Chapter 8

Wednesday, September 3, 2031 - Avon Grove High School, Jennersville, PA

Chris Goebel looked over the crowd of players gathering for practice after school. His head was still spinning from the twists his football career had taken in the past month. One month ago, he was confident of being QB1 for the JV team this season and competing for QB1 on varsity next season. Danny Martin’s arrival changed all that. He lost the QB1 job to Danny. It looked like his football career would consist of riding the bench and watching the Martin kid lead the Red Devils for next four seasons. Was football worth the time and effort if that is all he had to look forward too?

The chowderheads on the varsity team decided to celebrate their first win with a beer party and got caught. Most of the varsity team was suspended for two games and the JV became the school’s varsity team. Suddenly Chris goes from QB2 on JV to QB1 on varsity. Holy shit!

Chris felt he was a pretty good football player, but he was smart enough to recognize that Danny Martin was an exceptional athlete. Combine his physical skills with the coaching he got from his dad and who could beat the kid? Chris had watched Danny enough to see one Danny’s keys. Whatever the play, Danny always carried out a fake. On running plays after the hand off he pretended to cradle the ball and drop back and scan the field for receivers. On pass plays the hand off to the running back looked so real. Chris realized there was no reason he could not imitate Danny’s actions.

Coach Eshelman and the JV staff stepped up to assist the varsity coaches for the duration of the JV’s promotion. Both Coach Eshelman and Coach Myers noted that Goebel was executing fakes that he had not done at the beginning of training.

“Somebody has been watching Danny Martin play,” Coach Eshelman noted to Coach Meyers.

“He’s going to need every trick around to compete on Friday night,” Coach Meyers replied. “They can run the option perfectly but that won’t change the fact that our offensive and defensive lines will be three to six inches shorter and 30-50 pounds lighter than West Chester Rustin’s lines.”

“True,” Coach Eshelman agreed. “Maybe it will give them a little bit of a chance. If they play well Friday night, maybe they could actually beat Great Valley the next Friday. 1-1 would not be a bad record coming out this fiasco.”

“I would be delighted with breaking even while my varsity players are exiled,” Coach Meyer said.

Practice went well as the younger boys ran the option they were familiar with. At least the team would not embarrass itself Friday night.

Friday, September 5, 2031 - West Chester Rustin High School, West Chester, PA

The Red Devils temporary captains met mid-field with three players from Rustin for the coin toss. Two of the temporary captains were original varsity players. The Red Devils third captain was Chris Goebel. Chris, three or four inches shorter than his co-captains and the Rustin captains, looked out of place.

The Red Devils ran their option offense just as they were taught. Chris Goebel’s play fakes helped keep the Rustin defense honest and guessing. Still, size matters in football. The bigger players won more contests over their younger, smaller opponents. The Red Devils kept the game close. They had a chance to go ahead in the fourth quarter. Jake Myers called a perfect play. The wide receiver streaked open as Chris Goebel dropped back and spotted him. Before Chris could launch a deep pass, the protection broke down and Chris was forced to flee. The Rustin defender caught him and slammed the 5’-8” 135-pound teen to the ground. The ball was stripped loose as Chris was slammed to the ground.

Rustin burnt the remaining 2:03 off the clock as they pushed down to score a TD. The final score was 28-18.

“The kids didn’t play all that bad,” Coach Eshelman offered to Jake as they watched Rustin kick the extra point.

“They played with heart,” Jake agreed. “Maybe we have a shot against Great Valley next week.”

“Any word on the old varsity team?” Coach Eshelman asked.

“Officially, I know nothing,” Jake laughed. “Unofficially, a little birdy told me they have been practicing every afternoon down at Franklin Township’s park. If they can keep the team together and in shape, they might have a prayer of the playoffs this season.”

“You think?”

“It could happen,” Jake allowed. “They probably will need to win every game once they are back to get a good seeding in the playoffs, but I think this team has that kind of potential.”

“I hope it works out for your team,” Coach Eshelman. “I know my JV guys will be pumped up after competing against varsity teams. They could surprise our league.”

“If their QB doesn’t lose his edge with the middle school team,” Jake observed. Jake needn’t have worried.

Saturday, September 5, 2031 - West Chester Rustin High School, West Chester, PA

“Sorry about sending you to the bench, EJ,” Danny commented to his pint-sized, sixth-grade friend.

“No problem,” EJ grinned to his older friend and teammate. “I’ve got two more years to play ball at Avon Grove than you. I can sit on the bench, watch and learn just fine.”

“Thanks for making this awkward situation easy, EJ,” Danny replied.

“Go kick their butts,” EJ laughed.

Reinforced by the four best football players in eighth grade, that is exactly what the middle school team did. Danny led five straight touchdown drives by the time he was yanked in the beginning of the third quarter when the referees invoked the mercy rule.

Ethan Rogers, temporarily QB3 for the middle schoolers, got to play some. A fresh Seth Snyder, the 110 pound sixth-grade running back stuffed the ball down the throats of a demoralized W.C. Rustin team.

“This what you had in mind last month?” Coach Piccone laughed to Coach Sommers as the game concluded.

“This is EXACTLY what I had in mind back then.”

“Enjoy it while you can,” Coach Piccone added. “Danny and the others go back to JV after the next game.”

“Pity Great Valley,” Coach Sommers remarked. “Just their luck to face Danny.” Great Valley, a school district in eastern Chester County did not have a strong football program.

Sunday, September 7, 2031 – FedEx Field, Washington, DC

“We ready for this, Kyle?” Ed Fritz asked as the two life-long friends stepped off the bus and headed for the visitor’s locker room.

“Ready or not, here it comes,” Kyle answered back.

Kyle and his coaches hoped their young, inexperienced team was ready to face the Super Bowl LXVI champions. They were not. The fledgling Eagles made too many penalties. They had difficulty running the ball. They could not stop the power running game the Commanders was noted for. Brandon Evans played the entire game, throwing three picks and no touchdowns. Essentially, the Commanders played keep-away. They ran 79 offensive plays to the Eagles 53 offensive plays. The Eagles’ defense was gassed and barely able to oppose the runs by the end of the game. The final score was Commanders-31, Eagles-13.

A chastened Eagles team rode the buses back to Philly that evening. Maybe they would do better when they hosted the Bears next Sunday.

Tuesday, September 9, 2031 – NovaCare Press Briefing Room

The 31-13 loss was a good, old-fashioned butt kicking. It hurt. Kyle spent forty minutes answering questions about the game at his Tuesday press conference. The press conference was nearly over when he got hit with a question he expected but didn’t really want to answer.

“The Daily Local News in West Chester is reporting that forty members of the Avon Grove varsity football team have been dismissed for behavior against the Avon Grove Student-Athlete Code of Conduct. Was your son one of the forty?” Zach Berman asked. Zach was the dean of Philly sportswriters, having worked for the Inquirer and then various on-line publications for the past 29 years.

“David, my oldest son, was one of thirty-seven team members suspended for two weeks from the team,” Kyle answered. “In the infinite wisdom of teenagers, the team leadership decided to celebrate their first victory with a beer party.”

“Do you condone alcohol use by your son?” Mike Heaton asked. Mike was a young reporter on the Inquirer’s Eagles beat.

“I do not condone my son’s underage drinking,” Kyle replied. “He did the crime, now he does the time.”

“I heard more happened at the party than underage drinking, that a girl was assaulted,” Mike queried. “Did your son just ignore an assault while he partied with his friends? What does this say about your son’s maturity and character?”

“I am proud of my oldest son,” Kyle replied, trying to keep his temper under control. “I understand a girl was assaulted at the party. I cannot go into details since everyone involved is underage. You ask about my son’s maturity and character. Holding the beer party was a dumb idea. Did he ignore the assault at the party? No, he did not. He found out about it, broke into the room where it was occurring and stopped the assault. He and his girlfriend took the victim home to the safety of her parents. The next day he and the other team leaders reported the beer party and assault to their head coach. I am proud of the character my son showed Labor Day Weekend. He did not display the wisdom and good judgement you would expect of an adult, but that is OK. He’s a seventeen-year-old kid. He will learn wisdom and good judgement as he grows up.”

“Kyle what about your son’s team’s...” Andrew Perry asked.

“I am done talking about Avon Grove Football,” Kyle said with determination. “I think your readers are a lot more interested in the Eagles and our prospects against Bears next Sunday.”

Friday, September 12, 2031 – Avon Grove High School, Jennersville, PA

The exiled varsity football players showed up en masse in the stands to cheer on the varsity team as the team hosted the Great Valley Patriots. Jake Meyers noted the exiled players presence in the stands, but he could not officially acknowledge them. That little birdy had whispered to him that the team managed nearly 100% participation in the eight practices they held down at the township park. The team would be ready for Perkiomen Valley next Friday night.

Chris Goebel opened Coach Jake Myers’ eyes with his play against Great Valley. He executed the plays Jake called well. He made the fakes to help sell each play. The Red Devils may have been undersized, but they played with heart. They managed to squeak out a tight 24-23 win over the Patriots.

The best news came later that evening. Channel 6 Action News reported that Downingtown West beat Coatesville that evening. Coatesville had the best team in the Ches-Mont League’s National Division. The Red Devils were tied for first place with three other teams with 2-1 records. The suspended players would be back to practice on Monday afternoon. The selfish, bone-headed actions of Jake Pickering, Kaiden Randall and Mike Palmer would not destroy the Red Devils season.

Saturday, September 13, 2031 - Avon Grove High School

Danny and the middle school team took the field in the morning at the time normally used by the JV game. Since Avon Grove had no JV team at the moment, the schools moved the middle school game into the JV time slot. The Red Devil middle schoolers’ confidence was sky high. Their confidence was not misplaced.

Danny and his teammates played brilliantly. The first string got yanked when the score reached 35-0 five minutes before half time. EJ and Ethan Rogers both got playing time as the young Red Devils romped. Seth Snyder carried the load in the second half, scoring two TDs against wilting opposition.

In the locker room after the game, Coach Sommers quieted the team for a quick talk. “I want to thank Danny Martin, Tyler Glass, Aiden Rankin and Jose Mendez for their help the past two weeks. Head back to JV where you guys belong. Know that EJ, Ethan and the rest of this crew will take care of business after you are gone.”

Sunday, September 14, 2031 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

The fans were hopeful as they gathered to watch their Eagles host the Chicago Bears. The Bears lost to Green Bay the previous weekend so both teams were 0-1. Maybe some of the gold from their Hall of Fame head coach would rub off onto the players and their team could win. Last season had been the worst in a decade for the fans.

The meeting with the Bears held special meaning for Jeremy North. He had manned the middle of their line for eleven seasons before injuries and age forced him to retire. He was out ahead of warmups, talking with Bears equipment people and trainers, many of whom he knew well. Half a dozen Bears players greeted Jeremy when they came out to the field. They had been young players when he was a team captain seven seasons ago.

Randall Sampson, the Bears current middle linebacker, greeted Jeremy especially warmly. Sampson was drafted in the second round before Jeremy’s final season, with the hope they he would develop into a capable replacement for Jeremy. He had. Sampson amply filled Jeremy’s big shoes and continued the line of dominant middle line backers stretching from Sampson today, to Jeremy, to Brian Urhlacher, to Mike Singletary, to Dick Butkus and then Bill George. Bill George, barely remembered today, was the one who created the middle linebacker position as George Halas created the 4-3 defense.

The Eagles fans high hopes were dashed quickly as the Eagles fell behind 7-0, 7-3, 14-3 and then 14-6 as half time approached. The Bears managed a 55 yard field goal as time expired before halftime.

The Bears took the second half kickoff and marched straight down the field to increase their lead to 24-6. Brandon Evans got his team settled and together enough to manage a touchdown on the next drive. The Bears responded with another touchdown. The Eagle struggled and tried to come back, without success. Half the fans in the stadium were gone mid-fourth quarter when Nick Gordon kicked a 42 yard field goal to narrow the Bears’ lead to 31-16.

To the fans in the stands, this looked like more the same crap they had been watching for too many years. Too many penalties. Too many turnovers. Too little smart play. Many tried to beat the traffic out of the stadium parking lots with their early exit. Those fans were not wrong either. 31-16 Bears’ favor was the final score. If Kyle Martin brought gold with him when he came to Philly, this team was going to need a lot of buffing before it shined.

It was a quarter to midnight when Kyle and Penny went to bed. Danny and Robbie were sound asleep. Jessie had turned off her light and presumably would be sleeping soon. David, down the hall but closest to the master bedroom, was still up and his bedroom light was on. Lovemaking was out of the question, not that Kyle had the energy anyway, not after the mental drubbing he took from his team’s loss and their many miscues.

The couple cuddled in the half light of one dim nightstand light. “Have I bitten off more than I can chew with this job?” Kyle wondered.

Penny kissed her husband. “Today was a rough day,” she noted. “You expected rough days when you took the job. This team is almost a total rebuild, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Kyle acknowledged.

“Your guys made mistakes,” Penny sighed.

“My guys made a LOT of mistakes,” Kyle said.

“Identify the mistakes, fix them and move on,” Penny said. “I know you want perfect play, and you want it immediately, but life does not work that way. Have patience with your guys. They’re young and they will make a ton of mistakes before they learn to play NFL football well.”

“You’re right,” Kyle agreed. “It just there are so many things to fix. It feels overwhelming at times.”

“How do you eat an elephant?” Penny challenged. Kyle stared at his wife for a moment then chuckled.

“One bite at a time,” Kyle answered.

“Exactly,” Penny said. “Identify the most urgent thing and fix it. Move on to the next one, and then the one after that. In time, you will get everything working the way you want. I have confidence in you. You WILL do this.”

“You’re my rock, honey,” Kyle said before hugging and kissing Penny.

Thursday, September 18, 2031 – Avon Grove High School

Rosa and Justin Fritz came with Penny and Robbie Martin to their sons’ first Cub Scout pack meeting. They filled out applications for their sons and themselves. After the opening, the cubmaster and den leaders took the boys off for a game. The committee chair of the pack assembled all the parents of first-year Cub Scouts to discuss how the pack ran.

There were nine boys, seven girls and fifteen parents there to join the Tiger program, the one for first graders. About half the kids had done the Lion program last year with this pack. Robbie and Justin had been Lions back in Pittsburgh, but had not finished up the final four or five meetings they would have had once they moved to Chester County.

The pack would have one Tiger den of boys and a second den for the girls. All parents were expected to participate at den meetings, outings and attend the pack meetings. The committee chair solicited adults to serve as each den’s coordinator. He asked about the parents Scouting backgrounds.

Penny had to admit, “I was the den leader for both of my older boys when they were Cub Scouts. I am also signed up with the Avondale Venturer Crew to be an advisor for a two-week trip to Philmont next summer.” Rosa added that she had been a den leader for her older son too. The other boys’ parents pressed Penny to accept the coordinator job, but she demurred. Rosa finally agreed to accept the job, with an assist from Penny as she had time available. The other parents, most in their late-twenties to mid-thirties, gratefully accepted the leadership of the two older moms.

The committee chair sought out Penny when the organization meeting for the Tiger dens was over. “Dr. Martin, do you have a minute?” the man in his mid-thirties asked politely. Penny was surprised to be called ‘Dr. Martin’ rather than ‘Mrs. Martin’ as usually occurred when she met new people.

“Penny is fine here,” Penny responded. “I’ll be Dr. Martin if you bring an animal in for treatment. At Cub Scouts, Penny is fine.”

“Jonathan Berke ... Jon is fine for me,” the man answered. “From your introduction to the group and from your application, you have a background in Scouting.”

“That’s putting it mildly,” Penny laughed. “I did the whole Girl Scout thing when I was growing up. When I got older and wanted more rugged outdoor activities, my friends and I joined the local Venturer crew. I ended up serving as the crew president one year. My husband is an Eagle Scout, as is my oldest son. My middle son will receive his Star rank at his troop’s Court of Honor next Wednesday night. Even my daughter is involved. She and my oldest son are members of the venture crew in Avondale.”

“That is why I want to talk with you,” Jon remarked. “With your background, you can do more for our kids and the pack than just coordinate a Tiger den. I would like you to join the pack committee and share some of your knowledge with the other leaders in our pack.”

“What specific job did you want me to do for the pack?” Penny asked. Penny had been on the receiving end of recruiting pitches before.

“Nothing specific today,” Jon countered. “Come to a couple meetings and see how our pack operates. You can pick something specific out when you know us better.”

“I will say yes, provisionally,” Penny replied. “When are the committee meetings?”

“Next Thursday night,” Jon answered.

“You need to understand my primary focus in Scouting in the next ten months needs to be on organizing and training my daughter’s and oldest son’s Philmont crew. Philmont is a two-week back...”

Jon laughed as he waved Penny off. “ ... is a two-week backpacking trip in the Sangre de Cristo mountains outside Cimarron, NM. Been there, done that in 2014 as a Scout in one of the Kennett troops. That trip was my big adventure as a Boy Scout. I certainly would not ask you to do anything that would interfere with preparing your crew for their trek.”

“Then I will accept a position on the pack committee,” Penny said. “Let me know when and where next week’s meeting is.”

“I will email you the details,” Jon said. “Do you mind me asking? Will your husband have any involvement with your son in this pack?”

“Not between late July and sometime in late January or early February,” Penny said. “I assume you know what my husband does for a living.”

“His name and occupation are on your son’s application to join Scouting,” Jon said.

“Duh ... of course,” Penny laughed. “Kyle will be around after the season is over. No one is a bigger supporter of Scouting than my husband. By the way, he will have the same limitations as me with his time. He is one of the other advisors for our Philmont crew.”

“The head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles is showing up at the Ranch next summer?” Jon laughed. “That will cause a stir.”

“We are used to dealing with that aspect of my husband’s life,” Penny responded. Both looked up to see the cubmaster and his assistant rounding the kids up for the closing for the pack meeting. “I’ll see next Thursday night.”

Penny and Rosa gathered up their youngest sons and headed for home. As she expected, Kyle was home when she and Robbie returned. Kyle got to read his youngest son a bedtime story before he went to sleep. Kyle headed downstairs when the boy was settled.

“So, what job did the leader of the pack saddle you with?” Kyle teased as he sat down at the kitchen table with Penny.

“How do you know they saddled me with a job?”

“I know how Scouting works,” Kyle laughed. “What job?”

“Rosa agreed to be the Tiger den coordinator for Justin and Robbie’s den,” Penny said. “I will help her as time permits. I am also now part of the pack committee, job description to be determined based on my time available and my interests.”

“I guess I am lucky to have missed the meeting tonight,” Kyle laughed. “No job for me.”

“Don’t laugh too soon,” Penny countered. “They have you in their sights. They will be looking for something from you one of these days.”

“That is fine after the season is over,” Kyle said.

Friday, September 19, 2031 – Avon Grove High School

Travel time from Collegeville, PA to Avon Grove forced a 4:30 PM start for the JV game against Perkiomon Valley. After facing man-sized competition the past two Friday nights, the JV players did not feel particularly challenged facing a bunch of ninth- and tenth-graders their own size. Danny, delighted to be back with his JV teammates, played brilliantly. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another on the way to a 41-18 victory. Uncharacteristically, Bill Everson, their freshman kicker missed one of his extra point tries. Chris Goebel, in after the mercy rule was invoked, played well too. He threw for a final TD. Facing a JV defense after two weeks of playing against varsity was a hell of a lot easier.

An hour later, on the same field, David looked out onto the field as the Perkiomon Valley Vikings prepared to kick off to his varsity team. The past two weeks had been trying but David felt some pride at the way he, Owen Hanrahan, Adam Morrison and Shawn Abernathy had kept the team together during their suspension. Shawn, a senior and normally pretty quiet, had stood out as Owen, David and Adam worked to keep their team organized, prepared and ready for this night. Shawn played middle linebacker on the defense. He kept the defense focused on the necessary tasks rather than bitching about the mess the three offensive players made of their team.

Coach Myers called for a deep pass early in the first drive. David hauled in Owen’s well thrown ball and moved his team down to the Vikings 22 yard line. Hard running by Hector Chavez, Daniel Block and Nick DiMaio pushed the team across the goal line four plays later.

Avon Grove defense was fired up to be back on the field. They stopped the Viking’s next drive without a first down. The Viking’s defense, hesitant to focus on the run, thanks to David’s speed, was unable to stop the Red Devil’s ground game. When they edged someone closer to the line of scrimmage to help with the run, David turned on the jets and streaked deep. Owen hit his friend in stride. David motored into the end zone untouched. Touchdown!

The Red Devils led 31-0 in the fourth quarter when Jake Myers pulled the first string and got his backup players some playing time. The Vikings managed to score two late touchdowns to ruin the shutout, but no one really cared. The final score as 37-12.

Sunday, September 21, 2031 – Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA

Buffalo tickets were not in high demand among the many “friends” of the Martin family. The kids each got invite one friend to the game. Of course, David invited Sara and Jessie invited Matt. Danny asked Abby to come as his guest, but she just wasn’t into football that much. Mason Jones came in her place.

Robbie invited Justin Fritz, but his family already had tickets to the game through his dad. Robbie asked Liam Byrd instead. Robbie and Liam were getting to be good friends since school started. Liam had been in a different kindergarten class last year.

Robbie agitated to be allowed to go down to the field before the game started. Penny finally consented. She took Robbie and Liam down. Danny and Mason followed. They had planned to watch warmups at field level anyway. Jessie and Matt went too. The Martin crowd bumped into Rosa, EJ and Justin Fritz as they came out of the stadium onto the field.

Justin was in the same class as Robbie and Liam. Soon the three were running up and down the sidelines, checking everything out. Penny, Rosa and the kids stood on the sidelines and watched preparations. Penny saw Beth Harris and her kids down the sideline a bit. They moved down to talk with the Harris family.

Penny and Beth were acquaintances, though not friends. At Jeremy and Kathy North’s wedding, Beth had been the maid of honor while Penny was one of bridesmaids. Dylan and Beth had attended Penny’s brother-in-law Andrew’s wedding too. Penny introduced Rosa to Beth.

Matt Sloan acknowledged Mike Harris, the fourteen-year-old, oldest son. Matt played on the school’s varsity team while Mike played on the JV team. They knew each other from training at the end of the summer.

“Hey, Anna,” Danny noted as he stepped closer to his classmate.

“Hi, Danny,” Anna said, with a big smile. “Hey, Mason.”

“I saw your dad walking across the field a minute ago,” Danny noted. “He looked pretty good. He’s off the crutches and didn’t limp at all.”

“Yeah,” Anna agreed. “Dad just got rid of the crutches on Friday after he met with his orthopedist. He needs work on his range of motion and then build up the strength in that leg again. They expect it will take him twelve to fifteen months to be back to full strength.”

“Tell your dad we’re all rooting for him,” Danny said. “By the way, what is he doing on the Buffalo sideline? He does realize he’s an Eagle, doesn’t he?”

“Of course, he does,” Anna laughed. “Dad saw a couple equipment guys setting up that he knew from when he played in Buffalo years ago. He just wanted to say hi.”

“Cool! I know how that is,” Danny responded. “I saw that with my dad in July when we visited the Broncos training center. It seemed like he knew half the people in the building.”

Mason, EJ, Anna and Danny continued talking as they watched the players prepare for the coming contest. When Robbie, Justin and Liam finally rejoined their families at the end of warmups, Robbie begged, “Can Justin come up and watch with me in our box? Please, Mom ... Please?”

“Yeah, can I, Mom?” Justin echoed.

“Our tickets are in the lower level,” Rosa replied. “We will see the game fine at the seats we have now.”

“Aaawww ... Mmmoooommmm...” Justin whined.

“Rosa, you and your family are welcome to join us upstairs in the box,” Penny replied. “We have plenty of space. It isn’t full.”

“Security will never allow us up to the box level with the tickets we have.”

“If they give you any trouble, give me a call,” Penny said. “I’ll send Danny down with the spare tickets we aren’t using. Our ticket package is for all seats in our box for all home games. Why not use them rather than having them go to waste today?” Penny giggled. “Anyway, we have a pretty good spread of snacks and drinks, no charge. It is all part of our package. Better, you don’t need to pay stadium prices for the food.”

“OK, we will,” Rosa agreed. Justin, Robbie and Liam cheered. EJ had a big grin too, but he played it mostly cool. It wouldn’t do for him to carry on like the little kids.

Rosa and her family followed along with Penny, her family and guests. Security never said a word about checking tickets when they took the elevator to the box level. Who in security had the balls to challenge the head coach’s wife? No one.

The enlarged group settled in to watch the game and enjoy the snacks. It was fortunate for the fans that the weather was nice. The Martins and their guests enjoyed the food. The football was not quite up to standard. Buffalo and Philly were two young teams learning to play at the NFL level and learning how to play as a team. The game was riddled with penalties, fumbles and interceptions. The contest was not decided until the final drive when Buffalo managed to sneak in a touchdown to end the game. The final score was 20-17.