Bills’ James Cook is a superstar and not enough people are giving him the credit he deserves
James Cook deserves all the flowers.
The stats don’t lie: Buffalo Bills running back James Cook isn’t just good, he’s historic.
Cook has been electric this season, looking like he’s worth every penny of his massive contract extension signed in the offseason. In terms of average salary, Cook is seventh overall in average annual value ($11.5 million), falling behind Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey, Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor, Alvin Kamara, and Josh Jacobs.
If Cook continues on his trajectory, his contract might wind up being one of the best values in sports. He’s been that good.
Through eight weeks, Cook finds himself second in the NFL in rushing yards, only behind Taylor. Cook is heading into the Chiefs matchup with 753 yards, which falls just behind Taylor’s 850. Despite Taylor having a phenomenal season, Cook might be playing better than the Colts’ superstar.
In fact, what Cook has accomplished has been historic, and if Taylor wasn’t having the season he was having, Cook should and would be in talks for Offensive Player of the Year.
Despite being second in total yards, Cook actually is leading the NFL in rushing yards per game (107.6) and rushing yards per carry (6.0). In NFL history, there are only a select few running backs who have accomplished what Cook has in the first seven games. Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame running back Jim Taylor, Cleveland Browns Hall of Famer Jim Brown (twice), Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson, and Baltimore Ravens running back Derrick Henry.
What’s more, Cook became the fourth player in NFL history to have more than 215 rushing yards and two-plus touchdowns on fewer than 20 carries, joining Henry, Bo Jackson, and Bobby Mitchell, which is some pretty impressive company.
I owe Cook an apology for being critical of him for holding out for a contract. With him being signed for the long term, Buffalo has one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL.
Cook was lights out against the Carolina Panthers
Cook’s performance against the Panthers is immortalized in the Bills’ history. As Sports Illustrated reported, it was the sixth-most in franchise history and the highest rushing yard total since O.J. Simpson in 1976, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The talented running back gained 141 of his yards before contact, which obviously goes to the work that the offensive line performed to block for him and to create running lanes. Even more, compared to Taylor, Cook has played 138 fewer snaps, while averaging 39 snaps per game. That means compared to Taylor, he has played about three and a half games fewer. Now, the Colts running back has sat out four fourth quarters this season, but even still, Cook is wildly underused compared to Taylor. Remember, Taylor is also a game ahead of the Bills, with Indianapolis yet to have the bye week.
When Cook runs for more than 100 yards, the Bills are undefeated. However, Buffalo hasn’t fully unlocked Cook’s true potential, which is wild to think about. One thing missing from the offense is Cook being more involved in the passing game. He has only 12 receptions for 89 yards and has gone three consecutive games without registering a catch, receiving just one target combined in those games.
After signing his massive contract, head coach Sean McDermott expressed wanting to see more out of Cook, who traditionally hasn’t been a three-down back with the team opting to slot in Ty Johnson or Ray Davis in certain sets, but Cook’s increased usage has paid off massively, even through just the first half of the season.
Letting Cook, well, cook has been a beautiful thing to behold.
In a franchise that’s seen legends like Simpson and Thurman Thomas define eras, Cook is starting to carve out his own path. If this pace continues, his name might soon be mentioned alongside theirs even more.
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