Orchard Park, N.Y. (WBEN) - For the first time since 2019, the Buffalo Bills will begin their journey to the Super Bowl on the road, as they head to Jacksonville this Sunday to face the Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card Round at EverBank Stadium.
Despite starting their playoff run this year away from the friendly confines of Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, many Bills fans remain fairly confident in the team's ability to not only beat the Jaguars this Sunday, but make a deep run, once again, in the postseason.
"I think we've learned from some mistakes we've made, but I feel very confident that we can do it. This is our year," said Lynn from Buffalo.
"It's definitely going to be a tough matchup. I think as long as we're healthy going into the game and giving players much rest as possible this week, I think we should be good this weekend," added Paul from Hamburg.
This will be the third time the Bills and Jaguars have met in the playoffs, with Buffalo losing both of those prior matchups in 1996 and 2017. The 2017 AFC Wild Card matchup is, perhaps, the most memorable game because it came after the Bills had snapped their long 17-year playoff drought.
Fans feel there is something different about this year's Bills team than in years past that has them feeling good heading into this weekend.
"I just think Josh Allen's a much better leader now, and he puts the whole team on his back and, obviously, the whole city on his back. He's really fierce competitor, and if anybody's in your corner, that's the guy you want in your corner," said Kip from Lackawanna.
"I think as long as the guy with the Superman cape shows up (Allen), I think we will all be fine," added Gerry from Niagara Falls. "They've all got to play as a unit too, no stupid penalties and stuff like that. I think we'll be fine."
As for Jen from Niagara Falls, she feels it's going to take a full team effort for the Bills to move past the Jaguars and continue their push to the Super Bowl.
"I'm praying that our defense does really good, our offense has been strong, and I'm hoping Josh's injury is going to be OK, and he's going to be strong to make sure that we can get all of the points that we can this game, get ahead and stay ahead," said Jen with WBEN. "And as long as they play together as a team, because there's no 'I' in team, we'll beat them."
Even though this is the seventh-straight season the Bills have made the postseason, and eighth time in nine seasons, fans have every reason to celebrate like it's their first year back in the playoffs like it was 2017.
"I get hyped up every game. Me and my husband, my son, my mom, we sit there and every game we're hyped up," Lynn said with WBEN. "I was here for the four losses, but it's not going to happen."
"You've got to go hard every year, because you don't know what's going to happen next year," Paul added. "I mean, look at what the [Kansas City] Chiefs are this year and those fans, we know we have to take every moment we can."
And while Bills fans know the road to the Super Bowl may be the toughest it's been yet for Buffalo, having to likely play three-straight road games to punch its ticket to Santa Clara, Calif., they still feel confident the team can overcome the odds and find a way back to the "Big Game".
"I don't think they're going to have any problems, because they've done well playing away or here at our stadium, at home. I think as long as all of us support them, and we push and we scream at the TV - even though we're not there or at the stadium - they know they have all of us Buffalonians supporting them in every way we can," Jen said.
"I think not being a division winner is really going to be a humbling experience for this team, knowing that next year, too, they need to get back to the top to have the home field advantage, especially going into the new stadium that is being built over there," Paul added. "I think for them, absolutely. I think they have what it takes, and I think they can do it."
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