Getty Gabriel Davis celebrates a touchdown in a preseason game.
Just days after Gabriel Davis turned in a big performance in a 23-16 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Buffalo Bills wide receiver was forced to hit the sidelines.
Davis was listed on the injury report this week, missing Wednesday’s practice with what was deemed a lower-body injury. It was not yet clear whether he could be in danger of missing Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins, but the injury could potentially sideline one of the team’s most promising younger pass-catchers.
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Davis Stood Out Against Steelers
As the team’s official website noted, the second-year wide receiver was among a few others at his position group to be impacted this week. The report noted that fellow wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie, who briefly left Sunday’s game after suffering a shoulder injury on a punt return but ultimately returned, was also limited at practice. Receiver Cole Beasley also missed practice, but he and defensive end Mario Addison were listed as having veteran rest days.
Davis had a strong performance against the Steelers in more limited appearances. Though he had just five targets — tied for running back Devin Singletary for fourth on the team — Davis made two big catches. He hauled in a three-yard touchdown just before halftime to give the Bills a 10-0 lead, and in the second half. Davis was the key to the team’s only touchdown drive, hauling in a 37-yard pass for the longest play for the Bills offense on the day.
First touchdown of the season‼️
📺: CBS | #BillsMafia
After a strong rookie season in which he caught 35 passes for 599 yards and seven touchdowns, Davis earned praise for starting out strong in his second year.
“I know there wasn’t a ton to feel good about in yesterday’s game, but I continue to be excited for what the #Bills have found in Gabriel Davis,” tweeted Bradley Gelber of USA Today’s Bills Wire. “Think he can really be a X factor for this offense now and sky is the limit in the future. Just keeps getting better.”
Bills Offense Struggled
While Davis may have been a bright point, Sunday’s loss to the Steelers was a forgettable game for the Bills offense. The offensive line struggled to contain Pittsburgh’s strong pass rush, committing a number of holding penalties while still allowing 19 pressures on Allen.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said there could be changes to the offensive line for next week’s game against the Dolphins, but wouldn’t offer any specifics.
“We’ll see, we’re going through it,” McDermott during a video conference. “That’s true every week, though. We want to compete during the week, see where we’re at.”
Wide receiver Stefon Diggs agreed that the team needs to perform better. Diggs, who made nine catches for 69 yards against the Steelers, said the team needs to bounce back in the AFC East showdown against the Dolphins.
“We just got to execute at a higher level,” Diggs said, via the team’s website. “We did some things well; we didn’t do some things well. When you watch the tape it’s never as bad as it seems and it’s never as good as it seems.”
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