Most memorable opening game

[BillsFan619]

3 hours ago, CLTbills said:

31-0 against the Pats was certainly memorable, but the most memorable to ME, and this is because I was there, was a beatdown on Seattle in 2008. Seattle was coming off of a 10-6 season, won their division and a playoff game. They came to OP and we put a beatdown on them to open up the year. That game included a fake FG for a touchdown as well - Brian Moorman to Ryan Denney, if I recall. It also included another special teams touchdown with a Roscoe Parrish punt return.

 

It was a fun game to be at because we beat the living snot out of a really good team from the year before (a team that would end up going 4-12 that season). It started off our season with, as many seasons during that time frame, high hopes. High hopes that would eventually come crashing down, but it was fun in the stadium that day.

Thanks for sharing. Nobody has shared that game yet.
 

Good stuff!

[gomper]

12 hours ago, SoCal Deek said:

Six preseason games.  What was anyone thinking? 😉

I believe they would have the College All-Stars play the NFL Champion to start the preseason.  So, some teams played 7.

[BillsFan619]

13 minutes ago, gomper said:

I believe they would have the College All-Stars play the NFL Champion to start the preseason.  So, some teams played 7.

Wow, I never knew that. That’s 1/3 of a team’s season. Crazy!

 

For the people that say that the NFL doesn’t care about their players, it seems like they’ve always played some semblance of 20 games when you combine preseason and the regular season. Even if they go to 18 regular season games, the talk is to reduce the preseason to two games. Sounds pretty consistent to me even though I get that a preseason and regular season game is not the same intensity.

[Big Turk]

3 hours ago, Just Jack said:

 

Looks like it was this game.

 

It was...here is the highlight

 

 

[BillsFan619]

4 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

It was...here is the highlight

 

 

Man, these were the most infuriating and hopeless games. We’d play our hearts out and somehow, someway still lose to the patriots. You felt helpless because there was nothing you could do but watch it go down.

 

I’m so glad that era is over with. Now we’re the team that’s pulling out victories. Go Bills!

 

 

[Motorin']

22 minutes ago, BillsFan619 said:

Man, these were the most infuriating and hopeless games. We’d play our hearts out and somehow, someway still lose to the patriots. You felt helpless because there was nothing you could do but watch it go down.

 

I’m so glad that era is over with. Now we’re the team that’s pulling out victories. Go Bills!

 

 

 

I never want to think about those years again!

[holla83]

I'm going with 2 that I was in attendance for. The first was opening day 1992. The Bills destroyed the Rams 40-7. Thurman Thomas scored 4 TDs, Steve Tasker made a tackle on a punt return that is in most of his highlight reels, James Lofton broke the receiving yardage record, and Magic Johnson was in attendance.

 

The second wasn't actually opening day but it was the home opener in 2014. Ralph Wilson had passed away during the offseason and they were having a pregame ceremony to honor him. Then during the week leading up to the game, the Pegulas had been approved to buy the team and it was announced that Jim Kelly was cancer free. The feeling in the crowd was electric. Jim Kelly approached the podium to speak at Ralph's ceremony and the place came unglued. That was as loud and as sustained of a roar as I've ever heard. It gave me chills. Oh yeah, and the Bills beat the Dolphins 29-10.

[Metal Man]

I like the idea of choosing games that I actually attended and for that the 31-0 beating of the Pats* really sticks out. Regardless of how that season turned out for both teams that year it was still an awesome feeling on that day.

 

However since that one has already been listed a bunch another game that really sticks out to me is a game in 1990 against the Eagles because of one specific play. The Eagles were deep in their own end and on a pass play Bruce looked to have Cunningham wrapped up in the end zone but somehow he shook off the tackle and ended up completing a pass that went for 95 yards and a TD.

 

Not really a good Bills play but that memory has always remained in my mind. Randall Cunningham was one heck of an athlete.

[Greg S]

Nothing will top 1980 but what about the first two games of the 81 season. They opened with a 31-0 beatdown of the Jets at home. In week 2 they go to Baltimore and beat the Colts 35-3. Starting off 2-0 and outscoring their opponents 66-3 was impressive.

[Big Turk]

6 hours ago, BillsFan619 said:

Man, these were the most infuriating and hopeless games. We’d play our hearts out and somehow, someway still lose to the patriots. You felt helpless because there was nothing you could do but watch it go down.

 

I’m so glad that era is over with. Now we’re the team that’s pulling out victories. Go Bills!

 

 

 

Yup...so many times we managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory, it was infuriating. Exactly why the term "Billsy way to lose" was coined.

Edited September 8, 2021 by Big Turk

[BillsFan619]

4 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

Yup...so many times we managed to grab defeat from the jaws of victory, it was infuriating. Exactly why the term "Billsy way to lose" was coined.

Ugh, that’s so true.

 

Hopefully our current team will be so good for so long that we come up with positive sayings about our team.

 

Go Bills!

[corta765]

14 hours ago, BillsFan619 said:

Man, these were the most infuriating and hopeless games. We’d play our hearts out and somehow, someway still lose to the patriots. You felt helpless because there was nothing you could do but watch it go down.

 

I’m so glad that era is over with. Now we’re the team that’s pulling out victories. Go Bills!

 

 

 

It was weird too because the Bills in 2004-2009 lost to NE close like all the freakin time and wild stupid games. The Patriots 2010-2019 were to me more annoying because they were so good most of the time one of the games was a blowout and the other we were close but couldn't close.

 

I always attributed that to Brady not truly becoming Brady until 07 and onward.

[The Wiz]

The Kevin Everett game.

 

Didn't see him get hurt or taken off the field.  Didn't even care the broncos won on a last second field goal.  The reasons for this was because I met a nice Canadian girl that day that was very "distracting" let's call it.  And before anyone asks/posts a reply, no I'm not any of those pictures that have circulated TBD with my/her hand down anyone else's pants (we kept it above the belt).

Edited September 8, 2021 by The Wiz

[BillsfaninSB]

2019 at Jets.  The real beginning of the JA era with the comeback and perfect pass to Brown to win it.

 

If they lost that game I think things would look different today. 

[BillsFan619]

4 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

2019 at Jets.  The real beginning of the JA era with the comeback and perfect pass to Brown to win it.

 

If they lost that game I think things would look different today. 

I believe in the concept that you’re talking about. There are moments that define a player or team or even make or break a team.

 

That said do you really feel that one game against a division rival would have totally changed the trajectory of our team today?

 

if so, how so (not being snarky)?

Edited September 9, 2021 by BillsFan619

[BillsfaninSB]

3 hours ago, BillsFan619 said:

I believe in the concept that you’re talking about. There are moments that define a player or team or even make or break a team.

 

That said do you really feel that one game against a division rival would have totally changed the trajectory of our team today?

 

if so, how so (not being snarky)?

Good question.  If the Bills lost that game can you imagine the feeling around the team the following week after coming off a poor 6-10 season?  It would have caused more doubt and the confidence level would be significantly lower.  I vividly remember how I was feeling during the 1st 3 quarters.   Nothing is going to change.  Ever!  But then they pulled out a win.  I was thrilled and thought maybe things will be truly different now.   I loved it more that it was against a really cocky Jet team at the time. 

 

I don’t think they win 9 games.   The Bengals game in week 3 could have been loss too if they did not have that 2 game momentum.  On to another 8-8 season.  Perhaps they don’t trade for Diggs thinking a higher draft pick in the top 15 was too valuable.

 

I know it is all a feeling and nothing tangible but I do believe that win was massive, especially for Josh. 

 

 

[GunnerBill]

2 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

Good question.  If the Bills lost that game can you imagine the feeling around the team the following week after coming off a poor 6-10 season?  It would have caused more doubt and the confidence level would be significantly lower.  I vividly remember how I was feeling during the 1st 3 quarters.   Nothing is going to change.  Ever!  But then they pulled out a win.  I was thrilled and thought maybe things will be truly different now.   I loved it more that it was against a really cocky Jet team at the time. 

 

I don’t think they win 9 games.   The Bengals game in week 3 could have been loss too if they did not have that 2 game momentum.  On to another 8-8 season.  Perhaps they don’t trade for Diggs thinking a higher draft pick in the top 15 was too valuable.

 

I know it is all a feeling and nothing tangible but I do believe that win was massive, especially for Josh. 

 

 

Interesting, although they really outplayed the Jets from the get-go that day. They were better than them in all three phases. They just kept making dumb mistakes and turning the ball over. That game shouldn't even have been close, it was all self-inflicted wounds. I have enough faith in McDermott's leadership that even if they had lost that game he'd have been able to sell the team on the fact that if they just cleaned things up they had the ability to be a really good football team and they'd have come out and beaten the Giants and the Bengals anyway. I still think they win 10 games too, because they would have won the week 17 Jet game if they needed to and played starters. 

[Greg S]

14 hours ago, BillsfaninSB said:

2019 at Jets.  The real beginning of the JA era with the comeback and perfect pass to Brown to win it.

 

If they lost that game I think things would look different today. 

 

I go back to Allen's rookie year and the win at Minnesota. The Bills were a huge underdog but Allen show flashes of what was to come. It worked out as Allen has developed into a franchise QB. To me it was this game where it started for Allen.

[JMF2006]

 

I am going with the 2017  Bills 21  Jets 12 game.

 

1) It was the start of the Mc Beane era and my hopes were renewed after the tragic Wrex era

 

2) It was my friend and co worker Marcel's first Bills game ever and he had a real blast

 

3)Played a joke on him when he went to the porta potty I got a mounted police officer to station his horse at the door so when he came out it was nose to nose with him.

 

4) Got free parking and Pizza at Pino's(they missed me)

 

5) A Cover Hard Rock Band(can't remember the name) was playing at a white house almost across the street(they had bands previously but not for a few years) this band once played on a stage in front of the Ralph and had a terrific female singer.

 

6) Visited Hammers Lot and introduced him to Kenny(Pinto Ron) 

 

7) The Bills made the playoffs for the first time in 18 years  

[LewPort71]

I read this as most memorable home opener I attended.  So here goes.

2008 Home opener against Seattle.

1. First ever NFL game for my new Son In Law.

2. SIL  cooked at Kenny's Pinto

3.  Bills won 34-10 as Trent Edwards had the first of his 5 good games 

    (that all ended in Arizona when Trent got hurt)

4.  That was the day Brady got hurt against KC and the murmurs at the Ralph sort of rejoiced at this news.

smart phones were in their infancy and the news spread slowly in the crowd.

 alas the Bills  finished 7-9 and the Cheatriots finished at 11-5.
 

Second favorite Home Opener was Sept. 2000.  Sunday night contest

versus the Titans 9 months after the events  of Jan 8, 2000.  Again my

attendance is involved in my decision

 

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by LewPort71