Jason Bell NFL Prediction & Thoughts For Week 8

NFL London Was All About The Fans

Sadly NFL London is over for another year, but I have to say the games were great in 2024!

The New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings got us off to a flying start, both coming into the game off a win and putting on a real spectacle. The action kept getting better from there. 

Over the three games we saw young quarterbacks playing well and good quarterback play in general, which is what you want in the NFL.

The fans want to see crisp football and we got that. The last game brought a great storyline with two huge organisations, both desperate for a win, which made for a great game. 

The games are important, but the rest comes down to the fans. It’s all about the fans.

I’ve been in the UK for a long time and the response from the fans is clear to see, they love it. I appreciate them for showing up and bringing the energy again this year! Hopefully in the years to come it continues to grow.

American football is unique and that’s what we’re selling, it is not just a match, it’s an event. That’s what separates it from other sports in the UK.

It’s uniquely American and it brings a different atmosphere to regional sports. That’s why it’s such a great spectacle and that makes people want to come and watch. 

Injuries Haunting Shanahan Offense

Injuries have been the driving factor behind Kyle Shanahan’s below-par offense this season. The San Francisco 49ers’ offense works because of the threat of having multiple options.

Having both Debo Samuel and Christian McCaffrey in the game at the same time is always going to cause problems for any defense, but McCaffrey’s injury has put a stop to that. 

Kyle Shanahan can see what defenses are trying to do, he’s a great play caller and he can manipulate defenses to find an opening. That’s all good, but the offense runs around McCaffrey and he’s been missing all year – he was the focal point.

The NFL is a players league and he has been struggling to keep his key players on the field. I say it every week, the run game is key. It hasn’t been as strong without McCaffrey.

It’s a tough time for Brock Purdy because he’s trying to play a different game now.

Before, he had options everywhere and defenses had to cover so many different threats, but that isn’t the case now. You can’t say he’s playing well at the moment, but that’s down to the circumstances.

Texans To win Battle Of The AFC South

My first game to watch this week comes from the AFC South as the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts go head-to-head. Divisional battles always catch my eye because they’re usually tough games.

Anthony Richardson is back for the Colts and it will be interesting to see how he gets on against this Houston defense, because they’re tough, they’ve got pride, and they have home advantage. 

CJ Stroud is another one to keep an eye on coming off the back of a poor performance against the Green Bay Packers – he needs to bounce back.

I feel like he, and his team, will be determined to bounce back from the embarrassment of that loss to the Packers.

As good as Richardson is, I still think Houston hold the advantage in the quarterback position with Stroud.

Richardson is a highlight reel player; he has great highlights but he also has some lowlights as well. I like him, he’ll make some plays, but I’m siding with CJ Stroud and the Texans. 

Prediction: Houston Texans to win

Siding With Seahawks To Soar Against Buffalo

The other game that grabbed my attention this weekend is the Seattle Seahawks taking on the Buffalo Bills. I can see this being a really good game and it’s certainly a tough one to call. 

Geno Smith is quietly doing his thing and Mike Macdonald’s defense is getting better.

The key for the Bills is Josh Allen, and he needs to avoid turning the ball over. But this Seahawks defense is tough and they won’t make it easy for him. 

It’s hard because I look at this game and the standout player is obviously Josh Allen.

We all know he can make plays, but I honestly believe Seattle can win this game. I might be going against the crowd here but I really think they can pull this off. 

DK Metcalf is hurt and that does scare me a little bit. However, if Seattle can be efficient on offense, and keep improving on defense, then I’d be siding with them. I think they might just have turned a corner. 

Prediction: Seattle Seahawks to win