James Cook had to do some explaining after the Buffalo Bills’ 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 9, because viewers caught something unusual on the back of his pants during the game.
A yellowish-brown stain showed up on Cook’s seat, and plenty of people jumped to the obvious conclusion. After the game, Cook shut that down himself.
“This is wild I didn’t s-t on myself,” Cook wrote on X, along with laughing emojis.
There’s also a clip circulating that appears to show Cook’s pants looking clean before he takes a hit from a Vikings defender and the stain showing up right after. In the age of AI videos, it’s the kind of thing that can make people squint a little harder before deciding what they saw.
If it did happen, though, it’s hard to pile on too much. Anyone who’s ever absorbed a shot on a football field knows the kind of force NFL defenders bring.
Cook still had plenty to be happy about in the box score. He handled a massive workload with 31 carries, finished with 107 yards and a touchdown, and helped Buffalo keep control of a game that was never especially close.
The Bills didn’t light it up offensively, but 23 points was more than enough against a Minnesota team that managed only six. Cook’s production came against an elite Vikings defense, and even though he averaged under four yards per carry, he kept grinding away.
Minnesota had a much uglier night at quarterback. Carson Wentz turned in one of the roughest performances anyone is likely to see, throwing for just 81 yards on 8-of-25 passing with two interceptions. He probably should have thrown at least one more.
That showing, along with the struggles of Kyler Murray in 2026, was enough for the Vikings to make a move before the trade deadline, acquiring Kirk Cousins on Tuesday.
Buffalo, now 7-1, will try to keep rolling Sunday against the New York Jets. The 6-2 Vikings, meanwhile, head to Lambeau Field for a divisional matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
In Other News...
Mark Popes Postgame Message Added To Kentucky Fans Frustration
Kentucky escaped Northern Arizona 78-77 at Rupp Arena in a game that did little to calm the nerves around the program after the recent loss to Kansas. The Wildcats got the result they needed, but the way they got there left plenty of room for concern, with the contest tight from start to finish and the execution never quite matching the setting.
Mark Pope tried to frame the night as the kind of game people enjoy watching, even while acknowledging the issues on the floor. For Kentucky fans, though, the entertainment value was hard to separate from the frustration, and the mixed reaction around the win only underscored how much cleaner this group still needs to look before the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Escaped Disaster At Rupp But Bigger Questions Just Started
Kentucky avoided a stunning home loss at Rupp Arena on Saturday night, but only just. No. 24 the Wildcats needed a late 3-pointer from transfer guard Alex Wilkins to slip past Northern Arizona 78-77 after the visitors had controlled the closing stretch and put the home team in real danger before missing key free throws.
Mark Pope will take the win, especially early in the season, but the way Kentucky had to survive it is bound to linger. The finish masked a shaky stretch in which the Wildcats were forced to lean on a single shot to erase a game that had slipped away, and Pope pointed to the teams defensive execution as an area that still needs to sharpen up. [Read more 🡒]
Kentucky Legend Just Put Mark Popes Start Under A Harsh Spotlight
Kentuckys narrow win over Northern Arizona did little to quiet the unease around the program, especially after another uneven showing that left fans and commentators focused less on the final score and more on the way the Wildcats got there. The ball movement has had its bright spots, but the larger picture has been hard to ignore, with defensive lapses and inconsistent play continuing to define the early stretch of the season.
Jamal Mashburn added to that pressure by taking aim at the defense and questioning where things stand under Mark Pope, a sharp critique that landed because it tapped into the frustration already building around the team. In a season where expectations were higher than what Kentucky has shown so far, the conversation has shifted from isolated mistakes to a broader concern about whether the program is headed in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]