Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has seen no shortage of media coverage in 2025.

Whether for his elite level of play and exploits on the field since the season started, or the offseason contract negotiations that he has completed and now put behind him to focus on

The Bills’ second-best player and elite option on offense has seen some challenges in recent weeks, first in being limited by the New England Patriots’ defense, and then by his usage by Buffalo OC Joe Brady in key down possessions against the Falcons. This has drawn media attention going into the team’s bye week, including The Buffalo News, which broke down some of the issues in the running backs’ usage.

Cook and fellow running backs Ty Johnson and Ray Davis have also not yet been the consistent factors in Buffalo’s passing game they were last season. That the Bills are experiencing the same issues downfield and with their receivers getting separation is only increasing the focus on what’s happening (or not) at the line of scrimmage.

Cook has looked like a value signing in his first season with a new four-year contract extension, as he has performed at a high level for the most part.

Even still, during a high-output game against the Falcons, Bills’ OC Joe Brady leaned more on Ty Johnson on key downs and possessions, taking Cook off the field in third-down situations despite being the best overall talent that the Bills have for reigning MVP Josh Allen to hand off or throw the ball to.

During the bye week, the team could adjust to once more find the rhythm and workload distribution that made the running backs group successful last season, while also having Cook on the field for important third-down opportunities. Davis has shown he can handle carries and receptions, while Johnson provides them with rotation depth, as well as a potential chip in trade discussions, given the market for running backs.

Johnson has been the late-down and two-minute back, which raised the questions about why Cook wasn’t on the field as an option for the offense, be it as a target or to command defensive coverage. The RB1 played 30 snaps (52.6%) against the Falcons and only got the ball twice on third down in Buffalo’s last four games.

Aside from WR Khalil Shakir and one career game from TE Dalton Kincaid, the Bills’ pass catchers have not had high production despite their receivers getting the ball 61.1% (eighth-highest in the NFL) and their tight ends getting it 22.9% of the time. The running backs’ 13.9% dip in snap usage from 15.3% in 2024 is a factor, and there have been three times this season that the Bills have handed the ball off to a receiver or tight end on third down, resulting in negative-2 yards and two fumbles

Cook’s five rushes of 10-plus yards in the two games he had at least 20 carries for 132 yards and 117 yards is tied for fifth-most in the league, and his 104 rushing yards over expected ranks fourth, per Next Gen Stats. The lack of usage on key downs raises questions when the Bills rank second in the league in run-block win rate, per ESPN.

Brady has indicated Johnson’s role will remain the same as he is “elite” on third down and in the two-minute drill, though it should be noted they are not using his greatest strength, his pass-catching (he only has 11 rushes for 58 yards in six games this season).

While Cook hasn’t been used to block much this season, with his abilities, it doesn’t help the team to not have the best offensive weapon on the field more in key situations, as an option, decoy, or blocker. Especially when the passing game is struggling to move downfield.

Fellow top RB Saquon Barkley has played 59 pass-blocking snaps for the Eagles, for example.

The team will have the bye week to rectify these issues and identify solutions ahead of NFL Week 8, and will have several iterations of Josh Allen’s offense to consider when looking at where he’s had past success. From his time in former OC Brian Dabooll’s offense and throwing to the likes of Cole Beasley and Stefon Diggs, through last season when he had an MVP campaign in Brady’s “everybody eats” offense, to the present, which saw them put up 30+ points in a 4-0 start before dropping two losses, despite the receiving issues.

Cook is part of that solution, and time will tell whether he’s put in the right positions to be just that.