James Cook might be third in the league in rushing, but that doesn’t mean he can abandon his main task for the Bills — holding on to the football.
Cook has 532 rushing yards through five games this season but has already fumbled the ball four times this year, a problem head coach Joe Brady insists he wants to be solved sooner rather than later.
The four fumbles are tied for the most in the league for a running back with the Giants’ Cam Skattebo.
James Cook fumbles the ball forced by Nate Landman (53) during the third quarter of the Bills’ 37-34 overtime win over the Rams on Oct. 12, 2026 in Inglewood, Calif. Getty Images
Joe Brady threatens James Cook’s playing time: “We’re putting the ball in harm’s way.. It’s negating all the positive.. I have confidence in him.. At some point there has to be consequences..It’s gotta improve or the carries are gonna decrease.” pic.twitter.com/QdtGWnHmji
“Look, he’s doing so many good things running the football,” Brady said. “I don’t want to lose sight of how great he is running the ball right now. But putting the ball on the ground, it’s negating all the positive. I have all the confidence in him. That’s why I put him right back out there. But obviously, at some point there has to be consequences to when we’re putting negative stuff out there.”
“It’s going to cost us football games,” Brady added. It almost cost us one. We can’t confuse because we won the game that that’s OK. It’s got to improve or the carries are going to decrease.”
Buffalo head coach Joe Brady stands on the sideline during the second half of the Bills’ overtime win over the Rams. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Cook, a Pro Bowl selection in each of the previous three seasons, recorded a career-worst six fumbles last year after posting four in 2023.
He led the league in rushing yards with 1,621 last year and is on pace to eclipse the 1,000-yard plateau for the fourth straight year.
If Cook were to lose carries, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson slot in behind him on the depth chart and could get more action. But because of quarterback Josh Allen’s ability to run and Cook is entrenched as RB1, neither of those two has registered more than four attempts this season.
Fumble issues or not, the Bills are still in first place in the AFC East with a 4-1 record.
Harder to believe the next promising possession signals a breakthrough. Harder to watch their talent flash across the screen and assume they are finally figuring things out.
Harder to take their championship ambitions seriously when they keep playing football that undermines them.
Too sloppy. Too undisciplined. Too susceptible to the kind of killer mistakes that turn opportunity into regret.
Those are the characteristics of a team that has not shown it is serious enough to win a championship.
And until the Rams demonstrate otherwise, consistently and convincingly, why should anyone view them differently?
Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen dives against Los Angeles Rams’ Aaron Donald during the first quarter. Getty Images
The possibilities remain obvious, including segments and stretches that offered a clear view of just how majestic the Rams can be.
So do the special teams’ carelessness, like the two missed field goals by Harrison Mevis, including the potential game-winner in overtime that got batted away by Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau.
The Bills made them pay by driving into range for Tyler Bass to kick a 48-yard game-winning field goal.
And how about the lack of discipline that led to 11 penalties for 84 yards, a handful of which directly led to important points for the Bills, to turn what could have been a satisfying win into a gut-wrenching loss.
Five games into the season, the 2-3 Rams should be tired of hearing about their potential. Everyone else is getting tired of waiting for them to do something meaningful with it.
Yes, there are stretches when they resemble the team we expected. A crisp touchdown drive. A sequence when the offense finds its rhythm and the talent becomes overwhelming.
Then comes another penalty. Another breakdown. Another reason to throw the sofa pillow at the television and wonder why everything has to be so difficult.
At some point, those glimpses stop being encouraging.
They become an indictment.
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford rolls out of the pocket and looks to pass during the second quarter. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Because if the Rams can play that way, why do they keep burying it beneath so much avoidable nonsense?
The trouble Monday began before their offense touched the football.
Buffalo opened with a 70-yard kickoff return, immediately forcing the Rams’ defense to clean up a mess it had no part in creating.
The defense held the Bills to a field goal. Under the circumstances, that was good work.
The circumstances were the problem.
Buffalo led 3-0, gifted favorable field position and an immediate foothold in a game the Rams needed to build on their victory over the Eagles.
The offense then took its turn complicating things.
Two penalties interrupted the Rams’ opening possession. The most damaging was a holding call against tight end Tyler Higbee that erased a nine-yard run and a first down by Kyren Williams.
Instead of a fresh set of downs and another opportunity to move toward the end zone, the Rams were pushed backward.
Mevis eventually missed a 50-yard field goal.
A possession that had offered promise produced nothing.
Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua runs with the ball after a catch against Buffalo Bills’ Davison Igbinosun. Getty Images
How about the two defensive penalties that kept Buffalo’s third-quarter touchdown drive alive?
First, Quentin Lake’s pass interference penalty turned first-and-20 into a fresh set of downs. Then Josh Wallace’s holding penalty on third-and-goal from the 13 handed Josh Allen and the Bills first-and-goal at the 2.
Buffalo scored two plays later to take a 19-14 lead.
The Bills had enough weapons. They did not need the Rams’ help.
The Bills deserve credit for their victory. But the Rams should be embarrassed by how often they contributed to their own difficulties.
They were penalized on three of their first four offensive possessions.
On the only possession without a penalty, they scored a touchdown.
There is your frustration, laid out neatly enough that nobody needs to spend the night studying film to understand it.
Give this offense a clean chance, and it can hurt people.
Make it repeatedly recover yards it already earned, and you give the defense help it should never receive.
The Rams keep providing that help.
And no, one penalty does not explain a loss. Neither does one kickoff return or one missed field goal.
That is precisely the point.
There is always something else to add to the list.
Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid celebrates after making a catch for a two-point conversion during the second half. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Another mistake to absorb. Another possession to salvage. Another situation requiring someone to compensate for a teammate’s failure to handle an assignment.
Eventually, the rescue operation breaks down.
Against Buffalo, it did.
Sean McVay has to own that. So do the players responsible for turning reasonable expectations into this recurring exercise in exasperation.
A team with championship ambitions should not need repeated reminders that field position matters, that penalties wreck possessions and that good opponents do not require assistance.
Those are basic requirements of winning football.
The Rams keep treating them like details they can overcome with enough talent.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, left, fails to reach a pass in the end zone. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
Talent can erase a mistake. It cannot be the weekly plan for surviving them.
And whatever confidence the Eagles victory restored took another hit Monday, when the Rams had an opportunity to establish momentum and instead supplied more reasons to doubt their reliability.
That pursuit becomes considerably more difficult when you spend so much of a game wrestling with yourself.
The troubling question is no longer whether the Rams can produce championship-caliber stretches.
We have seen enough to know they can.
The question is whether they have the discipline to sustain them, the attention to detail to protect them and the urgency to stop wasting them.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams, left, celebrates his touchdown with wide receiver Puka Nacua during the first half. AP Photo/Scott Strazzante
Until those answers change, the championship talk amounts to borrowing credibility from a version of this team that shows up only occasionally.
The actual version keeps committing penalties, surrendering opportunities and asking its best players to make everything right.
That is a dangerous way to navigate October.
It is a disastrous way to approach January.
The Rams still have time to become more dependable. But time alone will not correct what keeps happening, and another impressive possession will not prove the problem is solved.
They need complete games. Sustained concentration. Evidence that the mistakes bother them enough to change the behavior producing them.
Because trust is earned through what a team does repeatedly.
And right now, the most dependable thing about the Rams is that sooner or later, they will make winning harder than it needs to be.
The New England Patriots stayed in the win column on Sunday. Going up against a Las Vegas Raiders team that had previously lost just one of its first four games of the season and was ranked highly in various offensive and defensive categories, the team of head coach Mike Vrabel celebrated a convincing 45-17 victory to improve to 3-2 on the season..
Here is who caught our eye for better or worse upon live-viewing the Week 5 contest.
Winners
QB Drake Maye: MVP Drake Maye was back in Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The Patriots quarterback finished the game 26-of-34 for 374 yards and four touchdowns while adding a fifth score on the ground. His +0.76 EPA per drop-back ranked in the 100th percentile. The Raiders gave Maye and the Patriots’ pass catchers opportunities downfield, which is a puzzling game plan against the group. He capitalized, completing 8-of-11 passes over 10 air yards for 206 yards and three touchdowns.
“Coach McDaniels was — it was beautiful,“ Maye said. “It was beautiful to be a part of today. He was clicking on all cylinders, making us look good, and we were executing.“
Kyle Williams and the WRs: The Patriots entered Sunday with just four wide receivers on the active roster with Mack Hollins and A.J. Brown on injured reserve. The group stepped up, led by Kyle Williams who hauled in a pair of deep passes from Maye en route to posting a career-high 91 yards and a touchdown.
Behind Williams, fellow second-year receiver Efton Chism III filled the Hollins’ role nicely leading the team in targets (6) and catches (5) to post a career-high 57 yards. DeMario Douglas then found the end zone twice while Romeo Doubs made his mark by drawing a pair of defensive pass interference penalties.
OT Caleb Lomu and the offensive line: With Will Campbell leaving the game with a knee injury, rookie first-round pick Caleb Lomu took his place at left tackle. Las Vegas immediately flipped Maxx Crosby to the rookie’s side but Lomu held up in his lone rep vs. the All-Pro. The rest of the game was much of the same as Lomu allowed just one hurry in live viewing and finished his defender to the ground on Maye’s rushing touchdown.
As for the rest of the line, the unit was called for five penalties but Maye was under pressure on just 26% of his drop-backs. Las Vegas had six quarterback hits, but there were plenty of clean pockets throughout the day for Maye to operate in.
“The first touchdown to Pop, I’m back there – credit the offensive line eating a ham sandwich, so I’ve got all day back there,” Maye said.
ED Elijah Ponder and DT Milton Williams: The Patriots’ young edge rusher continued a strong start to the season, as Ponder recorded two sacks (one strip sack) and an additional quarterback hit and hurry. On one of Ponder’s sacks, the Raiders had all eyes on Milton Williams along the interior as the defensive lineman continues to get plenty of extra attention this season. Still, Williams produced his best game of the season with a team-high five pressures.
Getting to Kirk Cousins was an emphasis on Sunday, and duo helped lead to a 48% pressure rate on the Raiders’ quarterback — which included a similar percent with a standard four-man rush.
Losers
Penalties: Speaking post game, Mike Vrabel noted his team still had plenty to improve and clean up. Among the issues to correct: penalties. The Patriots were flagged 12 times on Sunday for 116 yards, a “ridiculous” amount, according to Vrabel.
Honorable mentions
Rhamondre Stevenson ran well after dealing with a knee injury this week, finishing with 64 yards and a touchdown while adding 21 yards through the air.
Career-highs for Eli Raridon with five catches for 57 yards. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Raridon become more-and-more involved as the season goes on.
Game ball for cornerback Kindle Vildor. With the Patriots down four cornerbacks, Vildor stepped up (43 snaps) and had a pass breakup and a forced fumble.
Credit to the Patriots coaching staff on all sides of the football. They were down a handful of starters and lost more during the game, and didn’t miss a single beat. Everyone was prepared.
Bonus shoutout to Brock Bowers. The Patriots tried all sorts of things to take him out of the game and he still finished with an 8/110/1 line. Beast.
The NFL is continuing to take its show on the road in 2026.
This season's international tour features nine games across seven countries and four continents, bringing football fever to Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich and Mexico City. That's a lot of frequent-flyer miles, questionable body clocks and fans learning the hard way that a 9:30 a.m. kickoff can still feel like prime time.
But the global gridiron adventure is far from over. With Paris hosting its first regular-season NFL game and Madrid, Munich, and Mexico City also on the itinerary, plenty more international football is still to come.
That won't be the last time London hosts an NFL game this season. Here's a full list of international NFL games in 2026, every host city and the results so far:
How many international games are on the NFL schedule?
There are nine total international games on the NFL calendar in 2026. Three have already been played, including in Melbourne, Australia in Week 1, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil in Week 3 and London, England, in Week 4.
Our editors independently choose our recommendations. Some content is produced with paid support from a third party, however our editorial decisions remain independent. If you buy through our links, the USA TODAY Network may earn a commission. Prices and availability may change.
MACAO, CHINA - OCTOBER 9: Kevin Durant #7 and Alperen Sengun #28 of the Houston Rockets high five during the game against the Dallas Mavericks as part of 2026 NBA China Games on October 9, 2026 in Macao, China at Venetian Arena. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Houston Rockets vs. Dallas Mavericks
October 11, 2026
Location: The Venetian Arena Macao, China
TV:NBA TV and Space City Home Network Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790 / KLTN 102.9 (en español)
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Fred Vanvleet, Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun
Mavericks: Kyrie Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flag, P.J. Washington Jr. Dereck Lively II
The Rockets looked good in game one. The Mavs looked like, well, the Mavs. Let’s see if it continues.
Aaron Rodgers is poised to take sole possession of third place on the NFL's all-time passing touchdown list.
If Rodgers throws a touchdown pass on Sunday against the Colts, it will be the 580th of his NFL career, counting the playoffs. Currently, Rodgers and Peyton Manning are tied for third with 579 career touchdowns.
Manning threw 539 touchdowns in the regular season and 40 in the playoffs. Rodgers has thrown 534 in the regular season and 45 in the playoffs. Manning threw 428 touchdown passes with the Colts and 151 with the Broncos. Rodgers threw 520 with the Packers and 28 with the Jets and has now thrown 31 with the Steelers.
Rodgers, who has said this is his last NFL season, will probably not catch Drew Brees, who is No. 2 all time with 608 touchdown passes. Rodgers will definitely not catch Tom Brady, who is No. 1 all time with 737 touchdown passes.
After a 2-0 start, the Eagles are a rudderless ship, on the heels of two straight losses, the more recent of which a 24-20, injury-riddled loss to a Rams team who was begging to lose the game. Throw in future Hall of Famer Lane Johnson’s sudden retirement and the trade of Pro Bowl C/G Cam Jurgens, and this 7-hour flight to London to take on the 3-1 Jaguars, who have looked strong early on.
All odds courtesy FanDuel Sports Book
Eagles (2-2) vs Jaguars (3-1), Sunday 9:30am
Point spread/ML: Eagles +7.5/+295 Jaguars -7.5/-370
Total: 41.5 points
Analysis: In addition to Johnson and Jurgens, the Eagles have been ravaged by injuries thus far. They are on their third string running back, their third center, and likely missing their top receiver in DeVonta Smith. It would take a Herculean effort to overcome this team, halfway around the world. This one doesn’t need much guesswork.
Analysis: No DeVonta Smith, Dontavion Wicks and Dallas Goedert are uncertain for Sunday, but the Jaguars are among the worst pass defenses in the game. Hurts will be throwing quite a bit, to whom is another question.
Picks: Hurts OVER attempts; Lawrence UNDER yards
Rushing Props (O/U)
Bhayshul Tuten – 65.5 yards
Will Shipley – 37.5 yards
Chris Rodriguez – 26.5 yards
Hurts – 26.5 yards
Lawrence – 14.5 yards
Analysis: Shipley is the Eagles’ 3rd-string RB, pressed into duty after injuries to Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby. He has limited experience – career highs of 10 carries and 34 yards – and it’s a tall order to ask him to perform in front of this offensive line, against the #2 run defense in the NFL.
With that said, I think this could be the week for a different wrinkle: Hurts designed runs. The Eagles haven’t run more than a couple to this point, but anything goes when you’re this shorthanded.
Tuten has been strong this season, every game at least 65 yards.
Picks: Hurst OVER yards; Tuten OVER yards, Lawrence UNDER yards
Receiving Props (O/U)
Parker Washington – 60.5 yards, 4.5 receptions
Dontayvion Wicks – 47.5 yards; 3.5 receptions
Jakobi Meyers – 41.5 yards; 3.5 receptions
Brenton Strange – 33.5 yards; 3.5 receptions
Makai Lemon – 32.5 yards, 3.5 receptions
Brian Thomas – 24.5 yards; 2.5 receptions
Shipley – 13.5 yards; 2.5 receptions
Josh Cameron – 12.5 yards; 1.5 receptions
Tuten – 9.5 yards; 1.5 receptions
Analysis: Playing this from the Jaguars’ perspective is challenging. They have had three different leading receivers over the past three games. Parker Washington is a great receiver, yet he had one catch on 3 targets last week. I think that turns around Sunday morning. Tuten is a reliable weapon in the passing game, with seven catches in four games.
Lemon could be a go-to by default!
Picks: Washington OVER yards, Tuten OVER receptions; Lemon OVER yards, OVER receptions
Anytime Touchdown
Tuten -105
Washington +140
Hurts +185
Shipley +250
Meyers +270
Strange +290
Lawrence +310
Wicks +330
Goedert +340
Analysis: Tuten has scored in 2/L3, and will get every opportunity to cash in this one. Tough to pin down a Jags receiver, they distribute the ball very well. Goedert has been limited in practice, but if he plays, he’s worth a run here.
