Giddy Buffalo fans are making a surge in donations to Andy Dalton's foundation, their way of thanking the Bengals quarterback for his role in the Bills' long-awaited playoff appearance.
Dalton's foundation reported Tuesday it has received more than $100,000 in donations since the Bengals beat the Ravens 31-27 on Sunday . Dalton threw a 49-yard touchdown pass with 44 seconds left to eliminate the Ravens and open a spot for the Bills.
The Bills got the final AFC wild-card berth and ended their 17-year postseason drought, the longest among North America's four major professional sports.
Bills fans are thanking Dalton by donating to his foundation, which is asking them to reach a goal of $150,000. Dalton was surprised and thankful for the reaction by Bills fans.
"I think I'm the hottest guy in Buffalo right now," Dalton said Monday. "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."
Dalton posted a video on his Twitter account Tuesday expressing his gratitude, explaining his foundation's work and encouraging more donations.
"Let's keep it going," he said.
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While the Bills' long streak of playoff futility is over, the Bengals' streak continues. They haven't won a playoff game since the 1990 season, the sixth-longest streak of postseason futility in NFL history. They've lost all seven of their playoff games since that season, including an NFL-record five straight first-round defeats from 2011-15.
The Bengals missed out on the playoffs for a second straight season, going 7-9. They won their last two games, knocking the Lions and Ravens out of the playoff race.