With over 30 million people watching the latest version of the NFL’s newest billboard rivalry on television, the whole football world was focused on Orchard Park last Sunday when the Buffalo Bills played the Kansas City Chiefs in a highly anticipated Week 11 matchup.
Bruce Smith, a legendary Buffalo pass rusher, was one of the fans who watched the fight, staying glued to the screen as he saw his old team add the first blemish to the Chiefs’ unbeaten 2024 record. The Hall of Fame defender, a former Buffalo mainstay who finished his 19-year professional career with an NFL record 200 sacks, left the Bills’ Week 11 victory with the following main conclusion: this Buffalo team is playing complementary football and has the potential to do something extraordinary.
In a recent interview, Smith told TMZ Sports, “It has been really refreshing to see the poise, the calmness exhibited by Josh Allen in his post-game interview, in his demeanor, and the way he’s handling this whole process of being successful.” Sean [McDermott] is doing a fantastic job, in my opinion. The defensive line is doing really well, in my opinion. We have a significant edge because of the lessons this defense has been able to learn so far in the season, which has enabled Josh to return to the field, score points, switch positions, and perform other tasks that are essential to winning several games.
Josh Allen, who performed admirably throughout the triumph before winning the game late with a game-winning 26-yard touchdown run to give his team two points, was Smith’s favorite player. According to Smith, the quarterback’s greatest development this season has been the absence of these plays, these situations where Allen feels compelled to throw his team on his shoulders and manufacture something out of nothing, despite a valiant effort that naturally garnered enormous national attention. According to the former franchise mainstay, Allen is becoming more composed and at ease this season, which, when combined with outstanding play from the entire roster, results in victories.
Smith remarked, “I believe Josh is playing at a very high level.” “This is the best I’ve seen him play as of right now. Rather than feeling compelled to force it, he has been able to assume command and control of the game. Given Cook’s and the offensive line’s consistent play and the fact that I’m a defensive guy, I believe that the defensive line, linebackers, and secondary have all been playing some excellent football.
The last time Buffalo had a player win NFL MVP was in 1991, when Smith, who played for the Bills from 1985 to 1999, was on the team. Although he thinks Allen is likely to win the award this season, the former first-overall pick feels that this will change because he thinks the quarterback would much rather lead his team to the Super Bowl than receive an individual award. He also thinks the Bills’ victory over Kansas City will give them the confidence they need to make a run.
“Up until now, Josh has my vote for MVP,” Smith stated. “I see it as, of course, personal stats are great, but the real goal is to have the chance to make it to the Super Bowl, win the MVP there, and claim the Super Bowl victory,” he added. “He still needs to finish strong, but remember… winning MVP without the chance to play in and win the Super Bowl doesn’t carry the same weight. I think we have a huge opportunity to achieve all of those historic milestones.”
“What happened [against the Chiefs] demonstrated a lot of character about this team, and I recognize that the Chiefs had several injured players, but that’s just part of the game.” This, I hope, is what gives us the assurance that we can go out on any Sunday and compete, defeating anyone on our schedule. Hopefully, gaining home-field advantage will make this a reality, and [week 11] was just another step in that direction. Win one game at a time as we advance to the Super Bowl once you have home-field advantage.
