NFL action in Week 8 started in London with a result that may have helped one team avert a full-scale crisis. Yet another squad had a heavy dose of reality that should lead to significant changes before the trade deadline.

While a couple of the top NFC teams looked steady in the early contests, an upstart AFC squad took a fall with its first loss in a little over a month.

In the spirit of Halloween, a few teams may have tricked you with victories last week. After Sunday's games, we can pull the sheet off those clubs to reveal their true identities.

Lastly, many of us wrote off a quarterback and his team prematurely. After Sunday's games, we'll right our wrong with one division-leading squad.

Starting with the matchup in London, let's discuss the biggest takeaways from Week 8 games.

Broncos Avoid Man-Overboard Scenario

The Denver Broncos opened the slate of Sunday games with a 21-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, and with that victory, they may have avoided a major midseason shift in direction.

ESPN's Dan Graziano hinted that the outcome of Sunday's game would impact the team's decisions with its head coach and roster before the trade deadline.

“It's possible the Broncos are waiting to see what happens with their game Sunday in London before deciding whether to trade away players, because things are already fragile there for first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett and a give-up move would portend bad things for him. But if the Broncos lose to the Jaguars this week, next Monday and Tuesday could be very interesting around there.”

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggested that the Broncos would be "much more likely" to trade Pro Bowl edge-rusher Bradley Chubb if they lost to the Jaguars.

Perhaps Hackett, Chubb and notable players such as wideout Jerry Jeudy can breathe a sigh of relief. Denver will go into a Week 9 bye, which gives quarterback Russell Wilson time to recover from a hamstring injury and maybe a shoulder issue as well.

Wilson went 18-of-30 passing for 252 yards, a touchdown and an interception against the Jaguars. While he isn't performing at a Pro Bowl level comparable to his Seattle Seahawk years, the Broncos signal-caller completed at least 60 percent of his passes for the first time since Week 4.

Denver's offense needed to show any increment of improvement with a unit that came into Week 8 ranked 23rd in yards per game with the fewest points scored.

Instead of trade scenarios and the contemplation of a firing, the Broncos should focus on refining their offensive approach during the bye week.

Eagles Fly High Without a Strong Contender in Sight

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Pittsburgh Steelers 35-13, but that's not the biggest takeaway here. The undefeated Eagles look like the league's best team, and they could reach 10-0 with the Houston Texans, Washington Commanders and Indianapolis Colts coming up on their schedule.,

At 1-4-1, the Houston Texans went into Week 8 with the worst record in the AFC. The Commanders have a backup quarterback in Taylor Heinicke under center. While he's a serviceable fill-in starter who took over last week, Washington hasn't scored more than 23 points since Week 2. This week, the Colts turned over their offense to second-year signal-caller Sam Ehlinger, who threw his first regular-season pass in the NFL on Sunday.

Perhaps the Green Bay Packers figure out how to turn around their season by Thanksgiving and challenge the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in Week 12, but that's not a given as they try to snap a three-game losing streak in the meantime.

With the Eagles' 7-0 start and their upcoming schedule, we can discuss the team's pathway to a first-round bye week in the postseason. Though a lot can happen between now and January, Philadelphia is set up well to contend for the NFC's No. 1 seed.

Raiders Need to Shake Up Their Roster Before the Trade Deadline

After a Week 6 bye, the Las Vegas Raiders needed to go on a run in order to create a pathway back into the playoff discussion. After a 38-20 win over the Houston Texans last week, they fell completely flat against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome, losing 24-0.

At 2-5, general manager Dave Ziegler has to open up the phone lines for deals that involve notable players such as Josh Jacobs, Darren Waller, Chandler Jones, Johnathan Abram and Clelin Ferrell.

Vegas has a new regime in its first year. Though team brass signed Waller to a three-year extension in September, he's been a major disappointment in an injury-riddled stretch through October, hauling in just 16 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown in five games.

Jones can draw some interest because of the cachet attached to his name, but he hasn't delivered on his new three-year, $51 million contract with modest numbers across the board (14 tackles, one for loss, a half-sack and nine pressures).

Jacobs, Abram and Ferrell have expiring contracts and will become free agents in 2023.

Though Jacobs had an incredible three-week run, rushing for 441 yards and six touchdowns before Sunday's loss, he's the most valuable roster asset on an expiring deal. Keep in mind that Vegas selected running back Zamir White in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. The club has Jacobs' potential replacement in tow.

The Raiders signed Derek Carr, Hunter Renfrow, Maxx Crosby, Waller and Davante Adams (after they acquired him from the Green Bay Packers) to extensions, which created the illusion that they would compete in big January games this year. They're nowhere close to that level right now.

At this point, the Silver and Black can stop masquerading as a potential playoff squad with a bunch of big names and sell its best assets (for the right price) at the trade deadline.

Yes, Jacobs has been the engine of the offense in recent weeks, but he's easier to move than Waller, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Carr, who has some control over his future with a no-trade clause in his new contract.

After their first shutout loss since November of 2014 (to the then-St. Louis Rams), the Raiders must be more honest about their expectations for the 2022 season and consider the long-term future.

Jets' Progress Is Limited by Zach Wilson's High-Turnover Tendencies

As the New York Jets stacked wins over the past four weeks, we remained skeptical about quarterback Zach Wilson, who managed games in that stretch, throwing for just one touchdown and two interceptions.

In Week 7, the Jets lost running back Breece Hall (torn ACL) and versatile offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker (triceps) for the season, which meant that Wilson had to do a little more in order for Gang Green to beat the New England Patriots.

On Sunday, Wilson threw the ball more than 26 times for the first time since Week 4, but he went 20-of-41 passing for 355 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions in a 22-17 loss. The second-year quarterback moved the ball through the air but tossed interceptions on back-to-back drives in the second half.

As the case last year, Wilson has more interceptions (five) than passing touchdowns (three) for the 2022 season.

In the coming weeks, Gang Green will probably feature James Robinson and Michael Carter in a two-man backfield to take some pressure off Wilson, but the young signal-caller must make better decisions in the pocket to avoid taking his team out of games.

Still 23 years old, Wilson has time to figure it out and cut down on turnovers, but he has to make significant strides in that regard and improve his inconsistent ball placement.

Don't Sleep on the Falcons as Contenders to Win NFC South Title

In a thrilling matchup for the top spot in the NFC South, the Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers 37-34 in overtime.

First of all, no one can accuse the Panthers of tanking for a top draft pick with interim head coach Steve Wilks. Over the last two weeks, they blew out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-3 and came within a 32-yard missed field goal of claiming first place in their division.

As for the Falcons, they've won four of their last six games and took advantage of the Buccaneers' Thursday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens in impressive fashion.

Without its lead rusher in Cordarrelle Patterson (knee) or starting cornerbacks in A.J. Terrell (hamstring) and Casey Hayward (shoulder), Atlanta found a way to win a competitive contest with a lot at stake.

As one would expect, the Falcons gave up a ton of yards through the air (309) without their lead cover men on the boundary, but head coach Arthur Smith stuck to his run-first formula on offense, racking up 167 yards on the ground with Caleb Huntley, Tyler Allgeier and Marcus Mariota handling the load.

Though Mariota threw a couple of interceptions, he made enough plays to help Atlanta seal the victory.

In Week 5, the Falcons had a close matchup with the struggling Buccaneers that included a questionable roughing the passer call on Grady Jarrett, so don't be surprised if these teams have a tight battle in Week 18 if the division title is on the line.

It's Time to Believe in Geno Smith's Career Rebirth, Seahawks as Playoff Contenders

Whatever you thought about Geno Smith from his time with the New York Jets, New York Giants and Los Angeles Chargers, forget it.

His career has taken a positive turn, and he's a 2022 Comeback Player of the Year candidate along with running back Saquon Barkley, who ran for 53 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

With Smith at the helm, Seattle won 27-13 over one of the league's hottest teams in the Giants, who came to Lumen Field with a 6-1 record. The Seahawks never fell behind in the contest and pulled away from a 13-13 tie with a couple of fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Smith deserves praise, going 23-of-34 passing for 212 yards and two touchdowns, though he did get help from his two banged-up wideouts in DK Metcalf (knee) and Tyler Lockett (hamstring and ribs), who combined for 11 catches, 118 receiving yards and two scores.

Rookie second-round running back Kenneth Walker III put the game away on a trip to paydirt with 5:22 left in regulation.

The Seahawks have won four of their last five games with double-digit margins in the last three victories. Coming into Week 8, Smith led the league in completion rate (73.5), and Walker continues to provide offensive balance on the ground.

At 5-3, the surging Seahawks lead the NFC West and find themselves in the mix among the top teams in their conference.

Titans Don't Have a QB Controversy, but They Can Win with Malik Willis

Malik Willis made his first career start against the Houston Texans on Sunday. While he got a win on his resume, the rookie third-rounder completed just six of 10 passes for 55 yards and an interception. Running back Derrick Henry took over the game, rushing for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill missed the game because of an ankle injury. Though his replacement didn't do anything to raise questions about the short-term future of the position, the team knows it can rely on Henry while Willis takes snaps under center.

However, Tannehill has a $38.6 million cap hit that drops (slightly) to $36.6 million next year. Meanwhile, Willis' cap hit rises from $938,200 to $1.2 million in 2023.

If Willis does a little more in another start and shows some potential, the Titans may start to think about cutting their cost at quarterback with a much cheaper signal-caller with more upside.

For now, atop the AFC South with a 5-2 record, the Titans have no pressing concerns with their starting quarterback on the sideline. Willis can manage the offense.

Rams May Have to Re-evaluate WR Position After Sean McVay's Poor Decision

The Los Angeles Rams could take an additional hit after a 31-14 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Cooper Kupp suffered an ankle injury late in Sunday’s contest. Though the star wide receiver thinks he “dodged a bullet” to avoid a serious injury, head coach Sean McVay criticized himself for leaving his best offensive playmaker in the game.

"That's why you wanted to try to be smart getting out of the game. And I'm kicking myself for not running the football again," McVay said to reporters. "But, I'm hopeful that he's OK. It looked like it was his ankle when I was out there with [team physician] Dr. [Neil] ElAttrache."

After the division matchup, Kupp limped to the locker room with his ankle wrapped up.

The Rams have failed to score more than 20 points in three of their last four games, so they cannot afford to lose Kupp, and the offense needs him to play relatively healthy as the team tries to bounce back from a 3-4 start.

As the trade deadline approaches Tuesday, the Rams may try to acquire another playmaker if Kupp has to manage an injury. According to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio, chatter within league circles linked Los Angeles to wide receiver Brandin Cooks, who played for the team in 2018 and 2019.

Even with wideout Van Jefferson back from injured reserve, the Rams may consider a reunion with Cooks if they're a bit concerned with Kupp's status.

Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.