Rough season opening losses— are we snake bit?

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

Is it just me, or do we have a disproportionate number of opening season heartbreakers? I am not talking just losses; I mean buzzer-beater type losses.
 

to name a few:

 

1) 2002: also lost on the last play of the game to the jets. Chad Morton 100 yard KO return in OT.

 

2) 2004: lost on last play of the game against Jags— big 4th and long conversion, and then Ernest wildfire catches the GW TD with a few seconds left on a force-out call.

 

3) 2007: Broncos win on GW FG, where Jason Elam ran onto the field to kick it and the announcers were screaming there wasn’t going to be enough time left.

 

4) 2009: McKelvin fumble in the last minute on a KO return, which led to patriots 1-point victory.

 

5) 2013: patriots kick GW FG with 4 seconds left to win by 2 points

 

6) 2023: jets punt return in OT to win it.

 

These are just ones in my recent memory. I suspect there are even more….

[QB Bills]

From my years of watching this team, I'd bet you could come up with a similar list for any given week in the season. Lots of teams lose games. Nobody loses them quite like the Bills.

[Airseven]

Well let’s just say last night was rather billsy!

[Buffalo716]

Just now, QB Bills said:

From my years of watching this team, I'd bet you could come up with a similar list for any given week in the season. Lots of teams lose games. Nobody loses them quite like the Bills.

That's literally not true at all

[MJS]

Well, the Bills sucked as a team for most of those games. They are a good team now.

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

2021 vs Steelers wasn't a last second loss, but it did have a lot of similarities to last nights game. Including allowing a special teams TD 

[UKBillFan]

I think you can remove "season opening" from the thread title.

[PayDaBill$]

Snake bit? Eh maybe.  I just can’t believe how many ways we can come up with to CHOKE games.

 

So I guess we’re creatively snake bit😉

[Low Positive]

7 minutes ago, QB Bills said:

From my years of watching this team, I'd bet you could come up with a similar list for any given week in the season. Lots of teams lose games. Nobody loses them quite like the Bills.

Only in a world where the Cleveland Browns don't exist.

[GoBills808]

Disproportionate amount of weird losses period

 

I mean who loses on a walk off punt return lol

[JerseyBills]

Also 2021. A bad Steelers team smacked us around 

[bklnpete]

8 minutes ago, QB Bills said:

From my years of watching this team, I'd bet you could come up with a similar list for any given week in the season. Lots of teams lose games. Nobody loses them quite like the Bills.

This 👌🏼

[HurlyBurly51]

2022 wasn't so bad

[The Jokeman]

Do we still lose if Wilson doesn't make e an amazing catch? I doubt it but who knows. I physically throw up after the game. Yet today it's more clear to me that we lost to a good defense in the Jets much like last year. Yet last year we also went 13-2 against the rest of the league. I'm upset but the sky isn't falling yet.

Edited September 12, 2023 by The Jokeman

[Success]

There is no balance.  

 

It's a weird thing about the Bills. And it's not just opening day.  Most fans around the league can name some of the more prominent ones.

 

But there is a very short list of corresponding flukey/weird endings that went the Bills' way.  It's just disproportionate. I'd be okay losing the occasional heartbreaker, if we also won 1 or 2 along the way.  The vast majority of time, we're on the losing end of these kinds of games.

 

[zow2]

Not just opening season heartbreakers, how about games that are memorable for the entire country, and they always end in Buffalo losses?!?  

Just in the last couple years, everyone will remember the game when Aaron Rodgers with all the build up had a 4 play season.  And we Lost!  Last season the Minnesota game was voted the game of the year, so many chances to win and we Lost!  The KC 13 second game was legendary, and we Lost!

There are plenty more over the years.

 

[rusty shackleford]

Wasn't season opening but the Bills vs Cowboys MNF in 2007 was one of the most billsy losses we had.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

25 minutes ago, UKBillFan said:

I think you can remove "season opening" from the thread title.

 

23 minutes ago, GoBills808 said:

Disproportionate amount of weird losses period

 

I mean who loses on a walk off punt return lol

I mean, I am only talking about season openers. No doubt we have had a lot of other bad losses too. But this is such a high number to lose this way on the first week of the season. 

[MJS]

21 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Maybe. Maybe not.

They have a slew of walk off/ somewhat incomprehensible losses during the McD tenure all starting with the Houston playoff loss.

As do all teams.

[msw2112]

The Bills have also WON their share of last second games.  The most recent I can think of was the Thanksgiving game against Detroit last year.