Bills HC ‘very impressed’ by powerful rookie RB: ‘You could feel him’

Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott was complimentary of rookie running back Ray Davis after the team's preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Some of the most fun running backs in the history of the NFL are those who have a palpable, almost visceral impact on the game—you can feel when they have the ball.

We’re not implying that Buffalo Bills rookie Ray Davis is on track to being one of the NFL’s most ‘fun’ rushers after just his second career game, but his performance in the team’s Week 2 preseason win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was certainly exciting to watch. He displayed excellent decisiveness, agility, burst, and power as he racked up 58 yards on eight carries, bouncing back behind improved offensive line play after a preseason debut in which he tallied just two yards on five carries.

The best play of Davis’ generally strong night came in the third quarter when he broke off a 19-yard run on what would prove to be his final carry of the night. He doesn’t necessarily have breakaway speed, but his otherwise robust repertoire oft-puts him in positions to make plays; he, against Pittsburgh, showed that he’s capable of being a more than reliable rotational back, a perfect complement to reigning Pro Bowler James Cook.

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Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott was pleased with what he saw from the rookie in the win, offering significant praise about the play of the running back and offensive line in his postgame press conference.

“Very impressed,” McDermott said. “You could feel him. On TV, it was different. Offensive line was coming off the ball and Ray was making some big-time runs. They were physical. He was physical and almost looking for contact, squaring his pads up to the line of scrimmage. I respect that.”

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Davis entered his debut training camp in line to compete with the returning Ty Johnson for the team’s No. 2 running back role, and while the rookie showed flashes of promise throughout the initial practice sessions of training camp, he was plagued by ball security issues. Davis, however, seems to have mitigated this concern in recent weeks, something that has allowed him to cement himself in the complementary back role as Johnson has been forced to miss a few practices with an injury.

Davis, a 24-year-old who rushed for 3,626 yards and 29 touchdowns throughout his productive collegiate career, was drafted, in part, due to the expectation that he would be able to contribute straight away. He showed indiciation that he’ll be able to do so in Buffalo’s win over Pittsburgh, and he’ll attempt to carry this excellence over into the team’s preseason finale and regular season.

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