The Buffalo Bills had lost all hope of making the postseason last year when the Baltimore Ravens mounted a comeback against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17. However, the late-game heroics of quarterback Andy Dalton allowed the Bengals to hold on, thus ending the Bills playoff drought of 17 years.
Since then, an unlikely partnership has been forged in the city of Buffalo, which is why Bills owner and president Kim Pegula is confident that Dalton will receive a warm welcome from the fans this Sunday, according to ESPN's Mike Rodak:
“I love that story because, as a club, we do a lot of things — PR, marketing — we do a lot of stuff, [but] that was totally fan-based,” Pegula said. “I love how organic that was and how it represented our fans. We get a lot of flak for jumping on the tables and some of the craziness we do. But then for our fans to kind of turn it around and show that kind of respect and appreciation to an opposing team, I'm sure our fan base is going to be very appreciative and give him a very big welcome, for sure.”
The Bills were poised to extend the NFL's longest playoff drought. However, they were able to snap the streak thanks to Dalton's clutch play. Fans showed their gratitude shortly thereafter by making countless $17 donations to the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation.
It goes without saying that Bills fans have a reputation for being some of the most unruly in the NFL. This just goes to show that a team's success can sometimes have profound effects that transcend sports. Dalton has taken it a step further by donating to the pediatric department of the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Most visiting quarterbacks are barraged with hecklers when they come to Buffalo. However, it is safe to assume that Dalton has earned a pass from Bills fans for the time being.
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