The Buffalo Bills offense is struggling but it's not completely cooked. Losing James Cook could be a recipe for disaster.

Cook is inactive against the New York Jets on Monday Night Football after being listed as questionable. He missed practice Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and was a limited participant Saturday.

Cook is the Bills' most versatile offensive weapon and it could be a big blow to a team trying to bounce back after two straight losses. He is tied for fourth in the NFL with five total touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) and ranks 15th with 309 rushing yards.

Buffalo doesn't have much experience behind Cook. Seven-year veteran Ty Johnson has been a productive backup throughout his career. He has two of Buffalo's 16 offensive touchdowns this year. Johnson, 27, has rushed for 1,099 yards and five touchdowns on 248 carries for a 4.4 average with 97 receptions for 791 yards and five touchdowns over 77 games.

Rookie fourth-round pick Ray Davis, 24, has seen action in all five games and is tied with quarterback Josh Allen for second on the team with 26 carries. Davis, 5-foot-8 and 211 pounds, has some power and rushed for 3,626 yards and 29 touchdowns in his college career.

Darrynton Evans had his 21-day practice window opened after missing the first five games on injured reserve. The Bills placed Evans on injured reserve with a hamstring injury on Aug. 27 with an eligible to return designation. Each team only gets eight of those spots, so the Bills anticipated him getting on the field for them this year.

Evans, 26, is a versatile runner with speed but only has 62 career carries. The 2020 third round pick by the Tennessee Titans was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury as a rookie and played one game before being placed on injured reserve to end his season in 2021. Evans had a 35-yard touchdown run for the Bills in a 2023 preseason game but was waived as part of final cuts. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts, Bills, Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears in 2023 and saw action in seven games.

Rookie Frank Gore Jr. has been on the Bills practice squad all season. Gore Jr., the son of former NFL great Frank Gore Sr., was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in April. He had an impressive preseason, finishing second in the league - and first among running backs - with 163 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry. Gore Jr. was Pro Football Focus' highest-graded running back in the preseason with in 84.3 grade.

Gore Jr., 22, didn't make Buffalo's 53-man roster but was brought back on the practice squad the next day. If Gore gets called up to play it'd be a game between the final two teams his dad suited up for. Gore Sr. played in 2019 with the Bills and 2020 with the Jets before signing a one-day contract to retire as a member of the San Francisco 49ers in 2022.

Buffalo Bills running back depth chart

James Cook

• 2024 stats: 5 games; 70 carries for 309 yards (4.4 avg.) and 4 touchdowns; 11 receptions for 123 yards (11.2 avg.) and 1 touchdown

• Career stats: 38 games; 396 carries for 1,938 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns; 76 receptions for 748 yards and 6 touchdowns

Ty Johnson

• 2024 stats: 5 games; 10 carries for 42 rushing yards (4.2 avg.) and one touchdown; 4 receptions for 61 yards (15.3 avg.) and 1 touchdown

• Career stats: 77 games; 248 carries for 1,099 rushing yards (4.4 avg.) and five touchdowns; 97 receptions for 791 yards and five touchdowns

Ray Davis

• 2024 stats: 5 games; 26 carries for 75 yards (2.9 avg.) and one touchdown; 4 receptions for 18 yards (4.5 avg.)

Darrynton Evans

• 2024 stats: None

• Career stats: 19 games; 62 carries for 246 yards (4.0 avg.); 12 receptions for 120 yards (10.0 avg.) and 1 touchdown

Bills practice squad

Frank Gore Jr.

• 2024 stats: None

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills RB depth chart: James Cook injury could promote Frank Gore