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          James Cook's three TDs, three Bills interceptions have Buffalo rolling

          • Alaina Getzenberg, ESPNSep 13, 2024, 02:33 AM
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              Alaina Getzenberg is a staff writer who covers 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 is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. You can follow her via Twitter @agetzenberg.

          MIAMI -- The Buffalo Bills turned defensive back Ja'Marcus Ingram's first career interception into an early lead over the Miami Dolphins on "Thursday Night Football."

          The first-quarter touchdown came on a 17-yard pass from quarterback Josh Allen to running back James Cook on fourth-and-3 after the Bills took a timeout before the play.

          The Bills used pre-snap motion to put wide receiver Curtis Samuel in the backfield behind Allen, while Cook moved from the quarterback's left to his right. Cook then ran to the left side, caught the pass wide open and ran down the sideline to the end zone.

          The play capped a six-play, 37-yard drive that came after Ingram brought the Dolphins' first drive of the game to an early end. Ingram is playing in the team's dime package, with Cam Lewis starting at nickel corner for the injured Taron Johnson (forearm).

          With the throw, Allen reached 226 career touchdown passes, passing Dan Marino and Peyton Manning (225) for the second most in a player's first seven seasons. The Bills scored a touchdown on their opening drive in just three games last season (and went 2-1 in those games).

          Cook continued to surge in the second quarter, first scoring on a 1-yard handoff from Allen to extend Buffalo's lead to 17-7 with 6:25 left in the second quarter.

          The very next time the Bills got the ball, Cook scored again to put Buffalo up 24-7 with 3:36 left in the first half. This time, Cook received the handoff, went up the middle and then was off, running down the right sideline. Former Bills safety Jordan Poyer attempted to tackle Cook as he ran down the field, but no one else came close. Cook then flipped into the end zone and threw the ball deep into the stands.

          The 49-yard touchdown was the longest rush by a Bills player since Devin Singletary had a 51-yard score against the Denver Broncos in 2020. In the first half, Cook had five carries for 60 yards and the first-quarter touchdown catch for 17 yards.

          The Bills scored points on four of the their five drives in the first half. Cook scored all three touchdowns -- two rushing and one receiving, after not scoring in the season-opening win against Arizona. His two rushing touchdowns equal his total from each of the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Cook is the third Bills player in the past 30 years to score three touchdowns in a first half, all of whom did so against the Dolphins (Lee Evans in Week 13 in 2005, Isaiah McKenzie in Week 17 in 2020).

          Buffalo kept it going in the second half thanks to Ingram. After starting the Bills off with an interception on Miami's first drive of the game, Ingram raised the stakes to start the third quarter.

          On Miami's first drive of the second half, Ingram added a pick-six. On third-and-5 from the Miami 30-yard line, Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was put under pressure quickly by Bills defensive end AJ Epenesa and moved backwards in the pocket before throwing the ball towards the left sideline.

          Ingram scooped the ball mid-stride and went up the sideline and into the end zone for a 31-yard score.

          It was the Bills' third interception of the night (cornerback Christian Benford got the other). Tagovailoa has thrown 10 interceptions against the Bills since entering the league in 2020, the most interceptions by any quarterback vs. a single opponent over that span.

          Ingram is the first Bills player with two interceptions on the road since Poyer in Week 4 of 2022 against the Ravens.