Josh Allen, James Cook III must fuel Bills to win over Eagles

The Buffalo Bills have clinched a playoff spot, as have the Philadelphia Eagles. While the Eagles have clinched the NFC East Division title, however, the Bills are still looking up at the New England Patriots in the AFC East standings.

If Buffalo win both of their remaining games and New England loses one of them, then the Bills will win the division. If not, then the Patriots will win it. That’s the easiest scenario, and the one where Buffalo has the most control, for the team to maintain the AFC East crown.

It’s never fun to need help from other clubs at this juncture, but the Bills are in better position than, say, the Baltimore Ravens. Technically, Buffalo could still be the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. They would need plenty of help for that to occur, but the most obvious part is in their control. Win the games in front of them, and they have a chance.

If the Bills are going to defeat the defending Super Bowl champions, they’ll need a big week out of their top dogs. Here are five Bills to watch on Sunday.
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QB Josh Allen

How’s the foot? Allen can tell us it’s good ‘til he’s blue in the face, but we’ll be able to tell exactly how he feels based on the play-calling for the game. Are the Bills conservative with Allen as a runner this weekend, or do they let him be himself? With a right foot injury, it could also impact the way that he throws.

Any thrower, whether we’re talking about quarterbacks, pitchers, outfielders, etc., needs a strong base in order to set up the rest of their movement. If one part of the kinesthetic chain is off, it could lead to some other issues.

Allen didn’t seem to be bothered, but there were a few bad misses that could have come because of discomfort with his base. A third-down miss to a wide-open Khalil Shakir, for example, sailed high after Allen never quite set his feet or drove through his throw. Was that because he didn’t trust David Edwards to keep a Cleveland Browns defensive lineman out of his lap, or was it because Allen was unable to set his feet as well as he’d like because he wasn’t feeling 100%?

There isn’t really any way to know, but it’s one of the main things I’m looking for with Allen this week. How does he look physically, and what does the coaching staff give him the leash to do with his legs? Those will tell me much more about how his foot hurts than Allen saying it himself.

RB James Cook

Chalk so far, right? The Bills need their quarterback to be healthy and keep the sticks moving. They also need the NFL’s leading rusher to keep up his torrid pace, which would lead him to a 1,736-rushing-yard season if he continues it.

Cook was phenomenal again last week, especially in the first half, as he racked up over 100 yards and two scores in the game’s first 30 minutes. Cleveland made some adjustments in the second half, though, and held Cook to just 17 rushing yards on seven carries after intermission.

As long as that isn’t a disturbing trend that continues into this week, we can look at it as a mere blip on the radar for what has been an incredible season for Buffalo’s RB1. The Bills will need to continue using Cook as a receiver, as well, given that he remains their most dynamic offensive weapon.

WR Brandin Cooks

Cooks and Allen have been close a few times so far, and in the last two weeks, Cooks hasn’t been able to haul in perfectly thrown deep passes from Allen. At some point, they are going to connect, and with more time on task, it becomes increasingly more likely that it happens sooner rather than later.

Buffalo is working Cooks into the offense, and Allen knows that he has a big play waiting to happen with the veteran speedster. Whether it’s a deep shot off play-action or a comeback route when Philadelphia is expecting a crosser, Cooks and Allen are going to make a play this week.

If that connection heats up in the next couple of weeks, it gives the Buffalo offense a dimension it hasn’t had all season. There’s no better time than the present, and I think Cooks’ time is now.

DT Deone Walker

The point of attack is going to decide this game. Buffalo can’t let the Eagles’ offensive line dictate play, and they can’t let Saquon Barkley gain chunks of yardage. They also can’t let Jalen Hurts be comfortable in the pocket. Quick pressure up the middle is one way to accomplish those goals.

Walker has been a revelation after the Bills took him in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he’s arguably been their best defensive tackle this season. If he can tip a pass or two at the line of scrimmage like the Bills did last week against Shedeur Sanders, it could help the team in forcing some more turnovers.

Walker also hasn’t had a sack since October 26 against the Carolina Panthers. This week would be a good time for that to change.

LB Terrel Bernard

This is going to be a game where the linebackers are tremendously important. Well, they’re important every week, to be clear, but when the opposing offense has a great runner at quarterback and one of the NFL’s best running backs, as well as a phenomenal tight end, then the linebackers will need to play their assignments perfectly in order to have a shot at victory.

Bernard has played at less than 100% all season long, and it’s shown in his play. Whereas he had been a turnover machine in his previous seasons as a starter, he’s been a tremendous liability this season, so much so that veteran linebacker Shaq Thompson, signed for depth this offseason, has been an upgrade.

Bernard needs to play to the level that earned him a four-year, $50 million contract extension in March.