The “BuffalLove” of everyone’s life right now seems to be quarterback Josh Allen, and for good reason. He’s making all the right choices this season so far, including the choice to keep that mustache on his face. Zack Moss, though, is my Buffalo boy of choice.
Moss is a 22-year-old running back for the Buffalo Bills and, despite having seven inches on me (I’m 5’2”), there is nothing I would rather do than wrap him in a big, soft blanket and protect him from all the bad in the world.
If you watched the Bills play the Dolphins on Sunday Sept. 20, you know that my small son—Moss—was an absolute powerhouse this weekend. He scored his very first NFL touchdown in the Bills game against the Jets on Sept. 13. He earned those hugs from his fellow players out on the field. In conclusion: Moss is baby.
This sweet man got an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for high-fiving a fan last year. He saved his mom some tickets so she could go to his recent Miami game. His primary goal is “going out there and being the best [he] can be,” according to an interview with BillsWire. And he breaks tackles like this! Incredible.
But for real, let’s talk about how Moss breaks tackles because it’s been the most exciting part of any Bills game so far. Moss, only 5’9”—short in the world of football—hunches down and pumps his arms and legs until he runs through tackles like there aren’t six 200-pound muscley men hanging off of him. This is a man who can squat 600 pounds for more than one rep in the gym.
He’s also larger than his fellow running back Devin Singletary, who stands at a height of 5’7”. This does not bode well for my small son.
Both running backs are shorter than the average player, and Moss has no one to defend him—in fact, he should be defending Singletary if worse comes to worst.
Contributing to Moss’s underdog image is his experience at Utah, a school that is not as well-known for the strength of its football players. The stipulation that Moss is more likely to get goal-line work than Singletary brings me both pride and terror, because I worry that Moss will get crushed by a dozen players—more weight than he can squat at the gym.
The current mindset bouncing between avid Bills fans is that Moss and Singletary are being underutilized, but if the Bills take heed of this, I’m worried for the safety of my boy.
I am already concerned because my small son missed practice on Wednesday Sept. 23 for a toe injury. There’s been no further elaboration on this issue, but my fears grow as Moss remains silent.
This upcoming weekend, the Bills are set to face the Rams. The Jets and the Dolphins should have been easy wins, and they were—mostly.
With tougher teams up ahead, there will be more pressure to send Moss and Singletary into danger zones, especially after Moss proved himself magnificently in the last two games.
So, Moss, if you’re reading this, I would like to make sure you stay nice and safe and try not to break your neck when you do more of those crazy catches or get tackled by tons of players. I can send you some hot chocolate or warm soup if it would help. The big, soft blanket is also always an option.