Yahoo Sports Sabres Struggles Somewhat Sheltered By Bills Success
There is no doubt that the sports passions of the city of Buffalo are equally distributed between the NFL Bills and the NHL Sabres, but when one team is having success, it can operate as a shield for the other club if they are struggling. That is not to say that the team going through difficulty is immune from criticism, but they do not get as much when the other club is dominating the headlines.
When the Sabres went to consecutive Eastern Conference finals in 2006 and 2007, they served as cover for the Bills, who were in the early stages of their 17-year playoff drought. Now the tables have turned, as Josh Allen has led the Bills to their sixth straight playoff appearance, while the Sabres seem well on their way to a 14th straight season outside the playoffs.
Josh Allen is INCREDIBLE. Watch his arm, vision and playmaking ability be on full display with this LASER BEAM TD pass to Ty Johnson on 4th and 1. Watch him reset the pocket, by time for his guys to get open and then grip it and rip it when he sees it 🤌🏾pic.twitter.com/qqRTr0R4iU
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) January 12, 2025
On the same weekend the Bills advanced to their third straight AFC Divisional Playoff with 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos, the Sabres received yet another gut punch, blowing a 2-0 second-period lead in a 6-2 loss to Seattle on Saturday.
The differences between the clubs are stark. The Bills have not achieved the success of winning an AFC Championship and advancing to a Super Bowl, but they have won five straight AFC East titles and shown a remarkable amount of resilience and consistency under GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott over the last eight years, while the Sabres have gone through two general managers and four head coaches in that span and show a constant lack of mental toughness that leads to crushing defeats.
It's Kaapo Kakko again! He scores his second goal in 1:40.
Five straight goals for the Kraken as the Sabres have fully imploded. pic.twitter.com/I7YBW3BcFf— Emerald City Hockey (@EmeraldCityHky) January 11, 2025
The best-case scenario for the Bills is to win over the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday, play in the AFC Championship in late January and advance to the Super Bowl for the first time in over 30 years. That may be the best-case scenario for the Sabres as well, as being at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and chants to fire GM Kevyn Adams will fly under the radar until February, but once the Bills season is over, the Sabres and their dysfunctional campaign will come into focus.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
