Latest news with #RayDavis
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bills RB Ray Davis makes extra point in preseason as he auditions to be emergency kicker
Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis might've moved up the depth chart. The kicker depth chart. Davis kicked the first Buffalo extra point of the preseason in the opener against the New York Giants in Orchard Park. With his mouthguard hanging from his facemask, Davis put the extra point through the middle of the uprights. Buffalo kicker Tyler Bass has missed eight straight practices with a pelvic injury. With no kicker on the roster last week, Davis filled in at the Bills' Return of the Blue & Red practice at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 1. He made 2 of 3 field goals during special teams work at practice. Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said he wanted to get a look at Davis in a game situation. "I think it's good for Ray to get a little bit as an emergency kicker during the season, to get maybe a little small warm-up or maybe an extra point," McDermott said. "See if we can score and get an extra point there for him.' Davis got a chance in the preseason game despite signing undrafted rookie Caden Davis on Friday. Caden Davis set the Ole Miss single-season scoring record with 129 points in 2024. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Running back Ray Davis makes extra point for Buffalo Bills in preseason
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Buffalo Bills sign big-legged kicker for preseason with Tyler Bass out due to injury
The Buffalo Bills don't need running back Ray Davis to kick field goals in the preseason. They have a new Davis for that. On Friday, Buffalo signed kicker Caden Davis, a 2025 undrafted free agent who was waived last week by the New York Jets. He's expected to handle kicking duties while starter Tyler Bass continues to recover from a pelvic injury that has sidelined him for eight straight practices. Head coach Sean McDermott said Thursday the team worked out two kickers on Thursday. Bass warmed up with kicks before the Return of the Blue & Red practice on Aug. 1 but did not participate in any drills at Highmark Stadium. In his absence, Ray Davis went 2-for-3 on field goals during that event. Caden Davis, 6-foot and 200 pounds, split his college career between Ole Miss (2003-2024) and Texas A&M (1999-2022). He has a muscular frame and big leg. Davis was a semifinalist for the 2024 Lou Groza Award, given to the nation's top kicker, after setting the Rebels' single-season scoring record with 129 points, which ranked 10th in the FBS.. Davis went 24-for-29 (82.8%) on field goals and 57-for-59 on extra points along with 82 touchbacks on 96 kickoffs (85.4%) in 2024 He made 42 of 52 field goals (80.8%) and 102 of 104 extra points in his two years at Ole Miss. He also holds the school record with four field goals of 50-plus yards and was named second-team All-SEC by College Football Network in 2024. Davis earned a bachelor's degree in supply chain management from Texas A&M and an MBA from Ole Miss. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Buffalo Bills sign kicker Caden Davis with Tyler Bass out with injury
New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Bills running back Ray Davis finally gets his chance to kick, but hopes it was his last
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — On a day Buffalo Bills running back James Cook did no work, backup Ray Davis offered whatever he could to help. Davis did everything with the football Saturday but throw a pass in the Bills' 34-25 preseason loss to the New York Giants. He ran with it, caught it and finally got a chance to do something he has wanted to for years. Advertisement With kicker Tyler Bass sidelined by a pelvic problem and coach Sean McDermott curious about how to deal with a specific type of crisis, the Bills deployed Davis to try an extra point. Davis made the kick, equivalent to a 33-yard field goal. 'It's pretty wild,' Davis said. 'All I could think about is, 'Either I'm going to have a great night tonight and have a bunch of Instagram followers, or my DMs are going to be talking about how I cannot kick a ball.'' Davis kicked and punted in high school, but pleas to stake his claim as an emergency leg were rebuffed by his coaches at Temple, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The Bills finally granted his wish at minicamp, letting him try kickoffs. Bass' recent injury provided greater opportunity. .@Ray_Davis07 had to update the resume. 😂#BillsMafia | #GoBills — Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) August 10, 2025 The Bills signed kicker Caden Davis on Friday to get them through the game, but McDermott wanted to see how Davis would handle a fire drill. Before playing the Bills in 2021, Carolina Panthers kicker Zane Gonzalez suffered a quadriceps injury in pregame warmups, forcing receiver Brandon Zylstra to kick off and preventing any field goals or extra points. 'You kind of make a mental note of that, saying, 'What if it happened to us?'' McDermott said. 'With T-Bass out, even though we signed a kicker, I wanted to see what it would look like. It's different in practice. We've always practiced it, but the transition, the pit stop …' Not tires, but shoes. Davis' priority is to be suited up to play running back, but kickers rely on a special shoe. After a touchdown, Davis has only the time it takes the referee to spot the ball and the 25-second play clock to swap footwear. 'We score. Ray's on the sideline. They're hitting his lug nuts in the pit stop, the Zhrrrrrt,' McDermott said, delivering a high-quality, wheel-gun sound effect for emphasis, 'and we're getting the shoe off and getting the other shoe on. I think Coach (special teams coordinator Chris) Tabor may have tied his shoe for him; I'm not sure. 'But it was a really good pit stop, and the execution … It was really cool to watch.' Davis confessed his kicking shoe – white as opposed to the black cleat on his left foot – was just halfway on when he lined up for the point. His blue mouthpiece dangled from he bottom bar of his facemask. He peered through a visor. Very un-kicker-like. Reid Ferguson snapped the ball to holder Brad Robbins for the proper placement. The kick was low, and it fluttered, but it went through the uprights. Advertisement 'Brad was, like, 'Holy … It went in!'' Davis said. 'We were, like, 'Holy s—. It did go in.' McDermott noted the shoe-switcheroo might be too tricky to pull off for an extra point if Davis is on the field for the preceding touchdown. One option would be to have a player rush the kicking shoe onto the field to save time. Preseason stats are dodgy, but Davis is believed to be the first Bills non-kicker to attempt an extra point or field goal since the NFL-AFL merger. In the grainy black-and-white days before then, position players such as Hall of Famers George Blanda and Lou Groza frequently handled kicking duties. Buffalo had a few of those, including Wall of Fame fullback Cookie Gilchrist, 1961 AFL interceptions leader Billy Atkins and defensive end Mack Yoho. 'It's fun! It's great!' Bills running back Ty Johnson said of Davis' PAT contribution. 'I'm excited to see him do that, especially if anything happens and just being able to have that person on the roster. 'And if he does kickoffs, that's another defender who can go down there and tackle.' Only six non-kickers have attempted a field goal or extra point in a regular-season game since the merger. In 2023, Houston Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale made a 29-yard, fourth-quarter field goal in a two-point victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Slot receiver Wes Welker scored his first NFL points in 2004 with the Miami Dolphins on an extra point and a 29-yard field goal, and six years later reprised his emergency role for the New England Patriots with an extra point. On the same day, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh clanged the right upright on an extra-point attempt. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Chris Miller made a 23-yard field goal in 1989. Two non-kickers were summoned in 1979: New Orleans Saints running back Tony Galbreath made field goals from 23 and 27 yards, while Green Bay Packers linebacker John Anderson made a 39-yarder that year but missed an extra point. (The Elias Sports Bureau also credits San Diego Chargers quarterback Cliff Olander in 1979, but he was drafted to be a punter and remained a kickoff specialist. Olander converted one of two extra points in a game and failed on a 48-yard field goal in another.) Advertisement His curiosity quenched Saturday, McDermott sent out Caden Davis for the rest of the kicks. The undrafted rookie from Ole Miss converted his only attempts, an extra point and a 24-yard field goal. McDermott said he doesn't plan on having Ray Davis kick in the last two preseason games. 'I don't want him to pull a hamstring,' McDermott said. The eager running back wanted to try a field goal of greater distance Saturday. Just to see. It was an exhibition game, after all. Davis' enthusiasm, however, has practical boundaries. He wants Bass back and healthy and lining up for all the important kicks when they truly matter. 'Let's pray,' Davis said, 'I never have to do it again.' (Top photo of Ray Davis: Bryan M. Bennett / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Bills Running Back Kicks Extra Point In Preseason Game
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Normally, when an NFL running back takes snaps at special teams, he's out there covering punts or kickoffs, or he's working in a return capacity. Ray Davis, though, is apparently not normal. The second-year Buffalo Bills running back was called upon to kick an extra point in the Bills' preseason opener on Saturday afternoon. With regular kicker Tyler Bass dealing with a pelvis injury, the Bills signed kicker Caden Davis a day before Saturday's game. Yet after their first touchdown, they called upon running back Ray Davis to kick the PAT. Wearing a kicking cleat, the 5-foot-8, 220-pound Davis booted the ball and got just enough air under it to clear the line of scrimmage. The ball flight was majestic, but it was good enough, as Davis' kick sailed straight through the middle of the uprights. Davis also had four carries for seven yards and one catch for seven yards in the first half. He's coming off a rookie season with 442 rushing yards and three touchdowns to go with 17 receptions for 189 yards and three touchdowns after being drafted in the fourth round out of Kentucky. ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 09: Ray Davis #22 of the Buffalo Bills kicks a point after try during the second quarter of an NFL Preseason 2025 game between New York Giants and Buffalo... ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 09: Ray Davis #22 of the Buffalo Bills kicks a point after try during the second quarter of an NFL Preseason 2025 game between New York Giants and Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on August 09, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. More Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images The Bills used Caden Davis for kickoffs, and then again when they kicked a 24-yard field goal before halftime. But with that successful PAT, head coach Sean McDermott will know that he at least has an option in a pinch if Bass goes down during a regular-season or playoff game, when the team won't have the luxury of carrying a backup kicker. More NFL: Mike Vrabel Calls Out Drake Maye For Sloppy Mistake In Patriots' Preseason Opener
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
With Tyler Bass out, Bills RB Ray Davis kicks and makes extra point in preseason game against Giants
With sixth-year kicker Tyler Bass sidelined by a pelvic injury, the Buffalo Bills signed Caden Davis to a one-year contract Friday. He wasn't who the Bills trotted out for their first extra point of the preseason, though. Another player with the same last name but different number got the call: part-time emergency kicker and full-time running back Ray Davis. Following Mitch Trubisky's second-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Dawson Knox, Davis came onto the field wearing two different cleats. In that way, he looked the part of a kicker, at least from the knees down. In just about every other way, however, he looked like the 5-foot-8, 220-pound running back who piled up 631 yards and six touchdowns from scrimmage as a rookie last season. Nevertheless, with his mouth piece dangling from his face mask, Davis drilled the 33-yard PAT right down the middle in Orchard Park's Highmark Stadium Saturday. The Bills used Davis at kicker in their scrimmage, according to the local broadcast, via NFL Network, and they must have liked what they saw. The second-year back and 2024 fourth-round pick — who bounced from Temple to Vanderbilt to Kentucky during his college career — followed through in exhibition action against the Giants. When the Bills entered the red zone in the final seconds of the first half, thanks to a 58-yard downfield connection between Trubsiky and wideout Tyrell Shavers, Caden Davis got an opportunity. He easily soared a 24-yard field goal through the uprights to draw the Bills within one score of the Giants before intermission. Davis, who previously spent time with the New York Jets this summer, went undrafted after finishing his college career at Ole Miss, where he set the school record for most 50-plus-yard field goals with four such makes. Ironically, his first preseason attempt with the Bills was shorter than the extra point the team's emergency kicker, and RB2, made earlier that same quarter. Non-kickers have flashed place kicking ability several times before. Earlier this week, Philadelphia Eagles punter Braden Mann traded places with Jake Elliott, who held for Mann as he comfortably made a PAT in the second quarter of a preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Speaking of the Bengals, wide receiver Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson famously blasted an extra point for Cincinnati during the 2009 preseason. On Saturday, Davis put his touch on one of football's more peculiar rarities.
