BUFFALO, NY. (WKBW) — At One Bills Drive, a lot of the players and coaches will tell you that Sunday's focus is on the New York Jets and finishing the regular season on a high note before the playoffs begin.
But as the realization is starting to creep in that Sunday may very well be the final game for all of them at the current Highmark Stadium, reminiscing on memories and incredible moments inside that stadium seems to be on their minds a lot more than they would've thought.
"The guys are aware of it. Again, it's interesting, some guys have been here longer than others and have maybe more of a tie to the stadium with the memories they've built over the years," said head coach Sean McDermott. "And other guys are probably more along the lines of I'm trying to play a game, let's focus on that, and I respect that. I get both ends of the spectrum."
There's a handful of guys who have devoted a better part of 5+ years of their lives to the Buffalo Bills and this stadium. Among them is quarterback Josh Allen, who's been with the team since 2018. Tight end Dawson Knox, who's been with the team since 2019. And the longest tenured Bill on the roster, long snapper Reid Ferguson, who is in year nine with the organization.
7 Sports: When did it hit you that this stadium, this fanbase, this community was different?
"My rookie year, final game against the Dolphins. It was Kyle Williams' last game. I think we were 5-10 at that point, but it was still a packed stadium because they wanted to show, for the team, but two, Kyle, who'd been here for a long time, one of the Bills' greats," says Josh Allen. "And early on in my career, to see that, you know, being 5-10 and being like, holy cow, like the fans here they absolutely love this football team, and that was when I kind of knew."
"I mean, it didn't take long in that drive-in to the facility on that first home game," adds Dawson Knox. "I think it was against the Bengals, just seeing the fans tailgating, cheering you on as you drive in, and then running out of that tunnel for that first home game, it kind of solidified everything I was already thinking. Like this place really is unique, it's different, it's not a cliche. It was just a moment that I'll remember for the rest of my life."
"There's something about the stadium being where it is. You're driving in on Big Tree, you're seeing everybody tailgating, and it just instantly gets you in the mood for game day, right? You're like you're seeing all these people that literally wake up just like we do, and we're looking forward to kickoff," Reid Ferguson told reporters.
As Sunday's 4:25 p.m. kickoff against the Jets nears, it's becoming more evident that more memories from this stadium will surface ahead of the potential last-ever game played inside those walls.
