Bob Lamb

Who still is burning a torch the playoffs and what are you realistically expecting? I myself and resigned to the fact this this is a team wrought with holes in the offensive and defensive lines, lacking decisive leadership and still does not know what it has at the QB position long term... 476056[/snapback] If the SD Padres can win their division with a barely .500 record - and considering the current state of the AFC East - anything is possible That's why they play all the games

Which ? 1988 or 1982 ?

Bill Polian still wants $19,000 for the goal posts

Some details of what you speak - Bills step out to a 24-0 lead started by Charles Rome scoring 26 yards after Bruce Harper fumbles the opening kickoff (16 seconds). Frank Lewis caught two TD's (50 & 26 yards) and Nick Mike-Mayer added a 29-yd FG for the 24-0 lead. The Jets scored 10 before halftime - score 24-10. 24-13 - end of third Q Joe Cribbs scores for 31-13 Richard Todd hits Bobby Jones for a 30 yd TD - 31-20 Kevin Long scores a one-yard TD after a big interference call on Mario Clark wipes out a Bills INT. 31-27 Buffalo can not generate a first down andf the Jets get the ball with 2:36 left With 10 seconds left the Jets are on the Bills 10 and on 2nd & 10, Bill Simpson steps in front of Derrick Gaffney in the end zone to seal the deal. The Bills move onto Cincinnati

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.”

http://chicago.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/sports_bar There is/was a Bills bar in Addisson - but the name escapes me Tracy O' Grady's ??????

Wish I could format that better - but the skill escapes me That's Todd Collins, Rob Johnson and Jonathan Paul (in order)

Just for giggles: Here are the statistics for other Buffalo “rookie” quarterbacks in their first four games. I’m not counting Jim Kelly or Doug Flutie because they were no rookies and Joe Ferguson played in a different time and place – Todd Rob J.P. Collins Johnson Losman Attempts 142 87 94 Competitions 85 55 45 Comp. % 59.9 63.2 47.9 TD 7 5 1 INT 7 3 2 Team Rushing Yd. 426 426 522 QB Rushing Yd 28 125 107 Team Record 2-2 1-3 1-3 Also noted: Rob Johnson missed the second half of his first game

Just for one week Is there rapid transit to the Georgia Dome ?

December 30th - The Peach Bowl January 1st - Atlanta vs. Carolina (playoff implications ?) January 2nd - Sugar Bowl (BCS) Now that's a lot of football !

R. Rich - "You shouldn't hate" PITY the Dolphins !

I'm positive that The Buffalo Bills are still playing on Sunday - and that's a great thing !

Wish I could be there Rock - but I'll be on my usual stool waiting for kickoff as Kemberley (CA name) keeps pouring cold ones - See you December 11th

There used to be a red mini-bus that parked outside gates 8-9 near the cemetery that had a crowd of Vietnam Vets, the MIA crowd. They set up a wooden bar and the Crown was flowing. I have no idea if they are still there as I seldom see that side of the stadium anymore. They flew a lot of flags.

Apparently MM doesn't understand the concept of "all in"

I hope they weren't $11.00 shots

"Just Give It To Them " BS requires no translation

Atta-Boy - Patience is a virtue - JP has a serious learning curve (and it continues)

As with many of the TBD Tailgate traditions - the "signable" wall was a once in a lifetime deal - been there - move on Hammer could only ever "torch" one jersey There was only one "goat" The Hooter girls may make a reappearence (sigh) And so on - and so on - Lot #1 - Pole 5 - but park at Hammer's Lot - opens early - 5 minute walk - I'll be there 12/11 - wife just approved 2nd road trip !

Yeah - maybe - but what would you have said to Scott B ?

Brennan's in the plaza on the NE corner of Main & Transit in Williamsville (actually Clarence) is very family friendly, has a wide menu of Buffalo food and is easily accessible from the highways

They have a working display every year at the HOF and at some NFL road events like the Super Bowl. The workers sew the balls inside out and then have to "turn" them by hand - hard, hard work.

This game did not sell out

ONCE UPON A TIME: September 26, 1994 – The Last Monday Night Game At Rich Stadium It was a gala weekend of events as the Buffalo Bills pulled out all the stops to celebrate their 35th anniversary. Players, both famous and obscure, gathered in town for a week of festivities and memories. Ralph Wilson recalled, “When we started out it was a long shot that the AFL would be successful. I shook hands with Paul Neville (late Buffalo News editor) and promised that I’d stick it out for three years. Beyond that, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I look back at the early ‘60’s when you held your breath before a game, hoping the weather was good because we needed the gate receipts to keep us going. And most of the attendance was on the day of the game. I mean you could never envision it would turn out like this.” “But it has been a great 35 years of enjoyment for me. I’ve enjoyed the last seven years more than any other time. Part of it’s because we have been successful. But a major part of it is the association with Marv Levy. He’s such a high class fellow. And he’s surrounded himself with a great bunch of assistants. And we’ve drafted very high caliber players.” Ralph said he cherished the 1964 & 1965 AFL Championships, the end of the 20-game losing streak to Miami, Bill Simpson’s game saving interception against the NY Jets in 1981, the OT victory against the same Jets in 1988, and then the four Super Bowls. But his best memory? – “There have been so many great memories, it’s hard for me to single any one of them out … but if I had to single one out, the Comeback game was it. I just stood there in total disbelief. I said, ‘This cannot happen”’. The alumni players were introduced to the Rich Stadium crowd prior to the game. The Bills also ran a full page tribute in the Buffalo News naming and thanking the 290 individuals and firms that had been season ticket holders from the very beginning. And Then – The Game – It was about 12:13 AM (DST) on a partly cloudy, partly rainy night when a Buffalo crowd of 75,373 entered the NFL nether world called “Elway Time”, could the Bronco’s #7 perform his fourth quarter magic once again? Trailing the Bills 27-20 with 25 seconds left, the Broncos had a fourth down at the Bills four-yard line. Elway took the snap and rolled right, looking for either Shannon Sharpe or Anthony Miller but both receivers were covered and as Cornelius Bennett leaped for the kill, John lofted a desperation pass to Cedric Tillman and watched it soar high and away. For one game – John failed. Denver had started the season as an early favorite to easily make the playoffs, but the team arrived in Buffalo after a poor 0-3 start. There were whispers about the quarterback’s fading ability and more open comments about Wade Phillips coaching status. The Buffalo Bills were 2-1, having lost their home season opener to the NY Jets 23-3 before beating the Patriots (38-35) and the Oilers (15-7) on the road. The Buffalo Bills offense was sputtering a bit and prior to this game, kicker Steve Christie had scored the Bills last 18 points and made it 21 points with a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter of this last, Monday night home game. The Broncos scored next on a 10-play, 72 yard drive finished by an 11-yard TD pass to Anthony Miller. After a Jeff Burris 65-yard punt return (TD) was called back on holding call, the Bills answered nicely with Thurman scoring twice in a period of 96 seconds – the first score on a 16-yard run. The rushing score was the Bills first in nearly 7 ½ quarters of play. After the ensuing kickoff, Bruce Smith sacked Elway and forced a fumble which was recovered by Cornelius Bennett (his 15th – a team record). Thomas scored again on a 27-yard run with 8 seconds left in the half and the Bills led 17-7. Thurman Thomas was going to have his third consecutive 100-yard game (17-103) and both his scores came on the same draw play. Thurman said, “It’s a little draw we got from a team I’m not going to name. It’s something we worked on all week because their defensive ends get up the field. I got in the groove and I was hitting the holes correctly. On both touchdowns, Kent Hull said, ‘Just follow me,’ which I did. He got a couple of good blocks.” On the second score, Thurman got a block from Don Beebe who leveled the cornerback, Thurman leaped over Beebe and receiver Bill Brooks sealed off the safety as Thurman scored down the left side. Kent Hull said, “I just pulled around the guard (Lacina). It was similar to what we did against Kansas City in the Championship game last year. Glenn Parker did a good blocking Mecklenburg on the outside and if I can beat my block, Thurman just has to beat the safety and he’s in.” In the third quarter, Denver received the kickoff but Mickey Washington promptly picked off Elway and returned the ball 27 yards to the Bills 25-yard line. Carwell Gardner scored his first TD of the year on a three yard plunge while Kenny Davis ran 15 times for 45 yards after Thomas left the game with a sprained knee. The Bills finished with 149 rushing yards – their highest total for the four games of the season. Thurman also became the third Bills player to have 60 TD’s in a career following OJ Simpson and Andre Reed. Despite an almost seven minute advantage in TOP, Denver could just not get a running game going on the wet field, the team finishing with only 77 yards of which 37 were by Elway. Leonard Russell scored on a two yard rush to make the game 24-13. The teams then traded 28-yard field goals and with the Bills ground attack gone anemic without #34, the Broncos drove again in the fourth quarter and managed a 43-yard FG by Jason Elam to make the game 27-20. The Bills took the ball but soon had to punt – a 33 yard effort by Chris Mohr. Glyn Milburn fielded the ball on the bounce and took off for what seemed a sure TD, but Mohr caught his ankle from behind and the Broncos had the ball on their own 47-yard line. Elway drove the team downfield one last time but the last pass sailed high and away as the Bills sent the Broncos packing with an 0-4 record. Wade Philips said, afterwards, “They’ve got a good football team and they’re tough to beat here. It’s always been that way. They look like the team they’ve had the last few years … the last four years.” The victory was the Bills 250th (250-270-8) and evened their MNF record at 14-14. Jim Kelly passed Joe Ferguson on the all time pass completion list with 2,191-2,188. Kelly had also passed Ferguson in TD passes in Week 2 with 183.

Interesting stat from ESPN Radio - the Bears are the first team to start three different QB's in six of the last seven seasons - and the waiver wire is (or will) be dripping with former Bears QB's Mr. Hutchinson is looking mighty shakey right now