Getty Stefon Diggs points at fans after catching a touchdown against the New England Patriots.
On the day after Christmas, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs wasn’t exactly filled with holiday spirit.
Diggs had a big game to help lift the Bills to a 33-21 win over the New England Patriots, giving Buffalo control of the AFC East and putting them in the driver’s seat the rest of the season. After catching a touchdown pass late in the first half to give the Bills a 17-7 lead, Diggs played the role of Grinch to some Patriots fans sitting in the front row.
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Diggs Unleashes on Pats Fans
Just as he had last season, Diggs put on a show for the fans in New England. Just after the two-minute warning, he snagged a 12-yard laser from quarterback Josh Allen for a touchdown and went straight to some fans sitting in the front row to deliver a NSFW message. While there was some debate online as to exactly what Diggs said, the most common interpretation had him singling out fans and telling them to “shut the f**k up.”
The Bills made the most of his outburst, re-editing the video to cast Diggs in a more generous light and then posting it on social media.
.@StefonDiggs is so thoughtful. 😊
See more of this on our @TikTok_US: t.co/lIRTamxGxs
It marks the second straight week that Diggs had had a viral interaction with fans. In the December 19 win over the Carolina Panthers, he grabbed a beer from a front-row fan after catching a touchdown and tossed it all over himself and the field.
#Bills OT Spencer Brown is a terrific teammate. He knew Stefon Diggs was thirsty after his touchdown, and he was quick to provide ice-cold refreshment #BillsMafia #NFL
It was a memorable moment for Bills fan Richard Donohue, who didn’t seem to mind sharing his beer.
“I was very surprised, I actually said to my buddy, did that actually just happen? They come over sometimes and you hit them and all that, but I didn’t actually think he’d take the beer,” Donohue said, via WIVB in Buffalo.
The celebration was very costly for teammate Spencer Brown, who also took hold of the beer and poured it all over his face. The league hit him with a $5,000 for the celebration.
Bills in Control
The win was an important one for the Bills, who had not had consecutive victories since October. They are now in control of their destiny and have two winnable games remaining, going home to take on the Atlanta Falcons followed by the New York Jets in the season finale.
Bills head coach Sean McDermott said Allen and his teammates did a good job preparing for the Patriots, which gave him a good outlook for the rest of the season.
Josh Allen my goodness
“I thought his approach during the week gave him a chance to do that and that’s where the process comes in,” McDermott said. “And not just Josh but really the entire football team. When you do things right during the week and you get yourself ready to go, this is a tough place to play against a very good football team, well-coached team, and I thought we played good football.”
Ready for round three?
Patriots-Bills is the most likely NFL playoff matchup (57.8% overall and 48.8% in Wild Card Round), per ESPN’s FPI.
The Bills have a 66% chance to be the No. 3 seed, while the Patriots have a 53% chance to be the No. 6 seed.
There could be a good chance that the teams face off for a third time. According to ESPN’s Football Power Index, there is a nearly 60% chance that they will meet in the playoffs.
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