Andy Dalton has become an unexpected folk hero in Buffalo, and the Bills' fan base was quick to express its gratitude to the Bengals quarterback.
Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd with 44 seconds remaining against the Baltimore Ravens to give the Bengals a 31-27 win Sunday. In doing so, the Bengals eliminated the Ravens from the playoffs and cemented a berth for the Bills, who held the longest active playoff drought in North American professional sports.
The team's rabid fans thanked Dalton by sending numerous donations to the Andy and Jordan Dalton Foundation, which focuses on helping children in the Cincinnati area.
Update on what the Bills fans have done for the @ajdfoundation. We have over 1000 donors and raised $22,000. Let’s keep this going!!
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 1, 2018
In the 24 hours since the 1st donation came in, over 2500 donors and just over $57,000 and counting! Last update for the night! I will update tomorrow. We can’t thank y’all enough!
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) January 2, 2018
"I think I'm the hottest guy in Buffalo right now," Dalton said, according to ESPN's Katherine Terrell. "According to my Twitter, I think everybody's loving us right now. Obviously, that's a crazy fan base, and they're all pretty excited.
"Obviously, they're helping out a good cause," he added. "It's been pretty fun to see the reaction we've gotten."
The Bills thanked the Bengals on Sunday for their contributions and will be sending wings to the franchise.
Thank you, @Bengals. pic.twitter.com/HrJjuV5zWO
— Buffalo Bills (@buffalobills) January 1, 2018
