Here we are again, Bills Mafia. The Buffalo Bills have advanced to the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. Once again, they’ll play in front of a raucous home crowd, attempting to prove the world incorrect.
I had no worries that the Bills might reach this point again. They’ve done enough in previous years to give me confidence that they’ll win 12 or more games in the regular season, win their fifth divisional title in a row, and have another MVP-worthy season from quarterback Josh Allen.
And, sure, another Coach of the Year performance by head coach Sean McDermott, most likely one that the national media would not think deserving of the title. Nonetheless, McDermott is still a contender for the win.
Where most saw a club losing too many long-tenured key players to remain competitive, I saw another opportunity for McDermott to find and teach the next generation of unknown players who would emerge to prominence. I also observed former understudy players now poised to eventually replace and carry on their mentors’ legacies, as well as the team’s franchise quarterback continuing to lead—this time in an even more prominent role as the team’s unquestionable motivator.
So here we go again, Bills Mafia, this time not against the Kansas City Chiefs (at least not yet), but against a team that appears to be just as terrifying as the Chiefs (or that Cincinnati Bengals squad) who dashed our hopes in the past.
We are up against a stronger team that includes Pro Bowlers, All-Pros, and the newly crowned “MV3.” The Bills must once again find methods to slow down Derrick Henry, who just finished another 2,000-yard season.
Let’s be honest: few people feel we have a real chance. Look at the Pro Bowl and All-Pro voting to see how those people perceive Buffalo and Baltimore.
Consider how frequently they overlooked Josh Allen’s accomplishments in the biggest games of the regular season in favor of crowning Lamar Jackson for efforts against teams that have no legitimate claim to the throne that Buffalo currently possesses.
Consider the Ravens’ most recent encounter, which ended in a landslide victory in Baltimore. The league now sells rivalries. NFL media circles are certain that by Sunday night, they’ll be able to crown a new monarch and return to their agenda of criticizing Josh Allen, no matter how excellent he plays, saying he can’t take the Bills back to the big stage.
Yet, here we are, Bills Mafia. 9-0 playing at home, defending our dirt. I won’t lie, when I step back and look at this game objectively, I don’t think our odds are good either.
We have Josh; they have Lamar and Henry to rely on. We have a disciplined and tough defense, as well as a selfless bunch of players that were previously overlooked but have found success in Buffalo, complimenting one another and doing everything they can to aid QB17. They have superstars and a Super Bowl-winning head coach. Things don’t seem good for Buffalo right now.
Nonetheless, I choose to believe that this time will be different. Billieve believes that Sean McDermott, Buffalo’s all-time regular-season coach who has had his fair share of nightmare playoff moments, hasn’t reached his limit and won’t rest until he can move forward.
I want to believe he is right there, on the verge of turning things around. After all, those who are prepared to put in the effort frequently achieve amazing results. I can dispute many aspects of McDermott, but I will never doubt his work ethic, passion, or, most importantly, readiness to adapt and become the greatest version of himself in order to complete the task at hand.
McDermott understands that this game, against this offense, will be his first significant opportunity to demonstrate the world that he is, in fact, entering the next phase of his Bills career.
I’m on this roster, this team. They understand that the time has come, and that this may be their final chance to truly demonstrate their abilities.
They were reminded yet again that no matter how low their expectations were before the season began and how much they were able to exceed them, they would not be recognized. They’ll have to take it from them by defeating the commonly regarded “best teams.”
These Bills understand that the best way to accomplish this is to play their utmost best, to follow the leadership of their coaching staff, and to give their all to support the fire-breathing unicorn at quarterback.
Buffalo understands that the NFL’s most “overrated” player is actually the league’s top player. They know he’s previously performed well enough to make it to the big stage, but his squad wasn’t good enough to support him in those other occasions.
I am seventeen. I’ve been saying for quite some time now that if you’re a Bills supporter and don’t identify Josh Allen as the best player in the league, you haven’t paid attention and are letting team accolades, team accomplishments, to cloud your evaluations.
Josh Allen didn’t lose against Patrick Mahomes in 2021 or 2023 – the Bills fell to the Chiefs. In neither of those games did Allen generate less than Mahomes. In fact, it’s easy to argue that he was the best player on the field in both games, only to have better game planning, better calls by coaches, and better play by supporting casts — drops versus catches, kicks made versus kicks missed, even a coin toss—determine the outcome.
I choose to believe that there will not be a better player on the field on Sunday. The struggle will be intense, as Jackson and Henry will share the responsibilities of lifting the Ravens’ attack.
However, I believe Josh will not be alone this time. I believe James Cook, Ty Johnson, and the big players on the offensive line will be revved up to dominate the game.
I Billieve the “Everybody Eats” gang will be as ravenous as ever, ready to feast on All-Pros for dinner. Simply ask Patrick Surtain II. I believe they care. They care about this team, about one another, and about us, the Bills Mafia, both in Buffalo and around the world.
I Billieve everything that went wrong and against Buffalo in the past will be in the Bills’ favor this time. It has to just once, doesn’t it?
Life will not always be simple in “the city of losers,” right? We don’t need it to be, though, because as one of the founding AFL franchises, the Bills have seen practically everything, good and bad—except a Super Bowl victory.
As the esteemed Marv Levy puts it, “When it’s too tough for them, it’s just right for us.” Four straight SB losses? We’ll fight to get there again. Seventeen years without playoffs? We can take it, and we will be back. Painful playoff eliminations and genuine contempt from all over the league? We do not care.
We are Bills Mafia. We know who we are, we know who we have, we know who we root for. We also know our time is coming — and that’s why I choose to Billieve.
Go Bills!
Leave a Reply