Maggie Donner, Features Contributor
Josh Allen and Von Miller lead the Buffalo Bills to their first win of the season giving hope to many fans.
The NFL kicked off on Thursday, Sept. 8 with Super Bowl LVI victors the Los Angeles Rams and current Super Bowl LVII favorites the Buffalo Bills. Coming into the season, Buffalo has odds at +550 to win the Super Bowl. This is a team whose city is longing for another run at a title, considering that the Bills previously went to and lost four straight Super Bowls in the years 1990 through 1993, which left the city of Buffalo heartbroken. Both the drafting of Josh Allen in 2017 and the addition of weapons like Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis has made this offense top tier. It seems as if Buffalo finally has a chance to be standing by themselves at the end of the 2022–23 season.
Last season many fans believed that Buffalo had what it took to get to the Super Bowl. The outcome of “13 seconds” as many call it, though, sent the Kansas City Chiefs to the AFC Championship and sent the Bills home heartbroken. Michaela Staskiewicz, a Canisius freshman, said that 13 seconds lit a fire under this team. “It was disappointing, but I think that Josh [Allen] handled it well, and it seems like the team is learning from everything they’ve had to deal with in the past couple of years,” she expressed.
During the offseason, the Bills signed Von Miller, who has become a natural leader on the team. Miller shined during the first game against his previous team, sacking his former teammate Matthew Stafford. During an interview prior to the beginning of the season, Miller expressed what being in Buffalo is like, saying, “I’ve fallen in love with this place, and it just gets better and better each and every day.”
The atmosphere of the fans and the city is something that makes Buffalo a special place to play. Emma Flatau, a Canisius freshman, said that the team and city feel like a family. She also added that the excitement can be felt by everyone this year. Staskiewicz reflected that coming out of COVID, the city is even more united in its support of the Bills. There’s little doubt that Buffalo is ready to see their team shine.
During the first game, Allen threw for 297 yards and three touchdowns. The quarterback even leaped into the endzone himself. Flatau argued that, although the team had two turnovers, the Bills proved their dominance. “I was just a little scared, but then we came back and dominated, like we should,” the freshman said. It looks as if Buffalo has all the parts of a championship caliber team. During the second game of the season, Buffalo put up 41 points and shut down the Tennessee Titan’s offense. Stefon Diggs had three touchdowns, and Allen threw for 317 yards and had 4 touchdown passes.
Buffalo did suffer its first loss of the season against the Miami Dolphins, losing 21–19. The Bills overall struggled with the heat and humidity during the game, and many players — including Stefon Diggs — were diagnosed with a heat illness after the game was over.
When asked if she had anything else to say about the team, Staskiewicz added, “Josh Allen, if you see this, please stop by Canisius and say hello to us. Or come to an event. I’m looking forward to an awesome season and all the Bills Mafia pride.” It’s fair to say that the people and city of Buffalo are ready to see Josh Allen and the rest of the team play their hearts out.
Buffalo is in Baltimore for a game against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 1:05 p.m. on CBS.