The final play of Super Bowl XXV (photo source)

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In anticipation of the Buffalo Bills' 50th Anniversary, we'll be looking back on all 50 years of the Buffalo Bills, five years at a time. Every Sunday from now until the official kickoff of the 50th year at the 2009 Hall of Fame Game, we'll look at key additions and subtractions, team records, and other events high and low in the history of the Bills. You can find previous installments in the series here.

1989 - The Offense Clicks
9-7 record, first of five in AFC East, third of 14 in AFC, 10 of 28 in NFL
Following the 1988 season the Bills were flying high.  They had just appeared in the AFC Championship game giving the Bengals all they could handle.  This, as I'm sure you all recall fondly, was the season in which the Bills began their "Glory Years" run.

The Bills lost a key figure in Bills history as Jim Ringo retired as Bills offensive coordinator and line coach, ending his 21-year coaching career.  The Bills promoted quarterbacks coach Ted Marchibroda to lead the offense.  Marchibroda was a quarterback at St. Bonaventure University and played for the Steelers and Cardinals in the NFL and had served as head coach for the Baltimore Colts in the 1970s.  In the off-season the Bills signed Plan B Free Agent running back Kenneth Davis from the Green Bay Packers.  (It turned out to be very fortuitous as solid backup running back Robb Riddick suffered a serious knee injury in the last preseason game.)  The Bills did not have a first- or second-round pick in the draft due to the Cornelius Bennett trade but managed to select wide receiver Don Beebe in the third round.  In June the Bills made some changes in the front office as well, promoting Bob Ferguson to assistant general manager/director of pro personnel and Bill Munson to assistant general manager/business operations.  John Butler was promoted to director of player personnel and A.J. Smith became assistance director for college scouting.

In 1988 the Bills playoff run was largely due to the defense winning some close games.  In 1989 second-year running back Thurman Thomas would explode out of the gate and the last missing piece would be added to Jim Kelly's arsenal. The Bills started the season scratching and clawing from an 11-point 4th quarter deficit to win in Miami and struggling to cut a three touchdown lead to one before ultimately losing to Denver in week 2.  In week 3 Warren Moon and the Houston Oilers came into Buffalo for a record-breaking game.  Jim Kelly threw for 366 yards and 5 TDs including the overtime game-winner to Andre Reed as Buffalo outgunned Houston 47-41.  Two days later Buffalo signed 33-year-old free agent wide reciever James Lofton.  Lofton was a seven-time Pro Bowl selection for the Packers and a member of the NFL's All-Decade team.  The Bills went 3-1 in their next four leading up to divisional game against the Dolphins.  In front of 80-thousand screaming Buffalo fans Thurman Thomas and fullback Larry Kinnebrew both topped one hundred yards rushing (the sixth time in Bills history two backs ran for the century mark) and Jeff Wright sacked Dan Marino ending Marino's NFL record streak of 19 games and 759 pass attempts without taking a sack.  The Bills went 2-2 over their next four including a 24-7 win over the reigning AFC Champion Bengals and sat at 8-4, at least two games ahead of every team in the division.  The start of December proved brutal for the Bills as they lost three straight games to sit at 8-7 heading into the final week of the season tied with the Dolphins and Colts for the AFC East crown.  The Bills controlled their own destiny in Week 17.  If they won their Week 17 tilt in the Meadowlands against the Jets they would win the AFC East for the second year in a row.  The Bills held the Jets to 54 rushing yards and pounded the Jets 37-0.  The win was the most lopsided in Bills history and clinched their second division title in two years.

With their 9-7 record the Bills were the third seed behind the Broncos (11-5) and Browns (9-6-1).  In the divisional round the Bills squared off against the Browns in a match-up of the great Bills offense and the great Browns defense.   Buffalo scored first with an Andre Reed 72-yard touchdown reception. But Cleveland struck back with a 45-yard field goal by Matt Bahr and a 52-yard touchdown pass from Kosar to Slaughter. Jim Kelly's 33-yard touchdown pass to James Lofton put the Bills back in the lead, 14-10, but Browns retook the lead with Ron Middleton's 3-yard catch shortly before the end of the first half.  On the opening drive of the second half, Kosar hooked up with Slaughter for another touchdown pass, this one 44-yards, to increase their lead to 24–14. Buffalo responded with a 6 yard touchdown catch by running back Thurman Thomas, who tied an NFL playoff record with 13 receptions for 150 yards. But Browns running back Eric Metcalf returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give his team a 31–21 lead by the end of the third quarter. After an exchange of field goals, Thomas caught a three yard touchdown pass. But the extra point failed leaving the Bills down four points stead of three.  On the final drive of the game Kelly led the Bills to Cleveland's 11-yard line with time running out. But fullback Ronnie Harmon dropped a potential game winning catch in the end zone and Kelly was intercepted by linebacker Clay Matthews on the next play with three seconds remaining to preserve a 34-30 Browns victory. Kelly threw for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns in the game.

On the year the offense took off scoring 80 more points than in 1988, an average of five more points a game, and gaining 500 more yards.  The Bills finished ranked in the top five in points (3rd), yards (5th), and rushing yards (3rd) and Jim Kelly and Frank Reich combined to throw for 3589 yards ranking 8th in that category.  Thurman Thomas rushed for 1244 yards (6th in the NFL) and had 669 receiving yards and scored 12 combined touchdowns.  For the first time in his career the Thurmanator would lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage and all purpose yards.  Andre Reed broke  franchise records with 88 catches (second in the league) and 1312 receiving yards (fifth in the league) as well as averaging 82 yards per game (6th in the league).  In his thirteen starts Jim Kelly threw for the highest yards per game in team history averaging over 240 yards a game and was fifth in the league with 25 passing touchdowns.  Despite his numbers Jim Kelly was left off the Pro Bowl squad.   Thurman Thomas was named to his first Pro Bowl and was joined by fellow Bills wideout Andre Reed, center Kent Hull, defensive end Bruce Smith, and linebacker Shane Conlan.  Thurman was first team All-AFC and would have been All-Pro if not for his Oklahoma State teammate, rookie running back Barry Sanders.  Reed, Smith, and Hull were named to the All-AFC team as well.  Bills owner Ralph Wilson, Jr., was added to the Bills Wall of Fame. (Note: Local media members and club personnel make the decision, not Wilson.)

1990 - Super Bowl Excitement and Disappointment
13-3 record, first of five in AFC East, first of 14 in AFC, second (tie) of 28 in NFL
Here we are folks.  The most exciting and disappointing season in Bills history.  In March the Bills signed two Plan B free agents - punter Rick Tuten and running back Don Smith.  With their first first-round pick in three years the Bills selected cornerback James Williams.  In later rounds the Bills would take fullback Carwell Gardner (second), guard Glenn Parker (third), linebacker Marvcus Patton (eighth), and defensive tackle Mike Lodish (tenth). 

In the season opener a Jim Kelly pass to Butch Rolle became the thousandth TD in team history as Buffalo opened the season with a 36-10 win.  In week 2 the Bills laid an egg against the Dolphins and were held to just two hundred yards of offense in a 30-7 loss in Miami.  The bright lights of Monday Night were kind to Thurman Thomas in week 3.  He ran for a career-high 214 yards in a Bills victory.  Week 4 was a strange game for Buffalo.  They were held to 9 points in the first three quarters but exploded for 20 points in 77 seconds to rally and beat the AFC Champion Broncos 29-28.  The team was back at it a week later scoring 24 fourth-quarter in a 6:03 span to beat the LA Raiders 38-24.  After the bye week the Bills once again rallied for a fourth quarter win after overcoming a fourteen-point deficit.  This time the Jets were the victims of the comeback as fullback Jaime Mueller caught a 14-yard TD pass with 19 seconds left to give Buffalo the 30-27 win and 5-1 record.  After a win over the hapless Patriots in which no comeback was necessary the Bills somewhat avenged their playoff loss to the Browns with a 42-0 blowout in Cleveland.  Hometown boy Darryl Talley returned an interception for his first NFL touchdown in the win.  The Bills put 45 on the Cardinals the next week and shut out the Patriots in week 11 to match their win total from the previous season.  After a close loss to the Oilers the Bills rattled off four wins to break the team record with 13 regular season wins and match the overall team record of 13 total wins in a season.  On December 2 the Bills unleashed the No Huddle Offense for the very first time.  Jim Kelly went 8-for-8 for 229 passing yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter alone en route to a 30-23 win over the Eagles.  The next week the Bills wrapped up their third straight playoff birth with a win over the Colts.  In the game Andre Reed became the Bills all-time leader with 36 touchdowns receptions breaking Elbert Dubenion's 32-year-old mark.  In week 15 the season seemed to blow up in the Bills faces as Jim Kelly would go down with a knee injury.  The Bills would win the game 17-13 but at what cost?  Week 16 was the epitome of the Dolphins-Bills rivalry of the early 90s even without Jim Kelly.  The 11-3 Dolphins team led by Dan Marino came into Buffalo to face the 12-2 Bills in December.  I get goosebumps just thinking about it.  With a win the Bills would clinch the division and a loss would give the Dolphins the division lead with one game to play.  Backup qyarterback Frank Reich would have none of it completing 15 of 21 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.  Thurman Thomas added 154 rushing yards and Buffalo clinched their third straight division crown with a 24-14 victory.  In week 17 the Bills had clinched the division and the number one seed in the AFC and lost to the Redskins.

The playoffs began with a revised format allowing one extra team to make the playoffs.  Now three wild card teams and one of the division winners would play on wild card weekend for the right to move on to the divisional round and face the top two seeds.  The Bills were the number one seed and received a bye.  After staging a 4th quarter comeback in the wild card round the Miami Dolphins came into Rich Stadium for the playoff showdown. The Bills scored first with wide receiver Andre Reed's 40-yard touchdown reception. Then after Buffalo jumped to a 20-3 lead in the second quarter with running back Thurman Thomas' 5-yard touchdown, Miami quarterback Dan Marino cut the Bills' lead to 20-10 with a 64-yard touchdown completion to wide receiver Mark Duper. Before halftime, Bills quarterback Jim Kelly threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver James Lofton, and Marino scored on a 2-yard touchdown run. The teams exchanged field goals again the in third period. During the final quarter, Roy Foster, an offensive lineman who played in an eligible receiver position, caught a 2-yard touchdown pass to cut the Dolphins deficit to 30-27. But the Bills countered with Thomas' 5-yard touchdown run. Miami then fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Kelly capitalized with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Reed to clinch the game. Marino's 8-yard touchdown to wide receiver Tony Martin closed out the scoring. Kelly, who returned to start for the Bills after missing the last 4 games of the season with a knee injury, passed for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns, while also rushing for 37 yards. Reed was also a big factor, recording 123 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown catches. Lofton caught 7 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Thomas led the Bills ground attack with 32 carries for 117 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns, while also catching 3 passes for 38 yards. Marino threw for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns, but was intercepted twice. Duper caught 3 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Running back Sammie Smith rushed for 99 yards and caught a 9 yard reception.Now that's exciting football.

The second-seed Raiders unseated the team that knocked the Bills out of the playoffs and represented the AFC in the Supr Bowl the previous year by defeating the Bengals in the divisional round.  The Bills would not be denied their Super Bowl this time. On Buffalo's opening drive, Jim Kelly completed six consecutive passes, the last one a 13-yard touchdown throw to James Lofton after he recovered a fumbled snap in shotgun formation. The Raiders responded with a 41-yard field goal, but Buffalo stormed back with another touchdown just four plays after the ensuing kickoff, set up by Kelly's 41-yard completion to Lofton. After a punt, Los Angeles intercepted a pass from Kelly. But two plays later, Darryl Talley intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown. The Raiders were forced to punt on their next possession, and Buffalo stormed down the field again, scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run by Kenneth Davis on fourth down and goal. An interception by Nate Odomes set up Davis' second touchdown less than a minute later, and before the half ended, Lofton caught his second touchdown pass to give the Bills a 41-3 first half lead.  The workers in Tampa were told to begin painting the end zone of the AFC team red and blue. Buffalo increased their lead to 48-3 with Davis' third touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Later on, Scott Norwood closed out the scoring with a 39-yard field goal. The Bills defense shredded the Raiders, limiting quarterback Jay Schroeder to 13 of 31 completions for 150 yards and intercepting him 5 times, while also holding running back Marcus Allen to just 26 yards on 10 carries.  Buffalo recorded a total of six interceptions, the third highest total ever in a single NFL game. Defensive back Mark Kelso recorded his fourth career postseason interception in the game, a Bills' record.  On offense, the Bills amassed 502 total yards, including 202 yards on the ground. Running back Thurman Thomas rushed for 138 and a touchdown while also catching 5 passes for 61 yards, while running back Kenneth Davis tied an AFC playoff record with 3 rushing touchdowns. Buffalo also set an NFL playoff record by scoring 41 points in the first half. Bills quarterback Jim Kelly threw for 300 yards and two touchdown passes to wide receiver James Lofton, who finished the game with 5 receptions for 113 yards. Thomas recorded a 12-yard touchdown run, while Davis scored from 1 yard, 3 yards, and 1 yard out. Linebacker Darryl Talley returned one of his two interceptions 27 yards for a touchdown.  The Bills were on their way to Super Bowl XXV!!!

The only team with a better record than the Bills in 1990 was the New York Giants.  The Bills had the top offense in the league and the Giants had the top defense.  It was a classic irresistible force vs. an immovable object.  The Bills were heavily favored to win the game on the strength of their high-powered offense and on the basis of Buffalo's 17-13 win in the regular season.  To counteract the K Gun offense the goal of Bill Parcells' team was to control the clock as much as possible by running O.J. Anderson down the Bills' defense collective throat.  Giants tight end Mark Bavaro would say later, "[w]e came out with three tight ends, fat slobs picking you up and moving you and letting you tackle O.J., if you could."  This limited Buffalo's possessions as New York set a Super Bowl record by holding the ball for 40 minutes and 33 seconds including 22 in the second half.  On defense, New York wanted to be physical with Buffalo's wideouts, and play with extra defensive backs to concentrate on stopping the Bills passing game, while conceding the running game. The contrast in strategies was evident during the first period. After forcing the Bills to punt on the opening drive of the game, the Giants consumed 6:15 off the clock by marching 58 yards in 10 plays to score on a 28-yard field goal. But the Bills struck right back on their ensuing possession with a five-play, 66-yard drive that took 1:23 off the clock, including a tipped 61-yard completion from quarterback Jim Kelly to receiver James Lofton that set up Scott Norwood's 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 3-3. After forcing the Giants to punt on their ensuing possession, Kelly led the Bills on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive that consumed 4:27 and moved the ball so effectively that the team never faced a third down. Kelly completed six consecutive passes (four to Andre Reed) for 62 yards, and running back Don Smith capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run to give Buffalo a 10-3 lead. Smith's 1-yard touchdown run was his only carry of the game and the last carry of his career. Reed's 5 first quarter receptions were a Super Bowl record.  After trading punts, the Giants were pinned at their own 7-yard line. On second down, defensive lineman Bruce Smith sacked quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the end zone for a safety, increasing the Bills' lead 12-3. On the play, Smith had a chance to force a fumble since Hostetler was holding the football with only his throwing hand. But to his credit, Hostetler held the ball away from Smith, helping to ensure that only 2 points would be surrendered.  The Bills started out on their next drive with great field position following the free kick, but were forced to punt after 3 plays. Taking the ball at their own 13-yard line with 3:43 left in the second quarter Hostetler led the Giants 87 yards, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass with just 25 seconds left in the half to cut New York's deficit to 12-10. The Giants opened the third quarter and resumed their original game strategy by driving 75 yards in 14 plays to score on Ottis Anderson's one-yard touchdown run to make the score 17-12. The drive consumed a then Super Bowl record nine minutes and 29 seconds, and included four successful third down conversions including a highlight reel play from Mark Ingram who broke five Buffalo tackles to keep the drive alive.  After forcing Buffalo to punt on its ensuing possession, New York drove to the Bills' 35-yard line. But on fourth and two, Smith tackled Anderson for a 2-yard loss. Buffalo then took over and stormed down the field, advancing 63 yards in just four plays and scoring on a 31-yard burst from Thurman Thomas on the first play of the fourth quarter, regaining the lead at 19-17.  However, before the Bills' defenders had a chance to catch their breath, they found themselves back on the field trying to contain another long Giants drive. This one went for 14 plays and 74 yards, half of which came off passes from Hostetler to tight end Mark Bavaro, and took another 7:32 off the clock. The Bills managed to halt the drive at their own 3-yard line when linebacker Cornelius Bennett broke up Hostetler's third down pass, but Matt Bahr's second field goal gave New York a 20-19 lead. On the Bills' ensuing possession, they could only advance to their own 41-yard line before having to punt, enabling the Giants to take more time off the clock. The Bills finally forced New York to punt and took the ball at their own 10-yard line with 2:16 remaining. Kelly then led them down the field with a mix of scrambles, short passes, and Thomas runs. Buffalo drove to the Giants' 29-yard line, setting up Norwood for a 47-yard field goal attempt with eight seconds left. However, his kick sailed wide right, less than a yard outside of the goalpost upright, and Buffalo failed to win the Super Bowl on the last play of the game.  There were many impressive performances in the game by players from both teams. Jim Kelly completed 18 of 30 passes for 212 yards with no interceptions, while adding another 23 yards on six rushing attempts. Jeff Hostetler completed 20 of 32 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 10 yards. Dave Meggett recorded 129 combined net yards (48 rushing, 18 receiving, 37 punt return, 26 kickoff return). But the best performances came from both teams' starting running backs. Ottis Anderson rushed for 102 yards, caught a pass for seven yards, and scored a touchdown. Thurman Thomas scored a touchdown, rushed for 135 yards, and caught five passes for 55 yards, giving him 190 total yards from the line of scrimmage. Thomas' 135 yards are the most yards rushing for a member of a losing team. This was also only the second Super Bowl to have two 100-yard rushers.  Upon returning to Buffalo, the Bills were met by 20 thousand fans.  When the team stepped out of City Hall the crowd chanted "We want Scott!" and Norwood was applauded.

On the season the Bills offense was nearly unstoppable with the ball in their hands.  They led the league in points scored and were in the top ten in yards (6), passing yards (10), passing TDs (3), INTs (4), rushing yards (7), rushing TDs (2), and turnovers (3).  The defense was also outstanding ranking sixth in points allowed, eighth in yards allowed, and seventh against the pass while snagging 35 turnovers. With a potent offense and the second-leading sack artist in the league on your team you expect some honors.  Defensive end Bruce Smith was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year for registering a team-record 19 sacks and notching 101 tackles.  Jim Kelly led the league with a 101.2 passer rating and Thurman Thomas lost the rushing title to Barry Sanders by only seven yards.  (In fairness to Thurman, the last game of the year was meaningless for the Bills.)  For the second year in a row Thurman led the league in yards from scrimmage.  Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, left tackle Will Wolford, center Kent Hull, Bruce Smith, linebackers Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan, and Darryl Talley, and special teams demon Steve Tasker were selected to the Pro Bowl.  Thurman, Hull, and Bruce were named All-Pros and Reed and Conlan were named to the second team.  

1991 - Return Trip to the Big Game
13-3 record, first of five in AFC East, first of 14 in AFC, second of 28 in NFL
Following the disappointing Super Bowl loss the Bills got right back to work.  They selected defensive back Henry Jones in the first round and defensive end Phil Hansen in the second.  The Bills also lost two running backs from the team as Don Smith went to the Dolphins as a Plan B Free Agent and Robb Riddick announced his retirement after being unable to come back from his serious knee injury from 1989.  Prior to the 1991 season the Bills took their show on the road and played the Philadelphia Eagles in Wembley Stadium as part of the American Bowl series of preseason games.

Just as the Dolphins game had been in January, the Bills' season opener vs. the Dolphins was an exciting and high-flying affair.  The Bills set a team record going for 503 yards of total offense and Jim Kelly set a career-high with 381 passing yards as Buffalo beat Miami 35-31 for their ninth win in ten meetings over the division foe.  A week later the Bills hung 52 points on the Steelers with Jim Kelly setting a team record passing for six touchdowns, including four to Don Beebe, and 31 completions.  The Bills would continue their winning ways getting to 5-0 before posting the worst offensive performance of the year (211 yards and 11 first downs)  in a loss to the Chiefs, 33-6.  The Bills ran off five more wins including a Monday Night game against the Bengals where Jim Kelly was picked off on the first three possesstions before storming back with five touchdown passes and winning 35-16.  After beating Miami again the Bills sat at 10-1 and had a four game lead over the division with five games to play.  A loss to New England prolonged the celebration until December when Buffalo beat the New York Jets clinching their fourth straight division crown.  The Bills were still fighting for home field advantage but Scott Norwood didn't get the memo.  The next week in L.A. he missed three field goals and an extra point but came back to kick the game-winning field goal in overtime to cap a Bills rally and beat the Raiders 30-27 in overtime.  QB Jim Kelly passed for 347 yards in front of the largest crowd ever to see the Raiders at the L.A. Coliseum, 85,081.  At 13-2 heading into the final game and two games up on the Denver Broncos the Bills starters saw limited action in the season finale and Buffalo lost to Detroit 17-14 in overtime.  The loss is significant because it ended Buffalo's home winning streak at 17 games - more than two seasons' worth of games in the snowy confines of Orchard Park.

The Bills were the number one seed and earned a bye into the divisional round where they faced the same Chiefs that had shut down the offense earlier in the year.  This time the Bills would rack up 448 yards of offense and the defense held the Chiefs to just 213 in a big Bills win.  The Bills crushed the Chiefs by jumping to a 17-0 lead by halftime and a 24-0 lead in the third quarter. Jim Kelly threw three touchdown passes: a 25-yarder to  Andre Reed, a 53-yard one to Reed, and a 10-yarder to James Lofton. Scott Norwood added 3 field goals and Kenneth Davis scored a touchdown on a 5-yard run.  Reed finished with 4 receptions for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns and running back Thurman Thomas recorded 100 rushing yards for his fourth straight postseason game, the second longest streak in NFL history. Meanwhile, Chiefs starting quarterback Steve DeBerg was knocked out of the game in the second quarter and backup quarterback Mark Vlasic threw 4 interceptions.

The next Bills opponent was another AFC West foe - the Denver Broncos.  The Broncos were the number two seed on the arm of John Elway and the strength of a top five defense.  The Broncos advanced the ball into Buffalo territory on all five first-half possessions but three missed field goals kept the first half scoreless.  Late in the third quarter, the Broncos faced second down and 10 at their own 19-yard line. Quarterback John Elway threw a shovel pass intended for running back Steve Sewell, but it was tipped by Bills defensive lineman Jeff Wright into the arms of linebacker Carlton Bailey, who returned the ball 11 yards for Buffalo's only touchdown of the game. Elway was then knocked out of the game after suffering a deep thigh bruise, and was replaced by backup Gary Kubiak. With 4:18 left in the game, Buffalo kicker Scott Norwood made a 44-yard field goal to increase the lead, 10-0. Kubiak led the Broncos 85 yards in eight plays and scored a 3-yard touchdown run with 1:43 left. Denver then recovered the ensuing onside kick, but the Bills clinched the victory after defensive back Kirby Jackson forced and recovered a fumble from running back Steve Sewell.  For the second time in two years the Bills were going to the Super Bowl!

Unlike the previous year the Bills were not favored in this Super Bowl.  The oddsmakers had the Redskins favored to win by a touchdown on the strength of their number one scoring offense and number two scoring defense.  The Redskins were quite literally excellent on both sides of the ball.  Despite being return participants the Bills were sloppy from the start. First, the opening kickoff had to be redone because Bills kicker Brad Daluiso kicked the ball before the referee signaled to begin play. Then after Washington was forced to punt, Thurman Thomas missed the first two plays of Buffalo's first drive because he misplaced his helmet.  Later in the first quarter, Washington drove 89 yards and appeared to score a touchdown on a third down pass from Mark Rypien to wide receiver Art Monk but it was overturned on instant replay.  The Redskins tried to salvage the drive with a field goal attempt, but their holder fumbled the snap. On Buffalo's first play after the botched field goal attempt, Jim Kelly gave Washington another chance to score by throwing an interception that was returned to the Bills 12-yard line. But Rypien propmptly gave it back with an interception to Bills defensive back Kirby Jackson on the third play of the Redskins' ensuing drive.  In the second quarter the Redskins took a 3-0 lead in the second quarter and forced the Bills to a three-and-out.  Punter Chris Mohr booted a 23-yard punt to set up a short field and Washington would take advatage.  A Rypien touchdown pass followed by another Kelly interception was followed by another touchdown by the Redskins and a 17-0 halftime lead.  Just 16 seconds into the second half Jim Kelly was intercepted again and the return set the Redskins up at the Bills' 2 yard line.  One play later the Redskins were up 24-0 before Buffalo finally got some offense going.  They drove 77 yards but settled for a field goal then finally punched it into the end zone on their next drive to cut the lead to 24-10.  But Buffalo's hopes of a comeback faded when Washington advanced 79 yards in 11 plays on their ensuing drive, scoring a 30-yard touchdown to give the Redskins a 31-10 lead with 1:24 left in the third period. Then 3 plays after receiving the ensuing kickoff, Kelly fumbled the ball while being sacked and the Redskins recovered. After the turnover, Washington drove to the Bills 7-yard line and increased their lead to 34-10 with a 25-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter.  On the ensuing drive Kelly was sacked, threw an incompletion, then threw an interception which was turned into another field goal and a 37-10 Bills deficit.  A Kelly to Metzelaars touchdown pass cut the lead to 37-17 and Buffalo recovered the onside kick.  They drove for another score to cut the lead to 37-24 but the next onside kick was unsuccessful and the Redskins ran out the clock to almost nothing.  The Bills offense was grounded for the majority of the day by the attacking defense of the Redskins who patterened their game on the successful Broncos attack from the AFC CHampionship game. Kellycompleted 28 of a Super Bowl-record 58 passes for 275 yards and two touchdowns, but was sacked 4 times, intercepted four times, and lost a fumble. Thomas ran for only 13 yards on 10 carries and was limited to 27 yards on four receptions.

The K-Gun offense once again dominated the league by gaining an NFL leading 6,525 yards and scoring 458 points, second only to Washington. Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas both had the best seasons of their careers. Kelly completed 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,844 yards (then the most in team history) and a league leading 33 touchdowns (still the most in team history), with only 17 interceptions, to give him a 97.6 passer rating. Thomas rushed for 1,407 yards, caught 62 passes for 620 yards, and scored 12 touchdowns to earn him both the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award and the NFL Most Valuable Player Award.  His 2038 yards from scrimmage led the NFL and was his first time breaking the 2000 yard mark. Buffalo had more than one threat in their backfield when running back Kenneth Davis emerged rushing for 624 yards, catching 20 passes for 118 yards, and scoring 5 touchdowns. Behind the offensive line led by Kent Hull, the two running backs led the league in yards per attempt - Thurman with 4.9 and Davis with 4.8 yards per carry - and led the league in rushing yards.  Andre Reed led the team with 81 receptions for 1,113 yards and 10 touchdowns, and also rushed 12 times for 136 yards. On the other side of the field, veteran wide receiver James Lofton recorded 57 receptions for 1,072 yards and 8 touchdowns.  Until Jerry Rice broke the record Lofton was the oldest thousand-yard receiver ever at 35.  It was the first time in team history that two receivers went over one thousand yards.  Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, James Lofton and Andre Reed, guard Jim Richter, Cornelius Bennett, Darryl Talley, and Steve Tasker were all named to the AFC squad at the Pro Bowl.  For the only time in his career Jim Kelly was named to the All-Pro team where he was joined by second-time selections Thurman Thomas and Kent Hull.  Jim Richter was named to the second team. For assembling this great team Bill Polian was named NFL Executive of the Year for the second time. 

1992 - Third Time's a Charm, right?
11-5 record, first (tie) of five in AFC East, first (tie) of 14 in AFC, fourth (tie) of 28 in NFL
The top-ranked Bills offense earned offensive coordinator Ted Marchibroda a new job as head coach of the Indianapolis Colts.  Tom Bresnahan was promoted from line coach to fill the vacancy.  Based in large part on several missed field goals and extra points by Scott Norwood the Bills signed Plan B Free Agent kicker Steve Christie from Tampa Bay and released Norwood, the team's all-time leading scorer, during the preseason.  The Bills drafted offensive tackle John Fina in the first round of the draft and safety Kurt Schultz in the seventh.  Prior to the season the Bills traded Leon Seals meaning 1991 second-round pick Phil Hansen would start opposite Bruce Smith at defensive end.  Linebacker Ray Bentley also departed the team via Plan B Free Agency. 

In the first game of the season Buffalo welcomed coach Chuck Knox back to Buffalo as coach of the Rams.  The Bills handed their former coach the worst loss of his career, 40-7.  In the game James Lofton passed Steve Largent to become the all-time NFL leader with over 13,089 receiving yards.  The next week was also a special game.  Pete Metzelaars had the game of his life catching four passes for 113 yards and two TDs including a 53-yard catch and run.  Jim Kelly and Steve Young combined for over 850 yards passing as Buffalo beat San Francisco 34-31 in the only NFL game to have no punts attempted by either team.  The Bills went 4-0 to start the year following up those two wins with two blowouts of division foes Indianapolis and New England.  In week 5 the Bills amassed 400 yards of offense but turned the ball over five times in a loss to Miami in Buffalo and fell to the Raiders in week 6 heading into the bye week.  The week off could not come at a better time and Buffalo stormed out of the bye winning five straight to get to 9-2.  In that fifth game Jim Richter became the all-time leader in games played for the Bills with 198 and Kenneth Davis rushed for a career-best 181 yards in relief of Thurman Thomas in a 41-14 demolition of the Falcons.  The Bills then lost two close games to the Colts and Jets before beating the Denver Broncos to earn Marv Levy his 71st win as Bills coach and place him atop the list as the franchise's all-time winningest coach.  With another win the Bills sat at 11-4 heading into the final game of the year.  A week 11 victory over the Dolphins had evened the season series at one game apiece and the Bills were leading the Dolphins by a game.  A win or a Miami loss and Buffalo clinches their fifth straight division crown.  A Bills loss and a Dolphins win would give the Dolphins a better conference record and the division crown on a tiebreaker.  The Bills went to Houston on a Sunday night to face the 9-6 Oilers led by Warren Moon and clawing to get into the final playoff spot.  The team already knew Miami had won so if they wanted the division they were going to have to win it.  Trailing Houston 10-3 in the second quarter Jim Kelly was knocked out of the game with a knee injury.  The run-and-shoot offense employed by the Oilers was too much for a depleted Bills defense and Houston ran away with an easy 27-3 win forcing a rematch the following week in Buffalo.  Buffalo made the playoffs as the top wild card team but lost the division for the first time since the strike-shortened 1987 season.

The knee injury suffered by Jim Kelly would not heal in a week and Frank Reich would get the start at quarterback.  Because of the loss the previous week to the Oilers and the lack of their franchise QB at the helm and defensive stalwart Cornelius Bennett also out of the lineup, Bills fans didn't sell out the playoff game and the game was blacked out on local television.  As they had the previous week Warren Moon did pretty much what he wanted to in the first half against the Bills over matched defense throwing four touchdown passes for a 28-3 halftime lead, almost the exact score the Oilers had beat the Bills by the week earlier.  Fans began leaving the stadium at halftime and on the television broadcast the studio analysts were writing the Bills' end.  One person who didn't yet was Boomer Esiason who was a teammate of Reich at Maryland where Reich led a 31-point comeback to overcome the largest deficit in division 1 NCAA football history.  Even Marv Levy was skeptical saying, "I thought I had a better shot at winning the lottery [than coming back]." A quick Houston interception return for a score in the third quarter made the game 35-3 and even more fans began departing.  The Houston radio announcer made the bold proclamation, "The lights are on here at Rich Stadium, but you might as well turn them off...this one is over."  After that Frank Reich and the Bills defense orchestrated the most improbable comeback in NFL history.  (I don't want to sound cliche here but this is by far my favorite Bills game ever.)  On the ensuing drive the Bills worked the ball down the field culminating the drive with a Kenneth Davis touchdown run.  Davis was in the game because a hip pointer had forced Thurman Thomas to sit out.  The next play was called "Suicide Onside".  Mark Pike was lined up next to Steve Christie.  It was his job to demolish the guy that came closest to the onside kick.  Christie kicked a beautiful ten yard dribbling kick that nobody on the opposing sideline was expecting, Pike annihilated linebacker Rick Graf, and Christie recovered his own onside kick to give the Bills the ball at midfield.  A few plays later Reich threw a bomb to Don Beebe who took it into the end zone to give the Bills two touchdowns in 56 seconds.  The 12th man, who had been inducted into the Bills Wall of Fame earlier in the year, began cheering again.  People started to come back in from the parking lots and attempt to return to their seats.  After a near miss on a bloop kick where Buffalo almost recovered again, the Oilers took the ball almost an hour after they had last run an offensive play.  After an Oiler punt the Bills raced down the field again on the strength of some Davis runs and Reich passes and capped the drive with a 26-yard touchdown pass to Andre Reed on a throw that took all day to get to the wide open Reed yet no Houston defender could even put a hand on him.  The Bills had cut the lead to 35-24.  On the next drive the crowd noise cause all kinds of confusion in to the spread offense and Moon threw an interception on the first play on the drive.  But the Bills were stopped for only five yards and sat at the Oiler 18 yard line.  With all his moxie Levy ordered the team to go for it on fourth down.  Andre Reed's slant pattern over the middle led to a touchdown on the play as Buffalo scored 28 points in the third to cut the lead to 35-31 with 17 minutes left.  Fans began storming the gates trying to get back in and security finally relented allowing ticketholders to return to their seats as the Oilers began to lose their composure.  As the fourth quarter dawned the Bills now had to go into the Rich Stadium wind if they wanted to win the game.  With the win Houston began to move the ball again and moved into position for a field goal.  Following two 25-yard punts, Greg Montgomery wrapped up the worst day of his life by muffing the snap on the attempt.  Darryl Talley's return for a touchdown was called back but the Oilers had still blown a chance.  A 35-yard run by Kenneth Davis on a 3rd and 4 draw play cut the distance to the end zone in half for the offense before Andre Reed caught his third TD of the game (matching his season output) and with 3:08 remaining the Bills were up 38-35.  The Oilers passing game resurfaced and moved the ball down the field completing passes when they mattered most including a fourth down conversion.  Once inside the 20 Kevin Gilbride got conservative playing not to lose the field goal chance despite the muffed hold on the previous try.  With fifteen second left, though, the Oilers kicked the tying field goal to send the game to overtime.  The Oilers won the toss and took the ball but Buffalo had the wind at their backs.  Only one touchdown was scored into the wind all game.  On third down a Moon pass sailed over his receiver into the waiting clutches of Nate Odoms.  A facemask gave the Bills the ball at the Houston 20.  Following a pair of runs Reich knelt to the ground seven yards behind the snapper to take his last snap of the game and Christie booted through the game-winning field goal to cap the greatest comeback in NFL history. 

The Bills were not finished. Reich and company now went to face Pittsburgh in the divisional round.  The defense accumulated seven sacks and three turnovers in a convincing 24-3 victory.  The same unit that got torched by Moon in the first half of the Wild Card game held the Central division winners to an opening-drive field goal.  The AFC Championship went through Miami, though.  Jim Kelly returned to the field to lead Buffalo to a 13-3 halftime lead and Mark Pike ripped the second half kickoff return from Mike Williams' hand to allow Buffalo the first chance of the second half.  Davis came through again with a short run to put the Bills up 20-3 before Steve Christie's three additional field goals iced the game for Buffalo.  The Bills' running game racked up 182 yards against the Dolphins' defense, with Thurman Thomas and Kenneth Davis teaming up for 157 rushing yards and 122 receiving yards, over 75 percent of Buffalo's total yardage. The Bills were headed to their third straight Super Bowl!

After an early blocked punt by Steve Tasker, Buffalo jumped out to an early 7-0 lead over the NFC Champion Dallas Cowboys.  Then the Bills imploded.  On the Bills next possession Jim Kelly threw an ill-advised interception and Troy Aikman moved Dallas down the field before throwing a strike to tight end Jay Novacek to even the score.  On the next play Jim Kelly was sacked, causing a fumble that Dallas picked up and returned for a touchdown.  Only fifteen seconds separated the touchdowns, the shortest amount of time in Super Bowl history for one team to score twice.  Buffalo managed to march down the field but Dallas held strong on three plays to keep Buffalo out of the end zone.  On fourth and goal Jim Kelly took a rollout to his right looking for Thurman Thomas who was covered.  He attempted to force a pass to Metzelaars and was picked off.  On the next offensive possession Kelly was knocked from the game with a knee injury and Reich came in relief.  After driving the length of the field the Bills settled for a field goal to close the score to 14-10.  Then the wheels came off.  Troy Aikman threw two touchdown passes to Michael Irvin separated by 18 seconds and a Thurman Thomas fumble to run the lead to 28-10.  A Reich to Beebe touchdown cut the lead to 31-17 but another Aikman touchdown pass followed by a Reich interception put the Cowboys on the Bills' 8 with a 38-17 lead.  Emmitt Smith went the rest of the way pushing the lead to 45-17.  In attempting to orchestrate another comeback Reich dropped a shotgun snap that was picked up by Ken Norton and returned for a touchdown to make the lead 52-17.  Later, Reich would be sacked again and fumble.  Leon Lett recovered the ball and began running towards the end zone.  He started to celebrate a little too early and as Lett held out the ball after lumbering 64 yards, Don Beebe caught up to him and knocked it into the end zone. It rolled out of bounds for a touchback. Moral victories were all the Bills had at that point.  Other than that play, the Bills had been humiliated and lost their third straight Super Bowl by the score of 52-17.

The Bills finished the regular season as the third-highest scoring and second-leading offense in the league.  Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, tackle Howard Ballard, Andre Reed, and tackle Will Wolford were named to the Pro Bowl squad from the offense.  The Bills rushing attack once again led the league and Thurman Thomas led the league for a record fourth-straight year in yards from scrimmage.  Jim Kelly was third in passing yards and touchdown passes and ranked in the top five in every other major quarterback statistical category except passer rating where he placed tenth based on his league-leading 19 interceptions.  On the defensive side of the ball Bruce Smith, cornerback Nate Odomes, safety Henry Jones, and linebacker Cornelius Bennett were both named to the Pro Bowl and were joined by special teamer Steve Tasker.  The defense dropped to 12 in the league rankings but made up for it with some big plays. They were stout against the run, placing sixth, but gave up the eighth-most passing yards in the league.  Henry Jones led the league with 8 interceptions and Mark Kelso added seven to balance the many yards allowed.  Jones and Tasker were named to the All-Pro team and Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Bruce Smith were named to the second team.

1993 - The Dawn of Free Agency
12-4 record, first of five in AFC East, first (tied) of 14 in AFC, first (tied) of 28 in NFL
As happens with highly successful teams the Bills continued losing key members of their front office and coaching staff.  This was not normal, however, as a power struggle at the top resulted in Bill Polian being released from his contract as General Manager of the Bills.  Director of Pro Personnel John Butler was promoted to the post and as a result assistant general manager Bob Ferguson left to join the Denver Broncos front office.  A new position was also created and Jerry Butler was named director of player and alumni relations.  The loss of Polian coincided with a huge change in the way contracts in the NFL were handled.  Plan B Free Agency was the only way a player could leave a team since 1987.  Similar to today's Restricted Free Agents, Plan B Free Agents could sign with anyone but their team had the chance to match any offer.  In essence you could keep a player as long as you wanted as long as you were willing to match offers.  In 1993 the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allowed Unrestricted Free Agency for the very first time and Buffalo suffered considerably from the change in the rule.  Restricted Free Agent Will Wolford left to join the Colts in a loophole riddled contract.  Former first-round pick and Pro Bowl linebacker Shane Conlan joined the Rams linebacker corps.  Guard Mitch Frerotte, linebacker Carlton Bailey, and DB Clifford Hicks also left via free agency.  The team also chose not to re-sign wideout James Lofton.  The Bills did bring in defensive lineman Oliver Barnett and wide receiver Bill Brooks to counteract the losses.  In the draft Buffalo selected cornerback Thomas Smith and defensive tackle John Parrella in the first two rounds.  Guard Corbin Lacina joined the team in round six.  As part of the preseason American Bowl series, Buffalo played the Vikings in Berlin, Germany.

The Bills jumped out to another fast start going 7-1 in their first eight games.  The second of those victories was a 13-10 victory over the Cowboys without holdout Emmitt Smith in Dallas.  The lone blemish was a loss to the Dolphins in the third week of the season.  It was the second time in as many years that Miami beat Buffalo at home.  In mid-November the Bills went into Pittsburgh for a Monday Night game against the Steelers.  Jim Kelly and Andre Reed were knocked out of the game and the offense was held to 157 total yards in the Bills first shutout loss since 1985 - a span of 133 games.  Two weeks later after a nice win over Indianapolis the Bills met the Chiefs helmed by Joe Montana and featuring Marcus Allen.  Kansas City kept Buffalo's offensive woes going in a 23-7 Bills loss.  The next week the Raiders came to town quarterbacked by the hated Jeff Hostetler, winning quarterback in Super Bowl XXV.  Tim Brown scored on a fourth-quarter reverse and the Raiders beat the Bills 25-24 (in a game a ten-year-old Matt Warren would witness in person) and knock Buffalo to 8-4, a game out of the division lead.  The Bills won a close game in Philadelphia the next week 10-7 before going to Miami for a division showdown.  Both teams had identical 9-4 records but Miami was without the injured Dan Marino.  Buffalo's offense finally awoke and scored three touchdowns in the third quarter to put the Bills up 47-20.  They would hold on for the 47-34 win and control of the division.  For the fifth time in six seasons, the Bills clinched the AFC East crown the very next week in a win over the Jets in the coldest game in Bills' history.  The game did not sell out but you could understand when the temperature was nine degrees and the wind chill was 28-below.  With a win in the final week Buffalo would secure homefield advantage through the playoffs for the third time in four years.  They scored 27 unanswered points in the second through fourth quarters and beat the Colts to clinch the number one seed.

In the divisional round the Bills faced the Raiders.  Tight end Pete Metzelaars and back Thurman Thomas both left the game with injuries in the second half and Buffalo trailed 23-22.  With just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter Jim Kelly hooked up with Bill Brooks for the winning touchdown.  The defense won the day holding L.A. to just one first down in the second half.  The AFC Championship game welcomed Joe Montana and the Chiefs to Buffalo.  Earlier in the year the Bills lost in Kansas City and Montana was looking to return to his favorite stage on Super Bowl Sunday.  Thurman Thomas came to play, fully recovered from the previous week's concussion, and gained 186 yards on 33 carries and scored three touchdowns.  All together the Bills' runners cranked out 229 yards rushing the ball and the defense hounded Montana and back-up Dave Krieg.  The Bills were on to their record-breaking fourth straight Super Bowl against the heavily favored Cowboys.

The Bills held a 13-6 lead at halftime on the legs of Thurman Thomas and Steve Christie, whose 54-yard kick is the longest in Super Bowl history.  Less than a minute into the second half, Thurman would fumble and Dallas recovered taking it in for a score and a tie ballgame.  Then MVP Emmitt Smith carried seven times for 61 yards on the next Cowboys drive finishing with a 15-yard touchdown.  Smith would add a touchdown run on fourth and goal and the Cowboys beat the Bills 30-13.  Jim Kelly completed a Super Bowl record 31 passes in 50 attempts for 260 yards in the loss.

Several key announcements and honors were made during the season.  The Bills would renovate a portion of Rich Stadium including adding a new scoreboard, constructing 14 luxury suites, and building a brand new practice facility.  Elbert "Golden Wheels" Dubenion joined the Bills Wall of Fame and the 20th anniversary of OJ Simpson's 2000 yard season was celebrated by holding a ceremony for the Electric Company.  Thurman Thomas finished second to Emmitt Smith in total yards from scrimmage, the first time in five year he was not the league-leader.  He had the third-most rushing yars in the league. Pete Metzelaars led the team in receiving with 68 catches, the only Bills tight end to accomplish the feat and first to catch more than 50 passes in one year.  It was the first time in nine year Andre Reed did not lead the team.  Jim Kelly was in the top ten in several major categories including completions (fifth), yards (fifth), and touchdowns (sixth).  Thurman Thomas was third in rushing and Nate Odomes led the league in interceptions.  Bruce Smith was second in the league with 14 sacks.  Despite those two contributing big numbers, Buffalo's defense fell to 27th in the league in yards allowed.  That is misleading, however, as Buffalo's defense saw the most plays in the league.  They were 16th in yards given up per play, a better indicator of the effectiveness.  Ultimately scoring is more important and they ranked fifth in scoring defense.  Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, tackle Howard "House" Ballard, Bruce Smith, Cornelius Bennett, Nate Odomes, and Steve Tasker were all named to the Pro Bowl.  Bruce Smith  was named to the All-Pro team for the fourth time and was joined by Steve Tasker.  Thurman and Nate Odomes were named to the second team.

Next week the Glory Years fade as the door closes on the Bills Super Bowl aspirations.  Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, and Marv Levy retire and Todd Collins, Antwain Smith, and Wade Phillips take over.  Not exactly a recipe for success.  Thanks for sticking around for this really, really, really long post.