Bills’ James Cook: ‘We got something we’re playing for’
Second-year Bills running back James Cook had a big game in Buffalo’s 20-17 win against Kansas City on Sunday.
He cooked the Chiefs for 141 all-purpose yards and had a touchdown catch on a called play while leading all Bills receivers going a perfect five catches on five targets for 84 yards including a career-high 64 yards receiving in the first half en route to a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeted against Kansas City, per Pro Football Focus (PFF). He also led the team on the ground with 58 yards on 10 carries.
“He was awesome,” QB Josh Allen said in his postgame press conference. “He’s been working hard and probably had his best week of practice this week and getting more comfortable with him catching passes out of the backfield. He had a lot of opportunities and took advantage. I thought he ran the ball well.”
Cook leads all NFL running backs in average yards before contact (2.03), is third in scrimmage yards (1,180), seventh in all-purpose yards (1,180), and ranks first in Bills team history for average yards per carry by an RB (5.14).
“Jimbo was doing a lot today,” TE Dalton Kincaid said to the press. “It was awesome to see him, and he runs hard. Every time he runs the ball, he’s running 100 miles per hour. So, he’s special anytime he gets the opportunity to do something. … (He) just adds another level that the defense has to cover. I think he’s a great receiving threat.”
The Bills RB1’s offensive line notices the presence he brings as well.
“It just brings this unique energy to the huddle,” OL Spencer Brown said, per The Buffalo News. “Doesn’t say much. But we put the ball in his hand, he makes plays and it’s fun to watch.”
The second-round pick by Buffalo in the 2022 NFL Draft lets his play and endzone celebrations do much of the talking, whether leaping into a home crowd with Bills Mafia or flipping in for a score on the road in Kansas City.
“James Cook is a phenomenal football player, a guy who brings a lot of energy, even though he can seem stoic, to say the least,” C Mitch Morse said postgame. “(He’s) a guy who runs hard, wants to run the ball, wants to take a few hits, and then like you saw is available for Josh in those tough times.”
Cook also was humble while keeping things simple when asked about his performance.
“Just getting open, and Josh finding me and making a play,” Cook said to the press. “That’s about it.”
After logging season highs in catches (six) and targets (seven) for 57 yards with 43 yards on 16 carries rushing in a loss to Philadelphia, headlines weren’t about his overall performance but for a dropped touchdown pass.
“I thought he rebounded from last week, in terms of the passing game,” McDermott said about Cook. “And that showed up in practice, like I mentioned earlier in the week. He’s growing, he’s developing, and it’s a joy as a coach to watch a player continue to take steps in terms of his development.”
The bounce-back score against KC also came by way of the team’s preparation during the bye week.
“We ran this play all week at practice, so the safety moves over,” Cook noted. “It was smooth, same way,” he added. “It kind of gave me flashbacks, ‘cause it happened the same exact way in practice. So, it was good on our part.”
With the Bills playoff hopes alive, he knows what lies ahead of them
“We got something we’re playing for,” Cook said. ” So, keep going, and keep going 1-0.”
