The Buffalo Bills remain just one game behind the Kansas City Chiefs for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after a dominant victory against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bills also gained a massive defensive addition against the 49ers, as All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano took the field for the first time since 2023.
Milano suffered a broken leg in Week 5 of the 2023 season. Then, as he was preparing to make his return at the start of the 2024 season, he tore his bicep during the preseason.
His return to the field didn't go unnoticed by Bills Mafia, as the home crowd at Highmark Stadium erupted when Milano's name was called for player introductions.
"Me and Greg (Rousseau) were talking, like that's the loudest we've ever heard it," said defensive end AJ Epenesa.
Coach Sean McDermott also took notice of the fans' rousing reaction to Milano.
"I don't normally pay a ton of attention to player introductions, but to hear the crowd go crazy when he was introduced, I think they appreciate what he's gone through," said McDermott. "I think they appreciate his journey."
In his season debut, Milano played about 77 percent of the defensive snaps. The inside linebacker finished with five combined tackles. The only times Milano did not see the field where when Buffalo went to dime personnel with extra defensive backs.
Milano will likely continue to see an uptick in his workload as he continues to adjust and gets more experience with the postseason nearing.
