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The bye week is over, and the Buffalo Bills are back at home ready to face the Los Angeles Chargers. This edition of Four Downs has plenty to get you ready for the game, as the Bills look to improve to 8-3.
Gabriel Davis gets another opportunity
With John Brown already ruled out for Sunday’s game, rookie Gabriel Davis will have some big shoes to fill on offense. The UCF-product has shined at times this season, with 19 receptions for 275 yards and three touchdowns throughout ten games. As expected from a rookie, there has been some inconsistency with him this season.
Davis’s potential was on display in the Week 9 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, where he caught four of five targets for 70 yards and a touchdown. This is a prime example of what Davis can bring to the Bills’ offense, but has been more of an exception than the norm. With Brown battling through numerous injuries this season, Davis will be an important weapon for Josh Allen throughout the rest of the season. Hopefully this begins with Davis making the most of the opportunity that should present itself against the Chargers.
Steve Tasker belongs
As you would have seen earlier this week, Steve Tasker and Cornelius Bennett were named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. While it is nice to see Bennett on the list, I would argue that Tasker should have been enshrined years ago. He changed the face of special teams, was named First-Team All-Pro seven times, and is an eight-time semifinalist for the Hall. It might be easy to overlook special teams players when it comes to selecting a class each year, but Tasker should not be overlooked any longer.
Pod of the Week
I realize that I highlight Bruce Nolan often in this space, and Thursday’s episode of The Bruce Exclusive takes the honors once again. If you struggle to understand quarterback metrics (like I do), I would highly recommend that you check this out. You can accompany it with this 3,800 word piece written by Bruce that goes into further explanation around Passer Rating, QBR, and much more.
Prediction: Bills 38, Chargers 31
The final score may look closer than this game actually is, with some garbage time scores late in the fourth quarter by the Chargers. Justin Herbert is impressive against Buffalo, but some early turnovers allow the Bills to jump ahead in the first half. Stefon Diggs officially passes the 1,000 mark on the season, thanks to another 300-yard passing game from Josh Allen.