The new reality.
We've been hearing those three words for close to seven months now. All the way back in March when I remember getting ready to watch the ACC Tournament one afternoon and it was suddenly postponed, then canceled.
The new realities of life: Social distancing. Wearing masks. Not being able to travel.
Heck even here in our own building there are new realities. The only time I come to our Amherst studios is on Mondays to do this show. Otherwise, I go on the air from home or somewhere else because we have the technology to let that happen. When I do come in, I don't see people. It's like a ghost town.
That's the new reality of work.
Then there's the sports world: No fans in the stands. Teams having to stay, and games being played, in bubbles. Reporters not even attending live. Broadcasters, like myself and my colleagues on the Buffalo Bills Radio Network, doing away games remotely.
Now, who knows how long all of this will last. If and when some things will go back to the way they were pre-pandemic at some point, but I've heard a lot of talk about the new reality, and a lot of things staying the same moving forward.
The reason we even call it the new reality is because we're not used to it. We are conditioned to think things are supposed to happen and be done a certain way. So when that changes, it's usually temporary. The new reality is a way of reminding us it's going to be like that for quite a while.
There are a few other new realities going on that everyone needs to get used to. Not just in Buffalo, but around the country. Heck, those outside of Buffalo probably need to get used to them even moreso because they either didn't believe the change, weren't paying attention enough, or flat out resisted it.
Let me run through three of them:
1.) The Bills have a franchise quarterback
Josh Allen has been the reason the Bills are winning. In year's past, when the team started hot or was in playoff contention, it may have been either mainly due to a really good running game or defense.
Not anymore.
Allen is proving every week that he is capable of putting an offense in his hands and throwing it into the end zone for points. Lots of points. And also wins.
2.) The Bills have a 2020 offense
A 2020 play-caller. A 2020 mentality and philosophy. These are not your father's or grandfather's Bills anymore. They don't try to win lower scoring games. It's not even a conservative mentality when it comes to fourth downs. They run more three and four wide receiver sets than any team in the league.
Going into the game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, many thought the way to win was running the football.
That's not who the Bills are anymore. They have an identity and they stick to it. It's spreading the field, throwing the ball, and attacking.
That's how you win in the NFL in 2020.
3.) The Bills are good
And they're going to be for a while.
I had to add that second part because, as much as it actually may be recognized that the Bills are playing well through four weeks of 2020, there are still many who question their sustainability, both short-term this year, and long-term.
Things change quickly in the NFL, we know that. There are a lot of factors that come into play, including injuries, free agency, or even coordinators moving on to be head coaches. But right now, even if some of those things come into play, this is the most stable this organization has been since the 1990s. From the front office, led by Brandon Beane and a terrific and smart staff under him, to head coach Sean McDermott being the leader of a very buttoned-up and prepared coaching staff, to a roster with more talent and depth than we've seen in a long, long time.
4-0 is great.
The Bills are in a terrific situation after the first quarter of the season, maybe even in the driver's seat in the AFC East and among the best teams in the entire conference. They're also set up for a future that includes more winning. More success.
So if it hasn't happened yet because you're not conditioned to not believe it, haven't been paying attention, or simply refuse to accept it, now is the time to change your mindset and understand what's happening.
This is the new reality.
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