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Classic Bills Reminiscing (1980 Season update)

WotAGuy

By WotAGuy
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WotAGuy Veteran

WotAGuy

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Soothing my football withdrawal by watching classic Bills games. Watched the "No Punt" Bills-49ers game from September 1992:

  • The talent of Kelly, Thurman and Andre is so far beyond anything we've had since then is stunning.
  • Major downside was Trumpy as color commentator.
  • Funny seeing a youngish Mike Shanahan as 49ers OC, and an even younger Jeff Fisher as DB coach.
  • Geo Metros looked fugly even when brand new.
  • Bruce did not have a great game. Walt Corey had him standing up on the left side, in a stance from the right and middle and still got stood up by Wallace and others. He did cause a fumble and key holding call though.
  • Brad Lamb had an awesome porn stache.
  • James Lofton was 36 that season and had set the career receiving yards mark the week before.
  • Pete Metzleaars - just another in our long line of lumbering TEs. Two TDs and a career yardage game, including 50+ yd TD.
  • Trumpy and Enberg didn't focus on the lack of punts as much as the total yards being piled up.
  • Funny hearing them talk about a QB controversy in SF, and joking that there were no calls that week for Steve Bono to come in.
  • Miller Genuine Draft - do they still "brew" that?
  • Our D was loaded and they couldn't slow down SF at all for long stretches. Tom Rathman was a great fullback. He handled Bruce more than once.
  • "Candlestick" Park was named for a native bird!
  • The Bills sideline gear was horrendous - white shirts with a spray-painted logo effect.
  • Fun game to watch and exciting - even knowing the outcome.

 

 

Edited by WotAGuy
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BillsCelticsAngelsBama Veteran

BillsCelticsAngelsBama

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I remember the Bills falling behind early by more than a score, I want to say, and I got mad and left the Sports Bar where I was watching it here in SoCal. But saw the recording later. What a game :thumbsup:. Still have VHS of Bills 51 Raiders 3 with all the interruptions from the Gulf War back in Jan. of 1991

Edited by MOVALLEYRANDY
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C.Biscuit97 Hall of Famer

C.Biscuit97

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Jim Kelly in his 3rd NFL season and 5th Pro season overall threw more ints than tds. He would have been destroyed on this board. :)

 

That said, that one of the greatest football games I have ever seen. I was so spoiled as a little kid. To think I thought the Bills were losers for losing SBs. So young and jaded.

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Jim Gehman Probation

Jim Gehman

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The Big Guy Steps Up

 

During the 1990 and 1991 campaigns, tight end Pete Metzelaars stopped blocking long enough to post 15 receptions for 114 yards. But when the two-time defending AFC champion Bills traveled to San Francisco on September 13, 1992, the 6’7”, 254-pound veteran became the larger-sized Andre Reed and caught four of Jim Kelly’s passes for a career-high 113 yards and two touchdowns.

 

 

The first time Metzelaars found the then-Candlestick Park end zone was early in the third quarter with Buffalo behind, 24-13, when he scored on a 53-yard play. And, well, it was not easy.

 

 

"I barely got in," he laughed. "Actually, it was one of our real basic plays that we ran six or seven times a game. My part was to just run as fast as I could, which wasn’t real fast, and get out of the way. But for some reason Jim said, ‘Hey, Pete, just be ready.’ He just had a sixth sense in the middle of the game where he would just feel like something was going to work, something would be open. And more times than not, it would work out just the way he thought it was going to. So I released and got down the field a little bit, looked around, and there was the ball. I caught it and made the free safety miss, or he just missed, and got to the end zone. Barely!"

 

 

Less than six minutes later, Metzelaars was back in the end zone finishing off a 24-yard scoring play that put the Bills on top, 27-24. They’d go on to win, 34-31. "That was actually about the same thing," said Metzelaars. "It was the same pattern. I don’t know that Jim said to be ready, but it was one where I was clearing down the field and he got some pressure and started scrambling. I just broke it off to the right and there was nobody there, and he threw me the ball for another touchdown.

 

 

"It was a Ping-Pong match, a tennis match, whatever you want to call it. It was just back and forth. They’d go down and score, then we’d go down and score. That’s the way it went throughout. It was an incredible game.”

 

 

Excerpt from: “Then Levy Said to Kelly…”

 

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BuffaloWings Veteran

BuffaloWings

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Enberg and trumpy were unbelievable. Not sure if trumpy had a bad game but they were the voice of the AFC on nbc for a long time. Enberg saying "oh my" is one of the best tag lines any announcer has ever had. I miss him doing NFL games dearly.

Enberg is one of my favorite broadcasters of all time. I miss him doing any sports these days.

 

Trumpy was obnoxious...almost as bad as Collinsworth is today.

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metzelaars_lives Veteran

metzelaars_lives

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Enberg is one of my favorite broadcasters of all time. I miss him doing any sports these days.

 

Trumpy was obnoxious...almost as bad as Collinsworth is today.

Sounds like you hate guys who played for the Bengals. Collinsworth is the best color man in sports right now. Has been since Harry Neale left HNIC.

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Fadingpain All Pro

Fadingpain

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Sounds like you hate guys who played for the Bengals. Collinsworth is the best color man in sports right now. Has been since Harry Neale left HNIC.

Yes he is. The Sunday Night Football team of Michaels and Collinsworth on NBC is so good, I will watch any game in that slot, usually for its entirety (no matter how bad) simply b/c the "spectacle" of the broadcast is so good.

 

It's just fun to listen to Al and Chris talk football, diagnose football, call football, and the production value of that broadcast is off the charts good from a technical standpoint.

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WotAGuy Veteran

WotAGuy

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It was interesting to see the Bills strategy in this game. Thurman was in the inside slot with Reed and Beebe to the outside of him, and Lofton on the other side. Thurman was repeatedly matched up against Bill Romanowski in that formation and beat him like a drum over and over again, including for a TD reception. Both teams had so many weapons - SF receivers were running free all game. And Rice only played part of the first half due to a concussion. Ricky Watters was having a great rookie season already - it was only game 2 I think, but you could tell he was special. Red Cashion was the ref - he was a trip and one of the few refs that i actuallu enjoyed watching call a game. FIRST DOWN!!!

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Nanker Hall of Famer

Nanker

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Trumpy was a Bills hater. He walked up to Jim Kelly prior to the '93 AFC Championship game in a Dolphins jacket and then wondered why Kelly wouldn't give him an interview.

 

He was a jerk . . .

Yes. Trumpy was constantly pushing a hard-on against The Bills. I hate him to this day for that.

 

That can't be true.

Shirley you jests.

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Fadingpain All Pro

Fadingpain

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What I remember best about this era is that if you had your **** together back then and understood how to run a first class operation, you could develop a dynasty and keep it that way for a long time. It was much easier to build up quality depth and retain it long term back then for obvious reasons.

 

Franchises like the 49ers, Cowboys, and Bills of that era will never be seen again.

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seq004 Veteran

seq004

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The no punt game. Aw yes Buffalo was at the top.

Jim Kelly in his 3rd NFL season and 5th Pro season overall threw more ints than tds. He would have been destroyed on this board. :)

 

That said, that one of the greatest football games I have ever seen. I was so spoiled as a little kid. To think I thought the Bills were losers for losing SBs. So young and jaded.

I remember him that season. He had slumps early on. He got a lot of fans and media frustrated. He turned it around the next year and never looked back. He over came it and turned into a hofer.

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juno999 Rookie

juno999

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It was interesting to see the Bills strategy in this game. Thurman was in the inside slot with Reed and Beebe to the outside of him, and Lofton on the other side. Thurman was repeatedly matched up against Bill Romanowski in that formation and beat him like a drum over and over again, including for a TD reception. Both teams had so many weapons - SF receivers were running free all game. And Rice only played part of the first half due to a concussion. Ricky Watters was having a great rookie season already - it was only game 2 I think, but you could tell he was special. Red Cashion was the ref - he was a trip and one of the few refs that i actuallu enjoyed watching call a game. FIRST DOWN!!!

FIRST DOWN! I can still hear Red call it out. Awesome. Now all we need is Ben Dreiff call 15 yards for "Giving him the business"!

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NobesBLO13 Veteran

NobesBLO13

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Jim Kelly in his 3rd NFL season and 5th Pro season overall threw more ints than tds. He would have been destroyed on this board. :)

 

That said, that one of the greatest football games I have ever seen. I was so spoiled as a little kid. To think I thought the Bills were losers for losing SBs. So young and jaded.

Same here
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WotAGuy Veteran

WotAGuy

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Been passing the off-season (and recuperating from double-hernia surgery) by reminiscing the classic Bills games/seasons.....

 

Just read "Talking Proud" the 2005 book by Rick Blake about the 1980 Bills:

  • It's a quick read, and if you were a fan during that season, it brings back some good memories.
  • Has some insights into player/coach conversations and decision-making that are interesting and makes me wonder where they came from. I've read a few books from former Bills of that season (Dobler, Smerlas, Chuck Knox), so maybe they are tucked away in those books, or perhaps newspaper interviews (?)
  • The 1980 team had a colorful personality, a rowdy reputation, and it was a different league on and off the field back then. This book does a good job of capturing the good old days.
  • Nothing really new that surprised me; recaps of the key games highlighted important turning points bringing the season to life for me.
  • Haslett was a maniac, fighting his teammates, most notably Isiah Robertson. Funny details of bar fights, including a finger-biting incident.
  • Knox was a players coach for sure, but I didn't realize he was even more lax than Levy was. The two coaches had similar post-season success - never winning the biggest game of any season - and maybe the lax approach had something to do with that.
  • Blake interjects his childhood memories into the action, which at times was a distraction, but added a 7th grader's perspective....which I remember having as well (only about ten years prior!).
  • Lots of details about the Chamber of Commerce's "Talking Proud" campaign, which was interesting to see how it all came together. Buffalo has a long history of feeling slighted and dissed!
  • All in all, a good trip down memory lane to a classic Bills' season.
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klos63 Veteran

klos63

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Soothing my football withdrawal by watching classic Bills games. Watched the "No Punt" Bills-49ers game from September 1992:

  • The talent of Kelly, Thurman and Andre is so far beyond anything we've had since then is stunning.
  • Major downside was Trumpy as color commentator.
  • Funny seeing a youngish Mike Shanahan as 49ers OC, and an even younger Jeff Fisher as DB coach.
  • Geo Metros looked fugly even when brand new.
  • Bruce did not have a great game. Walt Corey had him standing up on the left side, in a stance from the right and middle and still got stood up by Wallace and others. He did cause a fumble and key holding call though.
  • Brad Lamb had an awesome porn stache.
  • James Lofton was 36 that season and had set the career receiving yards mark the week before.
  • Pete Metzleaars - just another in our long line of lumbering TEs. Two TDs and a career yardage game, including 50+ yd TD.
  • Trumpy and Enberg didn't focus on the lack of punts as much as the total yards being piled up.
  • Funny hearing them talk about a QB controversy in SF, and joking that there were no calls that week for Steve Bono to come in.
  • Miller Genuine Draft - do they still "brew" that?
  • Our D was loaded and they couldn't slow down SF at all for long stretches. Tom Rathman was a great fullback. He handled Bruce more than once.
  • "Candlestick" Park was named for a native bird!
  • The Bills sideline gear was horrendous - white shirts with a spray-painted logo effect.
  • Fun game to watch and exciting - even knowing the outcome.

 

 

I flew out there for the game. Amazing game to be at. I remember on the drive home, the local fans on the radio blaming Steve Young for the loss, saying Montana would have led them on a winning drive and Young doesn't have it. Young threw for almost 500 and ran for another 100 if I remember correctly.

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Gordio Veteran

Gordio

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What I remember best about this era is that if you had your **** together back then and understood how to run a first class operation, you could develop a dynasty and keep it that way for a long time. It was much easier to build up quality depth and retain it long term back then for obvious reasons.

 

Franchises like the 49ers, Cowboys, and Bills of that era will never be seen again.

 

 

The cheating aside, what NE* has done over the last 12-13 years is much more impressive then what the 49ers, Cowboys or Bills of that era accomplished.

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