First two Buffalo Bills games leave fans excited, surprised and hopeful for postseason

Words can't begin to describe the feeling of elation that came with watching the Bills battle all the way back from an 18-point halftime deficit to overcome the Raiders on the final play of Sunday's nail-biter.

I wasn't even at the game. I passed up a ticket to attend under the mindset I would be treated to the same rip-off, sub-par performance that Bills fans have grown far too accustomed to the past decade.

I don't know about you, but for me, it is safe to say that Bills game played this past weekend was quite possibly the single most entertaining game I saw take place at One Bills Drive.

I was just 2 years old on that infamous January day way back in 1993 — the last time the Bills put together a second-half comeback in the magnitude of which they did on Sunday.

My most recent memories of Buffalo Bills football are littered with failures and F-bombs scattered across a 12-year span of dysfunction and mediocrity.

It's probably a safe assumption to make that other fans of a similar generation to mine likely feel the same way I do.

That's what is so great about sports fans; we all forgive and forget far too easily.

Needless to say, though, the Bills victory over the Raiders has clearly provided football fans in Buffalo with a rejuvenated excitement over this team that was nonexistent just two weeks ago.

And why should we have been excited?

The Bills haven't given us a reason to believe in them in years, and this season didn't appear to be any different.

It's a team that consists of a conglomeration of underachieving draft picks and cast-offs from other teams around the league patched together by the most promising draft choice since Bruce Smith and a Harvard graduate at quarterback.

No one saw this season beginning with two wins. If you did, people rendered you insane.

But that's exactly where this team finds themselves right now:  undefeated and in a three-way tie atop the AFC East four days away from squaring off against a perennial powerhouse that has not only won every game against the Bills over the past eight seasons, but has essentially obliterated them every time the two teams take the field.

That team of course is the New England Patriots, and they come to Ralph Wilson Stadium this Sunday.

Now, this game has a very, very good chance of becoming ugly incredibly fast.

The Bills' secondary hasn't been much to write home about either as their dismal play (I'm looking at you, Leodis McKelvin) has been masked by the Bills' ability to respond with more points. Shawne Merriman hasn't played anywhere near the level that would justify the amount of playing time he is receiving, either.

The Bills secondary will be tested. After all, Tom Brady has thrown for 970 yards and seven touchdowns in just two games so far this season.

This is a Patriots team that has outscored the Bills 435-163 or 18 points/game over a span of 15 games dating all the way back to Sept. 7, 2003 – the last time the Bills beat New England.

And the Bills are still incredibly unproven, as wins against a Kansas City team that looks destined to dwell in the NFL's basement this season and an Oakland squad who pound-for-pound matches up fairly equally to the Bills talent wise are little reason to call this team a contender.

But maybe, just maybe things are going to be different this time.

At least it seems like it could be.

The Patriots secondary is banged up and far from being very good.

Not to mention, the Bills yield a few surprise weapons of their own this time around.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has tossed for 472 yards and seven touchdowns in the Bills' first two games and Fred Jackson is currently the NFL's leading rusher after amassing 229 yards and two scores on the ground in as many games.

And so it would seem that if the Bills could somehow maintain their offensive success in which they have racked up 79 points in their first two contests against the Chiefs and Raiders, we've got to think they'll at least be able to remain competitive with the Patriots.

That, folks, is reason for great optimism.

Just think, if the Bills put up a good fight against (or dare I say defeat) the Patriots on Sunday, can we begin to entertain the possibility that maybe we've got ourselves a playoff team this season?

I know, I know, we've seen this from the Bills many times before. They start off the year on fire only to unravel as the season progresses. But for every chance this Bills team will prove to be just another fluke, you've got to wonder if they are just as likely to play their way into relevancy for the first time in over a decade.

Hey, it's nice to dream (and win), even if it is only for a week.

Brandon Schlager can be reached by email at schlager.record@live.com.