The Buffalo Bills are reaching near desperation levels with their downfield passing game. Against the Cleveland Browns last Sunday, Josh Allen threw for just 130 yards. It’s not overly surprising given the stature of the Browns’ pass defense, spearheaded by an NFL-record seeking Myles Garrett.
Thankfully, Garrett came up short in his pursuit to sack Allen at least 1.5 times, but despite the Bills’ offense winning that battle, Bills Mafia is still reeling from the frustrations of the passing game. Once again, Allen’s options were limited as only Khalil Shakir got more than two targets in the game.
Even worse, players with limited opportunities squandered them, including veteran wideout Brandin Cooks, who dropped his lone target in the game.
Buffalo Bills mid-season gamble on Brandin Cooks quickly unraveling
Since catching a 13-yard pass on his first snap as a Bill against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cooks has yet to haul in another on four targets over the past two games. General manager Brandon Beane signed Cooks to a cheap, one-year, $1.255 million contract two days before Thanksgiving, hoping that the 32-year-old could open up the passing game some, but that hasn’t been the case.
After back-to-back weeks with frustrating drops and three-straight weeks of absent production, it appears that Beane and the Bills missed the mark on Cooks. It’s frustrating for Bills fans, too, because Cooks was at least somewhat productive in his second stint with the New Orleans Saints to start the season, catching 19 passes for 165 yards in 10 games.
The frustrations only compound when looking at the rest of the wide receiver room, too. In Week 16, Keon Coleman was a healthy scratch, benched in favor of Mecole Hardman, who didn’t receive a target. Gabe Davis, another mid-season signing, was a healthy scratch. Josh Palmer, the big free agent acquisition last offseason, had one catch for two yards against the Browns.
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Granted, the Bills are finding their footing with the ground game, and knew that was the best path to victory in Cleveland. Buffalo has attempted more runs than passes in each of their last four games, all wins. On the season, the Bills are 8-0 when they run more than they pass, so they’re clearly capable of surviving their issues in the passing game.
But that doesn’t mean Cooks can survive his total lapse in production. If he can’t contribute to the passing game any more than he has in these four games, he shouldn’t be active over Coleman, Hardman, or Davis going forward. And if he can’t be active over those three, the roster spot should probably be opened up for someone else entirely.