Bills RB James Cook gets pulled by the hair en route to 41-yard TD

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  • Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNDecember 15, 2024, 6:27 PM ET

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      Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer covering the Buffalo Bills and the NFL. She joined ESPN in 2021. Alaina was previously a beat reporter for the Charlotte Observer and has also worked for CBS Sports and the Dallas Morning News. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her on Twitter @agetzenberg.

DETROIT — The Buffalo Bills came out of halftime with a lead and the ball. Less than two minutes later, the Bills offense extended its lead over the Detroit Lions to 14 thanks to a 41-yard rushing touchdown by James Cook.

The touchdown came on the fourth play of the drive — which included a 19-yard pass to running back Ty Johnson that brought him to 114 receiving yards on the day, the most by a Bills running back in a game since 1981 (Joe Cribbs , 163).

Cook’s touchdown came on second and 4 from the Lions’ 41. Cook completed the scoring despite safety Kerby Joseph grabbing some of his hair as he tried to bring the rusher to the ground.

The score was Cook’s second of the day — the same number of rushing touchdowns he had in each of his first two seasons — and his 13th rushing touchdown of the year. It was Cook’s third rushing touchdown of 40-plus yards, the most in a season by a Bills player since OJ Simpson in 1976.

This is the fourth game in Bills history with multiple players with at least two rushing touchdowns and the first such game since Week 17 of 2021.