Best, Worst, & Favorite Opening Games

[Another Fan]

The 2017 opener I think might be the most underrated one and my favorite one.  21-12 win versus the Jets.

 

While there was nothing hugely memorable about the actual game itself it was a solid W and the 1st win of the Mcdermott era.  So a new era so to speak.

 

 

[Starr Almighty]

7 hours ago, Logic said:

Worst of all time, never to be defeated:

Bills vs Broncos, 2007. I was at this game.

The Broncos scrambled the field goal unit onto the field and Jason Elam kicked the game winning field goal JUST as the last second ticked off the clock, causing the Bills to lose a game they should've won.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY...Kevin Everett was paralyzed in this game. It's the most scary, horrific, deflating thing I've ever seen on a football field. All of the opening day excitement was sucked out of the crowd in an instant, replaced by a scared, hushed silence. All of the momentum and energy was sucked out of the team, as well. The loss was heartbreaking, but I didn't even care about the outcome of the game, because what we had just seen on the field with Everett made sports seem really insignificant in comparison.

I felt like the season was over after that game. The Bills would not recover. How could they? Just awful.

This is also my worst game. When he was laying there, I thought he may have been killed on the play . Just the thought of a player dying while watching football was too much. I never felt so uncomfortable at the Ralph in my life.

[BillsFan130]

2018 at Baltimore stands out for me for worst .

 

What a gong show.

 

Best was 2003 against Pats

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Best: 1980 Dolphins.  2003 Patriots is close but the Bills lost the 1970's to the Dolphins.  The 2003 team was not good. The 1980 team was good enough to win the SB.

 

Worst - hard to choose.  I know this is recency bias, but last year was so deflating.  All the expectations of a SB run and they absolutely looked terrible. 

 

Baltimore in 2018 was an embarrassment as well.  If McD does not win a SB with Buffalo his Wikipedia page will be two lines - Failed to win a SB with Josh Allen and started Nathan Peterman in an NFL game - astonishingly more than once.  

[ticketssince61]

Worst 1979 Dolphins Lost 9-7

 

Had not beaten the dolphins the entire 70's

 

Had great drive to set up game winning chip shot FG on last play of the game .. and Tom Dempsey missed

[Bob in STL]

20 hours ago, Greg S said:

1980 - 17-7 win over the Dolphins tops the list.

2003 - 31-0 win over the Pats

 

Agree on this.  I was at both.  The Pats* game was sweet but the 1980 game was actually more satisfying to me and Rich Stadium went hysterical.   

19 hours ago, Freddie's Dead said:

 

On the series before the FG, Bills had 3rd and long, but running the football would at least force the Broncos to use their last TO.  Jauron dials up a bomb to Lee Evans, incomplete, and the Broncos said thank you.  If Jauron calls a running play, we win that game.  Idiot.

Correct.  The one time Jauron was not conservative and was a huge tactical error.  
 

This was a terrible home opener.  Losing was bad enough, the injury to Everett made it even worse.  

[Rubes]

20 hours ago, Buffalo Boy said:

   Personal Fav was 1988 win over the Minnesota Vikings.

    It was my first year of seasons as an 18 year old kid. We were home dogs and it was the beginning to a glorious season were we won all our home games and the East.

 

That's an underrated game, mostly because it was a low-scoring and fairly unexciting game. I think the final was 13-10 or something. But still, it was an awesome way to open the season, especially because the Vikings were considered a contender that year.

 

Some may recall that was the season Bruce Smith was suspended the first 4 games for substance use, and it happened right before the season started. There was a ton of excitement about the season, and that was a huge gut punch right before everything started. Leon Seals was asked to fill Bruce's role on the D-line, and although he was no Bruce, he did an excellent job.

 

If memory serves, it was Hal Garner #99 who crawled on his hands and knees to sack the Vikings QB and stop their comeback at the end of the game.

 

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

Not mentioned yet, the 2000 season opener - the SNF revenge game against the Titans after Homejob Throwforward.  Also the first ever TBDAHOT. 

 

Bills D allows only 172 yards with 4 sacks and a turnover.  Bills O holds ball for over 33 minutes.

 

Tied at 13 with 1 minute left, AVP (replacing an injured Rob Johnson) hit Moulds for 36 yards to put us in FG range.  We took the lead on a Steve Christie FG with 31 seconds remaining and this time actually making a tackle on the ensuing kick return (after 52 hair-raising yards).  Tennessee tried a 60 yd FG with 4 seconds left which was no good.

 

Bills win 16-13.
 

 

[Ned Flanders]

19 minutes ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

We took the lead on a Steve Christie FG with 31 seconds remaining and this time actually making a tackle on the ensuing kick return (after 52 hair-raising yards).  

Jeeziz, I remember that...I began to feel physically ill during the return.

[CA OC Bills Fan]

21 hours ago, Stank_Nasty said:

we actually got "lucky" our baby girl came 2 weeks early so we were able to leave her with my mom to go attend. her actual due date was just 3 days before the opener.... and we had reason to be confident. it was an aging team with a crap line that totally imploded down the stretch of 2020. Also i would argue the steelers were a legit bad squad last year. They were basically the football team version of weekend at bernies. Somehow stumbling their way to mediocre.  neither their offense or defense finished higher than 24th last year overall. We should have boat raced them.

Mistake leaving birth of a child to luck. 

 

My son was due opening weekend in 2001, I think his due date was Friday 9/7, opening game for the Bills was 9/9 and of course two days later 9/11 happened. I wanted no chance of missing the opener being stuck in the hospital so we had a planned C-section on 8/31. Yes, my wife, even not being a football fan, is a great sport! 

[The Firebaugh Kid]

The Kevin Everett game against Denver. The fg team scrambled onto the field and got set in like 7 seconds and Jason Elam (I believe) sent us all into even more shock by winning the game with a 50+ yard game winning kick. 

Later that evening, the band that used to open for my band won Best New Artist on the MTV Video Music Awards. Top 5 worst days of my life 🤣

[corta765]

3 hours ago, Bob in STL said:

The one time Jauron was not conservative and was a huge tactical error.  

 

This is the first time in human history the words Jauron was not conservative have ever been spoken or typed.

[Rubes]

I'm sure someone has already mentioned the 1989 opener in Miami, right? The one where Miami, with the lead late in the 4th quarter, inexplicably decides to throw the ball, and the Bills intercept Marino? And Jimbo runs the QB sneak on the final play to score the TD and win it?

 

[Tisker A Tasker]

1 hour ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

Not mentioned yet, the 2000 season opener - the SNF revenge game against the Titans after Homejob Throwforward.  Also the first ever TBDAHOT. 

 

Bills D allows only 172 yards with 4 sacks and a turnover.  Bills O holds ball for over 33 minutes.

 

Tied at 13 with 1 minute left, AVP (replacing an injured Rob Johnson) hit Moulds for 36 yards to put us in FG range.  We took the lead on a Steve Christie FG with 31 seconds remaining and this time actually making a tackle on the ensuing kick return (after 52 hair-raising yards).  Tennessee tried a 60 yd FG with 4 seconds left which was no good.

 

Bills win 16-13.
 

 

 

 

I came here to say this!  This game was huge win in prime time.

 

As for worst?  Two years prior in 1998 - not a season opener, but a home opener: BIlls were up 28-10 in the 3rd Quarter AND 31-20 in the 4th Quarter but ended up losing 34-33 to the Tony Banks lead Rams.  To make matters worse, it was so brutally hot that day. That Rams team was largely the same as the one that won the super bowl a year later, with one smaaall difference; the miracle of Kurt Warner.

[Mikie2times]

2004 Earnest Wilford TD was very difficult, I recall being pretty emotional on that one. 

 

2003 opener was bliss. It was actually the only time I met a fellow TBD member for a game, out in a bar in Kalamazoo, MI of all places.

 

For me a lot of this depends on the era. I think we feel more of the game in our teens and early 20's. Life takes over more as time progresses. As an example as bad as the KC playoff game was was anybody over the age of 35 stunned? After 4 SB losses, just give it to um, HR throwback, almost 20 years of no playoffs,  you eventually get numb to some of this stuff.   

Edited July 1, 2022 by KzooMike

[brianthomas]

8 hours ago, The Firebaugh Kid said:

The Kevin Everett game against Denver. The fg team scrambled onto the field and got set in like 7 seconds and Jason Elam (I believe) sent us all into even more shock by winning the game with a 50+ yard game winning kick. 

Later that evening, the band that used to open for my band won Best New Artist on the MTV Video Music Awards. Top 5 worst days of my life 🤣

Out of curiosity who was the band, Gym Class Heroes? They were from Geneva i think so would be a good guess. Well if its any consolation the BILLS are good now, scary good

[RiotAct]

On 6/29/2022 at 4:56 PM, brianthomas said:

Worst for me was September 9, 2001 New Orleans Saints here for our home opener.

It was hot as hell, down on the field about 100-110.

Aaron Brooks, Joe Horn, Ricky Williams & their D dominated us all day as Rob Johnson threw 3 int's & our offense had no life whatsover.

So naturally we all drank a ton. Nothing worse in the heat either.

1 of my friends we were with brought some illicit substances as a pick me up. I dont condone it, we were young & liked to party. Well turned out to be the exact opposite: ketamine.

If anyone knows what that is, you can imagine... it's not the kind of experience you'd want in the heat & in front of thousands of angry BILLS fans let me tell ya. 1 guy locked himself in the bathroom stall & passed out for the entire 2nd half, until security was alerted & removed him. Another got sick in the stands, it was just a nightmare. And we lost 24-6. And no we never hung out with that guy again. Worst experience ever.

I remember that game as well -  I was there.  Dubya on the Jumbotron wishing everyone a happy opening day right before kickoff (they played the clip at every game that day I’m 99.9% sure).  Two days later, 9/11 happened.

 

Someone threw a beer bottle at me when I was walking up Milestrip to meet my dad at Quaker Crossing plaza after the game.  I was 14 years old.   Good times…😂

[Mikie2times]

11 hours ago, JÂy RÛßeÒ said:

Not mentioned yet, the 2000 season opener - the SNF revenge game against the Titans after Homejob Throwforward.  Also the first ever TBDAHOT. 

 

Bills D allows only 172 yards with 4 sacks and a turnover.  Bills O holds ball for over 33 minutes.

 

Tied at 13 with 1 minute left, AVP (replacing an injured Rob Johnson) hit Moulds for 36 yards to put us in FG range.  We took the lead on a Steve Christie FG with 31 seconds remaining and this time actually making a tackle on the ensuing kick return (after 52 hair-raising yards).  Tennessee tried a 60 yd FG with 4 seconds left which was no good.

 

Bills win 16-13.
 

 

Great choice. 

[The Firebaugh Kid]

51 minutes ago, brianthomas said:

Out of curiosity who was the band, Gym Class Heroes? They were from Geneva i think so would be a good guess. Well if its any consolation the BILLS are good now, scary good

Yes sir! It's all love now, but at time it was hard to swallow. Looking back, they definitely had more potential than us haha. We just had the crowd. 

[DabillsDaBillsDaBills]

Worst: 2010 vs Dolphins. Chan Gailey's first game as Head Coach resulting in a 15-10 loss

 

On a personal level... I had stayed out at the bars until 3 AM the night before. Barely made it to the tailgate and couldn't bring myself to drink anything. Spent the entire game terribly hungover, and midway through the 1st Q some guy 2 rows back projectile vomited for a solid 10 seconds. Stadium workers didn't get sawdust on it until halftime (the smell was unbearable). 

 

The game itself might have been worse. 

 

The defense played pretty well, but the offense was putrid with Trent Edwards at the helm totaling 166 yards and 9 first downs. Down by 5 points in the 4th Q we had a 4th and 15 from our own 15 yard line with 17 seconds and Trentative threw a checkdown that gained 9 yards. 

 

Any fan that had an expectation that Chan Gailey could rehab Trent, or that the Bills could make the playoffs that year, had their hopes quickly and utterly destroyed that day. 

 

 

[jletha]

On 6/29/2022 at 4:33 PM, gonzo1105 said:

When the Bills drubbed the Chiefs behind Fitzy 41-7 in arrowhead

Came to post this. It came out of nowhere because we werent good the year before. The start of the magical run for that team. It went Chiefs drubbing, then 18 point comeback against Oakland in the home opener and then the 21pt comeback win against NE to start 3-0.

 

Before one of the biggest collapses in NFL history

[Stranded in Boston]

On 6/29/2022 at 3:58 PM, SoCal Deek said:

One that forever stands out was the 1973 opener. OJ cracks off 250 yards in New England and every fan everywhere knew something HUGE was about to happen. 

Thanks SoCal, I was surprised how long it took before someone mentioned that game! These TBD young'ns ... 😉

OJ busted a sweep 80 yards for a TD in the 1Q, and the o-line was a juggernaut, with 2nd-year man Reggie McKenzie and rookie Joe DeLamielleure pulling all day and annihilating Pats LBs and DBs. FB Larry Watkins added another 110 yards on the ground. The Pats knew the Bills would run every down, and still couldn't stop it ...  What a game!

[LabattBlue]

3 drought openers that I attended which were all end of game heartbreakers…

 

Elam FG

 

Wilford TD

 

NYJ(players name escapes me) OT kickoff return.  It was his second return for a TD in the game. 
 

Every single one was a massive kick in the nuts. 

 

 

Best and favorite are one in the same…MNF football vs the Raiders in the mid 70’s.  Old man Blanda tried to pull one more miracle out, but his FG at the end missed. 

Edited July 1, 2022 by BTB

[Albany,n.y.]

The 1980 opener vs Miami where the Bills broke a decade long losing streak vs Miami-it's the only time I've ever been on the field, as the fans poured on to the field & tore the goalposts down on opening day.

 

Contrary to many here, the 2018 opener in Baltimore is one of my favorites. The Bills got crushed & I got drenched in the rain, but I got to see Josh Allen's first real snaps as an NFL QB (also got to see Lamar Jackson's 1st snaps). Even though the Bills got crushed, that game is historic because it launched Josh's career.   

[BreezeMafia]

Favorites:
1981: Win over NYJ.  My very first game attended as a Bills fan

2019: Win over NYJ.  JA17 overcoming 4 turnovers to help win it late

1988: Win over MIN

Honorable mention:

1986: Loss to NYJ.  JK12 first home game, 80,000 in attendance.  Great game to watch

 

Least:

2004: Loss to Jax.  People forget Ryan Lindell missing 2 field goals that day

2006: Loss at NE.  Bills were up and in control most of the game.  McGahee falling down on 4th and inches inside NE 10 yard line

 

[First Round Bust]

Sept 19, 1971 - attended my first Bills game, home opener at War Memorial (Rockpile) vs the Cowboys - lots of points scored, Dennis Shaw threw for several TDs and OJ scored one right in front of me....Tony Greene debut, smallest player on the field...Craig Morton was Cowboys qb, not Staubach, and Walt Garrison has a big day as did the Cowboys O...many years later ran into a friend of Tony Greene, who would bet anyone-everyone willing that he could beat them in a race running backward while you ran forward.

 

Saw some beer bottles fly aimed at a cop on the field, a fight near me, a dude caught the ball after an XP and outran the cops with the ball until he got to the other side where the rest of cops gang tackled him and cuffed him...just the usual Bills game at the time, another loss and the fans entertaining themselves  "Buffalo style"...

Edited July 2, 2022 by First Round Bust

[ehfeuh57]

The Sam Adams Game that resulted in the beat-down of Bradys Pats is clearly #1