And just like that, the NFL has just about reached the midpoint of the 2024 season.

The pecking orders between the two conferences have now largely been established. You have the elites like the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the AFC and the Detroit Lions in the NFC, and another cluster of intriguing frontrunners (for now) like the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers , Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders.

There is a group of projected playoff teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons that still have some things to sort out. There are teams like the San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are battling to overcome injuries while hoping to keep their playoff hopes alive. And then there are everyone else: a group of teams hovering around .500 and praying for better fortunes, or cellar dwellers who may already be making plans to overhaul rosters.

GO DEEPER

NFL Power Rankings Week 8: Separating early contenders from pretenders; NFC North Rules

The action started Thursday in Los Angeles, where the Vikings lost 30-20 to the Los Angeles Rams, who got wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua back from injuries and four touchdowns from Matthew Stafford.

Sunday’s schedule features eight early games, five late afternoon games and then Sunday night’s showdown between the desperate Cowboys and the host 49ers. Monday night’s Giants-Steelers game (who thought New York deserved a primetime slot?) wraps it all up.

Here are five of the most intriguing storylines from the league in Week 8. (Find the full schedule here.)

1. Eagles, Bengals momentum shifts

After a slow and rough start to the season, the Eagles and Bengals finally appear to be heading in the right direction. Philadelphia has overcome its initial injuries and its revamped offensive and defensive units appear to be finding their identity. The Eagles have improved to 4-2 and on Sunday are seeking their first winning streak of at least three games since 2023, when they won five in a row from Weeks 7 through 12. The Bengals have improved to 3-4 after going 1-4 injury-plagued and disjointed start to the season. Is it a coincidence that both teams’ winning streaks came in two games against the Browns and Giants?

The Bengals and Eagles are about to find out if the spike in offensive firepower and improved defensive toughness come from cohesion and execution, or if the issues that plagued them during the first month of the season remain. A win in Philadelphia would propel Nick Sirianni’s team further up the NFC East standings, where they trail Washington (5-2). Cincinnati hopes to climb above .500 before a Week 10 rematch in Baltimore. (Eagles at Bengals, 1 p.m. ET Sunday.)

Tua Tagovailoa hasn’t played since suffering a concussion in Week 2. (Sam Navarro / Imagn Images)

Six weeks after suffering the third known concussion of his NFL career, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa returns to action Sunday at home against the Arizona Cardinals. The Dolphins have missed their franchise quarterback in the worst way, losing three of their last four games, or four of five if you count the first half of Week 2 when Tagovailoa was injured. Their offense, so potent in Mike McDaniel’s first two seasons as coach, averaged just 10 points per game without Tagovailoa. Tyreek Hill, considered one of the most dangerous weapons in football, has just one touchdown catch and 294 receiving yards in six games.

Tagovailoa dismissed outside concerns about him suffering another concussion and how such an injury would affect him. He professed an undying love for the game and dedication to his teammates. If the Dolphins can keep Tagovailoa on the field, their contending hopes appear to return. Although they are 2-4, they are in second place in the AFC East behind 5-2 Buffalo, and they are ranked 10th in a conference that currently features only seven teams with winning records.

GO DEEPER

How Tua Tagovailoa cleared the NFL concussion protocol to return to the Dolphins

Hill told reporters earlier this week, “We’re back, baby! Hit the damn band!” But is it realistic to expect Tagovailoa to immediately light his team on fire against the 3-4 Cardinals, or will he have to knock off some rust? Hill is questionable on Sunday due to a foot injury. And again, question No. 1 is whether Tagovailoa can stay on the field. (Cardinals at Dolphins, Sunday 1:00 PM ET.)

Once-rated Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young returns to the starting lineup against host Denver Broncos on Sunday, six weeks after coach Dave Canales benched him in favor of veteran Andy Dalton. Dalton is dealing with a sprained thumb after a car accident, but it still makes sense for the Panthers to give the 2023 top pick another chance. Canales initially hoped Young could learn from watching a veteran offense while Dalton boosted Carolina’s chances to compete. But the Panthers have lost four in a row behind Dalton and at 1-6, bereft of talent at many key positions and one of the NFL’s worst teams in many statistical categories, the rookie head coach may be abandoning any hope of a dramatic turnaround.

GO DEEPER

Andy Dalton is okay. Bryce Young gets another start. Who knows what happens next?

Two games weren’t enough for Young to really start a new offense after seeing sparse preseason action. Canales says Young has been “an absolute stud” since his benching in practice. So the Panthers need to move on him now to see if he’s capable of leading this turnaround for the franchise, as they believed when they acquired him over C.J. Stroud last season.

At best, Young, who threw three interceptions and no touchdowns and completed just 56.9 percent of his passes for a total of 299 yards in two games, comes in and displays a better feel for the game and allays concerns that Carolina made a mistake drafting him. . However, if team decision makers have already decided they made a mistake with Young, they would do well to play him now if he shows enough promise to elicit a trade offer for him before the November 5 deadline. (Panthers at Broncos, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)

Caleb Williams returns to his native DC to meet the Commanders. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

If the football gods have it, the top two picks from this year’s draft will meet for the first time. Caleb Williams leads his Chicago Bears to Washington, where they will put their three-game win streak on the line against the 5-2 Commanders and (maybe) quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Daniels, the No. 2 pick, suffered a rib injury early last week in the win over Carolina and watched most of the game from the sidelines. He is listed as doubtful and while he did not practice Wednesday and Thursday, he was a limited participant on Friday. He has set the tone for the Commanders, who are tied with the Ravens in scoring (31.1 points per game). Daniels leads the NFL with a completion percentage of 75.6 and has thrown six touchdowns and just two interceptions while rushing for four more.

GO DEEPER

Hope is dangerous in DC, but Jayden Daniels makes the commanders believe

Williams is now starting to look like the star the Bears thought they were getting when they selected him first overall. He has completed 74.1 percent of his passes with seven touchdown passes and just one interception in this three-game win streak. A once sputtering Bears offense has outscored its opponents by an average of 17 points per game.

The Bears are 4-2 in a hot NFC North with Detroit (5-1), Minnesota (5-2) and Green Bay (5-2). Meanwhile, Washington hopes to maintain its lead in the NFC East against surging Philadelphia. (Bears at Commanders, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)

Few teams have suffered as many injury-related setbacks as the Chiefs, who placed a third wide receiver on injured reserve this week, while a fourth was also sidelined. Yet somehow the defending Super Bowl champions remain the NFL’s last undefeated team at 6-0. Kansas City always has a chance with Patrick Mahomes under center and its defense being one of the best in the NFL. However, the Chiefs are in desperate need of reinforcement on offense and may have found their man in DeAndre Hopkins.

On Wednesday, they acquired the five-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro selection from the Tennessee Titans in hopes he can work with Mahomes, Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy to help restore their offense’s improved big-play ability and consistency . Coming off the seventh 1,000-yard season of his career in 2023, Hopkins has endured a rough start to the 2024 campaign. Paired with Tennessee quarterback Will Levis, who has passed for just 699 yards, five touchdowns and seven interceptions this season, Hopkins has 15 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. At 32, Hopkins lacks the explosiveness he boasted during his prime, but he remains an effective route runner and can still win 50-50 balls like he always has.

Hopkins’ knowledge of the Chiefs’ offense will be limited on Sunday when the Chiefs visit the hapless Raiders, but if anyone can quickly position a player for success, it’s Andy Reid. (Chiefs at Raiders, 4:25 p.m. ET Sunday.)

(Top photo of Bryce Young: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images)