This week's Cliffhanger Index goes crazy -- and I forgot to do last week.

As of the end of Week 7, the last time I did this:

106 NFL games had been played.

Precisely half of them ended at or inside a margin of 8 points.

25 of them had the game-winning score in the last two minutes or in overtime.

Week 8:

• The Lions and Cowboys combine for 41 fourth-quarter points.  The Lions win 31-30, on a game that was 13-7 Dallas entering the period, with just 12 seconds to go.
• Chiefs over the Browns 23-17, but the Chiefs had 23 through three quarters.
• The Giants defeated the Eagles 15-7.
• The Raiders beat the Steelers 21-18, but the Steelers scored 15 in the last quarter to make it close.
• And that Monday Night Debacle:  Seahags 14 - Rams 9.

Cliffhanger Index of only 1 last week.

So, out of 119 games, 58 were within one score, and 26 decided in the last two minutes.

Sounds like they made up for it this week.  As of 12:23 PM this afternoon, every game on the schedule being played or had been played for this week was within one score.  That's a decent degree into the 4th quarter of the 10 AM PST starts.

• The Thursday night game ended in an overtime SAFETY.  This, really, should almost count for THREE in the Cliffhanger Index.  The Bengals broke a 17-17 tie with 1:24 left on a 54 yard field goal.  The game was retied with 12 seconds to go at 20-20 when the Dolphins hit a 44 yard field goal.  And then the safety for the 22-20 Dolphins win.
• Dallas wins 27-23 on a late-game Tony Romo drive that ended with a touchdown pass with 35 seconds to go.
• Tennessee defeated the Rams 28-21 -- just outside the Cliffhanger Index, as a Chris Johnson run was the difference with just under three minutes to play.
• Jets upset New Orleans 26-20.
• Washington needs overtime and a two-spot on the Cliffhanger Index to beat San Diego 30-24, as San Diego tied the game with a short field goal in the last three seconds of regulation.
• Seattle needed overtime (and a touchdown in the last two minutes of regulation) to beat Tampa Bay (???) 27-24 after Tampa raced to a 21-0 lead.  In Seattle.  (If you believe that one...)
• And Cleveland beat Baltimore 24-18.

This means that no less than SEVEN of the 11 games played so far this week have been decided by 8 points or less.

4 needed the Cliffhanger Index (and 3 of those did so in manners of multiple scores within the Index).