Easter Sunday Football non-football Bills vs Broncos AFC CHAMPIONSHIP ‘91

[Chandler#81]

Hyped as a wild scoring affair between 2 great Offenses on a rare beautiful January Sunday, it became the best Defensive title match in AFL history.

 

[Ethan in Cleveland]

I dont know Chandler. I remember that more as Kelly playing really poorly. Didn't he have horrible red zone INT in that game? 

[Another Fan]

One of the few times the Bills got a blown call that went in their favor…..  thought that was a Broncos incomplete pass after the onside kick 

Edited April 9, 2023 by Another Fan

[Chandler#81]

54 minutes ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

I dont know Chandler. I remember that more as Kelly playing really poorly. Didn't he have horrible red zone INT in that game? 

I’ll reiterate for you, the best Defensive title match in AFC history.

[mushypeaches]

I'll always remember Dick Enberg's call of the 3rd missed Denver FG in the 1st half:

 

"And it hits the upright again!!!  Oh myyyyyyyy"

[JohnNord]

8 hours ago, Chandler#81 said:

Hyped as a wild scoring affair between 2 great Offenses on a rare beautiful January Sunday, it became the best Defensive title match in AFL history.

 

It always is crazy to me that the Bills kept shut out Denver’s offense led by Elway.  Then when lowly Gary Kubiak came in, he went right down the field for a TD and nearly tied up the game.  

[vincec]

Great defensive game plan by Wade Phillips. It was copied by Washington who would have similar success on defense vs the Bills in the Super Bowl. Bills D definitely stepped up at home with an insane crowd behind them to bail the offense out.

Edited April 9, 2023 by vincec

[JohnNord]

32 minutes ago, vincec said:

Great defensive game plan by Wade Phillips. It was copied by Washington who would have similar success on defense vs the Bills in the Super Bowl. Bills D definitely stepped up at home with an insane crowd behind them to bail the offense out.

What was the defensive plan?  All remember from SB26 was their secondary being really aggressive with our receivers and getting away with it 

[vincec]

53 minutes ago, JohnNord said:

What was the defensive plan?  All remember from SB26 was their secondary being really aggressive with our receivers and getting away with it 

Blitz packages that they couldn’t pickup. Kelly was under constant pressure in both games and the receivers had trouble vs the press man because, as you say, the refs let the DBs get physical with them.

[Mister Defense]

Loved attending this old-school, great defensive game.  To me, a game like that is preferable to a scoring fest where the last team with the ball wins.

 

It also made me really appreciate Wade Phillips and to welcome him with open arms when he came to Buffalo. 

 

Old school game, old school coach, and one of the best Bills playoff games ever.

[corta765]

On 4/9/2023 at 7:44 PM, vincec said:

Blitz packages that they couldn’t pickup. Kelly was under constant pressure in both games and the receivers had trouble vs the press man because, as you say, the refs let the DBs get physical with them.

 

Buffalo against the bigger more physically aggressive teams in the SB struggled and never made adjustments to counter the blitz either. I watched SB28 last year start to finish for fun (I know big FUN) and I walked away with the offense being unable to make consistent plays and drives. The 1st half Buffalo had Dallas off guard but only walked away with 13 pts. Once Dallas got going Buffalo never adjusted or countered to any degree. I understand the no huddle being what it was made the Bills offense go, but their unwillingness to evolve the strategy with new concepts and at times slow it down worked against them in each subsequent SB after 25.

[dave mcbride]

On 4/9/2023 at 9:08 AM, Another Fan said:

One of the few times the Bills got a blown call that went in their favor…..  thought that was a Broncos incomplete pass after the onside kick 

In 1991, that was without question a catch and fumble. They changed the rule to making a football move decades later. That was always called a fumble back then. The Bills didn't get away with one. 

[RoyBatty is alive]

This is an historic game, the only playoff game where a QB (Kubiak) throw for more yards then two future Hall of Fame QBs (Elway & Kelly). 

[vincec]

8 hours ago, corta765 said:

 

Buffalo against the bigger more physically aggressive teams in the SB struggled and never made adjustments to counter the blitz either. I watched SB28 last year start to finish for fun (I know big FUN) and I walked away with the offense being unable to make consistent plays and drives. The 1st half Buffalo had Dallas off guard but only walked away with 13 pts. Once Dallas got going Buffalo never adjusted or countered to any degree. I understand the no huddle being what it was made the Bills offense go, but their unwillingness to evolve the strategy with new concepts and at times slow it down worked against them in each subsequent SB after 25.

SB26 and especially 25 are the ones that got away. Dallas was a whole different animal and probably one of the best team of all time, IMO. Beating them was always going to be tough.

[BillsPride12]

13 hours ago, vincec said:

SB26 and especially 25 are the ones that got away. Dallas was a whole different animal and probably one of the best team of all time, IMO. Beating them was always going to be tough.

There was nothing that got away from Buffalo in SB26.  They got their ass kicked in that game.  

[Beast]

15 hours ago, vincec said:

SB26 and especially 25 are the ones that got away. Dallas was a whole different animal and probably one of the best team of all time, IMO. Beating them was always going to be tough.

No. SB 28 most certainly got away. From my recollection the Bills seemed to go conservative right at the end of the first half and settled for a FG. Thurman then fumbled on what looked like could have been a promising drive for a scoop and score and the Bills folded. You could see by the looks on their faces coming off the field after the Thomas fumble. The thing that sucked is that only tied the score. The Bills had no will to win after that play.

[corta765]

1 hour ago, Beast said:

No. SB 28 most certainly got away. From my recollection the Bills seemed to go conservative right at the end of the first half and settled for a FG. Thurman then fumbled on what looked like could have been a promising drive for a scoop and score and the Bills folded. You could see by the looks on their faces coming off the field after the Thomas fumble. The thing that sucked is that only tied the score. The Bills had no will to win after that play.

 

I rewatched SB28 last August. Defense actually did what it could and kept the team in as long as they could. Once Thurman fumbled the offense wasn't the same and couldn't get drives going. Dallas feasted on them at that point. The only thing that maybe would've changed the outcome would've been completely adjusting the gameplan to bait Dallas on screens and quick passes because of how good that front was. SB28 Buffalo 100% had a chance and it did get away, to Dallas credit they got going and were not stopped.

[RoyBatty is alive]

On 4/12/2023 at 8:24 AM, corta765 said:

 

Buffalo against the bigger more physically aggressive teams in the SB struggled and never made adjustments to counter the blitz either. I watched SB28 last year start to finish for fun (I know big FUN) and I walked away with the offense being unable to make consistent plays and drives. The 1st half Buffalo had Dallas off guard but only walked away with 13 pts. Once Dallas got going Buffalo never adjusted or countered to any degree. I understand the no huddle being what it was made the Bills offense go, but their unwillingness to evolve the strategy with new concepts and at times slow it down worked against them in each subsequent SB after 25.

That game was decided by one play, the Thurman Thomas fumble.  We had a two-score lead and were again marching down the field and were going to score again until Thurman loses the ball and they race it in for a TD.  A 100% momentum change.  I was at that game in Atlanta, it was like the air went out of the Bills.  Right then even still with the lead the Bills were defeated.

[vincec]

20 hours ago, Beast said:

No. SB 28 most certainly got away. From my recollection the Bills seemed to go conservative right at the end of the first half and settled for a FG. Thurman then fumbled on what looked like could have been a promising drive for a scoop and score and the Bills folded. You could see by the looks on their faces coming off the field after the Thomas fumble. The thing that sucked is that only tied the score. The Bills had no will to win after that play.

Dallas basically flipped a switch at halftime and took the game over. They ran the ball right down the defense’s throat and pitched a second half shutout. To me, this was the most depressing Super Bowl of the four because the Bills didn’t really play like crap, have a million turnovers, lose their starting QB, miss the winning FG, etc. They just ran up against a team that raised their game to a level the Bills could not match. It was hard to find excuses after that game.

Edited April 14, 2023 by vincec

[The Jokeman]

On 4/9/2023 at 6:50 PM, JohnNord said:

What was the defensive plan?  All remember from SB26 was their secondary being really aggressive with our receivers and getting away with it 

The Giants did the same thing against us in Super Bowl XXV.