Another week, another full slate ofNFL action nearly in the books. And Week 8 has been chock-full of drama.

Saquon Barkley finally rediscovered his big-play touch against -- who else? -- theNew York Giants. TheCincinnati Bengals, who upset thePittsburgh Steelers with a prime-time shootout back in Week 7, found themselves on the wrong end of a similarly high-scoring affair. The Drake Maye-ledNew England Patriots stayed hot to win their sixth game in eight weeks. And theBuffalo Bills got back on track with a major victory over theCarolina Panthers, who were withoutBryce Young under center.

Other surprises on Sunday:C.J. Stroud and theHouston Texans enjoyed a splashy win over theSan Francisco 49ers despite battling a slew of their own injuries, theBaltimore Ravens avoided a slide to 1-6 while awaitingLamar Jackson's return, and theAtlanta Falcons stood no chance against theMiami Dolphins, even withKirk Cousins getting a shot to lead the team off the bench.

Which players, coaches and teams stood out as the biggest winners (or losers) of Week 8? Here goes:

Winner:Jonathan Taylor's MVP case

A year after Barkley cruised past the 2,000-yard mark, theIndianapolis Colts star is on pace for an almost equally dynamic season as the centerpiece of Shane Steichen's suddenly imposing attack. The veteran running back was averaging close to 17 yards per carry (!) just over halfway through a rout of theTennessee Titans, and he's been money all year asDaniel Jones' offensive sidekick.

Loser:Spencer Rattler

This isn't solely, or even primarily, because the young quarterback was unplayable as theNew Orleans Saints' starter, but rather that he was basically set up to fail as the trial-run passer forKellen Moore's rebuild. Speaking of Moore, he finally made the switch to rookieTyler Shough against theTampa Bay Buccaneers, essentially turning the page on Rattler's scrappy, if unspectacular, run.

Winner: Sean Payton

What a week for theDenver Broncos coach. Days after deflecting arare Russell Wilson outburst, Payton didn't just stick it to theDallas Cowboys, who apparently courted Payton multiple times over the course of his esteemed career; he outright embarrassed them, leadingBo Nix and Co. to a one-sided victory over a superior roster even with top defenderPatrick Surtain II banged up.

Loser:Dak Prescott

The Cowboys quarterback was understandably drawing MVP buzz coming into Week 8, consistently feedingCeeDee Lamb and/orGeorge Pickens to help offset Dallas' porous defense. Then he ran into the Broncos defense, which made him look downright silly with two picks in a 44-24 blowout. The 'Boys wouldn't be near .500 without Dak, but this was an ugly day of decisions for the vet.

Winner:Tyler Huntley

The Baltimore Ravens got into trouble byimproperly indicating Jackson might return from his hamstring injury against theChicago Bears. But Huntley, who's now on his third stint with the club, stepped up in the former MVP's absence, completing his first nine throws and also scurrying for 50+ yards on the ground to help the Ravens snap a four-game slide and rout the Chicago Bears.

Loser: Raheem Morris

A few weeks ago, Morris' Atlanta Falcons looked as if they might be on the verge of sneaking into the NFC South mix, showcasing a feisty defense in an upset of the Buffalo Bills. That "D" was nowhere to be found against the lowly Miami Dolphins, who rediscovered their aerial efficiency in a blowout win. Not evenBijan Robinson could save Atlanta's injury- and penalty-plagued offense, either.

The tush push didn't die in a meeting room; it died on a Sunday in Philadelphia

Jonathan Jones

Winner: Jonathan Taylor's fellow big-money RBs

Struggling to find green grass for much of 2025, reigning Offensive Player of the Year Barkley finally hit a home run against his old team, the New York Giants, as part of thePhiladelphia Eagles' best rushing effort of the year. Meanwhile,James Cook, who just got a new deal with the Bills, exploded for 216 yards against the Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore'sDerrick Henry scored twice.

Loser: Everyone involved with the Bengals defense

Zac Taylor runs the staff. Al Golden runs the defense. Higher-ups direct the roster. All of them must answer for the trainwreck that is Cincinnati's "defense," which costJoe Burrow a playoff run in 2024 and is about to make the team irrelevant again. Despite another valiant connection betweenJoe Flacco andJa'Marr Chase, Cincy dropped to 3-5 by giving up 39 points to theNew York Jets.

Winner: Mike McDaniel's job security

For another couple of weeks, at least.Tua Tagovailoa may or may not have the big-game fortitude necessary to keep the current Dolphins regime intact for the long haul. But the maligned quarterback finally found a rhythm under Mike McDaniel's direction against the Falcons to the tune of four scores and zero turnovers. Miami is still just 2-6, but this will quiet the wolves for a little bit longer.