Why Stopping James Cook Is Key to a Falcons Win on Monday Night Football

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. – When you talk about slowing down the Buffalo Bills, it starts and often ends with Josh Allen. The big-armed, bulldozer of a quarterback has been the centerpiece of Buffalo’s offense for years, and for good reason. But what has made this version of the Bills even more dangerous is the emergence of running back James Cook, a player who has added balance, burst, and unpredictability to an offense that already had plenty of ways to beat you.

So when the Atlanta Falcons take the field on Monday Night Football, they will face the kind of test that defensive coordinators lose sleep over.

“Yeah, it felt a lot better when they didn’t have an elite running back there,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said with a grin. “Because like I said, when they get everything going – when the run game’s going, then the play[-action] pass gets going, and the keepers get going. And we obviously know what [Josh Allen] can do just as a pure dropback passer. Then you mix in his special, Superman stuff, and it’s just, yeah.

“There are bags under my eyes for a reason. He’s a pain in the butt, he is. He’s a generational player. People use that term way too often, but he is that.”

For Ulbrich and his defense, this matchup is not just another primetime game. It is a litmus test, a chance to see how Atlanta’s improving defense stacks up against one of the NFL’s most complete and dynamic offenses.

“It’s cool because it’s national TV,” Ulbrich added. “It’s a great opportunity to see where we stand, to play the best offense maybe in the league, and see where we stand.”

That “best offense” label for Buffalo is not an exaggeration. They are scoring 30.6 points per game, and can beat you on the ground or through the air.

But it is when Cook gets rolling that everything else opens up, and this offense can become ruthless. He is one of the league’s top dual-threat running backs. He is capable of taking a handoff 40 yards or catching a pass and turning it into six. That balance makes the Bills a nightmare to game plan for.

Ulbrich knows it is not just about stopping the first play. Against Allen, it is about stopping the second.

“You’ve got to play two plays with this guy every single time,” Ulbrich explained. “You have to approach it like, ‘Okay, this is the initial concept. I’ve got to glove that, and now transition to plaster.’ And the rush has to go the same way. We’ve got to rush them initially: rush lanes, level the quarterback, etc., and then get ready for the chase component. It’s really preparing for two plays every single time. And if you do that, you give yourself your best opportunity to compete against these guys.”

It is that second play, the scramble drill, the off-script stuff, that defines Allen and separates him from most quarterbacks. Atlanta’s defense has been better this season at maintaining lane integrity and finishing plays, but this week will demand something closer to perfection.

One of the biggest takeaways from the Patriots’ win over Buffalo earlier this season was how they forced Allen into tight-window throws and limited Cook’s explosive runs. Falcons linebacker Kaden Elliss said that starts with trusting your corners and letting your front seven play downhill.

“[The Patriots] DBs had to stand up in man coverage, and that way the backers, safeties, and d-line can really focus on stopping the run and stopping Josh Allen,” Elliss said. “Obviously, they executed it, but the Bills still made plays. The Bills have great players at wide receiver and at tight end and at running back.”

That balance, and the willingness to challenge Allen while swarming to the ball, will define Atlanta’s defensive game plan.

Head coach Raheem Morris understands exactly what Cook brings to Buffalo’s offense. When asked about Cook’s development, Morris couldn’t help but draw parallels to his own star running back, Bijan Robinson.

“James Cook is a phenomenal back,” Morris said. “I saw him as a young player and to watch his maturity, his development as a downhill runner, as an outside runner. He’s always had speed. He’s always been fast – to watch him get incorporated into the pass game, to do different things. Very similar, like we’ve talked about with B [Bijan Robinson], has been impressive to watch. He’s a very good player. Had a brother in this league for a long time. He’s been able to absolutely come in and make his own name.”

Cook is the kind of back who can take a checkdown and turn it into a chunk play.

For the Falcons, that means tackling will have to be crisp, angles clean, and communication airtight. When they have been at their best this season, the defense has played fast and connected. That is the version they will need on Monday night.

Elliss believes that kind of consistency is close.

“We’ve had great games and we’ve had good games,” he said. “I see elite and dominant games coming our way if we can continue to work and attack the process every single week.”

That is the mindset Atlanta will carry into Monday night. Against a quarterback who thrives on improvisation and a running back who punishes hesitation, every moment will matter.

The Falcons will not need a perfect game to beat Buffalo, but they need a complete one. They must limit the big plays, win on first down, and earn the right to rush the passer.

If they can do that, under the lights on national TV, they will not just slow James Cook and Josh Allen. They could announce themselves as a defense ready to belong on that same stage.