Can a running back win an NFL MVP award? Can the Baltimore Ravens turn their season around? We pick the winners and losers for NFL Sunday…
Winner – James Cook
Have James Cook. The Buffalo Bills are a completely different threat when their star running back plays a key role in the game plan. A lot has happened since Joe Brady was named offensive coordinator in November 2023, replacing the fired Ken Dorsey. Ken Dorsey has been criticized for failing to maximize Cook’s two-way role as a chain-moving running back and failing to add spice to Joe Allen’s passing attack.
The Bills have been guilty of getting stale on offense in the face of evolving defenses trying to quell Allen’s deep threat. The best of Cook’s two talents has created an even bigger source of fantasy to keep opponents honest. On Sunday, he ignited the Carolina Panthers with 19 catches for a career-high 216 yards and two touchdowns, including a 64-yard return to the house, earning quarterback clearance for a quiet afternoon.
That’s the most rushing yards by a Bills player since OJ Simpson’s 273 in November 1976. Brady needs to start thinking about 20-25 touches per game for him.
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James Cook left Carolina’s defense as Buffalo pulled ahead in the first half of an NFL game.
Loser – Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett made a trade request to the Cleveland Browns earlier this year with a ‘desire to win, seemingly justifiably tired of losing to a team that wasted its quarterback situation while wasting one of the best defenses in the NFL. Days later, he agreed to a four-year, $160 million extension. It felt a little contradictory considering everything we know about the Browns being a winning organization. Those who are less cynical might choose to believe that it was franchise loyalty that made him the face of the city.
Still, Sunday was a reminder of how far he and the Browns are from victory, as Garrett came up with a career-high five sacks and saw Cleveland lose 32-13 to the New England Patriots. With this performance, Garrett broke the NFL record for most sacks before age 30 with 112.5, becoming only the third player to post 10 or more sacks in at least eight seasons. After trading Joe Flacco, the Browns are looking to see if they have an answer at quarterback in Dillon Gabriel. But frustration is growing for Garrett, who was seen smashing his helmet on the bench on Sunday.
He said after the game, “I will give everything I have to win.”
Winner – Justin Fields
It was difficult this weekend to be happier with anyone in the NFL than Justin Fields.
It felt so fitting that Fields would help lead the Jets to their long-awaited first win of the season. In a week where he received direct and public criticism from team owner Woody Johnson, he chose to place blame on the quarterback rather than head coach Aaron Glenn. Fields finished 21 of 32 for 244 yards and made the decisive game-winning touchdown pass to Mason Taylor as New York stunned the Cincinnati Bengals, who trailed 24-10 and then 31-16 before finding the end zone three times in the fourth quarter, up 39-38.
His postgame interview said a lot without saying much, and Fields was almost smiling in relief that he was able to have the perfect reaction, and there were rumors that Tyrod Taylor would start if he wasn’t injured. Fields and the Jets got a big boost from running back Breece Hall, who had 18 carries for 133 yards and two touchdowns amid speculation linking him to a trade ahead of the league’s Nov. 4 deadline. In contrast, the Bengals wasted a golden opportunity to revive their season behind Joe Flacco, who continued to rekindle Cincinnati’s stumbling offense in the absence of Joe Burrow, but his team came up short to move to 4-4.
“I almost cried when I was there,” Fields said. “Not because we won, but everything I went through last week, everything we went through as a team over the last seven weeks. There were a lot of ups and downs.”
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New York Jets running back Breece Hall earned its first win of the season with a touchdown pass to Mason Taylor as the away team completed its comeback.
Loser – Sesame Robinson
Is there a team in the NFL stranger than the Atlanta Falcons? They lost 0-30 to the Carolina Panthers, took down the Washington Commanders and MVP Josh Allen’s Super Bowl contending Buffalo Bills, and then on Sunday their head coach got burned out of the hot seat and Tua Tagovailoa’s The quarterback suffered a slump in a loss against the Miami Dolphins while coming under intense scrutiny for comments he made about a teammate.
With Kirk Cousins back under center, Atlanta was without Michael Penix Jr, but the real story came at running back as Bijan Robinson was limited to just nine carries for 25 yards. It was the latest reminder that this team is producing an all-purpose Offensive Player of the Year candidate. When Robinson has a quiet day, so does Atlanta. When Zac Robinson appears to forget who he is in the backfield, there are a lot of question marks as to why there is a game, and even more so when the backup quarterback is on the field. It’s a crime for a top player to have a total of 12 touches. They are a familiar picture of contradiction: born with talent but unable to translate it into dominant practice.
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Khalil Shakir’s outstanding 54-yard touchdown run put Buffalo further away from Carolina.
Winner – The Ravens’ Season
Baltimore entered Last Chance Saloon territory this week, hovering perilously close to a premature end to the season. But they were able to keep their campaign alive and their playoff ambitions still alive thanks to a 30-16 win over the Chicago Bears, the fourth straight win for Ben Johnson’s team and a 2-5 win with Lamar Jackson expected to return on Thursday after missing three games.
Tyler Huntley proved a major upgrade on turnover-prone Cooper Rush at quarterback with two touchdowns, including the decisive four scores, and safety Kyle Hamilton’s deployment as a pass rusher was a much-needed relief for one of the league’s worst defenses. It gave me the spark I needed. Huntley finished 17 of 22 for 186 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 53 yards.
The Ravens have a favorable schedule on their schedule with games against the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets, and with Jackson’s impending return, hopes are growing for a dramatic turnaround in the second half of the season.
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Chicago’s DJ Moore makes an incredible catch late in the fourth quarter against Baltimore.
Loser – Kellen Moore
New Orleans is incredible, the Superdome is magnificent, the NOLA fans are loud, exciting and friendly, but it’s still one of the most fascinating head coaching jobs in football.
They are stuck in quarterback purgatory, with Spencer Rattler benched in Sunday’s 23-3 loss to the Tamp Bay Buccaneers after Tyler Shough finished with just 128 yards and an interception on 17 of 30 passers. Kellen Moore deserves years to try and do this, but there are few coaches with less to work with than the former Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator.
With Moore now spending the next day or two deciding whether to start Rattler or Shough in Week 9, the Saints remain irrelevant and rank fourth-worst in scoring offense. Rattler has had four interceptions and been sacked seven times over the last two games. Like Robinson, star player Alvin Kamara was given just six carries for 21 yards.
New Orleans is currently 1-7 and in position to land the top pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Moore should be excited and enthused about the prospect of digging this Saints offense out of the mud, but they are a franchise in trouble.
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