The one where James Cook III ran away with a football
The Buffalo Bills survived a potential loss in Week 13 and fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second half of last Sunday’s game. It could just be that the Bills’ tryptophan is taking a little longer than usual to wear off. That, or someone finally wakes up offensive coordinator Joe Brady and reminds him of the very special talents that line up the offensive backfield alongside quarterback Josh Allen.
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Running back James Cook III is a real stud and should be a candidate for NFL MVP — although his chances of winning the MVP are next to zero after running back Saquon Barkley failed to beat Allen for the title in 2024. Still, Buffalo in 2025 tends to follow in James Cook’s footsteps.
It’s not that Allen fell off a cliff, but that he had to constantly find reliable pass catchers. This can only go on for so long before something harmful gets into the frame. At least the Bills have the NFL’s best rushing attack to “fall back on” in those moments when the passing attack can’t get the ball down the field.
These Bills are a bit of a time capsule on offense, more akin to those teams that were dominant in the 1970s than those with wasteful passing records in the 2020s. That’s okay, because obviously, even if a team knows Buffalo is going to run away (and uses the same play over and over again), they might have a hard time stopping it.
How did the Bills make a triumphant playoff run? Let Cook lead the way and Allen work his magic when needed. The New England Patriots are a concern, but now that everyone thinks Buffalo has no chance in the playoffs, they may ultimately be asked to keep their shoes on.
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What does this mean for the fascinating world of NFL power rankings? How does it affect the Bills’ standing in the eyes of onlookers? Let’s dive into the latest batch of numbers, the standings ahead of Buffalo’s Week 14 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
For those new to the Buffalo Rumblings power rankings roundup, I’ve provided readers with a convenient one-stop shop for the Bills’ weekly rankings from a variety of outlets and writers covering the NFL. There’s no need to click through to learn more about each analyst, but we’ve provided links if you want a deeper look at where other teams rank.
Before understanding the latest rankings, let’s first understand the latest rankings ESPN Four key metrics for the Bills’ playoff odds. It’s a positive development and Buffalo is back on the ladder, now in third place. People may criticize the Bills’ win against the seemingly hapless Steelers, but this win was important for Buffalo’s playoff contention.
Entering Week 14, Buffalo’s odds of making the playoffs are now 90% (from 79%); their odds of winning the division have improved slightly to 15% (from 14%). As for the chances of getting a playoff bye, the Bills’ odds are back to a (still unlikely) 5% (then 3%), while Buffalo’s odds of making it to the Super Bowl are back to 13% (then 9%). (ESPNThe latest and complete AFC playoff odds table)
Now, let’s stay in the moment and take a deep dive into the latest NFL power rankings, passing the mic to grade experts across the country. Ready? (Comparison of strength rankings in Week 13)
ESPN: 9 (up from 10 in Week 13)
“Final stretch X factor: Running back James Cook III”
“The Bills’ rushing attack — driven by Cook and his offensive line and coached by Aaron Cromer — is a huge part of the team’s success. To secure a playoff spot, the Bills need to produce on the ground when their inconsistent passing game fails. All four of the Bills’ losses have come when Cook rushed for less than 100 yards.” —Alena Gersenberg
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NFL.com: 9 (up from 10 in Week 13)
“If you look at how Buffalo performed offensively without its two starting offensive tackles, Pittsburgh performed pretty strongly, all things considered. The Bills’ passing game didn’t really work.” beautiful This season, aside from the occasional magic trick from Josh Allen and some big YAC performances. So for Buffalo to run the ball for 249 yards and control 42 minutes of the clock — beating the Steelers in their own stadium — it was a character win for the offense. He rushed for 10 or more yards eight times and first down 16 times. The defense was even more impressive, arguably the Bills’ best performance of the season. The game turned on its head early in the third quarter when Joey Bosa’s strip sack set up a touchdown run by running back Christian Benford, who added a pick on the next series. Guys, winning games without Allen playing nuclear isn’t always a bad thing. The Bills have entered the playoffs, occupying the final wild-card spot and have yet to lose the division. See you in Foxborough in two weeks. ” — Eric Edholm
pro football focus:4 (up from 6 in Week 13)
“Odds of making the playoffs: 94%“
“Chances of winning the Super Bowl: 9%“The Bills took a while to get going — they scored just three points in the first half — but once they got there, they didn’t let up, posting a 26-7 victory over the Steelers in Week 13. The offense relied on the stellar performance of James Cook (80.3 points; 10th) — who ran the ball 32 times for 144 yards — to take control while the passing game felt bogged down.
The defense, which has been criticized often in recent weeks, held off the Steelers offense and scored a defensive touchdown on a Joey Bosa (79.2 ppg; 21st) strip sack. Better for the bill. ” — Thomas Valentine
Competitor: 7 (up from 9 in Week 13)
“Best case scenario: The defense is turning things around.”
“It hasn’t been a great year for that team in Buffalo, but the defense dominated Sunday against Pittsburgh. Of course, maybe that says more about the Steelers’ offense than the Bills’ defense, but if Buffalo can play average football the rest of the way, this will be a dangerous team in the playoffs.” — Chad Graff/Josh Kendall
cbs sports: 12 (down from 9 in Week 13)
“They put the ball right in front of the Steelers defense to win Sunday. That, along with an improvement in the run defense, is why we’re hopeful going into the next game.” — Pete Prisco
USA Today: 7 (up from 12 in Week 13)
“The league’s No. 1 rushing attack just racked up a season-high 249 yards, the most Pittsburgh has accomplished in half a century.” — Nate Davis
Bleacher Report:7 (up from 8 in Week 13)
“The Bills were without two starting offensive tackles, Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, due to injuries on Sunday. Ten days ago, the team surrendered a career-high eight sacks to Josh Allen. The Steelers’ T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith are ready to shine on Allen, right?
Wrong. Buffalo’s offensive line responded. Allen was never fired once. In fact, he was barely touched. Running back James Cook had another big day for the team as he accumulated 144 yards on 32 carries. The Bills dominated offensively and made the Steelers look weak in Pittsburgh. ” — Brent Sobleski
athlete:9 (up from 12 in Week 13)
“Sunday’s win in Pittsburgh may not erase the concerns many have about the Buffalo Bills’ passing game, but all that matters now is winning. By going 8-4 on Sunday, the Bills remain in good position to make the playoffs ahead of two crucial games against the Bengals and Patriots. For now, the Buffalo Bills can control their own destiny.” — Matt Johnson
sports news: 7 (up from 9 in Week 13)
“The Bills ran all over the Steelers to establish their dominance this season and must take a cue from all the big plays their defense was able to make without being weakened by the run.” — Vinnie Iyer
Yahoo! sporty: 8 (up from 11 in Week 13)
“It’s hard to tell whether Sunday’s result in Pittsburgh was due to the incompetence of the Steelers offense or the resurgence of Buffalo’s defense. The Steelers had 166 yards but only 10 first downs. Buffalo allowed 317.1 yards per game before Sunday. The Bills defense is getting healthier and if Sunday is a sign of huge improvement, Buffalo can still be a factor but they have a lot to prove in the postseason.” — Frank Schwab
NFL Rotation Zone:9 (up from 10 in Week 13)
“The Bills got a much-needed win on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but I don’t think anyone officially declared them “back” after that game.
Beating an injured Aaron Rodgers isn’t going to be the turning point or anything when this team looks back at the end of the season, but a win over the Steelers this week is an absolute must-do as the Bills fall well behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East race.
Their loss to Houston on Thursday night in Week 12 was brutal and really exposed a lot of issues with the team as a whole. I think there are probably some things about the bill that are right at the moment. Certainly, they are a legitimate and viable threat in the AFC. You can’t count them out by the big games Josh Allen has been in and the performance he’s had when donning the Superman cape.
And, this Bills team isn’t as good as other teams they’ve had in recent windows. ” — Serge Bedinger
new york post:7 (up from 10 in Week 13)
“Josh Allen set a career record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (76), and the Bills set a 50-year record for most rushing touchdowns by an opponent in Pittsburgh’s 26-7 victory over the Steelers. James Cook’s 144 set the game for 249 rushing yards. Christian Benford had two takeaways and scored a touchdown in the first 90 seconds of the second half.
The Bills won 26-7 and are now 8-4 on the season. They’re still slightly behind the Patriots in the AFC East race, but they’re in good position for a playoff spot. With the talent of these players, they should be a serious threat to win the division title at this rate. ” — Ryan Dunleavy
Pro Football Network:6 (up from 8 in Week 13)
“The Buffalo Bills struggled in the first half against the Steelers, scoring just three points before halftime. Although they trailed by four going into halftime, they quickly pulled away in the second half, outscoring Pittsburgh 23-0 in the final two quarters.” — Jacob Infante
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Fraction:11 (no change from week 13)
“The ease with which the Bills beat the Steelers with a weak offensive line is a promising sign. I need to see more from the passing game before they climb back up this list, though. Josh Allen’s 1.7 yards per attempt against Pittsburgh was the lowest of any quarterback this season.” — Dan Wilkins
sports illustrated: 4 (up from 7 in Week 13)
“If we take our expectations out of the equation, we give the offense and coordinator a lot of credit for setting a venue record for rushing yards without two starting tackles against the Pittsburgh Steelers. I think with this iteration of the Bills, we have to stop wishing it was what it looked like and appreciate that every game is its own survival effort.” — Connor Orr
fox sports: 10 (up from 11 in Week 13)
“Josh Allen may not look like the MVP anymore, but RB James Cook does. If their defense can perform like it did against the Steelers, maybe they’ve made a difference.” — Ralph Vacchiano
tom brady vs. fox sports:7 (unranked for Week 13)
Tom Brady’s taste is an acquired taste, isn’t it?
pressure box:8 (up from 10 in Week 13)
“Attention @ravens:”
I actually believe this is Bills Mafia’s top review:
“The Rich Eisen Show”: Unranked (no change from Week 13)
PC Cowboys (Ben Baldwin): 6 (9 in Week 13)
That’s it for another week in the world of NFL Power Rankings, always scientifically correct and indisputable. What do you think of the latest Bills rankings?
