Yesterday, I posted something about how the Bills feel like they are at a crucial point at the moment. They struggled more than they should have at points earlier this season, yet managed to come back to a point where they now are facing the Dolphins in a winner takes all showdown. Win, and they take a fourth consecutive AFC East division title, and earn the second seed throughout the AFC playoffs, to boot. Lose, and they actually still might miss the playoffs altogether. And the results this season - including how they do in the playoffs - feels like it might have wider ramifications for this franchise for the foreseeable future, to boot.
Right now, it feels like the Buffalo Bills are at a crossroads. They have been a relative elite team for years now, seemingly knocking on the door to greatness. Remember, they were in the AFC Championship Game following the 2020 season, and seemed to have the Chiefs more or less on the run for a while in that game. Very close to the Super Bowl. Then last season, they appeared to be a popular preseason pick - a very popular pick among many pundits and self-described experts - to go all the way, to win the Super Bowl.
Yet, as close as they seem to be at times, it always appears that this long elusive goal remains still just out of reach for this franchise. It is not quite like the late eighties and especially the early nineties, when this franchise went to one Super Bowl after another, but kept losing. Still, it feels like this team, like those Bills of another era, must be running out of opportunities, at least with this lineup.
Somehow, it feels almost fitting that the Bills are in this position.
I, for one, am hopeful. It would just be so nice to see this team not only succeed, but to go all the way. To get back to the Super Bowl, and moreover, to win it this time. Now whether or not they actually will remains to be seen.
Still, I have mostly positive feelings for and memories of the Buffalo Bills. While most people are dismissive of who they were and what they achieved in the nineties, a part of me is in awe of it. After all, they mounted the greatest comeback in NFL postseason history (and I still believe it counts more than the Vikings 33-point comeback win last season against the Colts). Also, they went to four straight Super Bowls. Overall, from 1988 until 1993 - the peak of the success for the Buffalo Bills during that era - they went to the playoffs six straight years, winning the AFC East five times, and barely missing out that one time that they didn't win. They finished 12-4 in 1988, 9-7 in 1989, 13-3 in 1990 and again in 1991, 11-5 in 1992, and 12-4 in 1993. Their fast-paced, no-huddle offense was one of the most explosive units in the early 1990's, and they were the league's best offense in 1990. In fact, they kind of revolutionized how the league saw and operated offenses. In many respects, as I understand it, some of the future powerful offenses - some of which won Super Bowls - were hugely influenced by those Buffalo Bills.
Also, the Bills were enormously talented on both sides of the ball, as well as special teams, and coaching. Marv Levy seemed to be that rare coach, likable and stately, dignified. A gentleman and a scholar. Thurman Thomas was one of the very best running backs in the league, even at a time when Barry Sanders, Emmitt Smith, Eric Dickerson, and Marcus Allen were still playing.. Jim Kelly not only held his own, but was one of the best quarterbacks of his time - a time when other greats such as Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino, Warren Moon, and other greats were playing (and the Bills beat all of those QB's I just mentioned in the playoffs at least once). They had Andre Reed, one of the best wide receivers in history. Don Beebe was underrated as a star receiver, as well. Bruce Smith was one of the greatest defensive players in history, and appeared to be the successor to Lawrence Taylor in 1990 and 1991. They also had Cornelius Bennett and Darryl Talley on defense. Steve Tasker was one of the very best special teams players of any era. And here's the thing: they were all likeable. It was hard to root against them, even though the Giants (my team) faced them in the Super Bowl.
Yet, there is the pain of knowing that they did not win any of those Super Bowls. Thus, despite their great successes of that era, they are best known for the one thing that they never quite managed to do.
Below is a video documenting those Bills, and their Super Bowl struggles. There is a bit of humor within it, particularly the one with Buffalo having to endure Bill Belichick on the opposite sideline during Super Bowl XXV.
It seemed worth sharing this video at this time. Enjoy.
The Buffalo Bills went to 4 Straight Super Bowls: Here's how they lost all of them.
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