BUFFALO, N.Y. — Hundreds of people across Western New York watched the Buffalo Bills' wild card game at viewing parties Saturday evening.
One such party was at (716) Food and Sport, where Bills fans said it was all about cheering on their team as a community.
And at Thin Man Brewery on Elmwood Avenue, it was much the same, with hundreds of people decked out in their best Buffalo gear, hoping for a win against the Texans in Houston.
The Bills' season ended with a 22-19 in overtime loss.
"It's such a huge deal for the entire City of Buffalo, whether you have season tickets or you've been a Bills fan for 50 years or 10 years. It's just awesome. Look at all the people here, it's great," Mike Banko of West Seneca said.
Added Noel Dill of Williamsville: "My oldest daughter now is 28. She has no meaningful recollection of the last time the Bills were good, and now we are, and it's so much fun to be out here with family and enjoying the game together and rooting for a big Bills win."
Fans had hoped to rush to Cheektowaga, waiting for the Bills' plane to arrive following a postgame victory.
That won't happen, but the fans said it was an amazing ride.
"The Bills fan base is the best, close-knit group of people that you'll ever find in the entire world," Alex Lsaruch of Atlanta, Georgia, said. "We know how to support a team. We know how to rally and we know how to keep pushing that team all the way to the playoffs."
