Bijan Robinson still leads the NFL in rushing after Week 8, but three running backs are now within 10 yards of each other. The Atlanta Falcons back ran for 76 yards in Sunday’s 16–0 loss at Tampa Bay and has 780. Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions is second with 773 after 153 yards in the 19–15 win over Minnesota, and Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker III is third with 770.
Ten yards between first and third is the closest the top three have been after any week this season. The previous low was 14 yards after Week 3, when Walker (360), Robinson (349) and James Cook III (346) were bunched. Six players are within 76 yards of the lead, with Tampa Bay’s Bucky Irving, Buffalo’s Cook and Pittsburgh’s Jaylen Warren all past 700.
The passing leaderboard changed at the top too. Jordan Love of Green Bay leads in yards with 2,246, and Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow took the lead in touchdown passes with 20 after throwing for 462 yards and five touchdowns against Tennessee. The numbers are through Sunday of Week 8; Chicago at Seattle on Monday night (Tuesday 03:15 Cairo time) is still to be played, and no player in the tables below plays in that game.
Rushing leaders after Week 8
| Rank | Player | Team | G | Att | Yards | Per game | TD | Week 8 | Rank after Wk 7 | Week 9 (Cairo time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bijan Robinson | ATL | 8 | 150 | 780 | 97.5 | 4 | 76 (19 car.) | 1 | vs. Cincinnati in Madrid, Sun 16:30 |
| 2 | Jahmyr Gibbs | DET | 7 | 157 | 773 | 110.4 | 8 | 153 (23 car.) | 4 | at Miami, Sun 20:00 |
| 3 | Kenneth Walker III | KC | 7 | 141 | 770 | 110.0 | 6 | 69 (21 car.) | 2 | vs. NY Jets, Sun 20:00 |
| 4 | Bucky Irving | TB | 8 | 147 | 728 | 91.0 | 5 | 170 (27 car.) | 8 | at Chicago, Mon 03:20 |
| 5 | James Cook III | BUF | 7 | 138 | 707 | 101.0 | 7 | 80 (21 car.) | 3 | at Minnesota, Tue 03:15 |
| 6 | Jaylen Warren | PIT | 8 | 119 | 704 | 88.0 | 2 | 143 (17 car.) | 7 | Bye |
| 7 | Derrick Henry | BAL | 8 | 158 | 632 | 79.0 | 8 | 53 (11 car.) | 6 | vs. Jacksonville, Fri 03:15 |
| 8 | Jonathan Taylor | IND | 8 | 148 | 610 | 76.2 | 8 | 23 (8 car.) | 5 | vs. Dallas, Sun 20:00 |
| 9 | Tony Pollard | TEN | 8 | 133 | 595 | 74.4 | 6 | 117 (21 car.) | 10 | Bye |
| 10 | Braelon Allen | NYJ | 8 | 112 | 565 | 70.6 | 3 | 147 (21 car.) | 15 | at Kansas City, Sun 20:00 |
Gibbs moved from fourth to second. His 153 yards on 23 carries against the Vikings, with a touchdown, were his third game of 150 or more this season, and he has played one game fewer than Robinson. His 110.4 yards per game is the best in the top 10, just ahead of Walker’s 110.0.
Robinson has not reached 100 yards since Week 4. He ran for 194 against Green Bay in Week 3, still the biggest rushing game of the season, and 145 in Week 4, but has 61, 63 and 76 in his last three games. He kept the lead because Walker had 69 yards on 21 carries in the Chiefs’ 28–24 loss to Denver, after 36 against Seattle a week earlier.
Irving made the biggest jump, from eighth to fourth. He ran for a career-high 170 yards on 27 carries in the shutout of Atlanta, a game in which the Buccaneers did not complete a pass, and has 276 yards in his last two games. Warren ran for 143 on 17 carries in the 27–6 win over Cleveland and moved from seventh to sixth.
Passing yards leaders after Week 8
| Rank | Player | Team | G | Yards | Per game | TD | INT | Week 8 | Rank after Wk 7 | Week 9 (Cairo time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jordan Love | GB | 8 | 2,246 | 280.8 | 16 | 6 | 288, 3 TD | 2 | at New England, Sun 23:25 |
| 2 | Matthew Stafford | LAR | 8 | 2,146 | 268.2 | 15 | 8 | 157, 1 TD | 1 | at Washington, Sun 20:00 |
| 3 | Kirk Cousins | LV | 8 | 2,124 | 265.5 | 19 | 5 | 247, 3 TD | 3 | at San Francisco, Sun 23:25 |
| 4 | Joe Burrow | CIN | 7 | 2,115 | 302.1 | 20 | 6 | 462, 5 TD | 12 | vs. Atlanta in Madrid, Sun 16:30 |
| 5 | Dak Prescott | DAL | 8 | 2,046 | 255.8 | 14 | 5 | 195, 1 TD | 5 | at Indianapolis, Sun 20:00 |
| 6 | Drake Maye | NE | 8 | 1,983 | 247.9 | 15 | 8 | 199, 2 TD | 7 | vs. Green Bay, Sun 23:25 |
| 7 | Jared Goff | DET | 7 | 1,964 | 280.6 | 15 | 1 | 176, 1 TD | 6 | at Miami, Sun 20:00 |
| 8 | Bryce Young | CAR | 7 | 1,921 | 274.4 | 13 | 5 | 209, 1 TD | 10 | vs. Denver, Sun 20:00 |
| 9 | Geno Smith | NYJ | 8 | 1,913 | 239.1 | 12 | 3 | 290, 2 TD | 13 | at Kansas City, Sun 20:00 |
| 10 | Aaron Rodgers | PIT | 8 | 1,871 | 233.9 | 13 | 6 | 172, 0 TD | 11 | Bye |
Love threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns in the Thursday night win over Carolina and passed Matthew Stafford, who led after Weeks 5, 6 and 7. Stafford had 157 yards in the Rams’ 24–9 win over the Chargers; he went past 2,000 and has 2,146, 100 behind Love. Kirk Cousins is third with 2,124 after 247 yards and three touchdowns in the Raiders’ 38–33 win over the Jets.
Burrow climbed from 12th to fourth. His 462 yards are the most by any quarterback in a game this season, and his 428 against Jacksonville in Week 4 is second. He has played seven games, one fewer than the three quarterbacks ahead of him.
Touchdown pass leaders after Week 8
| Rank | Player | Team | G | TD | Week 8 TD | TD after Wk 7 | Week 9 (Cairo time) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joe Burrow | CIN | 7 | 20 | 5 | 15 | vs. Atlanta in Madrid, Sun 16:30 |
| 2 | Kirk Cousins | LV | 8 | 19 | 3 | 16 | at San Francisco, Sun 23:25 |
| 3 | Trevor Lawrence | JAX | 7 | 17 | 3 | 14 | at Baltimore, Fri 03:15 |
| 4 | Jordan Love | GB | 8 | 16 | 3 | 13 | at New England, Sun 23:25 |
| T-5 | Matthew Stafford | LAR | 8 | 15 | 1 | 14 | at Washington, Sun 20:00 |
| T-5 | Jared Goff | DET | 7 | 15 | 1 | 14 | at Miami, Sun 20:00 |
| T-5 | Brock Purdy | SF | 7 | 15 | Bye | 15 | vs. Las Vegas, Sun 23:25 |
| T-5 | Drake Maye | NE | 8 | 15 | 2 | 13 | vs. Green Bay, Sun 23:25 |
Burrow’s five touchdown passes against the Titans are the only five-touchdown game of the season, and he also ran in the overtime winner. He has 13 touchdown passes in his last three games, with four, four and five. Cousins, who led after Week 7 with 16, threw three more and is one behind. Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence threw three on 10 completions in the 42–7 win over Indianapolis and is third with 17.
What Week 9 can change
Robinson and Burrow meet in Madrid on Sunday, when Atlanta plays Cincinnati at 16:30 Cairo time. Gibbs and the Lions play at Miami and Walker and the Chiefs host the New York Jets, both at 20:00. Irving’s Buccaneers play at Chicago on Sunday night (Monday 03:20 Cairo time), and Cook’s Bills play at Minnesota on Monday night (Tuesday 03:15). Pittsburgh has a bye, so Warren stays at 704.
Love and the Packers play at New England at 23:25 on Sunday, Stafford’s Rams visit Washington at 20:00 and Cousins’ Raiders play at San Francisco at 23:25. Lawrence and Jacksonville open the week at Baltimore on Thursday night (Friday 03:15 Cairo time).
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