Jan 19, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs the ball against Baltimore Ravens safety Ar'Darius Washington (29) during the fourth quarter in a 2025 AFC divisional round game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills’ James Cook replaces Derrick Henry on Pro Bowl roster

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook is headed to the Pro Bowl Games as a replacement for Baltimore Ravens star Derrick Henry.

The Bills also announced Tuesday that Buffalo center Connor McGovern is going to the event in Orlando, Fla.

McGovern is taking the spot of Creed Humphrey of the Kansas City Chiefs. Humphrey has other plans as the Chiefs prepare for Super Bowl LIX against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Pro Bowl Games will take place on Thursday (7-8:30 p.m. ET) and Sunday (3-6 p.m. ET).

Cook and McGovern saw their bid to reach Super Bowl LIX come to a halt when the Chiefs posted a 32-29 win over the visiting Bills on Sunday. They will join Buffalo teammates Josh Allen and Dion Dawkins on the AFC roster.

No reason was given for Henry opting out of the Pro Bowl.

Cook, 25, is venturing to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year after matching the franchise record with 16 rushing touchdowns this season. The total tied Henry and Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead.

McGovern, 27, started all 16 games in which he has played this season. He is making a Pro Bowl appearance for the first time in his career.

–Field Level Media

Oct 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (4) makes a hit on Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) on a play during the second quarter at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Bills RB James Cook (toe) inactive vs. Jets

Buffalo Bills leading rusher James Cook was made inactive for Monday night’s game against the host New York Jets due to a toe injury.

Cook was limited at Saturday’s practice and deemed questionable for the game. He has 70 carries for 309 yards and four rushing touchdowns in five starts this season, along with 11 catches for 123 yards and a TD.

He did most of his damage Week 2 against the Miami Dolphins, gaining 95 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns.

The Bills elevated Frank Gore Jr. from the practice squad and he is expected to see the first game action of his NFL career. He is the son of longtime running back Frank Gore, who played for both the Bills and the Jets late in his career.

Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley (toe), who hasn’t played since Week 2, is active.

–Field Level Media

Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) is tackled by Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Ventrell Miller (51) in the third quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Bills coach: RB James Cook (toe) to be questionable vs. Jets

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook will be a limited participant in practice on Saturday and listed as questionable for Monday’s game versus the host New York Jets with a toe injury, coach Sean McDermott said.

Cook sustained the injury during the Bills’ 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans last Sunday. The Pro Bowl running back did not participate in practice on either Thursday and Friday.

Cook, 25, leads the team with 432 scrimmage yards (309 rushing, 123 receiving) and five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving). His four rushing scores matched his sum total from the previous two campaigns.

Per McDermott, leading wide receiver Khalil Shakir (ankle), defensive tackle Austin Johnson (oblique) and nickel cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) also were expected to be limited in practice on Saturday and listed as questionable for the game.

–Field Level Media

Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) runs for a touchdown past Miami Dolphins safety Jevon Holland (8) during the first half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

James Cook scores 3 TDs as Bills blow out Dolphins

James Cook tallied three touchdowns, Ja’Marcus Ingram grabbed the first two interceptions of his career and the Buffalo Bills trounced the Miami Dolphins 31-10 on Thursday in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was intercepted three times, including a pick-6 by Ingram that blew the game open early in the third quarter. Tagovailoa later sustained a concussion when he collided with Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin and left the game under his own power.

Skylar Thompson finished out the game at quarterback for Miami. De’Von Achane led the Dolphins with 96 rushing yards on 22 carries, seven catches for 69 yards, and a receiving score.

Cook — who had two rushing touchdowns all of last season — ran for two scores Thursday while gaining 78 yards on the ground for the Bills (2-0). Josh Allen completed an efficient 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards and one TD — also scored by Cook.

Buffalo defeated Miami (1-1) for the 12th time in their past 13 meetings (regular season and playoffs).

On Miami’s first possession of the second half, Tagovailoa was under duress and tried to throw a pass out of bounds, but it didn’t reach the far sideline and Ingram fielded it for an easy 31-yard pick-6.

Tagovailoa guided the Dolphins downfield on the next possession, and facing fourth-and-4 at the Buffalo 13, the quarterback scrambled up the middle for 6 yards. Instead of sliding, however, he stumbled headfirst into Hamlin’s arm and stayed on the ground. Tagovailoa, who has a history of concussions, was attended to by coaches and trainers before walking to the locker room.

Tagovailoa finished 17-for-25 passing for 145 yards and one touchdown.

Buffalo kept Miami out of the end zone when Von Miller sacked Thompson on fourth-and-goal. The Dolphins turned the ball over on downs twice more as the game wound down.

Tagovailoa’s first interception came on the opening drive, as his pass bounced off his intended target and into the hands of Ingram. Six plays later, on fourth-and-3, Allen hit Cook for a 17-yard catch-and-run touchdown.

Miami responded by driving 70 yards in 10 plays, and Tagovailoa found Achane for a 5-yard touchdown to tie it.

Tagovailoa’s second pick was badly overthrown, straight to cornerback Christian Benford on the Dolphins’ next possession. That led to Tyler Bass’ 43-yard field goal for a 10-7 Buffalo lead with 12:41 left in the half.

Later, Allen extended a play by scrambling right and tossed a 33-yard pass to running back Ty Johnson, who went down at the Miami 1. On the next play, Cook scored up the middle, and the extra point made it 17-7.

The Dolphins tried to convert a fourth-and-2 near midfield, but Ed Oliver swallowed up Tagovailoa with 3:45 left in the half. On the next play, Cook sprinted away for a 49-yard score.

The Dolphins only managed a 34-yard Jason Sanders field goal before halftime, making it 24-10.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook (4) takes a hand off from quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) during the third quarter in a game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia’s 10-0 run delivers flashbacks of 1982

Herschel Walker was running through defenses instead of a Senate race.

Ronald Reagan was in the White House, moviegoers flocked to see “E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial” and “Rocky 3,” while radio stations blasted Olivia Newton-John’s “Physical” and Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger.”

“Dallas,” “Magnum, P.I.” and “Dynasty” were must-see TV, a gallon of gas cost around $1.22 and millions throughout the world couldn’t wait to get their hands on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album.

It was 1982, a year Georgia fans have heard a lot about lately, considering it was the last time the Bulldogs went undefeated in Southeastern Conference play before their 39-year wait ended on Saturday.

Top-ranked Georgia’s 41-17 victory at Tennessee pushed the Bulldogs’ record to 10-0 overall and 8-0 in SEC play, with just two nonconference games remaining — home against Charleston Southern on Saturday and at Georgia Tech a week later.

Georgia’s 1982 season ended in the Sugar Bowl, where the top-ranked Bulldogs lost to No. 2 Penn State, 27-23, enabling the Nittany Lions to win the national championship.

All these years later, the championship-game pairing is decided in a four-team playoff, and technically, another conference matchup awaits after the regular season in the SEC title game.

This year’s Bulldogs won their fourth SEC East Division title in the past five seasons and will play the yet-to-be-determined SEC West champion, which is expected to be No. 2 Alabama (9-1, 5-1), on Dec. 4 at Atlanta.

“That was one of the main goals to win the SEC East, coming in winning all the SEC games,” offensive lineman Justin Shaffer said. “Just taking each goal and accomplishing each goal week-to-week is all we can do.”

The Bulldogs haven’t been to the College Football Playoff since the end of the 2017 season, when they lost to Alabama in overtime in the national championship game.

But Georgia isn’t focused on the past. The Bulldogs are focused on getting better, beginning on Saturday against Football Championship Subdivision squad Charleston Southern (4-5) on Georgia’s Senior Day.

“I don’t need to worry about that with these guys. I really don’t,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “This group’s got great leadership. It’s an opportunity to honor the seniors. You get an opportunity to honor this group, it’s what you do, man. They’ve sold this program on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, you earn what you get on Saturday. And that opponent is nameless, faceless — doesn’t matter. It’s what you do.”

Georgia’s defense wasn’t as suffocating against Tennessee (5-5, 3-4) as it has been all season, but the Bulldogs easily took the air out of the Volunteers, who had been averaging 38.2 points per game.

After Tennessee produced a touchdown and a field goal on its first three drives, the Bulldogs dominated the Volunteers, posting six sacks and two turnovers and yielding just seven points in the final three quarters.

That was more than enough for Georgia’s offense, which turned into the “James Cook Show.” The younger brother of Minnesota Vikings’ running back Dalvin Cook made a name for himself on a national stage by scoring three touchdowns to power an offense that amassed 487 yards.

Cook scored on runs of 39 and 5 yards and caught a 23-yard touchdown pass to finish with 104 rushing yards on 10 carries and three receptions for 43 yards.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett went 17-for-29 passing for 213 yards and a touchdown, in addition to running for 40 yards and a touchdown on eight carries. He spread the ball around, completing passes to nine different receivers, led by Adonai Mitchell’s five catches for 65 yards.

Georgia’s defense through 10 games has rivaled any unit that has ever played. The Bulldogs have given up 76 points — 7.6 per game — which is 70 points fewer than the Wisconsin Badgers, who are ranked second nationally having allowed 146 points (14.6 per game).

The Bulldogs are ranked second nationally in total defense (247.3 yards per game), rushing defense (78.1 yards) and red zone defense (57.1 percent), are tied for second in first downs allowed (141) and are sixth in passing defense (164.4 yards).

“The toughest thing is just the personnel,” Tennessee coach Josh Heupel said after the game. “Their front seven personnel is really good. They rotate guys in. There’s no drop off from one to the next guy that is coming in.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 12, 2020; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back James Cook (4) runs for a touchdown against Missouri Tigers defensive lineman Trajan Jeffcoat (18) during the first half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Report: Georgia RB Cook to miss Peach Bowl after father’s death

Georgia running back James Cook is expected to miss the upcoming Peach Bowl after his father passed away unexpectedly Tuesday, Saturday Down South reported.

Cook and his brother, Dalvin Cook of the Minnesota Vikings, planned to return home to Miami after learning that their father — also named James — died at the age of 46. The elder Cook reportedly had been suffering from complications of diabetes.

The ninth-ranked Bulldogs (7-2) are facing No. 8 Cincinnati (9-0) in the Peach Bowl on Friday.

Cook, a junior, is second on the team in carries (45), rushing yards (303) and rushing touchdowns (three). He ranks fourth on the team in catches (16), receiving yards (225) and receiving scores (two).

–Field Level Media