It's Week 8 of the 2026 NFL season, and this is just about the time when the window for teams' playoff possibilities starts to close. We saw some significant results last week, both good and bad.

The Texans losing another and falling to 2-5 raises questions about whether their season is done for. The Seahawks had a very redeeming win, handing the Chiefs their first loss of the season in a blowout. Staying in that division, the Rams made things interesting in the standings by getting a check in the win column as well. The Falcons also kept their season hopes trending positive by handing the 49ers their first loss of the season.

This all just proves that even if a team isn't on the top of the playoff picture, their games may end up being the most interesting ones of the week.

Which brings us to why we are here: it's time for the weekly edition of underrated NFL games. Here are three games you should keep on your radar: 

Chargers vs. Rams

Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox (Stream: Fubo -- try for free)

It's the battle of the Los Angeles teams this week, and it always adds an interesting layer when squads who share a stadium face each other. While they both call SoFi home, one team does have to be dubbed the home team and this time it's the Rams, meaning the Chargers will have the visiting locker room in their own stadium.

The Chargers are basically playing for the No. 1 seed at this point. No NFL team has ever started the season 0-6 and made the playoffs. The worst start for a team that ended up in the postseason was by the 1992 San Diego Chargers, who went 0-4 and finished 11-5.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh is on the hot seat and needs to get his team looking somewhat better if he wants to keep his job, and 0-7 doesn't look great to front offices.

The Rams are also not off to the best start, though it seems amazing compared to their Week 8 opponent. There are many 3-4 teams in the league that are in the playoffs, and Super Bowl chances seem slim, but that's not the case for the Rams. 

Despite their wildly underwhelming start, they still have the fifth-best odds of winning the Super Bowl (+1100), per DraftKings Sportsbook. If they fall to the no-win Chargers, however, those odds may plummet. This is a big game for both teams, as one looks to avoid going 0-7 and the other fights to reach .500.

Patriots vs. Dolphins 

Sunday, Nov. 1 at 4:25 p.m. ET on CBS, streaming on Paramount+

We know how much I love divisional games, because they are the most unpredictable, have the most history and carry the most weight. The Dolphins are 1-5, so this likely won't affect the final divisional standings between these two teams, but it could have a significant impact elsewhere.

The Patriots could still win the AFC East, though they are behind the Bills, they did win their first head-to-head against Buffalo. New England retook their AFC East throne last year, after a few years of the Bills getting that hat and t-shirt feeling when Tom Brady left. If the records are close down the line, these divisional games will mean a lot, and right now the Patriots need that boost.

The other interesting thing about this game is that, even though the Patriots are on paper a better team in every category, they historically struggle in Miami. The Patriots have lost five of their last six games in Miami. Will the Patriots lose to the Dolphins? Most likely not, but it could get closer than people think; divisional games tend to do that.  

The Patriots are looking to bounce back from a 30-24 loss against the Chicago Bears. They beat themselves in the game numerous times and an easier opponent will be a good test of whether they can correct those mistakes and look dominant enough to be a threat in the AFC.

Falcons vs. Buccaneers 

Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. on Fox (Stream: Fubo -- try for free)

The NFC South includes the 3-3 Panthers, 3-4 Atlanta Falcons, 2-5 Buccaneers and 2-5 Saints. 

This game will likely have significant implications for the divisional rankings. This is also a matchup between two teams who struggled in the beginning of the year and have found a resurgence. The similarities don't end there; both teams had quarterbacks sidelined for multiple weeks, with the Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. sidelined while recovering from an ACL injury and the Bucs' Baker Mayfield sidelined due to a thumb injury.

The Falcons are coming off a huge win against the San Francisco 49ers, handing them their first win. The Bucs are coming off a win against the Panthers. I think these teams will have a lot of fight in them this week and it will make for a very competitive game.