Bills' breakout performer could change starting lineup for rest of the season
It hasn't always been pretty for Buffalo Bills running back James Cook. The rookie has been guilty of some costly mistakes starting with his first-ever official NFL carry as he fumbled in the league's kickoff game against the L.A. Rams. Even last week, when the Bills beat the Detroit Lions by three in Thanksgiving, the […]
It hasn't always been pretty for Buffalo Bills running back James Cook. The rookie has been guilty of some costly mistakes starting with his first-ever official NFL carry as he fumbled in the league's kickoff game against the L.A. Rams.
Even last week, when the Bills beat the Detroit Lions by three in Thanksgiving, the Bills rookie made a costly mistake by stepping in the opposite way that Josh Allen was trying to get him for the checkdown. The second-round pick was having a tough time meeting expectations.
But on Thursday Night Football, the former Georgia Bulldog put all of that behind him.
Cook led the Bills in carries and rushing yards with 64. Plenty of those runs showed his downhill explosiveness and the potential to be a feature back in this league.
But it was perhaps his value in the passing game that stood out the most as he finished second in catches (six in six targets) and third in receiving yards with 41.
"He's a special player," said Bills WR Stefon Diggs postgame. "He's growing and he's growing in the right direction fast."
In total, his 105 total yards led the team to a signature road win. In a way, it was everything the Bills wanted out of him when they drafted him in April. Thursday could've been the first step toward a passing of the torch at running back.
Based on what we saw in the game, James Cook has entered the conversation to be RB1.
As a receiver, he opened up the Bills' ability to throw checkdowns as Allen hit him six times, exploiting all of the underneath space the Patriots' defense surrendered in several spots. That opens up a lot of new possibilities for Ken Dorsey's offense.
Moving forward, expect James Cook to keep fighting for more playing time in the Bills' backfield.
Featured image via David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
