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Could More Pizza Nights Be the Key to a Super Bowl for the Buffalo Bills?

Theo

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — When the Buffalo Bills eat pizza together, they win more football games. That’s something the team discovered late last season thanks to newcomer Connor McGovern, and now the tradition is here to stay.

“Last season, I think we had seven pizza nights and we went 6-1,” McGovern told 7 Sports. “When we started our winning streak, that’s right around the time we started the pizza nights, so I’m just saying there might be something in the dough.”

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Could More Pizza Nights Be the Key to a Super Bowl for the Buffalo Bills?

Pizza night was a tradition McGovern started in Dallas as a member of the Cowboys. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the lifelong pizza lover began baking his own pies at home and it became his favorite pastime.

“It took us about three years to perfect the recipes to where we are today,” McGovern said. “Growing up, I loved pizza and it was always my thing. Every Friday, my family always had pizza night and it was something I always loved.”

McGovern and his Cowboys teammates hosted a few pizza parties, but in March 2023, his time in Dallas came to an end when he became a free agent. The Penn State graduate and Pennsylvania native moved closer to home by signing with the Bills days after entering free agency, and his new teammates quickly discovered his love of pizza.

“Probably within the first few weeks of being here, people were talking about cooking and I was like, ‘Oh, I love to cook,’” McGovern said. “They asked me what I meant and I said, ‘I love to make pizza.’ They asked me where my dough comes from and I said, ‘I do everything.’ They said, ‘Do you do everything?’”

He didn’t exaggerate his passion for pizza. During the Bills’ offseason, McGovern and I spent an afternoon in La Nova’s test kitchen so he could show me his pizza-making prowess. He made the dough a few days before we met. His homemade sauce was made the day before. He ordered his cheese straight from Wisconsin and used some of his favorite ingredients from his time in Dallas.

On the menu for our day were some of his teammates’ favorites. We started by making a couple of three-cheese pizzas with pepperoni and hot honey. McGovern prefers a sweeter sauce and a thin crust, closer to a New York-style pizza slice than a typical Buffalo pizza slice.

We then made McGovern’s famous steak and cheese calzones. These became increasingly popular with his teammates, especially toward the end of the season.

Both were exceptional and that’s the main reason why pizza parties now have a waiting list. If you miss more than two nights, you’re out and the next person on the waiting list is invited. Each night has about 30 people, with wives and significant others always welcome.

“I go to Connor’s pizza parties because the best pizza is free pizza,” Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins said. “You walk in the house, he puts the music on, I think I’m on a date, you know what I mean? But it’s the whole offensive line, so it’s not like one-on-one.”

“They’re unbelievable,” tight end Dawson Knox said. “He runs the offense as a whole, it’s a great team bonding experience to eat Connor’s pizza.”

“You don’t really expect a bunch of NFL players to get together and have a pizza party, but it’s definitely a good thing and it brings us together as a team,” tackle Ryan Van Demark said.

McGovern also makes a few specialty dishes and appetizers based on what he has on hand. His pizza muffins are usually a hit and a favorite of Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

“These little pizza muffins, I don’t even know what they’re called,” Allen said. “They’re just pure deliciousness in a little breaded ball, they’re fantastic.”

McGovern and his wife welcomed their first child a few months ago. Having more than 20 football players home each week while caring for their daughter is a tough job, but the McGoverns say it’s worth it to help bring the team closer together.

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