The Buffalo Bills are the only other team with the Philadelphia Eagles, that have won all four games of the season. Rushing is the highlight of the Bills’ game, with the highest catches (133), rushing yards (654), and touchdowns (9). But their coach, offensive coordinator Joe Brady, has bigger plans to execute.

Speaking to the media on September 29, the Bills’ OC revealed his strategy for their ace RB James Cook. He said, “The way James is playing right now, he’s playing at such a high level. But the reality is, we want him playing in January and February too, so I gotta be smart. That’s not to say he can’t do it, but we have too good of a running back room for him to be the only one tilting the rock.” That’s a problem of plenty.

Cook is the best rusher Josh Allen has. In 4 games, he has 75 rushes for 401 yards and 5 touchdowns. After him, the quarterback himself has rushed for the most yards, with 31 attempts for 159 yards and 3 TDs. Yet overall, they have managed to win the games in crucial moments. It happened in the season opener against the Ravens when they closed the 15-point gap in the last 12 minutes to win the game by 41-40. That was magical.

Cook is indeed on pace for Offensive Player of the Year consideration based on his current production. Brady’s suggestion that they will begin prioritizing other running backs could impact Cook’s numbers as the season progresses and opponents adjust their game plans. The counterargument raises a valid point – why alter a successful formula when the offense is clicking? Buffalo faces a strategic tension between maintaining its effective rushing attack and potentially needing to evolve before opponents or injuries force it to adapt.

Defenses will inevitably adjust regardless of whether Buffalo changes its approach. The question becomes whether the Bills proactively diversify their offensive attack or wait until opponents take away the run and force them to adapt reactively. While Cook’s individual statistics might decline if teams stack the box, a balanced offensive approach could actually benefit the team’s overall success even if it doesn’t maximize Cook’s personal accolades.

However, they also have capable RBs in Ty Johnson and Ray Davis. And the Bills want to give exposure to their second-string running backs, as well. Davis has 11 rushes for 29 yards this season, while Johnson has rushed the ball 8 times for 43 yards. And it is only good for them that Brady is paying attention to January in September. They were just 1 game away from the Super Bowl. In 2025, they want to go all-in.

Talking about his game plan, Brady further added, “I trust Ray Davis and Ty Johnson out there, that they should be getting some carries out there too. And so it’s finding that fine line, and we’ll figure that out. And it’s only gonna benefit us in the long run.”

The coaching staff must weigh individual statistics against team effectiveness, recognizing that sustainable success often requires staying ahead of defensive adjustments rather than riding one approach until opponents neutralize it.

Clearly, Josh Allen has the upper hand here, with such a determined OC running the offense. Still, there’s a lot to be done.

Josh Allen wants his offense to fire more

Although the Bills came in week 4 with a 3-0 perfect record, the NO Saints did scare them in the 4th quarter. At the 8:53 mark, they scored a field goal to take the score to 19-21. Josh Allen rallied 10 points in the final 8 minutes, one touchdown by Dalton Kincaid, and another field goal by Matt Prater.

On Sunday night, Buffalo’s offense went ice cold in the second quarter after hot starts on its opening two possessions. The Bills managed minus-6 yards combined on their next three drives, resulting in two punts and Josh Allen’s first interception of the season. New Orleans couldn’t exploit Buffalo’s struggles, settling for just a field goal during the offensive drought.

The offense disappointed Mr January after the game. He made a strong demand of his players and said, “We want to go out there and score on every single drive. Any time we stall or turn the ball over or punt for that matter, we feel like it’s a disappointment.” That’s right.

While the Bills escaped against a struggling Saints team, similar offensive droughts against playoff-caliber competition could prove costly. The inconsistency validates concerns about offensive predictability and the need for Buffalo to develop more reliable rhythm when their initial game plan stalls.

Their rushing game has kept them unbeaten; the receivers also need to fire if they really want to keep up. After 4 weeks, they are 7th in the league with 86 receptions for 996 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns. Even in that, they logged 1 receiving fumble. While these things might not bother Joe Brady now, that becomes the difference when the playoff pressure tries to crumble the players.

Josh Allen has been there. He has seen his offense fail against the Chiefs time and again. And he wants to prepare with a bigger goal in mind.