroit scoring attack, and the offense has somehow gotten significantly worse in Year 2 under Josh McDaniels. This is a rough game to end up in prime time because it could get out of hand early.