Can someone take a minute and explain the 1994/1995 season to me?

[BigPappy]

Too all you fan faithfuls that can even remember the 94\95 season, kudos to you. I barely remember seasons from 5 or 6 years ago....forget 24\25 years ago. ?

[RiotAct]

that was also the first season that I followed religiously... doh!

 

Recall clearly attending the game against New England where Ben Coates had like 200 yards receiving against us.  ?

[JESSEFEFFER]

I basically remember who or what I fault when things go poorly.  For some reason that's what sticks with me.

 

37 minutes ago, BigPappy said:

Too all you fan faithfuls that can even remember the 94\95 season, kudos to you. I barely remember seasons from 5 or 6 years ago....forget 24\25 years ago. ?

 

[row_33]

8 hours ago, DBilz2500 said:

Kelly regressed sooner than expected, Thurman was nearing the 30 year mark and had clearly lost a step, and our O-Line became a mess overnight. Add on the fact that the no-huddle was starting to get figured out by Def coordinators and you end up with that 7-9 season. 

they weren’t good with Kelly the first two years, then got to the AFC Championship Game, then flopped with Ronnie Harmon’s oops moment the next season

 

i thought they were done at the time, so getting to the next four SB was a great rebound for me

 

 

[BADOLBILZ]

11 hours ago, bbb said:

 

I could have sworn we never got compensated for Wolford.  It seemed like they kept delaying it..........I didn't get why Wolford signed that tender.  He was never going to get the kind of money like that on the Colts roster - not in the Jim Kelly range.

 

 

Yeah in the end the Bills would have matched what he actually got but they had put the transition tag on him so he had to negotiate for it.    It was very irritating that he kind of undermined the Bills AFC dynasty by leaving........they weren't the same offense without him and his loss was bigger than Ballard the following season....... but he was from nearby Louisville KY so he basically was leaving for the team closest to his home.   Still stupid when you are on a 3 time AFC champ.   Unless you care less about winning a SB than playing close to home.    I don't forgive Wolford.   ***** that guy.  He did the Bills and their fans dirty.  He did almost get lucky and get to a SB with Indy in 1995.

[LABILLBACKER]

It just shows you that other then the Patriots unique era of HOF qb/HC and league favoritism, NFL teams do not usually have long windows of success. I think we have one about to start.

[Bermuda Triangle]

15 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

All true.............but even with that they had finished the previous two AFC playoffs in dominating fashion.........which re-inforced the idea that they would do it again.

 

On December 4 they beat the 8-4 Dolphins in an exciting game in Miami and appeared to be taking control of the AFC East back.

 

The AFC was weak...........it seemed like they were going to catch fire and win out and probably go to another SB(and get beaten by either SF or Dallas who were dominating).

 

The next week reality set in..........they looked tired and flat at home against Minnesota and the notoriously dirty Dungy/Teerlink Vikings hit Kelly with a cheap shot to the knee and that was it.

 

Season over.

 

One forgotten aspect was how awful Frank Reich was filling in for Kelly........they totally unraveled with Frank's feeble game manager skillset after being carried by Kelly all year.

 

After that you stopped hearing all the muttering about how Frank would have done better...........Kelly was respected much more by the fanbase as a whole after that season.     

 

 

The Bills were never 8-4 that season....in fact, they didn't even win 8 games on the season, as they finished 7-9.    The Bills were 7-6 after they beat Miami, and both Miami and NE finished 10-6.

 

Also, while Reich certainly didn't play well in the final 2 games, he wasn't "awful"

[billsfan89]

13 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

It just shows you that other then the Patriots unique era of HOF qb/HC and league favoritism, NFL teams do not usually have long windows of success. I think we have one about to start.

 

A window for success in the NFL is usually about 2-3 seasons unless you have a great QB (and even then you will ebb and flow as the team has to adjust to paying a QB a lot of money.) Everyone thought that after 2013 the Seahawks were going to run off multiple Super Bowls and have this long window of success. After 2014 and that brutal loss in the Super Bowl to the Pats they went 4 straight years with 10 or less wins and not getting out of the divisional round. 

 

I think the Bills have a 2 maybe year window with Josh on his rookie deal to have a high degree of success. BUT if Josh can't develop into a top 10 QB this team will fall quickly under the weight of retaining talent and quickly find its self in a rebuild. A lot rides on how good Josh can be. Even the Seahawks recent success has post 2014 has been because Russell Wilson is the real deal at QB. Their defense up until this season has been far from elite in a long time. 

[TheBrownBear]

We somehow got swept by a bad Jets team and I recall the Thanksgiving day loss to the Lions being a real killer with Kelly throwing a pick six to ice it.  We also turned the ball over a bunch that season. 

 

Actually, just checked the stats and it looks like the big difference was turnovers forced.  We forced 47 in 1993 and only 28 in 1994.  The offense was petty much the same from 93 to 94, at least statistically. 

Edited December 27, 2019 by TheBrownBear

[DC Tom]

17 hours ago, djp14150 said:

Understand how free agency worked then...

 

Buffalis roster depth got raided over the years.  Thry lost other pkayers to free agency. The biggest one was Eollford.  Wollfords contract had escalator clauses that are now illegal.  He had clauses that guaranteed he would bethe highest player paid on offense .  Not an issue with the colts. But with Buffalo it woukd have bern costly.

They also Lost Ballard there two Tackles were gone.

 

thry also list their top CB in Nate Odomes who left as a UFA.

 

 

 

 

 

Did you type this with mittens on?

[2003Contenders]

That was a very interesting season, and I remember many of those games well:

 

-- The season started off on the wrong foot right away with an upset loss to the Jets at home. That was the game where Thurman supposedly said some off-putting things to a young fan after the game.

 

-- The shootout against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day that ended with a Kelly pick-sick in the final seconds.

 

-- Kelly and  Reed having a highly publicized argument on the sidelines of a MNF game against Pittsburgh. The following week against Green Bay, Reed set the (then) NFL record for the most receptions in a game.

 

-- Although Miami won the division, the Bills went on the sweep them in the regular season.

 

-- In another back-and-forth game against the Vikings, Kelly went down with a knee injury. Reich was unable to lead the Bills to victory -- and lost the final two games filling in for Kelly.

 

-- The defense was really bad that year. In fact, when the season was over, Marv finally fired the DC and brought in Wade. 

[billsfan89]

5 minutes ago, ScottLaw said:

Other than New England and maybe Pittsburgh I have to think Seattle has been the best team in the league record wise over the past 8 or so years.... They really should have 2 Super Bowl victories if not for a cluster ***** call..... either way I would absolutely take the success the Seahawks have had recently.

 

Otherwise I agree, a perennial winner now a days really hinges on good QB play and good coaching. Seahawks have both. 

 

I guess my point was that had Russell Wilson not ended up being a top 5 QB the Seahawks would have quickly been a losing team after winning the Super Bowl in 2013. Their defense began to erode after the 2014 season when injuries, age, and free agency took their toll. They were still a good defense in 2015 but by 2016 the cracks started to show. Granted just as their defense and surrounding parts began to erode Wilson began to ascend. 

 

That's why I think the Bills window for sustained success beyond 2 seasons will be defined by continued good drafting and Josh improving. 

[bbb]

9 hours ago, machine gun kelly said:

 

I couldn’t stand Jeff Wright.  The claim was he was more athletic than Smerlas, but Smerlas was meant to be a 3-4 Nose Tackle.  He clogged the middle just like big old Teddy Washington later in the 90’s.  What was amazing to me was how the all time sack leader in Bruce, was an end in a traditional 3-4 DE.  

 

When the debate over him and White comes up who was fantastic, what Bruce did in this system was nothing short of amazing.  He should go down as the GOAT of DE in the NFL.  I know that was a tangent but just reminded me of those days.

 

 

 

I actually saw this discussed a few months ago on some national football show.  But, somebody said "Come on, Cornelius Bennett was acting like another defensive end in those days"  Which was a point I hadn't thought about. 

 

40 minutes ago, Bermuda Triangle said:

The Bills were never 8-4 that season....in fact, they didn't even win 8 games on the season, as they finished 7-9.    The Bills were 7-6 after they beat Miami, and both Miami and NE finished 10-6.

 

 

For some reason, I read that exactly as you did, and was going to reply to it last night.  But, then I re-read it and he's saying Miami was that team that was 8-4.  

[Bermuda Triangle]

Just now, bbb said:

 

 

 

 

For some reason, I read that exactly as you did, and was going to reply to it last night.  But, then I re-read it and he's saying Miami was that team that was 8-4.  

Whoops...

[Big Turk]

17 hours ago, GRHater69 said:

The offensive line was a mess in '94. In two successive years they lost Will Wolford and Howard Ballard. They really didn't recover from that. Teams had caught up to the no-huddle attack and they were missing some speed on the outside with Lofton long gone. Also the defense was struggling in '94. Jeff Wright was a good player but was not meant to be a nose tackle and teams out muscled the Bills in the middle all season. Wright had shoulder issues that year an retired after the season. They also needed help in the secondary. They were starting Mickey Washington at corner and he was a backup at best. Add all that in with Walt Corey's bend but don't break philosophy and the D really hurt them in '94.

 

 

 

In addition the previous year Thurman had 355 rushes during the regular season and was never the same after that. 

 

He had 3 more consecutive 1000 yard seasons but never cracked 1100 yards and averaged under 4 YPC for all 3 years...

 

It would appear all those carries in the regular season and playoffs and the heavy overuse in 1993 finally took its toll on Thurman.

[Bermuda Triangle]

5 minutes ago, 2003Contenders said:

That was a very interesting season, and I remember many of those games well:

 

-- The shootout against the Lions on Thanksgiving Day that ended with a Kelly pick-sick in the final seconds.

 

-- The defense was really bad that year. In fact, when the season was over, Marv finally fired the DC and brought in Wade. 

 

The defense did a great job against Barry Sanders on Turkey Day, but made Dave Kreig look like a first-ballot HOFer.

[RocCityRoller]

21 hours ago, GRHater69 said:

The offensive line was a mess in '94. In two successive years they lost Will Wolford and Howard Ballard. They really didn't recover from that. Teams had caught up to the no-huddle attack and they were missing some speed on the outside with Lofton long gone. Also the defense was struggling in '94. Jeff Wright was a good player but was not meant to be a nose tackle and teams out muscled the Bills in the middle all season. Wright had shoulder issues that year an retired after the season. They also needed help in the secondary. They were starting Mickey Washington at corner and he was a backup at best. Add all that in with Walt Corey's bend but don't break philosophy and the D really hurt them in '94.

 

Great synopsis.

 

Funny how the replies are Thurman got old, Kelly struggled, Reich stunk are littered in here. The underlying problem on offense was the OL. This is exactly why old timers and mid old timers keep pounding the table to continuously improve the OL. That team had lost 3/5ths of its 1987-1993 run.

 

John Fina (LT), Corbin Lacina (LG) and Glenn Parker (RT) were no replacement for

Will Wolford (LT), Jim Ritcher (LG) and Howard Ballard (RT)

 

They could not run the counter or draw the same, or set up screens as well.

 

The fact Jim Kelly did as well as he did behind that line is a testament to Jim Kelly.

 

In the backfield you had Mickey Washington, a rookie Thomas Smith and Matt Darby trying to replace JD Williams, Nate Odomes and Mark Kelso.

 

Can't lose 3/5ths of your very good starting OL and 3/4 of your solid DBs and succeed.

[LB48]

13 hours ago, BillsinChesterSprings said:

 

Spot on summary of the '94 season.

At the break the Bills were 5-3.  A loss to Detroit on T-Day was unbearable to watch.  They lost the last 3 games of the season and that was that.

[Livinginthepast]

There are only 2 things I truly remember about this awful season. 1. The Thanksgiving turkey that the Bills served up vs Detroit where they got embarrassed. 2. After the Bills were eliminated from playoff contention, the almost national celebration by Bills haters that we wouldn't be going back to ruin another SB . For me I can remember the disappointment that we had 4 chances to win a SB and we blew it. Although we did come back in 1995 and we were 1 win away from the AFC championship, it was never really the same.

[Buftex]

13 hours ago, BigPappy said:

Too all you fan faithfuls that can even remember the 94\95 season, kudos to you. I barely remember seasons from 5 or 6 years ago....forget 24\25 years ago. ?

Been watching the Bills since 1972, when I was 7. I have missed only one game since 1987 (the trouncing by the Colts in 1989 that lead to the birth of the "bickering Bills".  I swear to to you, i can remember vividly the OJ seasons, the "talkin' proud" years of the Chuck Knox, the misery of the mid-80's, the Super Bowl years, Flutie/Johnson wars...I remember the seasons, the games....but after about 2004, the seasons are just a blur to me...I have a hard time differentiating all the 6-10, 7-9 seasons....the other day,  Schoop mentioned Kyle Orton, and I had almost completely forgotten that he played for us...all the losing takes its' toll.  The McBeane era, so far, has been a blast...