First impression: James Cook

[BADOLBILZ]

15 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

I am not sure it is antything to do with him being smug.... but in 2 snaps he fumbled and then ran what looked like a wrong route when lined up as a receiver. Add that to the concerns as a pass blocker. 

 

He has a long way to go. I liked him as a prospect but I haven't been super impressed in pre-season. Not sure he is going to be a massive weapon as a rookie. 

 

 

In the day after media session with McD the media was like "we all drafted James Cook on our fantasy teams........don't you think that fumble was no big deal and you just gotta' put him right back in there"............and McD was  "oh sure fellas........and also maybe he can earn playing time".

 

Long frustrated Isaiah McKenzie fans know what that word means.

 

I think our resident fantasy football RB fans and coddlers of early draft picks both might have to open themselves up to the possibility that Cook is closer to a spot in the doghouse than he is to becoming the RB1 anytime this season.

[Coach Tuesday]

They’re still hiding him?

[billsfan1959]

5 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

I believe Scott punched it out

 

I did at first as well. However, I ran it back several times in slow motion and it was Floyd that punched it out  after Scott made the tackle

[HardyBoy]

2 hours ago, artmalibu said:

 

Singletary only had 8 carries, 2 less than Josh.  He has not had any injuries that have been talked about.  So, I would say he was not on a pitch count.  

 

You're not getting what a pitch count is...has nothing to do with an existing injury, it's about protecting players from future injuries. 

 

They don't pull a pitcher after 100 pitches because he was hurt, they pull him because the fatigue on his arm increases the risk of injury for each pitch after, with each subsequent pitch being more risky than the last. 

 

The Bills have an elite sports science department. My guess is Singletary was caped at 8 carries, because pre-established thresholds had been crossed based on in game data they are tracking. 

[artmalibu]

33 minutes ago, HardyBoy said:

 

You're not getting what a pitch count is...has nothing to do with an existing injury, it's about protecting players from future injuries. 

 

They don't pull a pitcher after 100 pitches because he was hurt, they pull him because the fatigue on his arm increases the risk of injury for each pitch after, with each subsequent pitch being more risky than the last. 

 

The Bills have an elite sports science department. My guess is Singletary was caped at 8 carries, because pre-established thresholds had been crossed based on in game data they are tracking. 

 

 

Really??  8 carries, think about it.  

 

I do understand what a pitch count is.  

 

 

[Buddo]

10 hours ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

I did at first as well. However, I ran it back several times in slow motion and it was Floyd that punched it out  after Scott made the tackle

Tbh, it didn’t look like a punch to me, more of a one finger poke. Which is why I believe he’s in the doghouse. A proper punch out, and he probably gets more leeway. 
In all honesty, I’ve not watched it back, so I may be being a bit harsh.

Definitely a wake up call for Cook, likely along the lines of ‘this is the real NFL now’.

[Kirby Jackson]

My 1st impression is that I’m not going to overreact. Cook was brought here to hit home runs. You’ll see him used more in close games I would imagine. He isn’t here to grind and to protect big leads. He’s here to change the game with big plays. Motor will shoulder the load in the backfield. Moss and Cook will be worked in depending on the situation. They each have different roles to play. I will analyze their play based on how well they performed their specific roles. 

[GunnerBill]

11 hours ago, Coach Tuesday said:

They’re still hiding him?

 

I wouldn't be stunned if by next Monday he is hiding on the inactive list.

 

By the way her Maj passing and then the Bills being MNF means I havr a 4 day weekend next weekend. Niiiiiice.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

I think I saw Cook talking to Edmunds on the sidelines...🤔😒

[without a drought]

9 hours ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

I think I saw Cook talking to Edmunds on the sidelines...🤔😒

I knew he was a punk.

[NewEra]

13 minutes ago, without a drought said:

I knew he was a punk.

So smug and full of himself!  I knew it!

[SoMAn]

Laid back as all get out. 
He must have the skill set that Dorsey and McD want to utilize, but somehow, I don’t see his personality (my impression) fitting with the group of characters on the Bills.  I sense he’s more of a solitary figure who’d rather just go home than go for a beer with the guys when asked. 

I guess as long as he can perform on Sunday it doesn’t make much difference. 

Edited September 11, 2022 by SoMAn

[billsfan_34]

He fumbled his first NFL touch, then was properly shown the pine. There isn’t much more to it than that, for now.

[GoBills!]

Hot take - That guy we cut looked pretty fast and good in Miami 😬.

[John from Riverside]

12 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

I wouldn't be stunned if by next Monday he is hiding on the inactive list.

 

By the way her Maj passing and then the Bills being MNF means I havr a 4 day weekend next weekend. Niiiiiice.

The problem is Maas really isn’t looking that much better we need to go with cooks upside rather than what we know Moss can’t do

[GunnerBill]

Just now, John from Riverside said:

The problem is Maas really isn’t looking that much better we need to go with cooks upside rather than what we know Moss can’t do

 

But we know what Moss can do. And it includes, critically, pass protect. Until Cook shows he can do that Moss will be up.

[SBbeliever]

On 9/9/2022 at 8:39 PM, Victory Formation said:

For a RB that is kind of smug and full of himself, boy did he disappoint. He will never make it in the NFL if he can’t: A) Hold onto the football and B) Run between the tackles.

 

I see a player who has top 10 potential, but his personality is a bit abrasive to me. For a guy who hasn’t proven a darn thing, I see no reason for him to have such a disproportionate level of confidence. Yup, you made it to the NFL, your brother is a good player, you were drafted in the 2nd round, but keep in mind that even a player drafted in the 7th round can eat your lunch if you’re not careful.

I'm not sure he's smug.  Maybe a bit shy when coming to Buffalo and the NFL.

[HardyBoy]

On 9/10/2022 at 9:41 PM, artmalibu said:

 

 

Really??  8 carries, think about it.  

 

I do understand what a pitch count is.  

 

 

It’s about getting muscles into game shape before you put that much fatigue on them. So yes, 8 carries might very well be where their sports science drew the line before there was a risk of a soft muscle injury. 
 

Diggs played less than half the offensive snaps, part of that was putting formations on tape to set up tendencies they can exploit down the line, part of that might be trying to keep him fresh all year, part of that is sport science pitch counts I’m sure.

 

Want to see a reason for early season pitch counts while players get into game shape?: TJ Watt

[artmalibu]

On 9/12/2022 at 10:31 AM, HardyBoy said:

It’s about getting muscles into game shape before you put that much fatigue on them. So yes, 8 carries might very well be where their sports science drew the line before there was a risk of a soft muscle injury. 
 

Diggs played less than half the offensive snaps, part of that was putting formations on tape to set up tendencies they can exploit down the line, part of that might be trying to keep him fresh all year, part of that is sport science pitch counts I’m sure.

 

Want to see a reason for early season pitch counts while players get into game shape?: TJ Watt

 

Have you read anything that the Bills were managing him due to sports science?  That 8 carries is the limit when the QB had more carries?  5 players on offense played 100% of the snaps, and 2 other were 97/98%.  6 players on defense were at 97% or more snaps.   Of the 13 players Im referring to I would argue they are all more important to the team than a RB and yet not pitch count for them?  Lastly and my main point was in this thread, JA had 2 more carries and 1 or 2 of them when the game was pretty much over.  JA is the most important player on the team why wouldnt they protect him?  

 

Diggs played 64% of the snaps so a a lot more  than less than half.  

 

Watt played 66% where Rouesseau played 67% are you saying the bills were carless with him?  

 

 

[Awwufelloff]

I mean I believe hes our most talented RB by far. You also don't invest a 2nd round pick into a player you don't expect to use alot. He will be involved a lot more as the season progresses.

[HardyBoy]

6 hours ago, artmalibu said:

 

Have you read anything that the Bills were managing him due to sports science?  That 8 carries is the limit when the QB had more carries?  5 players on offense played 100% of the snaps, and 2 other were 97/98%.  6 players on defense were at 97% or more snaps.   Of the 13 players Im referring to I would argue they are all more important to the team than a RB and yet not pitch count for them?  Lastly and my main point was in this thread, JA had 2 more carries and 1 or 2 of them when the game was pretty much over.  JA is the most important player on the team why wouldnt they protect him?  

 

Diggs played 64% of the snaps so a a lot more  than less than half.  

 

Watt played 66% where Rouesseau played 67% are you saying the bills were carless with him?  

 

 

 

Come on, Singletary has a history of hamstring pulls. 

 

Anyway, different positions and different players would have different individualized ramp up plans.

 

Look at Jamal Adams, that's a muscle fatigue injury as well leading the muscle not being able to support the force and causing the tendin to tear.

 

Knock on wood, but how many of those have we seen the last few years outside of potentially Tre, but that might have just been an unlucky cleat stud grabbing at the wrong time. 

 

Also, the Bills are the most likely team in the league to divulge usage threshold to their opponents. /s

[Dopey]

On 9/10/2022 at 2:34 PM, Success said:

That wasn't a 1st impression.  He carried the ball once - I'm not going to hold a fumble in a situation like that against him.

 

I think this is what they might call a "hot take."

 

Hot 💩 take 

[artmalibu]

6 hours ago, HardyBoy said:

 

Come on, Singletary has a history of hamstring pulls. 

 

 

 

 

 

He played in every game the last 2 years...  He had 1 hamstring pull and that is having a history????   

 

 

[HardyBoy]

1 hour ago, artmalibu said:

 

He played in every game the last 2 years...  He had 1 hamstring pull and that is having a history????   

 

 

 

Yes. 

 

https://www.thephysiocompany.com/blog/michael-owen-and-the-curse-of-his-recurring-hamstring-injuries

 

http://chicagosportsinstitute.com/articles/how-to-prevent-hamstring-pulls/

 

https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2017/07000/A_Multifactorial,_Criteria_based_Progressive.25.aspx

Edited September 14, 2022 by HardyBoy

[Coach Tuesday]

https://theathletic.com/3591734/2022/09/14/bills-all-22-review-rams/?source=user_shared_article
 

“While it’s good there is a lot of potential for growth on plays like this, the disappointing part is the fumble was entirely avoidable if Cook read it correctly.”

[mjt328]

It's a long season.  By the end, I would expect James Cook to be a major contributor to the offense.

 

Right now, he's clearly not ready.

He's not ready as a blocker.  He fumbled his first/only carry of the game.  He apparently ran the wrong route on another.

 

Not to mention, Devin Singletary looked better than ever.

The Bills can afford to wait on Cook and ease him into games.

 

 

[Dopey]

37 minutes ago, HardyBoy said:

 

Yes. 

 

https://www.thephysiocompany.com/blog/michael-owen-and-the-curse-of-his-recurring-hamstring-injuries

 

http://chicagosportsinstitute.com/articles/how-to-prevent-hamstring-pulls/

 

https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2017/07000/A_Multifactorial,_Criteria_based_Progressive.25.aspx

I am Dopey, but none of those articles say Singletary has a history of pulled hamstrings.

 

https://www.draftsharks.com/fanatasy/injury-history/devin-sigletary/10216

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Dopey

[HardyBoy]

7 hours ago, Dopey said:

I am Dopey, but none of those articles say Singletary has a history of pulled hamstrings.

 

https://www.draftsharks.com/fanatasy/injury-history/devin-sigletary/10216

 

 

He had one pulled hamstring for sure, so his injury history includes a pulled hamstring. Someone doesn't have a history of heart attacks unless they've had more than one? 

 

Those articles talk about various sports medicine approaches to ensuring hamstring pulls don't become a chronic thing. Once you pull it once, you get a bit of scar tissue because the muscle fibers never heal back exactly the same. It increases the chance of re-injury.

 

My whole point is that the bills sports medicine department is easing him into the season. One of those articles talks about the importance of core strength in preventing hamstring injuries and re-injury. Running fatigues your core, more plays means more core fatigue.

 

He is on a pitch count until he gets into game shape given his injury history.

[ColoradoBills]

There are a lot of fans thinking Cook will be sitting out the next game by being in McDermotts doghouse.

I just don't see that happening.  Now if after the game and during the week Cook copped some kind of attitude about

all the talks I'm sure he got about the fumble, then yes, he's in the doghouse.

 

I want all 3 RBs dressing as much as possible.  Not only for this year but if Singletary is not on the roster next year, then Cook

has to get snaps and not sit the bench.  Moss will not be the primary back next season.

I think a snap count mix somewhere around 55/30/15 for Devin/Zack/James would be a good plan against the Titans.

Zack of course in on a lot of passing plays.

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by ColoradoBills

[artmalibu]

8 hours ago, HardyBoy said:

 

Yes. 

 

https://www.thephysiocompany.com/blog/michael-owen-and-the-curse-of-his-recurring-hamstring-injuries

 

http://chicagosportsinstitute.com/articles/how-to-prevent-hamstring-pulls/

 

https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/Fulltext/2017/07000/A_Multifactorial,_Criteria_based_Progressive.25.aspx

Thank for supporting my point with your articles!!!

 

In the Chicago sports article it states causes of the injury are all about improper offseason training and nothing to do with being eased in to action on a pitch count.    

 

And prevention tips are all about again training and nothing about a pitch count...

 

 

 

 

[artmalibu]

37 minutes ago, HardyBoy said:

 

 

 

My whole point is that the bills sports medicine department is easing him into the season.

 

What are you basing this statement on?  

The idea that they are easing Motor action is crazy he did play 60% of the snaps. 

 

The more logical explanation is the Bills game plan.  The QB lead the team in rushes last week and last year JA had 41% of the total rushes last year.  

 

[1onemangang7]

I'd rather the guy doesn't dress if he doesn't help the team win. Curious draft pick to begin with. Might as well face the music and cut bait than kick dirt on it. The one play excuse doesn't apply at his position. He'd get touches if they thought it'd bring production. The quarterback is the only reliable back on the roster still until proven otherwise 

[frostbitmic]

First impression ... He had a bad first carry.

[artmalibu]

1 hour ago, ColoradoBills said:

There are a lot of fans thinking Cook will be sitting out the next game by being in McDermotts doghouse.

I just don't see that happening.  Now if after the game and during the week Cook copped some kind of attitude about

all the talks I'm sure he got about the fumble, then yes, he's in the doghouse.

 

I want all 3 RBs dressing as much as possible.  Not only for this year but if Singletary is not on the roster next year, then Cook

has to get snaps and not sit the bench.  Moss will not be the primary back next season.

I think a snap count mix somewhere around 55/30/15 for Devin/Zack/James would be a good plan against the Titans.

Zack of course in on a lot of passing plays.

 

 

I was surprised is dressed last week because last year they rarely dressed 3 RBs.  This year is a different roster I guess.   I thought they would have given him some carries once they had a good lead late in the 4th.  Also shocked they did not throw the ball to him. 

 

I like you count mix.  Cook needs some game experience and confidence at some point Motor or Moss might be hurt.  

[TBBills]

Don't judge a book by its fumble.

[Alphadawg7]

On 9/9/2022 at 5:39 PM, Victory Formation said:

For a RB that is kind of smug and full of himself, boy did he disappoint. He will never make it in the NFL if he can’t: A) Hold onto the football and B) Run between the tackles.

 

I see a player who has top 10 potential, but his personality is a bit abrasive to me. For a guy who hasn’t proven a darn thing, I see no reason for him to have such a disproportionate level of confidence. Yup, you made it to the NFL, your brother is a good player, you were drafted in the 2nd round, but keep in mind that even a player drafted in the 7th round can eat your lunch if you’re not careful.

Huh?  Where are you getting these impressions on his personality traits 

 

On 9/9/2022 at 5:57 PM, Victory Formation said:

I was trolled also when I said that Josh Allen was the best QB in the 2018 Draft.

 

Yup, my opinion is unpopular, you don’t like it and I don’t care.

 

Nevermind the fact that I said Cook has top 10 potential, he just needs more seasoning.

Dude, read your own post.  Stop responding like you praised him just because you said he had top 10 potential.  
 

You trashed his character and yet to provide one statement to validate that trashing of his character.  Unless you provide some context for your out of nowhere attack on his character, then it’s nothing but a troll attempt with this absolutely pointless and useless thread.  

[ColoradoBills]

4 minutes ago, artmalibu said:

 

I was surprised is dressed last week because last year they rarely dressed 3 RBs.  This year is a different roster I guess.   I thought they would have given him some carries once they had a good lead late in the 4th.  Also shocked they did not throw the ball to him. 

 

I like you count mix.  Cook needs some game experience and confidence at some point Motor or Moss might be hurt.  

 

I could see a RB not dressing a couple times throughout the year.  I just think it's a bad idea to put Cook in street clothes Monday.

He is after all a 2nd round pick.  Bills typically will sit an OL and DL player every week, so that leaves 3 others.

I would think if all others were healthy, it rotates around with a DB, WR, LB, RB and TE depending on schemes.

The rookies like Shakir (already sat once) Spector, Morris (ditto), Cook all will sit at times with Lewis and another young vet or two.

 

Once the season gets older injuries start to fill those spots and then it's up to "going with what is left" or occasional PS guy dressing.

Your point about Cook having to fill in if Moss or Devin get nicked up is spot on.  He has to get some snaps now.

[Brand J]

As illustrated in The Athletic, Cook’s first carry had the potential to go for big yardage if he trusted what he saw and followed Singletary through the outside hole. Bills had it blocked great and he only would’ve had the safety at the 45 to beat. 

[Orlando Tim]

First impression as a pro is very poor, but I also know that Brett farve started with a pick six in his career so he has no where to go but up from here 

[Jay_Fixit]

3 hours ago, gridirongold said:

I'd rather the guy doesn't dress if he doesn't help the team win. Curious draft pick to begin with. Might as well face the music and cut bait than kick dirt on it. The one play excuse doesn't apply at his position. He'd get touches if they thought it'd bring production. The quarterback is the only reliable back on the roster still until proven otherwise 

Or do the smart thing and cut or trade Moss.