#BillsMafia recognized by players: ‘Seeing them celebrate was amazing’
NFL Week 3 in Washington D.C. saw the Buffalo Bills come to town for a muddy contest against the Commanders that resulted in a landslide 37-3 victory.
But they didn’t come alone.
The score wasn’t the only lopsided differential in the stadium on Sunday, as Bills Mafia invaded to flip the environment to one more like a home game for Buffalo.
The Bills fanbase is known for being one of the most traveled in terms of showing up at opponents’ stadiums to support their team.
Even still, after doing so in the past, the act of support continues to resonate with the Bills players and coaches.
“To see them stick around the entire time, and obviously the game was already won, seeing them celebrate was amazing,” safety Micah Hyde said to the press. “For sure, over half the fans here was Bills Mafia.”
Hyde had his first interception in the game since returning from an injury that kept him out all of the 2022 NFL season.
The pick was one of four on the day for Buffalo, whose fans reveled in the performance.
When Buffalo’s defense picked off Commanders QB Sam Howell four a fourth time in the game and returned the interception for a 32-yard touchdown, Washington’s fans had seen enough and began heading for the exits with 10 minutes left in the game and a score of 30-0.
Bills fans, however, stuck around.
When Buffalo was on defense later in the game, defensive tackle Jordan Phillips motioned toward the Bills sideline and their fans and that crowd erupted in response.
“That’s always Big Phil,” Hyde added. “He gives the fans the juice, man.”
While Hyde noted the juice Phillips, the Bills, and their fans brought even late in the game, their opponents seemed to be running on empty.
Speaking with WROC, Phillips said you could sense what the Commanders were thinking on their sideline. “The other team is deflated, they don’t know what to think, they were like ‘What am I doing out here? This isn’t a home game. Why did I even come?’ And you can feel that on their sideline too, they didn’t have no juice when we’re out there getting the crowd going, yelling, doing all this, that’s just deflating for another team.”
After the game, a number of players reveled in the atmosphere of support from the fans who stuck around, including WR Stefon Diggs who also played in front of his hometown crowd.
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