James Cook is running like a man on a mission - and now, he's running at the top of the NFL.
With 1,532 rushing yards through 15 games, the former Georgia Bulldog has officially taken over the league lead in rushing. His latest performance?
A 117-yard, two-touchdown effort on just 16 carries that powered Buffalo to a gritty 23-20 road win over Cleveland. It was the kind of game that showcased everything Cook has become for this Bills offense: explosive, efficient, and impossible to bring down cleanly.
Cook’s rise to the top of the rushing charts comes at the expense of Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor, who had held the lead for much of the season. But Taylor managed just 46 yards on 16 carries in a Monday night loss to San Francisco, dropping him to 1,489 yards - still elite, but now second in the race with two games to play.
And yes, it’s a race now. A two-week sprint to the finish between two of the league’s most dynamic backs.
Buffalo closes the regular season with home games against Philadelphia and the Jets, while Taylor and the Colts wrap up with Jacksonville at home and a trip to Houston. Every carry, every yard, every broken tackle could decide who finishes as the league’s rushing king.
For Cook, this moment has been years in the making. Back in his Georgia days, head coach Kirby Smart described him as a “Mongoose” - not the biggest guy on the field, but slippery, tough, and nearly impossible to square up.
“He runs with toughness, he doesn’t have huge weight, but he runs behind his pads,” Smart said in 2021. “He’s hard to tackle, he’s always slithering and sliding through there.”
That same elusive quality has translated beautifully to the NFL. Cook now has nine 100-yard rushing games this season, tying him with franchise legend Thurman Thomas for the second-most in a single season by a Buffalo back.
Only O.J. Simpson, with 11, has more.
And yet, for all the accolades, Cook isn’t satisfied.
“There’s a lot of room for improvement,” he said after Sunday’s win. “So I’ll just keep working and doing what I do.”
That mindset is part of what’s made Cook so valuable in Buffalo. He’s not just piling up numbers - he’s evolving as a complete back.
Whether it’s vision, burst, or the ability to finish runs through contact, Cook has added layers to his game this year. He’s not just fast anymore; he’s physical.
He’s not just a change-of-pace guy; he’s the engine of the offense.
And his quarterback knows it.
“He’s the best back in football,” Josh Allen said. “I don’t know how the awards will shake out, but he should be in the running for every award. He makes our offense go.”
That’s high praise from one of the league’s top signal-callers, and it speaks to the impact Cook has had during a season that began with a contract standoff in training camp. Since then, he’s done more than prove his worth - he’s become essential.
The last Georgia tailback to lead the NFL in rushing? That would be Terrell Davis, who racked up 2,008 yards back in 1998. Cook isn’t there - yet - but with two games to go and the way he’s running, it’s not out of the question.
Still, Cook isn’t getting ahead of himself.
“It ain’t over yet,” he said. “I’ve just got to keep going, and hopefully we win it.”
If he does, it won’t just be a personal milestone. It’ll be the culmination of a breakout season that’s helped define Buffalo’s identity - and maybe, just maybe, reshaped the AFC playoff picture along the way.