Cook still had something to play for one touchdown shy of tying Simpson's record. He was given four carries inside the Patriots' 15-yard line on Buffalo's second possession, including one from the 1-yard line, but was unable to get into the end zone.

As the Bills fell to the Patriots in the regular-season finale, Cook recorded his 16th rushing touchdown of the season, which tied the single-season franchise record set by O.J. Simpson in 1975.

Cook will very likely end the 2024 season under 1,000 rushing yards as he sits on 981 currently and in Buffalo’s season finale he won’t see much, if any, playing time. Even so, he ranks second in rushing DVOA this season trailing only the Baltimore Ravens’ Derrick Henry.

James Cook has put together a huge season with the Buffalo Bills. Entering Week 18 against the New England Patriots, he had a chance to at least tie or possibly even break O.J. Simpson's franchise record for the most rushing touchdowns in a single season.

James Cook has tied the franchise record for rushing touchdowns with a 1-yard score midway through the third quarter. That gave Buffalo a 16-14 lead with 7:56 left in the period — which held as Tyler Bass missed the extra point wide right. It was Cook’s 16th rushing touchdown of the season, tying the mark set by O.J. Simpson back in 1975.

The snub came amid arguably the best season of Cook's career. Over 15 games, Cook has rushed for 981 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 5.0 yards per carry. Cook notably leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns but won't be heading to Orlando, Fla., for the league's annual showcase.

James Cook will lead the Buffalo Bills into their game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.The Bills rank ninth in total offense (365.4 yards per game) and

Lowered expectations in Buffalo following Stefon Diggs being traded to Houston in April have given way to Super Bowl aspirations with the Bills entering the playoffs following a 13-4 finish.

The Buffalo Bills capped off another 13-win regular season on Sunday, dropping a 23-16 defeat to the New England Patriots that featured little contribution from their starting unit. Losing is never the goal,

Using PFF grades from Week 18, here are the five highest-graded players from the Bills (13-4) offense against the Patriots (4-13).

On the final day of an 18-week, 17-game NFL regular season, it was easier to count the number of teams who had something to play for than those who didn’t.