The Buffalo Bills: Team Of The 80's

The Buffalo Bills were the team of the 90’s. With players like Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and Bruce Smith, who could lose, right? Wrong. The Buffalo Bills, or as ESPN author Dave Schoenfield calls them,“The Beatable Bills,” ruled the AFC in the late 80’s and early 90’s making it to four straight Super Bowls and losing every single one (Schoenfield).The Bills are sometimes are referred to as the greatest losers, but as Bills former owner Ralph Wilson once said “ No matter what the scoreboard said, this team was a champion in my heart.”(Caffrey 38) In the early 80’s, the Bills were considered a joke. They completed three straight losing seasons and had lost most of their key players.(Caffrey 29) The Bills needed a rebuild. In 1983,

The Bills maintained a winning record, but not by much. Buffalo went 11-5, barely winning the AFC East division.(Schoenfield) They had to play a wild card game against the Houston Oilers. Jim Kelly became injured and Buffalo had to bring in backup QB Frank Reich to command the offense. Down 35-3, Reich brought the Bills back and won 41-38.(Caffery 39) It is the biggest NFL comeback ever. Reich then led the Bills to the Super Bowl again. For the Super Bowl, the Bills had a healthy Jim Kelly. Their opponents were the 13-3 Cowboys who had an astounding season.(Schoenfield) Facing off in one of the most highly anticipated Super Bowls, the Bills knew they had to make this their year. They didn’t. Buffalo turned the ball over nine times and succumbed to it. They took a beating, losing 52-17.(Schoenfield) The Bills soon were a national joke. Bill’s linebacker Darryl Talley called his team America’s Nightmare. “We’re like Jason, we always keep coming back. Get used to it America” He would say. They did. The Bills were no longer the team of the AFC. They fell to 7th in points and their defense wasn’t very good.(Schoenfield) They still maintained a 12-4 record and made it to the Super Bowl once again. When they found out who their opponent shocked them. Dallas. Their foe from the year before. It was a

By the time it it was halftime, Buffalo actually lead 13-6.
When they came out of that locker room, though, it fell apart. Their Super Bowl dreams crashed, and soon the game was over and Buffalo didn’t win. They lost 30-13.(Mcginn 215) It is the last time their team went to the Super Bowl. The Bills ended up getting a couple winning seasons after that. There team wasn't the same though. They made a couple of playoff appearances afterward but never a Super Bowl. Their last playoff appearance was in 1999 against the Tennessee Titans. It was