If you are relatively new to your passion for NFL football, you have probably always seen seasons where the Bills, led by exceptional quarterback Josh Allen, were in a battle with the Kansas City Chiefs to extricate themselves from the American Association.
It came close on several occasions, but Patrick Mahomes II and his teammates always knew how to get out of trouble and then make it to the Super Bowl final.
You may have also heard about this time when Buffalo reached the ultimate stage for four years in a row (1990 to 1993), suffering defeats each more cruel than the last.
Starting in 2000, the New York State representatives entered a period of misery where they missed the playoffs in each campaign up to and including 2016.
We’re talking about nine coaches that came and went until the Bills hired Sean McDermott who was previously defensive coordinator for the Carolina Panthers.
McDermott’s arrival coincided with that of general manager Brandon Beane under the leadership of the Beane-McDermott duo, Buffalo immediately got back on track by ending their playoff drought in 2017.
Then, in 2018, gem Josh Allen was selected. It was management’s stroke of genius, propelling the Bills into a stratosphere they hadn’t reached since 1993, that of the midshipmen.
Thus, between the arrival of McDermott as head coach and the current campaign, Buffalo has signed at least nine victories on seven occasions in eight years.
We are also talking about eight wins during the playoff games, but also seven heartbreaking defeats, including three in overtime.
In a sport where excellence serves as governance, these repeated failures in this quest to finally give Buffalo a Super Bowl, owner Terry Pegula decided it was time to thank McDermott.
He was able to change the mentality of the Bills, get them to want to aim for the top, but this unfinished mission, which ended at a very controversial end to the game against the Denver Broncos, caused its own downfall.
Beane remains in his position and even obtains greater responsibilities. However, don’t think that McDermott will stay on the sidelines for long. If he wants to, there is certainly a position waiting for him with another NFL franchise.
A head coach may have Josh Allen as his starting quarterback, which gives him a real chance of winning every duel played, but you don’t amass 98 victories in 148 games by chance.
His successor in Buffalo will have big shoes to fill.
1. Broncos (14-3) v. 2. New England Patriots (14-3)
This duel between the two highest ranked teams in the American could certainly have had a more special character if the sky had not fallen on the heads of the Broncos at the very end of the match against the Bills.
Indeed, Denver will have to make do without its star quarterback Bo Nix who suffered a broken ankle on the penultimate play of overtime last Saturday.
Yes, backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham is considered a capable athlete, but he doesn’t have Nix’s skills.
Already Denver has an overall average attack with all its personnel healthy, the fact of now seeing Stidham in charge makes it legitimate to believe that it could cost him the victory.
If the Broncos want to win, their defense, led by star cornerback Patrick Surtain, will need to be able to limit the damage and cause turnovers to seek better positioning on the field.
Among the Patriots, they have just delivered dominant performances against the Los Angeles Chargers (16-3) and against the Houston Texans (28-16) to advance to the final of the American.
The best part of all this is that their quarterback Drake Maye didn’t need to be flashy. It was the defense that made the difference with only three points allowed against Los Angeles and causing five turnovers against Houston.
If head coach Mike Vrabel’s defense can repeat something like that, the Patriots will already be back in the Super Bowl.
Key player for Denver: Patrick Surtain, cornerback
Key player for New England: Drake Maye, quarterback
Match time: Sunday 3 p.m.
Prediction: victory for the Patriots by a score of 20 to 10
1. Seattle Seattle Sead (14-3) c. 5. Rams of the Angeles (12-5)
Having taken advantage of a week off to rest, the Seahawks made short work of the San Francisco 49ers (41-6), a team that was only hanging on by bits of string as it had to deal with injuries.
Having dominated the regular schedule, the defense of the Washington State representatives will once again be at the forefront of this National final against the very tough Rams. Throughout the year, she gave up nothing but crumbs to her opponents and excelled at creating turnovers.
To give a good idea of the power of this defense, it gave the Seahawks a chance to win the first duel of the season between them and the Rams (21-19 defeat on the last play of the game) despite the fact that Darnold had thrown four interceptions.
So, if Darnold avoids brain cramps, his defense should allow them to win this matchup…
However, we should not underestimate the incredible Matthew Stafford. Dominant like no other in the regular season, Stafford was able to raise his level a notch when the situation demanded it to lead Los Angeles to close victories against the Carolina Panthers (34-31) and the Chicago Bears (20-17 in overtime) during these playoffs, all while being abroad each time.
Stafford will have to be at the top of his form to hope to have the upper hand on this superb Seattle defense. He has all the tools to get there, including phenomenal receiver Puka Nacua.
Key player for Seattle: Sam Darnold, quarterback
Key player for Los Angeles: Matthew Stafford, quarterback
Match time: Sunday 6:30 p.m.
Prediction: Seahawks win 23 to 20
