Bills 27, Jaguars 24

As the founder of the recently formed Bahamas Bills Backers, I am pleased to present this blog post from our perch on Paradise Island, Bahamas where there is nothing but warm turquoise water between where I now sit and Jacksonville, FL to the northwest. We were able to find a secluded spot to  watch yesterday’s football game online within the confines of the Shivananda Yoga Ashram retreat, where alcohol, meat, coffee and most forms of fun are all strictly prohibited. Bills playoff games don’t usually count as fun – for Bills fans anyway – so we felt that by watching yesterday’s game on the Ashram property, we were only bending the rules. Plus, at the risk of expulsion from the property, we have been making and drinking contraband coffee. We aren’t the only ones drinking coffee but I think we were the only ones who even knew about the NFL’s Wildcard Weekend and yesterday’s Bills game. It just doesn’t seem to fit within the scope of the deeply spiritual world which is Shivananda yoga. But watch it we did.

The point of coming to a yoga retreat – apart from gathering comedy material by watching and interacting with the full-time devotees – is to relax, unwind and disconnect, leaving the stress of our every day lives behind. Watching yesterday’s game played at Everbank Stadium was the antithesis of what one might do to achieve these objectives, for fans of either team. The Jaguars had a great season and are a strong team which probably deserved a better fate than a one-and-done playoff exit, especially in front of their fans who have suffered through some bad football over the last 30 years. But the Bills were certainly due for a road playoff win and they came through with one in the clutch yesterday – something they have been unable to do since the end of the 1992 season. The stress relief I felt when Cole Bishop clasped his hands around Trevor Lawrence’s deflected pass in the game’s closing minute easily surpassed what any number of sun salutations could ever do. After more than three hours of pure stress, it felt pretty awesome. So, I skipped the 4pm yoga class and went for a swim in the warm, salty Atlantic waters, savouring the victory.

The game was very evenly matched and the statistics bear that out: each team has 20 first downs, the Jags outgained the Bills 359 yards to 340 but the Bills won the time of possession battle by about eight minutes and won the key turnover statistic two to one with the late-game interception. The game was as hard-hitting as it gets and also featured four lead changes in the fourth quarter, the final one being a “tush-push” touchdown by Josh Allen with just over a minute to play. But as I look back at the game this morning with the northeast tradewinds ruffling the curtains of our room here at the Ashram, the key moment might well have been the missed field goal on the final play of the first half by arguably the NFL’s best kicker, the Jags Cam Little.

The Patriots win last night against the Chargers guaranteed that last week’s relatively meaningless game between the Bills and Jets was indeed the last game to be played at the old Highmark Stadium. The Bills are now the lowest remaining seed in the AFC draw and will play on the road as far as that road goes. The next stop on Buffalo’s road trip will be the Divisional Round which takes them to Denver, CO where the Broncos and Bills are set to play on Saturday probably in the late window. I had to check this twice but the Bills have been listed as early 1.5-point road favourites against the number one seeded Broncos who are coming off a bye week and have the advantage of playing at an altitude of more than 1,600 metres above sea level. This reflects the appeal of Josh Allen within the betting public, or at least the bookmaker’s perception of his appeal. I expect the line to move in the Broncos favour later in the week as the so-called “smart money” comes in on Denver. The Broncos are a well-coached and now well-rested team which is accustomed to playing at altitude. If I had to make a meaningful wager on the game, I wouldn’t do it because I never bet against the Bills.

With one game remaining in Wildcard Weekend, the quality of the first five games overall was excellent. Fourth quarter comebacks and lead changes made for compelling viewing with all of the games competitive throughout. The league, its partner television networks and advertisers couldn’t have asked for more and the Divisional Round games look like they will deliver more of the same.

Last night was our last at the Ashram so I decided to take in one of the twice-daily Satsang services/ceremonies. The Ashram is primarily a spiritual retreat for those who dedicate their lives to the ancient teachings of pranayama and asanas whose written form is entirely in Sanskrit. The facility exists for the purpose of advancing the study and education of Vedanta and practice of the Shivanada yoga tradition with its 12 core principles for spiritual growth. These include breath and relaxation practices, diet, and positive thinking with the actual yoga exercise being only a small part. The facility’s operations are primarily funded (as far as I can see) by “vacation yoga” attendees like us who come to the warm climate of the Bahamas to practice yoga with instruction from the Ashram's many masterful teachers. The Satsangs are 90-minute sessions which begin with 30 minutes of silent meditation (I evaluated NFL playoff scenarios), then about 20 minutes of singing from the ancient Sandskrit scripts in a call-and-response format, either a speaker or a musical performance and ending with final prayers and blessings. I can honestly say that, although I generally could not relate to much of it, attending the Satsang was a profoundly moving experience for me and I am grateful for the opportunity to have witnessed and participated in it. Go Bills!