Worse Loses in Bills History

[oldmanfan]

6 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

 

...sure but Marino, Kiick, Czonka, Warfield, Mercury, the Marks Brothers, etc were a fun bunch to watch..............

Well, it would have been Griese then but I get your point!

[Jauronimo]

1 hour ago, BillsVet said:

After SB 25...

 

Dallas MNF game October 2007. First time Bills were on MNF in years. Bills picked off Romo 5 times (and he fumbled once) with 2 returned for TDs. Terrence McGee returned a KO to begin the second half for a TD. Buffalo was up 24-16 late in the 4th when Romo throws a TD with 24 seconds remaining, but they miss the 2 point conversion. Cowgirls get the onside kick and kicked a 53 yard FG to win it as time expired to win it 25-24.

 

And I got to see it in person.

Didn't Jauron ice the kicker (Folk I believe) and call time out moments before the ball was snapped which he missed only to have him make the next attempt?

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

Just now, oldmanfan said:

Well, it would have been Griese then but I get your point!

 

.....mea cupla Bob.......ditto for the late great Earl Morral who took over for the injured Bob.....kudos to Garo the Tie Maker and his "almost TD run"....

[Marty McFly]

52 minutes ago, section122 said:

We would have lost the SD game anyway?!?!?!?!  I am so sick of this ridiculous EXCUSE for Peterman.  Let me ask all of the experts that say we would have lost that game anyway.  Did you have the Bills beating the Falcons in Atlanta?  Did you have the Bills beating the Chiefs in Arrowhead?  GTFO with this ridiculousness of we would have lost anyway.  There is absolutely no way of knowing that and saying that is just excusing a ridiculous decision by the HC, a ridiculously bad performance by the starting qb, and the gift of 5 turnovers.  Since when is a 3-6 team playing a 5-4 team a lock to win?!?!? Please stop the nonsense!!!

 

/rant

 

This rant is approved by the CoT.

 

Your buddy threw 5 picks. Deal withit.

[cba fan]

2 hours ago, JoeF said:

December 28, 1996---Jacksonville playoff game.  Jimbo's last game and really the beginning of the end for Marv.  Thought we had it when Burris had the pick 6 early in the 4th Quarter.....still depresses me...I can still vividly see Jimbo getting knocked out and fumbling..

Except he did not fumble per the rules. He was hit, went down with both his knees on ground down like he was praying, before he lost the ball as he appeared to be concussed. BS call that cost Bills one last home playoff win from the Kelly era.

1 hour ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Years from now you’ll remember a poor OL performance more than a guy throwing 5 picks in a half? 

 

Yes. I will clearly remember DiMarco playing beach volleyball as why this game went sideways fast. Also the no call on hands to Petermans face facemask that caused another pick.

Edited December 1, 2017 by cba fan

[cba fan]

25 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

Didn't Jauron ice the kicker (Folk I believe) and call time out moments before the ball was snapped which he missed only to have him make the next attempt?

He actually made both.

[Another Fan]

The Jets game toward the end of 2008 gets honorable mention.  The Lohman fumble.

 

 

[Beast]

An underrated mention should go to that Jacksonville season opener years ago when J’ville won it on the last play of the game when that WR (Wilford?) caught the pass in the back of the endzone while being covered by what appeared to be five Buffalo Bills.

[Kirby Jackson]

52 minutes ago, cba fan said:

Except he did not fumble per the rules. He was hit, went down with both his knees on ground down like he was praying, before he lost the ball as he appeared to be concussed. BS call that cost Bills one last home playoff win from the Kelly era.

Yes. I will clearly remember DiMarco playing beach volleyball as why this game went sideways fast. Also the no call on hands to Petermans face facemask that caused another pick.

I’m sorry but I don’t believe you. I believe when you look back at that game 5 years from now the thing that you will remember the most is the thing that has now happened once since the merger. The guy threw 5 picks in a half and you are saying that you will remember other things more?!? Sorry, I’m not buying that.

[yungmack]

5 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

you do realize there was repaly in that game no? Guess mot, so yes, there was replay in that game.

Just for TV, not for the refs. Ralph always vetoed instant replay but after that game, he voted for it.

[BillsVet]

1 hour ago, Jauronimo said:

Didn't Jauron ice the kicker (Folk I believe) and call time out moments before the ball was snapped which he missed only to have him make the next attempt?

 

2 hours ago, KD in CA said:

 

And a few minutes earlier the Bills were on the Dallas ten with that 11 point lead.  A FG essentially ices the game.  What does our coaching staff — who never met a FG attempt they didn’t love — call?   A pass into the end zone.

 

Forgot about those parts. I do remember DJ running a standard defense at the end of the game which allowed someone (Crayton perhaps) to catch a pass or even two passes and quickly get out of bounds to set up the FG attempt.

 

Those were some dark days in franchise history. 

 

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

That's English is just...handicapped.

 

[plenzmd1]

9 minutes ago, yungmack said:

Just for TV, not for the refs. Ralph always vetoed instant replay but after that game, he voted for it.

Uhmm no.Ralph went batpoop the year before with the "just give it to em game" .

 

The problem was in this game the ref was surrounded by like seemed 10,000 Titans fans as he was making his call and under the hood.

 

The home run throwup was absolutely, 100% reviewed during the game!. 

 

$100 to winners charity if you would like to wager, and yes, I am going off memory so I could be wrong!

[Rob's House]

The two that stick out to me most during the playoff drought are the NE game when Mckelvin fumbled the kick return and the Dallas game where we got something like 6 turnovers and still found a way to lose.

[cba fan]

2 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

I’m sorry but I don’t believe you. I believe when you look back at that game 5 years from now the thing that you will remember the most is the thing that has now happened once since the merger. The guy threw 5 picks in a half and you are saying that you will remember other things more?!? Sorry, I’m not buying that.

Well then you will be wrong.

 

The first thing I think about every time I think about that demoralizing sad debacle is DiMarco playing volleyball. It will never ever change. That error caused the ball to roll on that day. I don't forgive him ever.  2nd is how the non calls caused more INT's. 3rd is the ballsy move I like from McDermott making the change. That is probably why I don't think of the 5 int's first as I thought it was a good try to try and spark the O.  

 

Of course in retrospect He and I were wrong.

Trust me in the very far future when I am with Bills fans and they start talking about this Peterman game and the 5 int's I will be speaking up immediately how DiMarco was a putz. I can't get that perfectly thrown screen pass volleyball out of my head, it was going for some yardage and likely put Bills in FG range or possibly the drive was going for a TD. I have tried and it is stuck. Like !@#$ing groundhog day. That screw up changed the game and it was not coming back.

 

I would inactivate DiMarco right now if I could.

2 hours ago, plenzmd1 said:

Uhmm no.Ralph went batpoop the year before with the "just give it to em game" .

 

The problem was in this game the ref was surrounded by like seemed 10,000 Titans fans as he was making his call and under the hood.

 

The home run throwup was absolutely, 100% reviewed during the game!. 

 

$100 to winners charity if you would like to wager, and yes, I am going off memory so I could be wrong!

You are not wrong. Everyone with a memory knows it was reviewed.

[Steptide]

I'm sure some have already been mentioned, but aside from the 4 super bowls-

04- steelers game against 3rd stringers, first bills game I ever went to 

05 - snf against the patriots

06 - blowing an 11 point lead against the titans to knock us out of playoff contention 

07 - mnf against dallas

08 - mnf against Cleveland 

09 - mnf against the Patriots, mckelvins infamous fumble

10 - the entire season

11 - 5-2 to 6-10, enough said

12 - I can't even remember this forgettable season

13 - Ej manuel

14 - Oakland 

I'll stop here. No need to relive the last few years

[Kirby Jackson]

31 minutes ago, cba fan said:

Well then you will be wrong.

 

The first thing I think about every time I think about that demoralizing sad debacle is DiMarco playing volleyball. It will never ever change. That error caused the ball to roll on that day. I don't forgive him ever.  2nd is how the non calls caused more INT's. 3rd is the ballsy move I like from McDermott making the change. That is probably why I don't think of the 5 int's first as I thought it was a good try to try and spark the O.  

 

Of course in retrospect He and I were wrong.

Trust me in the very far future when I am with Bills fans and they start talking about this Peterman game and the 5 int's I will be speaking up immediately how DiMarco was a putz. I can't get that perfectly thrown screen pass volleyball out of my head, it was going for some yardage and likely put Bills in FG range or possibly the drive was going for a TD. I have tried and it is stuck. Like !@#$ing groundhog day. That screw up changed the game and it was not coming back.

 

I would inactivate DiMarco right now if I could.

You are not wrong. Everyone with a memory knows it was reviewed.

Do you feel that way after every turnover? The one that Clay knocked in the air the week before was even worse. 

 

When I look back at Super Bowl 25 wide right stands out. When I look at the Titans game the forward lateral stands out. You are basically saying you don’t remember them for that, you remember a holding call in the 2nd quarter. It has nothing to do with liking the decision to start Peterman or not and everything to do with what made the game memorable. I’m just having a hard time believing that anyone will remember that game for anything other than the INTs. They made a terrible decision and it backfired in epic fashion. 

[cba fan]

9 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Do you feel that way after every turnover? The one that Clay knocked in the air the week before was even worse. 

 

When I look back at Super Bowl 25 wide right stands out. When I look at the Titans game the forward lateral stands out. You are basically saying you don’t remember them for that, you remember a holding call in the 2nd quarter. It has nothing to do with liking the decision to start Peterman or not and everything to do with what made the game memorable. I’m just having a hard time believing that anyone will remember that game for anything other than the INTs. They made a terrible decision and it backfired in epic fashion. 

No Clay's was not worse. It did not come at a time game was in doubt and Bills had a chance. It also was not a pick 6 of a rookies first start and first INT on first drive and he looked good up to that INT.

So completely apples to oranges. 

 

SD game was different in every way from a standard Bills game with screw-ups. Because McDermott went for it and stakes were high and it failed.

 

Other examples of Bills screw ups that stick in my head: Tuell 99 yard pick 6 when S Johnson was wide open in end zone. That is all I can remember from that Chiefs give away game. Then another giveaway game vs Chiefs when Bryce Brown was going in for TD and fumbled out of end zone when Scott Chandler had the ball bounce right up to his hips in front of him and could not hold it. Dumb dumb dumb.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by cba fan

[Augie]

5 minutes ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Do you feel that way after every turnover? The one that Clay knocked in the air the week before was even worse. 

 

When I look back at Super Bowl 25 wide right stands out. When I look at the Titans game the forward lateral stands out. You are basically saying you don’t remember them for that, you remember a holding call in the 2nd quarter. It has nothing to do with liking the decision to start Peterman or not and everything to do with what made the game memorable. I’m just having a hard time believing that anyone will remember that game for anything other than the INTs. They made a terrible decision and it backfired in epic fashion. 

 

People don’t remember the 4th of July for the popcorn. That game will forever be known as remarkable for one reason. 

 

Having said that, what a terrible decision and ridiculous timing to put the pocket QB in. If ever there was a time you needed a guy who could run for his life....

[Talley56]

10 hours ago, Foreigner said:

Should the Bills miss the playoffs by one game, or by tie breakers, The Peterman Game will go down in Bills

history forever, and whatever else McDermott and Peterman accomplish in the football world will be a sidelight

to the Peterman Game.

Off hand I can think of two other worse games, and I am talking games that were nightmares in the results.

One is the Music City Miracle in which someone said recently if there was replay back then, the TD would have

been overturned because it was not a lateral. The other game of course was the Scott Norwood game. I believe

many people believe one SB victory is better than four SB appearances.

Do you guys have any other games that are among the worst in Bills history? 

They did have replay and the play was reviewed and the play stood.  Maybe better camera angles you mean?

 

Anyway, to get to the worst loss, the Superbowls and playoff loss to Tennessee are definites.  I would also throw in week 1 against Jacksonville 2004 when they beat us on a TD on the last play.  Everyone looks at the Steelers game at the end of that season, losing to the Steelers backups, and as pathetic as that was, if we stop that last play in the Jacksonville game in the back of the endzone on a pass that split two defenders we win that game and, assuming all other resuts remain the same, we are a playoff team.  That one was tough.

[Domdab99]

wasn't there another Cowboys MNF game a few years ago where Dallas scored two TDs in the last few minutes, just like the one in '07...but instead of an onside lick, McKelvin (I think) fumbled the KO after the first TD, and then the Cowboys scored a TD right after to win it?

 

Or am I thinking of the Patriots??

 

Sorry, all of these horrific losses tend to blur together after awhile.

 

But I will never get over SN 25. After the shellacking we put on the Raiders and then how we got lucky that the Giants somehow beat the 49ers...Simms not playing...it didn't even occur to me that we could lose that game.

[atlbillsfan1975]

Man we have pretty much the same topics every year. This thread gets done every season. Sad. Waiting for the ‘where were you when the Bills officially got into the playoffs’ or ‘who did you think of first when the Bills won the Super Bowl’ threads. 

[billsfan1959]

11 hours ago, Kirby Jackson said:

Do you feel that way after every turnover? The one that Clay knocked in the air the week before was even worse. 

 

When I look back at Super Bowl 25 wide right stands out. When I look at the Titans game the forward lateral stands out. You are basically saying you don’t remember them for that, you remember a holding call in the 2nd quarter. It has nothing to do with liking the decision to start Peterman or not and everything to do with what made the game memorable. I’m just having a hard time believing that anyone will remember that game for anything other than the INTs. They made a terrible decision and it backfired in epic fashion. 

 

When I look back at Super Bowl 25, wide right does stand out. However, I remember, just as vividly, a play in the 2nd quarter. The Bills had just gone up 12-3 on a safety. On the first play of their next possession after the free kick, Kelly threw a perfect pass to Reed, which he dropped. Had he held onto that ball, it would have been a big play 32 yard completion and a 1st and 10 at the Giant's 38 yard line. Kelly followed up on the next play by missing a wide open McKeller, which would have been a 10 yard completion and 1st down. The Bills go 3 and out and the Giants score on their next possession to make it 12-10 at the half. I have always felt that the Bill's had all the momentum after the safety and, had Reed held onto that catch,  might have scored again to go up 19-3 - taking the Giants out of their running game. It is just a feeling and, in reality, it might have made no difference at all - but that play has stayed with me every bit as much as the missed field goal.

Edited December 2, 2017 by billsfan1959

[cba fan]

5 hours ago, atlbillsfan1975 said:

Man we have pretty much the same topics every year. This thread gets done every season. Sad. Waiting for the ‘where were you when the Bills officially got into the playoffs’ or ‘who did you think of first when the Bills won the Super Bowl’ threads. 

Dam history.  The hubris of it always repeating itself. Go figure.

 

I bet you hate just like I do the live remotes of local TV reporters on site every late fall/early winter at local hardware stores talking about how snow shovels and ice melt are flying off shelves as the first winter snow arrives. Also the annual reminder to change smoke alarm batteries when clocks change to daylight savings and back. 

I never got that one. I just wait for alarm to beep and change them then. That beep is there for a reason to let you know now is the time.

[Iron Maiden]

This debate begins and ends with " Wide Right ".....

[Sweats]

Losing against the Steelers 3rd stringers, man............they win that one and they're in the playoffs.

[ganesh]

20 hours ago, Rubes said:

Hardly one of the worst.

 

That Peterman game gets a lot of attention because of the INTs, of course, but the defense that day was historically bad. They weren't beating anyone with or without Tyrod. If you want to give McDermott the blame for fielding a defense that smelled like ass, then do so, but thinking that we would have won had Tyrod started is delusional considering how bad that defense was.

 

I'm more pissed about the Jets game than I am the Chargers game.

Gotta agree here...The Jets and Bengals game are going to be the difference for this game to miss the playoffs

12 hours ago, cba fan said:

No Clay's was not worse. It did not come at a time game was in doubt and Bills had a chance. It also was not a pick 6 of a rookies first start and first INT on first drive and he looked good up to that INT.

So completely apples to oranges. 

 

SD game was different in every way from a standard Bills game with screw-ups. Because McDermott went for it and stakes were high and it failed.

 

Other examples of Bills screw ups that stick in my head: Tuell 99 yard pick 6 when S Johnson was wide open in end zone. That is all I can remember from that Chiefs give away game. Then another giveaway game vs Chiefs when Bryce Brown was going in for TD and fumbled out of end zone when Scott Chandler had the ball bounce right up to his hips in front of him and could not hold it. Dumb dumb dumb.

 

 

Stevie johnson dropping the TD pass against the Steelers...and then we lose in overtime

[Steptide]

6 minutes ago, Sweats said:

Losing against the Steelers 3rd stringers, man............they win that one and they're in the playoffs.

 

It's crazy the bills had the 3rd ranked defense that year (I believe) and the steelers had 8 minute drives in that game. The bills offense couldn't do anything and it was pitiful. 

 

What's funny is as the game was winding down with about 3 mins left and fans were exiting the stadium, the announcer comes on the PA during a time out and says "ladies and gentleman let's put our hands together for your 2004 buffalo bills and another great season". I was like, that dude has to be making a joke

[papazoid]

#1- wide right

#2- wide right

#3- wide right

#4- the other 3 super bowl loses

#5- home run throw back/music city miracle

#6- Ronnie harmon drop

 

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

21 hours ago, Foreigner said:

The other game of course was the Scott Norwood game. I believe

many people believe one SB victory is better than four SB appearances.

 

No doubt. Even just a 1-3 Super Bowl record would have much different feel. A positive feel really. As it is now, when people bring up the Super Bowl years it is sadly mostly in a negative way. Heck, we go 2-2 in those four appearances and we have legitimate claim to greatest dynasty ever with being the only team to go to four straight.

21 hours ago, Gugny said:

they spoiled a great comeback effort by EJ.

Oh man. 

[Dopey]

21 hours ago, matter2003 said:

The grammar in the thread topic is all-time bad too...its "worst losses" not "worse loses"...

 

5th grade grammar teachers everywhere are having coronaries....

Nah, ur d ownlee won haven A koronary.

R-E-L-A-X!!

[Sammy Watkins' Rib]

21 hours ago, Watkins101 said:

Also the raiders game in 2014. They come off a big win against the pack to keep their playoff hope alive, only to win to the 2-14 raiders.

That was a big loss at the time, but as things played out, Bills still would have loss a tiebreaker to Baltimore at 10-6 to miss the playoffs that year. And that included a gift win against the Patriots week 17 when Brady only played the first half and many others sat.

 

Another loss that same year but much earlier in the season was the week four loss at Houston. Bills were in complete control of that game until EJ threw the pick six to Watt. We were in easy FG range so that was at minimum a 10 point swing in a game we ended up losing by less than a TD.

Edited December 2, 2017 by Sammy Watkins' Rib

[BuffaloMatt]

22 hours ago, Foreigner said:

Should the Bills miss the playoffs by one game, or by tie breakers, The Peterman Game will go down in Bills

history forever, and whatever else McDermott and Peterman accomplish in the football world will be a sidelight

to the Peterman Game.

Off hand I can think of two other worse games, and I am talking games that were nightmares in the results.

One is the Music City Miracle in which someone said recently if there was replay back then, the TD would have

been overturned because it was not a lateral. The other game of course was the Scott Norwood game. I believe

many people believe one SB victory is better than four SB appearances.

Do you guys have any other games that are among the worst in Bills history? 

Dallas Monday night game. Losing by a Nick Folk FG. Only time they lead the whole game. I dry heaved just watching the clip. 

 

Its a shame that there is a catalog of horrific games to choose from. Sad statement all on it's own. Imagine Pats* message board OP "What is the greatest win aside from these great wins?"

Edited December 2, 2017 by BuffaloMatt

[CuddyDark]

SB 25.

[moshermw]

16 hours ago, Rob's House said:

The two that stick out to me most during the playoff drought are the NE game when Mckelvin fumbled the kick return and the Dallas game where we got something like 6 turnovers and still found a way to lose.

Ha. I had forgotten about that game.

 

I threw a barstool during that game and still got to come back to bar in question - even the bartender and manager got how infuriating that was.

 

I am/was normally a very good, emotionally stable customer.

[gomper]

4 hours ago, billsfan1959 said:

 

When I look back at Super Bowl 25, wide right does stand out. However, I remember, just as vividly, a play in the 2nd quarter. The Bills had just gone up 12-3 on a safety. On the first play of their next possession after the free kick, Kelly threw a perfect pass to Reed, which he dropped. Had he held onto that ball, it would have been a big play 32 yard completion and a 1st and 10 at the Giant's 38 yard line. Kelly followed up on the next play by missing a wide open McKeller, which would have been a 10 yard completion and 1st down. The Bills go 3 and out and the Giants score on their next possession to make it 12-10 at the half. I have always felt that the Bill's had all the momentum after the safety and, had Reed held onto that catch,  might have scored again to go up 19-3 - taking the Giants out of their running game. It is just a feeling and, in reality, it might have made no difference at all - but that play has stayed with me every bit as much as the missed field goal.

It funny. I rewatched this game in August. After all these years I viewed it in a detached way. Just as a football game. Those two plays you referenced really stood out. Along with the drive before when Reed dropped a ball over the middle wide open on 3rd and 1. They had no answer for Thurman on those 1st half drives. He was ripping off yards in chunks. They got away from him and then ran out of possessions. Ah, memories. 

[Rob's House]

I do agree with OP that throughout Bills history worse has tended to lose.

[Domdab99]

The two plays from SB 25 that stand out the most to me is, one, Hoestetler somehow holding onto the ball while Bruce Smith has a deathgrip on his wrist...in the endzone. Shoulda been a TD...not sure how he held onto the ball.

 

The 2nd play is Ingram's catch and run for a first down on 3rd and 17ish. Insane that he shaked and baked the whole team and then fell forward for the first.

[Boatdrinks]

5 minutes ago, Domdab99 said:

The two plays from SB 25 that stand out the most to me is, one, Hoestetler somehow holding onto the ball while Bruce Smith has a deathgrip on his wrist...in the endzone. Shoulda been a TD...not sure how he held onto the ball.

 

The 2nd play is Ingram's catch and run for a first down on 3rd and 17ish. Insane that he shaked and baked the whole team and then fell forward for the first.

 Very good point, both plays probably underrated in regards to their impact on the outcome . Particularly the safety. A minor miracle that Hotetler holds onto the ball there, Smiths hand was a nanosecond away from knocking the ball out. The game could have gotten out of reach for the plodding Giants offense at that point. Also the era worked against the Bills. Hoestetler was crushed on a sack and seen on the sidelines sniffing an ammonia cap ! If that were today, he'd have been in concussion protocol  and who knows who the QB would have been ? By and large though, it was a close, hard fought game that the Bills refused to win by not running the ball. Parcells knew he was outgunned and his D.C. Belichick did the only thing he could to slow the game down. It was unthinkable that the Bills refused to run vs his 3 man line. The generally accepted reason the Bills lost that day though was their clock mismanagement on the final drive. They had the last posession and therefore the control of the outcome . Even the late Bill Walsh has said they wasted too much time between plays and players wasted precious seconds with bad decisions . They should have had time for about two or three more plays, which in all likelihood would have meant victory. 

[papazoid]

loss of bill polian