NFL Overreactions/Underreactions Week 8

Eight one-score games, the NFC continuing to look weaker and a week dominated by the home team, let’s overreact and underreact to Week 7 of the NFL season.

Rocco’s Underreaction: The Lions Are Not Contenders

The Detroit Lions are a great story. It’s a team everybody wants to root for. The perennial loser, always the underdog and haven’t won a playoff game since 1992.

And while this may be the best team the “Motor City” has rooted for in over two decades, this will not be the year the Lions contend for a Super Bowl.

In their first true test against a fully healthy juggernaut, the Lions failed the exam with a 38-6 blowout loss in Baltimore.

Baltimore shut out Jared Goff and the offense through three quarters while Lamar and the Ravens offense dominated Detroit’s defense.

Goff has shown signs of improvement while operating an offense that ranks 9th in the league in offensive EPA. However, the trust is not yet there in Goff to win four straight games in the postseason. The former Rams quarterback completed a measly 57% of his passes in his six playoff starts while averaging just 216 yards passing with a 3-3 record.

The Lions will likely still win the NFC North, and with the weak NFC, there is still a good shot they win a playoff game. However, after the Wild Card, the wheels will fall off against one of the NFC’s elite in Philadelphia or San Francisco.

Christian’s Underreaction: The Pittsburgh Steelers will make the playoffs

What else is new? Head coach Mike Tomlin has a chance to take a subpar Steelers roster back to the playoffs. Sounds like a normal year in the NFL. After a 4-2 start to their season and a very favorable schedule, the Pittsburgh Steelers look primed to make a run at a playoff spot and it’s the defense that's leading the way. In the four games that they have won, the Steelers defense has given up only 16.8 points per game which takes the pressure off of Kenny Pickett and the offense which has been mediocre at best averaging only 17.2 points per game. T. J. Watt leads this ferocious defense with eight sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception through six games. Many thought that this Steelers team was going to live in the basement of a very strong AFC North. But don’t count them out just yet. Mike Tomlin has done it before, there’s no reason he can’t do it again.

Declan’s Underreaction: Russell Wilson isn’t the problem in Denver

After acquiring head coach Sean Payton, many considered Denver to be a legit contender heading into the season. Now at 2-5 heading into week eight, few teams have been more disappointing.

Some have already begun accusing the Broncos of tanking in order to draft USC quarterback Caleb Williams. These types of rumors aren’t uncommon, but their existence shows clear ignorance of one key fact. Russell Wilson isn’t the problem.

In fact, Wilson has played very well this season. He currently ranks seventh in the NFL in passer rating and fifth in touchdown passes.

Wilson has also been operating behind an offensive line that’s gotten him sacked 20 times, tied for fourth most among individual quarterbacks. Despite his porous offensive line, Wilson has managed to stay outside the top fifteen in total sack yardage lost.

The Broncos’ defense isn’t helping either, they’re currently tied with the winless Panthers for the most points allowed per game. When your defense allows the first 70-point game since 1966, that’s the problem.

When things go this poorly for a team, fans and the media will always find a scapegoat. After his disastrous 2022 season, Wilson is the easy target. In reality, the quarterback is the least of Denver’s concerns.

Michael’s Overreaction: The Bills will not make the playoffs

After losing the first game of the season in stunning fashion to the New York Jets, Josh Allen and the Bills picked up where they left off last season and dominated three games in a row.

While it looked like the division was going to be theirs again after dismantling the Dolphins 48-20, the Bills have greatly struggled in their last three games.

After dropping a rough game to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, the Bills barely got by the New York Giants at home, and then proceeded to lose to the one-win Patriots this past week.

The Bills have been the definition of inconsistency this season and while they are dealing with a lot of injuries, Josh Allen and the offense has not stepped up as he is tied for the second most interceptions in the NFL this season.

However, I think he’ll cut back on his turnovers and as the defense gets some of their pieces back, this team will get back into their flow.

With that being said, I still believe that this team has the talent and capability of being a 10 or 11-win team this season and that they will make the wild card.

Gia’s Overreaction: The Eagles Are Going To The Superbowl

We know the Eagles are dominant and we know they are hungry. I am just gonna come right out and say that they will be making a Super Bowl return this year.

This team is just too stacked that it's impossible for them not to. They have one of the hardest schedules yet sit at one of the best records. (6-1)

The Birds just defeated an overly talented Miami Dolphins team and almost made it look easy.

Not to mention, A.J. Brown is tied for the most consecutive games (5) with 125+ receiving yards and he just isn’t stopping anytime soon.

If the Eagles don’t go to the Superbowl, they should feel more than embarrassed of themselves given the amount of weapons on that team.

Please notice how I said they were GOING to the Superbowl, but I never said they were winning it.

Because let’s be honest, Philly sports don’t win championships. They just get as close as possible and then rip your heart out.

Rocco Pellegrino is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email rdp5387@psu.edu.

Christian Frabasile is a third-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email caf5934@psu.edu.

Declan Stablow is a fourth-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email djs7159@psu.edu

Michael Landis is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mpl5930@psu.edu

Gia Sabatino is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, please email gms6168@psu.edu.