By now, it’s no secret the Cincinnati Bengals trounced the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs last January, a win that looked simple in the snow and not too dissimilar from the way the Monday night game started weeks prior before its cancellation.
But one former Bills player has suggested things might have played out differently if the field hadn’t been snowy.
During a chat with Go Long’s Tyler Dunne, former Bills wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie said “If we were in a dome, it would have been a totally different game.”
McKenzie’s basis for the argument is the suggestion the Bengals had a better gameplan for the wintery conditions, running short passing routes compared to Buffalo’s vertical and comeback routes.
Also noted from McKenzie is that the routes and Allen’s “cannon” playstyle encouraged the route tree despite the inclement weather.
There’s some merit to this, of course, as Allen and Joe Burrow are different players, as are the offenses.
Still, the idea the Bengals ran a better gameplan than the hosts, who happen to be more familiar with inclement Buffalo weather, isn’t a good look. Plus, part of the reason the Bengals ran that sort of offense, besides it just generally working for them, is because they had multiple backup offensive linemen on the field during the win.
The “what if” game about the playoff game could go back and forth endlessly, such as pointing out both sets of pass-rushers couldn’t really hit home fast enough because of the slippery conditions.
But like with McKenzie’s comments, it doesn’t really matter — the Bengals executed better on the road and took the win.
