Archives for January 7, 2024

‘It is the Bills’ top question … and most difficult to answer. How did Diggs go from five 100-yard games in the first six weeks to none since? How is he in the midst of one touchdown in seven games? How does he have only three catches of at least 16 yards in the last six games?’

‘Bills 31, Dolphins 22.’

‘There are a number of reasons Sunday’s game against Miami is big, starting with the fact it’s for the division. A win clinches the No. 2 seed for the Bills, which means a home game against the No. 7 seed, and another home game in the divisional round if the Bills take care of business in the wild-card round. If the seedings hold, that would be against Kansas City – the first road playoff game of Patrick Mahomes’ career. Can you imagine that scene at Highmark Stadium? If the Ravens falter in the divisional round, the Bills would host the AFC Championship Game. Compare that to making it after a loss. That would mean the sixth or seventh seed – depending on other results – and a trip to Kansas City or a return trip to Miami, likely followed by a trip to Baltimore for the divisional round if the Bills won on wild-card weekend.’

‘“The one thing that always crushed me is that I didn’t actually win a Super Bowl and I think these two teams probably feel like I feel, too. But the possibility of either of them becoming the No. 2 seed and getting to play in either Miami or Buffalo and the advantages that gives that team is almost essential in some way to that team winning a Super Bowl, right? Or at least it feels like it at this point. I know the Bills may have to win to get in. But, to me, it’s all about winning a championship.”’

‘Highmark Stadium finished second to last out of the 30 NFL stadiums in the league in a ranking of how luxurious it was considered in data and online commentary collected by casino.org. The analysis also considered bathroom quality and availability and the number of concessions stands and luxury suites.’

‘In a phone conversation several weeks before my visit to Orlando, Williams told me that he had been watching “very, very carefully” the Bills’ progress in reaching a stadium deal with New York State and Erie County. If those 2021-2022 negotiations had broken down, Williams, as a self-described “sports initiator here” – and surely a cadre of Central Florida politicians and business executives – would have welcomed Pegula and his Bills executives to explore the possibility of moving the team to Florida.’

‘Deese, a retired air traffic controller who makes it to at least five or six Bills games a year, can’t separate this showdown from his life. At 70, he has his own legend within Bills fandom, routinely traveling to such fabled destinations as the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge or the Leaning Tower of Pisa to post photos of himself holding up a Bills flag.’

‘The Bills had Super Bowl beliefs, dreams, odds, and media support coming into 2023 in September and nothing less than a Super Bowl berth in February will feel like a success.’