This feels like a nightmarish flashback to decades past for Buffalo Bills fans. The Bills are stuck watching the remainder of the playoffs from home, while their AFC East rivals, the New England Patriots, are headed to the Super Bowl.
To make matters worse, former Buffalo wide receiver Stefon Diggs has played a key role in New England's revival. Just two years after his messy departure from Buffalo, the star wideout is headed to the first Super Bowl of his career.
While it was likely unintentional, Diggs was quick to pour salt on the Bills' wound after the Patriots' AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos.
Stefon Diggs takes subtle dig at Bills after Patriots' AFC Championship win
The Patriots took down the Broncos in a snowstorm, sneaking out of Denver with a 10-7 win. After the game, Diggs was clearly emotional at the podium. When asked about Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, he said, "Probably the best coach I've ever had."
A comment like that wouldn't mean much coming from a young player, but Diggs has been in the league for quite some time. He's now played for four different teams under a variety of coaching staffs. After finding so much success with the Bills, you would think that he would at least consider Sean McDermott to be among the best coaches he's played for. Instead, he wasted no time giving Vrabel the honor.
To be fair, Vrabel does deserve a great deal of credit for New England's return to the top of the AFC. He has turned the franchise around as quickly as any coach could. But the haste with which Diggs wiped his time with the Bills from his memory could cut deep for fans.
Diggs has emerged as the Patriots' top receiver this season, but he didn't have a big impact in the AFC Championship Game. He had five receptions on six targets on the day, but he only gained a total of 17 yards. He never took a pass more than six yards down the field. In the harsh weather conditions, Diggs and the rest of the receivers on the field took a backseat to heavy rushing attacks.
Bills fans won't like watching the Patriots in the Super Bowl again so soon after the end of the Tom Brady era in New England. It'll hurt just a little more watching Diggs take the field with them.