yungmack Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Where to start? I still remember missing that first Super Bowl, and I'm having a hard time forgetting the loss to the Pats this past season.
Doc Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 The '99 team was better than the '96 team and had a better chance to make a post-season run. Maybe before the O-line got decimated at the end of the season and in the Titans game.
eball Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 To be a "devastating" or "crushing" loss the game had to actually mean something -- so we immediately disqualify tough losses in the midst of non-playoff seasons or other games that didn't carry much weight. Using that criteria, the most crushing losses of the post-SB era have to be: Dec '96 playoff loss to Jags -- Bills had never lost a home playoff game and it turned out to be Kelly's last. Jan '99 playoff loss to Fins -- Bills turn it over five times and Flutie comes up just a bit short. Jan '00 playoff loss to Titans -- 'nuff said. Dec '04 loss to Steelers -- beat Pittsburgh's third-stringers and we're in the playoffs. F@ck Bledsoe. Sep '09 loss to Patriots* -- started the year on a horrible note, after such promise. There are actually a number of what I'd call "secondary" crushing losses sprinkled throughout the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons. I call them "secondary" because while we all "knew" the Bills weren't a playoff-caliber team, these were games that would have put them in the conversation (or saved the season): Dec '06 loss to Titans -- a win would have put the Bills at 8-7 and kept mathematical hope alive going into the final weekend. Nov '07 loss to Patriots* -- after surviving the Dallas MNF fiasco earlier in the season (not a "crushing" loss because it came while they were 1-3), the Bills had recovered to win four in a row and were moved to the Sunday Night slot to face NE with a chance to move to 6-4. We all know what happened. Dec '07 loss to Browns (snow bowl) -- even after the Patriots* debacle a month earlier, a win would have put the Bills at 8-6 with two weeks to play. Nov '08 MNF loss to Browns -- a 4-0 start had turned into 5-4, but a win here would have ended the losing streak and given the team some hope with six weeks to play. This past season, obviously the first Jets game was a devastating loss. The Bills were on the cusp of establishing themselves in the division after a 5-2 start, but were just beaten up by NY. It seems we now have learned Fitz may have been playing with cracked ribs, but that game pretty much sunk all hopes. It has been a crappy 12 years.
dave mcbride Posted February 6, 2012 Author Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) To be a "devastating" or "crushing" loss the game had to actually mean something -- so we immediately disqualify tough losses in the midst of non-playoff seasons or other games that didn't carry much weight. Using that criteria, the most crushing losses of the post-SB era have to be: Dec '96 playoff loss to Jags -- Bills had never lost a home playoff game and it turned out to be Kelly's last. Jan '99 playoff loss to Fins -- Bills turn it over five times and Flutie comes up just a bit short. Jan '00 playoff loss to Titans -- 'nuff said. Dec '04 loss to Steelers -- beat Pittsburgh's third-stringers and we're in the playoffs. F@ck Bledsoe. Sep '09 loss to Patriots* -- started the year on a horrible note, after such promise. There are actually a number of what I'd call "secondary" crushing losses sprinkled throughout the 2006, 2007, and 2008 seasons. I call them "secondary" because while we all "knew" the Bills weren't a playoff-caliber team, these were games that would have put them in the conversation (or saved the season): Dec '06 loss to Titans -- a win would have put the Bills at 8-7 and kept mathematical hope alive going into the final weekend. Nov '07 loss to Patriots* -- after surviving the Dallas MNF fiasco earlier in the season (not a "crushing" loss because it came while they were 1-3), the Bills had recovered to win four in a row and were moved to the Sunday Night slot to face NE with a chance to move to 6-4. We all know what happened. Dec '07 loss to Browns (snow bowl) -- even after the Patriots* debacle a month earlier, a win would have put the Bills at 8-6 with two weeks to play. Nov '08 MNF loss to Browns -- a 4-0 start had turned into 5-4, but a win here would have ended the losing streak and given the team some hope with six weeks to play. This past season, obviously the first Jets game was a devastating loss. The Bills were on the cusp of establishing themselves in the division after a 5-2 start, but were just beaten up by NY. It seems we now have learned Fitz may have been playing with cracked ribs, but that game pretty much sunk all hopes. It has been a crappy 12 years. You're forgetting one: Jan 1996 - playoff loss to the Steelers (the Bruce flu game in which AVP had a short moment of glory). The Bills were in it until Yancy Thigpen made a leaping catch on a long throw from O'Donnell in the 4th. That said, the better team won that day: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601060pit.htm . Edited February 6, 2012 by dave mcbride
eball Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 You're forgetting one: Jan 1996 - playoff loss to the Steelers (the Bruce flu game in which AVP had a short moment of glory). The Bills were in it until Yancy Thigpen made a leaping catch on a long throw from O'Donnell in the 4th. That said, the better team won that day: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601060pit.htm . You're right, they looked like they might actually come back and win it for a while.
1B4IDie Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) No one is going to mention the Ronnie Harmon drop? That was devastating. We were so bad for so long there was real fear that we may never get back to the playoffs with that young team. Although we all know now that was just a learning experience but at the time it was completely devastating. I was just a wee lad in middle school and its possible I know someone that knows a friend of a friend that was crying profusely after that game. Edited February 6, 2012 by Why So Serious?
dave mcbride Posted February 6, 2012 Author Posted February 6, 2012 No one is going to mention the Ronnie Harmon drop? That was devastating. We were so bad for so long there was real fear that we may never get back to the playoffs with that young team. Although we all know now that was just a learning experience but at the time it was completely devastating. I was just a wee lad in middle school and its possible I know someone that knows a friend of a friend that was crying profusely after that game. I said since the last SB. The Harmon drop was brutal, of course, but it's not what I'm talking about.
1B4IDie Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 I said since the last SB. The Harmon drop was brutal, of course, but it's not what I'm talking about. Oh yeah it says that in Big Letters at the top, How about that . . .
BillsFanNC Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Music City Mistake, absolutely no contest, everything else is an argument for 2nd worst. Yes. This game for me was my transformation into a calmer Bills fan. I was in such a rage that I flew off the handle and ended up offending and upsetting some people close to me. Unfortunately it took that scenario for me to step back and take the Bills for what they are, a game. And as we all know I've had plenty of practice since that day to take gut wrenching losses and just merely shrug my shoulders and laugh.
Rob's House Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 As bad as the TN game was, the benching of Flutie made that a little easier to swallow, had he played and we lost that way I'm just not sure I could bear it. As it was, it was kind of like management/ownership got their just desserts; sadly we also had to suffer for their sins.
BillsFanNC Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 You're forgetting one: Jan 1996 - playoff loss to the Steelers (the Bruce flu game in which AVP had a short moment of glory). The Bills were in it until Yancy Thigpen made a leaping catch on a long throw from O'Donnell in the 4th. That said, the better team won that day: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/199601060pit.htm . Later that night after the loss myself and a few friends went to Kelly's nightclub. Tasker and Biscuit were there, Tasker was cordial and talking to fans, but with Biscuit I didn't even bother. He just stood there alone in the middle of the crowd staring out into space while person and after person came up and tried to say something and he just ignored them like they weren't even there.
truth on hold Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Week 17 loss to Steelers 3rd string when Bills win would have gotten them in playoffs. Bledsoe was throwing sliders to no one, and the defense couldn't stop the run even though Cowher had dictated they'd be calling that same play about 70% of the time.
Overseas Bills Fan Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Who was the opposing coach and OC in the Bills most disappointing loss since the Super Bowls? Coughlin and Gilbride in '96. The Bills lost at home to the Jags in the playoffs, surrendering the lead three times in a game that they simply blew. It was Kelly's last game. They had no business losing that game, and failed to take advantage of one of their best defensive units ever. Bruce Smith had the season of his life in '96 (he was defensive player of the year), and had a sick number of pressures (an unrecorded stat, but he had 47 that season) to go along with 14.5 sacks. The hatred against Gilbride on this board when he was here was interesting. In retrospect, he had a bad offensive line and a QB who never could deliver in games against good opponents. When he was in Jax and NY, the opposite applied (and still applies). Sometimes it's the players. He has also been ahead of the curve when it came to recognizing that the NFL was becoming a passing league. Music City Miracle. the game that started this downward spiral for the Bills. We haven't been the same since!
dave mcbride Posted February 7, 2012 Author Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) I want to shift gears a bit and get back to one of my original points. Knowing what we know now about Gilbride, Coughlin's football acumen (encompassing knowing how to build a staff), Bledsoe, and the state of the Bills' o-line in the early 2000s, was the collective assessment (both here and in the local Buffalo media) completely off? Was everyone -- to quote Arthur Fonzarelli -- wro-wro-wro-wro-wrong? Edited February 7, 2012 by dave mcbride
Mike In Illinois Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 (edited) If anyone wants to go back and watch the Bills/Jags playoff game from '96, here's a playlist Edited February 7, 2012 by Champaign Mike
BADOLBILZ Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 (And lose to the Rams' greatest show on turf) What? Whyy? The Bills had the best defense in the NFL and it was peaking. They held McNair to like 50 yards passing that day. The "great" Rams barely won their NFC championship AT HOME by the score of 9-6 against a Bucs defense that was not as good as the Bills that year. And quarterbacked by Shaun King. That loss in Tennessee was devastating. That Bills team could have won a SB with Rob freakin' Johnson. Their obstacles were the Colts, who they destroyed a week earlier with Johnson at the helm and the Colts playing for more than just pride and the Jaguars, who were a paper tiger if there ever was one. It just so happened that it was a transition year for the league with a lot of upstart teams in the mix. But for two plays(HR throwback and a no-catch ruling in the NFC championship), Rob Johnson may have been facing Shaun King in the Super Bowl...........but I digress..........that Bills team could have throttled the Rams offense and moved the ball at will on that defense. That loss to the Jags hurt badly, but the MCM was the equivalent of the Giants team of this year getting knocked out in the wildcard round. It was an utterly BLOWN opportunity to steal a SB after 4 SB losses against truly GREAT NFC teams.
CSBill Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 IMO, Home Run Throwback was far more disappointing. or should it be Some day, when I get to heaven, I will be told why Rob Johnson was starting that game--not that he played badly, but the bad karma that game generated--how can you sit your year long starter based on one meaningless end-of-season game????? The curse started that day still has a hex on this team.
Rob's House Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 or should it be Some day, when I get to heaven, I will be told why Rob Johnson was starting that game--not that he played badly, but the bad karma that game generated--how can you sit your year long starter based on one meaningless end-of-season game????? The curse started that day still has a hex on this team. This, to me, is the most painful aspect of that day.
Charles Romes Posted February 7, 2012 Posted February 7, 2012 Worst loss was 1994 at home against NE. Frank reich started. Late on the year. Still would have had shot of we won.
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