Bills’ James Cook has a chance to leave Week 16 against the Browns with much more than just a win
James Cook has been playing at an elite level all season.
The Buffalo Bills have a blue-chip player in quarterback Josh Allen, though they also have a superstar in running back James Cook. The Buffalo Bills were victorious, mounting a 21-point comeback against the New England Patriots thanks in large part to the efforts of Cook and Allen.
While Allen will get all the praise for the comeback, Cook deserves his flowers in a big way for what he’s been able to accomplish, not just against the Patriots, but what he’s done on the season as a whole. He’s looked worth every penny of his massive contract extension this offseason.
With another 100-yard rushing game, he has eight this season already, and Cook will have the third-highest single-season rushing total in team history. He’s only 88 yards away from achieving that feat.
Only legendary and controversial running back O.J. Simpson has surpassed 1,500 yards in a season. With 402 yards, as Sports Illustrated reported, Cook will have the second-highest rushing total in a single season in Bills’ history.
Take a bow, James Cook
The Bills’ running back is only trailing Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor for the league-lead in rushing yards.
Fortunately for Cook, Taylor has been cooling down a bit as of late compared to his red-hot start to the season.
Taylor has been averaging just 76 rushing yards with 3.66 yards per carry in the last four games.
Cook, over that same span, has totaled 447 rushing yards with 5.66 yards per carry, which is two more than Taylor. The Bills running back is averaging a whopping 112 rushing yards per game over the past four, with no signs of slowing down.
James Cook dominated in the win against the Patriots
The Patriots had one of the best run defenses in the league, holding Cook to only 49 yards on 15 carries in the Week 5 loss to New England. Cook wouldn’t be denied in the rematch, finding the end zone three times and scampering his way to 107 yards on the ground with a few catches to boot.
Remember the time when people wondered if Cook would be worth his contract? Since then, he’s increased his snap count and reminded the world why he’s deserving that big extension. Several times this season, it has been Cook’s performance that has allowed Buffalo to walk away with a victory.
While Allen may be the league MVP, Cook is deserving of some Offensive Player of the Year honors for his performances.
Allen remains the heartbeat of the franchise and the engine behind Buffalo’s championship hopes. Cook has become the constant that opposing defenses can’t solve. Of course, offensive line coach Aaron Kromer deserves a key to the city for what he’s built on that line.
Without Cook, the Bills don’t complete that historic comeback and don’t sit where they are in the AFC without his weekly production. As the postseason nears, Buffalo’s formula for success is that much clearer: Allen delivers the moments, but Cook delivers the balance. The combination is exactly what makes Buffalo so terrifying heading into the postseason.
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