THE ROCKPILE REVIEW – A Football Day

[Shaw66]

I’d been antsy all week. From any perspective, the Chiefs at the Bills was a big game. A Bills win would put them back in the running for the bye in the playoffs. The Chiefs had displayed a great knack for finding a way to win, and we all knew they’d found ways to win against the Bills in the past. It was Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce and Andy Reid coming to town for a showdown, and they would be ready. The national hype for the game was well under way. Everyone who cares about football would be watching this one.

 

At noon on Sunday, my friend and I were sitting in the parking lot at the Buffalo Sports Garden on Southwestern Boulevard in Orchard Park. We had talked about going downtown for lunch, but I was too much on edge to plan for a mid-afternoon drive from downtown to Highmark Stadium – the traffic and parking lots are so unpredictable that I simply didn’t want to risk it. Orchard Park was a much better staging area, because it meant we had only a short drive to the stadium when the time was right.

 

The restaurant opened at 12:00 sharp, and we walked in. Surprisingly, the place wasn’t packed. Most tables were occupied, but not all. They have a lot of TVs, and all sorts of pregame shows for all the 1 pm games were on the screens. The CBS studio crew kept popping up all over, with Bills fans in the background, yelling and waiving signs. It was like we were in the parking lot with them, but we were just sitting, having lunch, and getting wired for the game.

 

We watched the 1 pm games, focused primarily on the Steelers and the Ravens. Interesting, hard fought game. AFC North games are always entertaining. At halftime, we were out the door and in ten minutes, we were pulling into Lot 6 at the stadium. There was very little traffic and as I drove to a parking space, I realized why the traffic was light: It was an hour and half before the game, and everyone going to the game was already there. The lots were almost completely full.

 

We donned our gear and went directly to the gate. There were no lines – tailgating was in full swing, so we walked right in and went to the Pepsi Club. We’d missed only a few minutes of the third quarter of the Steelers-Ravens, and we watched the rest of the game in the Club. Every once in a while a TV screen in the Club would switch to the CBS crew, still doing their pregame shtick, including jumping on tables. Finally with a minute left, it became clear that the Steelers would win it, game time was fast approaching, and we headed for our seats.

 

Understand this: We’d just had pretty much the same television experience that millions of fans around the country had had. It had been a normal Sunday of NFL football on TV. We’d seen all the hype about Bills-Chiefs, with highlights of Mahomes and Allen making plays and all of that.

 

And then we walked twenty yards and walked into the stadium to our seats. It felt like we had somehow walked into the TV show we’d been watching. The stadium was completely packed – all those people who were in the lots when we walked into the Club at 3 pm had filled the stadium while we were watching football on TV. There were no visible empty seats. Anticipation of the game was hanging in the air.

 

Within a couple minutes after taking our seats, a huge American flag covered the field, the Star Spangled Banner was sung, helicopters flew overhead, and the game began.

We were at the game the entire country was watching!

 

The noise during the Chiefs’ first possession was as loud as it gets in Highmark Stadium.

 

We’d seen the occasional Chiefs fans at the hotel, at the restaurant, walking through the parking lot, and in the Club, but in the stadium, it was Bills blue everywhere, with only the occasional dot of red here and there. The Chiefs fans tried making some noise, but it was obvious to everyone that it has hopeless: they were in Bills country now, and they had to just sit and wait for whatever was coming.

 

The game, of course, lived up to the hype; it was another classic to add to the story of the Bills and the Chiefs under Allen and Mahomes. When the Bills went up 23-14 early in the fourth quarter, it was the first time that either team had had a two-score lead. The lead didn’t last long; the Chiefs drove seventy yards in five minutes to get back within two points, 23-21.

 

There were eight minutes left in the game, and everyone in the stadium had the same thought: This is Mahomes and the Chiefs, and they’ve just started their Mahomes-and-the-Chiefs thing, taking over the game down the stretch to win in the end. There was only one way to beat them, and that was to drive the proverbial stake in the heart. Running out the clock would do it, but an eight-minute drive was unlikely. The Bills needed a touchdown. A field goal wasn’t enough; everyone knew that with a minute to go and the ball, Mahomes could find a way to get the touchdown to win. That’s what Mahomes does. Even McDermott admitted it later.

 

The Bills put together the drive they needed until, at third and two from the Chiefs’ 26-yard line, Ty Johnson was stopped for no gain. 2:27 left in the game. The Bills were where they have often found themselves late in games: in a one-score game, with the offense stalled and asking the defense to win the game with one more stop. Sometimes the defense comes through, sometimes it doesn’t, but it shouldn’t be that way. The offense needs to win the game, and that was exactly the message Sean McDermott delivered to the offense. A field goal wasn’t enough – it still would be a one score game. The offense had to get the first down, at least to run more time off the clock, but also to give the Bills another chance to score the touchdown that would end the game. One play to win the game. Did the offense have it in them?

 

Yes! Allen came to the line of scrimmage and understood the defense the Chiefs were showing. As the play began, the Chiefs left what had been a disguise and changed defenses. Allen was ready. His options were to throw if his receiver was open or to run if the defense had covered the receiver. It was more or less impossible for the defense to cover both options. Allen looked briefly at the receiver and took off running to his right. Chris Jones, the Chiefs’ all-world defensive tackle had been lined up to that side, but he was being man-handled by Bills guard O’Cyrus Torrence. Torrence drove Jones completely out of the play.

 

A cheer went up as Allen took off running. It was the fans saying, in unison, “Josh is our man and he’s running the ball!!!” Within a second, the cheer got louder, because Allen had gained the necessary two yards, had the first down and was still running. Now Allen was at the fifteen, running at full speed with some Chiefs closing in. The fans got louder; they’d seen this before – their 250-pound hero doing his Superman-thing. Allen barreled through the last Chiefs defender at the goal line and fell into the end zone as the crowd erupted into the loudest roar of the entire afternoon. Touchdown! Game over! Bills win!

 

It wasn’t over, of course. Two minutes left; for any other team, the situation would be hopeless, but this was, still, the Chiefs and Mahomes. They began their march up field, probing the Bills defense, looking for some way to put up a big gain and a quick score. It still seemed possible when on fourth down Mahomes scrambled for 18 yards and a first down to the Bills’ 34 yard-line. However, an offensive holding penalty negated the gain, and on fourth and 13, Terrel Bernard intercepted. One more eruption from the fans, a couple of kneel-downs by Allen, and the win was secured.  

 

Leaving the stadium, everyone was smiling (except Chiefs fans – including one in a red Chiefs game jersey, number 13, with “SECONDS” where a player’s name should be). It felt so good. The Bills stadium workers at the exits were smiling and greeting us as we left. One fan, assuming a staffer at the game had been outside the stadium throughout the game, said to her, “Wait until you watch the replay of the game.” She said, simply, “I can’t wait!”

 

The traffic jam getting out of the lots was, of course, massive, because no one had left early. Within a half hour, we were back on Southwestern Boulevard, and within a few minutes more we had returned to the Buffalo Sports Garden, where the day had started with lunch and the early games. Now, we were back for supper and the first half of the Sunday night game. At halftime (after watching the Bills highlights one more time), we went back to the hotel, and as the final seconds of the the Chargers’ win over the Bengals ticked away, I turned off the television, turned out the lights, and fell asleep.

 

Perfect.

 

GO BILLS!!!

 

The Rockpile Review is written to share the passion we have for the Buffalo Bills. That passion was born in the Rockpile; its parents were every-day people of western New York who translated their dedication to a full day’s hard work and simple pleasures into love for a pro football team.

 

[Big Turk]

It was awesome, but we have grown accustomed to them beating the Chiefs during the regular season...4th straight time. 

 

Now they need to do that in the post-season so we can get accustomed to it there too.

[Johnnycage46]

4 minutes ago, Big Turk said:

It was awesome, but we have grown accustomed to them beating the Chiefs during the regular season...4th straight time. 

 

Now they need to do that in the post-season so we can get accustomed to it there too.

 

Agreed, but they could only beat them Sunday...we all know and understand that we need to do it in January...but for what Sunday was, it was awesome.

[BigAl2526]

Life is good!

[freddyjj]

2 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

(except Chiefs fans – including one in a red Chiefs game jersey, number 13, with “SECONDS” where a player’s name should be)

@Shaw66 great job as usual. 

 

Have to tip my hat to the KC fan who came up with this.   Brilliant!

[Ned Flanders]

Great report!  Thank you!

[Haslett_Stomp]

I always look forward to the Rockpile Review.  Thanks, Shaw, for not disappointing.  Your description of Josh's touchdown run was excellent, I almost felt like I was there!

Edited November 19 by Haslett_Stomp

[amprov56]

Great post as always

[folz]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

It was awesome, but we have grown accustomed to them beating the Chiefs during the regular season...4th straight time. 

 

Now they need to do that in the post-season so we can get accustomed to it there too.

 

We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Stop worrying about yesterday and tomorrow and enjoy today.

 

 

Great post Shaw. Made me feel like I was there with you.

 

 

Edited November 19 by folz

[LABILLBACKER]

Hats off to you @Shaw66 for a brilliant pre game plan. You basically got to experience most everything without all the traffic, crowds etc. My son flew in the night before,  got to destroy some tables he checked from LAX near lot 6 with his friends on a bachelor party weekend. He said the crowd was defening and electric. Half his friends were not even Bills fans but now they are for life after experiencing that. 

 

The JA17 "run of the year" will be forever added to his legacy. Maybe it's enough to finally vault him to his 1st MVP.  Time for the players and us to rest.  We need it.  Time to order Dad 2 new tables.

[SoCal Deek]

Shaw….classic….”it was like walking into a TV show we were just watching”. 👍

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

1 hour ago, freddyjj said:

@Shaw66 great job as usual. 

 

Have to tip my hat to the KC fan who came up with this.   Brilliant!

 

Guy was on my flight back from st. louis through BWI.  I was talking to a couple who were wearing chiefs hoodies and i said "you'll have a good time, but i probably wouldn't antagonize the fan base and wear something like that on enemy turf"

[Shaw66]

1 minute ago, Bleeding Bills Blue said:

 

Guy was on my flight back from st. louis through BWI.  I was talking to a couple who were wearing chiefs hoodies and i said "you'll have a good time, but i probably wouldn't antagonize the fan base and wear something like that on enemy turf"

He was still standing at the end of the game!

[Bleeding Bills Blue]

Just now, Shaw66 said:

He was still standing at the end of the game!

 

Thats good! He didn't seem to be the type to chirp too hard either way.  But i've seen fights in a bunch of parking lots and... i'm sure they were started over less.  

[LewPort71]

Two thumbs up on an excellent review.

Josh's run just adds to his legacy.

 

[US Egg]

A #13 Chiefs jersey with a "SECONDS" nameplate.....that's just funny no matter what.

 

Thanks Shaw.

[27yankees]

Great report, no stadium scene for me. Live in Nebraska and have to deal with all Chefs(not a mis-spell) fans!! Folks here like to eat, especially BBQ!!! Bills fan for more than 50 years and witnessed the 31-7 smack down from Lenny Dawson and the group. Blahhhhhhhh!!! So it's always great to see them lose. 

[NickelCity]

Particularly well written this week, Shaw. 

[ganesh]

Awesome writing.  

[Son of a K-Gun]

18 hours ago, Shaw66 said:

A cheer went up as Allen took off running. It was the fans saying, in unison, “Josh is our man and he’s running the ball!!!” Within a second, the cheer got louder, because Allen had gained the necessary two yards, had the first down and was still running. Now Allen was at the fifteen, running at full speed with some Chiefs closing in. The fans got louder; they’d seen this before – their 250-pound hero doing his Superman-thing. Allen barreled through the last Chiefs defender at the goal line and fell into the end zone as the crowd erupted into the loudest roar of the entire afternoon. Touchdown! Game over! Bills win!

 

I want to frame this. 

 

Great write up as always @Shaw66, one of my favourite weekly reads.