Buffalo Rumblings
Consecutive game number 86 brought a little bit of N’awlins to Buffalo, where the beads were flying, music was booming, and even a second line New Orleans-style parade made its way down from Allen Street giving total Bourbon Street vibes.
My carpool (yes, with the one and only Torpedo Dan) picked me up at 8 a.m. Sunday morning. It had been a while since we’d headed to the stadium for a 1 p.m. game so we ended up getting there almost too early, arriving just as lot 1 was opening. The weather was beautiful again. It was the upper 70s to low 80s again, I struggled with what to wear, trying to find that sweet spot between “game day cute” and “not melting by halftime.”
Having my second shot of whiskey before 9 a.m. was NOT on my game day bingo card… I just knew it was going to be a long day! Once we settled in, the day unfolded perfectly. I ran into Mitch Morse and his wife Caitlin at the Mafia House just being their normal, down-to-earth selves. Mitch was walking around carrying a case of beer, which somehow made the moment even better. It just reinforced how “Buffalo” through and through he was.
Apparently, it was “Offensive Linemen Sunday,” because I also bumped into one of my friends and ol’ podcast networking buddies, former Bills offensive lineman John Fina and former Buffalo Rumblings podcasting extraordinaire Joe Miller, just in time for a New Orleans-style parade to make its way down the back streets.
Maybe the most meaningful part of the afternoon came when my friend Todd approached me. He recently lost his mom, and he asked if I would take her jersey with me to future away games so that, in a way, she could keep traveling with the team too. He showed me her car, wrapped beautifully in the Bills logo, and I just felt that lump in my throat. Those are the moments that remind me this streak isn’t just about football, it’s about family, and community.
As for the game itself… it was a weird one. The offense did its part, putting up enough points to get it done, but the defense, which had been so dominant against the Jets 10 days before, didn’t look sharp. Missed tackles, blown coverages, and too many long drives kept the Saints hanging around longer than they should’ve been able.
With the outcome still in doubt midway through the fourth quarter, it just felt “icky.” Like, at what point can they put this game away? And just like that, it was as if Josh Allen heard the plea, and on the next play he extended the drive with a 27-yard run of his own and followed that up with a beautiful completion to a wide-open Dalton Kincaid for a 28-yard touchdown reception.
It wasn’t pretty. Allen had his first turnover of the season, the team had 11 penalties, and way too many Saints possessions went into Bills territory...
