Week 8 of the 2024 NFL season delivered plenty of drama, upsets, and unforgettable moments both on the field and on social media. From the Houston Texans’ comeback win and trolling of the Indianapolis Colts, to the Atlanta Falcons sinking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, to the Philadelphia Eagles soaring in Cincinnati, the weekend was packed with storylines. Let’s dive into the biggest highlights and see which teams got the last laugh.
Texans Troll Colts After Comeback Victory
The Houston Texans pulled off a thrilling 23-20 win over their division rival Indianapolis Colts, thanks to a last-second fumble that sealed the game. Earlier in the week, Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson had been photographed throwing up the “H” hand sign associated with Houston. The Texans wasted no time rubbing salt in the wound after the victory.
Houston’s social media team resurfaced the photo of Richardson and posted a graphic of a pile of hay shaped into an “L” inside a horse stall, a clear jab at the Colts. “Don’t mind us, just cleaning the staLL,” the Texans’ tweet read, emphasizing the final two letters.
H’s up, H-Town 🤘
– Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) October 27, 2024
The loss dropped Indianapolis to 2-5 on the season as they continue to struggle finding consistency with their rookie signal-caller. Meanwhile, Houston improved to 4-3 and remained squarely in the mix for the AFC South title.
Falcons Sink Bucs With Late Stand
The Atlanta Falcons held on for a nail-biting 31-26 victory over Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after nearly squandering a 31-17 fourth quarter lead. The Bucs had two chances in the final minutes to complete the comeback but came up short both times.
First, Tampa turned it over on downs at the Atlanta 8-yard line with just over a minute remaining. Then, after a missed Younghoe Koo field goal gave the Bucs one last chance, Brady’s Hail Mary attempt was batted down as time expired.
The Falcons celebrated the hard-fought win on social media, poking fun at Tampa Bay’s “Creamsicle” throwback uniforms. Atlanta posted an edited video of DJ Khaled dancing on a boat in a pirate hat with the caption “Walk the Plank.”
Walk on to yo ship, took over yo ship
– Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 27, 2024
The win was Atlanta’s fourth in their last five games as they remained in first place in the NFC South at 5-3. Tampa Bay fell to 3-5 and have now lost five of their last six contests.
Eagles Soar Past Bengals
The Philadelphia Eagles delivered an impressive all-around performance, dominating the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals 37-17 on the road. After falling behind 7-0 early, Philly ripped off 30 straight points to take complete control.
Eagles star QB Jalen Hurts accounted for four total touchdowns, rushing for three scores to go along with 273 yards of total offense. Running back Saquon Barkley also topped 100 yards on the ground for the fourth time this season.
Philadelphia’s social media squad had a little fun at the Bengals’ expense after the blowout win. They posted a graphic of an eagle standing over a fallen tiger with the caption “King(s) of the Jungle!”
King(s) of the Jungle!
– Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 27, 2024
At 7-1, the Eagles now boast the best record in the NFL as they head into their bye week. Cincinnati dropped to 4-4 and will look to regroup before a crucial AFC North matchup against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10.
Other Notable Week 8 Storylines
- The Buffalo Bills defeated the Green Bay Packers 34-17 in the first-ever meeting between star QBs Josh Allen and Jordan Love.
- Kansas City outlasted San Francisco 38-34 in a thrilling Super Bowl LVII rematch behind 417 passing yards and 4 TDs from Patrick Mahomes.
- New England stunned the LA Chargers 23-20 on a last-second 58-yard Nick Folk field goal, handing LA their first loss.
- The NY Giants rushed for a season-high 262 yards in a 24-3 rout of the Seattle Seahawks, led by 148 yards from Breece Hall.
With the season reaching its midway point, the jockeying for playoff positioning is starting to heat up. Week 8 provided plenty of memorable moments, but also lots of insight into which teams appear to be true contenders. As the NFL heads into the second half, expect the intensity to keep rising.
