One of the biggest talking points surrounding the Bills' up-and-down 2025 season has been the lack of game-changing weapons Josh Allen has to work with. While to some that's a valid complaint, others believe it's a cop-out, especially to Patriots fans, who know all too well that Tom Brady rarely had a legitimate WR1 to work with during his career.
Regardless, that was something the Bills hoped to address this offseason, but didn't accomplish it in the way they hoped. They had already lost Stefon Diggs, and then Mack Hollins left in free agency, forcing them to look for leftover free agents to bring in.
That ultimately led them to sign Brandin Cooks in recent weeks, as the veteran receiver asked for his release from the Saints after a disappointing year, and is on par to make his debut against the Patriots this Sunday.
Given his explosive nature and the Patriots' familiarity with the kind of receiver that he is, he will certainly give their secondary a tough time in this game. And it doesn't help to hear that Allen is hyping him up in the days beforehand.
Brandin Cooks could create a lot of problems for the Patriots' defense
As the latest player for the quarterback to work with, reporters were quick to ask for an update on how Cooks was assimilating to the Bills since joining the team a few weeks ago, and Allen couldn't help but gush about how good he's already been and how confident he is that he will be a good addition to the offense.
That spells trouble for the Patriots.
“Yeah, I think we’re in a really good spot. He works his tail off at practice, and he’s obviously been around the league for a very long time. He’s been a true professional.
He’s always in the wide receiver room, in the playbook, and then when we come out to practice, he’s freaking flying around. So, I feel very, very good, and I think comfort (will) just going to continue to grow.”
Despite spending time on five different teams during his career, Cooks has always been a sneaky good player who didn't get the attention he deserved. He recorded four straight seasons of 1,000+ receiving yards, one of which was with the Patriots, and still plays at a high level in his 12th season.
The Bills hope to get that out of him for the rest of the 2025 season and potentially more, starting with the Patriots on Sunday.
Considering the top pass catcher in their Week 5 matchup was tight end Dalton Kincaid with 108 yards, followed by Khalil Shakir with 45 yards, Cooks could be a massive boost to Allen's performance, and might be the difference maker to put them over the top.
That means the Patriots' secondary will have a taller task ahead of them, but they have proven they can handle exactly that over the last few weeks. They will, however, have to prepare differently for this game than they did previously, now that Cooks is on board, and can't let him take over the game and ultimately lose the battle in a division-defining moment.