While his chemotherapy is taking a toll on him, Joe's spirits are up heading into the game with the Chiefs. Josh Allen's shoulder seems to be healing and it is about time to finally win a big one against Kansas City. Buffalo starts the game strong and acquires a 14-6 lead at the end of the first quarter. Then the trickery starts.
Andy Reed picks a play called "91 to 94", where the defensive linemen with the numbers 91 and 94 are used on offense in the backfield. Mahomes hands the ball to Derrick Nnadi who then laterals it to Malik Herring. As expected the play is not very effective, but Reed seems to enjoy the outraged Bills' fans whom he just reminded of their lost SuperBowls. At half time Buffalo is up 21-13.
In the third quarter the Chiefs turn to a less sophisticated approach. On a sprint to the sideline to secure a new first down, Allen receives a very late push from Leo Chenal. Allen flies through the players standing on the sideline and goes crashing through a table full of equipment. When he gets up he holds his shoulder in pain and is subsequently unable to throw longer passes. At the end of the quarter the Chiefs tie the game.
"Not like this," Joe shouts at his TV.
In the fourth quarter the Chiefs take the lead thanks to a hook and ladder play. Allen tries to fight back but his shoulder prevents it. He switches again to his side-arm technique and manages to keep the drive alive. After a run on first down and a short pass on second, the Bills are at the 36 yard line with 5 more yards to go for a first down. Allen wants to side-arm it again, but Reed has ordered his defense to take away all short targets. Allen gets nervous, then sees Gabe Davis wide open entering the endzone.
"One more time," he tells his shoulder and goes for the long pass. Just when he is about to release the ball, however, he gets sacked by Felix Anudike-Uzomah. The ball comes out and gets recovered by the Bills at the 47 yard line. It's 4th and 16 with too little time left not to go for it.
"Dynasty! Dynasty!" echoes from the stands.
Joe slumps into his seat seeing his life pass before his eyes - mostly ignorant fans from out of town ordering burgers and the check instead of the authentic Buffalo food his restaurant stands for. He has suffered through decades of the Patriots beating up his Bills. He does not have the strength to go through this again with a gimmicky Patriots clone.
Allen gets up visibly shaken. He directs his teammates at the line of scrimmage. Tries to point to the right but his shoulder doesn't allow him to raise the arm. He shakes his head and moves towards the sideline to be substituted while the shot clock is running down. Shortly before he reaches the sideline Mitch Morse snaps the ball to James Cook. Cook fakes the run then throws the ball to the sideline where Allen catches it for a first down.
The Bills were making the Chiefs taste their own medicine. Joe gets up from his seat again. The Bills end the drive with a touchdown and the game goes to overtime. This time the Bills receive the ball first. They drive down the field but end up at 4th and 2 at the Chiefs 38 yard line. McDermott decides to go for it with play action. Allen pulls the ball away from Cook in the last second, then finds an open Khalil Shakir crossing over the middle. Shakir makes the three defenders miss and walks into the endzone.
Joe screams in front of the TV in joy.
"Pass interference offense number 10. 10 yard penalty. Repeat 4th down."
Famous soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo which Andy Reed has substituted in as nickel cornerback theatrically had gone to the ground over a hint of contact by Shakir. The "coin flop" as the play becomes known breaks the Bills' neck. They fail to convert and the Chiefs win with a field goal.
Joe's funeral is the week after. Closed-casket, closed-window. The same day the NFL announces their new European division including the London Jaguars, the Saxony Browns, the Wiener Commanders and the Hamburger Bills.
