Buffalo Bills WR Gabe Davis has played in every game this season. However, the volatile wide receiver suffered a knee injury during last week’s AFC East-clinching victory over the Miami Dolphins. What exactly happened to Davis that has sidelined him for an all-important playoff contest?
Why Is Gabe Davis Out for Wild Card Weekend?
During his four years in the NFL, Davis has been quite the iron man. He missed exactly one game in 2021 and two games in 2022. Otherwise, Davis has always been on the field.
In the 2023 season, Davis played in all 17 games. Unfortunately, in the final one, he went down with a knee injury in the first half and did not return.
At this point in the season, just about every NFL player would tell you he’s dealing with some sort of knick or bruise. No one is truly 100%. Players frequently push through injuries in situations where they’d be better served sitting out a game or two.
Given that we’ve reached the playoffs, if Davis were physically capable of going, he would probably be out there. That suggests the injury is more than minor.
Davis wasn’t able to get onto the practice field for a single session ahead of this weekend. Oftentimes, teams opt to list players who don’t practice at all as questionable, leaving the door open for them to make a miraculous recovery. However, on Friday, the Bills ruled Davis out.
The good news, if there is any, is that Davis was not placed on injured reserve. If the Bills advance, that leaves the door open for his return later in the postseason. With the Bills likely to be favored in at least their first two playoff games, there’s a chance we will see Davis down the line.
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Davis is best known for his absurd performance in the Bills’ gutwrenching Divisional Round loss to the Kansas City Chiefs two years ago. He caught eight passes for 201 yards and four touchdowns in what is one of the greatest postseason efforts of all time.
That game was supposed to kickstart a rapid ascent by Davis from role player to starter. Instead, Davis has largely floundered. His career catch rate remains below 55%, and he’s caught fewer than 50 balls every year of his career.
This past season, Davis had four games with no catches, and that’s not including the Week 18 game where he exited early.
It’s obviously never a good thing to lose players in the NFL, but Davis’ absence is unlikely to be a huge detriment to the Bills’ offense. Khalil Shakir and Trent Sherfield will have to step up. Alternatively, the Bills could opt for more two tight end sets with both Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox.
In light of the frigid and windy conditions expected in Buffalo this week, both the Bills and Steelers are likely to skew a little more run-heavy than normal. Expect heavier-than-normal usage for James Cook, Najee Harris, and Jaylen Warren and a game plan for both teams that doesn’t look to stretch the field.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
