1989 Buffalo Bills season

30th season in franchise history, nicknamed the "Bickering Bills" November 2013 March 2026 Buffalo Bills 1989 9–7 1st AFC East Marv Levy Ted Marchibroda Walt Corey Bill Polian Ralph Wilson Rich Stadium Lost Divisional Playoffs(at Browns) 30–34 RB Thurman ThomasWR Andre ReedC Kent HullDE Bruce SmithILB Shane Conlan Bills seasons The 1989 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 30th overall season as a football team and the 20th in the National Football League (NFL). The Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the NFL'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, and they were defeated by the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional Round. Bickering Bills 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.https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/6/20/2228738/bickering-bills Buffalo Rumblings: Worst Moments In Bills History, No. 22: Bickering Bills June 20, 2011 December 30, 2011 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.https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2009/6/13/906079/top-50-all-time-bills-no-41-ot Buffalo Rumblings: Top 50 All-Time Bills, No. 41: OT Howard Ballard] June 13, 2009 December 30, 2011 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. 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.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-01-18-sp-297-story.html Thomas Is Above Criticism Now : Bills: Running back spoke out against Kelly last season, but he is still an essential part of a now-happy family in Buffalo Los Angeles Times January 18, 1991 December 30, 2011http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/1989_671230/bickering-bills-aim-criticism-at-kelly.html Bickering Bills aim criticism at Kelly] Houston Chronicle December 14, 1989 December 30, 2011 Offseason NFL draft 1989 NFL draft 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 3 82 Don Beebe Wide receiver Chadron State yes 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 Cornerback Richmond 7 193 Chris Hale Cornerback USC yes 9 249 Pat Rabold Defensive tackle Wyoming 10 276 Carlo Cheattom Safety, Cornerback Auburn 11 305 Richard Harvey Linebacker Tulane 12 332 Derrell Marshall Offensive tackle USC no no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/1989_draft.htm 1989 Buffalo Bills draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com November 15, 2014 Supplemental draft 1989 Buffalo Bills 8 4 Brett Young Defensive back Oregon no no Undrafted free agents + 1989 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeLouie AguiarPunterUtah StateCharlie BaumannKickerWest VirginiaTom DoctorLinebackerCanisiusMatt JaworskiLinebackerColgateGerald MackCornerbackNorth Carolina CentralTracy SandresCornerbackFlorida State Personnel Staff 1989 Buffalo Bills President – Ralph Wilson Vice-president of administration/general manager – Bill Polian Vice-president of football operations – Marv Levy Assistant general manager/director of pro personnel – Bob Ferguson Director of player personnel – John Butler Assistant director/collegiate scouting – A. J. Smith National scout – Norm Pollom Administrative assistant to the head coach – Chuck Dickerson Head coach – Marv Levy Offensive coordinator – Ted Marchibroda Running backs – Elijah Pitts Receivers – Nick Nicolau Tight ends – Chuck Dickerson Offensive line – Tom Bresnahan Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Walt Corey Defensive line – Ted Cottrell Defensive backs – Dick Roach Defensive Assistant/linebackers – Chuck Lester Special teams – Bruce DeHaven Strength and Conditioning Coordinator – Rusty Jones 1989 Buffalo Bills Media Guide 2–23 Roster 1989 Buffalo Bills 12 Jim Kelly 14 Frank Reich 23 Kenneth Davis American football 33 Ronnie Harmon KR 28 Larry Kinnebrew FB 39 Jamie Mueller FB 34 Thurman Thomas 82 Don Beebe y KR 80 Flip Johnson 86 James Lofton 83 Andre Reed 89 Steve Tasker 84 Keith McKeller 88 Pete Metzelaars 87 Butch Rolle 75 Howard Ballard T 61 Leonard Burton T 65 John Davis offensive lineman G 70 Joe Devlin American football G 67 Kent Hull C 63 Adam Lingner C 51 Jim Ritcher G 69 Will Wolford T 94 Mark Pike DE 96 Leon Seals DE 76 Fred Smerlas NT 78 Bruce Smith DE 72 Art Still DE 91 Jeff Wright defensive tackle NT 54 Carlton Bailey ILB 55 Cornelius Bennett OLB 50 Ray Bentley ILB 90 Tim Cofield OLB 58 Shane Conlan ILB 57 Matt Monger OLB 97 Scott Radecic ILB 56 Darryl Talley OLB 45 Dwight Drane SS 22 John Hagy FS 26 Chris Hale y CB 47 Kirby Jackson CB 38 Mark Kelso FS 37 Nate Odomes CB 46 Leonard Smith American football SS 20 Mickey Sutton cornerback CB/PR  4 John Kidd American football P 11 Scott Norwood K 29 Derrick Burroughs CB IR 60 Tom Doctor y LB IR 24 Darryl Franklin y WR PUP 59 Mitch Frerotte G IR  7 Gale Gilbert QB IR 95 Richard Harvey American football y LB IR 36 John Kolesar y WR IR 74 Bruce Mesner NT IR -- Carl Mims CB IR 40 Robb Riddick RB IR 16 Tracy Sanders defensive back y CB IR 65 Tim Vogler G/C PUP 47 active, 12 inactive, 4 practice squad 68 Tony Brown offensive lineman T 81 Deval Glover y WR 92 Matt Jaworski y LB 93 Wes Pritchett y LB https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/1989_roster.htm 1989 Buffalo Bills starters and roster Pro-Football-Reference.com November 15, 2014 Regular season 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.BillsZone.com: 1989 Buffalo Bills – Bickering Bills | Retrieved December 30, 2011 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.https://www.buffalorumblings.com/2011/6/26/2244862/best-moments-in-bills-history-no-22-jim-kellys-last-second-plunge Best Moments in Bills History, No. 22: Jim Kelly's Last-Second Plunge Sinks Miami Warren Matt 2011-06-26 Buffalo Rumblings 2019-06-18 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. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 10 at Miami Dolphins W 27–24 1–0 Joe Robbie Stadium 54,541 2 September 18, 1989 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, 1989 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, 1989 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, 1989 at New York Jets W 37–0 9–7 Giants Stadium 21,148 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1 1989 Miami Dolphins season Bills–Dolphins rivalry Buffalo Bills 1989 2; text-align:center collapsed Week One: Buffalo Bills (0–0) at Miami Dolphins (0–0) September 10, 1989 4:00 p.m. EST Bills 3 0 10 14 Dolphins 0 10 7 7 Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami, Florida 54,541 83 °F °C 1 or Jerry Markbreit NBC Jim Donovan and Jimmy Cefalo Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database First quarter BUF – Scott Norwood 34 yard field goal, 2:34. Bills 3–0. Drive: Second quarter MIA – Troy Stradford 1-yard run (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 8:48. Dolphins 7–3. Drive: MIA – Pete Stoyanovich 29-yard field goal, 0:03. Dolphins 10–3. Drive: Third quarter BUF – Larry Kinnebrew 2-yard run (Scott Norwood kick), 11:58. Tie 10–10. Drive: MIA – Marc Logan 2-yard blocked punt return (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 7:03. Dolphins 17–10. Drive: BUF – Scott Norwood 37-yard field goal, 2:11. Dolphins 17–13. Drive: Fourth quarter MIA – Andre Brown 8-yard pass from Dan Marino (Pete Stoyanovich kick), 4:17. Dolphins 24–13. Drive: BUF – Flip Johnson 26-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 2:50. Dolphins 24–20. Drive: BUF – Jim Kelly 2-yard run (Scott Norwood kick), 0:00. Bills 27–24. Drive: 51 yards. Top passers BUF – Jim Kelly – 25/40, 265 yards, TD MIA – Dan Marino – 25/38, 255 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers BUF – Thurman Thomas – 13 rushes, 94 yards MIA – Troy Stradford – 12 rushes, 43 yards, TD Top receivers BUF – Thurman Thomas – 8 receptions, 65 yards MIA – Ferrell Edmunds – 5 receptions, 58 yards Week 2 Denver Broncos (1-0) at Buffalo Bills (1-0) Broncos 5 13 3 7 Bills 0 0 7 7 September 18, 1989 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY 9:00 PM EST 78,176 57 °F °C 1 or; wind 6 mph km/h knots Bob McElwee Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf ABC Monday Night Football https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198909180buf.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2021-07-19 Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills — September 18th, 1989 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. Week 3 Buffalo Bills (1-1) at Houston Oilers (1-1) Bills 10 10 7 14 6 Oilers 7 3 14 17 0 September 24 Astrodome Houston, TX 1:00 PM EST 57,278 Dome Jerry Seeman Marv Albert and Bob Trumpy NBC https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198909240oti.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2021-06-05 Buffalo Bills at Houston Oilers — September 24th, 1989 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. Week 4: vs. New England Patriots Buffalo Bills 1989 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 4: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills October 1, 1989 1:00 p.m. EST Patriots 3 0 7 0 Bills 7 17 0 7 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY Overcast, 60 F C NBC Charlie Jones and Merlin Olsen First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NE – Doug Flutie – 15/41, 176 yards, TD, INT BUF – Jim Kelly – 12/17, 278 yards, 3 TD Top rushers NE – Bob Perryman – 15 rushes, 68 yards BUF – Thurman Thomas – 21 rushes, 105 yards, TD Top receivers NE – Cedric Jones – 4 receptions, 48 yards, TD BUF – Andre Reed – 4 receptions, 114 yards Week 6 Rams 7 0 3 10 Bills 0 6 0 17 October 16 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 9:00 p.m. EST 66 °F °C 1 or; wind 16 mph on Dick Jorgensen Frank Gifford and Dan Dierdorf ABC yes Q1 LA Buford McGee 3 yard pass from Jim Everett (Mike Lansford kick) LA 7–0 Q2 BUF Scott Norwood 38 yard field goal LA 7–3 Q2 BUF Scott Norwood 47 yard field goal LA 7–6 Q3 LA Mike Lansford 34 yard field goal LA 10–6 Q4 BUF Scott Norwood 40 yard field goal LA 10–9 Q4 LA Mike Lansford 36 yard field goal LA 13–9 Q4 BUF Thurman Thomas 1 yard pass from Frank Reich (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 16–13 Q4 LA Flipper Anderson 78 yard pass from Jim Everett (Mike Lansford kick) LA 20–16 Q4 BUF Andre Reed 8 yard pass from Frank Reich (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 23–20 yes https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198910160buf.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2014-03-23 Los Angeles Rams at Buffalo Bills — October 16th, 1989 Week 8 Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills Dolphins 3 0 7 7 Bills 0 21 0 10 Sunday October 29, 1989 Rich Stadium - Orchard Park, New York 1:00pm EST 80,208 57 °F °C 1; wind 6 mph km/h knots Johnny Grier Don Criqui and Ahmad Rashad NFL on NBC This game would set a Bill's record for the highest attendance at Rich Stadium for a Bill's game to date. Week 9 Buffalo Bills (6-2) at Atlanta Falcons (2-6) Bills 7 0 14 7 Falcons 0 3 17 10 Sunday November 5, 1989 Fulton County Stadium - Atlanta, Georgia 1:00pm EST 45,267 56 °F °C 1 or; wind 7 mph km/h knots Bob McElwee Joel Meyers and Paul Maguire NFL on NBC https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198911050atl.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2020-07-09 Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons — November 5th, 1989 This would be the final win of the season for Atlanta. Week 10 Colts 0 0 0 7 Bills 13 14 0 3 November 12 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 1:00 p.m. 38 °F °C 1 or; wind 19 mph km/h knots Fred Wyant Joel Meyers and Paul Maguire NFL on NBC yes Q1 BUF Thurman Thomas 8 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 7–0 Q1 BUF Scott Norwood 42 yard field goal BUF 10–0 Q1 BUF Scott Norwood 40 yard field goal BUF 13–0 Q2 BUF Andre Reed 32 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 20–0 Q2 BUF Andre Reed 3 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 27–0 Q4 BUF Scott Norwood 32 yard field goal BUF 30–0 Q4 IND Randy Dixon recovered fumble in end zone (Dean Biasucci kick) BUF 30–7 yes https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198911120buf.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2014-03-16 Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills — November 12th, 1989 Week 11 Buffalo Bills (7-3) at New England Patriots (3-7) Bills 7 3 0 14 Patriots 0 6 7 20 Nov 19, 1989 Foxboro Stadium - Foxborough, Massachusetts 1:00pm EST 34 °F °C 1 or Ben Dreith Charlie Jones and Merlin Olsen NFL on NBC https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198911190nwe.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2020-07-08 Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — November 19th, 1989 Week 12 vs. Cincinnati Bengals Buffalo Bills 1989 2; text-align:center collapsed Week 12: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills November 26, 1989 1:00 p.m. EST Bengals 0 0 7 0 Bills 3 7 7 7 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY 80,074 Overcast, 41 °F °C or, wind 18 mph on NBC Don Criqui and Ahmad Rashad First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CIN – Boomer Esiason – 11/26, 136 yards, INT BUF – Jim Kelly – 10/15, 123 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CIN – James Brooks – 20 rushes, 105 yards BUF – Thurman Thomas – 26 rushes, 100 yards Top receivers CIN – Tim McGee – 5 receptions, 89 yards BUF – Ronnie Harmon – 1 receptions, 42 yards, TD Bills first win vs Bengals since 09/11/1983 Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks Buffalo Bills 1989 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Seattle Seahawks vs. Buffalo Bills – Game summary December 4 Monday 6:08 pm local Bills 0 10 6 0 Seahawks 10 0 0 7 Kingdome, Seattle 57,682 indoors Pat Haggerty ABC Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf Gamebook First quarter SEA – Norm Johnson 29-yard field goal, 11:04 (SEA 3–0) SEA – Curt Warner 1-yard run (Steve Largent run), 6:56 (SEA 10–0) Second quarter BUF – Andre Reed 61-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 12:52 (SEA 10–7) BUF – Scott Norwood 32-yard field goal, 1:08 (Tied 10–10) Third quarter BUF – Scott Norwood 40-yard field goal, 12:131 (BUF 13–10) BUF – Scott Norwood 43-yard field goal, 6:40 (BUF 16–10) Fourth quarter SEA – John L. Williams 51-yard pass from Dave Krieg (Norm Johnson kick), 5:38 (SEA 17–16) Top passers BUF – Jim Kelly: 10/23, 144 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT SEA – Dave Krieg: 20/40, 298 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT Top rushers BUF – Thurman Thomas: 21 car, 79 yds SEA – Curt Warner: 16 car, 57 yds, 1 TD Top receivers BUF – Andre Reed: 2 rec, 77 yds, 1 TD SEA – John L. Williams: 5 rec, 80 yds, 1 TD Team – pass passing yards – rush rushing yards – total total yards – to turnovers BUF – 135 – 97 – 232 – 2 SEA – 277 – 78 – 355 – 2 Week 14 New Orleans Saints (6-7) at Buffalo Bills (8-5) Saints 13 3 3 3 Bills 0 12 7 0 December 10 Rich Stadium Orchard Park, NY 1:00pm EST 70,037 27 °F °C 1 or; wind 15-25 mph km/h knots; wind chill 10 °F °C 1 or; snow Dick Jorgensen Dick Stockton and Dan Fouts CBS https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198911190nwe.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2021-06-05 Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots — November 19th, 1989 The Bills had the chance to clinch the AFC Eastern Title this game. John Fourcade was the named starter for the Saints ahead of Bobby Hebert. Week 15 Buffalo Bills (8-6) at San Francisco 49ers (12-2) Bills 3 0 0 7 49ers 0 0 7 14 December 17 Candlestick Park San Francisco, CA 4:00pm EST 60,927 47 °F °C 1 or; wind 8 mph km/h knots Johnny Grier Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh NBC yes Q1 BUF Scott Norwood 23 yard field goal BUF 3–0 Q3 SF Roger Craig 1 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) SF 7–3 Q4 SF Steve Young 2 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) SF 14–3 Q4 SF Jerry Rice 8 yard pass from Steve Young (Mike Cofer kick) SF 21–3 Q4 BUF Jim Kelly 1 yard rush (Scott Norwood kick) SF 21–10 yes https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/1989.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2021-06-05 1989 Buffalo Bills Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees For the second week in a row, the Bills had the chance to clinch the AFC Eastern Division title with a win. The 49ers sat Joe Montana as they clinched all they needed the prior week, therefore, backup Steve Young was the starter for San Francisco in this game. Week 16 Buffalo Bills (8-7) at New York Jets (4-11) Bills 3 7 20 7 Jets 0 0 0 0 Saturday December 23 The Meadowlands East Rutherford, NJ 12:30pm EST 21,148 12 °F °C 1 or, relative humidity 52%, wind 18 mph km/h knots; wind chill −6 °F °C 1 or Fred Wyant Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh NBC https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/198912230nyj.htm Pro-Football-Reference.com 2021-06-05 Buffalo Bills at New York Jets — December 23rd, 1989 Bills clinch AFC Eastern Division title with the win. Standings NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, 0-7611-2480-2, p. 292 Playoffs AFC Divisional Playoff Buffalo Bills (9–7) at Cleveland Browns (9–6–1) Cleveland Browns 34, Buffalo Bills 30 Bills 7 7 7 9 Browns 3 14 14 3 Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio Saturday, January 6, 1990. 12:30 p.m. EST NBC Charlie Jones and Merlin Olsen Dick Jorgensen 77,706 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. Awards and records Shane Conlan, Pro Bowl Selection Kent Hull, Pro Bowl Selection Bruce Smith, Pro Bowl Selection Thurman Thomas, Pro Bowl Selection Thurman Thomas, NFL Combined Yards from Scrimmage Leader See also List of NFL teams affected by internal conflict References External links 1989 Buffalo Bills at Pro-Football-Reference.com Buffalo Bills Category:AFC East championship seasons Category:Buffalo Bills seasons Buff