Tag: James Cook

Causes for concern as the Bills take on the Ravens in the Divisional round

Causes for concern as the Bills take on the Ravens in the Divisional round

The Buffalo Bills will play the Baltimore Ravens at home at Highmark Stadium in the NFL’s Divisional round.

The Bills have won 11 of their last 12 meaningful games while the Ravens are winners in eight of their past 10.

The Bills are home underdogs as the Ravens are favored by 1.5 points. With the year that quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Derrick Henry have had, it’s no surprise they are the favorites. The game will be one of the best Divisional round matchups in recent memory.

There are a few things that will make beating the Ravens difficult, and the Bills will need to be wary of them.

Here are three causes for concern for the Bills against the Ravens:

Ravens defense playing at a high level

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The Ravens defense has put together an impressive stretch of play to end the regular season and into the playoffs. In their last five games played they haven’t allowed more than 17 points. In total, the Ravens allowed 21.2 points per game this year, good for eighth in the NFL.

On the season, they rank top-10 in both defense passing DVOA (8th) and defense rushing DVOA (4th).

They posted the second-most sacks in the NFL this year (54) and they allow a league-low 80.1 rushing yards per game. A pretty good combination for a team that is seemingly finding its stride down the back stretch of the season.

NFL Playoff picks: Unlock exclusive data-driven predictions

The force that is Derrick Henry

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When these teams met in Week 4 this year, Henry ran all over the Bills. He ran for 199 yards, including an 87-yard scamper for a score on his first carry.

On the year, Henry racked up 1,921 rushing yards, good for second in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley. He also ran for 16 touchdowns, which tied James Cook for the most in the NFL.

In last week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Henry ran for 186 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

Teams have stacked the box against the Ravens at the second-highest rate in the NFL (28.3%) and yet they are still allowing Henry to pick up big chunks on the ground. The Bills will need to limit his production if they want to take control of the game.

Ravens have an MVP candidate, too

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Josh Allen has been the favorite for the NFL MVP for much of the year, but Jackson has been up there consistently all year, too. And, after Jackson was named First-Team All-Pro by the Associated Press while Allen received Second-Team honors, some are questioning whether Allen will win the MVP despite still being the favorite.

Jackson has had an incredible year. 41 passing touchdowns to just four interceptions, a league-leading 119.6 passer rating, 915 rushing yards, and another four touchdowns on the ground.

Defending Jackson both through the air and on the ground is a big task for a defense, especially when you have to account for Henry. The Bills know this and will do their best to keep him in check on Sunday.

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3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Ravens in the Divisional round

3 keys to a Bills victory vs. the Ravens in the Divisional round

The Buffalo Bills will play the Baltimore Ravens at home at Highmark Stadium in the Divisional round.

The Bills have won 11 of their last 12 meaningful games, while the Ravens have won 8 of their last 10. This is a high-profile matchup between two of the best offenses in the league and two of the best quarterbacks.

The Bills are home underdogs in this one, with the Ravens favored by 1.5 points. The last time these teams met was Week 4 in Baltimore. The Ravens won that matchup, 35-10. Baltimore ran for 271 yards, with Derrick Henry accounting for 199.

The Ravens finished the regular season as league leaders in both yards per game and rushing yards per game.

Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to advance in the postseason. Here are three keys to a Bills win vs. the Ravens:

Limit explosive runs

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The Ravens led the league in the regular season in rushes over 10 yards with 89 such plays. They had 13 more than the second-most. They did this while facing stacked boxes at the second-highest rate in the NFL.

Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are threats for big plays on the ground at any moment. The Bills witnessed it firsthand in Week 4 when Henry took his first touch 87 yards for a touchdown. Jackson also scored a rushing touchdown that game while averaging nine yards per carry.

If the Bills do a better job taking away big runs in the Divisional round than in Week 4, they’ll have a much better chance at winning.

Stay steady in pass protection

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Much like the matchup against the Denver Broncos last week, the Bills offensive line will be facing another top-tier pass rush. While the Broncos led the league in sacks in the regular season, the Ravens were second.

The Ravens posted 54 sacks despite blitzing at the seventh-lowest rate in the NFL (20.5%). Unless Baltimore changes their tendencies and blitzes more, expect to see some good battles in the trenches between an elite Bills offensive line and a productive Ravens defensive line.

If the Bills continue to pass protect the way that they have been, they won’t have a problem. In last week’s win over Denver, they allowed just one sack and five total pressures.

Win the time of possession

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In the Wild Card win over the Broncos, the Bills dominated the time of possession. They had the ball for over 41 minutes.

The Bills were moving the ball effectively and making timely stops on defense. In turn, this kept Bo Nix and the Denver offense on the sideline for more than two-thirds of the game.

This type of ball domination would surely help in the Divisional round. Jackson and Henry can’t cause headaches for the defense while on the sideline.

Last week was a masterful offensive plan by Joe Brady that both chewed up the clock and put points on the board. If they can maintain long, sustainable drives, they have a good chance at advancing in the playoffs.

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ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: James Cook’s vision sensational in Bills win vs. Broncos

ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky: James Cook’s vision sensational in win vs. Broncos

ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky is well-regarded for his knowledge of football’s intricacies. This week, he joined One Bills Live and praised the  Buffalo Bills’ running game against the Denver Broncos in the Wild Card round, particularly James Cook.

Cook carried 23 times for 120 yards and a score in the 31-7 win at Highmark Stadium.

“I thought James Cook’s vision was sensational,” Orlovsky said. “His ability to wait for the hole and then get through the hole… that vision and burst was one of the better performances I’ve seen all season. It was in many ways, I don’t want to say flawless, but a big performance by that whole group.”

For Cook, this just added to his list of standout games on the ground this year. He had four 100+yard games and eight games of 70+ in the regular season.

He had a spectacular 2024 regular season as he continued to improve as a runner. He tied O.J. Simpson for the most rushing touchdowns in a season in Bills history (16). He did this despite carrying the ball over 120 fewer times than Simpson in his record-breaking year (1975).

Cook, Josh Allen (46 yards rushing), and Ty Johnson (44 yards rushing) led the way for a ground game that totaled 210 yards in the Wild Card win.

Check out the full clip from One Bills Live:

Josh Allen: Bills offense wanted to their ‘best football’ vs. Broncos

Josh Allen: Bills offense wanted to their ‘best football’ vs. Broncos

The Buffalo Bills stampeded the Denver Broncos 31-7 in the NFL playoffs Wild Card round.

Buffalo won the day thanks to a defensive effort that prevented any more Broncos points after a mountain top long-ball touchdown by Denver minutes into the contest.

They also did so due to OC Joe Brady and QB Allen spreading the ball around for short gains and on long possessions, bringing a stingy Broncos defense down to Earth.

“I don’t think there was one certain thing over another. We just wanted to come out and execute well,” Allen said after the game. “At the end of the day, we just wanted to come out and play our best football, and I feel like we did that today.”

Going into the game, the Broncos were 31st in the NFL at defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA) in defending passes to RBs. An area that Joe Brady and the Bills offense are active in.

Allen led an efficient and balanced offensive distribution of the football, going 20-for-26 for 272 yards with two touchdowns to go with 46 yards on eight carries rushing.

He was backed by RB James Cook who rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, as Buffalo would keep that momentum scoring 31 unanswered points in total.

While there was a lot of short-gain offense Allen completed a highlight reel 24-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to RB Ty Johnson who also made a highlight play, sliding to make the catch.

Allen then found receiver Keon Coleman for a two-point after-conversion to give the rookie the first postseason score of his career.

He also threw a 55-yard touchdown throw to Curtis Samuel which was the second-longest playoff TD toss of his postseason passing career (75-yard TDs to Gabe Davis vs. KC 2022).

The Bills QB surpassed legendary Hall of Fame signal-caller Jim Kelly for the most postseason passing TDs in Bills history.

“It’s great, it’s amazing,” said Bills receiver Khalil Shakir of Allen per Sky Sports. “We know we go as he goes, how special and what he’s able to do, we’re always in it no matter what.

“We just continue to work, you can never be too good, it is a league where everybody is constantly getting better.”

The Bills remain undefeated at 9-0 when leading at halftime remains intact this season, and became the first team since at least 1960 to not lose the turnover battle through the first 18 games of a season (incl. playoffs)

The game also yielded some interesting notes per NFL Next Gen Stats that point out that Buffalo used six-plus offensive linemen on 22.2% of offensive plays against Denver, which was their 3rd-highest rate in a game this season.

Meanwhile, Allen generated 20+ EPA for the 3rd time in his postseason career and completed all four of his deep passes for 139 yards & 2 TDs to now lead all QBs with 23 completions and 791 yards on passes of 20+ air yards in the postseason since entering the league in 2018. His 55-yard touchdown throw to Samuel was also the first deep completion allowed by Surtain as the nearest defender in coverage this season.

Allen did take a hit late in the game from Denver outside linebacker Nik Bonitto on his right hand where he then took a seat on the bench and was looked at by Bills’ training staff. He was replaced by backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky for the final possession.

The television broadcast showed a close-up of his thumb bleeding as a Bills’ trainer put an adhesive on it.

“It’s good,” Allen noted postgame. “I just got a little blood there. It’s fine. We’re fine.”

“We’ll follow that nail all week,” CBS analyst Tomy Romo mused.

Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen give early preview of Ravens matchup

Bills’ Sean McDermott, Josh Allen give early preview of Ravens matchup

The Bills beat the Broncos 31-7 on Sunday at home in Orchard Park and advanced back to the divisional round of the NFL playoffs for a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens.

Buffalo lost a head-to-head matchup in Baltimore 35-10 in NFL Week 4 this season, which was the third-worst margin of loss in quarterback Josh Allen’s career.

Both outcomes he’ll look to change this time around when it will matter most.

Allen was asked about the Bills game next week against the Ravens during an on-field postgame interview with CBS sideline reporter Tracy Wolfson

“They got after us earlier this year so we have a lot of film to watch,” he said. “It’s a great team who has a great quarterback with Lamar doing what he is able to do. He is one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic quarterback in the league, he is so fun to watch, but I’ll be watching their defense this week. That is our focus.”

While a victory during the regular season would have bolstered Buffalo’s chances for the No. 1 AFC playoff seed and a first-round bye, the division-round matchup will ultimately determine the two teams’ postseason fates.

Buffalo is the 2 seed and Baltimore is the 3 seed, meaning the Bills will host the Ravens in Orchard Park with a chance to “defend their dirt”. The team has been a perfect 9-0 in their 2024 campaign including the first round Wild Card win.

There are plenty of storylines leading into the contest as well.

Allen and Jackson’s teams meet with a matchup of the two clubs with the most points per game in the NFL after the Detroit Lions (who Buffalo beat in NFL Week 15) and the Bills (30.9) and Ravens (30.5) averaged 30 points per game during the regular season

Both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, with Allen going 7th overall to Buffalo and Jackson going 32nd overall in the final pick of the first round to Baltimore.

Both clubs traded up to select their respective signal caller.

Both Allen and Jackson are this season’s front-runners for MVP. Jackson’s won the award twice. Notably over Allen last season as he had fewer turnovers and his team had a better record, despite Allen having better overall quarterback stats.

The Ravens added RB Derrick Henry in free agency which bolstered their offense, meanwhile, the Bills re-booted their roster and payroll, with media analysts writing them off to a rebuilding season with many predicting the Dolphins or Jets would win the division.

Instead, Allen’s turned in an MVP-caliber performance and the Bills have had one of their best seasons with him under center and Sean McDermott as head coach, winning the AFC East for the fifth straight year and locking in the 2 seed and home field advantage through at least the first two rounds.

Henry and Bills RB James Cook each had a league-high 16 rushing TDs during the regular season, with Henry being selected to the Pro Bowl along with eight other Ravens (the most selections in the NFL.) Buffalo only had two, Allen and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins, with Cook a clear snub.

The Ravens also had five All-Pro first-team selections with the Bills having none.

“This is what everyone’s been waiting for, right?” coach Sean McDermott said in his postgame press conference after Sunday’s win. “So it’ll be a nice week and everyone will be looking forward to it, and they’re a great football team. I mean they handled us pretty good the first go around and they’re certainly playing well.”

Jackson and Allen’s teams have played each other only once in the playoffs with both players under center in the 202 divisional round when Buffalo beat Baltimore 17-3. Buffalo opens as a slight favorite this time around as well.

With a win against the Broncos and the Ravens up next, the Bills are embracing the moment.

“I’ma enjoy the win first, but I love playing good on good football,” left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “We have a lot of competitors on our team, and when juggernauts come into town or when we go to their spot, the intensity is up. And I love it. I love when the intensity is high, but we’ll see ’em in a week. They’re a good team and we look forward to it.”

Buffalo has lost in the division round each of the last two seasons and is looking to get over that hump to return to the AFC Championship game for the first time since 2022 for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.

WATCH: James Cook scores Bills’ first playoff touchdown vs. Broncos

WATCH: James Cook scores Bills’ first playoff touchdown vs. Broncos

The Broncos came out swinging at the Bills in their Wild Card matchup at Highmark Stadium.

The visitors opened the scoring as rookie quarterback Bo Nix showed why he’s so exciting with a bomb down the middle of the field to give the Broncos an early 7-0 lead at Highmark Stadium.

The Bills went on to answer with 10-straight points.

After kicker Tyler Bass connected on a field goal, on the ensuing drive for the Bills offense, quarterback Josh Allen & Co. slowly worked their way down the field. A 13-play drive saw Allen and Cook work on the ground and three different receivers catch a pass.

Capping the drive was Cook from five yards out, giving the Bills their first touchdown of the postseason to bring the first-half score to 10-7.

Check out the touchdown below:

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Broncos vs. Bills: 5 things to watch for in NFL playoffs

The Bills will host the Broncos in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs. Here are five things to watch for on Sunday.

The Denver Broncos (10-7) are set to face the Buffalo Bills (13-4) in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs on Sunday, Jan. 12. Here are five quick storylines to watch for going into Sunday’s showdown.

1. Denver’s defense vs. James Cook: The Bills ranked ninth in the NFL this season with 131.2 rushing yards per game. Cooked topped 1,000 yards in 16 games and scored an eye-catching 18 total touchdowns. The Broncos had the third-best run defense in the NFL in 2024, allowing 96.4 yards per game, but Sunday will be a tough matchup.

2. Bo Nix’s first playoff game: Nix had a brilliant rookie season, but he now needs to take the next step and play at a high level on the sport’s big stage. He’s certainly saying all the right things. “[W]e can go further than just the playoffs,” Nix said Wednesday. “I don’t want to be handcuffed by just making it just because we haven’t done it in so long. If we’re going to make it, we might as well go win some games.” You said it, rook.

3. Broncos’ pass rush vs. Josh Allen: Denver’s defense led the NFL with 63 sacks this season (a new franchise record), but they haven’t met an offensive line like Buffalo’s — or a QB like Allen — thus far. The Bills allowed a league-low 14 sacks in 2024. Fortunately, history is on the Broncos’ side:

4. Sean Payton against a bald coach: Payton is 30-12 (.714) against bald head coaches since 2017, which is a good sign going into Sunday’s game against Sean McDermott. OK, meme stats aside, the Payton vs. McDermott showdown is intriguing after the Broncos won 24-22 in Buffalo last season.

5. Von Miller playing against his old team: Miller has made it clear that he still has plenty of love for Denver and the Broncos, but he’ll be looking to win on Sunday. Miller is chasing a third Super Bowl ring with his third team and he’s coming into the postseason hot with a sack in each of Buffalo’s last two games. Nix, meanwhile, was sacked 24 times in 2024, tied for the third-lowest total in the league. This game — like most — will be decided in the trenches.

Sunday’s game will be nationally televised on CBS. Playing on the road, Denver is considered a big underdog against the Bills.

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One more time: Bills’ James Cook ends 2024 with history vs. Patriots

One more time: Bills’ James Cook ends 2024 with history vs. Patriots

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots’ Week 18 contest to conclude the 2024 NFL regular season will not be a memorable game.

And now all eyes are on the Denver Broncos and the 2024 NFL postseason.

However, the Bills (13-4) lost a 23-16 final in the meaningless contest for them against the Patriots (4-13) in Week 18. Many starters took the day off such as quarterback Josh Allen.

In pursuit of team history, the Bills’ No. 1 running back did not sit… and Cook achieved that.

Cook rushed in a score in New England which gave him 16 rushing touchdowns this year. That puts him a tie for the most in a single season in team history (OJ Simpson).

On top of that, Cook rushed for 28 yards, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 (1,009).

Before looking ahead to a long awaited playoff run, take a look back one more time at Cook’s touchdown below:

WATCH: Bills’ James Cook scores historic touchdown vs. Patriots

WATCH: Bills’ James Cook scores historic touchdown vs. Patriots

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots’ Week 18 contest to conclude the 2024 NFL regular season will not be a memorable game.

It will be one of those for James Cook.

The Bills (13-4) lost a 23-16 final in the meaningless contest for them against the Patriots (4-13). Many starters took the day off such as quarterback Josh Allen.

In pursuit of team history, the Bills’ No. 1 running back did not sit… and Cook achieved that.

Cook rushed in a score in New England which gave him 16 rushing touchdowns this year. That puts him a tie for the most in a single season in team history (OJ Simpson).

On top of that, Cook rushed for 28 yards, putting him over the 1,000-yard mark in 2024 (1,009).

Cook’s touchdown can be found below:

Buffalo Bills approaching multiple records going into Week 18

#Bills approaching multiple records going into Week 18

The Buffalo Bills far exceeded expectations in 2024 as they head into the season’s final week with a record of 13-3 and the AFC’s two seed locked up.

Despite already having their sights set on the postseason, they have a few records they could set in Week 18 against the New England Patriots.

With the team’s success, specifically on offense led by quarterback Josh Allen and offensive coordinator Joe Brady, they are now in a position to make more history:

Most players with a receiving TD in a season

Oct 20, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) runs after making a catch with wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) running alongside in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

With Tyrell Shavers’ long catch and run for a touchdown in Week 17, the Bills tied the NFL record for most players with a receiving touchdown in a season.

The following players caught a touchdown in 2024: Khalil Shakir; Amari Cooper; Keon Coleman; Mack Hollins; Curtis Samuel; Tyrell Shavers; James Cook; Ty Johnson; Ray Davis; Dalton Kincaid; Dawson Knox; Quintin Morris; Josh Allen.

With the Bills slated to play their backups for much of the Week 18 game, they have a good chance of breaking this record. Some players who haven’t had much of an opportunity this year will have the chance to be an NFL record-breaker.

Some potential practice squad guys who could find the endzone in Week 18 are TE Zach Davidson, RB Frank Gore Jr., WR KJ Hamler, and WR Jalen Virgil. If FB Reggie Gilliam scores his first TD of the year that would break the record as well. And, there’s always the chance an offensive linemen could catch one. Josh Allen caught a touchdown this year so nothing can be ruled out.

First team to pass and rush for 30 TDs in a season

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On the season, the Bills have compiled 33 rushing touchdowns and 29 passing touchdowns. No team in NFL history has had 30 of each in a season. The Bills can be the first to do so by throwing one more touchdown pass, and it could set this record as well as break the record above in one play.

Mack Hollins leads the team with five receiving touchdowns while James Cook leads the team with 15 rushing touchdowns.

Most wins in a regular season in franchise history

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The Bills have never had 14 wins in a regular season in team history. A win over the Patriots in Week 18 would cement this squad in its team history.

The Bills have now had five years in team history with 13 regular season wins: 1990; 1991; 2020; 2022; 2024.

Backups will likely see the majority of snaps in the game, but they could still etch their spot in team and NFL history with a strong performance.

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