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Cam Lewis joins Buffalo Bills after Taron Johnson's injury

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ORCHARD PARK – Sometimes you look at Cam Lewis and wonder how on earth he managed to land a spot on the Buffalo Bills roster in just his fifth season.

Signed as a non-drafted free agent in 2020, the former University at Buffalo standout is below average at 5'10″ and 175lbs and doesn't really have a designated position other than his role on special teams, but over the years the Bills could have used many other players for those duties.

But that's why Lewis, a player Brandon Beane re-signed as a free agent last March, is still in Buffalo: When he gets his chances, he makes the most of them no matter what's asked of him, and a lot was asked of him on Sunday.

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Taron Johnson's injury puts Cam Lewis in the spotlight

The Bills lost star nickel cornerback Taron Johnson on the seventh play of the game against the Cardinals, so Lewis was sent to one of the most important positions on the Bills' defense. Remember, they play a base nickel, so Johnson is on the field on almost every play.

With Johnson out with a forearm injury, Lewis' big duties fell to him, and the result was nine tackles and pass coverages that helped limit Arizona's Kyler Murray to 31 passing yards in the second half. He allowed five pass catches on seven attempts in his zone, according to Pro Football Focus, but those plays only resulted in 33 yards.

“You know, everything goes pretty fast in the beginning, but as time goes on, it slows down, with the reps and stuff,” Lewis said. “For Taron to go down, one, and then just get thrown into a game like that … I had the game plan for a different situation. But I just try to come in, just do my job, read my keys. It goes pretty fast in the beginning, you know, everything goes pretty fast. So I really try to slow it down and then just read my keys.”

Lewis played 55 defensive snaps (90%) and was also on the field for 10 special teams snaps, so yes, he was a player who slept well Sunday night.

Going into the day, the Bills had planned to play dime defense, meaning there would be a third safety on the field, and that was going to be Lewis. They did that last year with Taylor Rapp as the third safety because coaches didn't trust linebacker Tyrel Dodson in passing situations.

This year, it seems the coaches don't trust Dorian Williams either, because even after Johnson left, they still played the dime defense, but they had to improvise by using fourth cornerback JaMarcus Ingram as the third safety because Lewis was needed at the nickel position.

“We knew Cam was going to play a key role playing the dime position, the starting dime position and also being the primary backup at more than one position, and then he had to really step up,” Sean McDermott said. “You don't always expect to be the first drive to get there to your backup. But he's playing like a starter. You have to give him credit for being prepared.”

Cam Lewis shines in the second half against the Cardinals

Lewis took a little time to get going, but he was an effective player in the second half.

“You have to be able to play what you're asked to play in a pinch,” Lewis said. “I'm doing my best. I'm just trying to go out there and play my game and help the team win. The other 10 guys on the field are doing their job and I have to do my job too to make the game work.”

∎ On Arizona's first series of the third quarter, he made a nice tackle that limited James Conner to a two-yard gain, resulting in a three-and-out;

∎ On the next possession, he tackled receiver Greg Dortch on the first attempt, and on the next play, a second-and-7, the Cardinals decided to throw and Greg Rousseau sacked Murray and forced a fumble that Williams recovered, a play that turned the game in Buffalo's favor;

∎ And on Arizona's third series of the first half, Lewis made three tackles, including back-to-back stops on second and third attempts on Conner runs in the red zone, forcing the Cardinals to commit a field goal.

“We weren't surprised or pleased,” Von Miller said of Lewis' performance. “He does that stuff in practice, he did that stuff last year. He's been great for us. He's made a lot of plays since I've been on the team. He really embodies the mindset and the personality of this defense.”

“When he came in, we already knew what was going to happen. We knew we weren't going to crash. Taron Johnson getting injured is a big problem. The best nickelback in the league. Hopefully we'll get him back quickly. But Cam Lewis is definitely more than ready to go.”

Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades, including 35 years as a full-time reporter for D&C, and has written numerous books on the team's history. You can reach him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @salmaiorana.

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