Bills must get stellar rookie RB more involved in offense

Despite the excellence of James Cook, the Buffalo Bills need to get rookie running back Ray Davis more involved in the offense.

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Buffalo Bills rookie running back Ray Davis got off to a rather pedestrian start to his professional career, totaling 75 yards on 26 attempts through his first five games, an average of just 2.88 yards per carry. He's been absolutely stellar throughout the past two weeks, however, picking up 138 yards on just 25 carries, an outstanding 5.52 yards per carry average. The bulk of this came in his breakout Week 5 performance in which he rushed for 97 yards on 20 attempts.

He's also added four receptions on four targets and 61 yards. In Sunday's 34-10 win over the Tennessee Titans, Davis had only six touches, totaling 47 total yards and a touchdown. Reigning Pro Bowler James Cook has been fantastic this season, already tying his career high in total touchdowns with six; that said, it's time Davis starts getting more touches.

Related: Bills' PFF grades in win over Titans show a tale of two games

This may come across as a bit hyperbolic, but there’s a bit of Thurman Thomas to Davis’ game. We're not implying that the rookie will construct a career similar to the former NFL MVP and Hall of Famer, but his running style is decisive with no wasted moves, his route running is smooth, and he's exceptional in the passing game. A lot of running back targets in the passing game are typically easier catches, but Davis has caught eight of his nine targets. Per PFF, his receiving grade of 78.1 is sixth among 60 qualifying backs.

Davis ultimately eating into Cook's snap share has long been viewed as a possibility, and he's quickly showing that it should be a reality. He's far more of a downhill runner, more physical, and rarely is taken backward when tackled. He's also shown to have excellent contact balance. We're not saying that Davis should be the outright primary running back, but an equal balance of Cook and Davis could result in one of the best running back duos in the league. Throw Josh Allen in that mix, and the Bills might have the best backfield in all of football.

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On a team that boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the league, just acquired a five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver, and trots out a Pro Bowler at running back, it may seem a bit counterproductive to make a case for a complementary rusher to get more touches. That said, Davis demonstrably provides a spark when given opportunities. He played on only 13 snaps against the Titans and made the most of his limited reps, with his 5.2 yards after contact average being the fifth highest amongst all running backs in Week 7. He’s proven that he should have the ball in his hands more often; he shouldn’t unequivocally usurp Cook on the depth chart, but there should be a more even distribution of snaps.

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