The Buffalo Bills are among the NFL’s best teams, even in what may be considered a down season. That’s life with Josh Allen as the franchise quarterback. But it doesn’t always equate to smooth sailing
in the parity-dominated NFL. Consider Allen’s season thus far, and how often the passing game feels disjointed and incomplete, at best.
Many believe a lot of the team’s passing struggles lie at the feet of Buffalo’s wide receivers. That’s led to more than a few people calling for general manager Brandon Beane to make a trade-deadline move that improves the on-field product.
Beane did just that in 2024, bringing wide receiver Amari Cooper aboard halfway through the season. Whatever a person feels about Cooper’s contributions (20 catches on 32 targets for 297 yards and two touchdowns), he did improve outcomes. When he wasn’t the focal point of Allen and the cameras, Cooper still demanded plenty of attention from an opposing defense.
The argument could be made for tight end Dalton Kincaid playing that role in full in 2025, but that’s only true when he’s on the field. Whether due to injury or mystifying scheme use, Kincaid just hasn’t been as significant a part of the offense as expected.
So what’s a talented, yet underperforming team to do? Is the move to sign a high-volume wide receiver from another team? Someone like Brian Thomas Jr., Chris Olave, Rashid Shaheed, or Jakobi Meyers? If so, it might be wise to temper statistical expectations (if they could even pull a trade off). Yes, Cooper’s 2024 season serves as a cautionary tale. But there’s more to it.
This all makes for a somewhat uncomfortable conversation about these Bills — those discussions centered around offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Josh Allen.
Is Joe Brady limiting James Cook’s effectiveness?
What if the real concern is about offensive scheme, specifically the way Brady chooses to involves pass catchers? If his is a shiftless paradigm, then the Bills are headed for groundhog day no matter who they add to the equation. How, then, could things possibly change to build a more diverse and potent passing attack?
Look no further than running back James Cook III, who’s played the role of Buffalo’s offensive MVP at the halfway mark. When called upon, Cook has delivered on nearly every snap. Yet, for some reason, the perception is that Brady’s limiting Cook’s impact, effectively neutering his production as a receiver. This, despite Cook’s college resume as a receiver, and his ability to become a true dual-threat player.
It makes zero sense that Cook should have just 12 catches on 14 targets for 89 yards in seven games. The Bills seem resistant to a traditional running back screen game despite having Cook and even Ty Johnson — both of whom have elite speed. Instead, it’s the team’s group of unheralded receivers (and sometimes a tight end) catching a screen out of the backfield.
Things can’t continue this way for Cook, and need to change as soon as Week 9 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The last time the Bills and Chiefs squared off was for the AFC Championship Game this past January. Cook was arguably Buffalo’s best player that day, a true nightmare for the Chiefs. It’s also arguable that he was underused by the offense. Bills Mafia likely remembers Buffalo’s last offensive drive that afternoon, where Cook was nowhere to be found in receiving zero snaps, and the passing game was a mess thanks to an aggressive blitz.
Cook touched the football a total of 16 times in Kansas City. In the first half, Cook saw just four carries (23 yards, 1 TD) and caught two passes (2 receptions for 26 yards). The second half saw Cook rush nine times for 62 yards and one touchdown, while catching another pass for 23 yards. He finished with 13 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns, adding 49 yards on all three passes sent his way.
Why wasn’t Cook on the field? One can only surmise it was Brady’s choice. That is… unless Allen demanded Ty Johnson in the backfield for that moment. While imperfect as a pass blocker, perhaps it wasn’t so much about what Cook was unable to do on offense as it was Brady’s unwillingness to put a full workload on his shoulders.
That is, unless…
It’s possible Josh Allen’s responsible for James Cook’s reduced receiver role
The narrative is incomplete if we don’t address the fire-breathing unicorn in the room. That is, Allen’s struggles and his potential role in this equation. There’s perhaps a chance that none of this is due to Brady, and Cook’s use is instead a bye-product of Allen’s play in 2025.
For example:
To anyone paying close attention, Allen hasn’t appeared sharp in recent weeks — especially working through his reads. He’s been quick to bail the pocket, and the play above at least introduces the idea that Allen may be ignoring Cook as a receiver. We don’t know why. We just know Allen’s struggling, and few are willing to discuss it because his stats look pretty good.
James Cook’s stats, however, are elite, and could be so much better if he was more involved as a receiver. Remember that Cook has 12 catches for 89 yards in seven games. Weeks 1 through 4 represent all of his production as a receiver in 2025 (hauling 12 of 13 passes his way). The Bills went 4-0 in that span. Since Week 5, Cook has seen one target (Week 5) and zero catches. In the last two matchups, Cook hasn’t been a part of the passing game at all. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Buffalo went 1-2 in Weeks 5 through 8.
Cook is really good; fantastic… incredible, actually. The Bills’ offensive line, fullback Reggie Gilliam, and rookie tight end Jackson Hawes deserve far more credit than most outlets have given each toward the team’s run-game success. Still, Cook is on another level and has become a truly elite every-down running back.
Recall this past offseason, when outsiders saw Cook’s contract demands as fruitless given his snap count and lack of contributions on third down. Too many viewed Cook as a replaceable talent, or at least as someone playing an afterthought of a position. All Cook’s done since receiving his contract is play like an MVP.
If only offensive coordinator Joe Brady would get the message, and send him out to catch passes on third down — or more often during other downs. If only Josh Allen would look his way more in passing situations. In two losses where the running game was held (somewhat) in check, Allen and the pass catchers struggled to establish rhythm. Wouldn’t it have made sense to get Cook more touches as a receiver?
What’s the plan, when perfection isn’t the option?
The obvious counter for anyone who disagrees is that complaints aren’t warranted for a system that’s averaged 29.6 points through seven games. When Buffalo’s offense is on task, and functioning perfectly as sketched, points are plenty. But their success demands offensive perfection in a system that Brady and/or Allen appear unwilling or incapable of adjusting to counter a defense on the fly.
It may seem strange to dive into this now after the Bills just put up 40 on a really good Carolina Panthers defense. The question is how often will Buffalo be able to run on teams in similar fashion, and what’s the plan when that fails? Twice this season, it seems as though Plan B was left in the locker room. It’s time to roll out the Chef’s Special.
Just imagine what the offense could become with Cook catching passes out of the backfield, from the slot, or even downfield. Imagine what could be if Josh Allen, James Cook, and Joe Brady were all on the same page?
