Bills' little-known backup tackles deliver on clinching drive vs. Chiefs

The Buffalo Bills were without both starting offensive tackles at one point during a crucial fourth-quarter drive in a win over the previously-unbeaten Chiefs.

Ralph Ventre | Nov 18, 2024

Bills O'Cyrus Torrence pushes at Richard Gouraige during practice at Bills training camp. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

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The Buffalo Bills' offensive line absorbed an injury scare late in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs, but an eager Richard Gouraige was ready for it.

With starting right tackle Spencer Brown inactive due to an ankle issue, starting left tackle Dion Dawkins was shaken up on a 2nd-and-6 quarterback run play that gained four yards down to the Chiefs' 26-yard line. Dawkins, who was pulling to the right on the Josh Allen designed rush, fell to the ground at the end of the play and rolled over in pain. He eventually walked off to the sideline with 3:00 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Helped by a long television timeout, Dawkins missed only one snap, but it forced the Bills to do some temporary reshuffling while providing a milestone opportunity for Gouraige, who was making his NFL debut.

Making his first career start at right tackle in place of Brown, undrafted Ryan Van Demark flipped over to the left side as Gouraige stepped in on the right.

"Just the injuries we've been able to kind of persevere and work through," said Bills' head coach Sean McDermott following the 30-21 win. "Guys stepping in. Vandy was out there. Richard Gouraige ... that's his, I believe, first varsity snap in the NFL, and to go in there in that situation is not easy. I know he was fired up about it. He works extremely hard. It's good to see."

With Van Demark and Gouraige as the tackles for the 3rd-and-2 play, the Bills ran it up the middle with Ty Johnson for no gain. Kansas City took a timeout after the play, which likely helped Dawkins get back into the game for Allen's decisive 4th-and-2 touchdown scramble.

Van Demark, who was back at right tackle for the 26-yard touchdown run, was on field for 100 percent of Buffalo's snaps. Undrafted out of UConn, he spent the 2022 season on the Bills' Practice Squad. He made the 53-man roster in 2023 and was active for 12 games.

Gouraige, who totaled three snaps in the Week 11 win, was a gameday elevation as injury insurance. The 26-year-old is in his second season on the Practice Squad after going undrafted out of Florida in 2023.

Aug 10, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Ryan Van Demark (74) blocks Chicago Bears linebacker Micah Baskerville (47) / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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