Two Bills Drive

‘“That was cool to get to speak with him,” Araiza told The Buffalo News in the Chiefs’ locker room Thursday. “That game was a whole full-circle moment, being back in Buffalo for the first time in two years and seeing a bunch of guys I hadn’t seen and coach McDermott, especially. He told me he was proud of my resilience and just wished me luck for the rest of the year.”’

‘The first postseason meeting between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes came at the end of the 2020 season in the AFC championship game. In the most lopsided of these three January meetings, the Chiefs won 38-24. Allen threw for 287 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but it was no match for Mahomes, who was 29 of 38 for 325 yards and three scores.’

‘Jan. 20, 1991: In perhaps the most famous of the Bills’ four AFC championship victories, the team steamrolled the Los Angeles Raiders, scoring 41 points in the first half en route to a 51-3 victory at then-Rich Stadium. Kelly threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, while Thomas added 138 yards and a touchdown of his own on the ground. Backup running back Kenneth Davis contributed only 21 yards, but found the end zone three times, while wide receiver James Lofton caught five passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.’

‘“You go into every game sometimes with an idea of how you think the game is going to go, or what it’s going to take to win,” Brady said. “I believe that we have an offense that, you know, we’re able to win in different ways. Sometimes (you) get into the feel of how the game’s going, (and it) might dictate potential changes or sticking to something.”’

‘“People believe in this. So I wanted to celebrate that and showcase that – that sense of resiliency that comes from being a Buffalo Bills fan and what the team has been through, what the fans have been through for so many decades of just waiting for that brass ring,” Hochul said. “And it will come. It absolutely will come. But in the process, this long wait has made us stronger and grittier and more resilient. And those are all traits that we all share as Buffalonians.”’

‘Western New York psychologists and mental health experts say being a sports fan can provide a sense of identity, community and belonging. And in Buffalo, perhaps more than other cities, being a Bills fan is deeply embedded into the identity of who people here are. Every heartbreaking loss – think “wide right” “forward lateral” or “13 seconds” – builds up the communal scar tissue, and every jubilant win further forges the bonds to the team and to each other, experts say.’

‘During Bills games, every week, the Sextons light the flame. In the same way as so many families − who intertwine memories of those they love with the annual fortunes of the Bills – they tell themselves Kevin is somehow part of every key play, in every game.’

‘“I feel like we’re going to have an incredibly competitive game that I got a funny feeling is going to come down to the wire again. Both teams will be very prepared for the possibilities that the other team can throw at them. It’s not a division opponent, but it kind of is because these teams have played each other so often that you know each other so well, you’re not going to surprise the opponent. This one will come down to technique, fundamentals who protects the ball and then really, which quarterback makes the play when it counts, and I would also argue the kicking game. That’s what I see this game coming down to.”’

‘We can only hope that two consecutive Super Bowl wins is about as fur as KC can go. No NFL team has ever won three consecutive Super Bowls. Come Sunday, it’ll be up to the Bills to stop the Chiefs from getting to yet another one. The AFC championship game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium, so the Bills will have to shuffle out of Buffalo.’