One Buffalo Bills legend wasn’t happy with the way head coach Sean McDermott handled an early game mistake from running back James Cook in Monday’s game against the Denver Broncos.
The second-year running back fumbled the first play of the game, having the ball stripped out of his hands as he fought for yardage after a short pass near the sideline. McDermott benched Cook for much of the first half, a decision that didn’t sit well with former Bills running back Fred Jackson.
“Worse thing you can do to an RB,” Jackson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Gotta get Cook back in game. Sets a bad precedent.”
That was James Cook’s 2nd fumble on 241 career touches.
Leonard Fournette has 2 fumbles on 1,140 touches since 2018.
Cook came back with a vengeance late in the second quarter, taking three carries for 22 yards and catching a pass for seven yards on a touchdown drive, but others joined Jackson in sharing criticism for how McDermott handled his early mistake.
Sean McDermott Criticized for Harsh Reaction
Jackson was not the only one who saw McDermott’s reaction to Cook’s early fumble as too harsh. Some pointed out that Cook was just one of many players who struggled on offense to start the game, but the only one who was benched for his error.
“For all the mistakes this offense makes, James Cook shouldn’t be sent to Siberia for a fumble,” Bills reporter Bradley Gelber wrote on X.
Gelber went on to note that within the span of a few minutes after the fumble from Cook, a number of other players made critical mistakes. After the Broncos converted Cook’s fumble into a field goal, the Bills were driving and looking to answer when wide receiver Gabe Davis failed to catch a pass that hit him in the hands, sending the pass deflecting for an interception.
Running back Latavius Murray also dropped an easy pass and quarterback Josh Allen missed a third-down throw, Gelber added.
“Ok. So sit Davis for the interception, Murray for dropping the ball and Josh for that throw on third down too,” Gelber wrote.
Others pointed out what they saw as a double standard from McDermott.
“Reminder Devin Singletary had the 2nd highest fumble rate in the league for four years and has spent last time in the doghouse than James Cook has for two career fumbles,” noted WGR 550’s Joe DiBiase on X.
This was not the first time that Cook was sent to the bench for an early fumble. After he fumbled his first career touch in the 2022 season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, the rookie Cook was sent to the bench and ultimately appeared in just three snaps for the game.
Cook Redeems on Touchdown Drive
While the Bills offense sputtered through much of the first half following Cook’s fumble, the second-year running back played a big role in helping the team claw back. After the veteran Murray saw the bulk of carries through the remainder of the first quarter and much of the second, Cook helped to key an eight-play, 81-yard drive that was capped with a 22-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dalton Kincaid.
The Bills continued to struggle with turnovers, however, with Allen throwing an interception with less than a minute remaining in the first half that led to another field goal, sending the Broncos into halftime with a 15-8 lead.
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Bills Legend Calls Out HC Sean McDermott for Benching James Cook