1990 Buffalo Bills season

31st season in franchise history, first Super Bowl appearance November 2013 March 2026 Buffalo Bills 1990 13–3 1st AFC East Marv Levy Ted Marchibroda Walt Corey Bill Polian Ralph Wilson Rich Stadium Won Divisional Playoffs(vs. Dolphins) 44–34Won AFC Championship(vs. Raiders) 51–3Lost Super Bowl XXV(vs. Giants) 19–20 10 QB Jim Kelly RB Thurman Thomas WR Andre Reed C Kent Hull OT Will Wolford DT Bruce Smith ILB Shane Conlan OLB Cornelius Bennett OLB Darryl Talley ST Steve Tasker 5 RB Thurman Thomas (1st team) C Kent Hull (1st team) WR Andre Reed (2nd team) DT Bruce Smith (2nd team) ILB Shane Conlan (2nd team) Bills seasons 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.NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, 0-7611-2480-2, p. 262. 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 Bills' offense was one of the best in the league; their 428 points (26.75 points per game) scored was first in the league, and since they only gave up 263 points (6th in the league), their point differential was 165 points (10.3 per game), which was the best in the NFL in 1990, as well as the best point-differential in franchise history.Pro-Football-Reference: 1990 Buffalo Bills Buffalo's 48 offensive touchdowns (28 passing, 20 rushing) also led the league. Defensive end Bruce Smith was named Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year for 1990,Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1990 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics. recording 101 tackles, four forced fumbles, and a career-high 19 sacks.Pro-football-reference.com: Bruce Smith. The season was chronicled on October 2, 2008, for America's Game: The Missing Rings, as one of the five greatest NFL teams to never win the Super Bowl. Offseason NFL draft 1990 NFL draft 1990 Buffalo Bills 1 16 James Williams Cornerback Fresno State yes 2 42 Carwell Gardner Fullback Louisville yes 3 69 Glenn Parker Guard Arizona yes 4 100 Eddie Fuller Running back LSU 6 154 John Nies Punter Arizona yes 7 166 Brent Griffith Guard Minnesota–Duluth 7 170 Brent Collins Linebacker Carson–Newman 7 181 Fred DeRiggi Defensive tackle Syracuse 8 208 Marvcus Patton Linebacker UCLA yes 9 238 Clarkston Hines Wide receiver Duke 10 265 Mike Lodish Defensive tackle UCLA yes 11 292 Al Edwards Wide receiver Northwestern State yes no no https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/1990_draft.htm 1990 Buffalo Bills Draftees Pro-Football-Reference.com December 24, 2013 Undrafted free agents + 1990 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeDave SchnellQuarterbackIndiana Personnel Staff 1990 Buffalo Bills President – Ralph Wilson Vice president of administration/general manager – Bill Polian Assistant general manager/director of pro personnel – Bob Ferguson Director of player personnel – John Butler Assistant director/collegiate scouting – A. J. Smith Administrative assistant to the head coach – Chuck Lester Vice president for football operations/head coach – Marv Levy Offensive coordinator – Ted Marchibroda Running backs – Elijah Pitts Receivers – Nick Nicolau Offensive quality control/tight ends – Don Lawrence Offensive line – Tom Bresnahan Defensive coordinator/linebackers – Walt Corey Defensive line – Chuck Dickerson Defensive backs – Dick Roach Defensive quality control – Chuck Lester Special teams – Bruce DeHaven Strength and conditioning coordinator – Rusty Jones Roster 1990 Buffalo Bills roster Quarterbacks  7 Gale Gilbert 12 Jim Kelly 14 Frank Reich Running backs 23 Kenneth Davis 35 Carwell Gardner FB 41 Jamie Mueller FB 30 Don Smith KR 34 Thurman Thomas Wide receivers 85 Al Edwards KR/PR 80 James Lofton 83 Andre Reed 89 Steve Tasker RS 86 Vernon Turner Tight ends 84 Keith McKeller 88 Pete Metzelaars 87 Butch RolleOffensive linemen 75 Howard Ballard T 65 John Davis G 59 Mitch Frerotte G 67 Kent Hull C 63 Adam Lingner C/LS 74 Glenn Parker T 51 Jim Ritcher G 69 Will Wolford T Defensive linemen 92 Gary Baldinger DE/NT 73 Mike Lodish NT 94 Mark Pike DE 96 Leon Seals DT 78 Bruce Smith DE 91 Jeff Wright NT Linebackers 54 Carlton Bailey OLB 97 Cornelius Bennett ILB 50 Ray Bentley ILB 58 Shane Conlan ILB 99 Hal Garner OLB 57 Matt Monger OLB 53 Marvcus Patton OLB 56 Darryl Talley ILB Defensive backs 45 Dwight Drane SS 49 John Hagy FS 27 Cliff Hicks CB 38 Mark Kelso FS 37 Nate Odomes CB 43 Kim Phillips DB 29 David Pool CB 46 Leonard Smith SS 31 James Williams CB Special teams 11 Scott Norwood K 10 Rick Tuten P Reserve lists 82 Don Beebe WR/KR (IR) 7px -- Kerry Brady K (IR) 7px 61 Leonard Burton C (IR) 7px 33 Eddie Fuller RB (IR) 7px 81 Deval Glover WR (PUP) 7px -- Brent Griffith G (IR) 7px 26 Chris Hale CB/PR (IR) 7px 47 Kirby Jackson CB (IR) 7px -- Carl Mims CB (IR) 7px 40 Robb Riddick RB (PUP) 7px 25 Tim Smiley S (PUP) 7px Practice squad -- Clarkston Hines WR -- Pat Marlatt DE 93 Wes Pritchett LB 79 Joe Staysniak G/T 47 active, 11 inactive, 4 practice squad*Note: rookies in italics Regular season Bruce Smith set a club record with 19 sacks. Smith also had 101 tackles. September 24, 1990 – Thurman Thomas rushed for 214 yards versus the New York Jets. It was the second highest total in the history of Monday Night Football. Bruce Smith had 8 tackles, 2 sacks, and 4 hurries in the Bills 30–23 victory over Philadelphia. Bruce Smith had 9 tackles, 4 sacks, and 2 pressures in the Bills victory over Indianapolis. Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance 1 September 9 Indianapolis Colts W 26–10 1–0 Rich Stadium 78,899 2 September 16 at Miami Dolphins L 7–30 1–1 Joe Robbie Stadium 68,142 3 September 24 at New York Jets W 30–7 2–1 Giants Stadium 69,927 4 September 30 Denver Broncos W 29–28 3–1 Rich Stadium 74,393 5 October 7 Los Angeles Raiders W 38–24 4–1 Rich Stadium 80,076 6 Bye 7 October 21 New York Jets W 30–27 5–1 Rich Stadium 79,002 8 October 28 at New England Patriots W 27–10 6–1 Foxboro Stadium 51,959 9 November 4 at Cleveland Browns W 42–0 7–1 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 78,331 10 November 11 Phoenix Cardinals W 45–14 8–1 Rich Stadium 74,904 11 November 18 New England Patriots W 14–0 9–1 Rich Stadium 74,729 12 November 26 at Houston Oilers L 24–27 9–2 Houston Astrodome 60,130 13 December 2 Philadelphia Eagles W 30–23 10–2 Rich Stadium 79,320 14 December 9 at Indianapolis Colts W 31–7 11–2 Hoosier Dome 53,268 15 December 15 at New York Giants W 17–13 12–2 Giants Stadium 66,893 16 December 23 Miami Dolphins W 24–14 13–2 Rich Stadium 80,325 17 December 30 at Washington Redskins L 14–29 13–3 RFK Stadium 52,397 Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. Game summaries Week 1 vs. Colts Buffalo Bills 1990 2; text-align:center collapsed Week One: Indianapolis Colts (0–0) at Buffalo Bills (0–0) September 9 4:00 p.m. EST Colts 3 0 7 0 Bills 3 13 0 10 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 78,899 59 F C Gerald Austin NBC Jim Donovan and Cris Collinsworth Box Score, Box Score First quarter BUF – Scott Norwood 24-yard field goal, 8:04. Bills 3–0. IND – Dean Biasucci 24-yard field goal, 0:12. Tie 3–3. Second quarter BUF – Butch Rolle 3-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick), 5:14. Bills 10–3. BUF – Scott Norwood 31-yard field goal, 1:58. Bills 13–3. BUF – Scott Norwood 37-yard field goal, 0:08. Bills 16–3. Third quarter IND – Stanley Morgan 25-yard pass from Jeff George (Dean Biasucci kick), 6:38. Bills 16–10. Fourth quarter BUF – Scott Norwood 47-yard field goal, 6:08. Bills 19–10. BUF – Thurman Thomas 6-yard run (Scott Norwood kick), 1:37. Bills 26–10. Top passers IND – Jeff George – 13/24, 160 yards, TD BUF – Jim Kelly – 28/37, 283 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Albert Bentley – 15 rushes, 50 yards BUF – Thurman Thomas – 20 rushes, 84 yards, TD Top receivers IND – Stanley Morgan – 2 receptions, 47 yards, TD BUF – Keith McKeller – 7 receptions, 78 yards Week 2 Bills 0 0 0 7 Dolphins 0 16 7 7 September 16 Joe Robbie Stadium Dick Hantak Joel Myers and Ahmad Rashad NBC The Bills offense never got rolling and were soundly defeated on the road, 30–7, to their rival Miami Dolphins. Week 3 Bills 7 13 3 7 Jets 7 0 0 0 September 24 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey 9:00 p.m. EST 57 F, wind 17 mph on Tom Dooley Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf ABC Source: Pro-Football-Reference.com yes 1 NYJ Brad Baxter 1-yard run (Pat Leahy kick) Jets 7–0 1 BUF Kenneth Davis 1-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) Tie 7–7 2 BUF Butch Rolle 2-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) Bills 14–7 2 BUF Scott Norwood 48-yard field goal Bills 17–7 2 BUF Scott Norwood 42-yard field goal Bills 20–7 3 BUF Scott Norwood 27-yard field goal Bills 23–7 4 BUF Keith McKeller 6-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) Bills 30–7 yes Week 4 Broncos 7 7 7 7 Bills 0 3 6 20 September 30 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 58 F; wind 11 mph on Bob McElwee Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy NBC yes Q1 DEN Humphrey 1 yard run (Treadwell kick) DEN 7–0 Q2 DEN Sewell 3 yard run (Treadwell kick) DEN 14–0 Q2 BUF Norwood 37 yard field goal DEN 14–3 Q3 BUF Smith 12 yard run (kick failed) DEN 14–9 Q3 DEN Winder 3 yard run (Treadwell kick) DEN 21–9 Q4 BUF Bennett 80 yard blocked field goal return (Norwood kick) DEN 21–16 Q4 BUF Smith 39 yard interception return (kick failed) BUF 22–21 Q4 BUF Davis 2 yard run (Norwood kick) BUF 29–21 Q4 DEN Nattiel 7 yard pass from Elway (Treadwell kick) BUF 29–28 yes The Bills avenged their 1989 Monday Night defeat against the defending AFC Champion Broncos. The Broncos rushed for 208 yards, led 21–9 after three quarters, and held Jim Kelly and the offense to just 197 yards of offense, but the pivotal play of the game erupted in the fourth on a touchdown return of a blocked Bronco field goal by linebacker Cornelius Bennett. That started a three-touchdown, 20-point outburst in all of 77 seconds, with Leonard Smith returning a John Elway interception for one score and recovering an Elway fumbled snap inside the 5 to set up yet another easy touchdown to win 29–28. Week 5 Raiders 7 3 7 7 Bills 0 7 7 24 October 7 Rich Stadium 7:30 PM EST 80,076 71 F C; wind 16 mph on Red Cashion Skip Caray and Pat Haden NFL on TNT The Bills, on Sunday Night Football, trailed 24–14 in the fourth quarter before erupting to 24 points to defeat the then-unbeaten Los Angeles Raiders, 38–24. Among the fourth quarter scores were a blocked punt by Steve Tasker, returned by J.D. Williams, where Skip Caray burst into saying "They've done it again, they've done it again!" referencing the prior weeks block of a field goal for a TD return vs Denver....and a fumble return by Nate Odomes. Week 7 Jets 7 14 3 3 Bills 0 17 7 6 October 21 Rich Stadium 1:00PM EST 79,002 53 F C; wind 12 mph on Tom White Don Criqui and Ahmad Rashad NBC For the third straight game the Bills erased a two-score gap for the win. The Jets led 21–7 in the second quarter and 24–17 in the third, but Kelly's 60-yard score to James Lofton tied the game entering the fourth quarter. Jamie Mueller's touchdown catch then won it, 30–27. Week 8 Bills 7 7 13 0 Patriots 0 3 0 7 October 28 Sullivan Stadium EST 51,959 45 F C; wind 12 mph on Gene Barth Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy NBC The Bills beat the Patriots 27–10 at Foxboro Stadium, known as Sullivan Stadium at the time. Week 9 Bills 7 7 7 21 Browns 0 0 0 0 November 4 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 4:00 78,331 Jerry Seeman Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy NBC The Bills avenged last season's playoff loss by destroying the Cleveland Browns in their own stadium 42–0. Week 10 Cardinals 7 0 7 0 Bills 0 21 0 24 November 11 Rich Stadium 1:00 PM EST 74,904 37 F C; wind 27 mph on Bob McElwee Dick Stockton and Merlin Olsen CBS The Bills welcomed the NFC East team Phoenix Cardinals to an extremely windy Rich Stadium, and defeated them 45–14. Week 11 Patriots 0 0 0 0 Bills 7 0 0 7 November 18 Rich Stadium Johnny Grier NBC The Bills, led by 209 yards on the ground (including an 80-yard Thurman Thomas TD run), shut out the Patriots 14–0 at Rich Stadium. Week 12 Bills 7 7 3 7 Oilers 7 6 7 7 November 26 Astrodome Indoors (dome) Jim Tunney Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, Dan Dierdorf ABC A year after Buffalo's epic 47–41 win at the Astrodome they returned there at 9–1 to face the 5–5 Oilers on Monday Night Football. This time the Oilers made sure there would be no comeback as Warren Moon and Lorenzo White authored 425 combined yards of offense and three touchdowns. Kelly managed two touchdowns and a pick as the Bills fell 27–24 to their former division foe. Week 13 Philadelphia Eagles (7-4) at Buffalo Bills (9-2) Eagles 0 16 7 0 Bills 24 0 3 3 December 2 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York 1:00 p.m. EST Sunny; 42 F; wind 16 mph on Tom Dooley Verne Lundquist and Dan Fouts NFL on CBS CBS yes Q1 BUF James Lofton 63 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 7–0 Q1 BUF Scott Norwood 43 yard field goal BUF 10–0 Q1 BUF Andre Reed 56 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 17–0 Q1 BUF Thurman Thomas 4 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) BUF 24–0 Q2 PHI Keith Jackson 18 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (kick failed) BUF 24–6 Q2 PHI Roger Ruzek 32 yard field goal BUF 24–9 Q2 PHI Fred Barnett 95 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Roger Ruzek kick) BUF 24–16 Q3 PHI Keith Byars 1 yard pass from Randall Cunningham (Roger Ruzek kick) BUF 24–23 Q3 BUF Scott Norwood 21 yard field goal BUF 27–23 Q4 BUF Scott Norwood 45 yard field goal BUF 30–23 yes The Bills opened the game in the no-huddle offense and used it the whole game. The Bills went up 24–0 in the 1st qtr and eventually won the game 30–23.http://www.nfl.com/ Official Site of the National Football League May 22, 2013http://www.billszone.com/ BillsZone – by Bills fans for Bills fans May 22, 2013 Week 14 Bills 14 7 3 7 Colts 0 0 7 0 December 9 Hoosier Dome Indianapolis 1:00 PM EST 53,268 Dome Gene Barth Marv Albert and Paul Maguire NBC Week 15 Bills 7 7 0 3 Giants 7 3 3 0 December 15 Giants Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey 12:30 PM EST 66,893 37 F C • 10 mph km/h knot Pat Haggerty (American football official) Dick Enberg, Bill Walsh (American football coach), and O. J. Simpson NFL on NBC The Bills pulled out a close win this Saturday afternoon, in a game in which both starting quarterbacks went down with injuries. Jim Kelly, and New York QB Phil Simms, with the latter being out for the season. Week 16 Dolphins 0 0 7 7 Bills 0 7 10 7 December 23 Rich Stadium 80,325 35 F C • 5 mph km/h knot Red Cashion Marv Albert and Paul Maguire NBC The Bills, under backup quarterback Frank Reich, defeated the Miami Dolphins and wrapped up the AFC East title. Reich connected with James Lofton and Andre Reed for touchdowns, ultimately winning 24–14 despite fourteen penalties to five for Miami. Week 17 Bills 0 0 7 7 Redskins 3 6 3 17 December 30 RFK Stadium Dale Hamer Don Criqui and Bob Trumpy NBC Bills Head Coach Marv Levy decided to rest his starters for the playoffs, dropping the final game of the season in Washington, 29–14. The Bills finished with their best record in team history at 13 wins 3 losses. Standings NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, 0-7611-2480-2, p. 292 Playoffs AFC Divisional Playoffs Miami Dolphins (12–4) at Buffalo Bills (13–3) Dolphins 3 14 3 14 Bills 13 14 3 14 collapsed Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Saturday, January 12, 1991. 12:30 pm EST 31 °F °C, light snow NBC Marv Albert and Paul Maguire Bob McElwee 77,087 Box Score First quarter BUF – Andre Reed 40-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) MIA – Pete Stoyanovich 29-yard field goal BUF – Scott Norwood 24-yard field goal BUF – Scott Norwood 22-yard field goal Second quarter BUF – Thurman Thomas 5-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) MIA – Mark Duper 64-yard pass from Dan Marino (Pete Stoyanovich kick) BUF – James Lofton 13-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) MIA – Dan Marino 2-yard run (Pete Stoyanvich kick) Third quarter MIA – Pete Stoyanovich 22-yard field goal BUF – Scott Norwood 28-yard field goal Fourth quarter MIA – Roy Foster 2-yard pass from Dan Marino (Pete Stoyanovich kick) BUF – Thurman Thomas 5-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) BUF – Andre Reed 26-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) MIA – Tony Martin 8-yard pass from Dan Marino (Pete Stoyanovich kick) Passing MIA – Dan Marino 23/49, 323 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT BUF – Jim Kelly 19/29, 339 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing MIA – Sammie Smith 21 att, 99 yards BUF – Thurman Thomas 32 att, 117 yards, 2 TD Receiving MIA – Mark Duper 3 rec, 113 yards, TD BUF – James Lofton 7 rec, 149 yards, TD Despite being a close score, the Bills never trailed in this classic Jim Kelly versus Dan Marino shootout. The weather, steady light snow, had crews occasionally come out to shovel off the 10- and 5-yard lines. Despite the conditions, both team offenses were explosive. In the end, after winning the AFC East crown from the Dolphins a few weeks earlier, the Bills also ended the 'Fins season in a game which had 78 combined points. AFC Championship Game Los Angeles Raiders (12-4) at Buffalo Bills (13-3) Raiders 3 0 0 0 Bills 21 20 0 10 Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Sunday, January 20, 1991. 12:30 pm EST 35 °F °C, rain/light snow NBC Dick Enberg and Bill Walsh Jim Tunney Box Score 80,325 First quarter BUF – James Lofton 13-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) LA – Jeff Jaeger 41-yard field goal BUF – Thurman Thomas 12-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) BUF – Darryl Talley 27-yard interception return (Scott Norwood kick) Second quarter BUF – Kenneth Davis 1-yard run (kick failed) BUF – Kenneth Davis 3-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) BUF – James Lofton 8-yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) Fourth quarter BUF – Kenneth Davis 1-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) BUF – Scott Norwood 39-yard field goal Passing LA – Jay Schroeder 13/31, 150 yards, 5 INT BUF – Jim Kelly 17/23, 300 yards, 2 TD, INT Rushing LA – Greg Bell 5 att, 36 yards BUF – Thurman Thomas 25 att, 138 yards, TD Receiving LA – Mervyn Fernandez 4 rec, 57 yards BUF – James Lofton 5 rec, 113 yards, 2 TD The Bills shredded the Raiders, limiting quarterback Jay Schroeder to 13 of 31 completions for 150 yards and intercepting him 5 times, while also holding running back Marcus Allen to just 26 yards on 10 carries. The Raiders offense clearly missed running back Bo Jackson, who suffered what would turn out to be a career-ending injury the week before in a win against the Cincinnati Bengals. On offense, the Bills amassed 502 total yards, including 202 yards on the ground. Running back Thurman Thomas rushed for 138 and a touchdown while also catching 5 passes for 61 yards, while running back Kenneth Davis tied an AFC playoff record with 3 rushing touchdowns. Buffalo also set an NFL playoff record by scoring 41 points in the first half. Bills quarterback Jim Kelly threw for 300 yards and two touchdown passes to wide receiver James Lofton, who finished the game with 5 receptions for 113 yards. Thomas recorded a 12-yard touchdown run, while Davis scored from 1 yard, 3 yards, and 1 yard out. Linebacker Darryl Talley returned one of his two interceptions 27 yards for a touchdown. Super Bowl XXV Super Bowl XXV collapsed January 27, 1991 5:30 p.m. Bills 3 9 0 7 Giants 3 7 7 3 Tampa Stadium, Tampa, Florida 62 F, wind 8 mph on Jerry Seeman Box Score First quarter NYG – Matt Bahr 28-yard field goal BUF – Scott Norwood 23-yard field goal Second quarter BUF – Don Smith 1-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) BUF – Safety, Bruce Smith tackled Jeff Hostetler in end zone NYG – Stephen Baker 14-yard pass from Jeff Hostetler (Matt Bahr kick) Third quarter NYG – Ottis Anderson 1-yard run (Matt Bahr kick) Fourth quarter BUF – Thurman Thomas 31-yard run (Scott Norwood kick) NYG – Matt Bahr 21-yard field goal Passing BUF – Jim Kelly 18/30, 212 yards NYG – Jeff Hostetler 20/32, 222 yards, TD Rushing BUF – Thurman Thomas 15 att, 135 yards, TD NYG – Ottis Anderson 21 att, 102 yards, TD Receiving BUF – Andre Reed 8 rec, 62 yards NYG – Mark Ingram 5 rec, 74 yards To counteract the Bills' no-huddle offense, the Giants' strategy was to use a power running game utilizing O.J. Anderson, aided by quarterback rollouts, bootlegs, and play-action fakes. As tight end Mark Bavaro later recalled, "[w]e came out with three tight ends, fat slobs picking you up and moving you and letting you tackle O.J., if you could."O'Donnell Chuck Mark Bavaro: the former Giants tight end remembers being on pins and needles as Buffalo's Scott Norwood lined up for his ill-fated field goal in Super Bowl 25 June 2005 Football Digest 34 8 May 9, 2007 FindArticles http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_8_34/ai_n13562634 https://web.archive.org/web/20060114053654/http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCL/is_8_34/ai_n13562634 January 14, 2006 usurped This enabled them to take time off the clock and limit Buffalo's possessions. The Giants set a Super Bowl record for time of possession with 40 minutes, 33 seconds, including 22 minutes in the second half. On defense, New York wanted to be physical with Buffalo's wideouts, and play with extra defensive backs to concentrate on stopping the Bills passing game, while conceding the running game. The contrast in strategies was evident during the first period. After forcing the Bills to punt on the opening drive of the game, the Giants consumed 6:15 off the clock by marching 58 yards in 10 plays to score on a 28-yard field goal from Matt Bahr. In that drive, New York ran five rushing plays and five passing plays. But the Bills struck right back on their ensuing possession with a five-play, 66-yard drive that took 1:23 off the clock, including a tipped 61-yard completion from quarterback Jim Kelly to receiver James Lofton that set up Scott Norwood's 23-yard field goal to tie the game at 3–3. After forcing the Giants to punt on their ensuing possession, the Bills' offensive strategy started to work to perfection. Kelly led the Bills on a 12-play, 80-yard scoring drive that consumed 4:27 and moved the ball so effectively that the team never faced a third down. Kelly completed six consecutive passes (four to Andre Reed) for 62 yards, and running back Don Smith capped it off with a one-yard touchdown run to give Buffalo a 10–3 lead. Smith's 1-yard touchdown run was his only carry of the game and the last carry of his career. Reed's 5 first quarter receptions were a Super Bowl record. After trading punts, the Giants were pinned at their own 7-yard line. On second down, defensive lineman Bruce Smith sacked quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the end zone for a safety, increasing the Bills' lead 12–3. On the play, Smith had a chance to force a fumble since Hostetler was holding the football with only his throwing hand. But to his credit, Hostetler held the ball away from Smith, helping to ensure that only 2 points would be surrendered. The Bills started out on their next drive with great field position following the free kick, but were forced to punt after 3 plays. Taking the ball at their own 13-yard line with 3:43 left in the second quarter, the Giants abandoned their long drive strategy and employed a quick strike attack of their own. Hostetler led the Giants 87 yards, scoring on a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Stephen Baker with just 25 seconds left in the half to cut New York's deficit to 12–10. The Giants then opened the third quarter and resumed their original game strategy by driving 75 yards in 14 plays to score on Ottis Anderson's one-yard touchdown run, taking their first lead of the game since their opening possession at 17–12. The drive consumed a Super Bowl record nine minutes and 29 seconds, and included four successful third down conversions. The highlight was a 14-yard pass to wide receiver Mark Ingram on 3rd down and 13 yards to go. Ingram caught a short pass and broke five Buffalo tackles to get the first down and keep the drive alive. After forcing Buffalo to punt on their ensuing possession, New York drove to the Bills' 35-yard line. But on fourth and two, Smith tackled Anderson for a 2-yard loss. Buffalo then took over and stormed down the field, advancing 63 yards in just four plays and scoring on a 31-yard burst from running back Thurman Thomas on the first play of the fourth quarter, regaining the lead at 19–17. Thomas' fourth-quarter touchdown run marked 1,000 points scored in Super Bowl history (1,001 with the extra point). However, before the Bills' defenders had a chance to catch their breath, they found themselves back on the field trying to contain another long Giants drive. This one went for 14 plays and 74 yards, half of which came off passes from Hostetler to tight end Mark Bavaro, and took another 7:32 off the clock. The Bills managed to halt the drive at their own 3-yard line when linebacker Cornelius Bennett broke up Hostetler's third down pass, but Bahr kicked his second field goal to give New York a 20–19 lead. On the Bills' ensuing possession, they could only advance to their own 41-yard line before having to punt, enabling the Giants to take more time off the clock. The Bills finally forced New York to punt and took the ball at their own 10-yard line with 2:16 remaining. Kelly then led them down the field with a mix of scrambles, short passes, and Thomas runs. Buffalo drove to the Giants' 29-yard line, setting up Norwood for a 47-yard field goal attempt with eight seconds left. However, his kick barely sailed wide right, sealing New York's victory with 4 seconds left. Player stats Thurman Thomas Thomas led the NFL in total yards from scrimmage for the second consecutive season. His 1,297 yards led the AFC and was second in the NFL to Barry Sanders. Thomas had at least 100 total yards in 10 of the Bills 16 games. After gaining 219 total yards versus the New York Jets, Thomas was named AFC offensive player of the week. Note: Rush = Rushing Yards; REC = Receiving Yards GameRushRecTotal Indianapolis 84 61 145 Miami 23 37 60 New York Jets 214 5 219 Denver 36 25 61 LA Raiders 67 47 114 New York Jets 5 0 5 New England 136 9 145 Cleveland 58 65 123 Phoenix 112 0 112 New England 165 5 170 Houston 54 32 86 Philadelphia 53 39 92 Indianapolis 76 91 167 New York Giants 60 65 125 Miami 154 29 183 Washington 0 22 22 Pro-Set 3-4 Yes No No Jim Kelly Thurman Thomas Jamie Mueller James Lofton Andre Reed Keith McKeller Will Wolford Jim Ritcher Kent Hull John Davis Howard Ballard Darryl Talley Ray Bentley Carlton Bailey Shane Conlan Cornelius Bennett John Hagy Mark Kelso Leonard Smith Kirby Jackson James Williams Nate Odomes Bruce Smith Jeff Wright Leon Seals Scott Norwood Rick Tuten Don Smith Al Edwards 85 85 No Awards and records Led NFL in Points Scored, 428 Jim Kelly, NFL Passing Leader, 101.2 Passer Rating Jim Kelly, Most Valuable Player, Pro Bowl Bruce Smith, NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bruce Smith, UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year, Defense Bruce Smith, Newspaper Enterprise Association Defensive Player of the Year Award Bruce Smith, Team Record, Number of Sacks in a Single Season, (19) Bruce Smith, AFC Defensive Player of the Month, December Thurman Thomas, NFL Combined Yards from Scrimmage Leader References External links 1990 Buffalo Bills at Pro-Football-Reference.com Buffalo Bills Category:AFC East championship seasons Category:American Football Conference championship seasons Category:Buffalo Bills seasons Buff