The Buffalo Bills beat that Pittsburgh Steelers to clinch their playoff spot early this year in Week 15. That’s known.
It came to light after the game that the Bills used the popular Styx song “Renegade” to pump the team up in practice prior to the game because the Steelers often blast the song during their home games when the defense is on the field. A pump up song, if you will.
What was just revealed by quarterback Josh Allen about that whole scenario is that Buffalo offensive coordinator Brian Daboll had something hidden up his sleeve the week leading up to that game with that song in mind.
Something that worked.
As things went down at Heinz Field on Sunday Night Football, the Steelers played the song right on cue in the fourth quarter.
The Bills, having listened to it all week, loved it. The team even posted the players on the sideline jamming out to it:
When the intimidation becomes the motivation…#BillsMafia | #GoBills pic.twitter.com/eRuyMVXKUT
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 16, 2019
Around the same time that video was taken, Daboll acted.
Speaking to Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take podcast on Monday, Allen mentioned that game, along with the Bills’ win over the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, were among his two favorite wins of the year. He also briefly got into Daboll’s secret.
“We played (the song) all throughout practice,” Allen explained. “So when it came on, (Brian) Daboll told me after the game, he’s like, ‘I didn’t tell anybody, but as soon as they turned that song on, I was going to go deep.'”
Moments later, John Brown was bumped by Steelers cornerback Steve Nelson. A defensive pass interference call ensued, but it didn’t matter because Brown still caught the ball for a 40-yard gain. That big chunk of yards was the first play of the Bills’ game-winning drive which concluded with a Tyler Kroft touchdown pass from Allen with 7:55 left to put the Bills up 17-10.
Here’s the play for a refresher:
From All-22: Josh Allen's 40-yard completion to John Brown with Steven Nelson in coverage on a 1-10 from the BUF 30 with (10:03) left. The Bills would go on to score a TD on this drive to take a 17-10 lead. Play was on the heels of Renegade being played at Heinz Field. #Steelers pic.twitter.com/SuaPGTuCuO
— BlitzburghUSAVideos (@sdextrasmedia) December 17, 2019
“So that was the play we called… and John Brown went up and got one,” Allen said.
Following the game, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips was among the many Bills players who commented on the song and the positive affect it had on his team during that game, rather than a negative one.
“Not a coincidence,” Phillips said in December. “We knew exactly what we were going to do when we heard that song.”
But Phillips, Allen and the rest of the Bills apparently didn’t realize the offense was going to dial it up like they did… exactly like Daboll drew it up, or at least hoped for.
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