James Cook — Week 4: Forty-Nine Yards in the Fourth

Seven to nothing, Patriots, the first snap of the second quarter, first and goal at the New England eight. Khalil Shakir had just converted a third and six to get there. James Cook ran around right end for eight yards and the touchdown, seven to seven after the kick. +1.6 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and six points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it, his best snap of the day on both.

The line: 12 carries, 75 yards, one touchdown, five first downs, eight of the 12 successful, +3.7 expected points on the carries. Two catches on two targets for eight yards. The carries went four, −1, eight, one, nothing, four, two, eight, 17, 10, 16 six. The first half was six carries for 16 yards, two of them at the New England six with no gain and four. The fourth quarter was four carries for 49: 17 10 to open it, on the drive that ended in a field goal, then 16 six to start the drive that ended in Keon Coleman's go-ahead touchdown. He did not carry again after five 54.

The split: 20 Buffalo rush plays. Cook had 12, Josh Allen five counting a scramble and an aborted snap, and DJ Moore, Ray Davis and Ty Johnson one each.

Back in June the preview called Cook one of the more stable backfield profiles in the league. His carries had gone 13, 21 24 over the first three weeks, 58 in all for 346 yards. 12 was the fewest of his four games, on a day Buffalo threw 33 times. Four games: 70 carries, 421 yards, three touchdowns.

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_Data via nflverse._