1989 Buffalo Bills season | |
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Owner | Ralph Wilson |
General manager | Bill Polian |
Head coach | Marv Levy |
Home field | Rich Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 9–7 |
Division place | 1st AFC East |
Playoff finish | Lost Divisional Playoffs (at Browns) 30–34 |
Pro Bowlers | RB Thurman Thomas WR Andre Reed C Kent Hull DE Bruce Smith ILB Shane Conlan |
The 1989 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 30th overall season as a football team and the 20th in the National Football League. The Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1989 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses. Although Buffalo won the division and qualified for the postseason, their record was a drop off from their 12–4 mark in 1988.
The team was nicknamed the Bickering Bills because of a rash of internal conflicts within the team. During a Monday Night loss to the Denver Broncos, star quarterback Jim Kelly could be seen arguing with wide receiver Chris Burkett, which led to the latter's last game with the team, as he was released shortly after the game. [1]
Kelly was injured in a week 5 blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts and subsequently blamed his offensive line's blocking, notably offensive tackle Howard Ballard, for contributing to his injury. [2]
In the week leading up to a week-8 matchup with Miami, assistant coaches Tom Bresnahan and Nick Nicolau got into a fistfight while the two were reviewing game film. [1]
The biggest blowup occurred when starting running back Thurman Thomas, asking to address Jim Kelly's criticism of the offense, and the pass-catching ability of running back Ronnie Harmon in particular, criticized Kelly himself on a Rochester, New York television show. When asked what position the Bills could upgrade at, Thomas replied, "Quarterback." Thomas claimed at first that it was a joke, but later, when appearing on Paul Maguire's Budweiser Sportsline show, he stated that the team didn't appreciate Kelly's public criticism and that Kelly should elevate his level of play. [3] [4]
Unable to select a first or second-round pick in the 1989 draft, the Bills were able to pick wide receiver Don Beebe. Beebe was a third-round pick from small Chadron State. He would be a productive wide receiver for the team for six seasons. Beebe would achieve something akin to folk hero status in Buffalo, when, in Super Bowl XXVII, as the Bills were being soundly defeated by Dallas, Beebe chased down Cowboys defensive tackle Leon Lett, stripped the ball from his hands and saved what would have been a sure touchdown.
The Bills also drafted future two-sport athlete Brian Jordan in the seventh round. Though the Bills cut him before the 1989 season began, Jordan would go on to play three productive seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, and fifteen seasons as a Major League Baseball outfielder.
1989 Buffalo Bills draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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3 | 82 | Don Beebe | Wide receiver | Chadron State | |
4 | 109 | John Kolesar | Wide receiver | Michigan | |
5 | 137 | Michael Andrews | Defensive back | Alcorn State | |
6 | 164 | Sean Doctor | Running back | Marshall | |
7 | 173 | Brian Jordan | Defensive back | Richmond | |
7 | 193 | Chris Hale | Defensive back | USC | |
9 | 249 | Pat Rabold | Defensive tackle | Wyoming | |
10 | 276 | Carlo Cheattom | Defensive back | Auburn | |
11 | 305 | Richard Harvey | Linebacker | Tulane | |
12 | 332 | Derrell Marshall | Offensive tackle | USC | |
Made roster |
1989 Buffalo Bills draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
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8 | 4 | Brett Young | Defensive back | Oregon | |
Made roster |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Before the season, future Hall of Fame defensive end Bruce Smith was offered a large contract by Denver (US$7.5 million over five years), one that the Bills chose to match to retain Smith. [8] In 1989, Smith became the Bills' all-time sack leader when he reached his 52nd sack; he would end his 19-year career with 200, the most of any NFL player all-time.
Despite the internal strife the Bills experienced, they had some memorable wins. The Bills started the season with a last-second victory at Miami. The Dolphins led 24–13 in the fourth but Buffalo scored on a Flip Johnson touchdown catch, then with two seconds left on the clock, quarterback Jim Kelly dropped back to pass, but ran the ball in to the end zone as time expired, securing a 27–24 win. [9]
In Week Three, the Bills traveled to the Houston Astrodome and faced the "Run, and Shoot" Oilers. The Bills raced to a 27–10 lead in the third, but the Oilers exploded and the two teams combined for 45 points to force overtime. In overtime, a missed Tony Zendejas kick allowed the Bills to win on Jim Kelly's 28-yard score to Andre Reed. The 47–41 win would become the highest-scoring game between the two franchises. Kelly finished with five touchdown throws.
In Week Six the Bills hosted the undefeated Los Angeles Rams, with backup quarterback Frank Reich subbing for an injured Jim Kelly. The two clubs combined for 26 fourth-quarter points, and with 77 seconds remaining Reich started a drive from the Buffalo 36 yard line and with sixteen seconds left Andre Reed caught the winning eight-yard touchdown.
In Week Thirteen, on Monday Night Football, the Bills lost to the Seattle Seahawks 17–16, which included Seahawk Steve Largent running in a botched extra-point attempt. Dave Krieg's 51-yard touchdown in the fourth was ultimately the 1-point difference.
The Bills then lost their next two games (to the Saints and 49ers) before securing the AFC East title with a shutout road win over the New York Jets.
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
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1 | September 10 | at Miami Dolphins | W 27–24 | 1–0 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 54,541 | |
2 | September 18 | Denver Broncos | L 14–28 | 1–1 | Rich Stadium | 78,176 | |
3 | September 24 | at Houston Oilers | W 47–41 (OT) | 2–1 | Houston Astrodome | 57,278 | |
4 | October 1 | New England Patriots | W 31–10 | 3–1 | Rich Stadium | 78,921 | |
5 | October 8 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 14–37 | 3–2 | Hoosier Dome | 58,890 | |
6 | October 16 | Los Angeles Rams | W 23–20 | 4–2 | Rich Stadium | 76,231 | |
7 | October 22 | New York Jets | W 34–3 | 5–2 | Rich Stadium | 76,811 | |
8 | October 29 | Miami Dolphins | W 31–17 | 6–2 | Rich Stadium | 80,208 | |
9 | November 5 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 28–30 | 6–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 45,267 | |
10 | November 12 | Indianapolis Colts | W 30–7 | 7–3 | Rich Stadium | 79,256 | |
11 | November 19 | at New England Patriots | L 24–33 | 7–4 | Sullivan Stadium | 49,663 | |
12 | November 26 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24–7 | 8–4 | Rich Stadium | 80,074 | |
13 | December 4 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 16–17 | 8–5 | Kingdome | 57,682 | |
14 | December 10 | New Orleans Saints | L 19–22 | 8–6 | Rich Stadium | 70,037 | |
15 | December 17 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 10–21 | 8–7 | Candlestick Park | 60,927 | |
16 | December 23 | at New York Jets | W 37–0 | 9–7 | Giants Stadium | 21,148 | |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. |
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills | 3 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida
Game information | ||
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The Bills lost on Monday Night Football 28–14, giving up a safety when Jamie Mueller was downed in the Bills endzone in the first quarter. It never got better as Jim Kelly was intercepted three times by the Broncos. John Elway and four Broncos backs rushed for 201 yards and won despite ten penalties for 71 yards. Kelly got into a confrontation with receiver Chris Burkett. In the game, Burkett had only one catch for six yards; Burkett was cut and quickly signed by the Jets.
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The Bills traveled to the Astrodome and the ensuing game against the Oilers became the highest-scoring meeting in the two clubs' history. With Buffalo up 13–10 on the final play of the second quarter a blocked Oilers field goal attempt was run back for a 76-yard Bills touchdown by Mark Kelso. The Bills clawed to a 27–10 lead but the Oilers scored two quick touchdowns in the third, the second a Cris Dishman score on a blocked punt. Warren Moon was drilled as he rifled a touchdown to Ernest Givens and Givens literally jumped over three Bills defenders as he landed in the endzone; a Kelly interception led to a Lorenzo White score, but after a Thurman Thomas touchdown and the overturning of a Bills pick-six, Moon drove down for Tony Zendejas's game-tying 52-yard field goal. Zendejas missed another kick in overtime, and Kelly's 28-yard strike to Andre Reed ended the game, a 47–41 overtime Bills win.
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[13] This would be the final win of the season for Atlanta.
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Bills first win vs Bengals since 09/11/1983
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AFC East | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Buffalo Bills (3) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 409 | 317 | W1 |
Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 298 | 301 | L1 |
Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–8 | 331 | 379 | L2 |
New England Patriots | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 297 | 391 | L3 |
New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 253 | 411 | L3 |
Buffalo Bills (9–7) at Cleveland Browns (9–6–1)
Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
Browns | 3 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
at Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
In a shootout, Browns linebacker Clay Matthews intercepted Bills quarterback Jim Kelly at the Cleveland 1-yard line with 3 seconds remaining to preserve a 34–30 victory. Kelly threw for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns while Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar threw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. Browns receiver Webster Slaughter had the best postseason performance of his career with 3 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Buffalo scored first with wide receiver Andre Reed's 72-yard touchdown reception. But Cleveland struck back with a 45-yard field goal by Matt Bahr and a 52-yard touchdown pass from Kosar to Slaughter. Kelly's 33-yard touchdown pass to James Lofton put the Bills back in the lead, 14–10, but Browns retook the lead with Ron Middleton's 3-yard catch shortly before the end of the first half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Kosar hooked up with Slaughter for another touchdown pass, this one 44-yards, to increase their lead to 24–14. Buffalo responded with a 6-yard touchdown catch by running back Thurman Thomas, who tied an NFL playoff record with 13 receptions for 150 yards. But Browns running back Eric Metcalf returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give his team a 31–21 lead by the end of the third quarter. After an exchange of field goals, Thomas caught a three-yard touchdown pass. But the extra point failed, forcing the Bills to attempt to score a touchdown instead of a field goal on their final drive. With time running out, Kelly led the Bills to Cleveland's 11-yard line, but halfback Ronnie Harmon dropped a potential game-winning catch in the end zone, and Matthews intercepted Kelly on the next play.
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1990 season. The Giants defeated the Bills by the score of 20–19, winning their second Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1991 season. The Redskins defeated the Bills by a score of 37–24, becoming the fourth team after the Pittsburgh Steelers, the now Las Vegas Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers to win three Super Bowls. The Bills became the third team, after the Minnesota Vikings and the Denver Broncos to lose back-to-back Super Bowls. The game was played on January 26, 1992, at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first time the city played host to a Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XXVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1992 season. The Cowboys defeated the Bills by the score of 52–17, winning their third Super Bowl in team history, and their first one in 15 years. This game is tied with Super Bowl XXXVII as the fourth-highest scoring Super Bowl with 69 combined points, as of 2023. The Bills became the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls, and just the second of three teams to play in three straight. The following 1993 season, the Bills became the only team to both play and lose four consecutive Super Bowls. The game was played on January 31, 1993, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, and is the last NFL championship game to date to be held in a non-NFL stadium. It was also the seventh Super Bowl held in the Greater Los Angeles Area, which did not host another until Super Bowl LVI in 2022.
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Dallas Cowboys and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Buffalo Bills to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1993 season. The Cowboys defeated the Bills, for the second straight year, by a score of 30–13, winning their fourth Super Bowl in team history, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers for most Super Bowl wins. The Buffalo Bills became the only team to both play and lose four consecutive Super Bowls for a 0-4 franchise Super Bowl record, and as of 2023, remains the team's most recent Super Bowl appearance. This is also the most recent consecutive Super Bowl rematch. The game was played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Since the 1993 regular season was conducted over 18 weeks, the traditional bye week between the conference championship games and the Super Bowl was not employed; the last time this had happened was before Super Bowl XXV.
James Edward Kelly is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons with the Buffalo Bills. He also spent two seasons with the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Kelly played college football for the Miami Hurricanes, earning offensive MVP honors in the 1981 Peach Bowl.
Thurman Lee Thomas is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills. He played college football for the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Thomas was selected by the Bills in the second round of the 1988 NFL draft, where he spent all but one season of his professional career. He spent his final NFL year as a member of the Miami Dolphins in 2000.
The Comeback or The Choke was a National Football League (NFL) game held on January 3, 1993, as part of the 1992–93 NFL playoffs. The Buffalo Bills overcame a 35–3 deficit to defeat the visiting Houston Oilers 41–38 in overtime and set the then-record for largest comeback in NFL history. Though surpassed by the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, the Bills' 32-point comeback remains the largest comeback in postseason history and the second largest overall. It was also the first time an NFL team with a lead of at least 30 points lost the game.
The National Football League playoffs for the 1989 season began on December 31, 1989. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV, 55–10, on January 28, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The National Football League playoffs for the 1988 season began on December 24, 1988. The postseason tournament concluded with the San Francisco 49ers defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, 20–16, on January 22, 1989, at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Jerry O'Dell Butler is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) from 1979 to 1986. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers. He was selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft with the fifth overall pick. Butler was a Pro Bowl selection in 1980. In his career, he caught 278 receptions for 4,301 yards and 29 touchdowns.
The 1988 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 39th season with the National Football League.
The 1990 Buffalo Bills season was the 31st for the franchise and the 21st in the National Football League (NFL). The team finished the year with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and first in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. They were 8–0 at home for the second time in their franchise history. On the road, the Bills were 5–3. Buffalo qualified for their first Super Bowl appearance, but lost 20–19 to the New York Giants after an infamous missed field goal by Scott Norwood in the game's closing seconds.
The 1991 Buffalo Bills season was the 32nd season and 22nd in the National Football League (NFL). The Buffalo Bills entered the season as defending AFC champions, having lost Super Bowl XXV to the New York Giants. They finished the National Football League's 1991 season with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, the same record as their previous season, and finished first in the AFC East division. The Bills qualified for their second Super Bowl appearance but lost to the Washington Redskins, 37-24.
The 1992 Buffalo Bills season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). The Buffalo Bills entered the season as defending back to back AFC champions and finished the National Football League's 1992 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses, and finished second in the AFC East division. The Bills qualified for their third straight Super Bowl appearance, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys 52–17. This would be the only time the Bills did not finish first in the AFC Eastern Division from 1988 to 1993.
The 1988 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 29th overall season as a football team and the 19th in the National Football League. The Bills ended a streak of four consecutive losing seasons by winning the AFC East; they finished the NFL's 1988 season with a record of twelve wins and four losses; it was the club's first winning season since 1981, its first 12-win season since the 1964 AFL championship season, and only the fifth double-digit win season in team history. The Bills were 8–0 at home for the first time in their franchise history. On the road, the Bills were 4–4. From an attendance standpoint, the franchise set a record for attendance with 631,818 fans.
The 1990 Los Angeles Raiders season was the franchise's 31st season overall, and the franchise's 21st season in the National Football League. Led by Coach of the Year Art Shell, the club appeared in its first AFC Championship Game since their Super Bowl-winning 1983 season, but lost a lopsided affair to the Buffalo Bills, 3–51. This would be the Raiders' final division title for 10 years, and their final one in Los Angeles. Bo Jackson suffered a hip injury in the team's divisional playoff victory against the Cincinnati Bengals which turned out to be a career ending injury for him.
The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders season was the franchise's 34th season overall, and the franchise's 24th season in the National Football League. The team improved upon its 7–9 record in the previous season and returned to the NFL playoffs after a one-year absence, but lost in the AFC Divisional game to the Buffalo Bills.
The 1995 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 26th season in the National Football League and the 36th overall. This was the last time the Bills won the division or won a playoff game until 2020.
The 1996 season was the Buffalo Bills' 27th in the National Football League (NFL), their 37th overall and their 10th full season under head coach Marv Levy. It was also the final season for long-time Bills quarterback Jim Kelly.
The No Punt Game is the nickname given to a National Football League game held between the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers on September 13, 1992 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The game is notable for being the first game in NFL history not to feature a single punt by either team, as the Bills and 49ers, led by quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Steve Young, respectively, combined for 1,086 total yards of offense, with both quarterbacks passing for over 400 yards. Promoted as a potential Super Bowl "preview", the No Punt Game featured several players now enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including Kelly, Young, Andre Reed, James Lofton, Jerry Rice, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith, and is now remembered as one of the greatest games ever played.