Bills’ James Cook was not happy being left out of 2025 Pro Bowl
James Cook is not happy with the NFL right now.
On Thursday, the league announced the initial players named to the 2025 Pro Bowl rosters. Cook was there… only as a first alternate.
Many around Buffalo will consider Cook as the player at the top of their list of those that were snubbed. But considering only quarterback Josh Allen and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins were selected from the Bills, that’s probably a longer list than just Cook.
Cook will very likely end the 2024 season under 1,000 rushing yards as he sits on 981 currently and in Buffalo’s season finale he won’t see much, if any, playing time.
2025 Pro Bowl: Who were the biggest snubs from the Bills?
The Buffalo Bills found names from their locker room included on the AFC roster for the Pro Bowl once again in 2025.
But in expected and unfortunate fashion, despite the Bills (13-3) being one of the best teams in the NFL this season, it felt like we saw more snubs than actual selections.
At the top, Buffalo is represented by quarterback Josh Allen and offensive lineman Dion Dawkins as the pair were the only two selections.
The Bills will hope no one plays in the game, meaning the team advanced all the way to the Super Bowl. It still is a disappointment seeing a few names left off.
Here are three of the Bills’ biggest snubs from the initial 2025 Pro Bowl roster:
RB James Cook
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The top of the list for most in this category is Cook. The Bills running back was named to the Pro Bowl last season but missed out this year.
Cook will very likely end the 2024 season under 1,000 rushing yards as he sits on 981 currently and in Buffalo’s season finale he won’t see much, if any, playing time. Even so, he ranks second in rushing DVOA this season trailing only the Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry.
CB Christian Benford
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Truthfully, Benford being a quiet guy that puts his head down and just gets the job done… might have hurt his chances here. No one would compare him to Richard Sherman in that light.
But Benford has more than performed.
Benford has recorded two interceptions, two forced fumbles and three tackles for loss in 2024. Most impressively, Pro Football Focus metrics have him graded at 82.6 overall so far this year… making Benford their fourth-best corner
DE Greg Rousseau
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Rousseau or Ed Oliver would both qualify here, but we’ll go outside the box with Rousseau since he was not even named an alternate for the Pro Bowl. Oliver is a longshot as a fifth alternate, at least.
Rousseau has tied his career-high with eight sacks. Rousseau has also set new benchmarks for career bests in tackles for loss (16), QB hits (24) and forced fumbles (3). PFF also favors him, as his 83.1 grade is the 12th best in the NFL among all edge defenders.
In due time, the NFL will start noticing Rousseau. Naturally, it’s all about sacks as a pass rusher, but Rousseau is a total-package defender.
The Buffalo Bills will play the New York Jets at home at Highmark Stadium in Week 17.
With a win, the Bills (12-3) would post a perfect record in Orchard Park this season. They have won nine of their last 10 in total. The Jets (4-11) have lost five of six.
The Bills are favored by 9.5 points. In the first matchup best these two AFC East foes in Week 6, the Bills skated by with a 23-20 victory.
Even though the Jets have four wins this year, nothing is guaranteed in the NFL. Buffalo will need to execute its game plan to pick up its 13th win of the year.
With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 17:
Get it going on the ground
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Bills running back James Cook had an efficient day on the ground against the New England Patriots in Week 16. He carried it 11 times and recorded 100 rushing yards (9.1 avg), including a 46-yard run for a touchdown.
In Week 17, Buffalo faces a Jets team that ranks 23rd in the NFL in defense rushing DVOA. Last week in a loss to the LA Rams, the Jets allowed running back Kyren Williams to rush for 122 yards and a touchdown at 5.3 yards per carry.
Opportunities should arise for the Bills’ runners on Sunday if they remain dedicated to the run game.
More production from pass catchers
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No player on the Bills roster had more than 26 receiving yards in last week’s win over the Patriots. Cook led the team, Mack Hollins had 25 yards, and Dawson Knox and Khalil Shakir each had 22 yards.
Having production from the pass catchers will make life easier for Josh Allen and the Bills against the Jets. If they are going to be vanilla with their play calling over the last few weeks, receivers are going to need to win one-on-one matchups.
An impact from the defensive line
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The Jets, even at 4-11, are still a capable offense when they get into a rhythm. Led by Aaron Rodgers under center, they have playmakers who can rip you apart like Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson, and Breece Hall.
If Rodgers has the time to sit back and go through progressions, life will be difficult for the Bills on Sunday, especially given their injuries on the back end. Three safeties are questionable: Damar Hamlin; Taylor Rapp; Cam Lewis. An impact from the defensive line, both against the run and the pass, would go a long way toward a Bills victory.
Bills vs. Jets: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 17
The Buffalo Bills will host the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium in Week 17.
For this AFC East battle between Sean McDermott’s Bills (12-3) and Jeff Ulbrich’s Jets (4-11), it will be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.
With Rasul Douglas (knee) back in the lineup, he’ll likely cover Davante Adams for the Bills defense. That leaves Benford against Wilson. The two had a great battle earlier this season in Week 6 and the Jets’ playmaker might have won that with his toe-tapping touchdown.
RB James Cook vs. LB Jamien Sherwood
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The rushing attack is a team effort for both the offense and defense. However, these two will lead that area for their respective sides.
Sherwood has filled in for CJ Mosley (neck) for most of the year and has been productive for the Jets. The Bills have leaned on Cook in certain games, especially when the weather is a factor, like they did last week against the New England Patriots.
Can Cook provide a positive running game for the Bills? He did not play in the first matchup between these two rivals because of a knee injury.
WR Khalil Shakir vs. CB Isaiah Oliver
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Speaking of the weather, Bills quarterback Josh Allen will want a better showing in Orchard Park than he did against the Pats. His go-to man is usually Shakir out of the slot regardless of Mother Nature.
In his own right, Oliver has had a solid year. Pro Football Focus grades him a positive 68.8 overall mark according to their metrics this season.
WATCH: Bills’ James Cook scores long touchdown vs. Patriots
That’s more like it.
The Bills were surprisingly trailing the Patriots in their Week 16 matchup. Coming in as a two-touchdown favorite, the Bills were down 14-0 in the first half.
And then running back James Cook woke up the Bills.
Cook scored a rushing touchdown from nearly midfield against the Patriots. He put on the afterburners and no one could catch him.
Rhamondre Stevenson and James Cook would be a dream pairing
The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills will face off for the first time this season on Sunday.
Buffalo has talented players on both sides of the ball, as they are one of the most dominant teams in the AFC. Running back James Cook would be a perfect addition to the Patriots’ backfield, so he is my pick for this week’s Gimme Him player.
Yes, Rhamondre Stevenson is still a top back, even behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. This selection wouldn’t be replacing Stevenson. It would be pairing the two together. Antonio Gibson has done a nice job in the backfield for New England, but Cook would take things to another level.
The Georgia product has 171 carries for 828 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He is coming off a game against the Detroit Lions last Sunday, which saw him record 14 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.
Success is nothing new to Cook, who tallied 237 carries for 1,122 yards and two touchdowns in his first Pro Bowl season in 2023.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt has shown a willingness to run the ball this season. This tracks with the offense he ran in Cleveland. Having Cook as a part of the backfield would do wonders for a run-heavy offense. It would also take some additional pressure off quarterback Drake Maye.
It’s tough to imagine this happening in real life. Nevertheless, Cook would give the Patriots offense an instant boost.
The Buffalo Bills held off a dangerous Detroit Lions team in Week 15 to win, 48-42, in what many considered a “Super Bowl preview”.
Quarterback Josh Allen and the offense continued their red-hot streak by scoring 48 points, their second straight 40-point game and eighth straight 30-point game. Meanwhile, the defense made a few game-altering plays to hold off a Lions offense that ranks first in the NFL.
The Bills improved to 11-3 on the year and currently sit in second place in the AFC.
In a game full of highlight-reel plays, relive the high-scoring showdown with a mini-movie from the Bills’ official YouTube channel:
While the NFL has banned certain tackles in the name of player safety — horse collar and hip-drop tackles, for example — grabbing a player’s hair is perfectly legal. The league has told players that if they choose to wear their hair out of the helmet, opposing players are free to grab them in a tackle attempt.
James Cook experienced that on Sunday, but there was no stopping him.
During Week 15’s huge matchup between the Bills and Lions, Cook found plenty of space on a second-down handoff and scampered into the secondary. In hopes of slowing down Cook, Kerby Joseph dove and grabbed hold of Cook’s hair. Yeah, it didn’t work.
Even though the Bills are favored, the Rams are one of the hotter teams in the NFL and are in a competitive race for the NFC West crown.
Buffalo will need to execute their game plan to pick up their eleventh win of the year.
With that, here are three keys to a Bills win in Week 14:
Make them stop the run
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Last week, the Bills spammed the running game against the 49ers and it resulted in 220 rushing yards and 35 points on the board. It will be difficult to repeat that success again this week, but the Rams have shown they can be hurt on the ground.
Two weeks ago, the Philadelphia Eagles’ Saquon Barkley did whatever he pleased against them. He ran for 255 yards and two scores on 26 carries. And last week, the Saints’ Alvin Kamara put up 112 rushing yards on 23 carries.
The Bills are at their best when they are a threat both on the ground and through the air. With this game being played in a dome (SoFi Stadium), many will be looking for Josh Allen to put up numbers in the passing game after only 148 pass yards in last week’s snow game. But if the Bills are wise, they won’t abandon the run and they’ll make the Rams have to defend in the trenches on defense.
Contain Rams pass rush
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Despite the loss of Aaron Donald, the young defenders on the defensive line for the Rams have done a solid job in keeping their pass rush competitive. They have four d-linemen with at least 4.5 sacks: Jared Verse (4.5), Kobie Turner (5), Byron Young (6), Braden Fiske (6).
More specifically, Verse has shown improvement this year. According to Pro Football Focus, he is the 12th-most productive pass-rushing edge defender with a pass-rush grade of 82.4.
The Bills haven’t allowed a sack in either of their last two games against the Chiefs and 49ers. That was a big reason they were able to put up 30+ points against both Super Bowl representatives from last year. If the Bills offensive line continues its high level of play, Allen could be in for a big day.
Limit explosives from McVay’s offense
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It’s no secret that the Rams offense has the potential to go toe-to-toe with anyone on any given Sunday. Led by offensive-minded head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matt Stafford has a few premiere weapons to spread the ball around to.
Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are one of the league’s best wide receiver duos, so the Bills’ secondary will have their hands full. The duo both found the field healthy together for the first time in Week 8 after missing much of the season.
Stafford has thrown for eight touchdowns on downfield passes (10+ yards) since Week 8, which is the third-most in the NFL in the span, and he has averaged 11.3 yards per attempt on those throws. The entire team has been lifted since Kupp and Nacua became healthy.
The running game was also effective for them last week as Kyren Williams ran for 104 yards and a touchdown on 6.9 yards per carry. The offense can beat you in many ways much like the Bills’ offense. It will be another test for Sean McDermott, Bobby Babich, and the Bills defense to limit their explosive plays and keep them in check.
The Buffalo Bills will travel across the country to face the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Week 14.
For this cross-conference battle between Sean McDermott’s Bills (10-2) and Sean McVay’s Rams (6-6), it will be the games, within the game, that will make all the difference.
Here are three key matchups to watch during Sunday’s Bills-Rams contest:
CB Taron Johnson vs. WR Cooper Kupp
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The battle in the slot will feature All-Pro caliber players who have been around the NFL for a while. Taron Johnson is in his eighth year and is coming off of his first-career All-Pro selection last year (second-team). Cooper Kupp is in his ninth year and has an All-Pro selection under his belt as well (first-team in 2021).
Kupp continues to see the majority of his snaps in the slot. According to Pro Football Focus, Kupp has seen 278 slot snaps and 151 wide snaps this year.
Johnson will have his hands full. Not only is Kupp still a reliable route runner and pass catcher, but he has the ultimate trust and chemistry with quarterback Matt Stafford. The two won a Super Bowl together in 2022 and connected for the go-ahead touchdown in that game. A few wins from either side of this matchup could make a big difference.
Bills offensive line vs. Rams defensive line
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Both the Bills offensive line and the Rams defensive line have had outstanding seasons to this point. Both have outperformed their expectations this year.
Heading into Week 14, both the Bills O-line and Rams D-line rank as the sixth-best unit on their respective side of the ball according to PFF.
Los Angeles has posted the league’s best quarterback pressure rate (39.8%) according to Next Gen Stats. Buffalo, on the other hand, has allowed the league’s fewest sacks this year (13), including zero over their last two games.
Something has to give. The battle in the trenches when the Bills have the ball will be one of the better matchups around the NFL and will play a big role in the outcome of the game.
RB James Cook vs. Rams front-seven
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If the Bills can get running back James Cook rolling on the ground like they did last week (107 yards on 7.6 yards per carry), then it will keep the Rams’ impressive pass rush honest. And, although the Rams can get after the quarterback, they have their holes in the run game.
They rank 21st in the NFL in defense rushing DVOA, while ranking 22nd in EPA/rush. On top of that, they allow the fifth-most yards after contact per rush (3.25), according to Next Gen Stats.
Buffalo and offensive coordinator Joe Brady have found a lot of success on the ground this year (4th in rush DVOA). If they can get going once again, it will be worrisome for Los Angeles.
it be wild your best still ain’t enough but hey
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