The Buffalo Bills will open their season at Reliant Stadium against the Houston Texans on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, and this could be a possible AFC Championship Game preview. Both the Bills and Texans could be the best teams in the conference this season, especially since Buffalo has one of the league’s top quarterbacks, Josh Allen, while Houston boasts one of the best defenses.
However, the Texans will also need to pay attention to Bills running back James Cook. Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans shared high praise for the veteran back on Monday.
“He is an exceptional runner,” Ryan said, via Aaron Wilson. “If you’re not there, he’s going to make you pay with explosive runs. Have to build a wall up front. He popped a run on us last year because we weren’t fitting in our gaps properly. The guy is impressive to watch”
Bills Have Something Special in Cook
Cook is heading into his fifth NFL season and has put on a show over the last three seasons, making the Pro Bowl all three times. He rushed for 1,621 yards and 12 scores last season.
The 26-year-old running back signed a four-year, $46 million deal during training camp last offseason, and he is worth every penny.
Even Bills head coach Joe Brady thinks Cook was the best running back in the NFL last season, but Cook wants even more this season.
“I think you saw the best running back in the league last year,” Brady said in early August, via Ryan Miller from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “You can argue he was the best player on the field.”
“He’s got to get better. We can’t take steps backward. 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.”
Cook Likes the New Energy Under Brady
One of the big changes the Bills made this offseason was moving on from head coach Sean McDermott after nine seasons and promoting offensive coordinator Joe Brady to the head coaching role.
Many players liked the decision to go with Brady as the new head coach, and Cook thinks there is new energy in the building.
“I mean, it’s just a new energy in the building,” Cook said in an interview with NFL Network’s “Good Morning Football” in July, via ClutchPoints Chris Spiering. “It’s going to always be like that, I feel like, when you have a new head coach coming in — a young one, too, at that. I mean, Joe’s a young head coach coming in, his first year as a head coach. I mean, he’s got a new energy. That’s what I feel like.”
The Bills needed a fresh perspective after falling short of a Super Bowl appearance in the last few seasons. Hopefully, Brady can change the energy and vibe in the building and help Buffalo compete for a Super Bowl in the coming years.
Bills’ $46 Million Star Gets High Praise From Texans HC DeMeco Ryans Ahead of Week 1 Matchup