BRING CHEER TO ALL
Hope in Buffalo that some Bills fans could attend playoff games
Orchard Park — Hope grew in Western New York on Wednesday when Gov. Cuomo revealed that the Buffalo Bills provided a plan to the state to try and allow 6,700 fans to attend their first home playoff game since 1996 next month.
The requirements to attend would be Covid-19 tests and masks to be worn at all times inside the stadium.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen was asked about what it would mean to have fans back for the playoffs and he relayed that Bills Mafia would do their part to get to attend.
“I know they’re chomping at the bit to get back in there,” Allen said. “Whatever needs to get done to get it done, I know Bills Mafia would be willing to do it in order to get in the stadium. Fingers are crossed for that one.”
The plan is pretty thorough as it also includes contact tracing stipulations for fans after the game to monitor the potential spread of the virus.
As it stands now the Bills sit in the no. 2 seed in the AFC, which would give them at least two home playoff games. Getting fans back in the stands will provide a boost for the team, Allen said.
“Obviously that’d be a huge inspiration for us to have fans back in the stadium,” he said. “And we know how much it would mean to those 6,700 fans that are there. We wish we had Bills Mafia in the stands and this is the year we would really use them.”
The only difficult part of this season for
Bills fans, who have watched their team get out to an 11-3 record and secure the first AFC East title in 25 years, has been they haven’t been able to watch their team in person.
Thousands of Bills fans waited at Buffalo-Niagara airport early on Sunday to welcome back the team after they won the AFC East with a win over the Denver Broncos.
Bills receiver Cole Beasley said that it would be unbelievable if some fans were able to watch in person in January.
“They’ve seen us on TV but there’s nothing like that in-game atmosphere,” said Beasley, who’s already had a career season and sits just 50 yards away from passing 1,000 yards for the first time ever. “It’s not everybody but it’ll be awesome to just have a few of them in there. I guess whoever can get their hands on tickets, it’s probably gonna be crazy to see who can get that. We’d love to have them here so hopefully we can give them a good showing and make them proud.”
Allen was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season today after he added four more touchdowns to his franchise-best 39 on the year in a 48-19 win over the Broncos. He’s enjoyed loads of success this season but thinks fans in the stands could really help take the team’s play to another level.
“I know how much a couple thousands fans can do - the energy and juice that they can bring and the noise they can bring in the stadium,” Allen said. “We’re praying and hoping that we can get them in and we’ll do anything necessary to help that happen.”