While quarterback Josh Allen went 22 for 28 with 213 passing yards and three scores to secure the win for the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, two other players helped Allen obtain their "everybody eats" philosophy.
Both linebacker Terrel Bernard and running back James Cook brought their A-games to the field. They were on point throughout the night, helping the Bills to score 31 points, bringing the team to a second straight season of scoring 30 or more points in their first three starts.
Let's take a closer look at how these two incrediable players helped the Bills win their last ten home games.
What will both Bernard and Cook keep contributing to this team moving forward?
How Bernard contributed?
When the defense needed a big play late in the game, Bernard jumped in front of the Tua Tagovailoa pass and picked it off for a 24-yard return, taking more time off the clock. The former Baylor product ate all night, making seven tackles, one for a loss, and a pass batted against the Miami Dolphins.
Not only did his interception of Tua save a potential game-tying touchdown, but he also returned it to shed time off the game clock, which allowed the Bills' offense to run out the rest of it to kick a game-sealing field goal by kicker Matt Prater.
Bernard is living up to the $50 million extension he signed back in March. He's worked well with the rest of the defense to make them a gritty unit to play against.
Let James Cook
Cook continues to show why he was worth his 4-year, $48 million payday this offseason as one of the premier backs in the NFL today. He is slowly seeing his touches increase as he ran for 108 yards on 19 carries, including a glamorous 26-yarder.
He could be improving his catching abilities to complement having more and more carries each contest. Still, Cook has now gained a total of 284 rushing yards and four touchdowns in three games.
Now that he's earned his money, it's a great sign to see that he's earning more reps on the field than he did in the first three years as the starting back. With that comes maturity and responsibility, which he has been taking pretty well.
It is impressive to see the Bills getting more reliant on heavy sets to allow Cook to run the ball with the speed and power he has for a 5-foot-11-inch, 190-pound back. Let's see if the Bills stick with these sets next week against a New Orleans Saints defense that struggles to get off the field.
This game against the Dolphins marked Cook's 7th consecutive regular season game with a rushing touchdown, and it appears that nothing is going to stop him from continuing to reach new heights.