Ten years ago, I met and had a rather long and quite pleasant conversation with Tim Hudak, then leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, at our neighbourhood outdoor hockey rink. Among other things, we discussed the soon-to-drop report from economist Don Drummond but the conversation somehow came around to the subject of football and the Buffalo Bills (I was probably wearing a Bills winter hat). When Hudak, a native of Fort Erie, realized that we shared a rooting interest in the Bills, he asked me "Don't you just hate the Patriots?". I replied, truthfully, that I really didn't hate anyone or any particular team. He probably realized at this point that I might also be referring to my political leanings and that I was not likely to be a supporter of either him or his party. He was certainly right about that but our conversation continued for another few minutes and I ended it by saying to him that I admired those willing to stand for political office and face all of the vitriol which accompanies that vocation. I genuinely appreciated speaking with him and I have had a positive impression of him as a person ever since. And, in the years since then, whenever the Patriots have beaten the Bills, however often and however badly, I think of him and, as if to be true to what I said to Mr. Hudak that day, I remind myself that I don't hate the Patriots.
Someone on ESPN explained that on Saturday night in frigid Orchard Park, "the Bills were paying the Patriots back for all of their ancestors sins". The history of the division rivalry between the Bills and the Patriots over the last 20+ years has been decidedly one-sided in the Patriots favour. I'm sure that Dolphins and Jets fans have the same tale to tell about this as the Patriots have racked up Superbowl appearances and wins in numbers almost unimaginable over the Belichick/Brady years. Whether it was opening week, mid-season, late season or for much-anticipated prime time games, the Patriots have had the Bills number almost every time - until the last couple of seasons when the tables turned. When the Patriots pulled out a win in the wind-blown Monday night game on December 6th and looked to be on their way to the division title, it felt like the tables had turned back again. But when the Bills pulled together one of their best games of the season on Boxing Day and returned the favour in Foxborough, the dragon was slayed for good, right? When the Chargers couldn't get it done last weekend against the Raiders, sending the Patriots to Orchard Park for a Wildcard playoff game, I had a bad feeling about it. Belichick would find a new way to slow the game down, run the ball and keep Josh Allen off the field, capitalize on the Bills weak punting game or somehow make Tim Hudak hate them even more. But that's not what happened.
Even Jerry Sullivan, local naysayer and glass-half-empty sports columnist (who was relieved of his duties at the Buffalo News a few years ago for being too negative) tweeted near the end of the game "How do you watch this and not consider them the favourite to win it all?" Well Jerry, I would have to agree. With a clean injury report going into the game, on every series the Bills looked motivated, prepared, focused and disciplined. They shredded the Patriots defence, plain and simple, scoring seven touchdowns with no turnovers. And Matt Haak had one of his best games of the season, only taking the field as the holder on extra point tries (two of which were blocked but not because of poor holding). Whenever Josh Allen faltered this season, Jerry Sullivan was quick to point out that he wasn't really earning his $258 million contract extension, signed before the season started. With Saturday's performance, he certainly did. Maybe not all $258 million in one game but enough to take Jerry Sullivan out for dinner every night for the rest of his life. And enough to shift Tim Hudak's focus from hating the Patriots to finding new ways to drive Ontario real estate prices ever higher.
Last night, I was a Pittsburgh Steelers fan. At least until I went to sleep when it looked like they had little chance of coming back against the Chiefs. The Bills will make another January trip to Kansas City next Sunday night in the Divisional Round against the number two seeded Chiefs who rolled easily over the Steelers last night. The Bills will need to play at least as well as they did on Saturday to move on the the AFC Championship Game, especially on defence. Patrick Mahomes matched Josh Allen's five touchdown passes last night, throwing for over 400 yards against the Steelers. He is no Mac Jones and the Bills number one ranked defence will need to bring their best game. This will be the fourth game between the Chiefs and Bills over the last two seasons. The Chiefs have won two of the three so far and I wonder if Tim Hudak might be starting to hate them too.
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