By Justin DiLoro / Biilswire.usatoday.com
The indelible image of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton finding wide receiver Tyler Boyd an improbable fourth-and-long touchdown is what most Buffalo Bills fans remember from the Week 17 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens in 2017.
While he did not explicitly factor in this play, new Bills tight end Tyler Kroft was an integral part for the Bengals’ victory and in turn, helped the Bills crack the postseason for the first time in 17 seasons.
Kroft’s contributions to this game were vital, as he led the Bengals with six catches during the game, two of which found the end zone, also a team-high. He added 53 receiving yards as well, second on the team. Boyd’s long touchdown surpassed him.
What does Kroft remember about that night? While hundreds of miles away in Baltimore, he saw the videos that everyone saw.
“I’ve seen the video of everyone watching in the locker room,” Kroft said. “Obviously, I didn’t even play for the team, but just being a competitor, being a player, seeing all of those grown men get to their ultimate goal, which is to make the playoffs. I got chills looking at it, I got chills watching it. That’s what football’s about.”
Watching the videos of the Buffalo’s locker room moved Kroft, even though his squad’s season ended with that game in 2017.
The three-year deal that Kroft signed hopefully will have several highlights. He is looking forward to playing in front of the Bills Mafia.
Oh yeah, he knows about them.
“Everyone knows that Bills Mafia has got a reputation for itself.” The Rutgers product added, “I grew up in the northeast, it hasn’t been much of a culture shock. I’ve gotten to see some of the area, I haven’t gotten to see too much of the town yet. From what I’ve seen, everything looks great, looks exactly like where we want to be.”
Even before Kroft has put on a Bills jersey, he has become a part of Buffalo’s football lore.
It looks like he will fit in just fine in western New York.