‘74 Season Opener Bills vs Raiders. 2nd MNF game for Buffalo

[PonyBoy]

I was in my PJ's, in bed I'm sure for this one. Thanks Chandler#81 for posting and God Bless You Tube! Happy Independence Day everyone. 

[JimmyNoodles]

11 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

First game ‘after’ OJ ran for 201 yds and 2003 for the ‘73 season.

I was at this game with my Dad, sitting in the Endzone seats Rashad caught both TDs in! 

(Sorry for the crappy video. Best version I could find)

 

 

I was in the opposite end zone. The old “they let the air out” cliche was spot on after the Braxton fumble. I didn’t think the Bills would win. I remember the crowds were crazy…guys peeing over the side of the top deck and in the walkways (in circles). Was that the game with smoke bombs too?  At some point they didn’t want any more MNF in Buffalo because of the shenanigans. 

[Beast]

7 hours ago, ALLEN1QB said:

I was at that game with my grandkids remember like it was yesterday.

 

Sure you were. 

[Colorado Mike]

I was a 14 year old lad there with my dad and older brother.  Great memories, other than our dad forgetting where we parked in the stadium lots and us wandering around looking for it for what seemed like forever until enough cars were gone to finally spot ours. 

 

[Wacka]

10 hours ago, dwight in philly said:

With all due respect Chandler, i believe the first MNF was home against KC in 73.,.l regardless, thanks for the post..

That game was thee 7th game of the season (either halloween or  the day before or after-lots of costumes). OJ  went over 1000 in that game which made the idea of 2K possible.

Edited July 4, 2021 by Wacka

[Augie]

10 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

The best football game I’ve ever seen.

 

Certainly the best game I ever attended. Took a kid from our neighborhood since our fourth seat was going to be empty. I forget which friend it was, but I have a guess. I hope he (Dave?) remembers it as fondly as I do.

 

We had school the next day and getting out of the parking lot was IMPOSSIBLE! But we didn’t care! Listening to the post game radio show made us absolutely giddy! 

[Chandler#81]

4 hours ago, TC in St. Louis said:

Chandler 81, you disagreed with the post?  I said earlier I was at the MNF game v. Oakland, and I still think it was the best game I ever attended.  This was brought up as something else that happened that was pretty amazing.  Crazy game.  Went from totally depressed and accepting a loss to going nuts in a handful of plays.  

We had a large thread about the 77 second miracle a few weeks ago. That had nothing to do with a game nearly 20 years earlier..🤷‍♂️

[PromoTheRobot]

5 hours ago, Stranded in Boston said:

Hell yes, Promo!! With things reopening here, I'll definitely be there this fall with my twin sons, who -- despite being born and raised in Boston --  are now  irreversibly Bills fans (= Pats haters), having been successfully propagandized, er, raised by their dad. I kept things real simple: Kid wanna eat? Kid root for Bills. 😎 

 

Let me buy you a beer. You should be easy to spot: rumor has it that you're the biggest guy at the Harp. 

Yeah that's true.

[joemac1114]

I was there for that game. It was a great night to be there and be a fan. 

[TC in St. Louis]

15 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

We had a large thread about the 77 second miracle a few weeks ago. That had nothing to do with a game nearly 20 years earlier..🤷‍♂️

To me they were huge memories.  I was at both games, and when the MNF game was brought up, I immediately thought of the 77 second game.  I was listening to a pod the other day when Bills fans were asked to call in with their "best plays they had ever seen in person," I thought about the MNF game and Nate Odomes' block/Biscuit's return vs. Denver.  Nobody called in with either of those.  That was fresh in my memory.  I am absolutely thrilled that the MNF game was posted here.  It was the greatest.  Whether or not the 77 second clip is irrelevant to you, well, that's a bit nitpicky.  I was sharing a great memory.  I cannot make a case that it belongs here, but it still was a great moment in our history.  As far as the thread about the 77 second miracle, I guess I missed that.  Tell you what.  I'll delete my post about the 77 second miracle.  If that makes you feel more comfortable and is less intrusive, so be it.  I watched both clips and enjoyed them.  

[Ned Flanders]

Hard to believe, but the '74 MNF opener did not sell out in time and we had to listen on the radio.  Many in WNY did not get to see the fantastic finish.

[Dr. K]

I remember watching this one. The game that showed Ferguson could be a first rate QB.

[BADOLBILZ]

12 hours ago, Ned Flanders said:

Hard to believe, but the '74 MNF opener did not sell out in time and we had to listen on the radio.  Many in WNY did not get to see the fantastic finish.

 

 

Yeah it didn't used to be that uncommon for seemingly obvious sellouts to not always happen.    That really didn't completely change until the generation that grew up during the Bills SB years hit the job market and started buying their own tickets.    The team could do no wrong in their eyes and they didn't have any Ralph scars yet.  So around 2000.   Thankfully for all of us they stepped up.   My father's generation putting money down for seasons on a largely irrelevant team that missed the playoffs 15 seasons in a row would have been pure fantasy.   

[Billznut]

Another fun fact of this ‘74 season opener, it was the first official game the Bills wore the charging Buffalo on their helmets after wearing the standing Buffalo for all previous seasons. The Bills started 7-1 in 1974 en route to a 9-5 season and their only playoff berth of the decade. 

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

Was there. Last 2 minutes was insanity.

[Saxum]

I know video quality is poor but I love the shot of head coach in corner of screen when a play is ongoing.

[nucci]

On 7/3/2021 at 8:45 AM, Chandler#81 said:

First game ‘after’ OJ ran for 201 yds and 2003 for the ‘73 season.

I was at this game with my Dad, sitting in the Endzone seats Rashad caught both TDs in! 

(Sorry for the crappy video. Best version I could find)

 

 

I was sitting in same area!

[eball]

Man, how “Billsy” was that Braxton fumble/TD?  Even back then the Bills knew how to rip our hearts out, but what a comeback.  Wish I could say I remember that game but I was knee-high to a grasshopper in ‘74.

 

Great stuff.