Buffalo’s James Cook turns in monster first half against Panthers
By David Wasson
Published:
Former Georgia standout and current Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III delivered a dominant first 30 minutes of football Sunday against the Carolina Panthers – rushing for a jaw-dropping 153 yards on just 12 carries and a touchdown.
Cook’s stats were even more impressive when factoring in the yardage he gained before contact. The second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft chalked up 130 yards before in the first half before he was even touched by a Carolina defender – the most in a game since Colts running back Jonathan Taylor gained 142 yards before contact in a 2024 game against Jacksonville (Taylor finished with 177 yards that day in a 26-23 overtime victory over the Jaguars).
Cook is on pace for his third straight 1,000+ rushing season in the NFL. He gained 1,122 yards on 237 carries in 2023 and went for 1,009 yards on 207 carries in 2024. Cook entered the Week 8 contest against the Panthers with 537 rushing yards on 107 attempts.
Cook also easily picked up his third 100+ rushing campaign of the season, to go with 132 yards against the Jets, 108 yards against the Dolphins and 117 yards against the Saints. Cook now has 11 100+ rushing games in his 4-year career.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
