The Buffalo Bills were tied with the New England Patriots and didn’t have the ball at the two-minute warning.
They were looking on the bright side. It cast a dark cloud on their in-game playlist.
The Bills’ DJ cued up “Mr. Brightside,” their unofficial victory anthem usually reserved for when Highmark Stadium is ready to party.
This time, they let the song out of its cage too soon. And the Patriots took control.
New England quarterback Drake Maye came out of the timeout and led a game-winning drive, capped by rookie kicker Andy Borregales drilling a 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds left for a 23–20 lead. Buffalo only had time for one more offensive play.
“It’s an all-time song,” New England center Garrett Bradbury said after the game. “That got us more juiced up probably than the Bills’ defense.”
Maye even dropped a cheeky nod to the Bills’ traditions after snapping their 14-game home win streak in his first career primetime game.
“It’s 8:20 in Orchard Park, in a great environment, playing the Buffalo Bills,” Maye said. “Where else would you rather be?”
It was a callback to the Bills’ pregame “Legend of the Game” tradition, which a former player pumps up the Highmark Stadium crowd with a “Where would you rather be than right here, right now?” chant originally used as a rallying cry by former head coach Marv Levy.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills’ ‘Mr. Brightside’ song late in fourth quarter backfires in loss to Patriots
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
