The Buffalo Bills shut down the Miami Dolphins in the first half of the final game of their AFC East rivalry on Thursday night. But it wasn’t Josh Allen who stole the show at Hard Rock Stadium, it was his young running back, James Cook. Perhaps one of the most underrated players in the game. What makes Cook, 24, special is that his older brother Dalvin has been one of the best ball carriers in the NFL in recent years and still flies under the national radar. After a season in which seasoned veterans like Josh Jacobs and Saquon Barkley bucked the trend at the position with lucrative contracts, it’s reasonable to wonder if Cook is about to earn the next big bucks.
His work in the field speaks for itself. That’s what happened on Thursday. During halftime of a projected game in Week 2, the former second-round pick rushed for 80 yards and scored three times. He scored twice on the ground and once in the air. (He is the first Bill to score three goals in a first half since Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas in 1992.)
The problem is this: Buffalo also had backups Ray Davis and Ty Johnson, and Miami had a clear possession advantage. Above all, the firepower that had already been proven was confirmed.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Cook is tied for fifth among all NFL players (1,670 as of Thursday). Brice Hall, Tyreek Hill, C.D. Lamb and Christian McCaffrey are the only players ahead of him, and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t list at least one, if not all, as candidates for the 2024. Player of the Year offense. Why didn’t Cook get the same award after amassing 1,100 yards in his first full season as a starter? Or that he averaged 5 yards per carry and nearly 10 yards per catch in his first two seasons? Allen’s presence in Buffalo is certainly huge, and the Bills haven’t always made their ground game the center of attention. Wide receiver upgrades also made headlines this offseason.
But the numbers don’t lie. Cook is one of the most efficient and explosive ball carriers when used. Despite suggestions early in his career that he was best suited as a quick-change player at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, he’s also one of the most traditional carry players in the NFL. He had the second-most receiving yards (645) in 2023, according to NFL Pro Stats.
That means if you’re still doing it, it might be time to stop taking out the bills. He is more than just an assistant in Buffalo. He might be the club’s best player outside of Josh Allen and could hit his stride in just his third year.
