Getty John Brown points to the sky after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins.
As scary as the Buffalo Bills receiving corps has been over the past few weeks, they could be getting even scarier in the coming weeks.
On Monday, Sean McDermott revealed that after a three-week stint on the injured reserve, wide receiver John Brown would be returning to practice this week. He didn’t say whether or not Brown would play in Saturday’s matchup against the Denver Broncos, but Brown returning to the mix in any capacity is a good sign for the Bills.
“He will practice this week and we’ll see how it goes,” McDermott said during Monday’s video conference call.
Brown has been in and out of the lineup this season with different injuries but when he has been in the lineup the Bills offense normally takes another step forward. He adds another weapon to the mix, opposite of Stefon Diggs, and gives Josh Allen another guy that can take the top off of defenses.
He hasn’t recorded over 100 receiving yards in a game this season but he did catch eight passes for 99 yards against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9. He also caught six passes for 72 yards against the Arizona Cardinals before injuring his ankle/knee and being placed on the injured reserve.
So far through this season, Brown has caught 29 passes for 386 yards and two touchdowns. He’s also garnered 48 targets from Bills quarterback Josh Allen. He’s averaged 48.3 yards per game so far this season.
Follow the Heavy on Bills Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors, and content!
John Brown Had a Career Year in 2019
Although Brown has been riddled with injuries this season, he showed his ability to produce last season as the No. 1 receiver for Allen and the Bills.
In the top role last season, Brown caught 72 passes on 115 targets for 1,060 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 70.7 yards per game last season and netted a career-high in receiving yards.
Fellow receivers Stefon Diggs and Cole Beasley have also set career-highs for receiving yards this season.
With his 10 catch, 130-yard performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, Diggs set a new career-high of 1,167 yards. It was also his third straight season with 1,000-plus receiving yards. Beasley also has a new career-high in receiving yards with 838 yards.
Diggs’ presence in Buffalo has brought a lot to the Bills. It’s brought another voice in the receiver room and another weapon on the field, but it’s also brought in another guy opposite of Brown. Both receivers can take the top off of defenses and when Brown has been healthy this season he’s been able to thrive.
He scored touchdowns in his first two games of the season and record 152 receiving yards between both games.
Gabe Davis Has Stepped Up In Brown’s Absence
Since Brown was placed on the injured reserve ahead of Buffalo’s matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, Davis has stepped up to play a significant role in Buffalo’s offense. In the past three games, he’s registered 166 receiving yards and has scored a touchdown in each game.
We’re cookin’!
Although he’s had limited opportunities this season, Davis has caught 28 passes for 441 yards and a team-high six touchdowns. In key moments this season, Davis has come up big for the Bills and it goes back to his preparation, which is what has impressed his quarterback the most.
“The way that he approaches the game, it’s not rookie like and it’s not that deep in the draft rookie like,” Allen said during a video conference call after the game on Sunday. “He’s the ultimate team player. He’s asked to block, he’s asked to run routes where he knows he’s not going to get the ball. Al he does is he does his job. So, as a quarterback, to have a guy who consistently does his job and doesn’t complain it’s awesome.”
When Brown fully returns, Allen will have another weapon at his disposal and the Bills offense could be even scarier than what it is right now as they’ve scored 27.6 points per game this season.
READ NEXT