Buffalo Bills running back James Cook has been a revelation for the Bills offense this season. When it was announced an hour and a half before kickoff that he wasn’t going to be able to go, the attention quickly turned to rookie running back Ray Davis.
With a golden opportunity in front of him to produce, Davis put together a phenomenal game, totaling 97 rushing yards and 55 receiving yards, leading the team in both rushing and receiving. He was a key focal point of the offense, and proved that he belongs. Davis’ 152 scrimmage yards is the most by a rookie in the NFL so far this season.
“It was awesome to see. That’s why we drafted him. he’s not going to surprise with the speed, but he’s just so quick in and out of his cuts, he gets downhill, his center of gravity is so low that he’s tough to bring down. He runs the ball super hard, protects the ball — very proud of him for stepping up,” quarterback Josh Allen said about Davis following the monster performance.
Early in the second quarter, after Davis came out and helped establish the line of scrimmage and the run game early, Davis flashed in a major way in the passing game. On a broken play, as Allen is so prone to do as he rolls to his right, he uncorked a deep shot to a streaking Davis, who went up and made a huge catch.
It was a tremendous play.
“I mean, our quarterback is Josh Allen. You’ve got to be ready for anything,” Davis said about the play. “That man was going out of bounds, launched a rocket, and it was just about catching it. I’ve got to make him look good. So I think it was about catching it, getting the ball down, and just getting us in the best position to go out there and score.”
“I mean, our line is, is monstrous,” Davis said when asked about how the line helped him perform. “You know, you’ve got a big, big front up there with Dion [Dawkins], Spence [Brown] Connor [McGovern], Dave [Edwards], and Cybo [O’Cyrus Torrence]. Those are guys who come to work each and every day. They put their pads on, put the hard hat on, and just go out there and play, they play their game. So it was about just making sure that I hit the right holes, I have the right patience, and then make sure, you know, I do what I do.”
Davis has proved to be a perfect fit in this team. Every opportunity he has had, he has taken it and run with it, and it’s been nothing but forward momentum. He’s a perfect complement to a healthy Cook, and proved tonight that he’s capable of shouldering the load if needed.
It was a great night from the rookie as the Bills move to 4-2 with a commanding lead in the AFC East. Finally, after a three-week road trip, the Bills can head home.