James Cook
RB · BUF
· ESPN
· Pro Football Reference
Box score by season
| Season | Team | G | Rush | Rush yds | TD | Tgt | Rec | Rec yds | TD | vs ESPN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | BUF | 6 | 117 | 627 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 89 | 0 | 1 differ (Targets 14 vs 15) |
| 2025 | BUF | 17 | 309 | 1,621 | 12 | 40 | 33 | 291 | 2 | ✓ matches |
| 2025 playoffs | BUF | 2 | 39 | 163 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 29 | 0 | |
| 2024 | BUF | 16 | 207 | 1,009 | 16 | 38 | 32 | 258 | 2 | not checked |
| 2024 playoffs | BUF | 3 | 53 | 272 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 64 | 0 | |
| 2023 | BUF | 17 | 237 | 1,122 | 2 | 54 | 44 | 445 | 4 | not checked |
| 2023 playoffs | BUF | 2 | 36 | 140 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 26 | 0 | |
| 2022 | BUF | 16 | 89 | 507 | 2 | 32 | 21 | 180 | 1 | not checked |
| 2022 playoffs | BUF | 2 | 17 | 52 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official scoring from play-by-play. Regular-season totals for 2025, 2026 are compared with ESPN's after every rebuild (all players); earlier seasons aren't checked.
Advanced
Designed runs
117
qualifying bar 38
EPA/play
+0.051
10th of 40 · lg -0.084
Success rate
50.4%
2nd of 40 · lg 40.3%
Yards/play
5.36
5th of 40 · lg 4.03
Explosive rate
18.8%
1st of 40 · lg 9.3%
Turnover rate
1.7%
35th of 40 · lg 0.7%
TD rate
5.1%
10th of 40 · lg 3.7%
Every split
EPA per designed run in each situation, the league in the same situation, and his rank among qualified players with at least 20 designed runs there (1 = best). "Repeats" is how much that split's player-to-player differences carry from one season to the next (2016–25); near zero means it describes the past and predicts little. Click a situation to filter all his numbers to it.
| Situation | Designed runs | EPA/play | Success | Yds/play | League EPA | Rank | Repeats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home / away Setting compare everyone → | |||||||
| Home | 57 | +0.163 | 58% | 6.4 | -0.095 | 5/37 | 0.01 |
| Away | 60 | -0.056 | 43% | 4.4 | -0.075 | 19/33 | -0.00 |
| Neutral site | 0 | — | — | — | -0.079 | — | — |
| Rest days Setting compare everyone → | |||||||
| Short week (≤5 days) | 21 | +0.240 | 48% | 6.4 | +0.040 | 3/3 | 0.32 |
| Normal (6–8 days) | 59 | +0.008 | 49% | 4.8 | -0.113 | 9/40 | -0.14 |
| Extra rest (9–12 days) | 24 | +0.021 | 62% | 6.4 | -0.035 | 1/3 | -0.03 |
| Off a bye (13+ days) | 0 | — | — | — | +0.128 | — | — |
| Indoors / outdoors Weather compare everyone → | |||||||
| Indoors | 60 | -0.056 | 43% | 4.4 | -0.117 | 9/20 | 0.00 |
| Outdoors | 57 | +0.163 | 58% | 6.4 | -0.071 | 2/36 | 0.00 |
| Temperature (outdoors) Weather compare everyone → | |||||||
| 60–79°F | 57 | +0.163 | 58% | 6.4 | -0.062 | 2/23 | 0.02 |
| 80°F+ | 0 | — | — | — | -0.039 | — | -0.32 |
| Wind (outdoors) Weather compare everyone → | |||||||
| 0–9 mph | 21 | +0.240 | 48% | 6.4 | -0.070 | 1/27 | 0.07 |
| 10–14 mph | 36 | +0.117 | 64% | 6.4 | -0.012 | 4/7 | 0.12 |
| Rain or snow (outdoors) Weather compare everyone → | |||||||
| Dry | 57 | +0.163 | 58% | 6.4 | -0.061 | 1/34 | — |
| Rain or snow | 0 | — | — | — | -0.167 | — | — |
| Score Game state compare everyone → | |||||||
| Trailing 9+ | 4 | +0.211 | 75% | 7.2 | -0.027 | — | 0.01 |
| Trailing 1–8 | 43 | +0.246 | 60% | 5.9 | -0.082 | 1/20 | 0.02 |
| Tied | 28 | -0.279 | 46% | 5.0 | -0.125 | 15/17 | 0.10 |
| Leading 1–8 | 26 | -0.100 | 35% | 3.8 | -0.087 | 11/18 | 0.00 |
| Leading 9+ | 16 | +0.306 | 50% | 6.7 | -0.076 | — | -0.13 |
| Win probability Game state compare everyone → | |||||||
| Win prob under 20% | 0 | — | — | — | +0.007 | — | 0.13 |
| Win prob 20–80% | 91 | +0.005 | 51% | 5.1 | -0.095 | 12/40 | -0.05 |
| Win prob over 80% | 26 | +0.211 | 50% | 6.2 | -0.097 | 2/19 | -0.09 |
| Quarter Game state compare everyone → | |||||||
| Q1 | 27 | -0.079 | 44% | 5.1 | -0.092 | 11/22 | 0.09 |
| Q2 | 23 | +0.372 | 65% | 7.2 | -0.076 | 1/14 | -0.04 |
| Q3 | 23 | -0.026 | 35% | 3.4 | -0.043 | 8/19 | 0.12 |
| Q4 | 40 | +0.203 | 60% | 6.0 | -0.118 | 2/15 | -0.02 |
| OT | 4 | -2.001 | 0% | 1.5 | -0.257 | — | — |
| Two-minute Game state compare everyone → | |||||||
| Last 2 min of half | 10 | -0.014 | 50% | 2.7 | -0.111 | — | — |
| Rest of game | 107 | +0.057 | 50% | 5.6 | -0.083 | 9/40 | — |
| Down Situation compare everyone → | |||||||
| 1st down | 94 | -0.050 | 46% | 5.0 | -0.098 | 18/40 | 0.02 |
| 2nd down | 20 | +0.492 | 70% | 7.3 | -0.103 | 1/30 | -0.03 |
| 3rd down | 3 | +0.261 | 67% | 4.0 | +0.035 | — | -0.14 |
| 4th down | 0 | — | — | — | -0.027 | — | — |
| 3rd-down distance Situation compare everyone → | |||||||
| 3rd & 1–3 | 2 | -0.181 | 50% | 1.5 | +0.088 | — | — |
| 3rd & 4–6 | 1 | +1.146 | 100% | 9.0 | -0.167 | — | — |
| 3rd & 7+ | 0 | — | — | — | -0.069 | — | — |
| Field position Situation compare everyone → | |||||||
| Own 20 and in | 8 | +0.302 | 75% | 6.9 | -0.147 | — | 0.05 |
| Own 50–21 | 50 | +0.004 | 52% | 5.7 | -0.098 | 10/31 | -0.01 |
| Opp 21–49 | 37 | -0.070 | 43% | 5.7 | -0.074 | 21/31 | 0.07 |
| Red zone (opp 20 in) | 22 | +0.267 | 50% | 3.4 | -0.038 | 1/9 | 0.06 |
| Formation Style compare everyone → | |||||||
| Shotgun | 13 | +0.119 | 46% | 4.9 | -0.110 | — | 0.03 |
| Under center | 104 | +0.042 | 51% | 5.4 | -0.072 | 11/40 | 0.03 |
| Tempo Style compare everyone → | |||||||
| Huddle | 114 | +0.044 | 50% | 5.4 | -0.090 | 9/40 | 0.03 |
| No huddle | 3 | +0.287 | 67% | 5.0 | +0.059 | — | 0.03 |
| Yards to go Situation compare everyone → | |||||||
| 1–3 to go | 17 | +0.299 | 65% | 4.8 | +0.049 | — | 0.12 |
| 4–6 to go | 9 | +0.407 | 67% | 4.2 | -0.101 | — | -0.02 |
| 7–10 to go | 89 | -0.026 | 46% | 5.7 | -0.117 | 13/40 | -0.06 |
| 11+ to go | 2 | -0.235 | 50% | 2.5 | -0.199 | — | — |
| Run direction Running compare everyone → | |||||||
| Left | 39 | +0.161 | 51% | 5.7 | -0.047 | 6/30 | 0.04 |
| Middle | 40 | -0.145 | 50% | 5.4 | -0.108 | 11/21 | 0.16 |
| Right | 38 | +0.143 | 50% | 5.0 | -0.078 | 2/29 | 0.11 |
| Run gap Running compare everyone → | |||||||
| Outside (end) | 9 | +0.525 | 78% | 6.8 | +0.009 | — | -0.03 |
| Off tackle | 30 | +0.051 | 43% | 4.7 | -0.083 | 4/16 | -0.00 |
| Inside (guard) | 38 | +0.144 | 50% | 5.5 | -0.098 | 4/26 | 0.11 |
| Up the middle | 40 | -0.145 | 50% | 5.4 | -0.108 | 11/21 | 0.16 |
| Defenders in the box Defense (FTN) compare everyone → | |||||||
| Light box (6 or fewer) | 39 | +0.060 | 54% | 5.9 | -0.065 | 11/31 | 0.13 |
| 7 in the box | 46 | +0.116 | 52% | 5.8 | -0.097 | 4/33 | -0.02 |
| Stacked box (8+) | 10 | -0.171 | 50% | 3.5 | -0.090 | — | 0.34 |
| Pre-snap motion Scheme (FTN) compare everyone → | |||||||
| Motion | 62 | +0.068 | 50% | 5.5 | -0.091 | 6/37 | -0.21 |
| No motion | 33 | +0.051 | 58% | 5.8 | -0.067 | 6/25 | -0.21 |
| RPO Scheme (FTN) compare everyone → | |||||||
| RPO | 7 | -0.214 | 29% | 3.6 | -0.066 | — | — |
| Not an RPO | 88 | +0.085 | 55% | 5.8 | -0.083 | 7/40 | — |
By season
| Season | Team | Designed runs | EPA/play | Total EPA | Success | Yds/play | Explosive | 1st-down rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | BUF | 117 | +0.051 | +5.9 | 50.4% | 5.36 | 18.8% | 32.5% |
Definitions. QB plays are dropbacks: passes, sacks and scrambles (spikes left out). QB EPA doesn't charge the passer for a receiver's fumble after the catch. Rushing is designed runs only; receiving is EPA per target. EPA is about ±1.4 points a play, so a split of 50 plays carries roughly ±0.2 of luck.