2020 NFL week 8 viewing guide: Games to watch for Giants fans

For the second week in a row we have a Sunday of NFL Football in which the New York Giants aren’t playing. Following one of the weirdest intervals of consecutive games (Thursday night to Monday night), the Giants have most of 11 days off in one week of the NFL schedule.

That means that, once again, Giants fans have to look for other games to watch on a Sunday without Big Blue. Here are some games that might interest Giants fans while they wait for the final game of Week 8.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-0) at Baltimore Ravens (5-1)

CBS - 1 p.m.

I don’t care what year it is, this has been a marquee match-up for the last two decades. The Steelers and Ravens are among the most consistently good teams in the NFL and are two of the best teams in the NFL this year.

The two teams feature excellent defenses and dangerous offenses — though they go about playing football in remarkably different ways. The game could be won or lost depending on how well the Steelers’ league-leading pass rush is able to contain Ravens’ QB Lamar Jackson.

This game has no bearing on the Giants, it just promises to be some excellent football.

Los Angeles Chargers (2-4) at Denver Broncos (2-4)

CBS - 4:05 p.m.

This game probably isn’t going to be an exhibition of football prowess like the 1 p.m. game. It is a matchup between promising young quarterbacks in the Broncos Drew Lock (who has been dealing with a throwing shoulder injury this season) and Chargers rookie Justin Herbert.

The match-up also two teams who are among the twelve (12!) teams knotted up with two or fewer wins through seven games. The Chargers are currently ahead in the draft order thanks to their weaker strength of schedule, but a win by either team could give the Giants a bit of breathing room if they’re vying for a top-5 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Dallas Cowboys (2-5) at Philadelphia Eagles (2-4-1)

NBC - 8:20 p.m.

Of course we have to talk about this game. One of the (many) quirks in the 2020 schedule is that we are seeing a constant stream of games in the NFC East in the middle of the season. In years past, the schedule makers have tried to place divisional games at the beginning and end of the schedule to make those games that much more impactful. This year, likely as a concession to the unpredictability of the year in general, we are seeing those games in the middle of the schedule.

Perhaps that is why the NFC East, as embarrassing as it is, is still in contention with a grand total of 7 wins in the whole division.

The Cowboys have been rocked by injury over the last month, losing starters across their offense and defense and seem to be starting their annual collapse a bit early this year.

The Eagles, meanwhile, were devastated by injury to start the year but are starting to get healthy as we enter the second half of the season. They will be getting OT Lane Johnson, DL Malik Jackson and Vinny Curry, and S K’Von Wallace back from injury this week, and have designated a host of starters to return from Injured Reserve.

This game could see the top (“top”) of the NFC East stay muddled if Dallas wins, or it could see the Eagles create some separation for themselves at the top of the division.

What games are you watching today?