The King, Josh Allen, is on my mind right now. Those who have followed the Two and A Half Virgins know that we are suckers for a good underdog story. It makes for one of the reasons we have followed and rooted for the Detroit Lions so hard. If the Lions are the crème de la crème for underdog feel-good stories in the NFC, the Bills are so for the AFC. Recently, I wrote a blog about how these two teams facing off in the Super Bowl would be an absolute dream come true. I am once again putting it out to the universe by saying, “Please, Lord, let this matchup happen!” – We’ve covered Detroit for the Lions fans quite a bit over here at THV, but this one today is for the Bills Mafia.

High on my bucket list is a visit to Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, so I can feel the Buffalo winds, taste the true Buffalo wings, and throw my body violently through a table if the Mafia will allow it. Culture permeates through those fans in such a captivating way. I’m from New England, as many of you know, where there is plenty of culture to go around. I can’t say, though, that Gillette Stadium and the Patriot loyal have the same chutzpah as the Bills Mafia. They have something special in Buffalo. Not just at quarterback—we will get to Josh Allen later—but in the very soul of the city resides something extraordinary. Outsourcing stadium snow cleanup to the fans who willingly and eagerly endure the bone-chilling cold while shoveling out the stands is something that most minds cannot comprehend. To put it simply, this fanbase, this city, is starving. They are ravenous for the Lombardi Trophy to come home. They have endured constant heartbreak and seem to get closer and closer as each year passes. This year appears to be no different. The Bills are 10-2 and have their sights set on the No. 1 seed, depending on how the Chiefs finish. On Sunday Night Football, they manhandled the well-regarded but increasingly injured 49ers, truly cementing themselves as a force to be reckoned with in this league. While watching this game, something struck me. As I was watching the snow pile up in Highmark and the Bills play like children in the fresh powder as they put on a football clinic, it struck a nerve. I stopped believing in magic right around the same time I stopped believing in Santa Claus; but as the snow accumulated in Buffalo, so too did my belief in the invisible, seemingly impossible explanation of things. The Bills were running around, dominating, and having fun. It was magic on the gridiron. At the core of all this is Josh Allen. He was like the abominable snowman out there on Sunday. To some, a mere myth, but to the 49ers, a very real terror that was augmented by the cold, icy winds and the roar of the crowd. That place, that snow, and that quarterback create stories that will be passed down as lore for generations. I can say with gusto that there is no place in the NFL currently that holds a candle to a snow-laden Orchard Park. The king of that frozen tundra is Josh Allen.

Like the domain he presides over, King Josh is tough, rugged, and seemingly invulnerable to the elements. As a quarterback, he is brilliantly talented and makes magic happen on the field. Maybe it’s the built-up bias against the Chiefs for commanding the league for so many years, but Josh Allen strikes me as a greater force than Patrick Mahomes. For the record, I’m not doubting Mahomes, so relax. —I’m just saying that Josh Allen doesn’t have two Hall of Fame coaches on his team. Josh Allen didn’t have two Hall of Famers to throw to for 4 years of his career, and at least one Hall of Famer for all of it. Josh Allen isn’t being coached up by one of the greatest offensive minds in history.— Allen rebuilt the Buffalo Bills; Mahomes was born into a franchise absolutely primed to explode, so forgive me for admiring the guy who faced more adversity. That’s why I think Josh Allen is the best in the business. Mahomes is everything people say he is; Josh Allen is just more than people say he is, and I believe that’s the difference.

So where does this leave Buffalo, and what if they don’t get it done this year? Well, I don’t think much of anything changes. The Mafia will always keep hammering, Josh Allen will always keep hammering, and the roster has a lot of developing young pieces that will provide a bright future. Let’s not talk about the “what if they don’t,” but rather “what if they do?” If the Bills get it done and win a Championship this year, they will prove to the world that they can be the best and beat the best. I think this will cause a psychological shift in the minds of those in and around the league. The Bills, for all intents and purposes, aren’t that stacked of a football team. They are good, yes, but they are no Lions or Eagles or what have you. I believe, therefore, that this roster will only get better. Some people will say, “Oh, but it’s a down year for the Chiefs!” Well, they have an old but more than capable DeAndre Hopkins, a young but more than capable speedster in Xavier Worthy, first-ballot HOFer Travis Kelce, big Andy, a Steve Spagnuolo defense, and good old Pat at the helm. They aren’t exactly starving for talent. If the Bills get it done this year, they will flip the script. A Super Bowl win here will be a massive statement in my opinion, and with it, Josh Allen truly begins to emerge as an all-time great, with far more room for success on the horizon.

Let us just take a moment to appreciate what is going on in Buffalo; that’s really all this blog today is about. I know that the fans out there have gotten some negative press lately, and maybe deservedly so, but let’s not let a few bad apples ruin what is surely a special bunch. A beautiful sports culture exists in the far western region of the Empire State, and the face of said region supplements that culture amazingly. You couldn’t write it up any better for Buffalo with Josh Allen at the helm, so my fingers are crossed that their 2024 season gets the ending it deserves.

-Tyler S @twoandahalfvirgins