I saw not a single snap of yesterday's game in Orchard Park. Not live anyway; I have seen a couple of the game's key plays online just this morning. As Kyle Williams was leaving the field for the last time, I was leading a group of cross-country skiers across three frozen lakes in Muskoka. There just isn't enough snow to ski on the trails, although that is forecast to change later today.
Kyle Williams was picked by the Bills in the 5th round of the 2006 draft from LSU. As he said on Friday when he announced his retirement from the NFL, Williams has only ever lived in two places: Louisiana and Buffalo, NY. His family, including five children, call Buffalo home. Williams is not only one of the best players ever to wear a Bills uniform but he has been the undisputed team leader and ambassador. When the team made a successful push to sign defensive end Mario Williams in 2012, Williams was front and centre in making the case for him to come to Buffalo. When the team watched the Cincinnati Bengals upset the Baltimore Ravens in week 17 last season to send the Bills to the playoffs, Williams jumped around in the locker room like a kid on Christmas morning. Through his 13 seasons with the team, it would be the only playoff game he would see.
Williams has seen some very lean times in Buffalo with the team's record through his entire tenure being only 76-120. The team never really bottomed out (although the 2010 season where they ended at 4-12 after starting 0-8 came close) and rebounded - it just kept plodding along through various head coaches - Dick Jauron, Chan Gailey, Doug Marrone, Rex Ryan and now Sean McDermott - piling up disappointing but not disastrous records year after year. Always the team player and always seeing the positive in a sea of negativity, Williams remained loyal and committed to the team. His name will rightly go on the Wall of Fame maybe as early as next season. I have never seen a player deliver a more consistent effort on each and every snap he ever played. In last season's final game, Williams ran for a touchdown and yesterday, he caught a pass for a nine yard gain. To me, on that play, he looked like a better receiver than Kelvin Benjamin ever did. Kyle Williams wins the Vontae Davis Halftime Retirement Award for week 17 but for all the right reasons.
Josh Allen had another strong game for the Bills under centre, going 17 for 26 for 224 yards, and 5 touchdowns - 3 passing and 2 running - for a quarterback rating of 114. His counterpart, Ryan Tannehill, whose future with the Dophins is uncertain at best, finished the game with a rating of 43. Allen made one bonehead throw which was intercepted and returned for a touchdown, allowing the Dolphins to tie the game late in the first half. He will need to eliminate these disastrous plays in the future but the Bills fan base should feel optimistic about Allen's prospects going into next season and beyond.
Around the league yesterday, the Patriots secured another first round bye which sets them up for a likely trip to the AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. In the NFC, the Saints will be tough to beat at home but the Eagles made it in to the tournament and will play at Chicago next weekend. Should be some interesting games in what has been an entertaining season for the league.
I will have a post after the Superbowl. My prediction is the Saints and Patriots will play in Atlanta on February 3rd. Happy New Year.
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