Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins smiles before the first half of an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

Disappointment predicted for Hallmark’s 'Bills Love Story'

Originally posted on Buffalo Bills on SI
By Ronnie Eastham | Last updated Jun 3, 2025 10:26 AM ET

Maybe NFL analysts and writers don't get paid enough, so now they have to moonlight as movie critics.

Hallmark Channel's decision to feature the Bills in a Christmas original has not been met with a ton of oohs and ahhs. Many Bills fans worry about the team's focus this summer, and that's before adding HBO's Hard Knocks into the equation.

Sports Illustrated's Conor Orr recently published his 100 predictions for the 2025 season, and oddly enough, mentioned the coming Hallmark movie, "Holiday Touchdown: A Bills Love Story." Apparently, he's not a fan.

Said Orr of the movie, "Sequels are hard. Sequels are especially hard when Hallmark abandons its factory of self-made stars in order to generate more attention for its new football/romance/Christmas franchise. The channel's initial foray into football was a massive hit, thanks to the seamless incorporation of Christmas stars such as Tyler Hynes and Hunter King. Now, with more of a Hollywood heft behind the new iteration, the Bills' version will struggle to possess the look and feel of a true, vintage Hallmark classic."

Several current and former Bills players will be involved , as will head coach Sean McDermott. Bills' long snapper, and longest active tenured player, Reid Ferguson, was on set during filming. "When you think of a Hallmark movie, you think of the great fans, and when you bring that to a city like Buffalo, City of Good Neighbors, it's kind of like the perfect match," said Ferguson.

Regardless of what your opinion is of the Bills doing this movie this summer, you can bet Bills Mafia will be there to see the film. Whether the movie is successful or not, it's crazy times when your favorite team is a Super Bowl contender, the MVP quarterback gets married, and the team is featured in a movie, Netflix series, and Hard Knocks.