Who Should I Start? Jerome Ford or Ray Davis

Friday, August 8, 6:36 PM

Cleveland Browns running back Jerome Ford is among the players who are not expected to play for the team in its first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. Many key offensive contributors for Cleveland are not expected to play, including wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, tight end David Njoku, and quarterback Joe Flacco. Notably, Browns rookie running back Dylan Sampson is expected to suit up. With fellow rookie Quinshon Judkins still unsigned due to a July arrest, Sampson and Ford are competing for backfield snaps in Cleveland. Ford is entering his fourth season with the Browns, so he has less to prove in preseason action than Sampson.

Saturday, August 9, 7:07 PM

With Buffalo Bills star running back James Cook staging a hold-in and unwilling to play Saturday, Ray Davis earned the start in the team's 34-25 preseason-opening loss to the New York Giants. Davis rushed for just seven yards on four attempts and caught one of two targets for another seven yards. As the Bills' emergency kicker, his most memorable highlight came on a successful extra-point attempt in the second quarter. The 5-foot-8, 220-pound Davis joined the Bills as a fourth-round pick from Kentucky in 2024 and was a capable reserve behind Cook as a rookie. Davis appeared in all 17 of the Bills' regular-season games and totaled 442 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 113 rushing attempts. He also caught three TDs and pulled in 17 of his 19 targets for 189 yards. With third-down back Ty Johnson also in the fold, Davis took around 25% of offensive snaps last season. That should be the case again in 2025, but Davis might have an expanded role early on if Cook is unavailable. While Cook seems unlikely to sit out into Week 1 over dissatisfaction with his contract, Davis figures to be the main beneficiary if he does. Cook missed one game last season, a 23-20 win over the New York Jets in Week 6, and Davis accrued 152 total yards (97 rushing, 55 receiving) on 23 touches as Buffalo's go-to back.