Bills' latest news will force key player to change his plans for the weekend
While it certainly won't make the Divisional Round loss any easier for Buffalo Bills fans, Friday's news is still a positive development for one of the team's very best players. I'm talking about First-Team All-Pro Matt Milano representing the Bills in the Pro Bowl Games next weekend, per the Bills' PR team. That's right, Milano […]
While it certainly won't make the Divisional Round loss any easier for Buffalo Bills fans, Friday's news is still a positive development for one of the team's very best players.
I'm talking about First-Team All-Pro Matt Milano representing the Bills in the Pro Bowl Games next weekend, per the Bills' PR team. That's right, Milano is headed to the event as a Pro Bowl alternate to the Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt, who's injured.*
Totally necessary note: It blows my mind that Milano is an alternate to Watt when they clearly don't play the same position. Watt is an edge rusher but is called an outside linebacker in Mike Tomlin's scheme.
However, these are not the same positions. Milano is an off-ball linebacker in Buffalo. What are we doing here, NFL? The league must find a better way to label positions as defenses continue down a hybrid-defender path. EDGE, LB, and IDL are the way to go in my opinion.
Anyways, Milano was oddly named to the AP All-Pro as a first-teamer yet wasn't voted to the Pro Bowl, which considers votes of fans, coaches, and players. Now circumstance has earned the Bills linebacker a place in the star-studded event.
And it's an interesting one, too.
Now, a flag football event will be the main course of the event as Peyton and Eli Manning square off as head coaches of the AFC and NFC respectively. The event will also feature an expanded selection of skills competitions.
While I've been a critic of the Pro Bowl for years now, I can't deny I'm excited about the event heading into next week. Getting rid of the game was a smart call by the NFL and we've seen legit effort from players in the skills showdown. The 7-on-7 flag football game should be no different.
And if the Bills Mafia can get some extra Matt Milano playing time in there as well, I won't complain. Not in the slightest.
Milano finished the season with 99 total tackles, 12 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks. He also intercepted opposing quarterbacks three times and was a force on DC Leslie Frazier's defense.
Featured image via Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
