Best Bills Games Ever (Top Five)

[CSBill]

8 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

I'm old enough to remember a lot of great games, but not so old that I had the privilege of seeing the AFL Championships.  But I did get to see the Dolphins decade long streak end, OJ break 2,000 yards, and lots of other fun moments.  My Top Five includes two games from this past season:

 

1.  The Comeback.  Coming back from 35-3 without Kelly was unlikely.  Even more unlikely when you recall what the Oilers did to us in the regular season.

 

2.  The Perfect Game.  So fun to watch this happen to Belichick and the Pats after all the suffering they caused us.

 

3.  The No Punt Game.  The two best offenses went toe-to-toe in a game that surpassed the pre-game hype.

 

4.  51-3.  It's always fun to see your team score a lot, but more fun when it convinces you that your team is peaking at just the right time for the Super Bowl.

 

5.  13 Seconds.  This would rank higher if we could rewrite the ending.  

 

A slow Sunday afternoon, so I took the opportunity to re-watch "the Perfect Game" today. Can we start the 2022 season soon?

[WotAGuy]

1980 Squish the Fish season opener. 

 

1968 Beat the Jets, who went on to win the Super Bowl, for only win of the season. 4 INT TD returns including one for 100 yds. 

 

1992 No Punt Game

 

1990 AFC Championship 51-3

 

1993 AFC Championship “We’re Baaaack!”

 

Just can’t pick a loss as greatest game ever, but 13 seconds may have been. The Win against the Chiefs last October was an amazing game too. 
 

[K D]

1 hour ago, Big Turk said:

 

Pretty sure a lot of people will remember it since it's the only one in NFL history.

You mean the perfect game? You would think so but my friends of other teams didn't even know that it happened and that was just a few months ago. Didn't really get a lot of publicity around the league

[hondo in seattle]

7 hours ago, Solomon Grundy said:

Where’s the 2 Dolphins games where Kelly dived in to score the winning TD and the Thurman Thomas game?

 

I considered the Kelly-dive Fins game.  I don't have the greatest memory and have forgotten a lot of games.  Not that one.  

[Charles Romes]

Week 16 1990

Date: December 23

Location: Rich Stadium

Referee: Red Cashion

TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire

The Bills, under backup quarterback Frank Reich, defeated the Miami Dolphins and wrapped up the AFC East title. Reich connected with James Loftonand Andre Reed for touchdowns, ultimately winning 24–14 despite fourteen penalties to five for Miami.

[Dablitzkrieg]

2 minutes ago, Charles Romes said:

Week 16 1990

Date: December 23

Location: Rich Stadium

Referee: Red Cashion

TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire

The Bills, under backup quarterback Frank Reich, defeated the Miami Dolphins and wrapped up the AFC East title. Reich connected with James Loftonand Andre Reed for touchdowns, ultimately winning 24–14 despite fourteen penalties to five for Miami.

First dowwwwwwwwwwwwwn

[hondo in seattle]

8 hours ago, GunnerBill said:

 

Ugh. So American. Hate it. 

 

My top 5:

 

1. 13 seconds. Best game of NFL football I have ever watched. Period. Hated the outcome but just unbelievable football. 

2. The Aaron Rodgers safety game. Bills Beat Packers at home in 2014. Felt like the first time in a long time we beat a properly legitimate team in a game with some meaning down the stretch of a season.

3. The perfect playoff game. Bashing the Pats.

4. 2020 Wild Card win v Colts. The first Bills playoff win I had seen.

5. 2017 Wild Card defeat v Jacksonville. Might seem like an odd choice. Awful spectacle. Loss. Tyrod running around not throwing the ball. But after 15 years as a fan I was finally seeing the Bills play in the post-season. That will remain a pretty cool moment for me. 

 

Good list, GB. 

 

I'm not "so American" in all things.  I love Asian, Hispanic, and European food - not to mention women.  I read a lot of world history and, occasionally, foreign novels.  And I have tremendously enjoyed my adventures in Asia, South America, the Middle East and Europe.  

 

But if I'm going to watch a movie, let's say, about your country in WWII, I'd rather watch something heroic and uplifting about D-Day or the Battle of Britain then a depressing drama about the losses at Dunkirk or Singapore.  Endings matter.  

 

Still, '13 Seconds' makes my list because up until that final drive, I probably enjoyed that game more than any other - excepting The Comeback.  

 

10 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

From the perspective of one who sat in the Rockpile as a 4 year old for the first game in 1960:

 

1.  AFL championship game 1964.  The Stratton hit.

2.  The comeback game against the Oilers.

3.  AFL championship game 1965

4.  Season opener 1980 finally squished the Fish.

5 (tie):  First AFC championship 51-3 against the Raiders; 1974 Monday Night season opener against the Raiders.

 

Curiously, that MNF game against the Raiders is the only Bills home game I've ever attended.  For that reason alone, it was a candidate for my Top Five but didn't quite make the cut.  

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by hondo in seattle

[Steptide]

I didn't become a die hard fan until my early 20s (currently 41), so my Fandom really started right at the beggining of the drought. I remember the big games in the 90s, but I was pretty young so they didn't effect me the way they woukd today. So my top 5 in no particular order would be - 

 

Patriots 2011

Patriots afc wildcard this year 

Dallas mnf 2007

KC divisional round this year 

Bengals and Ravens 2017

[SoMAn]

12 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

From the perspective of one who sat in the Rockpile as a 4 year old for the first game in 1960:

 

1.  AFL championship game 1964.  The Stratton hit.

2.  The comeback game against the Oilers.

3.  AFL championship game 1965

4.  Season opener 1980 finally squished the Fish.

5 (tie):  First AFC championship 51-3 against the Raiders; 1974 Monday Night season opener against the Raiders.

Nice to see the 1974 opener mentioned. It’s rarely discussed and the younger generation have no idea. I was at that game. The final few minutes were much like the recent KC playoff game with the Raiders and Bills trading the lead several times in those last few minutes. The difference is that the Bills had the final lead.  OJ was out with injury and Fergy JD Hill and Ahmad Rashad picked up the slack. One of the best games I ever attended. 

[hondo in seattle]

6 minutes ago, SoMAn said:

Nice to see the 1974 opener mentioned. It’s rarely discussed and the younger generation have no idea. I was at that game. The final few minutes were much like the recent KC playoff game with the Raiders and Bills trading the lead several times in those last few minutes. The difference is that the Bills had the final lead.  OJ was out with injury and Fergy JD Hill and Ahmad Rashad picked up the slack. One of the best games I ever attended. 

 

OJ was my favorite football ever - before he descended into scumdom.   I was so disappointed he got hurt in the first half because I wanted to cheer for his preternatural athleticism in person.  I never imagined that Fergy would pick up the slack and was stunned by the outcome.   If I recall correctly, this was our first MNF victory ever and the Raiders first MNF loss?  

[RocCityRoller]

good lists of games

 

I'll throw September 30, 1990

Buffalo 29 Denver 28

Kelly vs Elway

 

Denver represented the AFC in the Super Bowl the year prior, Buffalo was trying to correct being the Bickering Bills in 1989.

 

Buffalo trails Denver 21-9 entering the 4th quarter.

Denver is at the Buffalo 10 yd line and about to go up 24-9, with all an Pro Kicker (Treadwell) lined up for a 24 yd field goal.

 

Buffalo blocks the FG and goes on to score 20 points in 77 seconds over the next 5 plays.

One on ST, one on DEF, one on Offense

 

IMO that game was the spark to the beginning of the Super Bowl run and forged the resiliency the 1990s Bills show for the next 4 years.

Solid summary below:

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by RocCityRoller

[wjag]

1. 13 seconds.  Well the last 10 minutes. 
2. Beating Dolphins in 1980 after the 0 for the 70s. 
3. 31-0 opening season game against Patriots. 
4. The Frank Reich game.  
5. 51-3 pasting of the Raiders.  
6. Perfect game against Patriots.  
7. Curb stomping Patriots on MNF where Belichick throws the phone. 

[Greg S]

5 playoff games

 

1. Comeback game - nothing else needs to be said.

2. 90 AFCCG game - everything went right that day in a 51-3 rout of the Raiders.

3. 81 WC at Shea - Bill Simpson's INT at the goal line with 11 seconds left stops a furious Jets rally. Bills hold on 31-27.

4. 91 Divisional round - 44-34 over Miami. Always fun to squish the fish.

5. 2021 WC game - 47-17 beatdown of the Pats. I could watch that game over and over.

 

5 regular season games

 

1. 80 opener. The streaks ends as the Bills beat the Fins 17-7. Fans storm the field like they won the Super Bowl.

2. 89 classic. Bills 47-41 over the Oilers at the Astrodome. Kelly and Moon had a shootout that day. Lead changed hands numerous times.

3. 03 opener. Bills 31-0 over the Pats. A beat down of Brady is always fun to watch.

4. Bills rally past the Broncos 29-28. This was the 3 touchdowns in 77 seconds game.

5. Bills beat Jets 9-6 in 88 to clinch the division for the first time in 8 years. I think Smerlas blocked a FG to preserve the win. 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Greg S

[freddyjj]

22 hours ago, oldmanfan said:

Season opener 1980 finally squished the Fish.

Hard to believe Bills overcame 5 Fergy INTs and 2 lost fumbles.  Those 2 late TDs were huge for the win.   

[SoMAn]

10 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

OJ was my favorite football ever - before he descended into scumdom.   I was so disappointed he got hurt in the first half because I wanted to cheer for his preternatural athleticism in person.  I never imagined that Fergy would pick up the slack and was stunned by the outcome.   If I recall correctly, this was our first MNF victory ever and the Raiders first MNF loss?  

 

10 hours ago, hondo in seattle said:

 

OJ was my favorite football ever - before he descended into scumdom.   I was so disappointed he got hurt in the first half because I wanted to cheer for his preternatural athleticism in person.  I never imagined that Fergy would pick up the slack and was stunned by the outcome.   If I recall correctly, this was our first MNF victory ever and the Raiders first MNF loss?  

You may be right about the first Raiders MNF loss, but it was the second MNF win in 2 years for the Bills.  I was also at the first one in '73 against KC when OJ went over 1,000 yards in game 7.  Was in the club seats on the press box side,  sitting a few rows in front of where Cosell, Meredith, and Giffords were broadcasting.  That game is when the notion of OJ breaking Jim Brown's season record and maybe even hitting 2,000 yards became a frequent conversation.

[eball]

Off the top of my head:

 

Comeback

51-3

Perfect game

Fitz/Jackson beat Brady* 2011

77 seconds

 

[corta765]

21 hours ago, SinceThe70s said:

 

Top 3 are the only times I've been to Orchard Park:

 

November 12, 2000: Bills 20 Bears 3

 

Ah yes the game which Wade started Rob in the second half only for him to get injured and be cheered off the field by the fans. I was at that game with my dad and that was unreal.

[BigDingus]

Of my life time, and which I vividly remember, these are my top 5 (in no particular order):

 

1. vs Patriots 2011 - Finally get some revenge, start 3-0, Fitzmagic in full swing 

2. vs Patriots 2003 - Home opener,  31-0 shutout, beautiful 

3.  vs Oilers 1993 - Greatest comeback in NFL history, need I say more?

4. vs Jaguars in 1998 (I think) - They were undefeated, Flutie was still trying to prove he was the man, runs it in himself for a TD to win the game

5. vs Patriots 2022 - 7 TD's/7 Drives in the playoffs. Pristine performance. 

 

So yeah, my list uh... has a pattern. Handful of wins against the Patriots through 2 decades of futility stand out, though in my defense, there weren't many standout accomplishments pre-Josh for 17 years. 

 

Sadly, about 2 dozen awful games came to mind while trying to think of these. My Bills memories begin during the Redskins SB, so I can't vouch for anything further back than that. 

 

[Steve O]

7 hours ago, RocCityRoller said:

good lists of games

 

I'll throw September 30, 1990

Buffalo 29 Denver 28

Kelly vs Elway

 

Denver represented the AFC in the Super Bowl the year prior, Buffalo was trying to correct being the Bickering Bills in 1989.

 

Buffalo trails Denver 21-9 entering the 4th quarter.

Denver is at the Buffalo 10 yd line and about to go up 24-9, with all an Pro Kicker (Treadwell) lined up for a 24 yd field goal.

 

Buffalo blocks the FG and goes on to score 20 points in 77 seconds over the next 5 plays.

One on ST, one on DEF, one on Offense

 

IMO that game was the spark to the beginning of the Super Bowl run and forged the resiliency the 1990s Bills show for the next 4 years.

Solid summary below:

 

 

I'm only going to comment on games I attended since it just adds something being there. This is number 3 on the list. Was in the tunnel waiting to make a B-line to the car when the block and ensuing TD sent me back to the stands. Agree with your assessment that this was the play that sparked the 90's championship run.

#5 was the Carolina game when EJ threw a TD pass to Stevie with maybe 7 seconds left. Thought a new era had begun with EJ at the helm. Turns out it was his shinning moment. Everyone gets one.

#4 51-3

#3 - quoted game

#2 - The win over New England, 2011?

#1 - I once heard a personality who played a lot of golf being asked about the best course he ever played. He said you have to take Augusta out of the conversation because nothing else compares to it. In that same vein, as others have mentioned, The Comeback.

 

2 losses that were great were the Kofler comeback vs the Raiders in the early 80's, and the Monday nite game vs the Cowboys, maybe 2007

Edited April 11, 2022 by Steve O

[SinceThe70s]

11 minutes ago, corta765 said:

 

Ah yes the game which Wade started Rob in the second half only for him to get injured and be cheered off the field by the fans. I was at that game with my dad and that was unreal.

 

As an out of market fan I was shocked at how much vitriol there was in the Flutie/Johnson debate.