Weeks seven and eight in the National Football League continued to showcase the league’s parity, reinvigorating the notion that no win is an easy one. As of week eight, the Kansas City Chiefs are the league’s only undefeated squad, boasting a 7-0 record. Additionally, every single team has won a game this season and the only teams that have not reached multiple victories are the Tennessee Titans and lowly Carolina Panthers. The road to playoff contention in the NFL is notoriously fierce and difficult, so it will be incredibly exciting to tune in for the remaining weeks of the regular season as teams jostle for playoff position.

However, one squad that does not look primed for a playoff push is the New York Jets. The Jets began this season with heightened expectations, as quarterback Aaron Rodgers proclaimed that qualifying for the playoffs was not an exceptionally lofty goal for the team. This year was supposed to be a pivotal one for Rodgers, who only appeared in a few snaps during last season’s opener before tearing his Achilles tendon. At age 40, Rodgers is now the NFL’s oldest player, but his age and injury history did not dampen the Jets’ hope for the season. Anchored by a strong defense and competent offensive attack, things appeared hopeful. 

Unfortunately, the season has been an absolute disaster. Most notably, the team fired head coach Robert Saleh after a disappointing 2-3 start, allegedly at the behest of Rodgers. Saleh’s dismissal has done nothing to turn around their forgettable season, with week seven featuring their 37-15 defeat to the Pittsburgh Steelers and week eight culminating in a 25-22 defeat to the abysmal New England Patriots, dropping the Jets to a horrific 2-6 record. Expect the Jets to make a major staff and roster overhaul during this upcoming offseason to address this season’s failures. Rodgers’ remaining years are extremely limited, so with his great amount of power he will be looking for quick moves to improve the team immediately. This is evidenced by their recent trade for star Oakland Raiders wideout Davante Adams, a former teammate of Rodgers. It remains to be seen if Rodgers and Adams can replicate the success they had together with the Green Bay Packers, but if so, Jets fans may not have to panic as much as they feared.

Week eight was host to one of the most spectacular finishes the NFL has seen in years, featuring a last-second Hail Mary pass conversion during the Oct. 27 game between the Washington Commanders and the Chicago Bears. All appeared lost for the Commanders, who trailed 15-12 out of field goal range at their own 48-yard line with a mere two seconds remaining in the contest. Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, still nursing a rib injury, scrambled aimlessly in the backfield before firing a 65-yard rocket into a crowd of players a couple of yards out of the end zone. In the chaos, the ball was tipped into the air, where it was then caught in the end zone by Commanders receiver Noah Brown. While the miraculous play was emblematic of the unexpected success the Commanders have experienced this year under the impressive play of Daniels, arguably the mistakes made by the Bears were more visible. In particular, video footage showed Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson gesturing towards the Commanders crowd in celebration during live play while the Hail Mary was occurring. Seconds later, Stevenson is shown standing helplessly after his squad let up a game winning throw to drop their record to 4-3. Stevenson later apologized on social media for his behavior, adamantly declaring that he would never make a mistake of that magnitude ever again. Only time will tell if the Bears can recover from such a blunder. It would be especially unfortunate due to their solid play thus far in the season thanks to rookie quarterback Caleb Williams performing well at the helm. 

Hopefully week nine can provide some more thrilling moments!

Games to watch:

Denver Broncos vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1p.m. eastern time on Nov. 3.

Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25p.m. E.T. on Nov. 3.