Retired Buffalo Bills center and three-time captain Eric Wood will write a weekly column for The Athletic during the 2018 season.



That was not what I was expecting out of the Bills on Sunday, to say the least.



But that blowout took some of the sting away from not playing anymore. When I woke up Monday, I didn’t miss how losing feels.



Watching from the M&T Bank Stadium club level was fairly emotional. It was the first Bills game since the neck injury forced me to retire. The team truly had moved on without me.



Still, the 2018 season opener didn’t hurt as badly to watch as I’m sure it felt for my former teammates.



I have to be honest, though. With the Bills down by 40 points and my guy Ryan Fitzpatrick lighting up the Saints, I spent a lot of the second half tracking him and the Buccaneers on my phone.



I didn’t even realize until after the game that six different Bills offensive linemen had been called for...