3 bold predictions for Buffalo Bills in Week 8 vs. Carolina Panthers

When the 2025 NFL schedule was announced, Week 8 seemed like an easy win for the Buffalo Bills. They were going on the road, but they would be facing a Carolina Panthers franchise that won just five games in 2024.

Now that Week 8 is here, it suddenly doesn't feel like an easy win, even with Andy Dalton starting for an injured Bryce Young. Carolina has won three in a row, entering the weekend at 4-3. They've seen Rico Dowdle emerge as a star with 569 yards from scrimmage during their winning streak.

That said, the Bills are the better team and should be able to get back on track. That would be easier for them to do should these three bold predictions come true.

Michael Hoecht provides a spark

Defensive reinforcements are on the way with defensive end Michael Hoecht and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi active this weekend. Hoecht will be especially helpful for them since the Bills haven't gotten much production from the defensive end position.

Joey Bosa leads the way with two sacks, but no other defensive end has more than 1.5. Hoecht isn't exactly a high-volume sack artist, but he had 13.5 during his final three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. This weekend, look for him to announce his arrival in Buffalo by starting with one against the Panthers.

Josh Allen ends interception streak

The Buffalo offense was doing an unbelievable job protecting the ball, dating back to last season. That suddenly changed in Week 4, and Josh Allen was a big part of the problem.

Since that game, he's fumbled three times and has four interceptions. He had an especially hard time protecting the ball in the loss to Atlanta in Week 6.

Allen surely spent the bye week focusing on ball control, which is why this bold prediction is that he gets back on track and goes through the game with no turnovers.

Shaq Thompson revenge game

Shaq Thompson spent 11 seasons with the Panthers before signing with Buffalo this year. His arrival didn't generate much buzz following two injury-plagued campaigns in Carolina, but he's been a decent addition with 24 tackles, two pass defenses, one sack, and one fumble.

This weekend, he gets a chance to go against his old team and while there are no bitter feelings, he surely wants to prove to them he still has it. That's why this final bold prediction is that Thompson picks up a sack and a forced fumble against the Panthers.

Bears CB Jaylon Johnson Turns Heads With Caleb Williams Comments

Chicago Bears star cornerback Jaylon Johnson has turned some heads with his recent comments about the work ethic of quarterback Caleb Williams.

Johnson made a guest appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” on Friday, during which former NFL star Channing Crowder asked him if he has seen enough growth from Williams to feel like he is on the trajectory of becoming a “playoff quarterback.”

Candid as always, Johnson admitted he wouldn’t feel comfortable rendering a verdict on Williams because he doesn’t know what a playoff quarterback “looks like” after all of the quarterback changes he has endured throughout his first five seasons in Chicago.

At the same time, though, Johnson also mentioned the improvement he has seen from Williams with his work ethic — even if it sounded like a slight dig at his 2024 efforts.

“I feel like for me, I’m not going to say, ‘Oh yeah, I see him doing it or I see him not doing it,'” Johnson said. “I know he’s definitely taking steps, I definitely see his car in the lot a lot longer than it was, definitely taking those steps. But I can’t say that he’s progressing to be a TB [Tom Brady] and I ain’t ever really know what TB put in.”

There are two ways to read those comments. Either Johnson is suggesting that Williams did not spend enough time in the building in 2024 or he is simply praising his offensive signal-caller for going above and beyond to put in additional work for his second year.

Either way, Johnson’s words are interesting and indicate Williams is working harder for the Bears in 2025, which can only be a good thing — especially after a turbulent 2024.

Caleb Williams’ Work Ethic Questioned in New Report

What Johnson said about Williams’ work ethic may have flown under the radar … if not for the recent scathing article about Williams from Tyler Dunne for GoLongTD.com.

Last week, Dunne published a three-part article series that quoted dozens of unnamed sources — many of them former coaches — who painted Williams as one of the biggest reasons for the dysfunction that resulted in the Bears’ tumultuous 2024 regular season.

In specific reference to Williams’ work ethic, one anonymous coach said the following:

There are grown-man responsibilities. You expect him to put the work in. And I think everybody desires to be great.

Wanting to be great is phenomenal. If I go to a local barbershop, there are probably seven guys who wanted to be great players when they were 13 years old. But what you

want and what you earn are two different things. This life and the game of football doesn’t give you what you want. I want $50 million. If I want $50 million, I’ve got to go earn $50 million.

If you can’t sacrifice? There’s no substitute for the work. That’s something he needs to learn.

While some fans are happy to dismiss those comments as retaliation from jilted former coaches, they do make what Johnson said about Williams a little more interesting.

Jaylon Johnson Off Injury Report for Bears in Week 2

Speaking of Johnson, the All-Pro cornerback is on track to make his 2025 season debut for the Bears on Sunday afternoon after sitting out their opener with a groin injury.

Johnson suffered a groin injury while training on his own before reporting to the Bears’ facility in late July for the start of training camp. As a result, he missed the entire camp and spent more than a month off the practice field before returning at the beginning of Week 1 as a limited participant.

While the Bears listed Johnson as questionable to play against the Minnesota Vikings and worked him out in the pregame, they ultimately decided to give him another week to recover and ruled him inactive along with starting slot cornerback Kyler Gordon.

Following Friday’s practice, though, the Bears removed Johnson from the injury report after he participated fully in this week’s practices. Johnson is one of their most talented defensive players and should provide a substantial boost to their secondary, which had to start 2025 veteran newcomers Nahshon Wright and Nick McCloud in the first week.

Unfortunately, the Bears also ruled out Gordon for another week with his hamstring injury, which held him out of practice for the entire week. McCloud is the most likely choice to start in the slot in Gordon’s place, but the Bears could reconsider their lineup now that Johnson is healthy and available to play on the perimeter against the Lions.

The Bears will face the Detroit Lions at Ford Field at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.