At the end of week eight, the top five stories to care about include multiple injuries and shocking records.

5.  The Falcons struggles: The Atlanta Falcons, many people’s preseason Super Bowl pick, are disappointing fans. At 2-5, nothing has gone right for quarterback Matt Ryan and his defending AFC South champions.

   Injuries have hit the team hard, as  wideout Julio Jones’s and  receiver Roddy White’s injuries have left Ryan with only tight end Tony Gonzalez to throw to.  Nevermind the fact that they play in the same division as  quarterbacks Drew Brees and Cam Newton; no quarterback can win without a supporting offensive cast.

   Coming out of a recent bye week, it will be important to get White healthy and back on the field, as well as to get running back Steven Jackson back into the offense. These players are intricate parts of the Falcon’s playoff chances.

4.  AFC East competition:  The AFC East, which has long been controlled by the New England Patriots, may finally usher in a new champion.

   With quarterback Tom Brady’s offense reeling and the field stepping up their game, the division has gotten much more competitive.

  Sophomore Will Earls, an enthusiastic Patriots fan, gives insight on the team.

  “Brady’s age has caught up to him, and the defense has now lost [Vince] Wilfork, [Jerod] Mayo and [Aqib] Talib, so they can’t compete,” said Earls.

  The Jets, with a versatile rookie quarterback in Geno Smith and a stout run defense, have now beaten New England and stand two games back of first, according to NFL.com.

  The Miami Dolphins are winning behind the elevated play of second-year quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the two-headed running attack of Lamar Miller and Daniel Thomas.  After getting out to a 3-0 start, they’ve fallen to 3-4, but are still only three games back.

  Finally, the Buffalo Bills, at 3-5, despite having lost two quarterbacks so far, can still say they are in the hunt, but they are quickly falling behind due to tight end Rob Gronkowski’s return to New England.

  The AFC East title will likely be decided in the final weeks of the season.

3.  Local teams floundering: The Ravens, Redskins, Eagles and Steelers are all 3-4 or worse.

  The Ravens have had some tough losses, including their beating at the hands of Denver and the 17-16 heartbreaker in Pittsburgh.  However, coming out of the bye, Harbaugh and the Ravens have been undefeated, according to NFL.com.

  Driver’s Ed teacher and Philadelphia fan Doug Truscott has thoughts on which local team the school should be excited about.

  “Well, the Eagles defense is atrocious, and with their recent success, the Ravens are probably the best pick,” said Truscott.

  The Redskins, because of a recovering quarterback Robert Griffin III, have gotten off to a similarly slow start.  With their recent win over Chicago and hard fought game against Denver,  they appear to have finally broken the slump.  It will be interesting, however, to see if RGIII is able to make a return from the injury he suffered Sunday.

  The Eagles, on the other hand, have been sloping downwards.  After a fast offensive start with Michael Vick at the helm, injury and an indeed porous defense have led to a falling record.  However, with the division leading Cowboys at 4-4, it will be quite simple to pull back into the race.

  The Steelers, on the other hand, have their work cut out for them.  At 2-5, it will be difficult to catch the 5-2 Bengals; however, their win over Baltimore shows they have an offense and defense capable of winning tough games.

2.  The Chiefs:  Kansas City has been the surprise of the year for NFL fans.  With a new coach, a new quarterback and a brand new defensive system, fans had no clue what was coming.

  Conor Miller, a freshman and Ravens fan, was just as shocked as everyone else.

  He said, “I know Andy Reid’s great and all, but I never expected the Chiefs to be 8-0.”

  However, the pieces were there.  The team had 6 Pro Bowlers last year and an absolute star in running back Jamaal Charles.  With future Hall of Famer Andy Reid taking over and a respected defensive coordinator in Bob Sutton, who served under defensive genius Rex Ryan in New York, organizing the mish-mash of talent on defense, last year’s 2-14 season had to get better.

1. Peyton Manning:  One cannot watch a Broncos game without marveling at the play of the man under center.

  With his plethora of wide receivers and skill that Truscott marvelled might make him “one the of the best quarterbacks ever,” even the casual fan knows the power the Broncos offense holds.

  He has been by far the top fantasy scorer and has led Denver to a 7-1 record; the only loss coming against Indianapolis last Sunday night.  Only eight games in, he has racked up 29 touchdowns and 2,919 yards and 6 interceptions, all of which lead the league, according to NFL.com. Even non-sports fans would appreciate the science of Manning’s game and the careful approach he takes to every competition.

  As Conor Miller put it, “[Peyton Manning] is the MVP right now because he is one of the older quarterbacks, but he’s still putting up huge numbers.”