51-3 in AFC Championship. What happened next was a travesty. Let's avoid that.

[Another Fan]

8 hours ago, TC in St. Louis said:

When the Bills beat the Raiders 51-3, they were on top of the world.  They were cocky and had perhaps too much swagger.  They only had a week to prepare for the Super Bowl, and they allegedly took a lot of that time having fun and going to parties.  We know what happened.

 

I'm confident that the Bills have already moved past the Patriots game....as great as that was, that means very little when it comes to the next opponent.  They will have to work their tails off and be humble.  They played a perfect game, just like the Oakland AFC Championship game, but they need to be careful not to get wrapped up in reading how great they were last Saturday.

 

Right now that game means nothing.  Of course, in the history of the franchise, it was as sweet as it gets.

 

Get ready, boys.

The one thing I would say, in the 51-3 game the only thing that went wrong was Norwood missing a FG wide right

 

And well what looks like what maybe a very close game…..  Bass should spend a lot of time on the extra points this week.   Haha.  Kidding but being serious there 

[Nihilarian]

First off, it's only natural for a team that just played a "perfect" game against a hated division rival...blow them out in a playoff game (30 point differential) to have a let down. That Buffalo Bills stadium was "crazy town happy" that Saturday night.

This let down could happen on so many levels.  That was against the #2 defense in the NFL too.

 

The main let down in thinking that they are so good... that all they need to do is show up and they win! That 1990 Bills team overlooked the fact that the NY Giants had just beaten a prolific 14-2 49er offense 15-13! 

 

Next, beating the Chiefs at Arrowhead will be a daunting task as KC scored on 6 drives...42 points against the Steelers defense! Yes, I know...Pittsburgh was 9-7-1 with the 20th ranked defense. Still, they saw what Buffalo did and wanted to show them that they are still an offensive powerhouse...and they are!

 

 

On another note, I can recall back in the 90s, then Chiefs HC Marty Schottenheimer whining that the AFC Championship game should be moved to a neutral site. A playoff game in Buffalo was just to much of a challenge for any team. That crying went nowhere.

 

Gotta remember...these Chiefs play dirty...they hold like crazy...remember Tony Romo calling the Chiefs defense "sticky" in last years Champ game?

 

Their O line was holding, their DBs were holding and meanwhile the Buffalo Bills were playing clean and getting toasted for it.

 

My hope is the Bills re-watch last years super bowl game in which the Bucs defense destroyed the Chiefs and had Mahomes running for his life! They held that vaunted KC offense to three field goals, 31-9. Buffalo needs to figure a way to copy that spectacular Tampa Bay performance.

 

I also think that Tom Brady being Brady... spoke to the refs before the game and told them to watch out for all the holding the Chiefs do. Chiefs were flagged 11 times for 120 yards. The very first series the Chiefs were flagged for holding. On an even field... the Chiefs were smoked!  

 

Lastly, nobody should be over confidant that this game is a win either way. It should be a war! Kinda wish the Bills had Tre for this one...That #1 defense is about to be tested big time. 

 

Just think, the Bengals or Titans are so happy that they won't need to face both the Bills and the Chiefs as one will get knocked out after this game. 

 

 

[billsfan1959]

8 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

I guess maybe write the Bills a letter...........there isn't anything we can do about their focus here.    Floating it out there against THIS hated opponent feels goofily superstitious/fatalistic.

 

Remember that those 1990 season Bills were the largest favorite in SB history going into SB XXV.............everyone had assumed that advancing to the SB would mean playing the two-time defending SB champion 49ers so when the seemingly low-powered Giants upset them and became the opponent  there was an almost natural let down to boot.

 

This is different..........the Bills are a road underdog playing the AFC SB favorite..........the team that was the Vegas favorite to win this year's SB already just moments after they lost the last one..........and most importantly, the team that knocked them out of the playoffs last year.

 

The potential for a let down would probably be an AFC title game against the Bengals.......I'll take my chances against a young, inexperienced roster playing at Buffalo though..............and even the Titans should bring out the vengeance in the Bills in the next round.

 

I love this matchup for the same reason I loved drawing the Patriots.........the potential for let down is low and the sweetness of victory could be astronomical.

 

 

Absolutely right. These are the two best teams in the AFC and the matchup most anticipated when the year began. The are each healthy and playing well. The Bills have understood since the end of last season that their path to the SB, this year and for the foreseeable future, was probably going to involve getting past the Chiefs. I don't think getting caught up in the press clippings from their performance last week or a lack of focus in any way is an issue here.

 

I feel good about this team and I am looking forward to this matchup.

[SoCal Deek]

The timing of this thread is a bit odd. There’s ZERO possibility that the Bills are looking past the Chiefs on Sunday night. So can we save the ‘looking past’ threads until next week when we host the Bengals? 

[Nihilarian]

24 minutes ago, Another Fan said:

The one thing I would say, in the 51-3 game the only thing that went wrong was Norwood missing a FG wide right

 

And well what looks like what maybe a very close game…..  Bass should spend a lot of time on the extra points this week.   Haha.  Kidding but being serious there 

So many things wrong in that SB IMO.

 

The Bills didn't run Thurman nearly enough from the start! 15 carries for the guy that got them that far was almost criminal. The Bills ran more then they threw it in those days, 425 pass attempts vs 479 run attempts. 

 

That Norwood 47 yard FG was on grass shouldn't have even been attempted in knowing that Norwood kicked poorly on grass and his leg was weak. 47 yards for him would be like a 60 yarder for Bass. 8 seconds left they should have tried one more pass to the sideline. 

 

That Buffalo defense was built to speed rush the passer... but lame as heck in stopping the run. NY Giants Time of Possession  40:33 vs 19:27 for Buffalo. Geez, change up the players to stop the run. The Giants didn't have Phil Simms who was injured, as their backup QB was playing, force them to pass. 

 

The fact that Bruce Smith had his hand on the Giants QB's wrist with the ball in his hand... in the end zone. Thought for certain that would have been a Buffalo TD. 

 

Simply out coached. It's like nobody on the Buffalo staff watched film on the Giants. 

[Nihilarian]

8 minutes ago, SoCal Deek said:

The timing of this thread is a bit odd. There’s ZERO possibility that the Bills are looking past the Chiefs on Sunday night. So can we save the ‘looking past’ threads until next week when we host the Bengals? 

Man, I sure hope the Bills coaches, players don't have this much over confidence.  

[SoCal Deek]

3 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

Man, I sure hope the Bills coaches, players don't have this much over confidence.  

Over confidence in the Bengals? 

[Southern_Bills]

1 hour ago, HOUSE said:

Do we get a trophy for beating the Chiefs??

 

just asking....

 

That would be a hard no.

[zow2]

I kept hearing all year that the Bills we're built to beat the Chiefs.  Well, here we are.  Beat the Chiefs.  Then don't get cocky and beat the Bengals/Titans.  McDermott always talks about staying "humble and hungry".  

[TC in St. Louis]

I think this week's game is a better matchup than anything remaining in the playoffs, including the Super Bowl.  

 

My original post was a reminder, maybe more to us than them.  In the post game interview Josh seemed to already have the right mindset....this game is over, and now we have to get to work on the next game......whoever it is.  He is the leader of this team, and I believe he will help move the Pats game into the rearview, and push toward this week's game.

 

Nobody is going to crown us for beating the Chiefs.  It's not the Super Bowl.  But in 1980 the USA Men's Hockey Team beat the Russians, and that's what we all remember and celebrate.  That was not for the Gold.  They had another game to play, against Finland.  Which they won, but nobody remembers that game.  

 

Here I am making too big a deal over one game.  

[chris heff]

2 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Do we get a trophy for beating the Chiefs??

 

just asking....

Yes I’m going to send you a trophy if the Bills beat the Chiefs, however to verify your identity I’ll need bank account number and pin.

[Draconator]

2 hours ago, HOUSE said:

Do we get a trophy for beating the Chiefs??

 

just asking....

[JohnNord]

10 hours ago, TC in St. Louis said:

When the Bills beat the Raiders 51-3, they were on top of the world.  They were cocky and had perhaps too much swagger.  They only had a week to prepare for the Super Bowl, and they allegedly took a lot of that time having fun and going to parties.  We know what happened.

 

I'm confident that the Bills have already moved past the Patriots game....as great as that was, that means very little when it comes to the next opponent.  They will have to work their tails off and be humble.  They played a perfect game, just like the Oakland AFC Championship game, but they need to be careful not to get wrapped up in reading how great they were last Saturday.

 

Right now that game means nothing.  Of course, in the history of the franchise, it was as sweet as it gets.

 

Get ready, boys.

 

The only similarity I can find between the two is that they were lopsided victories in the playoffs 

[Livinginthepast]

58 minutes ago, Nihilarian said:

So many things wrong in that SB IMO.

 

The Bills didn't run Thurman nearly enough from the start! 15 carries for the guy that got them that far was almost criminal. The Bills ran more then they threw it in those days, 425 pass attempts vs 479 run attempts. 

 

That Norwood 47 yard FG was on grass shouldn't have even been attempted in knowing that Norwood kicked poorly on grass and his leg was weak. 47 yards for him would be like a 60 yarder for Bass. 8 seconds left they should have tried one more pass to the sideline. 

 

That Buffalo defense was built to speed rush the passer... but lame as heck in stopping the run. NY Giants Time of Possession  40:33 vs 19:27 for Buffalo. Geez, change up the players to stop the run. The Giants didn't have Phil Simms who was injured, as their backup QB was playing, force them to pass. 

 

The fact that Bruce Smith had his hand on the Giants QB's wrist with the ball in his hand... in the end zone. Thought for certain that would have been a Buffalo TD. 

 

Simply out coached. It's like nobody on the Buffalo staff watched film on the Giants. 

You can really go insane rethinking that game and what a huge opportunity the Bills choked away. If anything it should have resembled one of those 80s SB blowouts with the Giants getting pummeled but everything that could have gone wrong for the Bills did. That 3rd quarter where the Bills couldnt get the Giants offense off the field was the most excruciating 15 mins of football I have ever watched!  The feeling after the Saturdays game was eerily similar to after the Raiders game so I totally get the OP's concern.  The good news is that these Bills are a lot more dialed in and party a lot less than the 90s team. Current coaching staff is also way better prepared than Marv and the gang. Now its time for this team to play to their potential and keep it going right to the end!

[BuffaloBillyG]

A large portion of the current Bills roster wasn't even born yet when 51-3 happened.

 

Have a great day.

[stinky finger]

40 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

My only caution for this game is the Bills are 0-5 in one score games all year… figure this game will be close so I hope they can finally find a way to win a close one. 

 

Worry, not.

 

36-27 is two scores.

[Billsfan1972]

A lot of things happened that Superbowl game and just downright bad luck kept the Bills from the win.

 

The one week between the 51-3 win and SB was the biggest detriment and the Giants were ready and knew what to expect & the Bills were not.   The week is too hectic and too much going on the Bills had too much fun.  

 

Everything was just off that game and really they easily should have been 10-20 yards closer for the attempt, but lousy time management that last drive.

 

Add to that how the Giants seem to convert every big play.

 

End of the day I don't compare the Chiefs game to the SB game 30+ years ago.

 

Other things to worry about.

[Behindenemylines]

8 hours ago, Draconator said:

Didnt they find this in the endzone at the game last weekend?

[FilthyBeast]

19 hours ago, TC in St. Louis said:

When the Bills beat the Raiders 51-3, they were on top of the world.  They were cocky and had perhaps too much swagger.  They only had a week to prepare for the Super Bowl, and they allegedly took a lot of that time having fun and going to parties.  We know what happened.

 

I'm confident that the Bills have already moved past the Patriots game....as great as that was, that means very little when it comes to the next opponent.  They will have to work their tails off and be humble.  They played a perfect game, just like the Oakland AFC Championship game, but they need to be careful not to get wrapped up in reading how great they were last Saturday.

 

Right now that game means nothing.  Of course, in the history of the franchise, it was as sweet as it gets.

 

Get ready, boys.

 

I'll never forgot that year and that team was certainly the best of all the 90's SB teams.

 

 

The rest were obviously great too but nowhere close the NFC counterparts in the SB which is why losing to an vastly inferior Giants team that they should have put away by halftime still stings over 30 years later.

[Matt_In_NH]

The difference is the Bills we’re better than the Giants and it was not close.  They had a backup QB in there.   The Bills were not disciplined Super Bowl week.   It was a party to them.  
 

This Chiefs team is worthy.  They are the home favorite.