And the Golden Globe Award Winners Are . . .

BY GREGORY BROWN

Photo by James Witherspoon

The Buffalo Bills went on the road to Jacksonville and did what few people expected. They beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 27 – 24 in a playoff clash that raised the collective blood pressure of just about every Bills fan in the 716 and far beyond. With the Golden Globe Awards that was televised later that night, it seems only fitting that we recognize the Bills with their own awards. In a victory that produced several Golden Globe winners, let’s get the obvious one out of the way.

Josh Allen is the first winner because he did what Josh Allen almost always does. That is, with his brilliance, his leadership, his confidence, but most of all, with his characteristic toughness, he willed the Bills to victory in a game that was fraught with drama and uncertainty. Let us recap. When Buffalo’s run game, led by James Cook - which was deemed essential to a Bills victory - got throttled by the Jags’ league best run defense, Josh shrugged it off and simply went to Plan B, which saw him put the game on his broad shoulders. That’s when Josh completed 28 of 35 passes for 273 yards and a completion rate of 80%. His performance also included a 15-yard TD pass to TE Dalton Kincaid, to go along with two short TD plunges of his own. All of that keyed another of Allen’s patented fourth quarter comebacks.

To be sure, Josh gets that first Golden Globe because this victory would not have been possible without the heroics of number 17. That, however, does not tell the full story of the star power that Buffalo demonstrated in this contest. Indeed, the second Golden Globe must go to veteran CB Tre’Davious White. White, who most observers, including this writer, had declared washed-up in the earlier part of the season, stepped-up big time. White appeared to have lost a step or two and no longer seemed capable of covering even the lamest of opposing wideouts. But somewhere along the line, White found a fountain of youth.

Against Jacksonville, he was the shining star in the Bills secondary. White was stuck like glue to the Jags’ receivers. He had three pass breakups, none more critical than his deflection of a pass intended for Jags WR Jacoby Meyers. White’s deflection led to the game clinching interception by S Cole Bishop, who has become an emerging star in the Buffalo secondary.

White’s pass breakup was key because even though the Jags had no timeouts with but a minute left on the clock, they only needed a field goal to tie the game and force overtime. The Jags ace-in-the hole was their splendid place kicker Cameron Little, whose field goal range starts at the Duvall county line. And with Jacksonville starting at around their own 33-yard line following the Bills kickoff, they only needed about 20 yards to get the ball into Little’s field goal range. White denied them that opportunity with his breakup and Bishop’s resulting interception.

The third Golden Globe goes to HC Sean McDermott, who deserves credit for keeping Buffalo in the playoff picture when so many in Bills nation had given up on them. Who can forget the humbling loss to Miami in Week 10, or the beatdown suffered against the Texans in Week 12. Let’s be honest, both those games had fans and pundits alike casting doubt on the Bills as legitimate playoff contenders.

After that, however, McDermott proceeded to do what he had done two seasons ago, when he lifted the Bills out of another mid-season slump that had seen their playoff hopes reduced to a mere “mathematical possibility.” Back then, McDermott’s coaching kept the Bills locker room together in body, mind and spirit. McDermott did the same thing this year. He kept the Bills afloat by gradually improving their still suspect run defense and by not allowing his team to lose confidence when so many already had.

Let’s face it, this Buffalo team is no juggernaut. Besides their tissue thin run defense, they also lack a next level performer among their wideouts, who don’t really seem to scare anyone. And yet, the Bills have persevered. And the reason for that lies mostly with McDermott’s leadership and calming hand.

Although I’m on record stating that the Bills are not a Super Bowl caliber team, the remaining AFC playoff teams are all flawed. As we move on to the divisional round of the playoffs, the race seems wide open. The Bills now seem to have as good a chance as any to make it to the big dance, even as road warriors.