The Buffalo Bills defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night by a score of 34-24. The game was scheduled to be played in San Francisco, but because of a ban on contact sports in Santa Clara County, the Monday Night Football showdown was moved to Glendale, Arizona. The Bills’ win on Monday was their first on Monday Night Football in 22 years. The last time Buffalo won a game on Monday Night Football, Doug Flutie was the starting quarterback; it was a win over Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins down in South Florida. On Monday night, Josh Allen and the Bills offense was red hot. But one thing that did disappoint me was Stefon Diggs not finding the endzone again – he only has 4 TD’s on the year.
The last time the Bills played a Sunday night home game was back in the 2007 season against the New England Patriots. That game did not end well for the Bills as the Patriots slaughtered them 56-10. On Sunday night, the Bills can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Steelers (and some help from others) for the second straight season and for the third time in four years since Sean McDermott took over in 2017. Last season Buffalo defeated the Steelers by a score of 17-10 at Heinz Field, and that game clinched a playoff spot for the Bills.
This season the Bills have won games in years past that they would have lost, such as the 31-28 road win in Miami, the 35-32 home win over the Rams, and the 18-10 road win against the Jets. The Bills ended the losing streak to the Patriots, and hung on to a big lead against the Seahawks. Ever since McDermott arrived, the Bills have become a much better football team, not to mention the outstanding job that Brandon Beane has done with free agents and draft picks. In all aspects, Kim and Terry Pegula have done a fantastic job ever since buying the team, and you can’t help but give them credit.
Bills Mafia is an incredibly proud fan base, and even during the dark times before McDermott, they were still out in support of their team. Buffalo beating New England this year is the moment that sticks out for me. The moment that I really wish there could have been fans at Bills Stadium – Bills fans had been waiting for that win forever. Sunday night’s game is another game I wish Bills Mafia could be in the stadium for. One of the best fan bases in the NFL deserves to be on primetime and get some national respect, too.
The Steelers were upset by the Washington Football Team on Monday by a score of 23-17, but it still seems like all the national attention will be on them coming into Sunday. I think the Steelers will have redemption on their minds after their loss on Monday, with only some analysis picking the Bills to win. A win over Pittsburgh is what the Bills need to earn the respect they deserve, but the last time they played a big home game under the light was the Chiefs loss. If the Bills do get a win Sunday night over the Steelers, then we finally might see them getting some of the national respect they had during the Marv Levy and Jim Kelly era.
A win over the Steelers would not just inch them closer to clinch a playoff spot (and possibly get one with some help) and give the Bills respect, but I think it would really give them a confidence boost as they get ready to host a home playoff game. Buffalo has not won a playoff game since the 1995 season, and that was a win over the Dolphins in the AFC Wild Card game. From the day that Tom Brady moved on from the New England Patriots, it felt like this division belongs to the Bills. The best part is that the Bills are still a very young team, which means that they are just getting warmed up for the future. Hopefully, the Bills get the win and the respect they deserve Sunday night against the team that many believe is the best in the league.
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