Cook 216 Yards, Bills Rout Panthers 40-9

The Buffalo Bills returned from their bye with a dominant 40-9 road win over the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, powered by James Cook’s career-high 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Cook averaged over 11 yards per carry, sat out the fourth quarter, and the Bills finished with 245 rushing yards as a team — the most by a Bills back since O.J. Simpson. Josh Allen accounted for three touchdowns and extended his NFL record to 46 games with both a passing and rushing TD, though the passing game otherwise sputtered early as he was 6-of-13 for 66 first-half yards. Buffalo’s defense forced three turnovers and recorded seven sacks on Panthers starter Andy Dalton, creating short fields and building a 40-3 lead by the third quarter. The Bills lost defensive tackle Ed Oliver to a biceps injury that clouds his short-term availability, and concerns remain about passing-game cohesion and play-calling as trade-deadline and roster questions linger.