James Cook and drops

[BringBackFlutie]

This was covered in the post-game interview with Brady. Cook was not benched. The subsequent plays just called for different personnel packages.

[Royale with Cheese]

I don't care that he's a RB, that ball needs to be caught even if you're an unathletic FB.  It wasn't an exotic route.  He won the route, Allen dropped it in the bucket perfectly and Cook just simply dropped it.

 

I love the guy and he's a great talent but man, he seems to not be completely focused or something early in games.  Horrible way to start the Broncos game with the fumble.  Killed the momentum on the opening drive against the Eagles.  Last year against the Rams, fumbled on his first carry.  On the first drive against the Jets in the opener, first drive he completely whiffed on a blitz pick up.  

[BringBackFlutie]

47 minutes ago, Royale with Cheese said:

I don't care that he's a RB, that ball needs to be caught even if you're an unathletic FB.  It wasn't an exotic route.  He won the route, Allen dropped it in the bucket perfectly and Cook just simply dropped it.

 

I love the guy and he's a great talent but man, he seems to not be completely focused or something early in games.  Horrible way to start the Broncos game with the fumble.  Killed the momentum on the opening drive against the Eagles.  Last year against the Rams, fumbled on his first carry.  On the first drive against the Jets in the opener, first drive he completely whiffed on a blitz pick up.  

 

This had me wondering. What if he had actual buckets for hands? Would he have caught it then?

[Freddie's Dead]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:54 AM, boyst said:

running backs are not receivers. short of larry centers no rb was specifically the receiving threat primarily.

 

as bizkut said - thats why he is a rb.

 

Thurman Thomas says hi.

[WotAGuy]

2 hours ago, BringBackFlutie said:

This was covered in the post-game interview with Brady. Cook was not benched. The subsequent plays just called for different personnel packages.

The Bills’ offense has strange player usage.  Cook and Diggs come off the field fairly often, while Gabe plays 99% of snaps.

 

I also see guys taking themselves out of the game often.
 

Bronko Nagurski never came off the field dammit. 

[John from Riverside]

Not really understanding, taking digs off the field

[GoBills808]

He doesn't play w any real urgency and I don't like that from my halfback

[JoshAllin]

How do you know he was benched? He averages 50% of the snaps usually and had 41 off snaps last week

[EmotionallyUnstable]

The bottom line:

 

Based on his draft status that was wildly an overreach given the position and state of this team, fan expectations were always extremely high.

 

He’s a good/quality runner with the ball, but by no means a top tier RB. Coaches and fans alike want him to be for a variety of reasons, but there are more reasons that he is not.

 

This is okay, but please (to those people doing so) stop acting like he’s being fitted for a gold jacket and his limited usage is holding him back. 

Edited December 1, 2023 by EmotionallyUnstable

[DJB]

He always looks like he’s out for a brisk jog when he has the ball.

 

No passion, no anger no heart.

 

But I guess that’s why Pacheco is my favourite RB

[1onemangang7]

2 minutes ago, DJB said:

He always looks like he’s out for a brisk jog when he has the ball.

 

No passion, no anger no heart.

 

But I guess that’s why Pacheco is my favourite RB

He broke away with that speed once .  How'd they catch him.  2 defenders caught him. You're not wrong .

22 hours ago, BringBackFlutie said:

This was covered in the post-game interview with Brady. Cook was not benched. The subsequent plays just called for different personnel packages.

So why dress him? They try to get a lead or catch up without him. Then give it back when he enters the game. I'll tell you why. Cause Beane made him a high pick. 

[MiracleAtRich1393]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:27 AM, Einstein said:

Cook running out of bounds instead of going for the 1st down made me just as upset as him dropping the TD.

I was thinking about this, and my take is he's in his head about avoiding a fumble. McD's benchings have created a mistake-avoidance mindset with him rather than playing with a loose mindset feeling the game in the moment.

 

A college hoops coach I love was caught mic'd up in the huddle last week saying something along the lines of "we want to be making aggressive mistakes, not mistakes of avoidance." I thought that was awesome when I heard it. As a coach you want your guys in attack mode and living with TOs that result from it. Otherwise  they're making mistakes because they're in their own heads, hesitating in split second high pressure opportunities second guessing themselves, and they're making mistakes anyway as a result but you don't get the upside to go along with it. I think Cook has fallen victim to that with the way McD has treated him with respect to mistakes from his literal very first NFL carry.

 

Might have something to do with the miscommunications we've seen with Josh/Davis and others this year too. Guys not feeling out the option routes but thinking too much about what will happen to them if they make a mistake, then a mistake happens in the split second decision as a result. If so, that's just bad coaching and not the mindset I want pervading the franchise.

[Solomon Grundy]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:54 AM, boyst said:

running backs are not receivers. short of larry centers no rb was specifically the receiving threat primarily.

 

as bizkut said - thats why he is a rb.

Thurman Thomas was a helluva receiver. So much so that the Bills lined him up out wide to take advantage of the mismatch

[Solomon Grundy]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:23 AM, 1onemangang7 said:

The whole Cook pick is a joke. Like we don't know what a championship rusher looks like. He's like the fast athletic wrestler that you know is fun to watch but can never become champion of the world. He's meant to appeal to fans like C Biscuit and fantasy nerds who get aggravated when he only plays a 3rd of the game.  But to draft him so high every fan should make Beane know we see the horse ***** of the sellection.

Could've had Breece Hall and Tariq Woolen in the same draft. Instead they reached for Elam. 

[1onemangang7]

2 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Could've had Breece Hall and Tariq Woolen in the same draft. Instead they reached for Elam. 

I was in the draft chat with ya that day. Boy did we get some negative emojis.  How can we see it and Beane can't. We knew we were Cooked. Lol pun not intended 

[Solomon Grundy]

2 minutes ago, 1onemangang7 said:

I was in the draft chat with ya that day. Boy did we get some negative emojis.  How can we see it and Beane can't. We knew we were Cooked. Lol pun not intended 

Maybe hire us as draft scouts? 🤷😎

[NoSaint]

On 11/27/2023 at 8:07 AM, starrymessenger said:

Wonder what's up with Fournette? Not saying he should be ahead of Cook, clearly not, but I can't help but think he would have scored on Cook's muff. I've seen him do it so many times. He's great on screens and other flat route plays. 

he does have 7 receiving tds in this his 7th year

 

while he has shown to be a competent pass catcher Im not sure he’s breaking off a ton of catches down the field for tds 

[1onemangang7]

2 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Maybe hire us as draft scouts? 🤷😎

Sometimes I think the NFL wants certain players in certain markets ...of course I can't be sure but it enters my mind. 13 seconds away who would think Cook puts that team over the hump? It's baffling and I just can't root for whoever dons the colors anymore. 50 years of the team being my heart i think I can be critical at this point since being a passive fan brings no championship.

[boyst]

28 minutes ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Thurman Thomas was a helluva receiver. So much so that the Bills lined him up out wide to take advantage of the mismatch

he'd have been a full time receiver i bet if he was taller than 5'5"

[HeHateMe]

Cook is so completely mediocre.  Not a special athlete or talent.  Very replaceable.  Seems disinterested as many have said, lacks pop/toughness.  What does he excel at exactly?