Monday Night Football Matchup Pits Brother vs. Brother

Two Cooks in the kitchen for Jets' season opener against Bills at MetLife Stadium

They play the same position and the distinct similarity in the sound of their voices leaves little doubt that they're brothers. 

One's first name is the other's middle name and vice versa. In another parallel between the two siblings, they were both second-round draft picks albeit five years apart.

Dalvin Cook and James Cook wear the same name on their backs, but the writing across their chests is different. The former joined the New York Jets as a free agent in August while the latter was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2022.

Now, they're set to kick off the 2023 NFL regular season against one another as the Jets host the Bills for a Monday Night Football showdown on September 11.

"Just hope we don't give my mom a heart attack. It's gonna be good for my family. It's gonna be good for him [James], just going at it with him," said Dalvin Cook. "It's gonna fun come Week 1, that's when we pop it off."

It won't be the first Cook vs. Cook clash on an NFL stage. The Bills hosted the Minnesota Vikings during the younger Cook's 2022 rookie campaign. Powering the visitors to a wild 33-30 overtime win, older brother Dalvin accounted for an 81-yard third-quarter touchdown run. 

Younger brother James received only five carries and totaled 22 yards in the head-to-head sibling rivalry meeting. In two games against the Jets in 2022, Buffalo's sparingly-used ball carrier rushed only eight times for a combined 21 yards.

When it comes to his younger brother's usage, Dalvin Cook had a message for Bills' offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey.

"They didn't give him [James] the touches he needed last year, in my eyes," said Cook while speaking to reporters in Florham Park.

Buffalo has experienced some offseason turnover in its running backs room and that has been good news for Dalvin's younger brother. 

"I want to see him be successful and get everything he deserves," said the Jets' Cook, a four-time Pro Bowler who has exceeded the 1,100-yard rushing mark four years in a row.

With Devin Singletary having left town and Nyheim Hines on the shelf, James Cook has assumed the Bills' starting running back role as a second-year pro.

"The biggest thing, obviously, is the reps that he's gotten. He just continues to grow," said Bills' offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. "I'm just excited to see him go out there and cut it loose. Just play free, play fast, play confident."

Right off the bat, James Cook will have the chance to cut it loose and avenge last year's loss in the sibling series.

"It's a great feeling playing against my older brother. Get-back [game] for me," said Buffalo's RB1. "There's always trash talk, me and him back forth playing the same position."

Dalvin Cook (left) and younger brother James Cook (right) / © Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

Despite competing for bitter AFC East rivals, these brothers keep a consistent line of communication.

"Talk to him every day. It's like our routine. We just talk every day," said the Jets' Cook.  "It's fun just to get to share the field with him, for the second time and have the suspense for my family. It's going to be something to remember."

Dalvin Cook, a proven veteran who has gained 7,787 scrimmage yards in 73 games, wants to avoid ever overshadowing his younger brother while he tries to establish himself in the NFL limelight.

On Monday night, the older sibling has no choice but to do everything he can to stand in the way of a Bills' win.

"When it comes down to the moment, we both want to win, just to have those [bragging] rights," said the Dalvin Cook, who will try to carry the Green & White to victory on Monday night.

Dalvin James Cook, Jets

Age: 28 

College: Florida State 

Drafted: 2017 Round 2 (No. 41 overall) 

2023 Stats: 17 GP, 1,173 rush yards, 264 rushes, 4.4 ypc, 10 total TD (8 rush, 2 rec), 39 rec, 295 rec yards 

James Dalvin Cook, Bills

Age: 23 

College: Georgia 

Drafted: 2022 Round 2 (No. 63 overall) 

2023 Stats: 16 GP, 507 rush yards, 89 rushes, 5.7 ypc, 3 total TD (2 rush, 1 rec), 21 rec, 180 rec yards 

READ MORE:

Season Opener vs. Bills: What to Expect and How to Watch

Third-Year Linebacker Earns Starting Job with Kwon Gone

Jets Elect Triumvirate of Leaders for 2023 Season

Starting Front Five Finally Practicing Together

RB Room Taking Shape ahead of MNF Season Opener

SI Lists Jets as Highly Likely to Land Week 18 Primetime Spot