The Raiders’ biggest defensive mistake this week would be treating Buffalo like it’s all about Josh Allen.
That’s the easy trap. It’s also the wrong one. James Cook has spent all season reminding everybody that the Bills have plenty of juice on the ground, and Las Vegas can’t afford to let him slip through the cracks when the teams meet Sunday.
Cook doesn’t always get the same spotlight as the league’s other top backs, even after leading the NFL in rushing in 2025. But the production is impossible to ignore. He finished that season with 1,621 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns, plus 291 receiving yards and two more scores through the air.
He’s picked up right where he left off. Through five games this season, Cook has piled up 532 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 95 carries, averaging 5.6 yards per attempt and 106.4 yards per game. He’s gone over 100 rushing yards in three of Buffalo’s five contests, including a 111-yard, two-touchdown performance against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 5.
That game also came with a different kind of attention. Cook lost two fumbles, and those mistakes became the headline.
Bills head coach Joe Brady even said Cook could see fewer carries if the fumbling continues. That’s exactly the kind of thing an opposing defense would love to see happen.
Still, the Raiders can’t walk into Sunday expecting Buffalo to cut Cook out of the plan for them. Las Vegas is going to spend plenty of energy trying to contain Allen, but that won’t matter much if Cook is gashing them between the tackles and out of the backfield.
And the matchup points in Cook’s favor. The Raiders have struggled to slow the run all season, giving up 140.6 rushing yards per game, which ranks 28th in the NFL. Their 5.2 yards allowed per carry is even uglier - second-worst in the league.
That kind of run defense leaves no room for shortcuts. If Las Vegas shows up playing the same way against the run, Buffalo’s ground game could turn the afternoon into a long one. If the Raiders want to snap back into the win column in Week 6, it has to start with recognizing just how dangerous Cook really is.
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Raiders Need Their Young DBs Ready For A Brutal Bills Test
The Raiders came out of the New England game with plenty to sort through on defense, and the spotlight naturally landed on the young secondary. Defensive coordinator Rob Leonard and head coach Klint Kubiak both acknowledged the need for improvement after a rough outing, while rookie defensive backs Treydan Stukes and Hezekiah Masses were among the players highlighted as encouraging pieces who also took some lumps along the way.
Both young DBs have already shown they can make plays, with interceptions on their season resumes, but the next test comes quickly against Buffalo. With the Bills looming, Las Vegas is looking for Stukes and Masses to steady themselves, rebuild confidence and show that the lessons from New England can translate into cleaner coverage when the competition ramps up again. [Read more 🡒]
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The biggest complication is that Jeanty has been doing it while managing an ankle injury, which has made the evaluation even murkier for Las Vegas. The Raiders have not had much room for error in short-yardage situations, and this weeks matchup only adds to the urgency, since both teams have been vulnerable to touchdowns allowed from inside their own 5-yard lines. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Cornerback Battle Suddenly Puts An Offseason Starter On Notice
The Raiders cornerback picture is shifting quickly, and Eric Stokes is suddenly at the center of it. Signed to a three-year contract as an offseason addition, the veteran has not settled into the role the team envisioned, and through five games he has struggled enough in coverage that the Raiders are clearly taking a harder look at what comes next on the back end.
Darien Porter has been one of the brighter developments in that evaluation. The second-year corner has played well enough recently to draw praise from head coach Klint Kubiak, and his rise has also caught the attention of media analyst Ted Nguyen, who suggested his snap count could keep climbing as the Raiders sort out the depth chart. For a defense still trying to find the right mix at corner, the competition is very much alive. [Read more 🡒]