Brady, McDermott on what makes James Cook undisputed top dog in Bills' backfield

Buffalo Bills' James Cook has emerged as a top-tier RB1 for Joe Brady's offense.

Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins during the second quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills' running back James Cook returned to his native Florida by scoring three touchdowns in a convincing 31-10 win over the Miami Dolphins.

"We have all the confidence and faith in Jimbo in any role. Last night, he had those opportunities and made the most of them," said Bills' offensive coordinator Joe Brady.

In his third season after being drafted at No. 63 overall, Cook has become a highly-effective three-down running back for a team that has made running the ball an important part of its offensive identity.

"He's really confident. I think it was really important to see him continue to evolve last year and understand blocking schemes and how O-linemen are gonna approach blocks and how he can set it up. Not just doing what he's kind of been able to do his whole life where just kind of get the ball in his hands and good things happen," said Brady.

A lot of good thing have been happening when Cook touches the ball. He's average 99.0 yards from scrimmage per outing while accounting for 5.0 yards per carry. After 1,567 scrimmage yards in 2023, Cook is on pace to top that total this fall.

"Now, being that veteran presence, understanding why we're trying to run this play, how we're trying to attack it. His patience, his understanding, he's playing confidently," said Brady.

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As a receiver, Cook has caught all four of his targets including a 17-yard touchdown to open the scoring against the Dolphins. He earned the AFC Offensive Player of the Week award for his effort in the Thursday night victory.

His day-to-day approach is so steady, focused on what he needs to do to improve. A delight to watch a young man come here from South Florida and really embrace Buffalo and the community. I know it means a lot to him to do his part," said head coach Sean McDermott.

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