Buffalo Rumblings
Week 3 of the 2025 season. Consecutive game number 85. And not just any game, a back-to-back divisional matchup under the lights in Orchard Park, NY, where the Bills extended their own streak: 13 straight regular-season home wins at Highmark Stadium.
Thursday night games are their own animal. Normally, I say game day starts the second I wake up, but this one felt different. I flew into Buffalo late Wednesday night, close to midnight, and Thursday started less like game day and more like any other workday. Coffee, laptop, hotel Wi-Fi, clocking in early, getting things done. But by 3 p.m., I logged off, shut the laptop, and was pulling into the stadium lot by 4.
From there, it felt like game day for real. Mafia knows my carpool partner well: “Torpedo Dan.” And if you don’t, you’ll never forget him once you do. American flag speedo, every single game, no matter the weather. Walking with him is like walking with a celebrity, it takes three times as long to get anywhere because everybody wants a photo. Begrudgingly, I’ve become his hype woman. But honestly, he handles it all with so much humor and grace that you can’t help but love it. The shock on people’s faces the first time they spot him sets the perfect tone for a night of tailgating.
And the tailgates didn’t disappoint. I got to finally meet a few friends from Twitter (or “X”) in person, Tiffany with the contagious smile, and a husband-and-wife duo I’ve known online for years. Those are the kinds of moments I love most: turning online connections into real life Bills Mafia friendships. I made my usual rounds too; Mama J, Pinto Ron, and some of my favorite people like Del Reid, Jack Shaft, Celeste, and Heather. The weather was perfect — not once did I feel chilly, which says a lot for this converted South Florida girl. You still can’t take Buffalo out of me though.
As for the game itself? The Bills took care of business against Miami, securing a 10-point win. It wasn’t pretty in all three phases, and you could feel the sense that Mafia might be a little spoiled these days, we expect clean, dominant wins every time. But a divisional win under the lights at home? You take those every time you can get them.
Game 85 is in the books, but the journey continues for me. The Bills stay home in Orchard Park for Week 4, hosting their first NFC opponent of the season, the New Orleans Saints. A Sunday afternoon kickoff at 1 p.m. on September 28. I’ll be there, ready to soak in another chapter of this streak, surrounded by framily, friends, and the Mafia.
