Bills beat Panthers 40-9 behind James Cook's 216-yard rush

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — James Cook ran for a career-high 216 yards and two touchdowns and Josh Allen accounted for three scores as the Buffalo Bills returned from their bye with a 40-9 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Cook carried 19 times for 216 yards, including a 64-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter and a 21-yard touchdown in the third that helped turn a 6-3 game into a rout. Buffalo finished with 245 rushing yards, its season high, and Cook had seven runs of at least 10 yards. Allen completed 12 of 19 passes for 163 yards, including a 54-yard strike to Khalil Shakir, and also ran for two short touchdowns before the starters were removed in the fourth quarter.

The Bills built momentum off Carolina miscues. Defensive end Greg Rousseau forced a fumble when he stripped backup quarterback Andy Dalton, and cornerback Christian Benford recovered, setting up a short-yardage touchdown by Allen. Buffalo’s pass rush sacked Dalton seven times and the defense forced three turnovers, creating short fields that the Bills converted into points.

Dalton, starting for the injured Bryce Young, finished 16 of 24 for 175 yards with two fumbles and an interception. Carolina’s...