This is a rare sight to see in the modern NFL. With offense going into the hands of the quarterback more and more, the running back position was dying a slow death until very recently. However, thanks to the success of the likes of Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey, and Saquon Barkley, among others, the prestige of the position is back.
One underrated name on that list has been James Cook of the Buffalo Bills. Consistently producing at an extremely high level, he has made it a mission to alter the record books. After a two-game slide followed by a bye week for the franchise, Cook came out like a man on a mission against the Carolina Panthers in Week 8. It left people wondering what the single-game rushing record was and if he had a shot at eclipsing it.
James Cook on the Cusp of History
Through three quarters, as Buffalo dominated the Bryce Young-less Panthers to the tune of 40-3, the story of the game was unquestionably the superstar running back. With 216 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, he had become a one-man wrecking crew.
Already ranked second on PFSN’s RB Impact, he finished just nine yards shy of the most rushing yards through three quarters of the last 25 years, a record held by Ricky Williams. But for Cook, the sights could go much higher.
JAMES COOK OVER 200 YARDS AND 2 TDs!
BUFvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/h8BREe2J95
— NFL (@NFL) October 26, 2025
Adrian Peterson set the record for most rushing yards in a single game in NFL history on November 4, 2007, when he tallied 296 yards on the ground against the San Diego Chargers.
80 yards away from the number, it was still a tall task for Cook, that is, if head coach Sean McDermott chose to send him back out for more snaps with a blowout lead and the goal for the team firmly set on postseason success.
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In six games, he was already up to 537 yards and five touchdowns, while cracking the 100-yard mark on three separate occasions. After this game, he will be averaging over 100 yards and a touchdown per game.
His contributions were a major reason for the Bills’ overall success, with the offense ranking second on PFSN’s Offense Impact over the course of the season.
Unfortunately, Cook did not get any burn in the fourth quarter, finishing the game with 216 yards. However, it still marked the highest total by a Bills player since 1976, when O.J. Simpson had 275 yards against the Detroit Lions on November 25.
