agilen Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 November 20th, 1988 I had turned 7 2 weeks before that game....and I still remember Van Miller making the call when Smerlas blocked that kick
plenzmd1 Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 I'm guessing here, but I think it was 1979.Opening day. Jerry Butler catches a hail Mary(I think it was called the Big Ben play in the Bills playbook) to end the first half. Also think, but may be wrong, that was the first year where two offensive players could touch the ball in succesion.Do not remember that much after that as the Wild Turkey was flowing. But I know the Bills killed em
bflo83 Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 Two favorite Bills/Jets games that I went to (both at the Meadowlands): 1995 - Bills win 28-26 when Thomas Smith knocks down the pass for the two point conversion that would have tied it. The Jets had just scored on a hail mary with no time left. 2001 - 2nd to last game of the awful 3-13 season under Gregg-o, the Bills beat the Jets 14-9 in the Meadowlands when Vinnie passes underneath to Curtis Martin in the red zone with no timeouts left in the fourth quarter. Time runs out, Bills win and I'm surrounded by 75,000 unhappy Jets fans. Let's hope Vinnie has a couple of brain freezes tomorrow.
Mark VI Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 What about my 2nd Bills game in person. The 1968 37-35 stunner over the eventual SB champ Jets. Joe Namath gets picked 4 times and 3 are returned for TD's, including a 100 yard INT TD by safety Tom Janik.
Nanker Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 It's great to beat the Jests any day. Hey Bob, was that opening post something of yours from Shout!? I could swear I read that before.
Lori Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 I'm guessing here, but I think it was 1979.Opening day. Jerry Butler catches a hail Mary(I think it was called the Big Ben play in the Bills playbook) to end the first half. Also think, but may be wrong, that was the first year where two offensive players could touch the ball in succesion.Do not remember that much after that as the Wild Turkey was flowing. But I know the Bills killed em 476781[/snapback] Not quite opening day, but close - September 23, 1979. Bills won 46-31. Butler set the all-time Bills receiving record that day, with 255 yards and 4 TDs - the Hail Mary was 74 yards, and his next TD (in the third quarter) was 75...
Lori Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 Thanks, Bob. Good read. Every time I go into Marcel Dionne's store in the Boulevard Mall, I drool over the poster-size "Fandemonium" picture he has in there. Someday... As long as we're talkin' Jets, and the weather forecast looks like the "Hawk" might be flying today (high 40s and wind over 20mph out of the west), anyone got any good memories of perhaps the most famous wind game in Rich/RWS history? 40mph winds and driving rain - "football weather", Orchard Park-style... September 29, 1974: Bills 16, Jets 12 Jim Braxton's 21-yard TD run provided the winning points. Joe Namath had more interceptions (3) than completions (2), and his first completion didn't come until after the 2:00 warning in the second half. Buffalo didn't even bother trying to throw - Fergy was 0-2, but the Bills ran 61 times for 223 yards. The two completions were the fewest by two teams in a game since Brooklyn and Pittsburgh combined for one in a 1942 contest. "I felt that the first team that had to pass was going to be in trouble." "You reporters sit up in that press box eating hot dogs and drinking coffee and then you come down here and ask how was the weather. You won't ever find worse conditions than today. I'm just glad we won. We tried a few passes in the first half, but when we saw how the wind and rain were affecting the ball, we just said the devil with it and stuck with our running game." "If this were a golf tournament, they would have called it off, but the conditions were the same for both teams and the Bills won." (As usual - thanks to Sal Maiorana and Relentless for the stats and quotes.)
Wacka Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 I had a poncho on and tucked under my legs, but still got soaked in the end zone. Namath's two completions were for very short yardage. When he threw long the wind blew it at least 5-10 yards off course.
KD in CA Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 2001 - 2nd to last game of the awful 3-13 season under Gregg-o, the Bills beat the Jets 14-9 in the Meadowlands when Vinnie passes underneath to Curtis Martin in the red zone with no timeouts left in the fourth quarter. Time runs out, Bills win and I'm surrounded by 75,000 unhappy Jets fans. I was there. The defense played great that game. And damn it COLD that day in the swamps of Jersey!!!
bills_fan_in_raleigh Posted October 16, 2005 Posted October 16, 2005 November 20th, 1988 The 10-1 Bills welcomed the New York Jets to a soggy Rich Stadium on a cold, dank November Sunday. The Bills were coming off six days of relative rest after beating Miami the previous (warm) Monday Night, 31-6. The 5-5-1 Jets had lost the last two games, four of the last six and had scored a rare NFL tie against the Kansas City Chiefs. After a 7-9 record in the 1987 season, the Bills started the 1988 season 4-0, lost to Chicago in Week 5 and won the next six in a row – entering this game with the AFC East at their mercy. A win this day would clinch the AFC East Division with four weeks left in the season. The weather was miserable and the play on the field suffered as a result. The first quarter went scoreless and the Jets led 3-0 at halftime as the teams traded punts. Scott Norwood missed a 47 yard FG at the end of the first half when the ball hit the crossbar. The Bills kicker atoned by tying the game with a 25 yard FG in the third quarter. He put the Bills in the lead (6-3) in the fourth quarter with a 26 yard FG after 3:04. The Jets responded 3 ½ minutes later with a 40 yard FG by 15-year veteran Pat Leahy. The teams exchanged punts and on the next drive a 35-yard pass play to Pete Metzelaars left the Bills on the Jets 25 with 5 minutes left. However, on the next play, rookie, Thurman Thomas fumbled the ball and Scott Mersereau recovered for the Jets at the 30-yard line. The Jets conducted a 10 play drive to from there to try and win the game. We join the game at the two minute warning – the Jets have the ball on the 50-yard line: Fred Smerlas gets an unassisted sack on Pat Ryan Jets – short pass to the Bills 46 Jets – incomplete to Johnny Hector Jets – First down pass to Freeman McNeil – Bills 32 - 1:24 Left Jets – Short pass to McNeil – Bills 29 (2nd & 6) Jets Time Out Jets – Short Pass to Hector – Bills 23 Bills Call TO with 25 seconds left Pat Leahy, up to this moment had made 47 of 49 from inside the 40-yard line. He’s at the 40. The kick is up – and meets Fred Smerlas’s left hand. Nate Odomes recovers the ball and is out of bounds at the 30-yard line. There are 19 seconds left. Fred said, “The field goal before, they left a little gap on my side. I figured if I turned sideways a little bit, I could squeeze through and maybe get the ball. I had a strange feeling we were going to block it. It’s just something about this team.” The Bills go for broke – Jim Kelly throws the ball all the way to the Jets 6-7 yard line. A stretching Andre Reed had split the Jets secondary and was in FRONT of the three Jets defenders, touched the ball with BOTH hands and came up empty with 11 seconds still on the clock. The Bills go to OT – The Jets win the toss – The Bills kickoff – On the second play from scrimmage, Derrick Burroughs separates Roger Vick from the football and Cornelius Bennett recovers the ball for the Bills at the Jets 32-yard line. Thurman Thomas had left the game on a bad ankle – so: # 40 – “Fourth & Riddick” - (as he was known) ran down the game. Robb made four straight runs – First to the 29-yard line On the next play – behind the tandem blocks of Joe Devlin and Tim Vogler – to the 19 Next play to the 15 (two hands on the ball) Robb Riddick to the 12 At 3:47 in the OT period, Scott Norwood came onto the field, Dale Hellestrae made the snap, John Kidd was the holder and the kick was good. For the sixth time this season, Scott Norwood had settled a game for the Bills. The Buffalo Bills score win their first AFC East Division since 1980 ! Despite repeated warnings over the PA system, many fans invade the field. The goalpost at the scoreboard end of the field (where the winning FG was kicked) is quickly bent over and separated from the field surface. After a few more minutes – the tunnel goal post suffers the same fate (despite 100 additional rent-a-cops). One piece makes its’ way up the stands to Mr. Wilson’s box – he accepts. Ralph says, “It used to be the fans threw programs at me, now they’re asking me to sign them. I’ve been around football for a long time, but this has to be the greatest turnaround I’ve ever seen. There’s no comparison between this team and 1980. The 1980 team got better gradually. This just happened. Two years ago, this team was 4-12.” 476694[/snapback] Great details Bob, the chill in my bones is still there when I think of that game but the win and party on the field was one of the most memorable in Bills history. I believe in 1980 season after beating rams in a raw drissle the goal posts also were sent Mister Wilsons way, he stood outside his box beating his chest like king kong. Maybe we need a thread on best post game celebration number 1 HAS to be the Opening game in 1980 beating the felons!!!!
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