Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III walks the sideline while the defense in on the field during first half action against the Kansas City Chiefs at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Nov. 2, 2025. Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texans Not Overlooking Bills RB James Cook

Originally posted on Houston Texans on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Nov 19, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Houston Texans have won two consecutive games to improve to 5-5, floating around the playoff picture heading into Week 12. However, they will have their hands full for the 11th game of the season, hosting reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.

Allen does not do things alone in Buffalo, though, as James Cook has spent his season cementing himself as one of the league's top running backs. Ahead of Thursday's game, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans highlighted their matchup with Cook and what trouble he will pose to their defense.

"James [Cook] does a really good job of when they're running an outside zone, he presses his blocks really well," Ryans said on Tuesday. "So, when he cuts it back, he cuts it back with speed. Just has a really good feel for the zone scheme that they run, and he has a really good feel for just finding that open area."

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cook is arguably having the best season of his career, averaging 96.8 rushing yards through ten games with eight total touchdowns. However, the Texans are allowing just 87.1 rushing yards per game, which is the third-best in the NFL this season, making for an intriguing matchup between Cook and a great run defense on Thursday night.

Texans D will have hands full with Cook

"They do a good job of running off the ball from the offensive line, and he hits it fast and aggressive, and he's a tough tackle," Ryans continued about Cook. "It's gonna take—how we play anyway—everybody getting to the ball, storming the football. Just multiple hats trying to surround him as best we can to get him down."

The Texans have not played against a running back of Cook's caliber since Week 8, when they held San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey to just 25 yards on the ground through eight carries. Of course, this is a much different situation, and the Texans cannot be expected to completely shut down Cook to that extent, but Ryans has made it clear that they are not overlooking the Bills' star back.

With such an elite QB/RB duo that the Bills possess, it is challenging for opposing teams to balance their defensive attack, but the Texans will do what they can to slow both stars down.

This article first appeared on Houston Texans on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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