Davis got the start in Arizona, and he made sure to leave no doubt who the backup running back is.
Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis had been somewhat of an afterthought during the offseason, but in the Saturday night 34-14 preseason win over the Arizona Cardinals, he made sure he wouldn't be ignored anymore.
With Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah getting a lot of the burn in camp, Davis just quietly worked on his game in the background, as many thought that it would be Blue or Mafah to be Javonte Williams' backup.
But in the Cowboys' two preseason games, Davis has excelled.
Highlighted by his 29 yards on just five carries against the Cardinals before he was quickly pulled, for many, that ends the competition over who is the backup running back.
That is coming off the back of his 39 yards from seven carries against the Seattle Seahawks in the first preseason game.
We know what Davis is as a player, and we know what we are going to get, and we saw that last season.
Dubbed the "Holiday Killer" by head coach Brian Schottenheimer (because he's played so well on games on those celebratory dates), Davis has now usurped both Blue and Mafah in the running back depth chart after his two preseason games.
Yes, Blue did manage 75 yards on 15 carries in Arizona, and Mafah got himself a late touchdown run (14 yards), but maybe the die was already cast, as Davis was pulled early.
Starting off with a superb blitz pickup on the very first play of the game, where he stonewalled the blitzer, he then followed it up with positive run after positive run, amassing 21 yards on the first drive.
That was it. Davis ended the backup debate.
Right?
Now, what becomes of Blue and Mafah is unknown, as both gave a good account of themselves against the Cardinals.
Blue's surprising power was on show, picking up tough yards in between the tackles, while also having some big runs, which included one of 10 yards, and a handful of five, six, and eight-yard runs as he punished the Cardinals' defensive line.
So the third preseason game will likely see Blue and Mafah get a lot of reps, given Malik's standing on the roster.
Starting well behind both to begin the season, Davis has shown that through consistency and good performances in camp and in games, he's simply a better back right now.
Dak Prescott stated during the week that Malik can't be denied, and after the Arizona outing, he won't be.
He's the Cowboys' RB2. Right?
