The Buffalo Bills will be taking on the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday, after which they’ll be able to reset during the bye week before hosting the Baltimore Ravens. The bye is a bit early but that’s not a bad thing with a rookie head coach, a shaky defense, and an offense that’s had some stumbles despite their elite status. For one player in particular though, the Raiders will likely wind up making him extra grateful for the bye. Based on the current stats, James Cook is going to need the extra rest.
James Cook might be really exhausted…
The Raiders are 3 – 2, they’ve been within striking distance of taking down Kansas City, and should be respected as such. That said, their run defense has been terrible. By the time James Cook is done running this Sunday, it’s possible he won’t need a flight home to Buffalo.
Hyperbole aside, on paper this is an insanely lopsided matchup. The Raiders are currently allowing 140.6 yards per game, nearly 30 more than league average and the fifth worst in the league. That’s not due to teams tossing a ton of extra attempts their way either. On a per play basis, Las Vegas is second worst in the league and allows 5.21 yards per rushing attempt.
Shockingly, the Raiders have only allowed one rusher to break 100 yards, but man was that spectacular. Kenneth Walker III ran for 177 in Week 4. On the other hand, allowing running back committees to go wild isn’t really any better than a single person doing it.
Buffalo’s run game, if you weren’t aware, is in elite territory. In fact, there’s only one team ahead of the Bills when it comes to rushing efficiency. Kansas City. While it was their second best effort this season, Kansas City’s totals were buoyed by the aforementioned spectacular performance by Walker.
The Bills are averaging 5.37 yards per carry as a team. James Cook is personally at 5.6 yards per rush. He has three 100-yard games already this season. About the only concern is that the Raiders have recovered six fumbles this season, which leads the league.
Let’s watch a few plays to see if they look like something James Cook might be able to do…
Did you play the game? What was your answer? Was it “yes?” Then you WIN! Great job!
