It could be argued that it made them hungrier; I'd argue not hungry enough or at least not confident enough. I'm talking about the games which preceded the Buffalo Bills bye weeks over the 2020 and the 2021 seasons - both of which they lost. In 2020, when they went 13-3 in the regular season before losing the AFC Championship Game at what is now called GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (GEHA, which is an acronym for Government Employees Health Association, is, according to its website, "a self-insured, not-for-profit association providing medical and dental plans to federal employees and retirees...". The "not-for-profit" part makes me wonder why it needs to pay for NFL stadium naming rights but I digress......maybe they saw how well it worked for PSI.net in Baltimore), the Bills apparently had the game won but lost on what would become known as the "Hail Murray" play - a last-second toss to the endzone - which won the game for the Arizona Cardinals. In 2021, a fourth down touchdown attempt at the goal line (when a field goal would have tied the game and sent it to overtime) in Nashville failed as Josh Allen slipped on the keeper and fell just short. Each time, the team had two long weeks to process the losses before resuming the season. Not this year. They will have two weeks to enjoy the two game lead they have opened on the Chiefs (a one game lead in the standings and the tie-breaker by virtue of the win yesterday) and plan how to secure the first playoff seed in the AFC.
When the Bills signed Von Miller to a six-year $120 million contract (with $45 million guaranteed) in the off-season, I don't think anyone in the team's front office said that the signing was made to get the team over the hump against the Chiefs but this was a frequently mentioned talking point among both the local and national pundits. His two sacks and two tackles for losses yesterday looked like exactly what they needed at exactly the right time. Miller is probably past his peak in terms of physical performance (but not far past) but his tutelage of Gregory Rousseau and other young defensive lineman on the roster seems to have been of almost equal value to his on-the-field impact so far in 2022. I doubt that he will earn out the rest of his contract over five more seasons (more likely two or three before they kick him to the curb), but his signing has clearly been as beneficial to the team as everyone had hoped it would be. Good on him and good on the Bills for taking the leap with him
Although they did win a year ago (on Canadian Thanksgiving) at whatever the stadium was called in Kansas City, the game yesterday, which would clearly put the winner on the inside track to the first AFC playoff seed, seemed like a mid-season playoff game. CBS was certainly hoping that it would draw viewers expecting another barnburner like the playoff game in January. We even saw a heavily promoted preview of a new Sly Stallone show coming soon to the network. Nantz and Romo were excellent as always and the game stayed close until the end to the delight of CBS and its parent company Paramount. The new version of Brady v. Manning is Allen v. Mahomes and CBS hopes to carry as many more of their match-ups as possible (and they will meet again next season). The main difference between the two quarterbacks now is that Mahomes has a ring in two trips to the big game while Allen awaits his chance.
October is the best month on the North American sports calendar with hockey and basketball starting, baseball playoffs ongoing and both American and Canadian football seasons in full swing. On Saturday, my Western Mustangs beat Guelph 34-11 and the Toronto Argonauts won in Edmonton against the Elks (before tens of thousands of fans mostly dressed as empty seats) but the game of the day took place in Rocky Top, Tennessee where the Volunteers outlasted the Alabama Crimson Tide 52-49 before 101,915 at Neyland Stadium. The win was the Vols first against the Tide since 2006 (they play every year) and propelled them into the top five in the new AP poll. The Michigan Wolverines, who also remain in the top five, easily handled Penn State with 110,812 taking it in at the Big House. After far too many dreadful lopsided match-ups which characterize the first few weeks of College Football, the best games are now finally upon us.
When the schedule was released in April, the bye week looked like it was going to be a bit early for the Bills - coming 6 games into a 17 game season. But, although the team was as healthy yesterday as they have been for any game so far, the bye week comes at a good time, especially after the biggest regular season win in a long time. After the break, the Green Bay Packers come to Orchard Park for what will be Aaron Rodgers last trip to Western New York (unless he somehow ends up with the Jets at the end of his career). The NBC Sunday Night Football crew comes to Buffalo for this one. I'll be taking the bye week to rest up for the late night football game followed a few hours later by the early morning blog writing.
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