James Cook and the Bills didn’t let TreVeyon Henderson beat them at their own game, and it got them back in the race for the AFC East
The Bills stuck with the run game despite quickly falling behind and their patience paid off as they got the last laugh against the Patriots.
Anyone who keeps up with the modern-day NFL knows it’s not like their dad’s NFL anymore, where running backs reign supreme, and teams run for 35+ times a week.
You wouldn’t know that if you watched Week 15’s matchup between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots, however. Both teams ran wild (pun totally intended) and combined for 414 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 62 attempts.
James Cook and TreVeyon Henderson were responsible for 255 of those yards and four of those touchdowns, with the latter leading the way after putting up 148 yards on the ground.
But it was Cook’s second rushing touchdown of the day that proved to be the true difference-maker, so of course, I had to bring in A to Z NFL’s Kyle Crabbs to help break it down from the proper perspective.
James Cook got the final say in the Bills’ comeback win
Kyle: The Bills deserve all the credit in the world for not allowing this game to turn into an avalanche. Buffalo started the game down 21-0, but still finished with 37 rush attempts despite not leading for the first time until 10 minutes left in the game. The Bills’ bounce back from a second TreVeyon Henderson 50+ yard touchdown run featured RB James Cook collecting the final 20 yards of the game-winning score on two rushes in the red zone.
The deciding score came out of 12 personnel with QB Josh Allen under center, tight ends Jackson Hawes and Dawson Knox attached to the formation to his right, and WR Tyrel Shavers reducing down to play wing behind them at the snap.
The large blocking surface invited four Patriots to play on the line of scrimmage, putting extra run support pressure on SAF Jaylinn Hawkins, CB Carlton Davis, and MIKE LB Jack Gibbens. At the snap, the Bills simply zoned gaps with their lineman, with Cook taking a front side, downhill track between the tackles. RG O’Cyrus Torrence gave RT Spencer Brown just a bit of support to help control Patriots DT Khyris Tonga before releasing up to Gibbens, and C Connor McGovern was easily turned out DT Christian Barmore, who was aligned as a 1-technique to the weak side of the run.
It created a clean crease for Cook to accelerate into, putting Hawkins in position to have to fit Cook in space. Cook provided elusive at the point of contact, ran through the tackle challenge, and hit pay dirt to help Buffalo complete a brilliant come-from-behind victory.
Take a bow, James Cook
Adam: The talk of the town is undoubtedly what quarterback Josh Allen did in this matchup: He proved why he’s the reigning MVP, totaling almost 250 yards of offense with three touchdowns and converting in some of the biggest moments of the game.
However, Cook deserves his flowers in a big way, as well. While having a quiet first half, much like the rest of his peers, he poured it on in the second half and was instrumental in the Bills’ victory. Quietly having an All-Pro caliber season, Cook let his play do the talking.
Outside of the game-ending touchdown, Cook found the end zone two more times in the contest and finished the day with 22 carries for 107 yards. He was targeted three times in the passing game, hauling in two catches for four yards.
Cook, once again, made history in the victory. He became the third player in NFL history to have more than 100 rushing yards, two or more rushing touchdowns, and one or more receiving touchdowns while helping his team overcome a 21-point deficit in the same game. The last time this was accomplished was by Atlanta Falcons running back Williams Andrews in 1983. Before that, it was Indianapolis Colts running back Lydell Mitchell in 1975.
Despite being down 21 points, the team didn’t waver from the game plan. Let Cook, well, cook, and take the shots down the field when it’s needed by the reigning MVP.
Cook’s second-half surge was a reminder of how valuable he’s become to this offense and how he’s deserved to become a household name across the NFL. He ran with patience, vision, and authority, consistently finding holes set up brilliantly by his offensive line and powering through them. Time and time again, Cook kept the Bills ahead of the chains, allowing the offense to stay balanced and wear down New England’s defense as the game went on.
Performances like these are becoming the norm for Cook, not the exception. His ability to take over when the Bills needed stability most is a huge reason why Buffalo completed the comeback.
Buffalo Bills News
Josh Allen makes honest admission about special halftime moment that helped fuel the Bills to victory over the Patriots
QB1 with an honest admission after the game. Whatever happened at halftime, it worked.
