Bills Legend Thurman Thomas on RB James Cook: 'This is It!'

Buffalo Bills Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas seems convinced that James Cook is fit to be the team's bell-cow running back this season.

Having won their two games by four and two points over 0-2 teams, the Washington Commanders enter Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills as perhaps one of the NFL's most overrated teams. According to a Bills legend, Buffalo comes into the contest with one of the league's most underrated running backs.

James Cook is getting mixed reviews about his performance so far. He was stymied in the season-opening loss to the New York Jets, gaining only 46 yards on 12 carries. But in last week's romp over the Las Vegas Raiders, he exploded for 123 yards on 17 rushes and caught four passes for another 36 yards.

Cook is fifth in the NFL with 169 yards and seventh with yards-per-carry average of 5.8. 

While Bills Mafia may still be undecided if Cook is the permanent replacement for Devin Singletary, he might have already won over Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas.

"I just love the fact that he was there, got over 100 yards, and really came out," Thomas said on this week's episode of One Bills Live. "He snapped off a big run and I was like, 'This is it!'."

Hall of Famer @thurmanthomas shared his thoughts on the success of the run game with James Cook in last Sunday's win over the Raiders🔊⬇️ pic.twitter.com/7tFFZaRUwO

— One Bills Live (@OneBillsLive) September 20, 2023

Cook has a ways to go before he's the elite dual-threat that Thomas was in helping lead the Bills to four consecutive Super Bowls in the 1990s. But have him as a consistent threat in the running game will at least take pressure off quarterback Josh Allen and his aggressive DNA that sometimes forces him to make plays in the passing game that aren't there to be made.

If the weather in Washington Sunday is as wet as predicted, Cook and Buffalo's running game will likely be even more important.