Comparison to 1989 and 2021 Bills

[ManCrushPassRush]

In 1988 Buffalo goes 12-4 to win the division for the first time in 8 years and lost the AFC Championship to the Bengals. In 1989 Buffalo underperforms in the regular season and narrowly wins the division before going on to lose a heartbreaker in the Divisional Round. 1990 you have your best season in team history and go to your first super bowl. 2022 Bills to the Super Bowl, I'm calling it now. 

 

1988: 12-4 (Lost AFC Championship)

1989: 9-7 (Lost Divisional Round)

1990: 13-3 (Super Bowl XXV) 

[Solomon Grundy]

6 minutes ago, ManCrushPassRush said:

In 1988 Buffalo goes 12-4 to win the division for the first time in 8 years and lost the AFC Championship to the Bengals. In 1989 Buffalo underperforms in the regular season and narrowly wins the division before going on to lose a heartbreaker in the Divisional Round. 1990 you have your best season in team history and go to your first super bowl. 2022 Bills to the Super Bowl, I'm calling it now. 

 

1988: 12-4 (Lost AFC Championship)

1989: 9-7 (Lost Divisional Round)

1990: 13-3 (Super Bowl XXV) 

You forgot to put Lost in there

[Chris from Rochester]

I was a kid during the 4 years in a row run, I just thought it was a game we played in every year.

 

Sign me up for 4 Superbowls, just not the losses. After yesterday, I don't know if adult me could emotionally handle 4 losses in a row. So much respect to the older guys here who really went through it, tough breed!

[BuffaloBill]

19 minutes ago, ManCrushPassRush said:

In 1988 Buffalo goes 12-4 to win the division for the first time in 8 years and lost the AFC Championship to the Bengals. In 1989 Buffalo underperforms in the regular season and narrowly wins the division before going on to lose a heartbreaker in the Divisional Round. 1990 you have your best season in team history and go to your first super bowl. 2022 Bills to the Super Bowl, I'm calling it now. 

 

1988: 12-4 (Lost AFC Championship)

1989: 9-7 (Lost Divisional Round)

1990: 13-3 (Super Bowl XXV) 

 

 

Nice thought but different era in football. Kelly also had a better team all around him. Josh does not have 7 seven hall of fame players, coaches or organizational members on the roster / organization right now.  It could well be that nobody from the 2022 defense makes the HOF (maybe Tre…. Maybe). On offense Maybe Diggs but he may be more of a long shot than Tre (He he has not taken over the really big games yet).  It’s crazy and sad but Josh stands alone on this roster. 

[Big Turk]

33 minutes ago, ManCrushPassRush said:

In 1988 Buffalo goes 12-4 to win the division for the first time in 8 years and lost the AFC Championship to the Bengals. In 1989 Buffalo underperforms in the regular season and narrowly wins the division before going on to lose a heartbreaker in the Divisional Round. 1990 you have your best season in team history and go to your first super bowl. 2022 Bills to the Super Bowl, I'm calling it now. 

 

1988: 12-4 (Lost AFC Championship)

1989: 9-7 (Lost Divisional Round)

1990: 13-3 (Super Bowl XXV) 

 

I have been saying this for a while...that team just like this one didn't understand how to take every teams best shot and go from being the hunter to the hunted. They didn't know how to match the intensity their opponents payed with each week and it hurt them.

 

Obviously both teams lost in heartbreaking fashion in the divisional round.

 

Next year is going to be our time to shine.

[All_Pro_Bills]

3 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Nice thought but different era in football. Kelly also had a better team all around him. Josh does not have 7 seven hall of fame players, coaches or organizational members on the roster / organization right now.  It could well be that nobody from the 2022 defense makes the HOF (maybe Tre…. Maybe). On offense Maybe Diggs but he may be more of a long shot than Tre (He he has not taken over the really big games yet).  It’s crazy and sad but Josh stands alone on this roster. 

For me a better comparison is crossing over to a different sport but staying in the same city and that's the Sabres of the Hasek era vs. the Bills of the Allen era.  

[BuffaloBillyG]

10 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Nice thought but different era in football. Kelly also had a better team all around him. Josh does not have 7 seven hall of fame players, coaches or organizational members on the roster / organization right now.  It could well be that nobody from the 2022 defense makes the HOF (maybe Tre…. Maybe). On offense Maybe Diggs but he may be more of a long shot than Tre (He he has not taken over the really big games yet).  It’s crazy and sad but Josh stands alone on this roster. 

Just for funsies...let's flip the script to the Chiefs. How many HoF level players/Staff did we play against last night?

 

LIKELY:

1. Andy

2. Mahomes

3. Kelce

 

Possible:

1. Hill

2. Mathieu

 

Hall of very good:

1. Jones

2. Ingram

3. Thuney

 

 

How did he make this squad:

Sorenson

 

 

And I'm sure more arguments could be made.

 

 

[Low Positive]

The problem with that comparison is that there was no other team in the AFC at that time on the level of KC. This is starting to get a Brady/Manning feel to it. 

[Nuncha]

This team reminded me of the 1989 team in many ways this year and compared the two in my mind often.

 

Biggest differences I see between now and 1989 is the 89 team could get after the QB..... some guy named Bruce Smith was relentless, and Thurman Thomas was feared both running the ball and catching it.  

 

Daryl Talley was clearly the vocal leader on D back then....I can't say we have a leader on D today.

 

Kelly had a much better O line, but Josh's ability to run and pass on the move helps that be somewhat of a wash.

Edited January 24, 2022 by Azucho98

[LABILLBACKER]

17 minutes ago, BuffaloBill said:

 

 

Nice thought but different era in football. Kelly also had a better team all around him. Josh does not have 7 seven hall of fame players, coaches or organizational members on the roster / organization right now.  It could well be that nobody from the 2022 defense makes the HOF (maybe Tre…. Maybe). On offense Maybe Diggs but he may be more of a long shot than Tre (He he has not taken over the really big games yet).  It’s crazy and sad but Josh stands alone on this roster. 

Josh Allen = Mike Trout

.....until they surround him with a better defense, we'll struggle every year against Mahomes.

[FilthyBeast]

Please stop making this comparison, if anything because there wasn't anything close to the Chiefs and Mahomes in the league, let alone the same conference to have to overcome during those times.

 

I'm not saying this team can't get to a SB next year they will certainly be the consensus 2nd favorite again behind KC, or in some cases the favorite but until you do the obvious and beat the current kings of the ring that's all that matters and 2 straight years this team has failed to do so.

 

 

[TheBrownBear]

2 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

Please stop making this comparison, if anything because there wasn't anything close to the Chiefs and Mahomes in the league, let alone the same conference to have to overcome during those times.

 

I'm not saying this team can't get to a SB next year they will certainly be the consensus 2nd favorite again behind KC, or in some cases the favorite but until you do the obvious and beat the current kings of the ring that's all that matters and 2 straight years this team has failed to do so.

 

 

I do like the comparison to the '89 squad.  Came in with "next step" Super Bowl aspirations, but both ended up playing uneven over the course of the season and even had a little drama thrown in (bickering bills vs. Beas/Covid stuff). 

 

But I also agree with you that it feels like a much tougher row to hoe currently with Mahomes and other elite young guns like Herbert and Burrow potentially standing in your way every year for the next 10+ seasons (not to mention any other greats who come along in the next few years).  Our window is open now and we really need to take advantage of it next year by winning the close regular season games and sweeping the division and all of the other gimme games that we should win.  We are way too talented of a team with this version of Josh Allen to have been sweating making the playoffs out of the AFC East with 4 weeks left in the season.  And going on the road to Arrowhead in the playoffs is a recipe for failure.  I want these guys at home next year.

[EasternOHBillsFan]

17 minutes ago, FilthyBeast said:

Please stop making this comparison, if anything because there wasn't anything close to the Chiefs and Mahomes in the league, let alone the same conference to have to overcome during those times.

 

 

That's a massive slight to Elway and Montana... those two teams, who happened to meet in Super Bowl XXIV, were that good in their respective conferences. Elway was an amazing talent who was producing some amazing seasons and Montana was a multi Super Bowl winning QB with some HOF stars. Please don't try and say that the comparison isn't valid based upon that because it is just not true.

[major]

Nostalgia is often used to help people going through PTSD (which is what we seem to be doing around here today)

[Nuncha]

17 minutes ago, EasternOHBillsFan said:

 

That's a massive slight to Elway and Montana... those two teams, who happened to meet in Super Bowl XXIV, were that good in their respective conferences. Elway was an amazing talent who was producing some amazing seasons and Montana was a multi Super Bowl winning QB with some HOF stars. Please don't try and say that the comparison isn't valid based upon that because it is just not true.

Dan Marino, John Elway and even Warren Moon were very dangerous QB's in the AFC back then.  Jim Kelly was not the top dog in the AFC.

[dorquemada]

43 minutes ago, Azucho98 said:

This team reminded me of the 1989 team in many ways this year and compared the two in my mind often.

 

Biggest differences I see between now and 1989 is the 89 team could get after the QB..... some guy named Bruce Smith was relentless, and Thurman Thomas was feared both running the ball and catching it.  

 

Daryl Talley was clearly the vocal leader on D back then....I can't say we have a leader on D today.

 

Kelly had a much better O line, but Josh's ability to run and pass on the move helps that be somewhat of a wash.

 

You nailed it.  I can't figure out if it's the personnel on D, or the scheme.  It's like they're coached to play meek.  In any case, there's no Bruce and no Thurman on this team

[EasternOHBillsFan]

6 hours ago, Azucho98 said:

Dan Marino, John Elway and even Warren Moon were very dangerous QB's in the AFC back then.  Jim Kelly was not the top dog in the AFC.

 

Elway and Montana were the most consistent QBs at that time who play at a championship level... Marino (after his rookie season) and Moon could never make it out of the playoffs to get to the Super Bowl. Josh MUST get past that Marino and Moon level, but with the way he plays, he will get there but it means beating a QB who is BETTER than Elway or Montana IMHO...

6 hours ago, dorquemada said:

 

You nailed it.  I can't figure out if it's the personnel on D, or the scheme.  It's like they're coached to play meek.  In any case, there's no Bruce and no Thurman on this team

 

Defense, defense, defense... we don't need a Thurman at this point. Our offense is amazing after some minor personnel adjustments.

 

The evaluation of that game last night on defense will go a long way towards improving it.

[Boatdrinks]

There is no comparison. The Bills and the NFL in general were completely different.