Top 5 Rushing Matchups
Cleveland vs Miami
Quinshon Judkins was unable to build off of a favorable matchup last week against Pittsburgh, as he had just 12 carries for 36 yards, as Cleveland surprisingly dropped back to throw 58 times with Dillon Gabriel. With Cleveland adopting a pass-heavy approach, the trend of Judkins having over 50% of the snaps was broken. He had just 40% with those other passing down snaps going to Jerome Ford, who also had 40% of the snaps. Along the offensive line for Cleveland, injuries remain an ongoing concern. Jack Conklin left last week with a concussion and did not practice on Wednesday. The Browns are already without starting left tackle Dawand Jones, and if Conklin were to miss, this would push KT Leveston back into the starting role. The combination of Cam Robinson and Leveston would be among the worst in the NFL, as Footballguys Offensive Line expert Matt Bitonti has this offensive line ranked 28th this season. The good news for Cleveland is that the game script should be competitive at home, which means they can get back to running the ball more heavily compared to last week.
Miami's run defense continues to be an issue. Allowing 134 rushing yards per game to opposing running backs, which is 8 yards more than the second-worst defense this season. Over the last two weeks, the Dolphins have allowed 124 yards to Kimani Vidal and 206 yards to Rico Dowdle. Stopping the run requires as much effort as talent, and despite how talented this defensive line is, they are simply falling apart. As talented as Zach Sieler, Chop Robinson, and Bradley Chubb are, this defensive line has been pushed around for most of the season. Due to injuries at corner, the Dolphins have had to move Minkah Fitzpatrick to the slot as intended slot corner Dante Trader Jr. has been unable to find success in coverage this season. So, they've taken arguably their best run-stopper and moved him to corner to help the pass defense while severely hurting their run-defense as the guys they're replacing Fitzpatrick with are struggling. The good news for Miami is that they should get linebacker Tyrel Dodson back this week after he missed last week with a concussion. Dodson is one of their best run-stoppers and is a critical piece for this defense alongside Jordyn Brooks.
New Orleans at Chicago
There's a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the Saints' backfield. Alvin Kamara missed practice on Wednesday with an ankle injury. New Orleans has been very cautious with Kamara's workload, given the pending trade rumors, and it would not be surprising if they kept him out of this game. Over the last two games, Kamara has averaged just nine carries per game. While he has been involved as a receiver, averaging 4.5 receptions per game, the 13.5 touches are far below expectations when it comes to one of the game's most talented running backs. The Saints have been competitive in these two games, which is more alarming because, typically for this workload, you would expect the 1-5 Saints to be on the wrong side of a blowout. They beat the Giants 26-14 and lost a close one last week to New England 25-19. Meanwhile, Kendre Miller has not been able to capitalize on the additional workload, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry over the last two weeks and only one reception per week. New Orleans is very thin at running back, so if Kamara were to miss, Miller would see a majority of the workload this week, as the only other running back that they have on the roster is rookie Devin Neal, who has just two carries all season.
Chicago has struggled to stop the run all season. The Bears have allowed a staggering 5.7 yards per attempt to opposing running backs, which is the most in the NFL, and the 126 yards allowed to the position is the second-most in the NFL. The issue for the Bears is that the defensive line is likely the worst in the NFL. Chicago tried to address this in free agency but struck out on a few of the top options. They went with Grady Jarrett, who was dominant early in his career but has not been the same player for the past couple of seasons. Jarrett has been injured in most of 2025, forcing journeyman Andrew Billings into a prominent role for Chicago. Jarrett did not participate in Wednesday's practice, and although he is questionable, he may miss another week. The good news for Chicago is that linebacker T.J. Edwards returned last week after dealing with injuries for most of the season. Edwards is the team's best run-stopper, so he will be a critical piece if this unit shows any improvement over the second half of the season.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati