By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — James Cook ran for a career-high 216 yards and two touchdowns, Josh Allen accounted for three scores and the Buffalo Bills returned from their bye with a resounding 40-9 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Allen improved to 8-0 following the bye week and established an NFL record by becoming the first player to run and throw for a touchdown in 46 games, breaking the mark previously held by former Panthers QB Cam Newton.
Allen’s 77 career rushing touchdowns (including playoff games) tied Newton for the most all-time.
Allen finished 12 of 19 for 163 yards for the Bills (5-2), including a 54-yard toss to Khalil Shakir, and ran for two short touchdowns.
Cook had touchdown runs of 64 and 21 yards, becoming the third Bills running back to run for 200 yards and two touchdowns, joining Cookie Gilchrist and O.J. Simpson. Cook, who didn’t play in the fourth quarter, did it against a defense that had allowed just 131 yards per game on the ground over the past three weeks.
Buffalo’s defense sacked Andy Dalton seven times and forced the veteran quarterback into three turnovers to open a 40-3 lead in the third quarter. Dalton, who got the start for the injured Bryce Young, finished 16 of 24 for 175 yards with two fumbles and one interception as the Panthers’ three-game winning streak came to a screeching halt.
Buffalo built a 19-3 halftime lead behind a career-high 153 yards rushing from Cook — the most in the first half by a running back since his brother Dalvin Cook ran for 153 in 2021 — and three huge mistakes by Dalton.
Dalton’s first miscue came with the Panthers deep in Buffalo territory when he to scramble and was stripped from behind by Greg Rousseau, resulting in Christian Benford’s recovery.
The Bills turned that into Matt Prater’s field goal.
A short while later Dalton threw a ill-advised screen pass directly into the arms of Bills defensive end A.J. Espenesa, who returned it to Carolina 1, setting up a QB sneak for a score by Allen.
With the Panthers (4-4) threatening to score a touchdown in the waning seconds of the first half, Dalton took a sack on third down. Without any timeouts, the Panthers rushed their field goal unit on to the field but kicker Ryan Fitzgerald wasn’t able to convert a rushed kick from 32 yards and the Panthers went into the locker room down by 16.
The Bills extended the lead to 26-3 when Khalil Shakir turned a short pass from Allen into a 54-yard TD. Khalil finished with six catches for 88 yards.
Dalton had another fumble that led to Allen’s second touchdown run of the game and fell to 1-6 as a starter for the Panthers over the past three seasons.
Injuries
Bills: Ed Oliver left the game in the first half with a biceps injury, leaving the Bills without both starting defensive tackles. DT DaQuan Jones was ruled out before the game
Panthers: The Panthers lost three starting offensive linemen during the game — RT Taylor Moton (knee), G Brady Christensen (ankle) and C Cade Mays (ankle). It’s a unit that has struggled with injuries all season and is even thinner now. LB Trevin Wallace left with a concussion in the second half and DE Derrick Brown left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee issue.
Up Next
Bills: Host Kansas City on Sunday.
Panthers: At Green Bay on Sunday.