IT'S JOSH, BY GOSH
Quarterback Allen leads Bills into rare home playoff game
Impressions of the Bills have changed a lot in the nearly quarter-century that has passed since Buffalo's NFL team last played host to a playoff game — on Dec. 28, 1996.
And not just Buffalo's Bills, but other famous Bills, too.
Bill Clinton had just been re-elected U.S. president weeks earlier, his wild popularity at its peak. It would be more than a year before Americans would learn of his reckless 16-month, surreptitious sexual affair with Monica Lewinsky, a recent college grad and White House intern.
Bill Cosby was starring in his third popular prime time sitcom, titled Cosby (1996-2000), which followed The Bill Cosby Show (1969-71) and The Cosby Show (1984-92). It wasn't until the middle of last decade that dozens of women began coming forward to lodge sexual assault allegations against one of the most beloved comedic actors of his generation.
Bill Belichick was toiling on the New England Patriots' coaching staff, in virtual anonymity, as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach under Bill Parcells. This, 10 months after the Cleveland Browns had fired him as their head coach, and 37 months before the Pats wouldn't yank him from the New York Jets to be theirs.
As for the Bills of Buffalo, on the fourth last day of 1996 they were an established NFL juggernaut, playing host to the franchise's 10th playoff game in nine years, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Buffalo's record in those previous nine home playoff tilts — during that glorious four Super Bowl-appearance dynasty led by head coach Marv Levy and quarterback Jim Kelly — was 9-0. Not bad. They won those games by an average score of 33-18.
The 9-7 wild card Jags, though, were overachieving in just their second season of existence under head coach Tom Coughlin. And on a late 45-yard field goal, they upset the 10-6 wild card Bills, 30-27, at the former Rich Stadium.
It was Kelly's last NFL game. Fast-forward 24 years to this week — 10 head coaches, 18 starting quarterbacks, three stadium name changes, 17 non-winning seasons and 19 non-playoff seasons later. The Bills finally are an NFL force again, they finally have an elite quarterback again (in third-year fireballer Josh Allen) and they finally are playing a post-season game at home again.
On Saturday, the AFC East champion Bills (13-3) entertain the wild card Indianapolis Colts (11-5) to kick off the NFL's selfnamed Super Wild Card Weekend of six games (1:05 p.m. EST, CTV and TSN via CBS).
On Thursday, Allen was named the AFC's player of the month, after also having won the honour in September — the first and final months of the regular season. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is likely to be named NFL Most Valuable Player for 2020, as he threw 31 touchdown passes over the last half of the season and had no offensive equal. Second place might go to any one of Allen, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes or Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry. Each is worthy.
Allen wound up completing 69.2 per cent of his throws for 4,544 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. On the ground he added 421 yards and eight touchdowns.
In short, the 24-year-old skyrocketed up to elite status this season. As steep as his one-season ascent is, it is legitimate by any meaningful statistical barometer — to say nothing of the eye test.
That's such a contrast to his first two NFL seasons, when he often appeared overwhelmed, sometimes emotionally, too. In fact, a year ago this week, in his only playoff game to date, Allen performed quite well in the first half at Houston, but the Texans rallied to steal an overtime wild card victory that was made possible, in part, by Allen's wildly erratic second-half play. In short, he lost his composure.
Such immaturity is but a dot now in Allen's rear-view mirror. In 2020 he's been the epitome of composure; the Bills led the league in third-down completion percentage.
The big question heading into Saturday's game is whether Allen will have his two most important, and prolific, pass receivers available against the Colts. Both are listed as questionable with injuries — newly named first-team all-pro Stefon Diggs (abdominal muscle) and second-team all-pro slot receiver Cole Beasley (knee). Each was limited in practice this week, when able to practice at all.
Diggs led the NFL this season in catches (127) and receiving yards (1,535) and caught eight touchdowns. Beasley caught 82 passes for 967 yards and four scores. The Bills wouldn't be doomed without both players, but Buffalo's task of puncturing an occasionally stout Colts defence would be rendered so much more difficult.
No other Bills player besides the two star receivers was injured enough to be listed on the game status report issued Thursday. Maybe that's one reason why players at Thursday's practice seemed particularly loose and confident. Media video showed many whooping it up and dancing, en masse, to MC Hammer's U Can't Touch This.
If the Bills hope to make it to the Big Dance — the Super Bowl, to snap yet another drought since the Levy/Kelly dynasty — they've got to get it rolling first against the Colts.