Chuck Knox brought a new identity to the Bills. Unfortunately, he inherited a mess left by Jim Ringo and the previous regime and would take time to turn things around. O.J Simpson was past his prime and onto San Francisco. Jim Ferguson had come off a couple of declining seasons. The Bills were in transition going into the late 1970’s. But Chuck Knox and his regime brought some invigoration and hope.
1978-1979
The NFL Schedule had expanded to 16 games heading into the 1978 Season. With the extension of the schedule there was also a second Wild Card team added. The Bills in 1978 did not expect to make the playoffs and they did not. The 1978 Bills were a team that was soft in the trenches. The 1978 Bills would allow an NFL Record 3,228 rushing yards on an also NFL Record 677 rushing attempts. That adds up to 201.8 yards per game allowed on 42.3 rushing attempts a game. The Bills got bullied at the line of scrimmage. They were good against the pass giving up a league best 122.5 yards per game but this primarily was because teams did not throw on them (42.3 rushing attempts a game is an almost 71 percent run rate on a 60 play game which is around league average). The Bills in 1975 was the Worst pass defense in history and three years later was the Worst Run defense. But the Point differential improved to minus 52. The Bills running attack was also surprisingly effective behind the tandem of Terry Miller (number five overall pick) and Curtis Brown (1977 third round pick out of Missouri). Two games that stood out in the 1978 Season was a 5-0 Bills win over the Bengals in Week 8. Believe it or not this was the third 5-0 final in NFL history (there has not been one since) but still of course the Bills would be a part of such an oddity of a game that only featured a safety and a field goal. The other game was a Week 11 game against the Dolphins. The Bills losing streak to the Dolphins sitting now at 17 games. The Bills would score late in the 4th Quarter on a Joe Ferguson to tight End Frank Lewis touchdown pass to close to within 2 at 25-23. Remember that the two point conversion was not an option in 1978 so for the second time in the 1970’s the Bills would only be able to close to within 1 in a game against the Dolphins (other the Dolphins perfect season of 1972 the closest call that Dolphins team would have to being defeated), and the Dolphins would again run out the clock and hold on. The streak now sits at 18 games. Joe Ferguson would have a solid season for that time throwing 16 Touchdown’s to 15 interceptions (which seems bad but in 1978 having a positive TD-INT ratio made you one of the upper echelon QB’s in the game). The Bills would finish the Season 5-11 but they were a team that looked vastly Improved from the previous couple of Seasons.
1979 was a banner draft for the Bills as their first four draft picks would all make the Pro Bowl. Linebacker Tom Cousineau, wide receiver Jerry Butler, Defensive tackle Fred Smerlas and future NFL Head Coach and linebacker Jim Haslett. This homerun of a draft would assist in making the Bills a surprise contender in the Early 1980’s. For 1979 the Bills would improve to 7-9 and improve their run defense to a still mediocre but much improved 155 yards allowed per game. The issue with 1979 was the Bills could not run the football. They averaged a meager 3.4 yards per carry. The Bills would lose 9-7 and 17-7 in two hard fought early season defeats to the Dolphins to go 0-20 against their division rival in the 1970s (the 20 game losing streak was longest head to head losing streak in NFL history and still stands to this day). Joe Ferguson would throw for 3,572 yards to lead a solid Bills passing attack. The high point of 1979 was in Week 14 against the Patriots. The Bills would force overtime with a late Joe Ferguson to Lou Piccone Touchdown. Then in OT Jim Haslett (the 1979 AP Rookie of the Year) would intercept Pats QB Steve Grogan to setup a game winning chip shot field goal from Nick Mike-Mayer (awesome name) to give the Bills a 16-13 win and improve their record to 7-6. This was the latest in the season the Bills have had a winning record since 1975. The Bills would fade with three late season losses only scoring 19 points in those games, but the momentum had already started for what could be a banner year in 1980.
1980 and the ending of the Streak
Week 1 of the 1980 Season began with the Dolphins coming to Buffalo. The Bills in 1978 and 1979 were finally playing tight games with their nemesis and this first game was a heavily anticipated opportunity to end the streak. The game was to put it lightly was sloppy. There was 13 combined turnovers (yes 13!!). The Dolphins would be up 7-3 heading into the fourth quarter. Joe Ferguson had just a brutal day with five interceptions but the Bills defense had held their own and kept the Bills in this game. What you know but late in the game Joe Ferguson and the Bills would finally go on a drive. On third and goal from the Dolphins 4 with just over three minutes remaining Ferguson would throw a swing pass to fullback Roosevelt Leaks into double coverage but somehow the pass would get to the Bills back who stretched to the end zone for the four yard score to give the Bills the lead. The Rich Stadium crowd went crazy. It was the banner moment in the stadium’s short history. The Dolphins backup quarterback Don Strock now in the game for an ineffective Bob Griese. Strock would throw an interception to Bills Linebacker Isiah Robinson who would take the Ball inside the Dolphins 20 yard line. Could it be?? The Bills would on the ensuing drive have a 4th and inches at the Dolphins 2 yard line with 2:05 left. A field goal would force the Dolphins offense (which had been anemic all day) to score a touchdown to win. But Chuck Knox knows that to slay the beast you must go for it so he did. Running back Joe Cribbs would jump over the pile into the end zone. The Rich Stadium crowd would later have many moments where it would be pandemonium (as an announcer Van Miller would later say on occassion), but this was the first time we have seen it. The city of Buffalo has lost it’s collective mind. It has been 11 years, but the streak is over. The fans storm the field and tear out the goalpost. It was party time in Buffalo. It was the greatest start to a season in club history..
The Bills will start 5-0 in 1980 with a hard fought Week 5 26-24 win in San Diego. The 1980 Bills had the number one scoring defense in football. Allowing only 260 points. They were led by young studs Smerlas, Haslett and Cousinaeu making the Bills one of the toughest teams to run on in football. From the worst run defense in league history to one of the best in football in two years, shows what a great draft can do. The Bills would lose 24-2 to the Pats in Week 16 but would still be in position to win their first division title since 1966 with a win in Week 17 against another upstart team. The San Francisco 49ers lead by some young gun named Joe Montana. The game would be hard fought in a wet sloppy field in Candlestick Park. The Bills got a break on a bad snap by the Niners on a punt play to go up 18-13 midway through the 4th but the 49ers would get the ball back late with a chance to steal the game. Joe Montana would later be known as cool Joe. Until recently he was regarded as the greatest Quarterback in NFL History (thanks a lot Tom Brady). With the game on the line with the Niners having the Ball down 5 you would not want to be rooting for the team Joe Montana is playing against. In 1980 though, Joe Montana was not a legend yet. Joe Montana a second year (first year starter) ascending Quarterback for a 6-9 football team. Joe on this sloppy day in San Fran playing for nothing would do what he did many of times and give his team a chance. The Niners would get to the the Bills 32 yard line with 10 seconds to play. Joe would throw a hailmary that would fall incomplete (batted down in the end zone). But one more play would remain 2 seconds left on the clock. Joe would throw another hailmary. It looked like intially that tight end Dwight Clark had caught the ball (these two would the following year be part of arguably the most iconic play in NFL History), but the ball would mercifully fall to the ground and the clock struck zero. The Bills had survived and won their 11th game, the Bills have won the AFC East, all rejoice.
Two weeks later the Bills would head to San Diego to play the Chargers in a game that brought back memories of the 1960s. The Bills had already beat the Chargers earlier in the season and the Bills came in with a lot of confidence and a top defense but a banged up Quarterback. Joe Ferguson had been playing through a high ankle sprain and his mobility was compromised but he was still holding it together throughout the latter part of the season. The Bills would get off to a great start going up 14-3 at the half with back to back touchdown drives in the second Quarter. Another great second half by the defense and maybe one more touchdown drive and the Bills will be heading to the AFC Championship game for a home game against the wildcard Raiders. Just think about how much Rich Stadium will be rocking. Unfortunately, in the second half the Bills would get dominated on both sides of the ball. Ferguson did not look right. He was hobbling all over the field. The Bills were still up 14-13 with a little over two minutes left and the Chargers at midfield. Dan Fouts would throw a pass right to Bills cornerback Charley Romes who would drop the ball. On the very next play Fouts would find Ron Smith for the winning touchdown. The Bills attempt at a comeback would fail, the Chargers would win 20-14. The dream had died, but 1981 the Bills would run it back.
1981
1981 was the year the Bills had Super Bowl expectations. Maybe the first time since the mid 1960’s the Bills were one of the favorites in the American Football Conference. The year started up and down however with the Bills starting only 6-5. The Bills had an embarrassing Week 11 24-0 loss to the lowly Cardinals. The Bills were on the verge of losing again to the 2-9 Pats in the following week which would put them at 6-6 and in danger of missing the playoffs. At the Bills own 27 with 33 seconds remaining the game looked all but over down 17-13. But Joe Ferguson would throw a beautiful seam pass to receiver Ronald Hooks who would make a great diving catch for a 37 yard gain. Now with 12 seconds remaining the Bills would at least have a prayer of a chance. Ferguson’s hailmary pass would get tipped in the end zone but Tom Jackson would be very disappointed in the Pats hailmary defense. The pass was knocked in the air and not knock it down and the ball would find receiver Ronald Hooks on the ricochet. The Bills with less than a one percent chance seconds earlier to win would win improbably to keep their playoffs and divisional hopes alive. The Bills would win the following three games (including a hard fought 28-27 win over the Chargers in San Diego) to get to 10-5 and set themselves up for a chance to repeat as divisional champs. The opponent, you guessed it, the Miami Dolphins……
The Bills could never get the offense going. Jim Ferguson would go 14-29 for 140 yards and 2 picks (a bad performance even in 1981). The Bills defense held strong all day but would finally break in the 4th giving up a long field goal drive to fall down 16-6 which would be the final. The Bills would be in the playoffs but as a wildcard and as Bill Belicheck would later say (were onto Cincin…). Wait I’m jumping the gun here. There was a Wildcard game. The Bills would travel to the Meadowlands to play the Jets in a battle of divisional foes. Joe Ferguson would throw four interceptions but also throw for 268 yards and two touchdowns. The vastly underrated Joe Cribbs would run for two touchdowns including a 45 yarder to put the Bills up 31-13 early in the 4th. But in typical Bills fashion the game was not over as the Jets would score two late touchdowns to close to within 4 and would get the ball back and drive into the red zone with a chance to steal a game in epic fashion. But Bill Simpson would intercept Jets Quarterback Richard Todd and the Bills would survive. Now onto Cincinnati.
The Bills and Bengals would have a back and forth game in the divisional playoffs. But the Bills would fall 28-21 with Bengals Quarterback Ken Anderson throwing a go ahead 16 yard touchdown to Sunday night broadcaster Cris Collinsworth for the deciding score. Joe Ferguson and Joe Cribbs would both have a solid game but the Bills would fall short in a game that doesn’t merit too much time and heartache. The Bengals would eventually make it to the Super Bowl and lose to the 49ers and Joe Montana in the Super Bowl (remember him?). The Bills had a successful season in 1981 (they won a playoff game!) and would again be a team to contend with in 1982.
1982 and the Strike
The Bills would get off to a good start in 1982 winning their first two games to get to 2-0. But all offseason there was tensions between the Players association and the Owners about revenue sharing. On September 21st, 1982 before Week 3’s games the Players went on strike. After Labor talks would go nowhere for two months the players would revolt against their own union and agree to a five year deal (more to come on Labor talks). On November 21st the season would resume but now with a nine game schedule but 8 teams from each conference in the playoffs for one season in what was called the Super Bowl Tournament. The Bills would improve to 4-2 with running back Joe Cribbs turning into a superstar. His most notable game was a week 6 13-0 victory over an aging Steelers team with Cribbs running for 143 yards and dominating the line of scrimmage. But the Bills would lose the next three games and the swoon appeared to just come out of nowhere. The Bills would lose their final game of the season 30-19 in New England in a win or go home game. The Bills with an extended playoff format would still miss the postseason finishing 9th in the Conference. Many believe that the strike would kill what was positive momentum for what appeared at the Start to be a banner season.
1983-1985
Chuck Knox was working out a new contact with owner Ralph Wilson. Knox had led the Bills back to relevance and many would believe that the strike shortened season was a blip in the radar and the Bills could return to prominence in 1983. But Ralph Wilson could not come to terms with a new contact with Knox so he left to coach the Seattle Seahawks. It seemed like a bad thing at first but he Bills had Quarterbacks coach Kay Stephenson as the future head coach in waiting. So the Bills would just do that and promote Stephenson to head coach. Things started off well in 1983 with the Bills getting off to a 6-3 start with one of their most memorable games being a Week 6 38-35 overtime win in Miami for the Bills first victory in Miami since 1966. The game was maybe the best of the entire 1983 season leaguewide with Joe Ferguson outdueling Dolphins rookie Dan Marino. Ferguson would throw for a career high 419 yards and five touchdown passes. Ferguson knew that he was lucky to even still be the Bills starting Quarterback. But Joe Ferguson was the Bills starter since he arrived in the league since 1973 and his job was never in jeopardy before this season why would it be now? Let’s enter the 14th pick of the 1983 NFL Draft, Quarterback Jim Kelly….
Jim Kelly grew up in East Brady Pennsylvania (about 60 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh). He was one of the best high school quarterback prospects in the states history. Kelly would be offered a scholarship to play at local Penn State University (one of the best college programs at the time). But head coach Joe Paterno wanted Kelly to play linebacker instead of quarterback. So Kelly wanting to play QB would decline to play at Penn State (poor move Joe Pa) and instead go down south to an up and coming program you may have heard of it (the U!!!). Kelly would be a 4 year starter at the University of Miami (FL) and would help catapult a program that was mostly an afterthought into what would eventually become by the late 1980’s the premier program in all of college football. The highlight of Kelly’s college career was a 1980 Peach Bowl victory over Virginia Tech. Jim Kelly grew up in and despised cold weather and when asked by his agent before the draft which teams he would not want to play for his list was the Packers, Vikings and Bills. Even with this information out there the Bills still decided to snag Kelly with the 14th pick in the NFL Draft. Kelly was heartbroken, but even though he hated the cold and was skeptical of Ralph Wilson being committed to bringing a winner to western New York Jim Kelly was willing to play for the Buffalo Bills. But on the call of working out contract negotiations a Bills secretary accidently let Chicago Blitz owner Bruce Allen on the call. Chicago Blitz? There’s no Chicago Blitz in the NFL, let’s introduce the United States Football League.
The United States Football League was an upstart league started in 1983. The League was to be played in the spring/summer as a rival league to the NFL. Their main goal was to try to fetch some of the best Quarterback prospects to come and play for their league. They were successful in landing some great Quarterbacks, a few who would go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Steve Young, Doug Williams and Jim Kelly was the cream of the crop. You may have heard of them. To go back to our phone call from earlier Jim Kelly would be persuaded by Bruce Allen to come and meet with owners of the USFL and he would get his choice of teams to play for (which you obviously you do not get in the NFL). Jim Kelly would sign with the Houston Gamblers and would play two seasons there. Kelly would cite the reason why would you rather play in Houston or Buffalo? Kelly would put up ridiculous stats especially in 1984 throwing for 5,219 yards and 44 touchdowns (which would be one of the best seasons in NFL History). Yes the potential Bills starting Quarterback is the MVP of the rival USFL.
For the remainder of the 1983 Bills Season the would collapse down the stretch losing 5 of their last 7 to finish 8-8. Jim Ferguson would throw a career high 26 touchdowns (yay) and 25 interceptions (boo). Joe Cribbs would have another stellar season running for 1,131 yards. But in the offseason Joe Cribbs would also bolt for the USFL. The Bills are all of a sudden trending in the wrong direction.
1984 was a season for the ages in ineptitude. The Bills would lose their first 11 games. They would allow 60 Quarterback sacks. They would give up 454 points for the season (a team record at the time). They would lose by 25 or more points 6 times. They allowed 30 or more points 8 times. The 1984 Bills would finish 2-14 and be one of the worst teams in the 1980’s. The only positive moment was a 14-3 upset over the Cowboys in Jim Ferguson’s final start at Rich Stadium. It was a proper sendoff to a great career. Joe Ferguson would get released in the offseason with Bills management stating Joe was done. Well, Joe Ferguson would play six more seasons in the NFL but as the wise man once said who cares.
1985 could not have been worse than 1984 right? Well it was or at least just as bad. Kay Stephenson would be fired after an 0-4 start. The 1985 Bills would score the fewest points of any team in the 1980’s only scoring 200 for the season. They would again go 2-14 but hey they would only have a point differential of minus 181 compared to the minus 204 of 1984 so hey they were making progress. Quarterbacks Vince Ferragamo and Bruce Mathison would combine for a 9-31 TD/INT ratio for the season In other words yikes. The Bills would have attendance drop to under 30,000 for the majority of the season. Yet again the Bills were deemed irrelevant. Yet again Ralph Wilson was talking about moving the team due to the lack of support. This time however it was an empty threat as no serious talks ever assimilated as it did in the early 1970s. The bright spots of 1985 was two draft picks that would assist in eventually turning the franchise around, first overall pick Bruce Smith and fourth round wide receiver Andre Reed…
Bruce Smith was an All American at Virginia Tech and the consensus top prospect in the 1985 Season, so the Bills did the right thing and would select the Hokie first overall. Smith would have a promising but not outstanding rookie season with 6.5 sacks but would lose a little bit of passion for the game being on a bad 2-14 team. But in the offseason Smith would find romance with a college counselor and would get his head back into football. In 1986 Bruce Smith would become one of the best passrushers in all football having 15 sacks. Bruce Smith would amass 200 sacks in his career which is the all time record (and still holds today). Bruce Smith was in my opinion the best non quarterback ever taken first overall in the history of the NFL Draft.
Andre Reed was a fourth round pick out of Kutztown. You curious where Kutztown was and so was I. Kutztown is a division II school and is located in Kutztown Pennsylvania which is located near Allentown Pennsylvania (whip out the Billy Joel and Josh Allen references please!). Andre Reed would immediately become serviceable in his rookie season with 48 catches and four touchdowns but would not reach superstar status until the 1989 Season when Reed would have 88 catches for 1,312 yards and 9 touchdowns (great by even today’s pass happy standards). Reed like Bruce Smith would later be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (unlike smith Reed would have to wait a while but would eventually get in 2014).
1986
1986 looked to be just as dire as the 1985 season behind center for the Bills as the season was approaching. The QB1 competition was to be between compulsive gambler Art Schlichter (google his name you will be either entertained or saddened) and 1985 3rd round pick Frank Reich (more on Reich in Part 4). But on July 29th, 1986 the USFL would cease operations (after losing an antitrust lawsuit against the NFL) and the Bills still owned Jim Kelly’s rights. Kelly would decide to come to camp and would quickly revert Frank Reich to QB2 and Art Schlichter to the blackjack table (Jim Kelly’s USFL team was the Houston Gamblers, coincidence, I think not). Jim Kelly would get his first career win in a Week 3 17-10 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals. The Bills were 2-6 to start the season but was a far more competitive team (with only a point differential of minus 22). Then in Week 9 came a trip to Tampa. The Bucs were 1-7 and the Bills 2-6 but Jim Kelly Vs Steve Young was the headline (the two best Quarterbacks in the USFL!). The Bills decided to not show up for the game falling down 20-0 at the half before losing 34-28. Rumor has it that the Bills threw the game to get head coach Hank Bullough (interim coach in 1985 and tag removed for 1986) fired. This is something I’ve never heard an NFL team do before in any situation and whether it’s true or not it worked. After the game Hank Bullough was relieved of his duties by new Bills GM Bill Polian (the former GM of the Chicago Blitz of the USFL do I see a conspiracy to get Jim Kelly to come and play?). Who does Bill Polian hire to replace Hank Bullough? Usually you have an interim on the coaching staff but Polian decided to go and hire his former Blitz head coach Marv Levy midseason (may have heard of him, also sensing a conspiracy theory. Could the GM maybe have put out the hit to throw the game over the lowly Bucs? Hard to believe it but you have to at least pose the question right?).
Marv Levy had NFL Experience as a semi successful coach with the Kansas City Chiefs but still the hire was still a little bit fishy at this time under the circumstances. But hey the Bills had won 6 games in 2 and half seasons so who cares. Levy’s Bills would defeat the Steelers in his first game as coach and continue to be a very competitive team even though they would finish 4-12. The 1986 Bills would lose 10 of their 12 games by 10 points or less. A far cry from the 6 losses by 25 points or more in 1984. Jim Kelly would have a respectable passer rating of 83.3. The Bills looked again to be a team on the rise.
1987-1988
Before the 1987 Season the Bills would make a trade that involved future Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson. The three team trade with the Rams and Colts netted the Bills maybe the most important piece of the entire trade (Dickerson included) in acquiring Linebacker Cornelius Bennett. Cornelius Bennett would become the centerpiece of a Bills defense for years to come. Remember the 1982 Season when there was a players strike. In 1987 the same thing would happen again after Week 2’s games and Week 3 of the Season would be cancelled. Week’s 4-6 were played with primarily replacement players (which looked more like a cross of the Canadian football league and NFL Europe). The players primarily consisted of former players of the USFL and players who were cut before the season. After three weeks there still was no agreement but the players decided to return regardless. The labor negotiations would occur for 6 more years but this isn’t a Labor negotiation piece so we will continue on with the 1987 Season of the Buffalo Bills.
The first game with the Bills starters back was in Miami. This would be one of the best games that we would ever see between Jim Kelly and Dan Marino. Both teams would go back and forth. The Dolphins would force overtime with a late Dan Marino to Mark Clayton Touchdown. In overtime the Bills would get the ball first and drive down the field with Jim Kelly shredding the Dolphins with pure precision. Scott Norwood (remember him) would kick the game winner for a 34-31 Bills win (this was back when it was shear sudden death and any score would win the game). Dan Marino would go 24-36 for 303 yards and 4 touchdowns in defeat. Jim Kelly would go 29-39 for 359 and 3 touchdowns in victory. The AFC East QB rivalry was officially on. The Bills would exchange wins and losses throughout the rest of the season finishing 7-8 overall. 1987 was a season of improvement for the Bills. Jim Kelly had another solid season and was officially cemented as the Bills franchise Quarterback. Could 1988 be the year that the Bills vault themselves to the top of the AFC East?
In 1987 the Bills started to see attendance climb towards the end of the Season. With Kelly, Smith, Bennett and Reed the Bills have developed a solid core and was ready to take a leap forward in 1988. The Bills were missing an elite running back and in the 2nd round of the 1988 draft the Bills would get what they were looking for taking Oklahoma State running back Thurman Thomas in the 2nd round (40th overall). In 1988 Jim Kelly would regress a little bit with his passer rating dropping to a pedestrian 78.2. Even with Kelly reverting to a mortal the Bills would go 12-4 and win their first division title since 1980. What was different was an improved running attack led by Thurman Thomas and the defense led by Smith and Bennett. The Bills would allow an AFC low in points (237) and yards per game (286.1). The defensive unit was called the Blizzard defense. Hardly original but still pretty cool because you can say the opposing offense became a casualty of a Buffalo Blizzard. Anyways, the Bills would go 8-0 at home with one of the best home field advantages in all of football and would sweep the Dolphins for the second straight season (the tides have turned!!). In 1988 the Bills would for the first time in team history host a playoff game at Rich Stadium. The Houston Oilers would come to town (more about the Oilers-Bills in the 1989 Season and in Part 3). What the game would feature was a battle between great QB’s Warren Moon and Jim Kelly. But for the game it would become a game that the Bills would control the clock with a sound running game with Thurman Thomas running one in from 11 yards out to go up 14-3 midway through the 3rd. The Oilers would score a touchdown with a little more than five minutes to go to get to within a touchdown (17-10). The Oilers would get a chance to force OT but Curtis Duncan would fumble a punt and Ray Bentley of the Bills would recover to seal the victory for the Bills. The Rich Stadium crowd went in a frenzy. In what was not a classic playoff game it was still a classic day for the Bills as they would celebrate their first home playoff win in 24 years. Just like 1981 the Bills were onto Cincinnati….
Unfortunately, just like 1981 the Bills would fall short. Bengals Icky Woods would shuffle his way to the endzone twice. Jim Kelly would throw three interceptions including an end zone pick to Bengals Safety David Fulcher late with the Bills trying to rally. The Bills would lose 21-10. Who would know that this would be the only AFC Championship game that Jim Kelly and Marv Levy’s Bills would lose. Bengals Quarterback Boomer Esiason would only go 11-20 for 94 yards. But on a windy day in Cincy the Bengals would take the lead early and would let their defense do the rest. The Bills were the closest they have been to the big game since Super Bowl I. But this wasn’t a day to sulk, it felt like just the beginning of a special run.
1989 (The Bickering Bills)
Coming into 1989 the pressure was intense on the Bills. They were the AFC Favorites heading into the Season. The NFC maybe dominated Super Bowls in the late 80’s but the AFC was hyper competitive with solid teams in Cincinnati, Houston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Kansas City, and Denver in conference. As well as Indianapolis and Miami both had solid teams in the Bills own division. But the Bills just had a 12 win season and was maybe a better day away from playing in the Super Bowl. They knew that 1989 would be a year the Bills would have to pull through and it started with a huge test immediately. Week one was a late afternoon game in Miami against Dan Marino’s Dolphins. The Dolphins had taken a 24-13 lead with four minutes left and it appeared the Bills would have no chance to come back needing two touchdowns in such a short timeframe. But Jim Kelly would orchestrate a 82 yard drive in less than a minute and a half to get the Bills to within four and give them all they could ask for, a shot. The one thing Dan Marino couldn’t do on a 3rd and 8 with a first down sealing the game was throw and interception and guess what Dan Marino did. He threw an interception to Nate Odomes. Bills at midfield with 1:45 left no timeouts. We fast forward to a Dolphins offsides penalty with 02 seconds left (not getting across line of scrimmage on a clock play) and the Bills now at the Dolphins two yard line. What is the Last thing Don Shula and the Dolphins defense think the Bills will call. A Jim Kelly QB draw. Guess what Marv Levy draws up? A Jim Kelly Quarterback draw which he takes up the middle and to the endzone for the walkoff Touchdown and a 27-24 Victory. What a start to the season!! We now shift to Week 3 and maybe the game of the 1989 Season (wait the Dolphins Bills Week 1 wasn’t the game of the Season?). Week 3 was at the Houston Astrodome between the Bills and Oilers in a game that many even today would say screw Sunday Ticket and put down the remote. The Bills would take a 41-38 lead on a 26 yard Jim Kelly to Thurman Thomas connection for Jim Kelly’s 4th touchdown pass of the game. Warren Moon would get sacked at his own five on the ensuing drive with there being only a minute and a half left, game over right? We are talking about Warren freaking Moon (one of the most underrated great Quarterbacks of all time), and what do you know he would lead the Oilers down the field for game tying Tony Zendejas 52 yard field goal to force overtime. The Oilers would get the ball first and have a chance in to win it in overtime but would have a 43 yard field goal blocked (Bills were offsides) and then the 38 yarder pulled (Bills fans can breath a sigh of relief). Tony Zendejas just like that went from hero to goat (life of a placekicker). On the ensuing drive Jim Kelly would find Andre Reed for a 28 yarder for the 47-41 thrilling win. Over 850 yards of total offense and 88 combined points (which is an absurd amount for the 1980s).
But in Week 5 the Season would take a turn as the Bills would get blown out 37-14 in Indy. Jim Kelly would suffer a separated shoulder in the game and would blame Bills offensive tackle Howard Ballard for missing a block which contributed to hit which caused the injury. Kelly would later apologize to Ballard. Earlier in a Week 2 loss in Denver, Jim Kelly was seen yelling at wide receiver Chris Burkett during the Bills loss to the Broncos. Burkett would be released later in the Week after finding out he had been benched and expressing his unhappiness with his place on the roster. In Week 8 the Bills would beat the Dolphins 31-17 with running backs Thurman Thomas and Larry Kinnebrew combining for 269 yards to improve (even with all of the drama) to 6-2. But the win wasn’t the story of the game. The headlines were pointing to what happened a day later. When watching film Bills assistant coaches Nick Nicolau and Tom Bresnahan would get into a fist fight with Bresnahan needing stiches in his face after Nicolau uppercutting Bresnahan and putting him in a headlock before the fight was broken up. Later Thurman Thomas would criticize Jim Kelly on a television show saying the position the Bills needed to improve was at Quarterback. The Bills were winning but internally were a mess.
But when Jim Kelly returned from a four week absence all of the drama would eventually start to effect the performance on the field. The Bills would lose to the 2-6 Falcons on a 50 yard Paul McFadden field goal at the horn. Two weeks later the Bills would lose to the 3-7 Patriots 33-24 in a game that the Bills blew a 24-13 4th Quarter lead with the deciding play being a Kelly pick six. After a mini revenge 24-7 win over the Bengals in Week 12 the Bills would lose three in a row to fall into a first place tie with the Dolphins and Colts. The Bills have lost 5 of 7 after only losing four games the entire 1988 Season. The Bills just needed a win to clinch the division over the lowly Jets but the Season had already been deemed a disappointment by many. The Bills would show up for their trip to the Meadowlands and thrash the awful 4-12 Jets 37-0 to clinch their second consecutive division title.
The Bills would have to go on the road to Cleveland to play a Browns team that like the Bills have had a brutal history but had been on the rise in recent Seasons. The Browns were in the 1986 and 1987 AFC Championship games but like the Bills fell short in those games. It is hard to believe until recently the Browns ever being contenders but in the 1980’s the Browns had been one of the most successful AFC teams. An average Browns season if you take out the strike shortened Season was 9-7, hardly a laughing stock. For the game, it was a game the Bills would have on their fingertips and then something bad would happen throughout. Late in the third quarter Jim Kelly would find Thurman Thomas for a six yard touchdown to get the Bills within 3 now down 24-21. Then on the ensuing kickoff Eric Metcalf would take it 90 yards to the house to put Cleveland back up by ten. Thurman Thomas would score on a three yard TD from Jim Kelly to get within 4 at 34-30 midway through the 4th. But the extra point was blocked. So now instead of the Bills only needing a field goal to tie the Bills who would get the ball back with 2:31 remaining would need a touchdown to win with a field goal doing them no good. The Bills would have 75 yards to go. Jim Kelly would lead the Bills on an improbable comeback to start the season. Could he do it again in the playoffs in the biggest moment? We now shift to the Bills at the Browns 11 yard line 14 seconds left. Jim Kelly has thrown 52 passes for 405 yards. Still nothing to sneeze at in the pass happy football of today but was an absurd number in 1989. The first pass is a perfectly thrown pass to the back of the end zone and running back Ronnie Harmon drops the ball (a tough catch but one that should have been made). The next play Kelly would underthrow Andre Reed and the pass was intercepted by Browns linebacker Clay Matthews and the Browns would hold on.
The sting of the 1989 Season would linger all offseason but the Bills would recover nicely in 1990 minus the on and off field drama. We will shift all the way to December 2nd 1990. The Bills were 9-2 and in a serious fight with the Miami Dolphins for the AFC East division. The Bills were hosting the 7-4 Philadelphia Eagles with one of the best pass rushes in the history of football led by legendary Hall of Fame Defensive End Reggie White. Jim Kelly and coach Marv Levy came up with a strategy to slow down the pass rush and wear out the front seven of the Eagles and spread out their secondary. You may have heard of the offense, a no huddle up tempo offense that is used in some form by every NFL Team today featuring a shotgun formation and 3 wide receivers, an offense at this time never seen before, a 46 defense killer, an offense dubbed the K-Gun!