With Buffalo starting running back James Cook missing Monday night’s game against the New York Jets due to a toe injury, the Bills knew they had to lean on Ray Davis. The rookie earned a 23-20 victory.

Davis angrily plowed through defenders, hitting Gang Green for 97 rush yards on 20 carries and catching three passes for 55 yards. The 152 scrimmage yards are the third-most in a game by a Bills rookie in the last 20 seasons (behind only first-rounders Marshawn Lynch and Sammy Watkins).

The fourth-round pick gave his teammates confidence in his talent.

“Every day those guys keep pushing me,” Davis said via the team’s official website. “Those guys tell me that I’m good at what I do, and just, you know, keeping the confidence and understanding that they gave me the ball the first two times. It showed that they had a lot of confidence in me. As a running back back, that’s something you love.”

One of the top stories of the 2024 NFL Draft, Davis grew up homeless and bounced around colleges — from Temple to Vanderbilt and eventually to Kentucky, where he turned heads. The Bills selected him in the fourth round as a depth runner with upside.

With Cook missing his first career game due to injury, the Bills banked on Davis, who grabbed 20 of 24 RB carries on Monday night. His violent running style matched Monday’s AFC East battle, in which Buffalo came out in the first half with the clear intent of outdoing New York.

“That was something we really wanted to do. We emphasized all week on getting out there and bringing it to them, you know, bringing the physicality to them, recognizing that some guys might not want to So it’s about just going out there and bringing the physicality, dropping your pads, running behind your pads and getting those tough, tough yards,” he said.

Davis’ performance added some needed strength to a Bills offense that has struggled in recent weeks. Josh Allen credited the rookie’s ability to gain extra yards by keeping the offense on schedule.

“It was great to see. That’s why we drafted him,” he said. “He’s hard to bring down, he runs the ball super hard and protects the ball. I’m very proud of him for going the extra mile.”

Davis’ offensive style could convince the Bills to siphon off some of the Cooks’ carries if the starter returns healthy. A one-two punch in the backfield, combined with Allen’s running ability, would give Buffalo’s offense an identity it has mostly lacked in six games.