Kelly VS Flutie

[San Jose Bills Fan]

Look at the crown on the field at 2:05... Another major home field advantage that we used to have.

The original crown at "Rich Stadium" was 18" at center, for drainage purposes. I've been told that if you stood on one sideline closer to the stands, that you couldn't see the feet of those people standing on the opposite sideline.

 

Comments:

1) whatever you think about Flutie, he had "game".

2) Bruuuuuuuuuuuuce! He never quit. Even when he was eluded, he did this last-chance face-plant full-length dive - got him a shoestring tackle and saved a nice gain a couple of times.

3) How on earth did Reed make some of those catches?

4) He never could run, but I'd forgotten that early on, Kelly could be elusive.

5) What is this thing called "Tight End"? They seem very very useful - do you think today's Bills might consider this concept?

The Bills had Pete Metzelaars, Keith McKeller, and Butch Rolle on that team. They might be the greatest 3 tight ends to play on the same team at the same time.

 

Metzelaars…16 seasons in the NFL…10 with the Bills, 6"7" and 255 pounds. Lettered in football and basketball at Wabash and led the hoops team to the Division III National Championship. Great hands, great blocker, could wall of defenders…great player.

 

Keith McKeller…he only played one year of football at Jacksonville State but was a 4-year hoops player and the starting power forward on the team which one the Division II National Championship. The vaunted K-Gun Offense was named after Keith, who was considered a key to the offense because of the mismatches his size and athleticism caused.

 

And then Butch Rolle…Mr. Touchdown…10 TDs in 15 career receptions…devastating blocker and special teams player. Guys like Rolle and Carwell Gardner gave the Bills that gladiator element that all great teams need.

 

How crazy is that a game from 1989 would feature the last 2 qbs to lead us to the playoffs? I think I will know drink a keg of rat poison.

Amazing thought, Biscuit. Almost 22 years ago. Put down the rat poison though.

 

what a great way to start my first day off in 3 weeks. Thanks so much!

My wife and I watched it together. It was quite moving…and uplifting.

 

Thanks for posting, Thirdborn.

 

 

[MaineMoxie]

Thanks for the memories. Man, I miss those days.

[KD in CA]

Those were the days....nothing like watching the emergence of a dominating team.

[judman]

That was fun to see. Good find!

Edited May 15, 2011 by judman

[7boogiewoogie]

I miss those years I have gone to at least one Bills game every year since 1987(the last time we had a lockout). Back when the Ralph was the HOUSE OF NOISE us fans were as bad ass as the players, nobody came to our house and pushed us around, we dominated in all three phases of the ball. I live in Forida now, but I still make the trip. Hopefully this year the trip will be worth it. For the first time since the late 90's You have to agree that there seems to be something in the air. Go figure as soon as we start to turn it around the league goes into neutral. I hope the CBA gets resolved so we can have football this year!

 

That opening music was so campy and cheesy. More like the start of a soap opera than a football game. The game itself? Just another day at work for those Bills.

That was the some of the theme music that was used in Rocky 4, just sayin'.

[ChevyVanMiller]

Great post, great team, great times. Funny to see a guy named Edwards wearing number 80 - Lofton was just on the horizon. Does anyone have the clip of him explaining how he "played" some younger receivers into eating a big buffet breakfast before they ran for the Bills at the try-out? It's a classic story of a vet's vet working the system to his advantage.

[tennesseeboy]

Ahhhh...those were the days...Let's do it again!

[bills44]

Flutie also lost to Kelly and the Bills in '88.

 

Not sure whom Flutie blamed for those 2 losses.

 

Great post, great team, great times. Funny to see a guy named Edwards wearing number 80 - Lofton was just on the horizon. Does anyone have the clip of him explaining how he "played" some younger receivers into eating a big buffet breakfast before they ran for the Bills at the try-out? It's a classic story of a vet's vet working the system to his advantage.

 

That was Flip "Don't Call me Trumaine" Johnson

[Thirdborn]

After watching the clip, I noticed other Highlights at bottom of the screen ..... the Oakland game is awesome. What great memories

[reddogblitz]

A couple of those plays to Thurman would seem to be good plays to CJ too. The run for a TD where he took it and ran to the pylon. Also the pass and long run.

 

Kelly's team had a a better OLIne, recievers, defense, kicker, and well, I guess whole team! Flutie did make some nice plays though. But really, it was an old fashioned butt whippin'!

[Mammoth]

I remember this game very well. Later in the season was the dreaded "Hart Lee Dykes" game, where the Pats' receiver had his only good game as a pro. That was a weird season, and one of their wildest.

 

The game against the Oilers that they show at the start of that clip is the greatest football game -- for pure entertainment -- maybe that I've ever seen. It was wild.

 

And Flutie was not great back then. He really honed his game in the CFL. (Granted, I'm not someone who thinks Flutie was EVER great, so that's gotta be part of it.)

[John from Riverside]

You know for a team that won games because of a TE we sure have gotten away from that as a team

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

That was the some of the theme music that was used in Rocky 4, just sayin'.

 

Either that or eerily similar. I thought that music was awesome; brought back a lot of great memories.

 

Boy, did I take those teams for granted. I remember going skiing one Sunday when we had homefield wrapped up, thinking that I'd just wait for the meaningful games to start again...