The Buffalo Bills rolled through the Denver Broncos in the wild-card round of the playoffs, but may have suffered a key loss in the meantime.
Rookie running back Ray Davis was knocked out of the 31-7 win after taking a hard hit to the head in the third quarter. The hit drew a 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness, but Davis was unable to return and now could be at risk of missing the team’s divisional-round game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Ray Davis Remains in Concussion Protocol
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Bills head coach Sean McDermott announced that Davis had not yet cleared the league-mandated concussion protocol.
McDermott did say that Davis appeared upbeat at the team’s facility, but could not say whether he might play on Sunday.
“I passed (Davis) in the hallway today. Had a chance to catch up with him and reached out to him and connected with him last night,” McDermott said. “From a human standpoint, he seemed to be in a decent spot. The medical piece, all I really know right now is he’s in the protocol.”
Davis has been a productive addition to Buffalo’s backfield, rushing for 442 yards with three touchdowns and adding 17 receptions for 189 yards and another three receiving touchdowns. He ran one time for three yards in the win over the Broncos.
The Bills focused on their rushing game against the aggressive Broncos defense, with James Cook taking 23 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown.
Bills Ready for Challenge
The Bills will have the chance to avenge their worst loss of the season, a 35-10 blowout to the Ravens in September. Running back Derrick Henry had 199 rushing yards and a touchdown in the game while the Ravens defense hounded quarterback Josh Allen.
Speaking to reporters after Sunday’s win, McDermott said it should be a good matchup between two of the league’s best teams.
“This is what everyone’s been waiting for, right?” McDermott said. “So it’ll be a nice week and everyone will be looking forward to it, and they’re a great football team. I mean they handled us pretty good the first go around and they’re certainly playing well.”
Bills tackle Dion Dawkins, the team’s longest-tenured player on offense, added that he’s excited for the chance for a rematch against the Ravens.
“I’ma enjoy the win first, but I love playing good on good football,” Dawkins said. “We have a lot of competitors on our team, and when juggernauts come into town or when we go to their spot, the intensity is up. And I love it. I love when the intensity is high, but we’ll see ’em in a week. They’re a good team and we look forward to it.”
The Bills are also nursing some other injuries, with offensive lineman Alec Anderson being listed as day-to-day with a calf injury. Return specialist Brandon Codrington, who missed Sunday’s win over the Broncos with a hamstring injury, is also improving. It is not clear if he will be on track to return for next week’s game against the Ravens, however.
Comments
Bills Announcement Could Bring Bad News for Playoff Game