Regular Season Win More Than Regular for Buffalo Bills

Try not to smirk while saying "It's only one game."

Time can change perspective.  Take how Bills fans were sure around Sunday at 4 p.m. that a popular conference title game prediction preview didn’t mean all that much.  Saying the event was way less important than CBS made it out to be was the most popular method for coping with football anxiety.  It preceded deciding just how unimportant the result was based on who scored more.  By uncanny coincidence, I changed my mind when my side finished ahead.

Sure, a win on its own is valuable when there are only 17 chances for them.  But it’s worth noting the noteworthiness.  The Kansas City Chiefs were just another foe on the schedule yet weren’t.  Literature is most appreciated in context, and the Bills uncovered symbolism.

A seemingly annual meeting between teams in different divisions is an uncanny occurrence.  Sunday’s monumental affair was the eighth game over the past five seasons counting the playoffs between the two prominent conference members, so you’re not imagining that they seem to play each other all the time.  Each is an honorary member of each other’s division.

Today’s Powerball numbers are bound to come up again.  But the drawing still has no effect on the next.  The Bills have already won a regular season game against the Chiefs before falling to them in the ensuing playoffs twice this decade.  The bad and good news is the precedent has no effect on future preparations.

The quarterback, offensive coordinator, coach, and owner took care of business.  The play call should always consist of telling Josh Allen to do something.  That’s how it works out, anyway.  Is anyone unaccustomed to what’s going to happen?  The defense knows it’s pending yet struggled to cope with specifics.  Plan out the next decade then improvise in response to whatever happens today.

Bills fans learn to never take anything for granted.  Football may as well guide everything else considering how much time we invest in it.  Being up two scores with two minutes left naturally felt like the perfect time to panic.  Leslie Frazier haunts from Seattle.  Buffalo’s interception merely increased fretting about a seemingly impossible kneel-down disaster scenario resulting from an anticipated botching that only this franchise could manage.  Avoiding catastrophe was a relief that shouldn’t prompt letting down guards.

I advise trading for Amari Cooper whenever the opportunity presents itself.  Buffalo acquired him at the second-best time, which was a little later.  They didn’t think to have a number one receiver starting the season, as there are so many tasks to track.  It’s not as if the Bills have Allen and should pair him with a star or anything.

The more understated option is nonetheless thrilling.  Buffalo’s optimists can gloat about how reliable Khalil Shakir has become after suggesting last offseason that he’d grow with more responsibility.  He’s a Cole Beasley who heads farther downfield.

Ryan Van Demark protected the franchise about as well as could be hoped.  Deploying a backup tackle against the Chiefs was bound to create what could euphemistically be deemed an adventure.  He did as well as could be expected considering the depth chart and foe.  It’s reminiscent of replacement center Will Grant telling Marv Levy in response to noting that he had been called for holding Lawrence Taylor four times that it was good because “I’m holding him every down.”

I support Patrick Mahomes trying to make something out of thinking.  His early interception made a formidable task seem possible.  The Bills wasted several opportunities in the first quarter that looked like they could have turned the tone.  But thorough domination was unrealistic even if it’s something to which every team should aspire.

Griping after one of the league’s most momentous wins this season is only to help maintain the trend.  Constantly seeking to improve even in victory is a trademark of franchises who manage lots of them.

The Bills continued to commit the same type of lapses that feels indefinite.  Getting away with blunders against the league’s present flagship franchise shouldn’t be used to reinforce bad tendencies.  Tyler Bass should give back his special teams player of the week award.  Even the franchise is not immune, as the one thing worse than Allen floating an incompletion on fourth down is him floating an interception.  Don’t let getting away with an error once inspire thinking that will happen again.

And Sean McDermott challenged an obvious catch to stay in character.  I swear too many obvious play calls will eventually cost them even if they just prevailed over the Chiefs despite adhering to the undesirable habit.  Run it straight ahead like they expect: they’ll never expect that.

Like Jake Paul always being able to say he beat Mike Tyson, you don’t have to say which season you overmatched Mahomes.  The Subway spokesperson grows more obnoxious by the year even as his teammates contribute more to the impressive record.  He’s still finding a way to get it done despite personal statistics that are pedestrian by his high personal standard.  At least, he had been.

Defeating the reigning champs counts as much as besting Jacksonville.  There’s not an extra third of a win for ending the hopes of the last seemingly invincible club.  And this result has no effect on any potential rematch that’s presently unscheduled in a postseason tournament.  All Buffalo can do is take scheduled tests.

The Bills have placed themselves in a fortuitous situation where they must remain wary about coasting.  Taking the head-to-head tiebreaker means this outcome carried weighted significance after all.  It looks like you can camp out at the New Era Store for another AFC East champions hat considering they’re about 19 games ahead in the division.  Still, they can focus on seeding in case there’s need to stay motivated.  Such welcome concerns are a privilege of the first team to top the Chiefs.