Charles Clay might not have any touchdown catches yet, but over the last three games he’s become a consistent target and playmaker in Buffalo’s passing game.
When the Buffalo Bills signed Charles Clay to a five-year, $38 million contract in 2015, they expected him to be a consistent threat in the passing game.
So far this season, he is living up to those expectations.
In Clay’s first year with the Bills, he started 13 games, hauling in 51 catches for 528 yards and three touchdowns. Although those numbers are essentially on-par with Clay’s career averages, he struggled to string together performances week-to-week.
To illustrate that point, Clay had nine catches for 111 yards against the Giants in Week 4 last season, then had only 14 catches for 101 yards over his next four games.
So far this season, those numbers have been much more consistent.
“I would just say I’ve been building chemistry with Charles,” Tyrod Taylor said. “Of course we played a year last year and I missed two games, he missed a couple games. Spending the offseason grinding through training camp and getting on the same page with him I think definitely has been a big factor for us connecting the last couple weeks.
“I’ve said this before, Charles is a matchup problem on safeties and linebackers so the more that we can get him the ball, the better we are as a unit.”
Clay agreed with his quarterback’s assessment, but said the only difference he has really been paying attention to from this year to last has been winning.
“Any chance you can go out and help your team win is the biggest thing,” Clay said. “These past few weeks being able to contribute and helping the team win is obviously a good feeling.”
Over Buffalo’s last three wins, Clay has had at least five catches in each game and totaled 172 yards. His five-catch, 73-yard performance against the Rams in Week 5 was his third-highest in a Bills uniform, and the most since that game against the Giants last year.
Even more impressive is the fact that the tight end has been doing this while battling knee and ankle injuries for almost the entire season. Despite not practicing on Wednesdays, Clay is confident that he can still be a factor on Sunda
“I’m confident going into every game,” Clay said. “Part of the reason I put in the work that I put in is to feel good about going into this game, but yeah, as of now I feel good.”
Clay’s contribution to the offense this year has gone far beyond just the passing game.
Buffalo is first in rushing yards, first in rushing yards per attempt, and first in average rushing yards per game. The Bills also rank second in rushing touchdowns. Clay’s teammates know those numbers wouldn’t be nearly as high without Clay and his fellow tight ends.
“The tight ends are great,” Richie Incognito said. “They’re huge in what we do. We’ve been using a lot of them, but obviously Charles is a stud. (Nick) O’Leary has been blocking well and we’ve been using him in a bunch of different ways so it’s good. They’re really helping out a lot.”
LeSean McCoy, who is second in the NFL with 587 rushing yards and six touchdowns, has said on several occasions this season how confident he feels running behind the likes of Clay, O’Leary and lineman turned tight end eligible, Ryan Groy
“When you have backs like we have it makes it a lot easier on just about anybody blocking,” Clay said. “You can just cover guys up and get them to go and kind of let them do their thing. Makes it a little easier when you have the running backs we have but also motivates you even more when you’re blocking for guys like Shady and (Mike) Gillislee and Reggie (Bush) and guys like that.”
This week, the former sixth-round pick is going against the team that drafted him. Clay played in both of Buffalo’s games against the Miami Dolphins last year to mixed results. In the first meeting, Clay punished the Dolphins for five catches, 82 yards and a touchdown. By Week 9, Miami was ready for him. Despite the Bills scoring 33 points, Clay was held to one catch for six yards.
Clay says that he has never felt any different going against the team he spent the first four years of his career with.
“I mean it never was really any extra motivation,” Clay said. “It’s a team wearing a different colored jersey. You get up for any of those games. Obviously, being a division game makes it a little bigger. That’s the added motivation there.”
This season, Clay said that even after Buffalo’s 0-2 start, his confidence in his teammates going forward never changed.
“Morales were still high,” Clay said. “I don’t think there was every any doubt in anyone’s mind. We know the kind of talent we have, it’s just a matter of putting in that work and going out on Sunday and executing. I feel like us executing and playing as a team and the work we have been putting in even on days off and things like that is starting to show.”