The Buffalo Bills are heading into Saturday’s playoff showdown in Denver with a clear mission: run the ball, control the clock, and keep Josh Allen clean. And at the center of that game plan? James Cook.
The former Georgia standout has grown into a key piece of Buffalo’s offense this season - not just a complementary back, but the engine that keeps this unit balanced. And if the Bills want to escape Empower Field at Mile High with a win, Cook’s going to need to be at his best.
Let’s set the stage. The Broncos are 14-3 and slight favorites at home, hosting their first playoff game since that 2015 AFC Championship run that ended in a Super Bowl title.
They’re also carrying the NFL’s most ferocious pass rush - a league-leading 68 sacks on the year, 11 more than the next closest team. That’s a nightmare matchup for any quarterback, especially one like Allen who’s already been sacked a career-high 40 times this season.
That’s why Buffalo’s run game isn’t just a luxury in this one - it’s a necessity. Offensive coordinator Joe Brady knows it too.
“As long as we can stay two-dimensional, we’re going to be at our best,” Brady said this week.
Translation: if the Bills become one-dimensional and Allen is forced to drop back 40 times against this Denver front, things could get ugly in a hurry.
That’s where Cook comes in. He led the NFL in rushing during the regular season and has been Buffalo’s most consistent offensive weapon outside of Allen.
In last year’s playoff meeting between these two teams - a 31-7 Buffalo blowout - Cook ran wild for 120 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. That’s the blueprint.
And while Denver’s defense is significantly improved since then, the Bills know what they have in Cook.
He’s coming off a quieter outing in last week’s 27-24 win over Jacksonville, with 15 carries for 46 yards and just two catches. But even in a limited role, he helped Buffalo notch its first playoff road win since the 1992 AFC Championship Game. That’s not just a stat - it’s a signal of how far this team has come and how much it leans on Cook to get there.
Buffalo finished the regular season with a league-best 2,714 rushing yards, and Cook accounted for more than half of that production. That’s the kind of workload that tells you everything about his value. He’s not just getting touches - he’s setting the tone.
But Saturday’s challenge is steep. Denver ranks second in the NFL in rushing yards allowed per game (91) and third in yards allowed per carry (3.9).
They’re disciplined, physical, and tough in the trenches. If Cook can find success against this front, it’ll open everything up for Allen and a banged-up receiving corps that’s now without Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers, both lost to season-ending ACL injuries in the Wild Card round.
“It’s not an ideal situation, but I trust that room completely,” Allen said of his depleted receiver group. “This week is going to be very important throughout the practices we have with timing… Guys have to step up and make plays, but again, I have full confidence in that room.”
That confidence is going to be tested. With fewer weapons on the outside, the Bills will need to lean even more on their ground game to stay ahead of the sticks and keep Denver’s pass rush from pinning its ears back.
Broncos head coach Sean Payton knows it too.
“Early down efficiency is going to be really important,” Payton said. “They are a number of things they do well together.”
And when Buffalo is at its best, it’s because they’re balanced - using Cook to chew up yards on early downs and set up Allen for manageable situations. That’s the formula that got them here. That’s the formula that can get them to the next round.
“All [Cook] has done is just showed up to work,” Brady said. “And absolutely put on an incredible performance this year.”
Now, the Bills are counting on one more. If Cook can get rolling early and take some of the pressure off Allen, Buffalo has a real shot to walk out of Denver with another playoff win.
But if the run game stalls? The Broncos’ pass rush could change the entire narrative.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET. Later that night, San Francisco takes on Seattle in the 8 p.m. matchup, with former Georgia linebacker Robert Beal Jr. representing the Bulldogs in that one.
But in Denver, all eyes will be on James Cook - and whether he can carry the Bills one step closer to the AFC title.