Buffalo Bills Await Time Turning Over
Intercept a win.
That’s almost a game Buffalo Bills fans would want to watch again. The suddenly spoiled are getting bratty about wins rising to the level of being sufficiently entertaining to consume despite knowing results. Remember to cherish moment so nice that those who lived through them hope they’re sustained as blessings.
As with awareness that Ryan started the fire not preventing an 83rd binge of The Office, having the surprise of the ending gone doesn’t eliminate the appeal. Clicking the info button while seeing which games the NFL Network are reshowing is almost tempting if you follow a team that’s won 80 percent of its games without seeming truly dominant.
Prevailing in an interception battle was refreshing as a change of pace even if infuriating. Novelty isn’t always desirable. There’s no way this game should have been tied in the second quarter. Naturally, it got worse. Charitably calling the Bills a second-half team reflects the value of staying tuned. But even Clint Eastwood must be tired of making movies about redemption.
Buffalo’s second-best quarterback helped as much as he could. Throwing to the Johnsons was Joe Flacco’s way of emphasizing how many were on the opponent’s roster. He didn’t throw one to Ty, but that’s only because he was denied the chance. Taron and Austin even sound like they could be siblings named by parents with cutesy tendencies.
The Bills stole the ball like Flacco stole Damar Hamlin’s Comeback Player of the Year Award. Hamlin himself took one as a replacement for the trophy. The object is better to have, anyway. It can be redeemed for points. But the shiny token rightfully belongs to him, too. Buffalo’s zombie literally coming back to life is a super special example. A league that can’t manage to incentivize returning kickoffs unsurprisingly failed to recognize the most obviously deserving candidate they’ve ever had. At least the Bills settled it on the field.
It’s not that Hamlin deserves an All-Pro spot based on Brandon Beane not adding sufficient safety depth. Jonathan Taylor outflanked him, but at least Hamlin wasn’t the only one. Getting gashed by Taylor has become a Buffalo tradition. The franchise has had almost three years to figure out how to contain him. Maybe the defensive coordinator will have a plan in action for 2027.
Colts fans feel understandably awkward residing in no man’s land. There’s nobody’s jersey to buy. Attendees booed Flacco like he’s Andrew Luck except for how they wanted him to retire. Indianapolis’s faithful want Anthony Richardson back for the future and Flacco for the present. But the latter isn’t helping now while the newer guy creates more questions than answers. Every other timeframe feels comfortable. Like the benched option, they must be tired of this.
Buffalo's defense outscored both offenses for the first quarter. This is an endorsement and also an embarrassment. They managed to win just like it’s supposed to happen in games with a score on a turnover. It’s not a statistic like winning when a running back gains 100 yards that may be an effect rather than a cause: a defensive touchdown is sure to alter the result. Taron’s touchdown had a monumental impact at the beginning and end.
Waste interceptions by contributing your own. Two horrible ones by Josh Allen are at least surprising despite a dull online narrative. It’s not to excuse icky turnovers by calling the misaimed throws out of character. To be fair, they did look like the sort of throws Allen’s delusional Twitter enemies thinks he makes on about 20 percent of attempts.
Allen made history by refusing to throw. He tied that deceased double murderer for second-most rushing touchdowns in team history. Allen is best running back the Bills have ever had. It’s not shade like his aforementioned trolls cast upon him: I’ve seen him throw, too, and it’s largely impressive despite a few flubs this week.
A wider range of options would help. There are better ways to incorporate Curtis Samuel than to wait for two players ahead of him on the depth chart to get hurt. A theoretically high remaining option only managed four receptions for 35 yards. The fact he had eight targets doesn’t help the case that he’s neglected.
The slightly different position could use more attention, too. Worried fans have been assured repeatedly that tight end is just big receiver in this advanced era of primitive terms. Then they see Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox combine for only four catches and realize instincts were correct. The offensive staff should know members of the category are more than just blockers these days. Light usage was a problem even factoring the former’s time lost to injury.
Other games have helpfully distracted from how slowly clocks move while waiting for the looming threat this Sunday. And even the result against the Chiefs will be overshadowed by the potential postseason conflict. Time won’t move faster; I’ve asked. But at least there’s less of it to waste until reaching this season’s truest test. Mitigate the stress of waiting now by knowing anxiety will reach Red Alert levels Sunday afternoon.
The Bills managed another win by force of will that looks like more convincing than it felt. Their playoff prospects are stellar because the AFC East has one pro player like Allen at Wyoming. But now they face a challenge that’ll require rising. If nothing else, the Bills won’t have to worry about playing down to an adversary’s level.