My ability to put Sunday’s Buffalo Bills game at Highmark Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals into some sort of cohesive commentary is worse than usual at the moment, so I’ll do the best I can. I’m still stunned by the wild turnaround that saw the Bills down by 10 points in the last half of the fourth quarter, only to roar to a 39-34 victory over the Bengals in what turned out to be another snow game moment fans will never forget.
It kept nagging at me to figure out where I’ve seen this specific version of Josh Allen before. When Allen broke free to score a on a 40 yard touchdown run the light finally went on in my aging brain. Of course! It was THIS game in 2017 when the world really found out what we already knew in Wyoming at the time… Josh Allen was destined to become a star in the NFL. How much of a star most of us had no idea, but you could see a player that was not going to be denied, come hell or high water.
Of course Josh would be the first to say the game was a total team effort and he would be right. Christian Benford is the least known stud cornerback in the NFL. His humility is refreshing, his play exhilarating and noteworthy in an era where divas rule the day.
At his press conference after the game, Benford said God directed him to his elite performance despite veering from what he referred to as “standard technique” in that particular situation.
Why would anyone doubt him?
Christian Benford has matured into one of the defense’s strongest leaders. He should be considered seriously for a captaincy on that side of the ball. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures to observe players like Benford when they gently step into the light and become recognized as a leader as well as an All-Pro candidate. It’s refreshing to see players who embody love and respect for others.
However, Benford wasn’t the only defensive player who had notable performances on the field Sunday. DT Deone Walker is quietly turning into one of Brandon Beane’s best fourth round picks as a general manager. Mid rounds appear to be where Beane’s been most successful over the years. I will probably go to my grave retaining mad respect for drafting Christian Benford in the 6th round.
And what a day for the tight ends!
It was fun watching Dawson Knox have himself a game. If you’ve been following my blabber you had to smile when my guy Jackson Hawes scored himself a snow angel in the end zone. Expect to see even more of that in the future because Hawes will not only continue his dominance as a blocker, he is going to mature into a very reliable TE over the course of his career.
How far can this Bills’ team go if they make it to the playoffs?
Very hard telling because of their lack of consistency. However, if recent trends are indicative of future performance, we would be buyers of the Buffalo Bills if they were a financial stock. Because when you have a unicorn for a quarterback anything can happen.
These days I find myself learning to appreciate the Josh Allen experience more and worrying about how they might do if they make the playoffs less. Fans who want to focus on how Buffalo is “wasting Josh Allen’s career” are welcome to debate the issue. My vibe is about being grateful to have lived long enough to see what a guy who played college in my adopted homeland would eventually bring to my lifelong love for the Buffalo Bills.
If that focus makes me less of a ‘true’ football fan or the right kind of football fan… or any iteration of these types of judgments made about someone’s fanhood, so be it. For some of us old folks, it’s a matter of preserving our mental energy for things that have a more direct impact on our day to day quality of life.
Editor’s babble: I’m already on to Foxboro. What a week this is going to be leading up to the game against the Patriots :( You can find me on Xwitter @RobynMundyWYO, but I’ll most likely be off most social media leading up to the game. Another colossal waste of energy and there’s so much more to enjoy this time of year! Much love and Happy Holidays <3
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