The Buffalo Bills are on the verge of capturing their first AFC East division title since 1995 which means one thing, a home game. It also means, in the right situation, the Bills may have fans as well.
On Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo spoke about the possibility of the Bills earning a home playoff game come January. He also said that there was a possibility that the Bills might be able to have fans in attendance.
“They’re playing great and it’s exciting. Buffalo deserves it. Buffalo Bills fans are like none others,” Cuomo said during a press conference on Friday. “If the infection rate is under control and the (hospital) capacity rate is under control – and we come up with a smart, science-based way to do it – I’d be all in favor. It’s gonna be a health-based decision.”
Bills fans have been yearning for a playoff game for quite some time and Bills Stadium hasn’t been quite the same this season without several fans in attendance to cheer on their team. On multiple occasions, Bills players have come out and said how much they miss the fans. After Buffalo’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday, he said he drove by a group of fans who were outside cheering at cars as they left the stadium.
“It’s obvious that Bills Mafia wishes that they were in the building to support us and the feeling is mutual,” Allen said during a video conference call on Wednesday. “Hopefully we can get them back before too long and we definitely miss their presence.”
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The Perfect Situation for Bills Fans to Return
GettyA Buffalo Bills fan cheers for the team during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Houston Texans.
Earlier this season, Governor Cuomo and his staff put a plan in place to visit Bills Stadium and come up with a way that would allow fans to attend games safely. But, as the early months of the season passed, the numbers in New York State continued to spike, which took the plan of allowing fans in the stadium completely off the table.
The Governor said that infection rates in Western New York are declining, but any decision that is going to be made will come from Dr. Howard Zucker, who is the Commissioner of Health for New York State.
“After we had that conversation the infection rate went wild in Western New York,” Cuomo said during a press conference on Friday. “The infection rate is now coming down. I’m going to be curious to see where we are when the Bills are in the playoff. Where we are that first week in January – and there are a number of stadiums that have allowed a number of people. But it depends on the situation in Buffalo. It depends on where you are on that infection rate and where you are on that hospital capacity. I would love nothing more – on a personal level – to see Buffalonians enjoy this moment.”
For 17 years the Buffalo Bills went without a playoff appearance and they’ve made two in the past three. Now, they are hoping to bring that energy to Orchard Park and they are hoping the fans are in attendance.
The Bills Are on the Home Stretch
The Bills could clinch their AFC East division title with a win over the Denver Broncos on Saturday.
They finish off the season with a trip to Foxborough to play the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football then host the Miami Dolphins in the final week of the season.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo Doesn’t Shut Down Possibility of Fans at Bills Playoff Game