The Most Embarrassing Day in Bills’ History

[st pete gogolak]

The recent back and forth whether to move on from McDermott because he “can’t get us over the hump” takes me back to one game: Super Bowl XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys.  The Bills had an up and down 1992 season, failing to win the division and losing Kelly to injury last game of the season.  The playoffs, however, were memorable, starting with the Comeback against the Oilers, followed by impressive road wins against the Steelers with Reich again at QB, and the Dolphins, with Kelly back at QB.  
 

The Super Bowl, however, was a debacle and an embarrassment.  No question Cowboys had a very strong team and frankly a better team.  It shouldn’t have been a blowout.  It’s interesting to look at stats and play-by-play from the game.  Bills had more first downs and total yardage was relatively close.  Final score - 52 - 17!  Two key sequences. Down 14 - 7, Bills has second and goal from Dallas one.  Two runs and an interception followed.  Later, Bills down 21 - 7, Bills had first and goal inside the Dallas 5 and settled for a FG.  That was pretty much all she wrote.  The embarrassing part was that the Bills fumbled eight times and lost five and threw four interceptions, two each by Kelly and Reich.  Nine turnovers in the biggest game of the year!!!! 
 

It’s hard to imagine a less well prepared team going into a big game.  Levy was a good coach, not a great coach. It was clear after that game that he’d never lead the Bills to a SB win.  Do you fire a coach who has led you to three straight SB’s?  In hindsight, the answer is, yeah you probably do.  Blow it up and let your GM start the rebuild. Instead we fire the GM and keep the coach.

 

Does this give any insight to our present situation?  I think yes.  McDermott should be on the hot seat this year.  Super Bowl or bust.  If we don’t do in 2024, time to move on.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

2 minutes ago, st pete gogolak said:

The embarrassing part was that the Bills fumbled eight times and lost five and threw four interceptions, two each by Kelly and Reich.  Nine turnovers in the biggest game of the year!!!! 

 

9 turnovers is insane; how is that even possible?

 

I haven’t seen that game since it aired (for obvious reasons), but now am curious to go back and watch it.

 

(I do remember one of the SB’s against Dallas, we were up at halftime!).

[dma0034]

Those Bills teams were known for their partying. Honestly a thing of legend still. Wonder how many Superbowls they could have won if they didn't.

[Gregg]

Just now, dma0034 said:

Those Bills teams were known for their partying. Honestly a thing of legend still. Wonder how many Superbowls they could have won if they didn't.

 

The Giants game was the only one they should have won. They were the better team. Washington just physically manhandled the Bills. The Cowboys were the better team although the 9 turnovers in the first game against them didn't help.

[Steptide]

Can't remember if it was this superbowl, or the other Dallas superbowl, but didn't the bills punt at one point from like the 50, and Dallas ran it back for like 35 yards, turning up a net punt of like 15 yards? Just terrible 

Edited February 1 by Steptide

[Low Positive]

5 minutes ago, dma0034 said:

Those Bills teams were known for their partying. Honestly a thing of legend still. Wonder how many Superbowls they could have won if they didn't.

Are you here to tell me that the '90s Cowboys were a bunch of milk-drinking choir boys?

[dma0034]

Just now, Low Positive said:

Are you here to tell me that the '90s Cowboys were a bunch of milk-drinking choir boys?

 

 

I mean I'm not saying that at all but the Bills partying was the story. 

 

Besides the Cowboys choice of ummm... substance was far more beneficial than alcohol

[Westside]

4 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

Are you here to tell me that the '90s Cowboys were a bunch of milk-drinking choir boys?

I didn’t get that take at all. Weird 

[Simon]

4 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

Are you here to tell me that the '90s Cowboys were a bunch of milk-drinking choir boys?

 

A team full of cokeheads always beats a team full of drunks

[I'm Spartacus]

Most embarrassing day? When some idiot threw the Billdo on the field. 

2nd place goes to the guy who threw the snowball in Chuck Foreman's face.

3rd place goes to the guy who slid down the upper deck railing and fell off. We can be better than that, no?

[DeltaDigital]

24 minutes ago, st pete gogolak said:

The recent back and forth whether to move on from McDermott because he “can’t get us over the hump” takes me back to one game: Super Bowl XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys.  The Bills had an up and down 1992 season, failing to win the division and losing Kelly to injury last game of the season.  The playoffs, however, were memorable, starting with the Comeback against the Oilers, followed by impressive road wins against the Steelers with Reich again at QB, and the Dolphins, with Kelly back at QB.  
 

The Super Bowl, however, was a debacle and an embarrassment.  No question Cowboys had a very strong team and frankly a better team.  It shouldn’t have been a blowout.  It’s interesting to look at stats and play-by-play from the game.  Bills had more first downs and total yardage was relatively close.  Final score - 52 - 17!  Two key sequences. Down 14 - 7, Bills has second and goal from Dallas one.  Two runs and an interception followed.  Later, Bills down 21 - 7, Bills had first and goal inside the Dallas 5 and settled for a FG.  That was pretty much all she wrote.  The embarrassing part was that the Bills fumbled eight times and lost five and threw four interceptions, two each by Kelly and Reich.  Nine turnovers in the biggest game of the year!!!! 
 

It’s hard to imagine a less well prepared team going into a big game.  Levy was a good coach, not a great coach. It was clear after that game that he’d never lead the Bills to a SB win.  Do you fire a coach who has led you to three straight SB’s?  In hindsight, the answer is, yeah you probably do.  Blow it up and let your GM start the rebuild. Instead we fire the GM and keep the coach.

 

Does this give any insight to our present situation?  I think yes.  McDermott should be on the hot seat this year.  Super Bowl or bust.  If we don’t do in 2024, time to move on.

yea. when i tell people they had 9 turnovers in that game they think im kidding. 

[Logic]

26 minutes ago, st pete gogolak said:

Does this give any insight to our present situation?  I think yes.  McDermott should be on the hot seat this year.  Super Bowl or bust.  If we don’t do in 2024, time to move on.

I feel like maybe you buried the lede.

Did you actually want to talk about the Bills-Cowboys Super Bowl, or was this just a cleverly and elaborately disguised "McDermott should be on the hot seat" post?

[Malazan]

13 minutes ago, Low Positive said:

Are you here to tell me that the '90s Cowboys were a bunch of milk-drinking choir boys?

 

It sure sounds like it: https://larrybrownsports.com/football/charles-haley-penis-*****/269742

Here's an excerpt about Haley's Locker Room antics:

 

"Once Haley wrapped an Ace bandage around it and strolled through the locker room, screaming, “I’m the last naked warrior!”

[WhoTom]

The most embarrassing day in Bills history is the day they re-signed Dick Jauron as HC, "for the sake of continuity."

 

 

[Low Positive]

3 minutes ago, Logic said:

I feel like maybe you buried the lede.

Did you actually want to talk about the Bills-Cowboys Super Bowl, or was this just a cleverly and elaborately disguised "McDermott should be on the hot seat" post?

[SoonerBillsFan]

35 minutes ago, st pete gogolak said:

The recent back and forth whether to move on from McDermott because he “can’t get us over the hump” takes me back to one game: Super Bowl XXVII against the Dallas Cowboys.  The Bills had an up and down 1992 season, failing to win the division and losing Kelly to injury last game of the season.  The playoffs, however, were memorable, starting with the Comeback against the Oilers, followed by impressive road wins against the Steelers with Reich again at QB, and the Dolphins, with Kelly back at QB.  
 

The Super Bowl, however, was a debacle and an embarrassment.  No question Cowboys had a very strong team and frankly a better team.  It shouldn’t have been a blowout.  It’s interesting to look at stats and play-by-play from the game.  Bills had more first downs and total yardage was relatively close.  Final score - 52 - 17!  Two key sequences. Down 14 - 7, Bills has second and goal from Dallas one.  Two runs and an interception followed.  Later, Bills down 21 - 7, Bills had first and goal inside the Dallas 5 and settled for a FG.  That was pretty much all she wrote.  The embarrassing part was that the Bills fumbled eight times and lost five and threw four interceptions, two each by Kelly and Reich.  Nine turnovers in the biggest game of the year!!!! 
 

It’s hard to imagine a less well prepared team going into a big game.  Levy was a good coach, not a great coach. It was clear after that game that he’d never lead the Bills to a SB win.  Do you fire a coach who has led you to three straight SB’s?  In hindsight, the answer is, yeah you probably do.  Blow it up and let your GM start the rebuild. Instead we fire the GM and keep the coach.

 

Does this give any insight to our present situation?  I think yes.  McDermott should be on the hot seat this year.  Super Bowl or bust.  If we don’t do in 2024, time to move on.

I remember right before Jim went down he threw a timing pass to Pete Metzelaars and metz slipped which led to the INT.  Several said if Frank Reich played he would have won us a Superbowl. Well he took over down 14 -7 and the rest is the history you outlined.  The play which really PO'ed me was us down near our own goal line and Kelly gets sacked for the Fumble TD. 

30 minutes ago, Miyagi-Do Karate said:

 

9 turnovers is insane; how is that even possible?

 

I haven’t seen that game since it aired (for obvious reasons), but now am curious to go back and watch it.

 

(I do remember one of the SB’s against Dallas, we were up at halftime!).

27 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

The Giants game was the only one they should have won. They were the better team. Washington just physically manhandled the Bills. The Cowboys were the better team although the 9 turnovers in the first game against them didn't help.

We should have won SB 28 in Atlanta. A friend of mine was there and she said the moment Thurman Fumbled, the Team was done. You could see it from the stands.

Edited February 1 by SoonerBillsFan

[corta765]

24 minutes ago, Gregg said:

 

The Giants game was the only one they should have won. They were the better team. Washington just physically manhandled the Bills. The Cowboys were the better team although the 9 turnovers in the first game against them didn't help.

 

I intentionally rewatched SB28 last year or the year prior. Buffalo was controlling the game but they left points on the board heading into the second half. The fumble certainly changed momentum, but the defense actually did a good job to give the Bills offense as much as a shot to get back in as they could before the damn broke with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

 

To me Bills should've won 25, deserved to lose 26-27 as they were not the better team, and 28 was a game up in the air and closer then the final score it just got away as the offense never could make a play when it matter in the second half.

[DrBob806]

15 minutes ago, DeltaDigital said:

yea. when i tell people they had 9 turnovers in that game they think im kidding. 

That's when I realized Kelly was over rated, hate to say it. 

[Not Applicable]

The most embarrassing day in Bills history in my lifetime (just turned 40) was the first game played in Toronto. Not only did our crappy, heartless team get rolled by Miami, you could hear audible "Let's Go Dolphins" chants from the crowd.

 

They took a home game away from Buffalo and put it in a different country, ironically giving the Dolphins a friendlier environment than they get when the Bills play them in Miami. It was such a disgrace.

[LABILLBACKER]

Levy and McDermott are both good coaches. But they are not destined to be great. There's too many little flaws and details they fail on.  Fans now are terrified to fire McD and try someone else. God forbid we go back to the drought years. With Josh everything is possible.  Why not go all in surrounding your best player with more weapons.  This is a strategy Sean waited way too long to activate. 

[SoonerBillsFan]

3 minutes ago, DrBob806 said:

That's when I realized Kelly was over rated, hate to say it. 

So you knew from a game where he was playing on a bad knee, that got re torn up 1.5 Quarters into the game he was overrated?   Stop trolling.

[I'm Spartacus]

20 minutes ago, I'm Spartacus said:

Most embarrassing day? When some idiot threw the Billdo on the field. 

2nd place goes to the guy who threw the snowball in Chuck Foreman's face.

3rd place goes to the guy who slid down the upper deck railing and fell off. We can be better than that, no?

I forgot. The day we traded Daryl Lamonica to the Raiders. That's up there, but in hindsight.

[The Jokeman]

6 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

I remember right before Jim went down he threw a timing pass to Pete Metzelaars and metz slipped which led to the INT.  Several said if Frank Reich played he would have won us a Superbowl. Well he took over down 14 -7 and the rest is the history you outlined.  The play which really PO'ed me was us down near our own goal line and Kelly gets sacked for the Fumble TD. 

We should have won SB 28 in Atlanta. A friend of mine was there and she said the moment Thurman Fumbled, the Team was done. You could see it from the stands.

What killed Super XXVIII is after the Nate Odomes interception we couldn't punch in a TD before the end of the first half. I think if we do our spirits are high and if Thurman still fumbles it's not as devastating.

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

2 minutes ago, Patrick Fitzryan said:

The most embarrassing day in Bills history in my lifetime (just turned 40) was the first game played in Toronto. Not only did our crappy, heartless team get rolled by Miami, you could hear audible "Let's Go Dolphins" chants from the crowd.

 

They took a home game away from Buffalo and put it in a different country, ironically giving the Dolphins a friendlier environment than they get when the Bills play them in Miami. It was such a disgrace.

 

What was pitiful too about those games was how there would be “fans” in the stadium wearing random jersey shirts from teams that weren’t even playing in the game!

 

[The Jokeman]

1 minute ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

So you knew from a game where he was playing on a bad knee, that got re torn up 1.5 Quarters into the game he was overrated?   Stop trolling.

He isn't trolling, I agree Kelly was a good not great QB. If all things were equal I would have favored Marino at QB over Kelly on those early 90 squads. 

[DeltaDigital]

8 minutes ago, The Jokeman said:

What killed Super XXVIII is after the Nate Odomes interception we couldn't punch in a TD before the end of the first half. I think if we do our spirits are high and if Thurman still fumbles it's not as devastating.

watched many a documentary and interview about that game... the whole team deflated cause of that fumble in the 2nd dallas game... bad things come quickly especially when the team was not mentally prepared.. "oh no, here we go again" becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I blame levy. for 25 and 28. nobody was beating redskins or dallas in the first one. 

[Unforgiven]

I had a party and literally threw everyone out. Haven't had a superbowl party since.

Fn humiliating.

[PonyBoy]

28 minutes ago, I'm Spartacus said:

Most embarrassing day? When some idiot threw the Billdo on the field. 

2nd place goes to the guy who threw the snowball in Chuck Foreman's face.

3rd place goes to the guy who slid down the upper deck railing and fell off. We can be better than that, no?

 

What about the guy who shimmied out on the guide wire for the netting behind goal posts?

MNF I think. On You Tube for sure. 

Maybe not most embarrassing, but definitely dumbest. All table jumps included. 

[without a drought]

When the Bills drafted Jim Kelly and he decided to play in the USFL instead.

[frostbitmic]

1. 9 turnovers in one game ... they had to still be drunk.

2. 00:13 seconds ... They could have laid down on the field and done a better job.

3. Tie ...The Takeo Spikes suite/ no hot water in the visitors locker room in January.

[Nuncha]

47 minutes ago, Steptide said:

Can't remember if it was this superbowl, or the other Dallas superbowl, but didn't the bills punt at one point from like the 50, and Dallas ran it back for like 35 yards, turning up a net punt of like 15 yards? Just terrible 

Rick Tuten had a 19-yard punt the super bowl against the Giants...talk about horrible.

[Governor]

59 minutes ago, dma0034 said:

Those Bills teams were known for their partying. Honestly a thing of legend still. Wonder how many Superbowls they could have won if they didn't.

None.

[Low Positive]

Vonte Davis quitting at HT because the team sucked so bad was pretty embarrassing. 

[TheFunPolice]

It feels like fumbles used to happen a lot more in general than they do now. Guys almost never fumble now overall. 

 

I know it does happen, and did happen Championship game weekend to the Ravens in particular, but I mean especially RBs. Even the great ones put the ball on the ground (not often) but a lot more than you see now. 

 

Turnovers in general seemed higher. It's part of why a 14 point lead used to mean game over. 

[BananaB]

The day they let the kickoff get recovered in the endzone. 

[mjt328]

If Marv Levy could lead a team to 4 straight Super Bowl appearances (with one loss coming down to a missed field goal), then it's ridiculous to say he was incapable of leading the Bills to a Super Bowl win.

 

His presence as this team's Head Coach had nothing to do with Scott Norwood kicking wide right.  If that one ball goes through the uprights, he's forever logged in NFL history as a Super Bowl winner.  Instead, the narrative is that he possessed some kind of internal flaw that made him unable to get it done.  In reality, he was a very good HC that suffered bad luck.

 

The unfortunate truth of this sport is that coaches/players can have hugely successful careers that span 10-20 years... but their story and their final legacy will often come down to a single game, and sometimes a single decision or single play. 

• If Drew Bledsoe never gets injured, Tom Brady never gets a shot in the first place.  If the Tuck Rule play is called a fumble, the Pats lose that game on a Brady turnover and it's also likely that Bledsoe regains his starting job the next season.  
• Jim Kelly and John Elway were in the same draft together.  Kelly played until he was 36 and retired, forever known as a QB who couldn't get a ring.  At 36 years old, Elway was 0-3 in the big game and still had zero rings.  Two years later, he was a back-to-back champion and his entire legacy had changed.  

 

[msw2112]

37 minutes ago, SoonerBillsFan said:

So you knew from a game where he was playing on a bad knee, that got re torn up 1.5 Quarters into the game he was overrated?   Stop trolling.

 

I knew at the time that Kelly was playing on a bad knee, which is why I wish the team had stuck with Reich throughout the playoffs.  Reich led the team in the comeback game, then played great to beat a very good Steelers team (on the road I think).  Reich was red hot and the team was humming.  In the AFCCG against Miami, they went back to Kelly, who won the game easily by handing the ball off and throwing screen passes.  He was nowhere close to 100% in that game, but was not tested and he was nowhere close to ready in the Super Bowl, when, unfortunately, he was tested and he did not pass the test.  By the time Kelly went out and Reich came in, it was too late.

 

I should add that I'm a huge Marv Levy fan, but he got this one wrong.  His stance was this is "Jim's team" and so if Jim said he was ready to play, he played.  Contrast that with Bill Parcells, who against the Bills in the Bills 1st Super Bowl, stuck with backup Jeff Hostetler, even though starter Phil Simms had recovered from injury.  Hostetler had the hot hand and Parcells stuck with it, not concerned about offending Simms.  We all know how it turned out.

Edited February 1 by msw2112

[The Jokeman]

23 minutes ago, DeltaDigital said:

watched many a documentary and interview about that game... the whole team deflated cause of that fumble in the 2nd dallas game... bad things come quickly especially when the team was not mentally prepared.. "oh no, here we go again" becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I blame levy. for 25 and 28. nobody was beating redskins or dallas in the first one. 

I agree the middle two we definitely had less talent.

[stuvian]

The 6 - 3 hockey game versus the Browns was worse than any Superbowl loss.

 

https://www.espn.com/nfl/game/_/gameId/291011002

 

 

[The Jokeman]

5 minutes ago, mjt328 said:

If Marv Levy could lead a team to 4 straight Super Bowl appearances (with one loss coming down to a missed field goal), then it's ridiculous to say he was incapable of leading the Bills to a Super Bowl win.

 

His presence as this team's Head Coach had nothing to do with Scott Norwood kicking wide right.  If that one ball goes through the uprights, he's forever logged in NFL history as a Super Bowl winner.  Instead, the narrative is that he possessed some kind of internal flaw that made him unable to get it done.  In reality, he was a very good HC that suffered bad luck.

 

The unfortunate truth of this sport is that coaches/players can have hugely successful careers that span 10-20 years... but their story and their final legacy will often come down to a single game, and sometimes a single decision or single play. 

• If Drew Bledsoe never gets injured, Tom Brady never gets a shot in the first place.  If the Tuck Rule play is called a fumble, the Pats lose that game on a Brady turnover and it's also likely that Bledsoe regains his starting job the next season.  
• Jim Kelly and John Elway were in the same draft together.  Kelly played until he was 36 and retired, forever known as a QB who couldn't get a ring.  At 36 years old, Elway was 0-3 in the big game and still had zero rings.  Two years later, he was a back-to-back champion and his entire legacy had changed.  

 

Levy can be criticised for poor clock management in XXV. He also failed to recognize that Thurman wasn't getting tripped and should have told Marchibroda/Kelly to look to run more. As we had drives that were less than 3 minutes and was no wonder the defense was gassed. I could go on and on.

25 minutes ago, without a drought said:

When the Bills drafted Jim Kelly and he decided to play in the USFL instead.

That actually worked out as Kelly developed and we sucked so bad we were in position to draft Bruce Smith. If Kelly plays in Buffalo out of college we might not in same position.