Ray Davis returns 70-yard kickoff and gets chased down by a punter
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Ray Davis took the opening kickoff 70 yards. He reached the Rams' 26-yard line on Monday night.
- Rams punter Ethan Evans weighs 253 pounds. He chased Davis down and pushed him out.
- Buffalo settled for a field goal. But the Bills still won 37-34 in overtime.
Ray Davis had one man to beat. The Bills return man took the opening kickoff of Monday Night Football back 70 yards.
Then a 253-pound punter caught him. Fans will not let him forget it.
The play happened on October 12, 2026, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The Bills faced the Los Angeles Rams in a Week 5 prime-time game. Davis fielded the opening kick.
He hit the right holes and burst into open field. According to NBC Sports, he reached the Rams' 26-yard line.
What happened
Then Ethan Evans arrived. Evans is the Rams' punter and kickoff specialist. He weighs 253 pounds, according to Total Pro Sports.
He splits the kickoff duties with Rams kicker Harrison Mevis. Evans stayed with Davis step for step.
He pushed the return man out of bounds. The touchdown died at the 26.
The Bills could not cash in. They lost five yards on the drive, per NBC Sports.
Buffalo settled for a 49-yard field goal from kicker Tyler Bass. It made the score 3-0.
The fast start did not last. Buffalo added a 23-yard Bass field goal after the offense stalled at the 5. That pushed the lead to 6-0.
Then Matthew Stafford found Davante Adams for a 4-yard touchdown. The Rams took a 7-6 lead.
Mevis missed a 50-yard field goal after a 53-yard, 14-play drive. Buffalo led 13-7 at the half.
The second half turned wild. Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns on the night, per USA Today. He completed 40 of 54 passes.
Puka Nacua caught 17 passes for 138 yards. That set a Monday Night Football record. Adams caught two touchdown passes.
His second tied Larry Fitzgerald with 121 career touchdowns. That is the sixth-most in NFL history.
Josh Allen answered for Buffalo. He threw for 210 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He also rushed for 121 yards and a score on 10 carries.
James Cook ran for two touchdowns. Ty Johnson added four catches for 72 yards.
The two teams tied the game at 34-34 on six straight touchdown drives. Read the full breakdown of the Bills' 37-34 overtime win for every scoring play.
Overtime brought chaos. Nate Landman forced James Cook to fumble. Aaron Donald recovered for the Rams.
Los Angeles lined up for a game-winning field goal. Buffalo's Greg Rousseau blocked it. Allen scrambled twice for 32 yards.
Bass hit a 45-yard field goal. Bills won 37-34.
Why it matters
Kickoff returners live on speed. Davis ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. That is solid speed for an NFL running back.
Punters do not run that fast. At least that is the idea.
Evans broke the idea in one play. A 253-pound punter stayed with a return man for the full 70 yards.
Fans noticed right away. Social media lit up with jokes about Davis.
One fan wrote that Davis ran "stride for stride" with a punter. Another said the punter cost the Bills seven points. A third joked that Davis let a kicker hunt him down.
The clips spread fast. Davis is getting mocked from every side.
That hurts more because Davis is good at this job. He averaged an NFL-best 30.4 yards per kick return last season, per USA Today. He scored a return touchdown.
He was named a first-team All-Pro for his return work. One chase-down does not erase that. But fans remember the funny plays most.
The missed touchdown also shaped the game. Buffalo settled for three points on its best early chance. Sports Illustrated noted the missed chances piled up.
Dawson Knox dropped a pass in the end zone on that drive. Allen took a sack on the next play.
The Bills kicked instead of scored. In a game that went to overtime, those lost points loomed large.
There is also a simple lesson here. The last man on a kickoff team is often the kicker or punter. He is supposed to be the easy guy to beat.
Evans refused to be easy. His effort turned a sure touchdown into a field goal.
What happens next
The Bills leave California with the win. Their Week 6 game is against the Las Vegas Raiders, according to Sports Illustrated. Buffalo will want a cleaner game.
The Bills took 13 penalties for 112 yards against the Rams. They also lost two fumbles. That kind of sloppy play will not beat good teams.
Davis will keep his return job. Buffalo trusts him after an All-Pro season. Coaches know one play does not define a returner.
Davis also had 114 return yards on three kicks in the game. The numbers say he was still effective.
But the clip will follow him. Every big return will bring new jokes about the punter. That is how the internet works.
Evans, meanwhile, earned rare praise for a punter. Specialists almost never make highlight plays. This one will live on for years.
The Bills got the win, but the internet got its joke. Davis will get another kickoff soon. Next time, fans will watch the punter too.
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