by Ryan Mercier
When tweets began to surface showcasing wind gusts of up to 60mph in Orchard Park, New York, this was bound to be a special night.
Football in September can produce a game with 108 pass attempts, seven touchdowns through the air, and almost 800 passing yards combined (Cowboys at Buccaneers in Week 1). When the calendar hits December, things can look markedly different on the gridiron.
Mac Jones’ full passing stat line on Monday Night Football: 2-of-3, 19 yards.
Domes should be eliminated in every NFL city from here on out. Watching teams adapt to the elements is part of the beauty of football. On the broadcast, Brian Griese mentioned how he talked to both punters before the game. The punters! Speaking of which, both booters Jake Bailey and Matt Haack ended with respectable averages, considering the conditions. N’Keal Harry let one of those funny punts off his facemask leading to the Buffalo Bills only touchdown.
This game was, obviously, decided in the ground game. Damien Harris broke the game open with a knifing 64-yard TD run and finished with exactly half (111 of 222) the Patriots total rushing yards. However, even in a loss the Bills QB Josh Allen showed what he’s made of.
Had Allen pulled off his attempt at a game-winning touchdown drive with two minutes to go in the 4th quarter, this could have gone down as the most impressive outing of his career. No one should be able to cut passes into the wind as Allen did, repeatedly. New England let its quarterback throw the ball three times while Allen was allowed to attempt 30.
In a quick internet search with very little effort, here’s how one website described 55-63 mph wind on The Beaufort Scale, “Seldom experienced inland; trees uprooted; considerable structural damage. Sea surface largely white.” Buffalo has a QB that can actually complete passes in those conditions.
Still, the other team won. Somehow, some way with a rookie QB coming off of a game attempting three passes, the New England Patriots are currently, yet again, the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
Struggling Actor Sports 