Only two players since 2001 have won consecutive NFL rushing titles: Derrick Henry in 2019-20 and LaDainian Tomlinson in 2006-07. James Cook, the Buffalo Bills’ running back, is now aiming to join that ridiculously exclusive club, bringing a laser focus and unmatched self-confidence to his fifth season. This guy is not looking back, not one bit.
Forget Last Year, Cook Is Only Looking Forward
Cook absolutely dominated last season, leading the entire NFL with a whopping 1,621 rushing yards. He piled up nine games with 100 yards or more, also tops in the league, and his 12 rushing TDs were fourth. The dude had a career-high 309 carries and averaged a ridiculous 5.2 yards per attempt, which tied for second best in the NFL. That’s serious production! He even used a brief training camp hold-in as leverage for a new four-year, $48 million contract, showing he knows his worth. But ask him about it? He shuts it down. “I don’t like to talk about last year, because last year is in the past. This year is a new year,” Cook said last week. “Put last year behind me, and just come out here to do it again.” You gotta respect that mindset.
New Scheme, Same Workhorse, One Glaring Fix
Cook’s drive for a repeat title gets a major boost from an offensive line that’s still mostly intact and the new offensive scheme under newly promoted Head Coach Joe Brady. Brady, who was the Bills’ offensive coordinator for two-plus seasons, has always balanced rushing and passing attempts evenly, even with Josh Allen’s cannon arm. He’s not changing that for Cook. “I expect James Cook to take another step this year in different elements of his game and continue to be the workhorse as a runner,” Brady said. “And he wants it, right? He had such an incredible season last year. And without diving into exactly what, this is what I told him: He has got to get better. We can’t take steps backwards.” We saw that intensity in practice Tuesday, the first full day in pads. Cook burst through a hole for a five-yard gain and then immediately popped up and kept running. A few minutes later, he turned a corner on a sweep and absolutely lowered his shoulder into safety Cole Bishop. Bishop confirmed the vibe, saying, “It’s a new year, and he going to do the same thing that he did last year, having that intensity.”
The one glaring challenge for Cook? Ball security. He fumbled seven times last year, losing four of them, including a crucial one at the Denver 30 in a 33-30 overtime playoff loss. Brady made sure to remind him about protecting the ball after an early camp fumble. Cook owned it instantly: “I fumbled. So I just got to fix it. The ball is everybody’s job, and that’s my job. I’m willing to protect it.” That’s the attitude you want to see. This guy thrives on challenges, and this year’s challenge is historic. Can he become just the third player in 22 years to repeat as rushing champ? We’re all gonna be watching.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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