Cook’s 117-Yard, Two-TD Performance Propels Bills Closer to Playoff Berth with 23-20 Win Over Browns.

CLEVELAND – James Cook continues to prove that the Buffalo Bills are more than just a Josh Allen-led team. With Allen playing through a foot injury suffered in the first half, Cook rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Bills secure a 23-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday and move closer to a playoff berth. “He's the best back in football. I don't know how the awards will shake out, but he should be in the running for every award. He makes our offense go,” Allen said. The reigning NFL MVP, who completed 12 of 19 passes for 130 yards and rushed for 17 yards on seven carries, was limited by a right-foot injury sustained during the second quarter. Ty Johnson also added a rushing touchdown for Buffalo (11-4), who have won four straight games and five of six. With Houston’s victory over Las Vegas, Buffalo needs a loss or tie by Indianapolis against San Francisco on Monday night to secure a playoff spot for the seventh consecutive season. Cook’s performance marked his ninth 100-yard rushing game of the season, tying him with Thurman Thomas for second in franchise history behind O.J. Simpson, who recorded 11. His 1,532 rushing yards now lead the NFL, edging out Indianapolis’ Jonathan Taylor (1,443 yards). “Yeah, but there’s a lot of room for improvement,” Cook said when asked if he was playing his best football since being drafted in 2022. “It ain’t over yet, so we just gotta keep going.”

Cook opened the scoring for Buffalo with a 44-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter, eluding tackles from Cleveland defenders Mohamoud Diabate and Adin Huntington. He later extended the lead to 20-10 on a 3-yard carry late in the second quarter. Michael Badgley added a 41-yard field goal in the third quarter to give the Bills a 23-10 lead.

Cleveland rallied with touchdowns from tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who scored on a 1-yard run in the third quarter to narrow the gap to 23-17. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders completed 20 of 29 passes for 157 yards and one touchdown, while also leading the team in rushing with 49 yards on four carries. Sanders threw two interceptions, which contributed directly to 10 of Buffalo’s points.

Cleveland running back Raheim Sanders contributed 42 yards on 11 carries after Quinshon Judkins suffered a dislocated right ankle and broken fibula. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged the challenge of overcoming Buffalo’s strong defense and turnovers. Defensively, Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau recorded a season-high 2.5 sacks and nine pressures, marking the second time in his career he has had at least 2.5 sacks in a game. Meanwhile, Myles Garrett of Cleveland added a single sack, needing one more to tie the single-season record held by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt. Injuries affected both teams. Buffalo linebacker Shaq Thompson exited early with a neck injury, while Cleveland lost Judkins late in the second quarter. The Bills will host Philadelphia next Sunday, while the Browns are set to host Pittsburgh.