John Riordan: A Buffalo God still loved by the fanbase

GENERATION GAME: Hall of Famer Jim Kelly speaks with Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills before the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at New Era Field. PICTURE: Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Jim Kelly really needs the Buffalo Bills to beat their arch rivals, the Miami Dolphins, Saturday night. There are many reasons but let’s start with the annual bet he has with his former foe and fellow NFL Hall of Famer, Dan Marino.

At their pomp, the iconic pair battled routinely, not just in the AFC East but also in the playoffs and even in Kelly’s third of four AFC Championship successes. For almost two decades, Kelly and Marino have added a friendly wager to the retiree trash talk: if the Dolphins sweep the series of any given season, Kelly owes Marino a steak dinner. If the opposite happens, it’s the former Miami quarterback who is compelled to buy a meal of Florida Stone Crabs.