The Buffalo Bills seem to have a habit of welcoming new guys to the team and then promptly introducing them to the team’s medical staff. Earlier this season it was Mecole Hardman, now it’s Brandin Cooks.
Cooks lasted two games longer than Hardman before he needed the help of the Bills’ training staff. But after just three games (and just one catch total) the wide receiver was seen walking to the X-Ray room after Buffalo’s win over the New England Patriots in Week 15.
Cooks was targeted three times on Sunday but didn’t record a catch. Buffalo opened up their offense with quarterback Josh Allen throwing a deep ball to Cooks who juggled the pass more than once as he headed out of bounds. The pass was originally called a catch, but replay assist overturned the call on the field when it was decided that Cooks only had one foot in bounds when he finally corralled the football.
There’s no mention of when Cooks was injured – or even what body part was being imaged. The thirty-two-year-old Cooks stayed in the game for all four quarters and was never observed taking a trip to the medical tent or talking to trainers on the sideline.
If Cooks is sidelined, the Bills won’t have to worry about which receiver is a healthy scratch. Today that guy was Gabe Davis. With Joshua Palmer making his return from the ankle injury he suffered in Week 6 and then re-aggravated in Week 12, Davis was the odd man out as Buffalo went with five active receivers along with their three tight ends.
The Bills will take on the 3-11 Cleveland Browns next weekend, so there’s no reason to put anyone dealing with even a slight injury on the field. Then again, it could have been the perfect game for Cooks and Allen to work on the chemistry they’ll need in the postseason.
