“QB Lamar Jackson is out,” the Baltimore Ravens announced on their X account. Jackson couldn’t make it through his first drive of the game and now has another injury concern to add to the high ankle sprain that had him questionable for the Ravens’ Week 8 matchup against the Bills in the first place. Adding to the trouble, Huntley has now been sidelined with an injury of his own.

With Jackson and Huntley out, the Ravens will rely on their quarterback depth to take down the Bills on the road. Tyler Huntley has exited the game shortly after filling in for Jackson. Joe Fagnano is the emergency third quarterback for the game at Highmark Stadium, as Skylar Thompson is on injured reserve (IR).

Who else could play QB for Baltimore?

As Fagnano saw the field, that essentially ruled Huntley out. In the NFL, once an emergency quarterback enters a game, the team can’t go back to another QB. Needless to say, the Ravens are in trouble, and things could get even worse. If something happens to Fagnano, Baltimore will be out of quarterback options.

As reported by Scott Hanson on NFL RedZone, running back Justice Hill would be the team’s last-ditch option to play under center if such a catastrophic scenario comes to pass.

• Lamar Jackson (Out with right thumb injury)
• Tyler Huntley
• Joe Fagnano (emergency quarterback)

Jackson and Huntley’s stats in 2026

So far in the 2026 NFL season, Jackson and Huntley have played practically the same number of snaps. That’s a recipe for disaster for any team with a franchise quarterback, and the Ravens have felt the impact of Jackson’s injury-related absences through eight weeks of the season.

Entering Week 8, Jackson has thrown 96 passes, completing 68 of them for 967 yards, six touchdowns, and a single interception. Huntley has thrown more passes than Jackson, though, with 74 completions on 106 attempts for 727 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception.

Both signal-callers have one rushing touchdown as well, but Jackson leads Huntley with 144 yards on the ground compared to Huntley’s 76.

Key takeaways

• Lamar Jackson was injured on his first pass attempt against the Buffalo Bills.
• Tyler Huntley entered the game to replace injured Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, but is now injured, too.
• Joe Fagnano, third emergency QB, has entered the game.

Both DJ Moore and Dalton Kincaid serve as vital players within Buffalo’s passing system and they will play vs Baltimore. They stretch opposing coverages across every level of the field and consistently generate chain-moving first downs.

Their presence forces defensive coordinators to adjust coverage shells and protect against quick throws over the middle. Now that both playmakers are suiting up, the Bills can operate with better tempo, spacing, and rhythm. That is what they should need to impose their will against the Ravens.

Is DJ Moore playing for Bills vs Ravens?

Buffalo officially listed wide receiver DJ Moore as questionable on the final injury report. Moore has been nursing a shoulder issue that kept him in a non-contact red jersey all week. However, he is good to go.

Moore will suit up and after testing the shoulder during pregame warmups. He experienced no discomfort. Therefore, Moore should take his standard starting spot in the lineup as a primary first-read option for Josh Allen.

Is Dalton Kincaid playing for Bills vs Ravens?

Tight end Dalton Kincaid also carried a questionable tag into today’s matchup due to a lingering chest ailment. The injury limited his participation during weekday practices following Buffalo’s bye week. Still, Kincaid is playing with no snap count.

The coaching staff put Kincaid through a final medical evaluation on the field before kickoff. Given how doctors didn’t recommend holding him back, Buffalo expects Kincaid to play in key passing situations. Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Kincaid is “pretty confident” he should be able to play. Now, that report has been confirmed.

Key takeaways

• The Buffalo Bills face the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8 at Highmark Stadium.
• Wide receiver DJ Moore was listed as questionable due to a shoulder issue.
• Tight end Dalton Kincaid is questionable against Baltimore with a lingering chest ailment.

Ravens head coach Jesse Minter provided full clarity on Jackson’s status following Friday’s practice session. “We do think we will have Lamar this game,” Minter stated. Jackson was removed from the official injury report after logging full practice reps to close out the week.

Jackson’s return comes at a critical juncture for Baltimore’s 2026 regular season campaign. The two-time NFL MVP has been sidelined for the past three games after suffering the high-ankle sprain during Baltimore’s Week 4 contest.

Lamar Jackson available for Ravens

Lamar Jackson is active, fully healthy, and scheduled to start at quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens against the Buffalo Bills in Week 8. It’s a key moment for their season.

During Jackson’s three-game absence, the Ravens struggled to maintain offensive continuity, dropping back-to-back divisional games and ceding valuable ground in a hyper-competitive AFC North race. The slump placed immense pressure on Minter’s squad as they fell off the pace for the top seed in the conference.

Barring any unforeseen pre-game setbacks, fantasy managers and Ravens fans can expect Jackson to assume his full workload on Sunday as Baltimore attempts to make a definitive prime-time statement.

Key takeaways

• Lamar Jackson is playing today against the Buffalo Bills after missing three consecutive games with a high-ankle sprain.
• Jesse Minter confirmed Jackson practiced without limitation on Friday and was removed from the team’s injury report.
• Following two straight losses that dropped Baltimore down the AFC North standings, Jackson’s return is poised to re-establish the Ravens as top-tier Super Bowl contenders.

Ravens head coach Jesse Minter stated that the star quarterback sits in a “decent spot” with his health this week, though he declined to fully confirm Jackson‘s status for Week 8. The decision of him not playing in Week 7 surprised fans after the dual-threat QB participated in limited practice drills during the week.

Minter emphasized that performance readiness dictates Jackson’s availability. “If he’s able to play the way that he needs to play, then he will play,” Minter told reporters on Monday. The Ravens need him to beat the Bills.

Ravens without Lamar Jackson have struggled

The Ravens boast a significantly more productive attack when Jackson leads the huddle. In four games with Jackson starting, Baltimore gained 506 yards, 312 yards, 378 yards, and 384 yards. That equals 1,580 total offensive yards, generating an impressive average of 395.0 yards per contest.

Without Jackson on the field, Baltimore generated far less offensive firepower. In three games started by Tyler Huntley, the Ravens gained 391 yards against Atlanta, 235 yards against Cleveland, and 359 yards against Cincinnati. That drops their output to 985 total yards, averaging only 328.3 yards per game.

Ravens vs Bills is a key game for Baltimore in 2026

Both Baltimore and Buffalo enter this Week 8 battle as heavyweight contenders in the AFC. The Bills currently hold a 5-1 record, while the Ravens are behind at 4-3. A head-to-head victory provides massive leverage when determining potential postseason seeding tiebreakers down the road.

Securing the conference’s number one seed awards home-field advantage and the lone first-round bye in January. Jackson’s presence gives Baltimore its best chance to outduel Josh Allen’s high-flying offense and reassert control in the AFC race.

Key takeaways

• Lamar Jackson sits in a “decent spot” with his health ahead of Week 8.
• The Baltimore Ravens averaged 395.0 total offensive yards per game in Lamar Jackson’s starts.
• The Buffalo Bills hold a 5-1 record entering Week 8 against the Ravens.

The break is part of the league’s regular-season schedule, meaning they are not dealing with a postponement or a cancellation. The timing allows Buffalo to recover and prepare for the next stretch of the season after the opening schedule.

Their Week 7 break follows road matchups against the Los Angeles Rams on October 12 and the Las Vegas Raiders on October 18. With no game to prepare for that weekend, the team can use the time to address injuries and more.

When will the Buffalo Bills play next in the 2026 NFL season?

The Buffalo Bills will return to action on Sunday, November 1, 2026, against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8 of the NFL season. The game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

The matchup against Baltimore will be an important test for Buffalo as it continues its AFC campaign. Jesse Minter‘s team is among the Bills’ opponents from the AFC North.

After facing the Ravens, Buffalo is scheduled to travel to Minnesota to take on the Vikings on November 9. They will then visit the New York Jets on November 15 before returning home to face the Miami Dolphins on November 22.

Key takeaways

• Scheduled Week 7 bye gives Buffalo Bills off on Sunday, October 25.
• Jaguars, Chargers and Commanders join the Buffalo Bills on a Week 7 break.
• Sunday, November 1 marks Buffalo Bills return against the Baltimore Ravens.

Even though Bills head coach Joe Brady threatened to take James Cook’s prominent role away, Buffalo may have no choice but to pound the rock as Moore won’t play against Las Vegas. That, or the Bills will need Josh Allen to play hero ball, not that it would be anything new for him.

Dealing with a shoulder injury, Moore was a limited participant in Buffalo’s Friday practice and is listed as questionable for the Week 6 matchup against Las Vegas in the 2026 NFL season. Moore didn’t play in the Bills’ primetime win over the Los Angeles Rams last week.

Bills WR depth chart

Joshua Palmer is also questionable to play against the Raiders. That means Josh Allen’s confirmed receiving options for Week 6 will include Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman, Greg Dortch, and Skyler Bell.

That’s not taking into account the loaded tight end room, which boasts the likes of Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox, and Jackson Hawes. If neither Moore nor Palmer can dress, expect Kincaid and company to have an even bigger role in Pete Carmichael’s offense.

Key takeaways

• Bills face Raiders in Week 6 with DJ Moore’s playing status still unconfirmed.
• DJ Moore listed questionable with a shoulder injury after practicing limited on Friday.
• Joshua Palmer questionable alongside DJ Moore, leaving Bills wide receiver options depleted.

The NFL announced that Chubb will be fined $14,239 for taunting despite him not retaliating after getting punched by Rams’ left tackle Alaric Jackson. It might seem unfair, though Chubb himself admitted to be the one to start the interaction.

The Bills won a barnburner in overtime against the Rams, ending 37-34. It was a very heated game and after it all ended, then the altercation happened as other players were greeting each other.

Jackson’s fine is even bigger

While Chubb just taunted, Jackson did throw and connect a punch on Chubb. Jackson was suspended two games for his actions, though it was reduced to just one after an appeal. Still, missing that game alone will cost Jackson a whooping $934,555.

Hence, not only will he lose basically a million dollars, but the Rams will have to use another left tackle in Week 6 against the Arizona Cardinals. Someone else, probably David Quessenberry, will have to protect Matthew Stafford‘s blind side.

Bills vs Rams also left other fines

Following the league’s review of recent game actions, the NFL handed out financial penalties to multiple players. Buffalo Bills running back James Cook was hit with a $21,167 fine for the illegal use of his helmet.

Additionally, Bills safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson received an $11,194 penalty for unnecessary roughness, while Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Braden Fiske was fined $11,941 for a facemask violation.

Key takeaways

• Bradley Chubb received a $14,239 fine for taunting following the Bills-Rams altercation.
• The Bills defeated the Rams 37-34 in an overtime win.
• Alaric Jackson lost $934,555 due to a one-game suspension after punching Chubb.

Jeanty expressed to the media that he is feeling the best he’s felt all year. The running back was dealing with ankle injuries since training camp. The team took that injury off the weekly practice report this week.

That means the Raiders will have their top two weapons, Jeanty and tight end Brock Bowers fully healthy. Bowers had a minor knee surgery that sidelined him for the first two weeks of the season.

Jeanty will be key for th Raiders vs Bills

The Buffalo Bills have allowed 117 rushing yards in in their last three games. Hence, having Jeanty fully healthy and ready to go should provide the Raiders with an absolute weapon to capitalize on the Bills’ biggest weakness.

That also will allow Kirk Cousins to establish the play-action threat. When Jeanty is running through the Bills defense, Buffalo will be forced to load the box. This means that Cousins will have more one-on-one encounters between his receivers and Bowers, and the Bills secondary.

Jeanty could also harm the Bills as a pass-catcher

Via play-action or on simple checkdowns that Cousins loves to do, Jeanty could also produce catching the ball. Jeanty has catched at least three passes in all of this year’s games, and has had at least six targets in all but one game.

All in all, out of the 506 scrimmage yards Jeanty’s got, 215 have been by receiving the ball, not carrying it. To make it an even bigger statement, Jeanty’s two touchdowns this year have both been receiving scores.

Key takeaways

• The Raiders removed Ashton Jeanty’s ankle injury from their weekly practice report.
• Buffalo’s defense allowed 117 rushing yards across their last three games combined.
• Ashton Jeanty generated 215 receiving yards of his 506 total scrimmage yards.

Cook fumbled twice during the 37-34 win over Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium. Even though the Rams recovered only one of the two fumbles—a costly one in overtime when the Bills were in field-goal range—head coach Joe Brady made it clear that the issue won’t go unnoticed.

If Cook doesn’t improve his ball security during the 2026 NFL season, there will be consequences. Even the team’s leading running back, who ranks third in the league in rushing yards, may not enjoy total job security. Brady didn’t sugarcoat his plans.

“It’s going to cost us football games. 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,” Joe Brady told reporters in Los Angeles a day after the game, according to ESPN.

Joe Brady acknowledges thing Cook is doing right

Obviously, one doesn’t become the third-leading rusher in the NFL through the first five weeks of the season and one of the league’s top running backs without earning his fair share of credit, and Cook is no exception. He’s made plays consistently and is almost unstoppable when at his best. That isn’t lost on Brady, no matter how upset Cook’s recent fumbling issues make him. Still, he urged the running back out of Georgia to get back on track.

“Look, he’s doing so many good things running the football. 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,” Brady concluded. “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.“

Cook’s stats

Through five games in the 2026 NFL season, Cook has rushed 95 times for 532 yards (third-most in the NFL), averaging 5.6 yards per carry and scoring five touchdowns. However, Cook has also fumbled four times in five weeks, including a multi-fumble outing in primetime against the Rams.

No player has fumbled more than Cook this season, and he’s the only RB among the top five in rushing yards to have more than one fumble. In fact, no other tailback in the top five has even lost a fumble.

Taken together, these numbers paint a clear picture of where Cook stands among the NFL’s elite running backs: he belongs in the room, but he’s still a few pegs below the top tier. If ball security remains a weakness, it could keep Cook from reaching his full potential and force Brady to share the workload with the rest of the RB room or even make a drastic change within it.

Bills’ RB depth chart

In addition to James Cook, the Bills’ running-back depth chart includes Ty Johnson and Ray Davis. Clearly, if Buffalo ever decides to move on from its former second-round pick in 2022, it would have to bring in a true HB1 to fill his shoes, as both current options are more sporadic contributors than reliable solutions in the backfield.

Key takeaways

• James Cook fumbled twice in the Buffalo Bills’ 37-34 overtime victory over the Rams.
• Bills head coach Joe Brady warned that James Cook’s touches could decrease due to fumbles.
• James Cook leads the NFL with four fumbles through five games in 2026.

“Coming across the country, playing on a Monday night, we’re on a short week, we’ve got to go to Vegas next week,” Allen said to the press once the game concluded.

Now, the warning is for the Raiders: “We’re staying here. Trusting our guys to be pros and do the right thing. We’re here to win this week and next week, and we’ve got to get past this one on a short week and find a way to win.”

After defeating the Rams, the Bills improved to 4-1 and took the lead in the AFC East. Can they keep their winning streak alive when they visit Allegiant Stadium next weekend?

A Hollywood ending in Los Angeles

The Bills clinched a memorable 37-34 overtime victory against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in a thrilling, back-and-forth contest. Allen threw for 342 yards and three touchdowns, while also adding 47 rushing yards and a score on the ground. Stafford matched the intensity with 320 passing yards and three touchdowns, leading Los Angeles to score 13 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Ultimately, Buffalo’s defense held firm when it mattered most, allowing the Bills to execute a decisive game-winning drive in sudden death.

Focused on Las Vegas

Following their thrilling victory at SoFi Stadium, the Buffalo Bills will head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, October 18, 2026. After a Bye week, they will return home to Highmark Stadium to host the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, November 1, 2026. They then hit the road again to face the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday, November 9, 2026.

• Week 6: vs. Las Vegas Raiders — Allegiant Stadium (Oct 18, 2026)
• Week 7: Bye Week
• Week 8: vs. Baltimore Ravens — Highmark Stadium (Nov 1, 2026)
• Week 9: vs. Minnesota Vikings — U.S. Bank Stadium (Nov 9, 2026)

Key takeaways

• Buffalo defeated the Rams 37-34 in overtime on Monday Night Football.
• Josh Allen warned the Raiders that the Bills are staying on the West Coast.
• Buffalo will face the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday, October 18, 2026.

On the Rams‘ side, there are no surprises at the quarterback position, with Matthew Stafford as the starter seeking his MVP form, Stetson Bennett IV as the primary backup (second string), and Ty Simpson serving as the third-string QB.

For the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen takes the field as the starter, maintaining an exceptional level over recent seasons while still striving to prove himself in the playoffs. Kyle Allen serves as his backup.

How the Stafford vs Allen matchup stacks up

When Matthew Stafford and Josh Allen are playing their best, they are both top-five quarterbacks in the NFL. These are the 2024 and 2025 NFL MVPs, which puts into perspective what they can deliver on the field.

However, that has not been the case this season, especially for Stafford, who is off to a slow start. From a pure talent standpoint, these two players are pretty even. Based on the first four games, Allen has clearly been the better quarterback. Allen is fifth in EPA per play while Stafford is 18th.

How both teams enter with injuries

Head coach Sean McVay said Lake was making progress in his recovery. Defensive lineman Aaron Donald, cornerback Jaylen Watson, and tight end Colby Parkinson are all back in action after missing Week 4.

For the Bills, receiver Josh Palmer and defensive tackle Ed Oliver have been ruled out. Rookie wideout Sky Bell, a one-time potential Rams draft prospect, will be active for the first time this season. WR1 DJ Moore is also questionable, alongside defensive end Landon Jackson and cornerback Dee Alford.

Key takeaways

• Matthew Stafford is LA’s QB1, backed by Stetson Bennett IV and Ty Simpson.
• Josh Allen leads Buffalo as QB1, backed by Kyle Allen.
• Aaron Donald, Jaylen Watson, and Colby Parkinson return for Los Angeles.