The Buffalo Bills set to face off against a Denver Broncos team that can cause some problems for the Bills, particularly the Broncos' defense. There are some key pieces that can help the Bills slow down this aggressive defense.
One of those pieces is the running back room. That starts first and foremost with James Cook. Cook has elevated his game from year two, to year three, demonstrating not just speed and agility, but also his vision and having more power. This change has helped him to be more of a red-zone and goal-line running back.
The Bills have used all three running backs very well this year, and they are a big part to the Bills' offensive success. Not just as runners, but all three backs are capable pass-catchers. They will need to utilize them more so in the passing game this week.
The Broncos are susceptible to being taken advantage of by running backs in the passing game. That's where the Broncos' one weakness seems to be is their linebackers and in general with how much the Broncos like to blitz the quarterback. Cook and the rest of the running backs should take advantage of those mismatches. This could also be a big game for Ty Johnson as well in the passing game.
As for the actual running game, I don't see the running backs having much production altogether. The Broncos are very good at stopping the run, and that begins with their defensive line including Zach Allen, D.J. Jones, Nik Bonitto, and Jonathon Cooper. The Broncos' rush defense is ranked 3rd in the league against stopping the run, only behind the Ravens and the Vikings. They allow 96.4 rush yards per game and have given up 10 touchdowns.
Hopefully Cook and the rest of the room can break through for some big yards and prove this prediction wrong. Of course, Josh Allen could most definitely lead the team in rushing, so having little production from the running backs may not stall the offense too badly. Also, let's hope for Cook that it's not a repeat of the last time the Bills faced the Broncos, where Cook fumbled on the first snap of the game.