The Buffalo Bills played in their last Super Bowl over 20 years ago, but there are still quite a few entries in the Super Bowl record book held by either Bills players or the team as a whole.Believe it or not, they’re not all negative, either.
Here’s a look at some of the more notable Super Bowl records with Bills ties:
Longest Field Goal - Steve Christie (54 yards, Super Bowl XXVIII)
Fun fact: even with the rise in ability among today’s kickers, and the fact that the elements are rarely a factor given the usual locales for the game, kickers are only 3-for-11 on field goals from 50 or more yards out in the Super Bowl. Christie’s 54-yarder tied Super Bowl XXVIII at 3-3 in the first quarter and eclipsed the previous record of 48 by Rich Karlis in Super Bowl XXI.
Only two other kickers have even attempted a Super Bowl field goal from 54 yards or more: Josh Brown (54 in XL) and Fred Cox (56 in IV). No kicker has hit from 50 since Jeff Wilkins did in Super Bowl XXXVI, although this game will feature two kickers in Stephen Gostkowski of the New England Patriots and Matt Bryant of the Atlanta Falcons who are more than capable of connecting from that distance.
Most Super Bowls Played - Mike Lodish (6, with Bills for 4)
Barring some catastrophic accident in the next couple days, Lodish will lose this record on Sunday when Tom Brady suits up for his seventh Super Bowl. Lodish was one of a number of Bills who played on all four of the Super Bowl teams. While several went on to play in another Super Bowl, Lodish was the only one to play on two more teams, reaching (and winning) the big game with the Broncos in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII in the twilight of John Elway’s playing career.
Most Consecutive Super Bowls Played - Gale Gilbert (5, with Bills for 4)
This is one record that Brady won’t be breaking on Sunday. Gilbert was one of the Bills who went on to play for another Super Bowl team, but unlike the others his next crack at the game came right after the first four.
Unfortunately for Gilbert, that game was also a loss, as his San Diego Chargers were shredded by the San Francisco 49ers, 49-26. Unlike his first four Super Bowls, though, Gilbert actually made it into the final one. He relieved Stan Humphries in the middle of the fourth quarter, completing three of six passes for 30 yards. His final throw was picked off by Deion Sanders, and Humphries returned to finish the game.
Most Pass Attempts - Jim Kelly (58, Super Bowl XXVI)
There have only been five instances of a quarterback throwing 50 or more times in the Super Bowl. Perhaps unsurprisingly, their teams were 1-4 in those games. Two came from Kelly, highlighted by his 58 passes in the loss to the Washington Redskins. He completed 28 of them (a 48.3 completion rate) for 275 yards and two touchdowns, with four interceptions. He was also sacked five times.
Aside from Kelly, the only passers to throw 50 times or more in a game were Dan Marino (50 in XIX), Tom Brady (50 in XLIX), and Donovan McNabb (51 in XXXIX). Brady’s Patriots were the only team to win their game, which required two fourth-quarter touchdowns and some dubious play-calling by the Seattle Seahawks to seal the deal.
Most Safeties - Bruce Smith (1, Super Bowl XXV)
There have been nine safeties in Super Bowl history. Two came on botched punts, and two came on offensive penalties in the team’s own end zone. That makes Bruce one of five players to record a safety in the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, unlike Cliff Avril (XLVIII), George Martin (XXI), Henry Waechter (XX), and Dwight White (IX), he wasn’t able to celebrate it with a win.
Most Turnovers, Team (9, Super Bowl XXVII)
The Bills actually set a number of dubious records in this game. They fumbled eight times in all, including three by Frank Reich, and lost five. Two of the fumbles were returned for touchdowns. Yes, all of those are Super Bowl records.
In addition to his three fumbles, Reich and Jim Kelly both threw two interceptions. They turned the ball over so much that this game (which also included two turnovers by the Cowboys) is also tied for the most combined turnovers in Super Bowl history with 11.
Most Consecutive Super Bowl Appearances - 4 (Super Bowls XXV - XXVIII)
The Bills won four straight AFC Championships from 1990 to 1993. No team has matched that, and only the Miami Dolphins made it to three straight Super Bowls (VI - VIII). No matter what happened at the end, you can’t take that away from them.