one
The city of Buffalo has been no stranger to professional football. In the 1940s, the city had a team that played in the old All-America Football Conference (AAFC), initially called the Buffalo Bisons, before becoming the Bills. In 1959, as Lamar Hunt was founding the American Football League (AFL), Ralph C. Wilson was granted a franchise - naming his new team after the side that played in the AAFC. Their debut season came in 1960, with the team winning five of 14 games - but success didn’t elude the Bills for much longer.
Highmark Stadium
TWO
The Buffalo Bills hired Lou Saban as their head coach before the 1962 season, and in the middle of that year, acquired quarterback Jack Kemp. In 1963 - Kemp’s first full season with the team - the quarterback led Buffalo to their first-ever playoff appearance and then went one better the following year, winning the franchise’s first-ever championship after defeating the San Diego Chargers in the 1964 AFL Championship Game. The Bills then won back-to-back titles thanks to their 23-0 victory over San Diego the next season. When the AFL merged with the NFL, Buffalo were in with a chance to play in the very-first Super Bowl - but lost in the 1966 AFL Championship Game. After winning just one game in the 1968 season, the team earned the first-overall pick in the upcoming draft
Jack Kemp, Quarterback 1962-1969
THREE
In 1969, the Buffalo Bills selected running back Orenthal James Simpson first overall in the draft. When Lou Saban then returned as head coach for the 1972 season, Simpson’s (nicknamed ‘The Juice’ due to his initials, O.J.) career took off. In 1973, behind an offensive line nicknamed ‘The Electric Company’ (as they blocked for Simpson, providing the power that turned on ‘The Juice’) Simpson was named NFL MVP after becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season. However, postseason success constantly eluded the Bills, and after an injury-ridden 1977 season, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers.
FOUR
The Buffalo Bills had their ups and downs through the mid-eighties. Under coach Chuck Knox, the team made the playoffs in the 1980 season and saw victory in the Wild Card Round the following year. In the 1983 NFL Draft, the team were looking for a quarterback, so selected Jim Kelly 14th overall. But there was one problem. Kelly made it clear he didn’t want to play in Buffalo, so instead, he signed with the Houston Gamblers of the new United States Football League. The Bills struggled following Kelly’s refusal to play for the team. However, after the USFL folded before their 1986 season, Kelly finally joined Buffalo. There, he, along with some other young players and the team’s new head coach Marv Levy, would change the course of the entire franchise.
Jim Kelly, Quarterback 1986-1996
FIVE
Buffalo wasted no time in surrounding Jim Kelly with talent. In the 1985 NFL Draft, the Bills selected defensive end Bruce Smith (who retired with the most sacks in NFL history) first overall - before later picking wide receiver Andre Reed. In 1988, Buffalo drafted running back Thurman Thomas - the eventual 1991 MVP. Orchestrating the team was coach Marv Levy, who installed a high-tempo offense known as the ‘K-Gun’ - after the team’s versatile tight end Keith McKeller and the fact that the team used the ‘shotgun’ formation. The rest of the NFL couldn’t stop the ‘K-Gun’, and the Bills used it to fire themselves into the Super Bowl record books.
Thurman Thomas, Running Back 1988-1999
SIX
The Buffalo Bills achieved something in the early nineties that had never been done before, and hasn’t been done since. The franchise appeared in four-straight Super Bowls. Following the 1990 season, they took on the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV and with eight seconds left, had a chance to take the lead. After attempting a 47-yard field goal, Scott Norwood’s kick sailed “wide right” of the goalposts. The Giants lifted the Lombardi Trophy - and those two words still haunt every Bills fan to this day. The following season, the Bills returned to the Super Bowl. But in Super Bowl XXVI - against Washington - they were unable to overcome a 17-0 deficit at the half and eventually lost 37-24.
‘Wide Right’ - Scott Norwood, Super Bowl XXV
SEVEN
As they had done twice before, Buffalo bounced back. But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. Jim Kelly was injured ahead of the 1992 playoffs, forcing backup Frank Reich to face the Houston Oilers in the Wild Card Round. With Houston leading 35-3 in the third quarter, Buffalo rallied and orchestrated what has since become known as ‘The Comeback’ - leading to a 41-38 win in overtime. Buffalo made their way to Super Bowl XXVII, only to be embarrassed, 52-17, by the Dallas Cowboys. Battle-hardened, the Bills forged a 13-6 halftime lead in their rematch with the Cowboys at Super Bowl XXVIII. After the break, however, Dallas scored 24 unanswered points, to defeat the Bills 30-13. Their outstanding achievement of reaching four-straight Super Bowls is only overshadowed by the fact they lost every single one.
Jim Kelly with Steve Tasker, Wide Receiver 1986-1997
EIGHT
The Bills made the playoffs four times in the six seasons following Super Bowl XXVIII. Their defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 1996 playoffs proved to be Jim Kelly’s last game for the franchise - with Marv Levy joining him in retirement a year later. Wade Phillips then took over as head coach - leading Buffalo to the 1998 and 1999 playoffs - only to fall foul of the Tennessee Titans and the ‘Music City Miracle’ in the 1999 postseason. This crushing defeat would be Buffalo’s last playoff appearance for 17 years, which became the longest playoff drought in North American professional sports.
Bruce Smith, Defensive End 1985-1999
NINE
In 2017, Sean McDermott was hired as Buffalo Bills head coach and instantly reversed the team’s misfortunes. He broke the franchise’s playoff drought in his first season and drafted franchise quarterback Josh Allen seventh overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Allen pushed on in the 2020 season, and, along with new wide receiver Stefon Diggs, led Buffalo to their first playoff win since the 1995 season, alongside their first AFC Championship appearance since the 1993 season. However, the team fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2021 playoffs - despite taking the lead with just 13 seconds remaining. That said, with one of the league’s best in Allen, the Buffalo Bills finally appear to be back on track. Since then, playoff football has become somewhat of a guarantee under McDermott and Allen. Another defeat to the Chiefs in the 2023 postseason, however, forced McDermott into making wholesale changes to the roster including trading star receiver Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans in the 2024 offseason. With a new-look offense, how will Allen and the Bills fare in 2024?
Bruce Smith, Defensive End 1985-1999
BEFORE YOU GO
The Buffalo Bills were owned by Ralph C. Wilson until he died in 2014. The team was then purchased by Kim and Terry Pegula, for $1.4 billion, under the condition that they remain in Buffalo, as per Wilson’s will.
One of the more famous aspects of the franchise is the fanbase. ‘Bills Mafia’, are renowned for their unique approach to fandom - even jumping into folding tables, or covering themselves in various sauces, before games
Despite the presence of the New York Jets and New York Giants, the Bills are technically the only NFL team to play in the state of New York
