Throughout his NFL career, now in its sixth season, wide receiver Corey Davis has caught a lot of passes and churned through a lot of yards, first with the Tennessee Titans and now for a second season with the Jets.
Another thing -- besides catching passes and scoring touchdowns -- that he takes extra pride in is blocking, hitting guys instead of getting hit.
"I'm not going to lie, I like blocking," Davis told team reporter Eric Allen during this week's edition of "The Official Jets Podcast." "It's our chance to kind of go in there and tee off. Blocking comes down to will and want to. Giving it up for your brothers, because we have a lot of dudes who can do a lot with the ball. So, if I can take a hit and free them up I'm going to do it every time."
The Jets, however, didn't sign Davis in free agency before the 2021 season to only hit opposing cornerbacks and safeties. They signed him to catch passes in a diverse attack that is now 10th in the NFL in scoring offense (points a game) after six weeks. It's the Green & White's first time in top 10 since Week 3 in 2018 (10th) -- a span of 72 weeks.
And for Davis, who missed time late last season after core muscle surgery, his second season with the Jets is everything HC Robert Saleh and his Jets teammates expected from No. 84. Though it's still early as the Jets prepare for a trip to Colorado to face the struggling Broncos on Sunday, Davis sees the incredible Week 2 comeback at Cleveland as a landmark win. His 66-yard TD pass from Joe Flacco began the Jets' improbable rally, and with three straight victories the Jets (4-2) have won four of their last five.
"That game was definitely the turning point to me so far this season and showed the type of team we have," Davis said. "We have a lot of dudes with no quit in them. That was a tough game. All the way down to the last whistle, that's what we expect to do. The work we put in and all the stuff people don't see showed in that game."
After recording 34 receptions in nine games -- Davis said he dedicated himself to losing some weight (he's now at 209 pounds) and accepting the role as "the old guy" at only 27 among a group of young, potential stars.
"I'm always working on my body and doing as much as I can because I know how hard it is to stay healthy," he said. "Durability is important, trying to stay on the field and in the game. I stayed on top of my recovery. My weight dropped a bit when I came into camp. I wanted to get it down and I feel great."
And his play in the Jets' offense, while seemingly under the radar, has been impressive so far this season. Consider that, Davis has the highest percentage of catches that have gone for either a first down or a touchdown among all receivers with 15 or more catches (89.5 percent, 17 of 19 grabs). Davis' 17 first-down grabs lead the team, G. Wilson has 15 and Moore 11. Finally, Davis tops the Green & White in receptions of at least 20+ yards with 5 and his 18.5-yard per catch average leads the NFL (min. 15 receptions).
"I'll take it," he said.
At Green Bay last week, with the scored tied, 3-3, Davis was part of another pivotal play when Zach Wilson, helped by a key block from TE C.J. Uzomah found Davis for a 41-yard gain. On the next play, again punctuated by a crushing Uzomah block, Braxton Berrios scored on a reverse from 20 yards out. There has been some chatter that Wilson underthrew his pass, which might have gone for a TD.
"He did it right," Davis said of his QB. "We scored on the next play, so I'm cool with that. As long as we get 6 [points] I'm cool with that." He added: "I pride myself on making every catch, especially the big one when needed. I most want the team to call on me, call my number. It's a blessing to be a part of this team and I think we're growing."
After the Jets' win in Green Bay, second-year WR Elijah Mooreexpressed frustration after not having been targeted against the Packers. Davis, however, is convinced that Moore's time will come, and soon.
"I get it, he just wants to help and be part of the team and what we're doing," Davis said. "He's a great dude, we love him on this team, in the locker room. He's far from selfish, always looking out for other people. Just stay locked in and positive through these days. We love him on this team.
"We've got a lot of playmakers who can do a lot with the ball, Breece [Hall], M.C. [Michael Carter], me, E [Moore], Garrett [Wilson]. A lot of dudes. I get it can be frustrating at times. One week you might get one or zero [targets], the next week eight or nine. We always want to be that guy, we're competitors and we want our number to be called all the time. People have to understand we have a lot of dudes who can do a lot with the ball. As long as we're winning I'm OK with it."
With a second straight road game on tap -- Sunday at Denver -- Davis said that he, and many of his teammates, get a charge out of playing and winning away from MetLife Stadium. After all, wasn't it rookie cornerback Sauce Gardner modeling a cheesehead after beating the Packers?
"It's tough on the road, especially in this league to get a win," he said. "Me personally, I love playing on the road, it's us against the world. That's what we expect no matter where or when we play we expect to win the game." He added: "It's definitely different going out to Denver. I've played there the last four years. You have to be on your stuff, hydration, take care of your body because you will feel the effect [of playing at altitude] when you're there.
"So, let's go."
