James Cook coughed up the ball twice on Monday night, including a critical one in overtime that nearly sank the Bills despite their wild 37-34 victory over the Rams. Look, Cook is electric when he’s hot, he’s been anchoring Buffalo’s run game since Joe Brady took over play-calling in 2023, but the ball security issue? It’s becoming a full-blown crisis for a 4-1 team.
The “Lucky to Win” Fumbles That Keep Happening
Monday night was a prime example of Cook’s fumbling habit almost burning the Bills. He had two balls punched out. The first one in the third quarter was recovered by his team, and sure, it looked like it could have been anyone’s. But the second one? That was a gut punch. Buffalo was in field goal range, driving to win in overtime, right after Khalil Shakir made a huge catch-and-run that nearly went all the way to the end zone. Then Nate Landman punched the ball out, and just like that, a scoring opportunity turned into a nightmare. The Rams got the ball, drove into Harrison Mevis’ field goal range, and it felt like the game was over. Only a blocked 48-yard attempt from Mevis saved the day, and then the Bills snagged the win anyway. Cook literally got bailed out by special teams, but you can only dodge that bullet so many times.
This Is a Trend, Not a One-Off
This isn’t just a tough night for Cook. The numbers are screaming that this is a serious problem for Buffalo’s offense. This season alone, Cook already has four fumbles through just five games, with two of them lost. That’s more than any other player in the entire NFL right now. And it’s not new! Last year, in 2025, Cook led all running backs with six fumbles, even finishing tied with Josh Allen and trailing only Caleb Williams for the overall lead. Since the start of 2025, Cook is way out in front of the pack, doubling up every other running back except Bijan Robinson in fumbles. Everyone’s been focused on Josh Allen’s interceptions when they talk about the Bills’ turnover issues, but let’s be real, Cook’s fumbles are quickly becoming just as big of a headache for them.
The Bills are 4-1, sitting pretty, but how long can they keep ignoring this? Cook is a huge part of their attack, but if he keeps putting the ball on the ground like this, it’s going to come back to haunt them, big time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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