How does this afc championship stack up to the bills previous ones?

[Bad Things]

The last game I've got to see at Rich Stadium was the '92 AFC Championship game against the Broncos.

 

I wanna go back!

[LABILLBACKER]

15 minutes ago, ProcessTruster said:

Yeah, I'm a hundred years old so I remember it all.  Bills were The Power in the AFC in the early 90's, plus the AFC was pretty weak at that time.  So the Bills would blow through lighter-weight AFC teams (Phins, Raiders, Oilers, Chiefs) in the conference playoffs and then collide with bigger, stronger NFC teams with just as much firepower and meet their match.   Eg. Redskins simply overpowered the Bills in the second of the 4 SBs.. wasn't. even a game.   Parcells simply outcoached Levy in the first, played keepaway and won.   Both of the Dallas games were won bc Bills turned the ball over like crazy and the Cowboys were bigger, stronger and beat up the Bills.   The rules were different at the time and you could blow up WRs on crossing routes, etc. and the NFC teams did this.   An oversimplification, for sure, go watch the games on YouTube,  pretty interesting.  

 

Anyway, today's game is more like a game of flag FB than is was then.   Quickness and speed win out ultimately over big and bad.   So Chiefs/Bills likely to be more of track meet than the last Bills/Chiefs.  If Mahomes is 100%, this game will be great.  

To this day I still remember Andre getting blown up on those crossing routes. Not one PI was called. This team is so different and unique from the 90's guys. The current group seems to play harder for each other like a family. 

[Whites Bay]

What I remember from the four Super Bowl AFCCG is getting spoiled by the Raiders game.  The Bills just crushed Los Angeles.  Pulp.

 

The problem that arose from that (as a fan) was the expectation that this would happen each and every single time.  What a rude awakening.  That Broncos game was tough as nails.  And the Kansas City game was no walk in the park, either.  (Until Montana got brained, and then the air just went out the Chiefs sideline like a f*rt in a windstorm).

 

What's the point?  I could see a surprisingly low-scoring game this weekend.  Great teams surprise you with adaptation.

[Jerry Jabber]

This reminds me of then 1993 season when the Bills lost to the Chiefs in the regular season (23-7) and got redemption in the AFC championship game (30-13). 

[BADOLBILZ]

7 hours ago, Beast said:

Happened in our very first AFC Title game after the 1988 season.

 

We were second seed, Cincinnati was first.

 

Cincinnati won 21-10.

 

The next four AFC Championship games the Bills were expected to win and, win they did. The third one might have been a toss up but I believe the country felt Buffalo would beat Miami in Miami....and they did just that convincingly so.

 

Yeah the Bills had been the #1 seed most of the year in 1988 but the wheels came off for a stretch late in the season and they lost the top spot.

 

The Bills played in the AFL championship game to go to Super Bowl I........they didn't start calling it the "AFC" championship until SB IV season though.

 

The Bills were the favorite and the Chiefs came to Buffalo and beat the two time defending AFL champion Bills to advance to the first Super Bowl against Green Bay.

 

I know there are or were a few people here on TSW who were at that game.  

 

I tend to consider that as their first AFC championship game.

Edited January 19, 2021 by BADOLBILZ

[The Jokeman]

It's memorable to the 1993 game against Miami to me as the Dolphins played us tough that year in the regular season as we split the season 1-1. There was even thought Kelly should stay on the bench since Reich beat the Oilers and Steelers. 

[Livinginthepast]

3 hours ago, GRHater69 said:

The Cincy game is the reason I will forever dislike Cris Colinsworth. If you watched that game, the Bengals got a first down as the result of a personal foul on Derrick Burroughs on a critical drive late and deep into Bills territory. Colinsworth went on NBC the next day and said in all his typical smarm that their receivers were deliberately cheap shoting his ankles since he had an issue earlier that year and trying to get him to crack. I get that Burroughs shouldn't have lost his cool (he apologized for it postgame) but for Colinsworth to admit that and be proud of it? That's why I will always think he's a douche.

 

I went back and watched the end of this game and that penalty against Burroughs was killer. A moment of madness, baited or not. I can remember raging at the time because the subsequent TD was a back breaker. But the Bills still had a quarter to come back. They just couldn't finish on offense!

[The Jokeman]

2 hours ago, LABILLBACKER said:

To this day I still remember Andre getting blown up on those crossing routes. Not one PI was called. This team is so different and unique from the 90's guys. The current group seems to play harder for each other like a family. 

Reed got crunched yet we shot our selves in the foot in that game as we go 3 and out and rarely killed clock once we took the lead after the Bruce Smith safety. Toss in Kelly's clock management in the final drive was questionable to me.

Edited January 19, 2021 by The Jokeman

[QLBillsFan]

2 hours ago, Artful Dodger said:

In 1991, the Bills beat the Oakland Raiders 51-3 in the AFC Championship Game.  That was my single best moment as a Bills' fan.

Same for me I was at the game. We were a machine on O and the Raiders didn’t have a chance. Talley I think with an Pic 6 to make halftime score 41-3. 

[SoCal Deek]

People on here immediately go to the four super bowl years but as someone cited, the better analogy would be the game against Cincinnati. We were underdogs and played like it. The Icky Shuffle got the best of the Bills that day and I remember most fans were just proud to have gotten that far feeling that we more than likely at the start of something big...and we were. 

[Bermuda Triangle]

4 hours ago, GRHater69 said:

The Cincy game is the reason I will forever dislike Cris Colinsworth. If you watched that game, the Bengals got a first down as the result of a personal foul on Derrick Burroughs on a critical drive late and deep into Bills territory. Colinsworth went on NBC the next day and said in all his typical smarm that their receivers were deliberately cheap shoting his ankles since he had an issue earlier that year and trying to get him to crack. I get that Burroughs shouldn't have lost his cool (he apologized for it postgame) but for Colinsworth to admit that and be proud of it? That's why I will always think he's a douche.

 

I believe in that same game, Bruce was having his way with Munoz, but then tweaked his groin or hammy, and was ineffective the rest of the game.  Earlier in that game, Bruce was called for a 15-yard facemark (back then, inadvertent facemasks were 5-yarders) on an Esiason sack....it was a horrible call, as Bruce had a fistful of Boomer's jersey but no facemask. Sack was wiped out, Bengals got a first down, and went on to score.  

[Tuco]

23 minutes ago, Bermuda Triangle said:

I believe in that same game, Bruce was having his way with Munoz, but then tweaked his groin or hammy, and was ineffective the rest of the game.  Earlier in that game, Bruce was called for a 15-yard facemark (back then, inadvertent facemasks were 5-yarders) on an Esiason sack....it was a horrible call, as Bruce had a fistful of Boomer's jersey but no facemask. Sack was wiped out, Bengals got a first down, and went on to score.  

This. ^^^

 

Everybody remembers the PI call on Burroughs because it was the end of the game. But in close games every possession and drive counts. Bruce grabbed the front of his jersey and yanked him down so hard the ref imagined he had him by the facemask. Should have been a Bengals punt but instead it kept their drive alive and they wound up scoring. Worst call I've ever seen in a Bills game.

 

 

[Tuco]

The Championship game against the Broncos in '92 (I think) reminds me a little of this past game against the Ravens. We all remember the early '90s Bills as having the high-powered K-Gun. But that game was a slugfest. It was 0-0 at the half. Finally the Bills scored their only touchdown on a pick 6, and went on to win 10-7. 

 

That's right, our high-powered offense scored 3 points in a championship game. Fortunately the Elway led Broncos weren't much better on offense that day.  Our defense only gave up 7 and scored 7 to win and advance.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

The logical comparison is 1988 at Cincinnati.  Bills were young and up and coming after a long drought.  Kelly played terribly throwing three INTs and Thurman had only 6 yards rushing and no receptions.  At the time the Bengals had just started using the no-huddle offense. The week before Chuck Knox used the fake injured player routine to slow them down.  The Bills were a balanced team with up and coming stars on offense and defense. The offense would not really take off until the K-gun was fully installed two years later.  Now the Chiefs have the vaunted offense.  The Bills are a more balanced team than they were at the beginning of the season, with the defense improving their play ever since the hail mary.  

[Boatdrinks]

This game stacks up really well, imo. The offense is at least as high powered as the best of those Bills teams. The ‘88 team was sort of the outlier of the Kelly era championship games. Kelly was in just his third season with the Bills, and the ‘87 season was a strike shortened one. The offense featured a rookie Thurman Thomas, and Reed had established himself but they weren’t running the K Gun / no huddle yet. They were a stout defense with good STs, but the passing offense was somewhat lacking. They were underdogs to the Bengals and hadn’t beaten them in quite some time. The ‘90 team was high powered offense, pretty solid defense and were favored vs the Raiders but not by a lot. They had beaten the Raiders in OP in September of that season with a late comeback, and had the home field on the basis of that win. 1991 was the best statistical season for Kelly and the offense , and the Bills were favored over the Broncos. To everyone’s surprise , the game was a defensive struggle rather than the high flying offensive display fans expected. 1992 brought a wildcard playoff run with just a single home game - the famous comeback vs the Oilers. The Reich-led Bills knocked off the top seeded Steelers in Pittsburgh then headed to Miami as a road favorite for the Championship game. Lastly the ‘ 93 team was weakened by the debut of free agency in the NFL - the Bills were stacked and the initial NFL salary cap was low. Other teams feasted on the Bills’ roster as they simply couldn’t keep everyone. That development accelerated the Bills decline, especially along the OL. This Bills team reminds me most of the 90 and 91 teams, just without a Thurman Thomas type RB. Thomas was the NFL’s MVP in 1991, which illustrates the difference in today’s passing game standards. 

[US Egg]

Chiefs won't have as big of eyes Sunday as the Bills.

 

.....just saying.

[BADOLBILZ]

3 minutes ago, Ethan in Portland said:

The logical comparison is 1988 at Cincinnati.  Bills were young and up and coming after a long drought.  Kelly played terribly throwing three INTs and Thurman had only 6 yards rushing and no receptions.  At the time the Bengals had just started using the no-huddle offense. The week before Chuck Knox used the fake injured player routine to slow them down.  The Bills were a balanced team with up and coming stars on offense and defense. The offense would not really take off until the K-gun was fully installed two years later.  Now the Chiefs have the vaunted offense.  The Bills are a more balanced team than they were at the beginning of the season, with the defense improving their play ever since the hail mary.  

 

 

The 1987 Bengals were 4-11.    The Chiefs are the defending SB champs.

 

The 2020 Bills outscored the 2020 Chiefs.........the Bills were second in the NFL and the Chiefs were sixth.

 

I know people want to create parallels for different reasons...........to equate the team to one that went to 4 straight SB's.........or maybe to excuse them possibly losing this Sunday..........but there really aren't many parallels.

 

The teams are so different..........coaching staffs so different.........the league itself is so different.

 

People wanted to do the same thing in 1990 with the 60's teams.........it didn't really equate then either.

 

 

[Nextmanup]

The difference for me between now and back then is that this season and this team has snuck up on me.

 

We seem to have taken the last 2 or 3 steps of progress/development all at once late in the regular season and have "arrived" at least a season before I thought we would.  It's happened quickly!  

 

Back in the '80s, it seemed like the progress was more gradual and graduated.  We had ups and downs but we were always moving further up on a gradual curve of progress.  We hit our high water mark (IMO) in the AFC Championship game against the Raiders.  The 51-3 game.  1/20/1991.

 

But it felt to go a bit more slowly than it has this time around.  At least that is how I remember it; others back then may have experienced it differently.

 

Also, after the Raiders game, I always assumed we would win any playoff game, including big games or tough games.  

 

I'm not there yet with this team, but we keep progressing all the time.

 

 

 

 

[Billsatlastin2018]

People here have already mentioned the 12-4 Bungles #1 beating the 12-4 Bills #2 in 1988, in the Cinci cold. I attended the previous Round game, when they beat Houston on a nice day at Rich in January.

In 1989, it was the Ronnie Freaking Harmon Loss to Cleveland there and the Bills regressed to 9-7.

In 1990, the Bills unveiled the K Gun forever! They were easily the best team in the AFC @13-3. They thumped Marino and the Dolphins in the snow at Rich and then just embarrassed the #2 Raiders 51-3 the following week. I saw the Fish game. Saw them lose to the #2 Giants in Tampa.

In 1991, the Bills were again the best in the AFC @ 13-3. They knocked Montana out during the crushing win at Rich and then I watched them beat the #2 Broncos on a warm, sunny day in the Championship. Carleton Bailey, just like Taron, broke up a 0-0 3rd. Q defensive struggle with an 11 yard Int TD!

in 1992, the Bills were only a WC #4 Seed. They beat the Oilers in the Greatest Comeback Ever 41-38! Yes, I was at that one. They knocked off the #1 Steelers in Pittsburgh & #2 Dolphins in Miami. And indeed, I saw them crushed in Pasadena.

in 1993, they were 12-4 & #1 again. I damn near died watching them out score the Raiders in -30 temps. 
 

And that was the beginning of the end! So, it did happen, more than once. And should they beat KC, as I expect, you simply cannot believe the adrenaline rush for the next two weeks. Everything stops and is subsumed by the game, even more so in these strange times!

Edited January 19, 2021 by Billsatlastin2018

[Neo]

10 hours ago, Artful Dodger said:

In 1991, the Bills beat the Oakland Raiders 51-3 in the AFC Championship Game.  That was my single best moment as a Bills' fan.

 

.... in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.