The Fan Corner: Favorite Bills Moments of 2020

BY: JOE KONZE JR.

It was an unprecedented year for the Buffalo Bills and #BillsMafia.

Due to COVID-19 and local regulations and guidelines, local Bills fans were forced to watch Bills games from the comfort of their homes. But despite not being allowed in the stadium for the regular season, fans still shouted at the top of their lungs at their TV and enjoyed an exciting, record-breaking Bills team that won their first AFC East Division title for the first time in 25 years.

To help ring in the New Year, Trainwreck Sports asked a few fans to describe their favorite Bills Moments of 2020.

Here is what they had to say.

“To pinpoint my single happiest Buffalo Bills moment of 2020 is…. impossible. Because in reality, my single happiest moment of 2020 was the Buffalo Bills. In a year filled with postponements, cancellations, missing loved ones, and tragically losing some, too, I think all of Bills Mafia can reflect on this year and know that in some ways, this team was our saving grace. Acquiring Diggs, a GREAT draft, the Florida workouts— everything leading up to the season reinforced that this year was going to be different for this team. And then BOOM. Out the gate 4-0 and I was riding a high I hadn’t felt all year. After a mid-season hiccup, these Bills came back with something to prove. Win after win, all facets of the team were doing exactly what needed to be done, and records were being smashed not just within the organization’s history, but across the NFL. From the plays happening on the field to the goofiness of our guys when they were out of uniform, these Bills kept me smiling and excited for what was next. And it’s not like it was just three hours a week that I had a distraction from the dumpster fire that was 2020; all week long, I would rewatch plays, share some memes, and celebrate with Bills Mafia across social media about how it is finally OUR time. This year was… different. But so is this team. (But if I really have to pick just ONE Bills moment, it’s obviously going to be when my favorite player of all time wrote out “Go Bills!” for me…. and then I tattooed it on my body).”

Victoria Pascuzzi

“Absolutely. My favorite Bills moment of 2020 by far has to be beating the Broncos to win the AFC East for the first time in 25 years. I work in a hospital on a covid unit and was unable to watch the game or check highlights until I went on my dinner break. I remember finally getting a chance to look at my phone in our break room and having multiple texts and checking Twitter to see everyone going crazy! And then after I got home I was able to watch a replay of the game and I wanted to cry! Obviously this has been a chaotic year for so many. It was supposed to my third season with season tickets and I was looking forward to being at every game. But the feeling I got knowing that years of torture, years of being a door mat to the Patriots were over, that feeling replaced the sadness I had inside of me from not getting to watch this team in person this season. When I have kids, I will be able to tell them about this year and how so many doubted this team. The heartache I went through growing up watching this team. And for it all to finally pay off!”

Ryan Dickman

“My best Bills moment was the Tre White pick against Seattle. It was a truly beautiful job of running off his receiver and completely fooling Wilson. It was a nail in coffin play against an elite team. I think that play cemented this team as legit.”

Paul Kwiatkowski

“My favorite Bills moment of 2020 is associated with our worst loss. Josh Allen hadn’t played well against AZ but led the team down the field and throws a dime to Diggs with :34. It SHOULD have been a win but we knew what happened. And, being a Bills fan, we know that this COULD have just wrecked the season. But to watch them rip off 5 convincing wins in a row after that. This is not the “same old Bills” and I am excited to see if that attitude carries over with a deep playoff run.”

Jeremy Tiermini

“Absolutely. The Allen Diggs TD at the end of the AZ game. The Hail Mary ending notwithstanding, it was the moment I realized how special this team is…to make that potential game-winning drive with a throw and catch and moment everyone would still be talking about if not for the fluke of a final play. Though a VERY, VERY close second was watching Bellicheck throw the phone last Monday night.”

Marc LaVecchia

“My favorite moment of the season was the acquisition of Diggs and how he handled his first encounter with Josh. Had they not become instant friends I’m not sure we would be the team we are right now and I don’t think josh would have progressed into the leader and charismatic qb he is right now.”

Josh Kempisty

“Despite the Brady Breakup with NE we still despise the Patriots. Watching Byrd drop a trick play in the first quarter was great, but what was even better was our fake punt pass to Neal later in the game. That’s the type of play you’d think to see “only in the movies”, but we are THAT team now. We are out there making these plays and getting the win and boy, does it feel good!”

Mercedes Marchese

“Literally every week has been a favorite moment. For years this team has started strong gotten our hopes up and fallen apart so naturally whenever things start going well I’ve been conditioned to think any week now it’s all going to fall apart and every week they not only secure my confidence but enhance it. I guess if I had to pick one favorite moment so far it would be when Dion Dawkins and Mario Addison jumped in on Josh and Diggs’ post game interview cause it really showed the kind of family culture McBeane have built.”

Ari

“There’s so many favorite moments but I would say when we found out Josh Allen played again Seattle with a heavy heart after losing his grandmother. He played probably one of his best games this year and I was in tears when I found out. I don’t think many or perhaps none of the players even knew his grandmother had died the night before. My name is also Patricia like his grandmother‘s name and it just made me think what a wonderful human being we have on this team. To have him be so loved obviously shows the respect from fans in the money raised in his grandmothers honor.”

Patti Bax

“My favorite thing about these Bills is the culture and relationships they build on. I believe in this kind of leadership with all my heart, and it is a dream come true for me that a team doing things the right way (this is subjective, I know), is also executing to this degree of excellence. I grew up a Vikings fan and lived through their four lost Super Bowls, then moved to Buffalo in 1984, became a die hard Bills fan and went through the Bills four lost Super Bowls in the 90’s. I consider the 2020 Bills a gift. So much fun in a dark time. I have loved every touchdown pass and interception and fumble recovery. It is, I guess, the journey I have loved rather than a given moment. I am trying to soak it in, since I now know there are no guarantees that it will last or come around again. Go Bills!!!”

Sue Steege

“That’s a tough one. Destroying the pats is the easy answer or even the donations in Patricia Allen’s name. Two things I’ll always remember having to do with watching with some friends. Against the Dolphins, I told my Fins fan friend that Josh threw his first 300-yard game last week and will throw for 400 this week, and he did just that. Also, I made a comment to a friend of mine towards the end of the Rams game about how it was going to really suck losing like that, and he told me not to worry because the Bills are going to score and win, and they did.

Scotty Fish

Watching Josh Allen dismantle the New England defense last night was thoroughly enjoyable. Not only was it another convincing win, but I watched in my chair with absolutely no worries of another heart-crushing comeback. I am in utter awe of what this offense can do. And seeing Belichick chuck a phone in a complete tirade was the icing on the cake.

Nicholas Piljay

The Sports Desk can be reached at editorailtrainwrecksports@gmail.com

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