Are Thanksgiving Games A Curse For The Bills?
The past two years could have looked completely different if the Buffalo Bills didn’t play on Thanksgiving.
The hearts of Buffalo Bills fans are broken today after another crushing loss that cut their season short. On Sunday, in a game that felt doomed since the beginning, the Buffalo Bills fell to the Cincinnati Bengals at home 27-10, costing them another AFC East title for the second year in a row and dashing all hopes of a 2023 Super Bowl win.
The Bengals’ offense started the game off fast and furious and kept that momentum throughout all four quarters. The Bills' defense looked completely helpless as quarterback Joe Burrow was allowed to do pretty much whatever he wanted, completing 23 out of 36 passes for 242 yards and two touchdowns.
After two of the Bills' star defenders - Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer - left the game after a rough helmet-to-helmet collision, Bills fans officially knew they were done for.
One name that was frequently brought up as the game deteriorated was Von Miller. The eight-time Pro-Bowler was picked up by the Bills last March in a six-year, $120 million deal, and Bills Mafia couldn’t have been more excited about the move. The addition of Miller would make the Bills' defense a force to be reckoned with- and for a while, it was.
Then, the unthinkable happened.
On Thanksgiving Day, when the Bills faced the Lions in Detroit, fans watched in horror as Von Miller hobbled off the field with an apparent knee injury. After exploratory surgery, it was revealed that Miller had torn his ACL and would be out for the rest of the season.
The Bills sure could’ve used one of Miller’s famous QB sacks throughout the season - more so than ever against the unstoppable Burrow and the Bengals.
This isn’t the first time that, upon reflection, a key member of the Bills' defense was missed during a loss.
Ironically, that fateful “Billsgiving” game against Detroit was the first game back for Tre’Davious White, who tore his ACL precisely one year before when the Bills played the New Orleans Saints on…yup, Thanksgiving.
Do you think the Bills could have used their best cornerback when this happened?
Those heart-wrenching 13 seconds will live in infamy inside the minds of Bills fans. But if Tre White had been on the field during that drive, history might have been completely different.
Bills fans should throw a fit if a Thanksgiving game is scheduled for the third year in a row (and for the fourth time in five years). Some may consider playing on Thanksgiving prestigious, but history shows that we should consider “Billsgiving” a curse instead.
To the powers that be who create the NFL schedule, please - next season, let the Bills have some turkey and mashed potatoes with their families and stay off the field. Bills fans could use a break.