Rider High School graduate David Nelson was one of very few bright spots for new head coach Chan Gailey on Friday night when the Buffalo Bills took on the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland. Nelson led the Bills in receptions and caught the team's lone touchdown pass as Buffalo suffered a 42-17 pre-season loss.
In the first real game action of his NFL career, Nelson led the Bills with 5 receptions and 47 yards against a tough Washington defense that was ranked 10th in the league in 2009. Nelson caught the Bills first touchdown of the pre-season on a 5 yard pass from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick with 23 seconds left in the third quarter, capping an 85 yard drive.
Through a post on Twitter after the game, Nelson kept things in perspective, saying, "Felt good to get a TD, but it's nothing if we don't win."
Otherwise, the Bills had a tough night, as the score would indicate. Despite taking an early 3-0 lead on a Rian Lindall field goal in the first quarter, Buffalo would surrender 35 unanswered points before Nelson's touchdown as the Redskins cruised to victory. Joique Bell would add another Buffalo touchdown on a 28 yard run early in the fourth quarter, but Washington would answer with a Leiland Williams touchdown run to keep the final score at a 25 point spread.
The injury bug was not kind to the Bills in the pre-season opener, seeing running backs Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch both go down in Buffalo's opening drive. The extent of Lynch's injury is not yet known, but Jackson will miss the remainder of the exhibition season.
Signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Florida, Nelson has been listed as a player to watch by various media outlets, as well as many fans in Buffalo. At Rider, the 6'5", 217 pound receiver set Wichita Falls Independent School District records with 144 receptions, 2,707 yards, and 31 touchdowns and was a first-team all-state selection his senior year of high school.
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