The Buffalo Bills are enjoying their most exciting season in recent history thanks to a group of players that you’ve probably never heard of. Guys like Ryan Fitzpatrick, Fred Jackson, and Stevie Johnson have led the Bills to a 5-2 record and a share of first place in the AFC East.
They’ve done it with a core group of players that either went in the last round of the NFL Draft or weren’t drafted by anyone. Fitzpatrick, a Harvard graduate, was taken in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams in 2005. Fred Jackson, the pride of Division 3 Coe College, was finally given a shot by the Bills’ Marv Levy in 2006 after being named MVP of the United Indoor Football League in 2005.
These players have become the face of the Bills organization and are leading a team of “no names” to where they haven’t been since the Jim Kelly era.
Earlier this year I attended Buffalo’s home game against the New England Patriots, that day I officially became a “Billiever.” After 15 straight losses to our AFC East bully, the Bills fought back, overcoming an early 21 point deficit to pull out the victory.
The moment that sticks with me is when Rian Lindell split the uprights with his last second field goal. The way the crowd reacted was something truly amazing; it was like our own little Buffalo “Independence Day.”
Fred Jackson was circling the field waving around a giant Bills’ flag and screaming into the crowd, letting out all his frustration from the tough defeats over the years. In that very moment it was as if the team and the fans had defeated Tom Brady and Bill Belichick together.
That’s what’s making the 2011 Buffalo Bills season so exciting. With a group of players that have been often overlooked, and had to struggle to get to where they are today, Buffalonians can relate. It’s a city that has gone through some tough times in recent years; however, as someone who’s lived here my whole life I can tell you that the people of Buffalo will persevere. They’ll itch and claw their way back to the top much like the team that’s playing for them in Orchard Park, New York today.
