Duke Williams shines in NFL debut for Bills
Duke Williams had a wild weekend.
The receiver, who was cut by the Bills and then added to their practice squad at the start of the season, was called up to the active roster for the game in Tennessee. The team announced the transaction on Saturday.
Williams was a fan favorite in Buffalo during the preseason after playing in all four games. He caught eight passes and scored two touchdowns.
The 26-year-old waited patiently the past month until the Bills offense looked for a spark in the passing game to replace a struggling Zay Jones.
The Bills wasted no time seeing how the rookie would handle the pressure - he was targeted on the second snap of the game. Josh Allen and Williams linked up for 4-yards.
The day only got better for Williams after that.
In the second quarter, Williams was part of a pivotal drive for Buffalo - his 11-yard reception came two plays before Allen hit tight end Lee Smith for a touchdown, giving the Bills a 7-0 lead.
Williams day was far from done. The shining moment of the game - and his career thus far - came with under 10 minutes left in the tied contest.
Allen found Williams in traffic - his first career touchdown ended up to be the game winner for Buffalo.
"He did a good job," Sean McDermott said after the win. "I love his juice and the toughness he brings and he's earned it. He made plays in practice in the 1-on-1s and he earned it. It is one game and we will take it one game at a time and it is important that he continues to improve."
Williams ended the game with four receptions on four targets and 29 yards.
Will we see more Williams excitement following the Bills bye week?
"Let's manage expectations," McDermott continued. "He is a young player and I thought he gave us something today and we will see what happens as we continue moving forward."
