WR Gabe Davis says Bills ‘have to play to our standards’ to resolve passing game struggles

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Amid all the hand-wringing following Buffalo’s latest offensive clunker, receiver Gabe Davis had no trouble pinpointing the reason behind the Bills’ ongoing struggles in the passing game.

“Honestly, I just think we have to play to our standards. I feel like we all as a collective forgot about how hard it is to win,” Davis said Wednesday. “It doesn’t matter who we play. It’s about us, and we got to go out there and play our game.”

Buffalo (6-3) is coming off a 30-13 loss at Miami in which the five-time defending AFC East champions were blanked through three quarters, and quarterback Josh Allen struggled once again when it comes to pushing the ball deep.

The result reopened questions on coordinator Joe Brady’s job security and whether the Bills lack a deep threat.

Davis is familiar with Buffalo’s standard from his first four NFL seasons, in which he played a complementary stretch-the-field role opposite Stefon Diggs. Beginning in 2020, Davis was part of a pass-first offense in which Diggs and Allen re-wrote many of the team’s single-season passing and scoring records.

Though Diggs is no longer in Buffalo, Davis is back for a second stint and doesn’t see why the Bills can’t replicate their previous success.

“We know the team that we got. We just have to be consistent,” he said.

The 26-year-old Davis could be in position to make an on-field contribution as Buffalo (6-3) prepares to host Tampa Bay (6-3) on Sunday.

Signed to Buffalo’s practice squad in September, Davis spent eight weeks on IR recovering from a knee injury sustained during his one and only season in Jacksonville. He has been practicing for the past two weeks, and he is a candidate for elevation to the active roster this weekend.

“I’m good. I’m ready to roll. So whenever they give me that call,” said Davis, who topped 500 yards receiving in each of his first four seasons in Buffalo.

More help could be on the way. Receiver Joshua Palmer practiced fully on Wednesday after missing three games with a knee injury. An offseason addition in free agency, Palmer’s role in the deep passing game has been limited due to an assortment of injuries.

On the downside, Buffalo likely will be missing its most reliable threat after tight end Dalton Kincaid hurt his hamstring against Miami.

“Dalton’s going to be tough to replace,” Allen said. “I think it’s going to take everybody. I think (Palmer) will help fill that void.”

Buffalo’s passing problems involve receivers having difficulty getting open and generating yards after receptions. It has led to opposing defenses crowding the line of scrimmage to contain James Cook, who had 53 yards rushing against the Dolphins. The Bills are 5-0 when Cook tops 100 yards rushing.

“Offenses are always gonna be easier when you’re running the ball effectively,” Allen said.

“But yeah, we got to be better in the pass game, we know that, I know that,” he added. “But I definitely think we’re more than capable of being able to do that.”

At least Brady and coach Sean McDermott are on the same page. A few weeks after the two provided differing opinions on the state of the passing game, Brady acknowledged it hasn’t been good enough.

“At the end of the day right now, we’re chasing consistency,” Brady said Monday.

He then blamed himself by saying he needs to adjust his play-calling earlier in games to counter how opponents are defending Buffalo.

McDermott, meanwhile, is backing Brady while dousing any speculation of Brian Daboll’s return. Daboll, Buffalo’s former offensive coordinator, was head coach for the New York Giants before he was fired on Monday.

“Joe’s a good coach,” McDermott said. “And I’m fully confident in our offensive staff and Joe as our leader that we will make the adjustments we need to make and move us forward.”

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