Dark horse could steal rushing title from Bills' James Cook in NFL's final week

All of the talk surrounding James Cook’s pursuit of the NFL rushing title has centered around his chances of outlasting Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.

But what about a dark horse candidate who is one monstrous performance away from overcoming both the Buffalo Bills’ RB and Taylor?

Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry sits 137 yards behind Cook for the league lead in yards rushing. And with a massive effort in a win-or-go-home game against the rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, it could be the future Hall of Famer wearing the crown at season’s end.

Unlikely outcome

Cook is out in front entering Week 18, posting 1,606 yards rushing, 47 yards better than Taylor’s 1,559 yards. Henry is next up with 1,469 yards, while Atlanta Falcons RB Bijan Robinson (1,445 yards) is the only other player within striking distance of usurping the aforementioned players for the top spot.

The odds of Henry overtaking Cook for the title appear slim. In the Ravens’ last matchup with the Steelers in Week 14, Henry carried the ball 25 times, his second most this season, but averaged just 3.8 yards per carry while totaling just 94 yards rushing.

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Dec 28, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor (28) rushes the ball during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Grace Hollars-USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images

With that said, the Baltimore RB is coming off his most productive outing of the season this past week against the Green Bay Packers. In a 41-24 win over the Packers, Henry rushed for 216 yards on a whopping 36 carries, powering his team to victory with former MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson absent due to injury.

Jackson will return this week, but he is coming off a back injury, which could limit his effectiveness, particularly in the running game. That could leave Henry set for another heavy workload in Week 18.

Additionally,there's no telling if Cook will get a full workload against the New York Jets, with the Bills having little to play for entering the final week of the regular season. There is a chance Buffalo could rest its starters, including Cook, in preparation for the playoffs, which would then open the door for Henry to slide in and steal the spotlight.

Dec 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) carries the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second half at Huntington Bank Field. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The known vs. unknown

With the Colts playing at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Cook will be well aware of how many yards he will need in the team’s regular-season finale against the New York Jets to finish ahead of Taylor in the race for the rushing title. However, with the Ravens set to cap off the regular season with their pseudo division title game against the Steelers at 8:20 p.m., Henry will have an outside chance to come from behind and steal away the lead before night’s end.

The potential three-man race creates a bit of extra intrigue surrounding the Bills' final game before the postseason, as Cook looks to become the first Buffalo RB to finish as the NFL's rushing leader since 1976.

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