PFT's Week 8 2026 NFL picks

Another week, another slate of games that cry out for a seat-of-the-pants guess as to who’ll prevail in each one.Please don’t rely on any of these predictions, if you’re inclined to risk your hard-earned money in trying to pick winners. I literally go with the first impulse I have, one game at a time.The results bear it out. I was 8-6 last week. (Which is better than 6-8. Which seemed inevitable at one point.) For the year, I’m 60-48-1. That’s 55.5 percent. (Or, for those who don’t know how percentages work, 55.5 out of 100.)Here are my picks for 100 percent of the Week 8 games, which has 12.5 percent of the league (49ers, Giants, Texans, Saints) on a bye.Panthers at Packers Both teams need to flush disappointing performances on a short week. The Packers won’t want a repeat of their last Thursday night home game, when the Falcons brought out the boo birds.Packers 27, Panthers 16.Ravens at BillsEven with Lamar Jackson on track to play, the Bills had extra time to get rested and ready for the latest date with one of their top rivals in the conference.Bills 28, Ravens 24.Titans at BengalsThe Bengals are finding their groove. The Titans will be reeling from the aftermath of the trade that sent one of their best players to the Bears.Bengals 34, Titans 17.Cardinals at CowboysDallas has been way too inconsistent this year, and the Cardinals have played surprisingly well in Dallas. Players who don’t get to visit Jerry World very often tend to rise to the occasion.Cardinals 23, Cowboys 20.Vikings at LionsThe worst 6-0 team in recent years won’t have to worry about being called the worst 7-0 team in NFL history. The Lions know that getting swept by the Vikings in 2025 kept Detroit out of the playoffs. The biggest challenge will be for QB Jared Goff to find his hot receiver before the defenders can get to him.Lions 27, Vikings 13.Colts at JaguarsJacksonville know not to view the Colts as a second straight bye week.Jaguars 24, Colts 9.Raiders at JetsIt feels like the Jets have been slowly falling apart. That process could accelerate against a Raiders team that desperately wants to end a four-game skid.Raiders 24, Jets 17.Browns at SteelersThirty years after the Browns became the Ravens, the Browns could be replacing the Ravens as Pittsburgh’s top division rival.Steelers 16, Browns 13.Falcons at BuccaneersThe up-and-down Falcons can’t be trusted to stack wins. The Bucs found something against Carolina. (Also, Baker Mayfield would love to stick it to Kevin Stefanski.)Buccaneers 27, Falcons 20.Chargers at RamsThe battle for L.A. shouldn’t be much of one. The Rams can’t afford to stumble against a lesser opponent, and the Chargers can’t figure things out offensively.Rams 30, Chargers 13.Chiefs at BroncosThe Broncos understand that getting swept by the Chiefs will make it very hard to win the division.Broncos 17, Chiefs 13.Patriots at DolphinsThe Pats got extra time to get back on track after losing in Chicago. The Dolphins are simply relieved to have gotten a win in Week 7.Patriots 31, Dolphins 20.Eagles at CommandersIf the Commanders can’t win this one, they may not win another game all year.Commanders 24, Eagles 21.Bears at SeahawksIt’s the NFC Championship game we almost got to see in January. And it could be a preview of the NFC Championship game to come.Seahawks 20, Bears 14.