Since 1973, the Buffalo Bills called Highmark Stadium, known by many names by the Bills Mafia, home. Short of an AFC Championship between the 6-seed Bills and 7-seed Los Angeles Chargers, the Bills have played their final game on that ground, moving next door next season.
The Bills closed out their final regular-season home game as well as fans could hope, squashing the New York Jets 35-8, as both teams wore a classic look more recognizable to their first meeting in the structure under its original name, Rich Stadium. In the process, the Jets became the first team since the merger to go an entire regular season without forcing an interception on defense, set a new NFL record for fewest turnovers forced in a single season, and clinched the No. 2 overall pick in next year’s draft.
The Bills simply took care of business, operating at peak efficiency throughout the contest despite resting as many starters as they could. While a shutout victory eluded Buffalo, the vibes among the fans packed into the stands through the final quarter of play set a tone of well-earned finality for the Bills’ home stadium.
Buffalo Bills finish strong at home as HC Sean McDermott soaks in the moment
Despite resting so many starters, the Bills got off to a hot start and fed on the environment’s energy. Just as this final send-off at The Ralph was important to the fans in the stands, so too was it important to every Bill in uniform, from the top of the depth chart to the bottom.
“This game was important to us,” head coach Sean McDermott said after the game. “It was a delicate balance, the health of some of the players, keeping other players managed in terms of their rep counts and giving some young guys opportunities.”
Buffalo only saw its star quarterback, Josh Allen, for one snap, and James Cook for two carries. Still, their reserves and many others across the roster did their part in giving every fan in the stands exactly what they spent all week and season long hoping for.
It created a special environment that McDermott couldn’t ignore. Late in the fourth quarter, McDermott took a moment to soak it all in.
“I felt a little guilty at times looking up in the stands, I’m supposed to be coaching,” He joked. “Just taking a second or two to look up into the stands, people singing Mr. Brightside. I mean, come on, where else does that happen in the NFL, right? That type of togetherness, that type of fellowship, community, love of their team and of each other. I’ll never forget it. Special moment.”
In a stadium filled with a rich history of special moments, McDermott expressed that after nine years in Buffalo, it was important to embrace the environment in Highmark Stadium as fans poured out their appreciation for the home they’ve known the longest.
“Even tonight, like taking the time like I said I did to maybe get outside of my job for a second to appreciate and take in the moments of watching the fans, it doesn’t happen everywhere,” McDermott said. “That’s once in a lifetime, like I said. That’s not coach speak. You don’t get an opportunity like that a lot, especially when you’re down the sideline trying to do a good job.”
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It was a perfect send-off for the Bills’ home-field, and a moment that Bills fans everywhere can cherish for years to come.
Of course, there’s only one way to make the moment even sweeter in the aftermath, and that’s by getting to Super Bowl LX and leaving as champions. The work for that effort renews now, as the Bills turn focus to Jacksonville, where the red-hot Jaguars, winners of eight-straight, await in the Wild Card round.