90 Bills, 4 Falls of Buffalo

[Long Suffering Fan]

11 hours ago, AlfaBill said:

Did you lose your boy at 4?

 

No.  As I said, there was a time in his life...(when he was a toddler).

 

Instead, he grew older so that he was just at the right age to really appreciate and savor the drought when it happened.

[SMAKCruiser]

7 hours ago, Governor said:

I was 16 and in a room full of Giant’s fans. I was never a huge fan of Jim Kelly. I didn’t trust him at all in any game. I wasn’t one of the “bench Kelly for Reich” guys but I wouldn’t have been too upset if it happened. Sometimes he would come out and throw 3 interceptions right away in the 1st quarter. When he was bad, he was really bad.

 

The AFC was incredibly bad back then so it was no surprise that most of them were so lopsided. I think they lost about a dozen SB’s in a row during that period. It pissed me off that Denver was the team to finally win one.

 

I thought we had a chance against the Redskins but nope. The Redskins really had an incredible season that year. Maybe the most dominant I’ve ever seen.

 

The AFC was bad overall compared to the NFC, but don't forget the Bills were 14-2 against the NFC during the Super Bowl years and both losses were in meaningless week 17 games where a lot of starters rested.  

[The Jokeman]

Just now, SMAKCruiser said:

 

The AFC was bad overall compared to the NFC, but don't forget the Bills were 14-2 against the NFC during the Super Bowl years and both losses were in meaningless week 17 games where a lot of starters rested.  

and what is more painful is the Bills beat the Giants in the regular season when we lost to them in the Super Bowl XXV. In fact we injured Simms in that game (Kelly went down too). One has to wonder if Simms playing would have impacted the game at all. 

[foreboding]

On 2/26/2024 at 7:48 AM, JerseyBills said:

Just some random thoughts

Man I'm in tears watching.

Was wondering who on here experienced that as an adult or late teen. How did that feel watching live? I think It'd feel like a loved one died.

 

The Bruce play that should've caused a fumble, never remembered that, man so many opportunities , like they said,  should've never come down to a kick..

 

Also how much a SB would've boosted the legacy of these guys, Thurman should be considered 1 of the greatest but rarely gets mentioned for example 

 

Also, this O would be perfect for the k gun. Not 100% of the time but maybe 4 5 drives a game. Just a thought, with our personnel 

 

Also for Bills fans to show up 30k deep and calling for Scott, was amazing.

I'm honored to be a real member of this fan base as an out of towner

 

Ya just some thoughts,  that 90 team was awesome! They deserved that 1. 😪

Saw every second of every game. Enjoyed that team immensely, but yes, we did have our annual burial service at the end of the year. That part wasn't as much fun.

[Tisker A Tasker]

I was a sophomore in HS @ HF-L. The next day at school everyone was severely bummed. Walking around in a daze with thousand-yard stares. There was no sun. It was seriously depressing.  I'm sorry, my writing style makes everything sound funny, but it wasn't. It sucked.

[gomper]

If you watch the last Thurman run before the kick,if Al Edwards makes his block, 34 might have been gone. Certainly a lot closer of a kick. So many little plays added up to the final result.  Time management was brutal on the last drive too. Worst loss I've ever experienced as a fan of any team.

[corta765]

18 hours ago, BillsPride12 said:

Same experience for me.  Was so cruel to start growing up during the Super Bowl runs and then live through the drought once it was time to start coming of age and be able to appreciate it more.  Sometimes it would feel like the Super Bowl years were just something I dreamed of as a kid.  

Agreed. I remember the end of Kelly and crew like 95-96 timeframe and a touch of the final SB, mostly my dad sitting in a chair not saying anything. The Flutie days were fun and it was such a big deal at the time between him and RJ that seemed to encompass everything. I watched all the Bills VHS tapes my grandfather had religiously kinda the same dreaming of what it would be like to be good.

 

It is funny because through the Bledsoe time the Bills were still a pretty respected org and bringing Tom Donahoe in at the time was a well received move (just went poorly wrong). Once the 04' season though went curtains that was when it started to truly feel like "ok this isn't going well anymore and they really are a mess" just didn't realize it would end up taking that long. I am not sure a single loss has had such a dynamic domino effect as the one to PIT did for Buffalo the subsequent moves that came in following years.

[BarleyNY]

I scrolled past this a couple nights ago and the wife blurted out "Oh my god! 4 Falls of Buffalo!" We have not watched it. Seems like something to punish my kids with if they get out of hand.

[DrBob806]

On 2/26/2024 at 8:41 AM, ScotSHO said:

 

I will argue - while it is a great show of humanity to have a loser parade, if this is the prevailing attitude of management then it makes sense they never got it done.  They kept Norwood on thru the following season.  While he didn't bite them in the butt at the worst possible moment in 1991 (he tried against the Raiders), I'm sure the players see that and know at an unspoken personal level they're safe if they have an off day too.  Not what you need at the most elite level of your profession.

 

Also, I feel this fanbase today would have a bigger turnout for the "awe shoot, we came up short again" parade.  It's more about the peppa pig moments and less about the on field results.

I've always said a 47 yarder was not a sure thing, especially back then. I never had any angst towards Norwood.

[DrBob806]

13 hours ago, Governor said:

 

 

The AFC was incredibly bad back then so it was no surprise that most of them were so lopsided. I think they lost about a dozen SB’s in a row during that period. It pissed me off that Denver was the team to finally win one.

 

 

1984-1996, 13 AFC losses in a row. But it wasn't because the AFC was bad...

 

Cleveland was really good, couldn't get past Elway.

Houston's Run & shoot struggled in the red zone. 

Denver, well their defense really sucked in their SBs.

Cincy was pretty solid, the Raiders as well.

[TheFunPolice]

the 1st gets attention for obvious reasons, but man... that 4th one hurts

 

They 100% should have won the 4th. If you watch that documentary it makes it even more clear. Dallas players were like "well, they are finally going to get one" because Aikman was concussed badly and couldn't understand play calls, the Bills were dominating the game (but not the score). 

 

We freaking had that 4th one. up 13-7, driving... then one fumble happened and undid it all. 

 

BTW, those kinds of fumbles NEVER happen anymore. Top RBs used to fumble back then, not often, but often compared to today. 

 

 

[Bruce200]

I was in my early 20s and all 4 were very depressing, like getting punched in the gut. The first and third losses were a little harder. Watching the field goal go wide right and being so close was terrible. The third super against the cowboys might have been the worse. Losing to the cowboys with their famous star on the helmet and the Super Bowl being at the rose bowl in Pasadena near all the stars and then getting blown out was hard to take. I remember feeing in extreme pain the next day. After the last Super Bowl loss I remember seeing a cartoon in the newspaper, a husband and wife were in bed and the wife said to the husband to go back to sleep, that your not really having a nightmare the bills really do lose the Super Bowl ever year.

Edited February 28 by Bruce200

[Success]

5 hours ago, TheFunPolice said:

the 1st gets attention for obvious reasons, but man... that 4th one hurts

 

They 100% should have won the 4th. If you watch that documentary it makes it even more clear. Dallas players were like "well, they are finally going to get one" because Aikman was concussed badly and couldn't understand play calls, the Bills were dominating the game (but not the score). 

 

We freaking had that 4th one. up 13-7, driving... then one fumble happened and undid it all. 

 

BTW, those kinds of fumbles NEVER happen anymore. Top RBs used to fumble back then, not often, but often compared to today. 

 

 

 

If the 4th one was our 1st one, we'd have won.

 

It really gets in your head when you start losing Super Bowls.  As soon as Thomas fumbled, it was like the air went out of the team.  That "here we go again" feeling.

 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

On 2/26/2024 at 8:41 AM, ScotSHO said:

 

I will argue - while it is a great show of humanity to have a loser parade, if this is the prevailing attitude of management then it makes sense they never got it done.  They kept Norwood on thru the following season.  While he didn't bite them in the butt at the worst possible moment in 1991 (he tried against the Raiders), I'm sure the players see that and know at an unspoken personal level they're safe if they have an off day too.  Not what you need at the most elite level of your profession.

 

Also, I feel this fanbase today would have a bigger turnout for the "awe shoot, we came up short again" parade.  It's more about the peppa pig moments and less about the on field results.

Well they did donate an inordinate amount of money to a cat shelter in support of yet another failed kicker … 

On 2/26/2024 at 4:29 PM, Low Positive said:

I don't know. Losing the Stanley Cup on home ice in triple OT on a goal that shouldn't have counted when the Sabres hit one off the crossbar in the 2nd OT was pretty hard too. 

I thought a victory there would have only forced agame seven …. So no goal didn’t truly lose the sabres a cup 

[corta765]

21 hours ago, DrBob806 said:

1984-1996, 13 AFC losses in a row. But it wasn't because the AFC was bad...

 

Cleveland was really good, couldn't get past Elway.

Houston's Run & shoot struggled in the red zone. 

Denver, well their defense really sucked in their SBs.

Cincy was pretty solid, the Raiders as well.

 

Matchup wise most years the wrong team played the NFC team and I think you saw that a lot. CLE was designed to take on a WSH or NYG personnel wise. HOU against SF would've been really fun given their skill guys. The NFC also won quite a few at the buzzer during that time. I doubt you ever see a Conference run that long without a loss again in the SB.

[BillsfaninCT]

The bills got out smarted in the Giants game by none other than Belichick himself....  I don't know if the script is real or not but it has to be more probable than a curse.

[JerseyBills]

On 2/27/2024 at 10:24 AM, foreboding said:

Saw every second of every game. Enjoyed that team immensely, but yes, we did have our annual burial service at the end of the year. That part wasn't as much fun.

I salute you and every Bills fan that endured this magical yet miserable period in Bills history!

3 hours ago, BillsfaninCT said:

The bills got out smarted in the Giants game by none other than Belichick himself....  I don't know if the script is real or not but it has to be more probable than a curse.

If the documentary is correct and he was the 1st to use the 2-4-5 D , that's genius.. 

It's baffling they didn't rush Thurman more, if I remember correctly he had only 15 carriers but 150 + yards

That's unacceptable and a terrible non adjustment to a run friendly defense 

.

Edited February 28 by JerseyBills

[gomper]

2 hours ago, JerseyBills said:

I salute you and every Bills fan that endured this magical yet miserable period in Bills history!

If the documentary is correct and he was the 1st to use the 2-4-5 D , that's genius.. 

It's baffling they didn't rush Thurman more, if I remember correctly he had only 15 carriers but 150 + yards

That's unacceptable and a terrible non adjustment to a run friendly defense 

.

BB used a 2-3-6 the majority of the game to flood the passing lanes and send the DB's and LB's on seek and destroy missions targeting the Bills WR's. It worked. You're right, should have run 34 more. The D got pounded too. That's what cost them the game imo. Going 1 for 8 on 3rd down, with the only conversion coming on the last drive. Giants were 9 of 16. Brutal loss. Still hurts.

[Livinginthepast]

I found this documentary very difficult to watch when it came out.  It brought back a lot of bitter traumatic memories of watching each one live in my early 20s. We definitely should have won the first SB and possibly the last. But the first one was ours and we completely blew it. Coming off that destruction of the Raiders, I have never felt more confident in a Bills game ever and never was I so let down. I've still never figured out what happened in that game vs the Giants. Was it the partying of the players and a massive hangover?, a lack of preparation for the Giants and some severe overconfidence? Did the Bills just choke under the national pressure? The Belichick factor? Or just supreme bad luck? We didnt even have the excuse of the 2 week break between games to lose our edge! The next two SBs were just blowouts that were pretty much over by half time. The last one though was on the players who just had a loser mentality and crumbled under the stress. Once things went south in that game, the players just went into their "here we go again mode" and let Dallas beat them.  But had we won the first SB, everything is different for the rest!

[BillsfaninCT]

been watching football a long time, 35yrs that i can remember and to be honest, it's hard to put all my eggs in the bad luck and "little details" that endlessly prevent the bills from seeing the superbowl field.  say what you want, but the NFL seems to have ways of getting what they want.  kraft's time is up, patriots will be banished for decades just like the bills.