You never know when it will be your turn to be the hero, your turn to light up a football city hungry for the championship.
But everyone is allowed to dream, everyone is allowed to see themselves taking a David Tyree helmet catch or an interception of Malcolm Butler’s end zone.
And on a cold, windy night in Buffalo, Taron Johnson was the one who lived his dream and helped Josh Allen take a step closer to really starting Jim Kelly’s legacy.
It was Taron Johnson who intercepted Lamar Jackson for a 101-yard selection that sent the Bills to their first AFC championship in 27 years, with a 17-3 victory over the Ravens.
Taron Johnson was the one who made 6,700 Bills Mafia fans, some of them bare-chested, calling more than 67,000 fans.
Taron Johnson, a corner defender from Weber State, whose young career had been compromised by injuries, made the biggest play of his life in the biggest game of his life.
“They always tell us, ‘Look at the defender’s vision, it will take you to where the ball is, especially in the area,'” Johnson said.
Jackson looked at Mark Andrews. He ended up following Taron Johnson unnecessarily.
“I caught the ball and looked down, but then I looked up and saw only a bunch of green grass on the right side,” Johnson said.
So he had an important decision to make. “After I caught him, I definitely thought for a second, maybe I should kneel down,” Johnson said. “At that moment, I said to myself, ‘OK, I have to beat one person, and the other side is number 8.’ ”
Johnson headed straight for the AFC Championship game.
“I saw Lamar coming, I slowed down a bit to leave Tre [White] be in front of me, just to help me, ”Johnson said.
Marv Levy, who watched everything from his home in Chicago, was most impressed by Allen’s rise to the elite in his third season.
“I think just his behavior, just like anything,” Levy told The Post. “Listen well, learn, stay cool even when something doesn’t go exactly the way it does.”
For a while, for half, he didn’t go to Allen on Saturday night.
Then, in possession of the opening of the second half, he found Stefon Diggs with a 3-meter touchdown pass that made Bills 10, Ravens 3
Then came Lamar Jackson.
And in an instant, Lamar Jackson left.
Jackson turned a third and 13th in the middle of the field with a 15-yard battle, ahead of Jerry Hughes, with the Marquis “Hollywood” Brown wide open for what would have been an equal touchdown, pressing Jackson into a low throw.
Then came Taron Johnson.
Lamar Jackson, the third and ninth goal, threw an arrow at Andrews in the end zone, and the next thing he knew, he was chasing Johnson in vain on his dramatic selection of 101 yards.
The whole of Buffalo exploded.
It was Jackson’s first interception of the red zone after throwing 49 TDs in his career.
It was Johnson’s second career interception and pick-six.
Sometimes it’s a night for Bruce Smith and Ray Lewises.
Or a Taron Johnson.
A corner of 5 feet-11, 192 kilograms, which plays bigger than him.
And even then and there it ended.
Jackson was in his final zone after a bad shot and headed for the locker room at the end of the third quarter, with a concussion after landing on his head.
Tyler Huntley, a Utah freelancer who had thrown five career passes, was not bringing the Ravens to an end. Instead, he overturned a deep open field of Hollywood Brown.
There were nights when Jim Kelly didn’t do everything himself and everything the city cares about is the next Chiefs-Browns winner.
Allen was not intercepted, he did not throw any pick-sixs, he acted as he had been here before.
No defender affected the game with his wonderful legs, and a difficult wind endangered the passing and kicking games.
Josh Allen is 60 minutes from a Super Bowl. Everyone in Buffalo will think they can get their bills there. Thanks in large part to Taron Johnson, he may be Jim Kelly.