Chiefs 38, Bills 24

I’ll admit to listening to far too much of WGR’s eight-day pre-game show which started immediately following the Bills win over the Ravens. One of the more interesting segments on One Bills Live last week was on the subject of superstitions – both the ones followed by NFL players, as described in some detail by Steve Tasker, and those practiced by fans who were invited to call in and share their strategies. All of them could be considered manifestations of obsessive compulsive disorder. A common theme is the idea that if the team wins, then the various actions and steps (in a specific order) employed before or during games which yielded the win must continue to be followed, in every detail.  It follows then that players and fans of winning teams feel that their ridiculous and well-tested superstitions are provably successful.  

Tasker explained that the most superstitious team-mate he ever had was Jim Kelly. Tasker himself claims to have had no superstitions as a player and if he was noticed to have donned his equipment in a certain order more than once, it was the product not of superstition but simply of finding an efficient way to dress. Kelly, on the other hand, created numerous elaborate superstitious routines with his team-mates which would start on Wednesdays and carry through to kick-off. Tasker remembers thinking (but not saying) that if the team were to win on Sunday, the win would not come about because Jim Kelly had come to him and tapped his helmet three times with his left index finger after the Saturday walk-through practice. And it also seemed like a lot to remember, in addition to the play-book.

Going into last night’s game in Kansas City, the Bills were 2-0 in this year’s playoffs with Siobhan and Sophie in attendance at my north Toronto apartment and with me wearing the same clothing each time. And with my three Bills-branded winter hats laid out with the logos showing. So, to assist the team in achieving a 5^th Superbowl birth, we of course repeated all of this. Believe me, it wasn’t anywhere near the effort put in by the fanatics who called in to WGR to describe their rituals. Watching in the same location with the same group (or alone) while wearing the same clothing are all popular strategies but many of the more committed Bills fans employ in-game adjustment moves such as switching seats, turning hats inside out or backwards, changing clothing or beer glasses – whatever it takes to get the team going. But sometimes, as was confirmed last night, nothing works and your team loses.

So now I can retire my Bills gear for a few months. It was a great run through the 2020 season and I retire it with great optimism for the future. As every team has, the Bills have some difficult personnel decisions to make with the extension of Josh Allen chief among them. Despite a rough first half last night where Allen’s throwing accuracy escaped him a little, the team needs to give him the contract he deserves which should make him among the highest paid players in the league. Among others, Boston College product Matt Milano will also need a new contract. With the league’s salary cap expected to decline after the loss of gate revenue this season, the decisions will become even more difficult. Successful teams retain their key players and hope to find late-round gems in the draft and role players in free agency to fill out their rosters.

Tom Brady will play in his 10^th Superbowl in a couple of weeks. I was hoping for a Buffalo v. Green Bay game which would have matched-up two of the league’s smallest markets. The Buccaneers now become the first team in the game’s 55 year history to play “at home” in the Superbowl. With the number of fans limited to 22,000 (including 7,500 vaccinated front health care workers invited to attend the game, courtesy of the NFL), it will probably not be the home field advantage it would be in any other year. I’ll be rooting for the Chiefs.  

Bills 17, Ravens 3

It was hardly a classic game that we’ll see on NFL Films two or three decades from now. A windblown defensive struggle with one offensive touchdown and less than 600 combined yards gained but, for Bills fans, the biggest game in 27 years will be well-remembered anyway. An efficient drive to start the second half broke the 3-3 halftime tie as Stefon Diggs found the endzone - part of another productive outing for the former Viking who continues to make Brandon Beane look like a genius for trading Buffalo’s first round pick last year to get him. Then Taron Johnson caught lightening in a bottle and that was more than enough.

As long as the Bills keep winning, I guess I’ll have to keep writing this blog. I’m not looking for sympathy but this weekly task has been taking me longer than usual the last three weeks as I’ve been a one-handed keyboard operator. I fell awkwardly off my bike in late December, badly broke the pinky finger on my dominant hand and had it surgically repaired a few days later by a top hand surgeon at Sunnybrook. K-wires come out on January 26^th. Although my direct experiences with our healthcare system thankfully remain rare, they continue to be positive – even in 2021. Despite COVID and the resulting well-documented strains on the already over-loaded system, I received timely and expert treatment, for which I am grateful. Yes, they are busy and stressed but each and every person I interacted with at Sunnybrook – even the nurse who administered my assembly line style COVID test – was equal parts pleasant, efficient and professional. It was all very impressive which is the only reason I mention it at all.    

Back to Taron Johnson. His 101-yard pick-6 is already an instant classic in Bills playoff lore. In real time, I could tell that the ball had been caught by someone and for a very brief and fleeting moment, I accepted and processed the reality that the game was tied. But, it was the Bills nickel cornerback in whose hands it landed. While some defensive backs would surely have gone to the ground in the endzone, happy to give their team the ball on the 20, Johnson saw a wide open field ahead of him, brought it out and quite easily went ALL THE WAY. Nothing like a 14 point swing on one play to permanently change the course of a game. Bills fans can relate: How many times did we see Drew Bledsoe or JP Losman, late in the game, trailing by a touchdown and driving for the tie, get sacked, fumble the ball which the defence then returned for a touchdown? I know for sure that they each did it at least once. Taron Johnson has two key pick-6’s this season. Most defensive players go years in the league and never get one.

Next Sunday will mark the Bills sixth AFC Championship Game since the 1970 NFL – AFL merger. They enjoy a 4-1 record (3-0 at home) in these games, winning four straight between the 1990 and 1993 seasons. Their only loss came in January, 1989 in Cincinnati – a game which I watched with a group of drunken obnoxious Bengal fans in a straw-roofed “sports bar” in Peurto Escondido, Mexico. Their only road win was in Miami in January, 1993. A win at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday will send the Bills to their 5th Superbowl in Tampa on February 7^th.

The NFL Concussion Protocol came into existence in 2009. A team of league-employed spotters, some on the sidelines and some in a booth high above the field, along with team-employed neurologists on each sideline, are charged with watching players for signs of loss of balance, disorientation, head-clutching, etc. These officials have the authority to call time-out on the field and remove a player from the game who exhibits any of these symptoms. We saw this happen twice over the weekend – each time involving one of the NFL’s marquee players: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Neither returned to their respective games. Enter rookie Tyler Huntley for the Ravens who was actually quite impressive in playing out the rest of the game in Orchard Park and veteran back-up Chad Henne for the Chiefs who made a couple of key plays in finishing their game and helping his team get past the pesky Cleveland Browns for a chance to meet the juggernaut Buffalo Bills. Let’s hope that Mahomes progresses quickly through the four stages of the protocol this week and can play on Sunday.             

Bills 27, Colts 24

Any NFL game which comes down to the very last snap with the outcome still in question always has a handful of plays over the course of the game which, had any one of them turned out even slightly differently, would have altered the final outcome. Saturday’s AFC playoff game in Orchard Park is a case in point and examples come easily to mind: The Bills were the beneficiaries on three of four key replay reviews, with the fourth and last unsuccessful one looming large until the final Hail Mary was knocked to the ground. A little earlier, Josh Allen fumbled the ball trying to wrestle his way out of a sack which had already become inevitable (and ended up costing 23 yards as the ball squirted backwards after leaving his hands) but Bills offensive lineman Daryl Williams recovered the bouncing ball. But I look to two second half special teams plays which, since we can all count, clearly determined the final score: a made 54 yard field goal by Buffalo’s Tyler “bass-o-matic” Bass and a missed 33 yard field goal by the Colts’ uniquely bi-spectacled kicker, Rod Blankenship. In a game decided by three points, why would more analysis be required?

Going into Saturday’s game, the Bills has lost their last six consecutive playoff games, with their most recent post-season win coming in December, 1995. Throughout Saturday’s game, it felt like for the team to win, it needed to lift up and cast away the collective weight of those six losses and this was going to be neither quick or easy to do. Bills Nation sweated and fretted for nearly three-and-a-half hours, even having to endure the added stress of a potential Deja vu Hail Mary pass attempt by Philip Rivers before Sean McDermott could finally cast a gaze skyward, first in relief, then in celebration. Immediately after Micah Hyde drove the final pass to the ground, we took a brisk 60 minute walk just to relieve the tension. We, and our dog who had clearly sensed our angst as the afternoon played out, needed it badly. Pro sports are supposed to be an enjoyable diversion, aren't they?  

Statistically, the Colts probably fared about as well as they could have hoped to. A glance at the box score shows them notching 27 first downs, 472 total yards, no turnovers and more than an eight minute advantage in time of possession. They certainly played well enough to win but the Bills did too. In the intense pre-game analysis on WGR last week, most of the pundits pointed to the challenge that the Bills run defence would face stopping Jonathan Taylor but, in the end, he carried 21 times for 78 yards – hardly the shredding we feared. And Josh Allen continued to look masterful passing the ball, going 26 of 35 for 324 yards, 2 TDs and no turnovers. Rookie kicker Tyler Bass has not missed a field goal or an extra point attempt since week 9.

Last night, as I sat stunned by the first quarter explosion by the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, my theory that the Ravens stood a decent chance of knocking off the Chiefs in Kansas City next weekend, thereby setting up a Ravens v. Bills AFC Championship Game in Buffalo (assuming another home win against the Steelers next weekend), fell apart. So, the Bills will now have to knock off the Ravens a week earlier. As for the Browns chances of winning in Kansas City? I’d say they are about as likely as them winning in Pittsburgh. Ok, maybe not quite as good.

When the Sunday Night Football crew came to Orchard Park a few weeks ago, Al Michaels had the week off. No such luck this Saturday night for Michaels. The Bills, who played the Ravens tough last season but came up short, will need a special game plan to contain Lamar Jackson who yesterday in Nashville made what his coach said was the best running touchdown by a quarterback in NFL history. Maybe the best approach will be to put up 40 points and hope that it’s enough. 

For North American sports fans, and for Bills fans in particular, this NFL season has been a welcome distraction from the pandemic and from the political turmoil playing out in the United States. I hope the Bills can maintain their playoff run at least through inauguration day on the 20th.   

 

Bills 56, Dolphins 26

28 years ago yesterday, on January 3, 1993, the game which featured the greatest comeback in NFL history was played at what was then called Rich Stadium in Orchard Park, NY. The Bills trailed the Houston Oilers 28-3 at halftime and prospects for a return to a third consecutive Superbowl did not look good for the 75,000+ on hand, including me. My friend and I agreed that we would stick it out until the end of the third quarter and then try to beat the stadium traffic if the Bills hadn't mounted a comeback by then. On the opening series of the second half, the Oilers intercepted an errant pass and returned it for a touchdown. The rout was clearly on at 35-3. We stuck to our plan of staying until the start of the fourth quarter but many thousands did not. NFL rules did not allow re-entry to the stadium which meant that those who left could only listen in their cars even if they lived close to the stadium because the game was blacked out on local television, having not sold out by the requisite 72 hours prior to kick-off. The Bills then proceeded to score back-to-back-to-back touchdowns in the third quarter, making the score 35-24. They completed the comeback and took the lead late in the fourth quarter before the Oilers tied the game with a late field goal. The Bills won the game in overtime 41-38. That day, Jim Kelly was injured and the Bills quarterback was back-up Frank Reich. Coincidentally, Reich had led his Maryland Terapins to what was then the largest comeback in college football history in November, 1984, leading his team to to a 42-40 win over the Miami Hurricanes, after trailing 31-0 at halftime.

This coming Saturday, Reich returns to Orchard Park as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts for the first game of the NFL's expanded Wildcard Round which features six games over the course of the weekend. The NFL should change the name of its opening playoff weekend because six of the 12 teams playing in the round are division winners. When the Bills played the Oilers in 1993, both actually were Wildcard teams. Reich obviously holds a special place in NFL and Buffalo sports history but we hope that he and his team's success this season ends on Saturday which would earn the Bills their first playoff win in 25 years. And, looking on at Bills Stadium will be 6,700 fans, including New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo who may be considering a run at the White House in 2024. 

The Bills presented a plan for limited fan attendance at their home playoff games to the State government immediately after clinching the AFC East division title in Denver a couple of weeks ago. It included a sparse sprinkling of fans, representing about 9% of the stadium's capacity, no tailgating, staggered and specific entry times and mandatory COVID tests three days before each game for everyone planning to attend. The plan was approved by the New York State government as submitted. My seniority as a season ticket holder qualified me to apply for tickets but because of the border being closed to vehicle traffic (and the tickets not being transferable or eligible for third party sale), I passed. The 6,700 tickets were snapped up quickly and team officials are warning that the numerous online re-sale ticket listings which have popped up in the last couple of days are entirely fraudulent as no re-selling is permitted (enforced by verification by photo ID which must match the season ticket holder). All those attending the game will be seated outside as the enclosed and heated suites are off limits. Andrew Cuomo will be seated in the open air and in full view of the CBS cameras which, if he plans to run for President, suits him perfectly. My cynical instinct tells me that Cuomo, as part of his decision process, must have made a political calculation about support to be lost or gained in the Western New York area by whatever decision he made. I am confident that he made the right decision politically. Let's hope that it's not the wrong one for public health.

After Josh Allen lit up the Dolphins in the first half, Sean McDermott rested most of the team's starters in the second half. We got a chance to see some of the second and third string players in live game action. The one who stood out for me was running back Antonio Williams, a rookie undrafted free agent from North Carolina who had been on the Bills practice squad for the entire season. Yesterday was his first NFL game and, although the Dolphin defence was deflated by the time he entered, he ran powerfully and with a tenacity and determination which impressed me. For the day, he had 12 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns, with a 5.3 yards per carry average. Possibly most important for him was the first NFL game cheque he has ever earned - in the amount of $30,000 - representing one sixteenth of the NFL rookie minimum salary of $480,000. For him, I am sure that it's a welcome holiday season bonus and I hope it is the first of many game cheques he earns in his career but, barring injuries to Devin Singletary and Zack Moss, it will be the only one for him this NFL season.

Expectations for playoff success are running high in Bills Nation (as a friend recently pointed out, the term "mafia" seems curious and I choose not to use it). If they can not beat the Colts on Saturday, the season will be considered a disappointment despite a 13-3 record achieved with a difficult schedule, playing against the NFC West and the AFC West, with the strong teams in those divisions and the heavier travel burden. Opening lines have the Bills as early 6.5 point favourites. If they win, I may apply for tickets to the Divisional Round game and find a way to fly to Buffalo which is, for some reason, still allowed.