Almost at the halfway point of the 2008 NFL season and we’ve had a lifetime’s worth of parity in just seven short weeks. Now three head coaches have been handed pink slips, the latest being Mike Nolan’s early exit out of San Francisco. Plenty more coaches remain on the hot seat, including Marvin Lewis, Rod Marinelli, and yes, even Wade Philips.

As for the matchups this week, prepare yourselves for big divisional rivalries like Buffalo-Miami, Seattle-San Francisco, and Indianapolis-Tennessee. If you’re fortunate enough, be sure not to miss the overseas game between the Chargers and Saints played in London as well as quite possibly the biggest matchup of the year so far in the “Steel” city.

So grab your remote and get ready for……..

The Top 10 Must-See Games of Week 8

(All times E.S.T.)

Might Be Worth Your Time…..

10. Oakland at Baltimore, 1 p.m., CBS
How could you not like the spirit in Oakland and Baltimore this week? After an emotional OT win, the Raiders found themselves the only winning team from the AFC West last weekend. The Ravens also had their feel-good moment in throttling the team that got its only win against them a season ago. What this game comes down to is talent: the Ravens have it, and the Raiders don’t. Oakland QB JaMarcus Russell still really hasn’t settled in to the offense, bolstering a 76.0 passer rating in six games. The Raiders have to rely on the running game to win this one, and even with Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden, they face a Ravens defense which has not allowed a 100-yard rusher in 25 straight games. Advantage: Baltimore.

9. Cleveland at Jacksonville, 4:05 p.m., CBS
Browns QB Derek Anderson followed up his impressive Monday Night win against the Giants with a dismal display in the loss to Washington. Just when it seemed the Browns were on track, the offense put up only 11 points and gave up 175 yards on the ground by Clinton Portis alone. No Kellen Winslow in this game either: Cleveland suspended him one game for his public criticism of the organization. Jacksonville turned the corner with a big win against Denver two weeks ago. Coming off their bye, the Jaguars desperately need wins to keep pace with undefeated Tennessee. Look for QB David Garrard to play well behind his vaunted running back tandem: he is 3-0 and has not thrown in interception in his last three games against Cleveland.

8. Buffalo at Miami, 1 p.m., CBS
Two weeks ago, this looked like the game of the year in the AFC East. However, two untimely Miami losses have given the Bills a clear advantage as favorites in this one. Buffalo responded to its only loss in Arizona by knocking off AFC contender San Diego at home last week. The Bills don’t really have an explosive offense, but are finding ways to score behind QB Trent Edwards and WR Lee Evans. Buffalo’s defense is in the top 10 in overall numbers, and has helped the team put up points as well. Miami’s wildcat offense looked promising against New England, yet was easily manhandled by a good Baltimore defense. The question will be, can Miami avoid turnover mistakes and outscore the Bills to chip away at their AFC East lead?

7. Seattle at San Francisco, 4:15 p.m., FOX
This marks the first game for new 49ers head coach Mike Singletary. While there may be joy of the news in Niner nation, the team certainly won’t be smiling unless it can turn its season around against Seattle. RB Frank Gore still leads the league in all-purpose yards, and rookie WR Josh Morgan had a breakout game against the Giants last week. Certainly the Niners should be able to defeat a 1-5 team plagued by injuries and floundering in a soft division. QB Matt Hasselbeck probably won’t play again because of injuries, and head coach Mike Holmgren is losing patience in his last season. Yet somehow the Seahawks play better against the NFC West, winning six of their last seven. Their only loss in those games? To these same 49ers in overtime back in Week 2.
Be Near a TV…..

6. Atlanta at Philadelphia, 1 p.m., FOX
Neither team is getting any respect. The Falcons are a half game out of first place in the very good NFC South and still a forgotten bunch in NFC playoff contender talks. QB Matt Ryan is on pace to become the 2008 Rookie of the Year with his steady performances in big-game situations (winning in his first trip to Lambeau Field). Atlanta should also ride RB Michael Turner, who is still among the tops in the league in rushing yards. Yet this week they go up against a Philadelphia team determined to get out of the NFC East basement even at 3-3. Coming off their bye, the Eagles will return RB Brian Westbrook along with WR Kevin Curtis to take the pressure off Donovan McNabb and the defense. These stats appear to doom the Falcons: not only will they start a rookie quarterback against a crafty defense, but head coach Andy Reid is a perfect 9-0 with his team coming out of the bye week.

5. Tampa Bay at Dallas, 1:00 p.m., FOX
Both of these teams made the playoffs last year. Both appeared to be well on their way back. Tampa Bay is still making good on their expectations to return to the postseason, even with changing and then re-changing quarterbacks. QB Jeff Garcia has played tremendously in two games after returning from injury, and Tampa’s defense is again one of the league’s best. On the other sideline, disaster after disaster has struck the Cowboys like a plague and now the team’s season is riding on the next few games. Tony Romo has decided that he will not play Sunday against the Bucs due to continued pain in his broken pinkie finger. This leaves QB Brad Johnson at the helm to feed and satisfy all the monsters that make up the Cowboys terrifying aerial attack (Owens, Witten, Williams and Crayton). If Dallas falls apart early, who knows what kind of game we’ll be in for.

4. Arizona at Carolina, 1 p.m., FOX
It seems the NFC West is Arizona’s division to lose. The Cards have a two game lead over the suddenly second-place Rams and played solid football going into last week’s bye. WR Anquan Boldin may even make an appearance in this game, and although he may not play the whole game, it will be a good sign for the Cardinals to have him back on the field. QB Kurt Warner and the Arizona offense rank second in passing offense and first in the league in scoring, so it will interesting to see what preparations Carolina’s defense will make. The Panthers are rolling after their punishing 30-7 win over the Saints. RBs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart have been unstoppable all season: both backs are averaging exactly four yards per carry, have scored seven combined touchdowns, and have put 766 yards together in Carolina’s backfield. If they get going early, the Panthers won’t even need Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith.

Getcha’ popcorn ready…..

3. Indianapolis at Tennessee, 8:30 p.m., ESPN (MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL)
This Monday nighter could go 50/50 depending on which Colts team shows up in Nashville. We thought we had Indianapolis figured out after their 31-3 dismantling of Baltimore, only to have the team fall apart in the 34-14 road loss to the Packers. QB Peyton Manning looks great one week, and the next, his offense has no rhythm. The offense will have to keep up with the Titans all night because the Colts spotty run defense probably shouldn’t be depended on.

We already know the 6-0 Titans know how to win and certainly won’t be taking Indianapolis lightly. The running back duo of Chris Johnson and LenDale White completely destroyed Kansas City’s defense to the tune of 317 yards and four touchdowns to keep Tennessee undefeated and in first place. That might not even be the best part of the Titans team. Tennessee has the third best defense in the league, and DBs Cortland Finnegan and Michael Griffin combine for eight of the team’s 10 total interceptions.

2. San Diego at New Orleans, 1 p.m., CBS (Live from Wembley Stadium in England)
The NFL’s third regular season game outside the United States features two of the most talked about teams in the league. For being two favorites in their respective conferences, both the Chargers and Saints suddenly find themselves at 3-4. San Diego lost a tough game in Buffalo last week despite a strong game from QB Philip Rivers. The quarterback is fourth in the NFL in passer yards and should utilize TE Antonio Gates against a relatively weak Saints passing defense. Yet if the Chargers are to function on offense, RB LaDainian Tomlinson will have to improve on his sluggish production thus far.

New Orleans feels it should be much better than its record indicates, as they boast one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in the league. Drew Brees was drafted by the Chargers in 2001 yet was let go in 2006 because of Rivers’ arrival in San Diego. The QB will get his chance at revenge, but will have to be careful: the field conditions at London’s Wembley Stadium are terrible at best, and the chance of rain makes matter worse.

1. NY Giants at Pittsburgh, 4:15 p.m., FOX
This is clearly the standout game of the week; the best team in the NFC against the second best team in the AFC. This game features two of the past three Super Bowl Champion teams; the Steelers in 2005 and the Giants last season. New York got back on track with a less than impressive win over San Francisco, yet hopes to improve in time before meeting a good team in Pittsburgh. QB Eli Manning hasn’t really made any mistakes, and has rather relied more on the league’s best running game. RBs Brandon Jacobs and Derrick Ward average 170 yards per game on the ground, a stat that defenses usually find themselves on the painful end of.

Pittsburgh should finally present the Giants rushing attack with some real problems. The league’s second best unit in snuffing out the run highlights an all-around nasty defense that prides itself in hard-hitting, smash-mouth football. The Steelers offense hasn’t been as deadly without star RB Willie Parker, but should have him back in the lineup this week. Either way, both of these teams have solid defenses that can stop anybody as well as offenses that know how to put up points. What happens when the unstoppable force meets the immovable object? We get a darn good football game in Pittsburgh.