What happens if Bills' RB James Cook can't play vs. Jets?

Buffalo Bills' RB1 James Cook is questionable for Monday Night Football, but the team has a Plan B.

Ralph Ventre | 2 Hours Ago

Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ty Johnson (26) runs against Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback De'Antre Prince (24) / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills have expressed confidence in their backfield backup plan, and they may have to put it in motion on Monday Night Football.

Primary running back James Cook injured his toe late in the Week 5 road loss to the Houston Texans. After missing back-to-back practices, the Bills' RB1 participated in a limited capacity on Saturday.

Cook is officially listed as questionable for the October 14 divisional affair against the New York Jets. Although it sounds like he'll try to tough it out, he may not be able to handle a full workload.

While the kitchen may be closed for the banged-up Cook on Monday, veteran Ty Johnson and rookie Ray Davis are standing by. The former will likely get a chance for revenge against his former team.

"To this point, because James has not practiced this week, Ray and Ty have both been getting more touches. And I think they've been handling those opportunities well," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott.

Johnson seems like the more reliable option at this point in the season, but Davis possesses some intrigue stemming from his production in college. In limited sample sizes, Johnson has a 4.2 yards per carry average while Davis has averaged 2.9 yards per rush. In addition, the rookie has yet to prove trustworthy in pass protection.

When Joe Brady took over the offensive coordinator role midway through last season, Johnson appeared to become more frequently incorporated into the offense. In a Week 11 home win over the Jets, Johnson burned his old mates by making a 28-yard touchdown reception on a fourth-down play.

"The people that are behind him in the depth chart, they're great as well. Confidence is still high," said starting left tackle Dion Dawkins.

Thus far, the Bills have had mixed results running the ball, ranking 14th overall amongst rushing offenses.

With or without James Cook, the Bills sound like a team that believes it can run the ball effectively although it remains to be seen.

Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis (22) runs against the Jacksonville Jaguars / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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