Bills' Downfield Passing Game Hits a Wall - and Brandin Cooks Isn't the Answer
The Buffalo Bills are winning games, but if you’re looking for signs of life in their downfield passing attack, you’ll need a microscope. In Sunday’s matchup against the Cleveland Browns, Josh Allen threw for just 130 yards - a stat line that says as much about Buffalo’s current offensive identity as it does about the suffocating nature of Cleveland’s defense, led by the ever-disruptive Myles Garrett.
Garrett didn’t quite get the 1.5 sacks he needed to hit a personal milestone, but that’s about the only break the Bills’ passing game caught all afternoon. Once again, Allen found himself working with a limited cast of reliable targets.
Only Khalil Shakir saw more than two targets, and the rest of the receiving corps? Largely invisible.
And when they did get their moments? They didn’t capitalize.
Veteran wideout Brandin Cooks, who the Bills brought in midseason to inject some experience and speed into the offense, dropped his lone target. It was a small moment, but it felt emblematic of a bigger issue that’s been building for weeks.
The Brandin Cooks Experiment Is Losing Steam - Fast
When the Bills signed Brandin Cooks just before Thanksgiving, the move made sense on paper. A one-year, $1.255 million flyer on a proven veteran with deep-threat ability?
Low risk, potentially high reward. Cooks even made a quick impact, catching a 13-yard pass on his first snap as a Bill against Pittsburgh.
But since that opening flash, the production has flatlined. Four targets across the last two games.
Zero catches. A pair of drops.
And a growing sense that the Bills’ gamble might not be paying off.
What makes this even harder to stomach for Buffalo fans is that Cooks wasn’t completely washed earlier this season. In 10 games with New Orleans, he managed 19 catches for 165 yards - not eye-popping numbers, but serviceable. Now, in Buffalo, he’s become a ghost.
A Wide Receiver Room in Flux
Cooks isn’t the only receiver struggling to make an impact. The entire wideout room feels like it's in a constant state of shuffle.
In Week 16, rookie Keon Coleman was a healthy scratch. Mecole Hardman suited up in his place, but didn’t see a single target.
Gabe Davis, another midseason addition, was also inactive. And Josh Palmer, the team’s big-ticket free agent signing from the offseason, had just one catch for two yards.
That’s not the kind of production you expect from a group that was supposed to give Allen more firepower. Instead, it’s been the ground game that’s carried the load - and to their credit, the Bills have leaned into it.
Ground Game Keeps Buffalo Afloat - For Now
Here’s the silver lining: the Bills have found a winning formula, even if it’s not the one fans envisioned when the season started. Buffalo has run the ball more than they’ve passed it in each of their last four games - all wins.
In fact, they’re a perfect 8-0 this season when they run more than they throw. That’s not a fluke.
That’s a trend.
But while the run-heavy approach is working, it doesn’t erase the concerns in the passing game - especially when playoff football demands balance and the ability to strike through the air when it counts.
What’s Next for Cooks?
Right now, it’s hard to justify keeping Cooks active on game day. If he’s not producing, and if he’s not clearly ahead of Coleman, Hardman, or Davis, then what’s the role? The Bills can’t afford to carry passengers - not in December, not heading into January.
If Cooks can’t carve out a role in the next week or two, the Bills may need to consider opening up that roster spot for someone who can contribute in a meaningful way, whether that’s a younger player with upside or depth at another position.
The Bills are winning, yes. But the passing game - and the receiver rotation - remains a puzzle they haven’t solved. And unless something changes soon, Brandin Cooks might be the odd man out.