Bills’ Davis wants breakout game to serve as Ray of hope for foster kids

Toes have been costly for some teams this season, but not for the Bills on Monday night. In a gritty, 23-20 road win over the Jets, a toe actually opened the door for a noteworthy player named Ray Davis.

A surprise inactive 90 minutes before kickoff, starting running back James Cook missed his first NFL game in three years with a toe injury. Ty Johnson got the start but Davis took the primetime spotlight. The rookie fourth-round selection registered 152 scrimmage yards and introduced millions to a special story everyone should hear. Walking off the MetLife Stadium field Monday, he enjoyed a special moment with his uncle.

“My uncle’s been a rock for me. He’s been at every game,” said Davis, who was homeless at age 12 after making the difficult decision to stay in the foster-care system and separate from his siblings. “There’s been a lot of ups and downs for me personally, so being able to just have him there and enjoy that moment, and definitely when I get back to my phone and talk to my family, there’s definitely going to be some tears shed because it took a lot to get here. It was a road less traveled. But at the end of the day, I’m here and I’m blessed, and I appreciate every opportunity that I get.”

He got plenty of opportunities Monday, including the Bills’ longest play of the night. Trailing 10-7 in the second quarter and backed up at their own 10, Buffalo got breathing room when Josh Allen extended a play and found Davis on a 42-yard pass – what some called the NFL’s throw of the year. Afterward, a poised Davis spoke like he’d played with Allen for years.

“When you’ve got a quarterback like Josh, things can happen,” Davis said. “So long as you understand, staying on the run, keeping alive and understanding that Josh can throw the ball down the field. So, once I saw him kind of scrambling, I understand that I have to take it positive and throw my hand up. There was nobody on me and once I saw him throw it – I mistimed the jump, terrible, but I was able to come down with the catch. So, when you’ve got a guy like Josh, you’ve got to make him look good and that was my best attempt to make him look good.”

Davis also made the Bills look good from start to finish. On the opening drive, he carried six times for 48 yards, including a 5-yard run to set up Allen’s 1-yard touchdown plunge. Davis also had the Bills’ trust on their final drive, protecting a 23-20 lead at the two-minute warning. He picked up 6 important yards to set up Allen’s first-down run that iced the win.

His contributions, combined with Buffalo’s stellar defensive efforts – punctuated by Taron Johnson’s fourth-quarter interception — kept the Bills (4-2) in first place entering their Week 7 game against the Titans (1-4).

But Davis’ most important contributions are in helping foster children like himself. From foster child to fostering change, he’s partnered with an organization called Fostering Greatness to collect items for foster children in Western New York. And, rest assured, he’ll continue to use his platform to inspire kids who don’t feel wanted or loved.