Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has had a massive breakout season. Entering the game against the Patriots, Cook had 828 rushing yards at 4.8 yards per carry and 13 rushing touchdowns, adding 232 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air as well.
Then, Cook took a handoff from Josh Allen and left the entire Patriots’ defense in his dust for a long touchdown.
In doing so, according to the Bills’ PR Twitter account, James Cook logged his fourth rushing touchdowns of the season of 40+ yards, which marks the most in a single season by a Bills running back. Cook also became the first Bills running back with 40+ yard touchdown runs in consecutive games since Mike Gillislee in 2015.
Cook has been a crucial element to the Bills offense this season, providing a level of explosiveness on the ground and through the air that has made him one of the team’s best playmakers.
For Buffalo, a strong ground game to complement quarterback Josh Allen’s abilities through the air makes them one of the league’s best offenses. Defenses can’t simply eliminate one element from this Bills offense in order to find success, because they can beat you in a variety of ways.
It’s that variety, which Cook is a massive part of, that makes them so difficult. Entering this week, the Bills offense averaged the second-most points per game in the league at 31.8, the third-most yards per play at 6.2, and the most points per play at 0.530. Buffalo can hit the explosive play or methodically march it down the field.
With the playoffs in front of them, Cook and the ground attack will be a huge factor of how far they can go.