James Cook Could See a Bigger Role Against the Lions
· Yahoo Sports
The Detroit Lions gave up 91 yards rushing in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints, and 410 yards through the air to Tyler Shough, before winning it in overtime. The job gets harder Thursday night in Buffalo, where the defense has to slow down quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook.
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Cook rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries and no touchdowns in Buffalo’s Week 1 win over the Houston Texans, an average of 4.4 yards per carry. He also caught three passes for 12 yards, an average of 4.0 yards per reception. That is a quiet day for a back who led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards in 2025. Should the Bills have him more involved against the Lions?
Buffalo Wants More From James Cook
Sean Murphy of Buffalo Rumblings listed five Bills to watch in the Week 2 matchup with Detroit, and Cook is one of them. Murphy wrote:
“Buffalo’s lead running back was the NFL’s leading rusher last year, and while he was efficient against a tough Texans run defense (13 carries, 57 yards), I’m looking for more out of him this week. Cook was active in the pass game, as he saw four targets to slot in behind DJ Moore, Dalton Kincaid, and Khalil Shakir in the pecking order. He caught three of those passes for just twelve yards. Cook dropped a pass late in the game when he heard the footsteps of linebacker Aziz Al’Shaiir coming.
He also narrowly averted disaster when he fumbled on the opening play of what would become Buffalo’s game-winning touchdown drive. Cook had a career-high six fumbles last year in the regular season, and the fumble he lost in Buffalo’s playoff loss to the Denver Broncos swung early momentum away from the Bills and back towards the home team while Buffalo was driving. Cook doesn’t have to put up superstar numbers every week, but watching him keep hold of the ball while scoring would be a nice way to kick off Week Two and his first game at the new Highmark Stadium.”
Why Cook’s Workload Should Grow
Cook has to be more involved in the Buffalo offense. Houston’s front is the tougher run matchup on paper, even after Detroit held New Orleans to 91 yards on 25 carries in the opener.
If Buffalo is going to get to 2-0, it cannot lean on Allen to carry every drive. Giving Cook 20 to 25 carries against the Lions would be a start.
Cook Rushed for Over 100 Yards in the Last Meeting
In the last meeting, a 48-42 Buffalo win on Dec. 15, 2024, Cook rushed for 105 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns, an average of 7.5 yards per carry. He also caught one pass for 28 yards. Cook will need plays like those for the Bills to get off to a 2-0 start.