ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Year in and year out, everyone at One Bills Drive preaches playing their best football in the winter months of December and January. For the second year in a row, and in just the second year of his NFL career, wide receiver Gabriel Davis got the memo.
The UCF product picked up his first multi-touchdown game as a pro in the Bills' 31-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. Without veteran wideout Emmanuel Sanders in the lineup due to a knee injury, Davis stepped up with five receptions to tie his season high, 85 yards, and two late scores to seal the deal on the win.
"They end up just turning my way. It's as simple as that," Davis said. "When it comes to practicing with Josh a lot, you know, I just try to show him that he can trust me in certain situations. And that's what I try to do each and every week throughout the week."
Allen's trust in Davis was evident on their first connection for a score. The dart to the back of the end zone was into the middle of three Panthers defenders. As the window was closing, Davis managed to get his feet down and extend Buffalo's lead in the third quarter.
"He just kind of improvised that one. He switched it up a little bit," Davis said. "I was just hoping for a one-on-one throw up, and he did it. And I was able to make a play on it... I had a feeling that if he was going to put it on me, he was going to put it in the right spot because the corner was facing me."
"I got a lot of trust in him. He continues to make plays," Josh Allen said. "He's a strong, physical dude that, again, he wants it. He wants the ball. And it's good to have those type of guys."
Davis has been waiting in the wings while the Bills' trio of experienced receivers have operated with a majority of the snaps. The second-year man knows all three of their specific receiver spots so he can be the first one in if anything were to happen to either of them. That work has gotten noticed around One Bills Drive.
"Tremendous. It was another game where he showed up and was productive for us. I love his mindset," head coach Sean McDermott said. "Mentally, he was working while he was waiting and today I think you saw it again where he produced for us and he made some big plays."
Even when the ball doesn't go Davis's way, his willingness to get his hands dirty can open up opportunities. The second of his two scores was much easier to convert than the first. Davis was wide open after originally faking that he would stay in line to block.
"Late leak, and then with Josh rolling out, he's got a couple options," Davis said. "It feels great. All of us spend a lot of time in the offseason to be able to get on the field and have an opportunity to show, you know, the fans and the world what we do. And just being able to have the opportunity to go out there and do that is special."
In the month of December, Davis has more touchdowns (four) than the rest of the season prior (two in 10 games played). He'll have a chance to extend his touchdown streak to four games when the Bills travel to Foxboro next Sunday for a 1:00 date with the New England Patriots.
