5 NFL Teams Facing Must-Win Games in Week 8

In every season with Sean Payton standing on the sideline and Drew Brees lined up under center, the New Orleans Saints have made the playoffs. Their 2-4 record would be a death sentence in any other division, but in the anemic NFC South, the Saints still have a shot at the 3-3-1 Carolina Panthers.

Unfortunately for the Saints, the Green Bay Packers are coming to town. Is this the year that the Saints return to the 'Aints?

After starting the 2014 campaign at 3-0, everyone and your mother assumed the Cincinnati Bengals would run away with the AFC North title. Then the Bengals turned into the Bungles we've all grown to love and are 0-2-1 since. They beat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 1, and if they don't get a similar performance in Week 8, they can kiss the AFC North title and the playoffs goodbye.

Oh, A.J. Green won't play, so get ready to pucker up Cincinnati.

Losers of two straight -- including a 28-26 loss to the NFC West's basement-dwelling St. Louis Rams -- the Seattle Seahawks are on the outside of the playoff bubble looking in. After last year's dominating performance (in both the regular season and playoffs), it's hard to imagine the NFL Playoffs without the Legion of Boom, but if they don't beat the Carolina Panthers this Sunday, it's bye-bye birdy.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have taken their fans on quite the roller-coaster ride this season. They win in odd-numbered weeks, but lose to teams like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns in even-numbered weeks.

No one in the AFC North needs a win worse than the Steelers, but with Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts coming to town on an even-numbered week, a victory doesn't seem likely.

At 3-4, the Chicago Bears are two games behind the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, but you can stick a fork in the Bears right now. Against the Miami Dolphins and the NFL's third-ranked pass defense, Jay Cutler scored a 19.3 on the QBR scale. For those of you who are unaware, that is horribly bad.

Their opponent on Sunday, the New England Patriots, has the NFL's best pass defense. Da Bears are da-done.