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Cleveland Browns quarterback P.J. Walker (10) Scott Galvin-USA TODAY Sports

Week 8 NFL underdog report: Backup quarterbacks look to beat the odds

By Bruce Ewing | Last updated 10/26/23

Winning NFL games with a backup quarterback is hard but not impossible — particularly for these Week 8 underdogs. (For the latest odds, go to OddsChecker.)

Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks (-3)

How can a team with an injured quarterback and a patchwork running game defeat the Seahawks at Lumen Field? With one of the league’s best defenses. Cleveland is giving up just 19.2 points and 243 yards per game, the fewest yards in the NFL.

The Browns won three of their last four games, including a 19-17 win over the 49ers with journeyman P.J. Walker at quarterback. Walker helped beat the Colts after that, and he’ll lead Cleveland against Seattle while Deshaun Watson sits with a shoulder injury.

The Seahawks have a Walker of their own, the NFL’s eighth-leading rusher Kenneth Walker III. If the Browns can contain Seattle’s Walker, Geno Smith and the offense could struggle. DK Metcalf is expected to play after missing last week’s game, but fellow receiver Tyler Lockett was held out of Wednesday’s practice with a hamstring injury.

Like Cleveland, Seattle has also won three of its last four games, but those victories came against the Panthers, Giants and Cardinals. Even with P.J. Walker running the offense, the Browns will be Seattle’s toughest opponent since it faced the Lions in Week 2.

Atlanta Falcons at Tennessee Titans (+2)

Did Tennessee waive the white flag by trading away Pro Bowl safety Kevin Byard? Probably. Will the rest of the team take it personally and play inspired football? Maybe. It all depends on QB Will Levis, RB Derrick Henry and the power of powder blue.

The Titans' website still has Kevin Byard in the header, which is a promotional image for the Houston Oilers throwbacks they're bringing out this weekend. pic.twitter.com/os3XalQEdz
— Isaiah Sirois (@is_sirois) October 23, 2023

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport the Titans rookie quarterback will get the first start of his career on Sunday. He’ll have his work cut out against a Falcons defense allowing 190.1 passing yards per game, but Titans coach Mike Vrabel should be fired if he lets Levis throw more than 20 passes.

The Falcons run defense is good, but so is Henry. The Titans running back averaged 8.1 yards per carry against a tough Baltimore defense last week and has the 10th-most yards (425) in the league.

The Titans have two wins this year, both in games where Henry had at least 22 carries. When Henry gets anything less, the team loses. His powerful running style reminds some of Hall of Famer Earl Campbell, who played for the Houston Oilers, a team the Titans will honor on Sunday.

Tennessee plans to wear its Oilers throwback uniforms against the Falcons, and let’s face it, those uniforms may be the coolest the NFL has ever seen. You can bet Vrabel doesn’t want to sully their rich history with a home loss to the Falcons.

New York Jets at New York Giants (+2.5)

Is it really a road game if the Jets keep their normal locker room? Not much has been normal for either team as both hope to win this matchup with backup quarterbacks.

The Jets’ Zach Wilson leads an offense averaging just 277 yards per game, third-worst in the NFL. The Giants combination of Daniel Jones and Tyrod Taylor hasn’t done much better with 278.4 yards per game.

Taylor is likely to get another start for the Giants as Jones recovers from a neck injury. The Giants backup has a 5-3 record against the Jets in his career with 1,323 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Wilson led the Jets to two straight wins, but he’s never faced the Giants in his career. He's also played 59 fewer games than Taylor, and in a contest with such evenly matched teams, experience (and the return of All-Pro left tackle Andrew Thomas) could be the difference for the Giants this week.

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