Stranded in Boston

RL, I had the same thought on Sunday -- Dan Marino. Marino couldn't run for crap, but it was uncanny how he'd shuffle his feet to gain a bit of space when he sensed pressure. I mean, the guy went something like 800 pass attempts in the late 80s without taking a sack (with the streak broken by our own Jeff Wright. IIRC). I've noticed (and liked) that Josh is picking up that habit as well -- little shuffles while keeping his hips oriented downfield. It sure also helps that the OL is doing an outstanding job in pass protection. Deon Dawkins in particular has been sensational; he just seems to absorb his guy.

LOL, to your list, let me add, "Hear the lamentation of their women".

Yeah, I was also pretty confused by tha, LOL! Guys, Eddie G was a monster. He preferred to run guys over than do jump cuts. Eddie was also devoid of hair, unlike James' luscius locks ...

Wolf Blitzer

Wait, what? Did Burkett rip off Bruce Smith -- or vice versa? The Pee Wee Herman was Bruce's signature sack dance his rookie year, if I recall correctly.

LOL, I had the same thought. I remember clear as day the crowd exploding when TO caught that ball, and going wild when he did that "T.O." celebration arm thing on the sideline, facing the crowd. How could it not have been a home game? Just YouTubed it: indeed it was in Jacksonville -- but there were probably more Bills fans there than Jaguars fans!

LMAO, I hear you, Spartacus. My brothers and I literally covered our ears and turned our heads when they played that commercial; it still makes me cringe 45(!) years later. The worst part was that smarmy little elbow-high strut they would do. I remember when the Shout song came around (late 80s?), my first thought was, "Thank god we're done with the Talkin' Proud song"!

Ah, those were only long runs at home. Nonetheless, the Juice indeed busted an 88-yarder against Pittsburgh in '75 -- but he also had an 80-yarder against the Pats in the 1973 opener, when he broke Willie Ellison's single game rushing record. But something else funny in that video: no matter how fast and frantic Thurmon and Kenny Davis were in the open field -- James Lofton was just gliiiiding along next to them, barely breaking a sweat. 😀

Thanks, St. Pete. I was a huge Ike Harrison fan, but I had forgotten that he came to the Bills in '72 as a WR (he even caught a few passes that year). Lou Saban converted him to right cornerback in 1973, playing opposite the brilliant Robert James. Ike was a fantastic corner throughout the mid-70s,, even piling up 8 picks in '75 season. It always irked me that he sort-of got "marked" by the refs as a serial interferer later in his career; his last season with the Bills it seemed he couldn't even breathe on receivers without drawing a flag. Apparently the poor guy had a tough time after his NFL years, likely suffering from post-concussion problems, and he passed away in 2024. RIP, Ike.

Yeah, Wilson was a decent safety — a rangy cover guy who could also lower the boom. I remember him baiting Tom Brady into throwing a pick at the Bills’ goal line in that glorious 2011 home win over the Pats.

None other than the Bills’ George Wilson!

What a game! OJ shredded one of the best defenses in football, loaded with pro bowlers and future HOFers -- Buck Buchanon, Willie Lanier, Curly Culp, Bobby Bell, et al. Besides eclipsing 1000 yards in only 7 games (has any other RB ever accomplished that since?), I recall OJ broke an NFL record for most carries in a game that night, with 39. He just kept moving the chains.

Hey Chan, as resident Bills historian, please give me a hand here: I'm as nostalgic as the next Bills fan, but I believe the red helmets had a bit of an inglorious origin. Now this might be a false memory (seems I have lots of those as I age) -- but didn't the Bills switch to the red helmets in the early 80s solely to help out Joe Ferguson? Fergy was clearly starting to fade around then, and I dimly recall the red helmets were intended as a crutch to help him spot his receivers better. It didn't really help, but the red helmets stuck after Fergy was traded to Detroit in '85. So ... did they really start as a crutch for a fading QB??

He didn't play special teams for long, but Jason Peters was an absolute wrecking ball on kick returns. That was back when the wedge blocking formation was still legal -- and Peters would obliterate the wedge singlehandedly. The dude was 300+ lbs. and really pretty fast; helluva lot of momentum. You could almost see the startled look on the returner's face when his blockers just dissolved.