thronethinker Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Looking back at the early 90s Bills it is obvious that the team had several Hall of Fame Members associated with it. In fact it is one of the highest number of HOF members associated with any one NFL team between 1990-1992 add in NFL history. The late 80s team was very complete but still lacked that edge before 1990 to get into the SB. The Bennet trade was a difference maker but not what got the team to the SB. In the end the difference was going to the no huddle and utilizing Thurman Thomas as a dual threat at RB or Receiver. You cannot argue this point, the Bills went from contenders to SB plus 4 when they optimized Thurman Thomas in the no huddle. Today I see a very promising team with Allen and the receivers. Our D should rebound. But what is our formulation to get over that hump like the late 80s teams? I like our chances out scoring other teams every week, but we lack that No Huddle or Thurman Thomas factor of the 90s teams. Diggs is a major piece and it shows, but I just feel we are are missing piece away from domination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westside Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) Off the top of my head, I would say pass rush and running back. I would be interested to see the Bills apply some sort of variation of the K-gun. I think we have the weapons to pull it off. Edited October 8, 2020 by westside2 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Success Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 We don't have that unstoppable pass rusher that we had. That's such a difference maker. Granted, there will never be another Bruce Smith. But we need someone on D who can take over a game. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Bruce 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thronethinker Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, NewEra said: Bruce Bruce was part of the late 80s teams and no doubt he was a major contributor to the SB teams, but in the end the team didnt make the SB until it made substantial changes to the offense play. This was mostly Kelly, Thurman, and Reed. They changed the tempo of the game. We have that ability now with Josh and the receivers, but I am talking about a Thurman Thomas. Is Josh our Thurman Thomas? I would like to think so, but time will tell. Edited October 8, 2020 by thronethinker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTown Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 1. Elite pass rusher. 2. Depth at LB 3. I'm pretty sure lack of experience at kicker will bite us at some point. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thronethinker Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) Could you imagine Thurman Thomas in todays team? Just nuts. Edited October 8, 2020 by thronethinker 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Call_Of_Ktulu Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Easy Bruce and Thurman, I still think Thurman was the best RB in the NFL. Thurman would carry the offense some years, he was the best all around RB to me. Thurman was like a more powerful Alvin Kamara. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in Chicago Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 16 minutes ago, NewEra said: Bruce If one were to chose a single player, it would be Bruuuuuce 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stank_Nasty Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Super quick and easy answer... ”Bad things, man!” 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Call_Of_Ktulu Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 2 minutes ago, thronethinker said: Could you imagine Thurman Thomas in todays team? It would be insane, He would be the first FFL pick easy. 1,200 10 TD's 70 Catches 650 4 TD's. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannc Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 The 1990’s Bills didn’t have to deal with a team like the Chiefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billsbackto81 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 19 minutes ago, NewEra said: Bruce 2 minutes ago, Fan in Chicago said: If one were to chose a single player, it would be Bruuuuuce Who is this Bruce you speak of? 🤔 #1. As much as I like Motor, he's no Thurman Thomas. Defenses in the 90's had to account and game plan around #34. Motor is not in that type of discussion. #2. And yes, a pass rush would be nice. #3. Our LB's were better and deeper in the 90's but that I guess is to be expected when running a predominate 3-4 defense. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) What Part of The SB Puzzle Does This Team Miss Compared to 90’s? 26 minutes ago, JTown said: 1. Elite pass rusher. 2. Depth at LB 3. I'm pretty sure lack of experience at kicker will bite us at some point. Edited October 8, 2020 by KD in CA 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thronethinker Posted October 8, 2020 Author Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) 17 minutes ago, mannc said: The 1990’s Bills didn’t have to deal with a team like the Chiefs. No they dealt with teams that were not necessarily statistically better than todays Chief, but that is largely due to rule changes. 1990 and 91 Bills were better than todays Chiefs and anyone that watched them knows this is true. Edited October 8, 2020 by thronethinker 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atlbillsfan1975 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 1 minute ago, KD in CA said: What Part of The SB Puzzle Does This Team Miss Compared to 90’s? Hahahaha, was thinking the same thing! The SB team had that too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoHuddleKelly12 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 9 minutes ago, mannc said: The 1990’s Bills didn’t have to deal with a team like the Chiefs. We can't discount the fact that they had to deal year in/year out with multiple HOFers at QB out of Kelly's class in Marino, Elway, as well as a consistently strong Pittsburgh squad...there was plenty of solid competition even without considering the NFC. To the OP's point, I agree that the Bills getting unleashed on O with their philosophy, specifically in 1990, set the table for the run to come. Having Lofton come over as a free agent in '89 to complement Reed as our main deep threat also nicely opened things up for Andre in medium/over the middle routes. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie's Dead Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) 39 minutes ago, JTown said: 1. Elite pass rusher. 2. Depth at LB 3. I'm pretty sure lack of experience at kicker will bite us at some point. I agree but not think Elite is issue. The issue is the LBs health are limiting what they can do. This defense is more complicated than many others (but makes sense unlike Rex's) and it takes time to master and there were too many losses. We also do not have an elite ST player like Tasker was where they had teams assigning three players to stop him (actual quotes from ST coordinators and head coaches) and a wedge breaker like Mark Pike and that combination was devastating in some games. Edited October 8, 2020 by Limeaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mannc Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) 7 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said: We can't discount the fact that they had to deal year in/year out with multiple HOFers at QB out of Kelly's class in Marino, Elway, as well as a consistently strong Pittsburgh squad...there was plenty of solid competition even without considering the NFC. To the OP's point, I agree that the Bills getting unleashed on O with their philosophy, specifically in 1990, set the table for the run to come. Having Lofton come over as a free agent in '89 to complement Reed as our main deep threat also nicely opened things up for Andre in medium/over the middle routes. Marino’s Dolphins were nowhere near as good as the Mahomes Chiefs. Nowhere near the weapons Mahomes has and their defense was bad. Those Steeler and Broncos teams weren’t great either. Elway had not yet hit his stride and had no one to throw to. I wasn’t referring to the NFC; obviously, those NFCE teams we lost to were the real deal, especially the Cowboys. 12 minutes ago, thronethinker said: No they dealt with teams that were historically better than todays Chiefs. 1990 and 91 Bills were better than todays Chiefs and anyone that watched them knows this is true. The Cowboys, yes. I was mainly referring to the AFC competition, though. Edited October 8, 2020 by mannc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Punching Bag Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 4 minutes ago, mannc said: Marino’s Dolphins were nowhere near as good as the Mahomes Chiefs. Nowhere near the weapons Mahomes has and their defense was bad. Those Steeler and Broncos teams weren’t great either. Elway had not yet hit his stride and had no one to throw to. I wasn’t referring to the NFC; obviously, those NFCE teams we lost to were the real deal, especially the Cowboys. and the Bills beat them each after Superbowls so competition level may be a factor that they were not prepared for NFC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewEra Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 58 minutes ago, thronethinker said: Bruce was part of the late 80s teams and no doubt he was a major contributor to the SB teams, but in the end the team didnt make the SB until it made substantial changes to the offense play. This was mostly Kelly, Thurman, and Reed. They changed the tempo of the game. We have that ability now with Josh and the receivers, but I am talking about a Thurman Thomas. Is Josh our Thurman Thomas? I would like to think so, but time will tell. The question was “What Part of The SB Puzzle Does This Team Miss Compared to 90’s”. Yeah, Thurman would be nice...but a pass rusher the level of Bruce would be a MUUUUUUUUCH bigger addition. So much bigger it’s not even worth debating 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rico Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 48 minutes ago, thronethinker said: No they dealt with teams that were not necessarily statistically better than todays Chief, but that is largely due to rule changes. 1990 and 91 Bills were better than todays Chiefs and anyone that watched them knows this is true. Absolutely. Last year's Chiefs were one of the more mediocre teams to ever win a Super Bowl, 90 & 91 Bills would've trounced them (see: Dan Marino's Dolphins). 41 minutes ago, mannc said: Marino’s Dolphins were nowhere near as good as the Mahomes Chiefs. Nowhere near the weapons Mahomes has and their defense was bad. Those Steeler and Broncos teams weren’t great either. Elway had not yet hit his stride and had no one to throw to. I wasn’t referring to the NFC; obviously, those NFCE teams we lost to were the real deal, especially the Cowboys. And Ratface's Chiefs beat the Titans, Texans, and 49ers zzzzzzzzzzzz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njbuff Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 1 hour ago, thronethinker said: Could you imagine Thurman Thomas in todays team? Just nuts. Thurman would destroy this league. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrownBear Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) Bruce, certainly. He was the most dynamic pass rusher in the NFL. And Thurman was a guy who could do it all. Just an unbelievable receiver for a running back. If Thurman had been blessed with breakaway speed, he may have been the GOAT. Edited October 8, 2020 by TheBrownBear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BullBuchanan Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 If we had Jim Scwartz's defense, we'd be unstoppable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Locomark Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 (edited) That’s easy....zero Bruce Smith equivalent... teams always had to fear our edges. Bruce on one side, Bennett on the other.. This team has anemic edges in comparison. Unless Hughes is saving it for the playoffs we need something to change. Edited October 8, 2020 by Locomark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkx2 Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 2 hours ago, NewEra said: Bruce One word and he said it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy Watkins' Rib Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Experience? Kelly was 6 or 7 years out of college when he made it to his first super bowl? But it does seem these days younger less experienced QB's can and do take their teams to the Super Bowl. Or to 1st place in the conference. On offense it would be nice to have a Kamara type player in that Thurman roll out of the backfield as a threat to run or receive. Singletary is nice but not sure he will get to that sort of all-pro level. On defense I feel our D-line is just average at best. Need a true playmaker on the line to emerge. That said, no reason why this team can't compete with the best of them right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wizard Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 It was easier to keep a team together back in the early 90s. Free agency is the biggest difference from the 90s. Agree with other posters on DE, RB, LB, and just overall depth. Yes...these Bills are good, but it would take a hall of fame level DE, a solid right side of the OL, another solid linebacker, and a MVP-level running back before we can compare the two teams. A top level DE and Singletary averaging 1200+ yards is the next step/level. Let's keep building and win a playoff game first! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John from Riverside Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 There is no bruce smith on this team and our TE's were very good at that time 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LABILLBACKER Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 I think Josh can be as good if not better than Jim. Diggs can almost equal Andre. We just don't have a Bruce or Thurman. They way our defense is structured now they will have to play together as a unit. Devin will never be 34 but he will be serviceable. If we are to finally win a SB, it will likely rest on Josh's shoulders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milanos Milano Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 If this team had Bruce Smith, we win the super bowl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TwistofFate Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 2 hours ago, njbuff said: Thurman would destroy this league. Fred Jackson in his prime on this team would destroy this league. I'm most likely in the minority with this opinion, but I think Jackson was a better back and if he was surrounded with talent, the sky was the limit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rock'em Sock'em Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 BRUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCE!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QCity Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 The correct answer is Bruce. Also a very underwhelming conference. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ethan in Cleveland Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 Different era but Bruce and Thurman would be superstars still today. Bruce would need to play a 4-3 DE. He would be too light for today's 3-4 DE. Thurman was always my favorite player. This team lacks a pass rushing OLB. They need a guy that can stand up as an OLB in the 4-3 and put his hand on the ground as a nickel DE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GunnerBill Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 A true dominant pass rusher. Jerry, Mario and Trent have their merits. Ed's talent is obvious but still needs a little more consistency so while we have got decent pressure at times we don't have that guy who can take over a game. That is the one missing piece that takes this team from very good to dominant. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 7 hours ago, mannc said: The 1990’s Bills didn’t have to deal with a team like the Chiefs. Because the Bills were the Chiefs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnNord Posted October 8, 2020 Share Posted October 8, 2020 8 hours ago, NewEra said: Bruce Yes this. Hughes is good but does not have the effect that Bruce Smith had on a game. I might argue a Cornelius Bennett as well for the same reasons. Edmunds and Milano are good players but have yet to make the game-turning plays that Biscuit did for the Bills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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