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Bills quarterback Josh Allen hands the ball to running back James Cook on November 26, 2023.
The Buffalo Bills have struggled to get their passing game going at times this season, but were unstoppable on the ground in a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Cook took 19 carries for 216 yards and two touchdowns while Allen added another two rushing scores — giving the pair a place in the NFL record books while helping the Bills snap a two-game losing streak.
After Allen’s second rushing touchdown of the day, the team took to social media to announce that the score helped the pair reach an all-time NFL mark.
“Josh Allen & James Cook have joined Titans Ryan Tannehill & Derrick Henry (2 games) as the only QB/RB duos with multiple games where each had 2+ rushing TDs,” the team shared in a post on X.
The Bills had a slow start to the game, leading 6-3 until late in the second quarter. It was Cook who broke the game open, slicing through the Panthers defense for a 64-yard rushing touchdown to give the Bills a 12-3 lead. The Bills got the ball on the 1-yard line after an AJ Epenesa interception, with Allen plunging in for a touchdown.
The pair struck again in the third quarter, with Cook rushing for a 21-yard touchdown and Allen scoring on another 1-yard score a little more than three minutes later.
Allen and Cook reached the historic mark in just three quarters. With the Bills increasing their lead to 40-3, the team pulled many of its offensive starters and both Allen and Cook watched the fourth quarter from the bench.
Allen and Cook both ran for two touchdowns in last season’s 48-42 win over the Detroit Lions, one of the team’s signature wins as they handed the Lions one of their only two regular-season losses last year.
Bills Bounce Back with Key Win
The Bills had gone into Sunday’s game reeling from a two-game losing streak, a slump that dropped them out of first place in the AFC East. The team corrected many of the ongoing issues in the win over the Panthers, forcing three turnovers and sacking veteran quarterback Andy Dalton seven times.
Though it took the Bills through the first half to get their passing game going, Allen finished strong and completed 12-of-19 passes for 163 yards and one touchdown. He also avoided big mistakes, committing no turnovers and taking two sacks.
As SI.com reporter Richie Whitt noted, the win allowed the Bills to stay perfect under head coach Sean McDermott coming out of the bye week.
“Head coach Sean McDermott is no stranger to bye-week improvements, as he is 8-0 with the Bills coming out of the off week,” Whitt wrote. “Allen has never endured a three-game losing streak as Buffalo’s quarterback, going 7-0 after consecutive losses with 15 touchdowns and only two interceptions.”
The win also kept the Bills in a tight race with the Patriots in the division. The Patriots pulled away in a win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, remaining just ahead of the Bills while keeping the tiebreaker after a Week 5 win over Buffalo.
