Week 8 of the NFL: The Eagles and Jaguars give the kickoff. The Steelers cry; Aaron Rodgers faces Rams; the wounds; recent news

Zach Ertz (left) and Quenton Meeks play the ball in the first half in London. (Tim Ireland / Associated Press)

Cindy Boren

Reporter covering sports, with a focus on politics and national stories

October 28 at 10:22

The Jaguars made headlines before the kickoff, when four players were arrested as a result of a brawl caused by a bar ticket in a nightclub. Among those who would have been detained were cornerback D.J. Hayden and Ronnie Harrison and Jarrod Wilson. Security Barry Church would have been involved, but not detained. "We are aware that four of our players have been arrested for restitution of a bill," said the president. the team said in a statement. "The problem is being resolved and the players are with the team. Any discipline will be treated internally. "

This match (on the NFL Network, the NFL app and fuboTV) will be the second international match to feature teams that participated in the playoffs the previous year. This is the first international match of two teams won playoff games the previous season. But things change quickly and, while pitting the defending Super Bowl champion against a team that collapsed in the fourth quarter against the Patriots, it may not have seemed like a good idea to join the Eagles at Minneapolis last February, but that was then. The Eagles are 3-4 after a terrible home defeat against the Panthers, which they led 17-0 in the fourth quarter, and could become the 17th NFL team to miss the playoffs of the season after winning the Super Bowl. Their three victories were won against teams combining 5-14.

At least the Eagles have a quarterback to Carson Wentz. Now, if they can just fix their third and red zone problems. They are 17th in the red zone and 16th in the 3rd conversions.

The Jaguars quarterback is Blake Bortles, who was cleared in the third quarter of Sunday's loss to the Texans and has made eight turnovers in the last three games (all losses). Jacksonville is 3-4 and the defeat was quickly followed by rumors that the Jaguars would scream insults in the locker room, but coach Doug Marrone plans to launch Bortles, who said he " did not care about his role as scapegoat for the team's struggles.

Steelers Monument: The Steelers will observe a moment of silence before the kick-off in memory of the people killed and injured during the shootings at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life Synagogue.

Can the Packers knock out the rams? In contrast, there is the match between the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles 7-0 Rams, a game in which the Packers were the first outsiders of the career of Aaron Rodgers (the SuperBook of Westgate Las Vegas had 8.8 outsiders points). For Green Bay, 3-2-1 after his start, questions surround Rodgers' left knee, injured early in the season.

"If I am completely healed, I do not need to wear a corset," Rodgers told reporters last week. "Feel more comfortable without that, of course. After suffering a knee injury for most of my life in football, you are obviously more protected. You see guys who wear it all the time without problems, but I feel more comfortable without having it. So, if it is not lit, it means that I feel good and if it does, it means that I am not quite back. "

Without wishing to dwell too much on the subject, the Packers are entering a decisive phase of their schedule. Their next five games are against teams with a record of 23-10-1 for the moment and only one of these matches is in Lambeau.

And the rams? They look like the best full team in the league, but they have lost the last five times against Green Bay. (So ​​we say there is a chance for the Packers.)

The Rams game is far from the only thing to do at LA, which will live something that the Los Angeles Times calls a "sports equinox". Okeedoke.

Saints-Vikings already seen: The Saints and Vikings will play for the third time since the start of last season, but everyone remembers this playoff match last January, in which the Vikings won 29-24. It's the take of Stefan Diggs Minnesota Miracle in this match that crushed New Orleans. Both teams minimize the revenge factor, but the defeat marinated for nine months with the Saints.

Both teams are also involved in the NFC and rank first in their divisions. The Saints have won five straight games, the Vikings three. While both embody the NFL's "offensive, first defense, later" philosophy this season, there is also the feeling that it might act from the act I , with the second act coming in January 2019.

Most sad note of the day: Giants quarterback Eli Manning is expected to be sacked 55 times this season. His previous precedent? 39 bags in 2013.

New in the night of Sunday: NBC will debut with a goal scorer in the field, a device able to map football theft during field attempts, on "SNF". Called SNF Kicks, NBC says it will provide other information, such as trajectory, speed of the ball and a "good of" stat that will indicate the farthest distance from which the shot from foot would have been good. It will be used in attempts of 45 yards or more.

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DeSean Jackson wants an exchange? DeSan Jackson, Tampa Bay receiver, recently called for an exchange, according to the NFL network, and the request was met with a refusal. Reminder: the trading deadline is Tuesday.

Griffen returns: Everson Griffen joined the Vikings last week after being absent since week 3 while Deal with mental health issues that were "more important than football". Coach Mike Zimmer did not want to know if he would play Sunday night against the Saints. The Vikings the half Dalvin Cook (hamstring), linebacker Anthony Barr (ankle), goalkeeper Andrew Sendejo (groin) and left-back guard Tom Compton (knee) will not play. Left tackle Riley Reiff is uncertain.