Ranking The Last 25 Years of Week 1 Opening Games

[mushypeaches]

That 2004 opening loss to the Jags was just awful.  Got my worst sunburn ever at the game, which was not a well played affair.  Just hoping the Bills could hang on and then frigging Nate Clements had to try to pick off 4th & 792 instead of just knocking it down

[Mikie2times]

3 hours ago, eball said:

 

Yes.  4th down Bledsoe to Moulds TD.  I was in the stadium and the only other time I’ve gone from exhilaration to silence in such short order was the Home Run Throwup game when we were in the stadium in Tennessee.

 

You were at that game! Gross 🤮. I really can’t imagine.

[BillsPride12]

8 hours ago, Tenhigh said:

That 2003 opener REALLY fooled me, and the irony of the score in the last game of that season was humiliating.

Then after they kicked the Jags ass in Week 2 I thought that team was going to be the second coming of the Super Bowl Bills teams

[julian]

Looking at this list, I’m reminded how much delusion I needed to get up for most of those seasons.

 

 I’d convinced myself of great things on the horizon with very little data or logic, wild stuff.

[Bills!Win!]

I remember every single one of these games. Why am I forgetting the 2010 dolphins game? I have no memory of that and I never miss a game 

Edited Tuesday at 01:27 AM by Bills!Win!

[corta765]

15 minutes ago, Bills!Win! said:

I remember every single one of these games. Why am I forgetting the 2010 dolphins game? I have no memory of that and I never miss a game 

Gailey intentionally took a safety late because he didn’t trust the offense to convert 4th down. It was a very very dull game 

[Doc Brown]

4 hours ago, Mikie2times said:

Ernest Wolford I believe? Somehow caught that ball with the half the team on him 😢. That was my sadness opener for sure.

Good memory.  I didn't know that WR ever existed.  I think he caught it between like four Bills.  I just remember them completing a 4th and forever the last drive and then winning it with no time left after four straight passes to the end zone.  Not sure if it was Leftwich or Garrard.

[corta765]

16 hours ago, boyst said:

the week 1 loss to the jets in 2002 must be higher. if we won that and rolls were reversed it'd be damn near number 1.

 

the hype before it was insane, it just happens we lost with two kickoff return for TD's. 

 

i was there. the returned KO TD was absolutely insane. The crowd went from wild to dead in 5 seconds.

 

I should have added this subnote on this game. After the coin toss for OT my dad stepped away in the kitchen to use the bathroom and figured he had time. He heard me start yelling oh no this isn't good they might score and it changed quickly from semi joking to oh crap this is happening. He came out and I was like "we blew it the Jets ran another one back" and he goes "yea I could hear in the bathroom your tone changed quickly" lol.

 

If there is one thing during the bad years I get a smile is the amount of good memories I have with my dad and later on my wife with all of these games. Luckily he is still kicking well, but I do not take it for granted.

[JP51]

That 17-16 win over the Jets is one of my favorites... feel like in retrospect it set the tone for the next several years about where the two franchises we going... 

[Gregg]

Just now, JP51 said:

That 17-16 win over the Jets is one of my favorites... feel like in retrospect it set the tone for the next several years about where the two franchises we going... 

 

I was there. Leaving MetLife and seeing all of the pissed off Jets fans was PRICELESS.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

21 hours ago, Doc Brown said:

That must've taken some time.  Well done.

 

Best was the 31-0 stomping we did of the Patriots.  Sam Adams making the Sports Illustrated cover was actually considered a big deal back in the day.  Let's just not talk about the regular season finale that year.

 

The worst was pry the Jags game on that last second TD given the hype that came before that season.  I think the home loss as heavy favorites to the Steelers in 2021 should be much lower.

Agree that loss to the Steelers was so deflating 

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

 

I was there. Leaving MetLife and seeing all of the pissed off Jets fans was PRICELESS.

Me too! Same experience! 

Oddly calm most of the game, thinking Allen would turn it around.

[Ethan in Cleveland]

Some great memories!!!

 

I flew from Portland to Chicago in 2014 with my boys age 12 and 11 on a redeye. We landed 7am. Took L close to the stadium. Ate breakfast at Yolk. Walked to the stadium and went to natural history musem first to kill some time. Awesome finish. Stayed in the stands late.

Then walked to downtown and had great steak dinner.

Took the L back to O'Hara. Both boys were passed out in their Bills jerseys. They were so tired.  One of my best pictures of my boys. Flew back that night. No luggage. No hotel. 

Great memories!!!

The Fred Jackson stiff arm was one of the great drought highlights!

 

[corta765]

1 minute ago, Ethan in Cleveland said:

Some great memories!!!

 

I flew from Portland to Chicago in 2014 with my boys age 12 and 11 on a redeye. We landed 7am. Took L close to the stadium. Ate breakfast at Yolk. Walked to the stadium and went to natural history musem first to kill some time. Awesome finish. Stayed in the stands late.

Then walked to downtown and had great steak dinner.

Took the L back to O'Hara. Both boys were passed out in their Bills jerseys. They were so tired.  One of my best pictures of my boys. Flew back that night. No luggage. No hotel. 

Great memories!!!

The Fred Jackson stiff arm was one of the great drought highlights!

 

 

That was our second Bills party and first victory and to this day our favorite. We were so excited we ran down our street with like 20 friends and family waving flags and playing the shout song. My wife's cousin jumped on our shed (no idea how he didn't fall through) waving the Bills flag. Ended up partying until like 10 pm celebrating because why not. Morning was not as fun haha

 

Fred's run was something else, but I always forget Kyle Williams had a really big INT also. Robert Woods also had a gem of a catch late making me even more sad we couldn't keep him.

[Southern McButterpants.]

1 hour ago, corta765 said:

 

That was our second Bills party and first victory and to this day our favorite. We were so excited we ran down our street with like 20 friends and family waving flags and playing the shout song. My wife's cousin jumped on our shed (no idea how he didn't fall through) waving the Bills flag. Ended up partying until like 10 pm celebrating because why not. Morning was not as fun haha

 

Fred's run was something else, but I always forget Kyle Williams had a really big INT also. Robert Woods also had a gem of a catch late making me even more sad we couldn't keep him.

That game is memorable for me in a different manner. On the pre-game show, Warren Sapp said something along the lines of, "I don't like any of their (the Bills) off-season moves." As the clock was winding down and victory assured, I tweeted at him, "How do the Bills offseason moves look now, Warren?"  He actually replied with, "They playing well."

 

My son then retweeted the convo with, "My dad calling out Hall of Famers on Twitter." 

 

Closest I've been to "going viral."  Lol

Edited Tuesday at 04:21 PM by Southern McButterpants.

[The Firebaugh Kid]

 2007    15-14 loss against Denver    
Whatever small optimism the season entered with was silenced as Bills TE Kevin Everett was hurt on kickoff in the 2nd half nearly paralyzing him. When the game restarted the Bills got a 14-6 lead but blew it as the Broncos got a last second 42 yard FG to win as time expired.      

 

Literal worst day of my life at the time. That game was so sad with the Everett thing, and then Denver rushed the fg unit on in like 7 seconds and kicked the ball with no time to spare. 

That night, the band that was often the opener for my band got awarded Best New Artist on MTV. Man I was BITTER at the time.  

Let it go since then, but it's hard to reconcile stuff like that when you're the "bigger" band locally. Right place, right time I guess. 

21 hours ago, boyst said:

the week 1 loss to the jets in 2002 must be higher. if we won that and rolls were reversed it'd be damn near number 1.

 

the hype before it was insane, it just happens we lost with two kickoff return for TD's. 

 

i was there. the returned KO TD was absolutely insane. The crowd went from wild to dead in 5 seconds.

I saw a Jets fan gloating after get his ASS HANDED TO HIM. Scary honestly. Big dude too, just got jumped. I hate people. 

[Ned Flanders]

Man, those bottom three were as ugly as Rosie O'Donnell on a three night bender...I was at the 2004 Jax game which was one of the worst losses I've ever witnessed at Rich. 

[corta765]

2 minutes ago, Ned Flanders said:

Man, those bottom three were as ugly as Rosie O'Donnell on a three night bender...I was at the 2004 Jax game which was one of the worst losses I've ever witnessed at Rich. 

 

2004 had a level of desperation as Bledsoe was aging but there still was a shot to be something otherwise it was going to get bad. The defense looked good until the final drive and so many what if moments. Freaking Ernest Wilford

[El Guapo]

On 5/5/2025 at 3:03 PM, boyst said:

the week 1 loss to the jets in 2002 must be higher. if we won that and rolls were reversed it'd be damn near number 1.

 

the hype before it was insane, it just happens we lost with two kickoff return for TD's. 

 

i was there. the returned KO TD was absolutely insane. The crowd went from wild to dead in 5 seconds.

My first game. We were at the goal line the Jets were running to. The stadium was electric prior to kick. Hell the crowd was electric for two seconds after the kick, but I have never seen the stadium, anywhere, go from so electric to numb in five seconds. Before they even reach the end zone, the aisles were full of people walking out. My wife and I cannot believe the feeling of jubilation going to one of disappointment so fast. It was a great game to be at, but we did not like the outcome.

[Ned Flanders]

12 minutes ago, El Guapo said:

My wife and I cannot believe the feeling of jubilation going to one of disappointment so fast. 

Welcome to being a Bills fan.