Success

I feel like I've been waiting for this day for 20 years. Not just this time - THIS DAY. We were right on the cusp this past season - now, Josh is entering his pivotal 3rd year, with one of the best WR's and WR corps in the league, and an excellent defense. The Bills are FINALLY poised to take the division. Combine that w/ the monster who has been lurking under my bed leaving the AFC East and the AFC completely, and the transition is complete. My nightmare is over. I've spent a good part of the day on Patriots boards, watching Pats fans lament the end of the "Patriot Way" you speak of. They know it. I'm shocked at how many of them have said they are crying or even sobbing (those guys are so soft - seeing those posts makes me so glad to be a Bills fan, even though they've had it so much better). Having said that, watch them somehow end up w/ the worst record in a virus-shortened season, draft Lawrence and start all over again as BB coaches until his 80's. That'd just be the way.

I actually want to see him do well there. I think it would sting worse for Pats fans. And that's my priority.

The reactions on the Pats boards really makes you realize how different their reality has been than ours. Some of the younger fans think winning is just the way, regardless, and are wondering who the next QB to lead them to Superbowls will be. Some of the other fans wrote that they're actually crying. Which is kind of fun to read. BB gone in the next few years, and that team will be in our rearview for awhile.

Didn't read the other responses, but I imagine the answer to the query has been a universal "yes." Extremely unlikely that we'd get a WR in the 1st as good as Diggs. And who cares about the later round picks.

The Bills generally HAVE to overpay. Beane makes up for it by finding overachievers elsewhere. It's impossible not to like this. All of a sudden, our WR corps looks very good. Diggs & Smoke, baby.

Yeah, I'm just being goofy. If I really thought we wouldn't have one, I wouldn't joke about it. Same here - it's a need.

It's so "Patriots" to finally be bad and then have a season canceled so no one can actually see it.

Chris Kelsay was a good Bill.

Halftime of the playoff game. I felt like they showed up big time with a great gameplan, that Josh was passing his first postseason test with flying colors, and that they could make a deep run.

One more excuse to drink. I’m fine with it.

Don’t forget FA. I’ll always be a BPA guy when it comes to 1st round picks. It’s the best way to go.

Figures. AFTER the Pats finish their run. No bye would have hurt that team a few times.

I’ve seen this movie before...

Stevie made this team fun again, after a really bad stretch. I’ll always appreciate him and wish the best for him. This is cool news.

There are very few sports pundits and analysts who are truly informed and knowledgeable. Most just say stuff.

I don't want any part of next season if we don't at least split w/ the Pats. That should just be a pre-requisite now. We're not going to be true contenders until we get rid of that monkey on our back...

I don’t often use language this strong, but that play was super neat-o...

No "alone because when I'm that tense I don't want to talk to anybody" option?

In the post-SB coverage & on the ol' internets, it seems like the one everyone is most upset by is the push off from Kittle, saying it had no impact and isn't usually called. I don't get it. That was as clear as push offs get - full extension of the elbow, and clearly slowing the defender down to create separation that wouldn't have existed otherwise. That has to be called at that juncture of the game.

The AFCE all has it tough - we just have to win more games than the rest of our division. 9-7 might win the division next year. We'll need some bounces. I see a lot of close games, and like this year, we have to figure out how to prevail in the end. I think it will actually come down to either the Bills or Jets - Pats are gonna be in a rebuild.

I thought the officiating was good - slightly in KC's favor, but none of the calls were egregious. That helmet-to-helmet was incidental - the defender didn't lower his helmet. It was good technique. The push against Kittle was a classic arm-extension push off, and created separation. I don't even know why that's controversial - that was a good & necessary call. It was not ticky tacky, as many are saying. And I even see some fans complaining about the DPI in the endzone, when the defender didn't even turn around, saying the ball "wasn't catchable." It absolutely was if the guy wasn't all over the receiver.

Our D would have kept it close though. We’re not that far..

He has always been great. I hate how merciless sports is - it's the same as when we lost 4. Andy got an inch away from greatness multiple times, but had a shaky reputation because he couldn't close the deal - worse than if he had never gotten that far in the 1st place. To win a championship, you need a few bounces, too.

Salty Pats fans on twitter are already pulling out the Yankees-esque "call me when you win 4 more" to KC fans...

Some good lessons in that one. Shanahan sits on the ball at the end of the 1st half, hopes to win a close one. Reid goes for it on 4th down twice, goes for the win, and gets it. One coach was clearly better.