Bills History Repository: Data, Analyses, Fun

[ComradeKayAdams]

Welcome, all! This thread is meant to be distinct from Alaska Darin’s “BILLS’ History” thread in that the conversations here will likely be long-form historical examinations. Some of these conversations may eventually lead to formal articles published at BillsFans.com. I will begin by posting progress I’ve made on a handful of my own ongoing research projects, but all you budding Bills historians out there are free to post any other topics that you’d like to discuss!

 

I’m currently working on the following topics:

 

1. “Snow Sparta.” An analysis of our franchise’s home field advantage to see how well the myth and the reality actually match. I have all the data compiled, so now I just need to sit down and compose my thoughts on what I think the data is telling us.

 

2. “A Pantheon of Dynastic Dominance.” What is the legacy of the mid-60’s AFL Bills and the early 90’s Super Bowl Bills? I explore that question with a highly quantitative system of analysis I came up with for every potential dynasty throughout pro football history. I already have the bulk of the system’s methodology complete, along with a full list of potential dynasties, but there are more qualitative components to my system that require much more than just a bit of tweaking.

 

3. “Bills in the Hall, Bills on the Wall.” A thorough compilation of every former Bills player who should be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and/or Buffalo’s Wall of Fame. I’ll also include active players trending in these directions. Eligibility depends on the expected sizes of the Hall and Wall, so I’ll give a position-by-position analysis of what size I think is appropriate for each.

 

4. “The Bills Before the Bills.” A full study and catalog of the teams that comprised WNY’s New York Pro Football League (NYPFL), one of the main predecessor leagues to the NFL. This is an ambitious project that could be extraordinarily difficult for an amateur historian like myself. Nearly all evidence of this league’s existence can likely only be found in various local newspaper archives, dating back from the very late 1890’s through the early 1900’s. Other NFL predecessor leagues like the Ohio League and the Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit are much better chronicled. So why bother with such an ambitious endeavor? Good question! At my core, I guess you can say I’m both a pro football romantic and a Buffalo region romantic. Where these two lovers meet, I suspect, is a beautiful origin story of Bills Mafia that needs to be told.

 

5. “A Triskaidekaphobic Legacy.” A comparative study of the historical significance of the infamous Thirteen Seconds game. I’ll provide the metrics of comparison, my own personal evaluation of where the game ranks among the greatest games in NFL history, and speculation on what may happen in the future to significantly alter its ranking.

 

6. “The Three Falls of Buffalo.” Recent history counts as history, too! I’m morbidly fascinated by the failures of this franchise, and on such a lengthy list includes the inability of the teams from the early Allen era to meet their lofty expectations, established immediately following the 2020 AFC Conference Championship. The iconic image of Stefon Diggs with his hands on his hips now haunts every Bills fan, but why? I want to do a deep dive that is a bit deeper than “blame it on Mahomes” or “blame it on Coach McDoofus.” I’ll look at roster construction, schematic strategies, and personal drama (Cole Beasley, Damar Hamlin, the Allen-Diggs relationship, etc.).

 

Expect posting updates on my progress throughout the summer, but don’t hold me to any posting schedule because I’m a hobbyist historian and not a professional one! Also, don’t be surprised to see me jump around topics without rhyme or reason.

[Ann]

Looking forward to your thoughts, @ComradeKayAdams

[ComradeKayAdams]

4 hours ago, Ann said:

Looking forward to your thoughts, @ComradeKayAdams

 

Great! I’ll get the party started with the topic of our historical home field advantage. It’s probably best that I separate this particular topic’s content into two posts. Tonight, I’ll post all the assembled data. This weekend, I’ll post my full analysis. In the meantime, everyone should feel free to look over the data and offer their own interpretation.

 

A couple important points before we begin:

 

1. “HFAD” is an acronym I frequently use that stands for “Home Field Advantage Differential.” It is simply the road win percentage subtracted from the home win percentage and can be interpreted as a measure of the advantage when adjusting for team strength. The Packers, for example, have historically been a much more successful franchise than the Bills; their home winning percentage is therefore expected to be higher than that of the Bills, but that obviously doesn’t mean the boost that Packers teams get from playing at home is necessarily greater.  

 

2. All of this data is up to date and represents every NFL season (1920-2023) plus every AFL season (1960-1969). Every AAFC season (1946-1949) is also included for the specific cases of the Browns and 49ers. I excluded the years that the Steelers, Lions, Bears, Packers, Rams, and Cardinals existed outside the NFL because the caliber of competition for those seasons was highly questionable.

 

DATA SET #1: This is a ranking of every NFL team’s historical home playoff win percentage. In parentheses, from left to right, is the breakdown by home record, away record, neutral field/Super Bowl record, and HFAD percentage. Note that the Bills have the 7th highest HFAD percentage:

 

1. Cardinals: 100% (5-0, 2-9, 0-1, +81.8%)

2. Lions: 87.5% (7-1, 2-13, 0-0, +74.2%)

3. Patriots: 82.1% (23-5, 8-12, 6-5, +42.1%)

4. Seahawks: 80% (12-3, 4-14, 1-2, +57.8%)

4. Jaguars: 80% (4-1, 4-7, 0-0, +43.6%)

6. Raiders: 79.2% (19-5, 3-13, 3-2, +60.4%)

7. Broncos: 77.3% (17-5, 3-9, 3-5, +52.3%)

8. BUFFALO BILLS: 75% (15-5, 4-12, 0-4, +50%)

8. 49ers: 75% (27-9, 7-13, 5-3, +40%)

10. Packers: 74.1% (20-7, 13-18, 4-1, +32.1%)

11-12. Texans: 71.4% (5-2, 0-5, 0-0, +71.4%)

11-12. Panthers: 71.4% (5-2, 4-4, 0-2, +21.4%)

13-14. Browns: 68.4% (13-6, 4-16, 0-0, +48.4%)

13-14. Commanders: 68.4% (13-6, 7-12, 3-2, +31.6%)

15. Dolphins: 68.2% (15-7, 3-13, 2-3, +49.4%)

16. Eagles: 68% (17-8, 7-15, 1-3, +36.2%)

17-18. Falcons: 66.7% (6-3, 4-9, 0-2, +35.9%)

17-18. Colts: 66.7% (12-6, 9-17, 2-2, +32.1%)

19. Cowboys: 65.6% (21-11, 10-17, 5-3, +28.6%)

20-21. Rams: 63.6% (14-8, 10-17, 2-3, +26.6%)

20-21. Steelers: 63.6% (21-12, 9-14, 6-2, +24.5%)

22. Vikings: 60.9% (14-9, 7-18, 0-4, +32.9%)

23. Bengals: 58.3% (7-5, 3-8, 0-3, +31.1%)

24-28. Saints: 57.1% (8-6, 1-7, 1-0, +44.6%)

24-28. Bears: 57.1% (12-9, 4-10, 1-1, +28.6%)

24-28. Giants: 57.1% (12-9, 9-16, 4-1, +21.1%)

24-28. Jets: 57.1% (4-3, 7-10, 1-0, +16%)

24-28. Chiefs: 57.1% (12-9, 8-10, 4-2, +12.7%)

29. Buccaneers: 54.5% (6-5, 4-7, 2-0, +18.2%)

30. Titans: 46.2% (6-7, 11-15, 0-1, +3.8%)

31. Ravens: 44.4% (4-5, 11-8, 2-0, -13.5%)

32. Chargers: 42.9% (6-8, 6-10, 0-1, +5.4%)

 

DATA SET #2: This is a ranking of every NFL team’s historical HFAD exclusively for the regular season. I have the overall home/away percentage breakdowns in parentheses. Note that the Bills have the 17th highest home win percentage and the 23rd highest road win percentage:

 

1. Ravens: +23.1% (68.4% H, 45.3% A)

2. Broncos: +20.9% (62.6% H, 41.7% A)

3. Bengals: +19.4% (55.3% H, 35.9% A)

4. Lions: +18.2% (54.6% H, 36.4% A)

5. Packers: +17.9% (65.9% H, 48% A)

5. Vikings: +17.9% (63.5% H, 45.6% A)

7. Steelers: +17.6% (62.5% H, 44.9% A)

7. Seahawks: +17.6% (60.5% H, 42.9% A)

9. Dolphins: +17.2% (64% H, 46.8% A)

10. Jaguars: +17% (50.9% H, 33.9% A)

11. Chiefs: +15.5% (62.5% H, 47% A)

12. Bears: +14.5% (62.3% H, 47.8% A)

12. BUFFALO BILLS: +14.5% (55.8% H, 41.3% A)

14. Falcons: +14.4% (50.9% H, 36.5% A)

15. Buccaneers: +13.9% (47.6% H, 33.7% A)

15. Titans: +13.9% (55.7% H, 41.8% A)

17. Cowboys: +13.8% (64.5% H, 50.7% A)

18. Cardinals: +13.3% (49% H, 35.7% A)

19. Patriots: +13.2% (62.1% H, 48.9% A)

20. Texans: +12.5% (49.2% H, 36.7% A)

21. Raiders: +11.8% (57.8% H, 46% A)

22. Browns: +11.5% (54.9% H, 43.4% A)

23. Chargers: +11.4% (55.4% H, 44% A)

24. Rams: +11.3% (56.3% H, 45% A)

25. Commanders: +11.2% (55% H, 43.8% A)

26. Eagles: +10.8% (54.9% H, 44.1% A)

27. 49ers: +10.5% (59.1% H, 48.6% A)

28. Panthers: +10.3% (51.1% H, 40.8% A)

29. Jets: +10.1% (49% H, 38.9% A)

30. Giants: +9.4% (57.1% H, 47.7% A)

31. Colts: +9.1% (57.1% H, 48% A)

32. Saints: +6.5% (50.1% H, 43.6% A)

 

DATA SET #3: Next, I divided Buffalo’s historical record by home stadium. Win percentage is in parentheses:

 

Total Regular Season Home Record, Rockpile: 38-49-4 (43.7%)

Total Regular Season Away Record, 1960-1972: 35-52-4 (40.2%)

Regular Season HFAD, Rockpile: +3.5%

Total Regular Season Home Record, Highmark: 235-167 (58.5%)

Total Regular Season Away Record, 1973-2023: 165-233 (41.5%)

Regular Season HFAD, Highmark: +17%

 

All-Time Postseason Home Record, Rockpile: 1-2 (33.3%)

All-Time Postseason Away Record, 1960-1972: 1-0 (100%)

Postseason HFAD, Rockpile: -66.7%

All-Time Postseason Home Record, Highmark: 14-3 (82.4%)

All-Time Postseason Away/Neutral Field Record, 1973-2022: 3-16 (15.8%)

Postseason HFAD, Highmark: +66.6%

 

DATA SET #4: Next, we have Buffalo’s cumulative historical record (combined regular season and playoffs) separated by month:

 

Total September Record (including a home game on August 31, 1997): 111-104-1 (51.6%)

Total Home September Record: 73-61-1 (54.5%)

Total Away September Record: 38-43 (46.9%)

Overall September HFAD: +7.6%

Home September Record, Rockpile: 12-20-1 (37.5%)

Away September Record, 1960-1972: 2-6 (25%)

September HFAD, Rockpile: +12.5%

Home September Record, Highmark: 61-41 (59.8%)

Away September Record, 1973-2023: 36-37 (49.3%)

September HFAD, Highmark: +10.5%

 

Total October Record: 130-127-2 (50.6%)

Total Home October Record: 81-55-1 (59.6%)

Total Away October Record: 49-72-1 (40.5%)

Overall October HFAD: +19.1%

Home October Record, Rockpile: 14-15-1 (48.3%)

Away October Record, 1960-1972: 10-14-1 (41.7%)

October HFAD, Rockpile: +6.6%

Home October Record, Highmark: 67-40 (62.6%)

Away October Record, 1973-2023: 39-58-0 (40.2%)

October HFAD, Highmark: +22.4%

 

Total November Record: 122-135-4 (47.5%)

Total Home November Record: 66-54-1 (55%)

Total Away November Record: 56-81-3 (40.9%)

Overall November HFAD: +14.1%

Home November Record, Rockpile: 7-12-1 (36.8%)

Away November Record, 1960-1972: 15-15-3 (50%)

November HFAD, Rockpile: -13.2%

Home November Record, Highmark: 59-42 (58.4%)

Away November Record, 1973-2023: 41-66-0 (38.3%)

November HFAD, Highmark: +20.1%

 

Total December Record: 105-130-1 (44.7%)

Total Home December Record: 49-47-1 (51%)

Total Away December Record: 56-83 (40.3%)

Overall December HFAD: +10.7%

Home December Record, Rockpile: 6-3-1 (66.7%)

Away December Record, 1960-1972: 9-17 (34.6%)

December HFAD, Rockpile: +32.1%

Home December Record, Highmark: 43-44 (49.4%)

Away December Record, 1973-2022: 47-66 (41.6%)

December HFAD, Highmark: +7.8%

 

Total January Record: 24-26 (48%)

Total Home January Record: 19-4 (82.6%)

Total Away January Record (including Super Bowl neutral fields): 5-22 (18.5%)

Overall January HFAD: +64.1%

Home January Record, Rockpile: 0-1 (0%)

Away January Record, 1960-1972: 0-0 (0%)

January HFAD, Rockpile: 0%

Home January Record, Highmark: 19-3 (86.4%)

Away January Record, 1973-2023: 5-22 (18.5%)

January HFAD, Highmark: +67.9%

 

DATA SET #5: And finally, we have Buffalo’s record during the Sean McDermott era (2017-2023):

 

Regular Season Home Record: 41-17 (70.7%)

Regular Season Away Record: 32-24 (57.1%)

HFAD, Regular Season: +13.6%

Postseason Home Record: 5-2 (71.4%)

Postseason Away Record: 0-4 (0%)

HFAD, Playoffs: +71.4%

[Taro T]

On 5/21/2024 at 8:52 PM, ComradeKayAdams said:

 

Great! I’ll get the party started with the topic of our historical home field advantage. It’s probably best that I separate this particular topic’s content into two posts. Tonight, I’ll post all the assembled data. This weekend, I’ll post my full analysis. In the meantime, everyone should feel free to look over the data and offer their own interpretation.

 

A couple important points before we begin:

 

1. “HFAD” is an acronym I frequently use that stands for “Home Field Advantage Differential.” It is simply the road win percentage subtracted from the home win percentage and can be interpreted as a measure of the advantage when adjusting for team strength. The Packers, for example, have historically been a much more successful franchise than the Bills; their home winning percentage is therefore expected to be higher than that of the Bills, but that obviously doesn’t mean the boost that Packers teams get from playing at home is necessarily greater.  

 

2. All of this data is up to date and represents every NFL season (1920-2023) plus every AFL season (1960-1969). Every AAFC season (1946-1949) is also included for the specific cases of the Browns and 49ers. I excluded the years that the Steelers, Lions, Bears, Packers, Rams, and Cardinals existed outside the NFL because the caliber of competition for those seasons was highly questionable.

 

DATA SET #1: This is a ranking of every NFL team’s historical home playoff win percentage. In parentheses, from left to right, is the breakdown by home record, away record, neutral field/Super Bowl record, and HFAD percentage. Note that the Bills have the 7th highest HFAD percentage:

 

1. Cardinals: 100% (5-0, 2-9, 0-1, +81.8%)

2. Lions: 87.5% (7-1, 2-13, 0-0, +74.2%)

3. Patriots: 82.1% (23-5, 8-12, 6-5, +42.1%)

4. Seahawks: 80% (12-3, 4-14, 1-2, +57.8%)

4. Jaguars: 80% (4-1, 4-7, 0-0, +43.6%)

6. Raiders: 79.2% (19-5, 3-13, 3-2, +60.4%)

7. Broncos: 77.3% (17-5, 3-9, 3-5, +52.3%)

8. BUFFALO BILLS: 75% (15-5, 4-12, 0-4, +50%)

8. 49ers: 75% (27-9, 7-13, 5-3, +40%)

10. Packers: 74.1% (20-7, 13-18, 4-1, +32.1%)

11-12. Texans: 71.4% (5-2, 0-5, 0-0, +71.4%)

11-12. Panthers: 71.4% (5-2, 4-4, 0-2, +21.4%)

13-14. Browns: 68.4% (13-6, 4-16, 0-0, +48.4%)

13-14. Commanders: 68.4% (13-6, 7-12, 3-2, +31.6%)

15. Dolphins: 68.2% (15-7, 3-13, 2-3, +49.4%)

16. Eagles: 68% (17-8, 7-15, 1-3, +36.2%)

17-18. Falcons: 66.7% (6-3, 4-9, 0-2, +35.9%)

17-18. Colts: 66.7% (12-6, 9-17, 2-2, +32.1%)

19. Cowboys: 65.6% (21-11, 10-17, 5-3, +28.6%)

20-21. Rams: 63.6% (14-8, 10-17, 2-3, +26.6%)

20-21. Steelers: 63.6% (21-12, 9-14, 6-2, +24.5%)

22. Vikings: 60.9% (14-9, 7-18, 0-4, +32.9%)

23. Bengals: 58.3% (7-5, 3-8, 0-3, +31.1%)

24-28. Saints: 57.1% (8-6, 1-7, 1-0, +44.6%)

24-28. Bears: 57.1% (12-9, 4-10, 1-1, +28.6%)

24-28. Giants: 57.1% (12-9, 9-16, 4-1, +21.1%)

24-28. Jets: 57.1% (4-3, 7-10, 1-0, +16%)

24-28. Chiefs: 57.1% (12-9, 8-10, 4-2, +12.7%)

29. Buccaneers: 54.5% (6-5, 4-7, 2-0, +18.2%)

30. Titans: 46.2% (6-7, 11-15, 0-1, +3.8%)

31. Ravens: 44.4% (4-5, 11-8, 2-0, -13.5%)

32. Chargers: 42.9% (6-8, 6-10, 0-1, +5.4%)

 

DATA SET #2: This is a ranking of every NFL team’s historical HFAD exclusively for the regular season. I have the overall home/away percentage breakdowns in parentheses. Note that the Bills have the 17th highest home win percentage and the 23rd highest road win percentage:

 

1. Ravens: +23.1% (68.4% H, 45.3% A)

2. Broncos: +20.9% (62.6% H, 41.7% A)

3. Bengals: +19.4% (55.3% H, 35.9% A)

4. Lions: +18.2% (54.6% H, 36.4% A)

5. Packers: +17.9% (65.9% H, 48% A)

5. Vikings: +17.9% (63.5% H, 45.6% A)

7. Steelers: +17.6% (62.5% H, 44.9% A)

7. Seahawks: +17.6% (60.5% H, 42.9% A)

9. Dolphins: +17.2% (64% H, 46.8% A)

10. Jaguars: +17% (50.9% H, 33.9% A)

11. Chiefs: +15.5% (62.5% H, 47% A)

12. Bears: +14.5% (62.3% H, 47.8% A)

12. BUFFALO BILLS: +14.5% (55.8% H, 41.3% A)

14. Falcons: +14.4% (50.9% H, 36.5% A)

15. Buccaneers: +13.9% (47.6% H, 33.7% A)

15. Titans: +13.9% (55.7% H, 41.8% A)

17. Cowboys: +13.8% (64.5% H, 50.7% A)

18. Cardinals: +13.3% (49% H, 35.7% A)

19. Patriots: +13.2% (62.1% H, 48.9% A)

20. Texans: +12.5% (49.2% H, 36.7% A)

21. Raiders: +11.8% (57.8% H, 46% A)

22. Browns: +11.5% (54.9% H, 43.4% A)

23. Chargers: +11.4% (55.4% H, 44% A)

24. Rams: +11.3% (56.3% H, 45% A)

25. Commanders: +11.2% (55% H, 43.8% A)

26. Eagles: +10.8% (54.9% H, 44.1% A)

27. 49ers: +10.5% (59.1% H, 48.6% A)

28. Panthers: +10.3% (51.1% H, 40.8% A)

29. Jets: +10.1% (49% H, 38.9% A)

30. Giants: +9.4% (57.1% H, 47.7% A)

31. Colts: +9.1% (57.1% H, 48% A)

32. Saints: +6.5% (50.1% H, 43.6% A)

 

DATA SET #3: Next, I divided Buffalo’s historical record by home stadium. Win percentage is in parentheses:

 

Total Regular Season Home Record, Rockpile: 38-49-4 (43.7%)

Total Regular Season Away Record, 1960-1972: 35-52-4 (40.2%)

Regular Season HFAD, Rockpile: +3.5%

Total Regular Season Home Record, Highmark: 235-167 (58.5%)

Total Regular Season Away Record, 1973-2023: 165-233 (41.5%)

Regular Season HFAD, Highmark: +17%

 

All-Time Postseason Home Record, Rockpile: 1-2 (33.3%)

All-Time Postseason Away Record, 1960-1972: 1-0 (100%)

Postseason HFAD, Rockpile: -66.7%

All-Time Postseason Home Record, Highmark: 14-3 (82.4%)

All-Time Postseason Away/Neutral Field Record, 1973-2022: 3-16 (15.8%)

Postseason HFAD, Highmark: +66.6%

 

DATA SET #4: Next, we have Buffalo’s cumulative historical record (combined regular season and playoffs) separated by month:

 

Total September Record (including a home game on August 31, 1997): 111-104-1 (51.6%)

Total Home September Record: 73-61-1 (54.5%)

Total Away September Record: 38-43 (46.9%)

Overall September HFAD: +7.6%

Home September Record, Rockpile: 12-20-1 (37.5%)

Away September Record, 1960-1972: 2-6 (25%)

September HFAD, Rockpile: +12.5%

Home September Record, Highmark: 61-41 (59.8%)

Away September Record, 1973-2023: 36-37 (49.3%)

September HFAD, Highmark: +10.5%

 

Total October Record: 130-127-2 (50.6%)

Total Home October Record: 81-55-1 (59.6%)

Total Away October Record: 49-72-1 (40.5%)

Overall October HFAD: +19.1%

Home October Record, Rockpile: 14-15-1 (48.3%)

Away October Record, 1960-1972: 10-14-1 (41.7%)

October HFAD, Rockpile: +6.6%

Home October Record, Highmark: 67-40 (62.6%)

Away October Record, 1973-2023: 39-58-0 (40.2%)

October HFAD, Highmark: +22.4%

 

Total November Record: 122-135-4 (47.5%)

Total Home November Record: 66-54-1 (55%)

Total Away November Record: 56-81-3 (40.9%)

Overall November HFAD: +14.1%

Home November Record, Rockpile: 7-12-1 (36.8%)

Away November Record, 1960-1972: 15-15-3 (50%)

November HFAD, Rockpile: -13.2%

Home November Record, Highmark: 59-42 (58.4%)

Away November Record, 1973-2023: 41-66-0 (38.3%)

November HFAD, Highmark: +20.1%

 

Total December Record: 105-130-1 (44.7%)

Total Home December Record: 49-47-1 (51%)

Total Away December Record: 56-83 (40.3%)

Overall December HFAD: +10.7%

Home December Record, Rockpile: 6-3-1 (66.7%)

Away December Record, 1960-1972: 9-17 (34.6%)

December HFAD, Rockpile: +32.1%

Home December Record, Highmark: 43-44 (49.4%)

Away December Record, 1973-2022: 47-66 (41.6%)

December HFAD, Highmark: +7.8%

 

Total January Record: 24-26 (48%)

Total Home January Record: 19-4 (82.6%)

Total Away January Record (including Super Bowl neutral fields): 5-22 (18.5%)

Overall January HFAD: +64.1%

Home January Record, Rockpile: 0-1 (0%)

Away January Record, 1960-1972: 0-0 (0%)

January HFAD, Rockpile: 0%

Home January Record, Highmark: 19-3 (86.4%)

Away January Record, 1973-2023: 5-22 (18.5%)

January HFAD, Highmark: +67.9%

 

DATA SET #5: And finally, we have Buffalo’s record during the Sean McDermott era (2017-2023):

 

Regular Season Home Record: 41-17 (70.7%)

Regular Season Away Record: 32-24 (57.1%)

HFAD, Regular Season: +13.6%

Postseason Home Record: 5-2 (71.4%)

Postseason Away Record: 0-4 (0%)

HFAD, Playoffs: +71.4%

 

Kay, all that is great work and really interesting.  But the really relevant number IMHO regarding the HF advantage is 2-2 in the playoffs at home the past 2 seasons.  They were lights out at home in the playoffs forever and now they're 50% the past 2 seasons and IIRC McDermott's Bills have yet to win a road playoff game.

 

So, the HF advantage is still there and it's a bit better than 50% as they've got IIRC 3 other playoff wins at home followed by 2 road losses in the 2 years prior to the last 2.  But being perfect in Rich (minus Kelly's last start as a Bill) and now dropping 2 of the last 4 is disconcerting.  Guess that's why they pay McDermott the big bucks - to figure out how to get back to the home playoff dominance they had in the 80's and 90's.

[Fansince88]

On 5/22/2024 at 6:45 PM, Taro T said:

  Guess that's why they pay McDermott the big bucks - to figure out how to get back to the home playoff dominance they had in the 80's and 90's.

Moreso why they pay GMBB the big bucks to cut the fat and retool the team. 

[ComradeKayAdams]

On 5/22/2024 at 6:45 PM, Taro T said:

Kate, all that is great work and really interesting.  But the really relevant number IMHO regarding the HF advantage is 2-2 in the playoffs at home the past 2 seasons.  They were lights out at home in the playoffs forever and now they're 50% the past 2 seasons and IIRC McDermott's Bills have yet to win a road playoff game.

 

So, the HF advantage is still there and it's a bit better than 50% as they've got IIRC 3 other playoff wins at home followed by 2 road losses in the 2 years prior to the last 2.  But being perfect in Rich (minus Kelly's last start as a Bill) and now dropping 2 of the last 4 is disconcerting.  Guess that's why they pay McDermott the big bucks - to figure out how to get back to the home playoff dominance they had in the 80's and 90's.

 

Sure, but just keep in mind that this is a comprehensive study of our franchise’s home field advantage. My intent isn’t to focus exclusively on the McDermott era.

 

However, I do like that you are thinking critically about the limitations of the data I presented! My own analysis is very much aligned with the spirit of your thoughts. A few of the limitations are pretty obvious, but some are quite subtle and I will try to address them all. I think I’ll post my analysis later than this Memorial Day weekend, actually, since reader traffic is super light this time of year and I want to give more people time to digest the data and maybe present their own unique thoughts.

 

In the meantime, let’s jump over to another topic: the legacy of the “Thirteen Seconds” playoff game in pro football history. The contention here is that this game should easily be considered among the greatest 25 NFL games of all time, if not already competitively among the top 10, and that it has a chance to eventually skyrocket to #1 status. I’ll outline the criteria and justify my claim in a subsequent post. But first, I’m presenting my master list of 75 other historical NFL games that I believe can challenge for a top 25 all-time ranking. Did I miss any that others want added for consideration? How many can you instantly recognize? Note that games involving our Buffalo Bills are listed below in all caps (“Thirteen Seconds,” “Music City Miracle,” “The Comeback,” and “Wide Right”). Also note a Buffalo All-Americans game in the inaugural NFL season! The full list, in all its chronologically ordered splendor:

 

1920, week 11, Buffalo All-Americans vs. Canton Bulldogs

1925, week 12, Bears at Giants

1932, week 14, Lions at Bears

1933, NFL Championship Game, Giants at Bears

1934, NFL Championship Game, Bears at Giants

1940, NFL Championship Game, Bears at Commanders

1945, NFL Championship Game, Commanders at Rams

1948, NFL Championship Game, Cardinals at Eagles

1950, NFL Championship Game, Rams at Browns

1953, NFL Championship Game, Browns at Lions

1957, Western Conference Championship Game, Lions at 49ers

1958, NFL Championship Game, Colts at Giants

1962, AFL Championship Game, Chiefs at Titans

1967, NFL Championship Game, Cowboys at Packers

1968, week 11, Jets at Raiders

1968, Super Bowl III, Jets vs. Colts

1971, AFC Divisional Game, Dolphins at Chiefs

1972, AFC Divisional Game, Raiders at Steelers

1972, NFC Divisional Game, Cowboys at 49ers

1974, AFC Divisional Game, Dolphins at Raiders

1977, AFC Divisional Game, Raiders at Colts

1978, week 2, Raiders at Chargers

1978, Super Bowl XIII, Steelers vs. Cowboys

1978, week 12, Eagles at Giants

1980, AFC Divisional Game, Raiders at Browns

1981, AFC Divisional Game, Chargers at Dolphins

1981, AFC Championship Game, Chargers at Bengals

1981, NFC Championship Game, Cowboys at 49ers

1983, NFC Championship Game, 49ers at Commanders

1985, week 13, Bears at Dolphins

1986, AFC Divisional Game, Jets at Browns

1986, AFC Championship Game, Broncos at Browns

1987, AFC Championship Game, Browns at Broncos

1988, NFC Divisional Game, Eagles at Bears

1988, Super Bowl XXIII, 49ers vs. Bengals

1990, NFC Championship Game, Giants at 49ers

1990, SUPER BOWL XXV, GIANTS VS. BILLS

1992, AFC WILD CARD GAME, TITANS AT BILLS

1996, AFC Divisional Game, Jaguars at Broncos

1997, Super Bowl XXXII, Broncos vs. Packers

1998, NFC Wild Card Game, Packers at 49ers

1998, NFC Championship Game, Falcons at Vikings

1999, AFC WILD CARD GAME, BILLS AT TITANS

1999, Super Bowl XXXIV, Rams vs. Titans

2001, AFC Divisional Game, Raiders at Patriots

2001, Super Bowl XXXVI, Patriots vs. Rams

2003, NFC Divisional, Packers at Eagles

2003, NFC Divisional, Panthers at Rams

2003, Super Bowl XXXVIII, Patriots vs. Panthers

2005, AFC Divisional Game, Steelers at Colts

2006, AFC Championship Game, Patriots at Colts

2007, NFC Championship Game, Giants at Packers

2007, Super Bowl XLII, Giants vs. Patriots

2008, Super Bowl XLIII, Steelers vs. Cardinals

2009, NFC Wild Card Game, Packers at Cardinals

2010, NFC Wild Card Game, Saints at Seahawks

2012, AFC Divisional Game, Ravens at Broncos

2012, Super Bowl XLVII, Ravens vs. 49ers

2014, NFC Championship Game, Packers at Seahawks

2014, Super Bowl XLIX, Patriots vs. Seahawks

2015, NFC Divisional Game, Packers at Cardinals

2016, Super Bowl LI, Patriots vs. Falcons

2017, NFC Divisional Game, Saints at Vikings

2017, Super Bowl LII, Eagles vs. Patriots

2018, week 11, Chiefs at Rams

2018, AFC Championship Game, Patriots at Chiefs

2018, NFC Championship Game, Rams at Saints

2020, NFC Championship Game, Bucs at Packers

2021, week 18, Chargers at Raiders

2021, AFC DIVISIONAL GAME, BILLS AT CHIEFS

2021, NFC Divisional Game, Rams at Bucs

2021, AFC Championship Game, Bengals at Chiefs

2021, Super Bowl LVI, Rams vs. Bengals

2022, AFC Championship Game, Bengals at Chiefs

2022, Super Bowl LVII, Chiefs vs. Eagles

2023, Super Bowl LVIII, Chiefs vs. 49ers

[Taro T]

Kay,

 

Some minor comments about your list.  Keeping in mind this is a Bills board, so obviously this homer needs to chime in.  Feel completely free to disagree.

 

1.  The Greatest Game Ever PlayedTM was the Bills hosting the Houston Oilers, not the Tennessee Titans.  (Very minor point.)

 

2. Though the game didn't end up close, it was instrumental in helping the upstart league merge with the established one, and put that upstart league on the map.  AFL Championship Game 12/26/64 Chargers at Bills - the Shot Heard Round the World.

 

3.  It was a regular season game, but one of the most exciting ones I've ever been at was the Bills OT victory down in Houston 47-41 on 9/24/89.  That was the game that Beebe had his "helicoptor" catch, Kelso (?) ran a blocked FG attempt back for a TD as time expired in the 1st 1/2.  The Bills caused a turnover by Jeffires late in the 4th that would've sealed the victory but the refs ruled his forward progress had been stopped.  Jeffires got hit and driven backwards just after he caught it and the hit didn't just drive him backwards, it propelled the ball out of his hands.  It was so clearly a blown call that SNL the next week skewered the play with John Goodman playing the part of the idiot ref that made the call.  And it ended with, what else, but Kelly to Reed for a long catch and run in OT.  Absolutely awesome game.

 

4.  Nowhere nearly as good a game, so completely understand it not being included, but the September 7, 1980 game between the Bills and Fish was historic as the Bills had won the last game the 2 teams played in '69 and this one and literally went 0 for the '70's inbetween.

 

5.  Maybe not a great game (from this perspective it was incredible), but a playoff game that had a perfect offensive output has to rate in there somewhere and at least be mentioned.  My take, obviously you are free to disagree.

 

6.  Honorable mention: the Tim Tinsdale playoff game that chased Don Shula out of the league.  Yea!

[ComradeKayAdams]

21 hours ago, Taro T said:

Kate,

 

Some minor comments about your list.  Keeping in mind this is a Bills board, so obviously this homer needs to chime in.  Feel completely free to disagree.

 

1.  The Greatest Game Ever PlayedTM was the Bills hosting the Houston Oilers, not the Tennessee Titans.  (Very minor point.)

 

2. Though the game didn't end up close, it was instrumental in helping the upstart league merge with the established one, and put that upstart league on the map.  AFL Championship Game 12/26/64 Chargers at Bills - the Shot Heard Round the World.

 

3.  It was a regular season game, but one of the most exciting ones I've ever been at was the Bills OT victory down in Houston 47-41 on 9/24/89.  That was the game that Beebe had his "helicoptor" catch, Kelso (?) ran a blocked FG attempt back for a TD as time expired in the 1st 1/2.  The Bills caused a turnover by Jeffires late in the 4th that would've sealed the victory but the refs ruled his forward progress had been stopped.  Jeffires got hit and driven backwards just after he caught it and the hit didn't just drive him backwards, it propelled the ball out of his hands.  It was so clearly a blown call that SNL the next week skewered the play with John Goodman playing the part of the idiot ref that made the call.  And it ended with, what else, but Kelly to Reed for a long catch and run in OT.  Absolutely awesome game.

 

4.  Nowhere nearly as good a game, so completely understand it not being included, but the September 7, 1980 game between the Bills and Fish was historic as the Bills had won the last game the 2 teams played in '69 and this one and literally went 0 for the '70's inbetween.

 

5.  Maybe not a great game (from this perspective it was incredible), but a playoff game that had a perfect offensive output has to rate in there somewhere and at least be mentioned.  My take, obviously you are free to disagree.

 

6.  Honorable mention: the Tim Tinsdale playoff game that chased Don Shula out of the league.  Yea!

 

Great feedback as always, Taro, but why do you keep calling me “Kate” LOL?? I’m not offended, though; just amused.

 

1. Point taken on the Oilers/Titans clarification. One of my nomenclature quirks is that I always refer to a franchise by its current name no matter the point in history being referenced. See: Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, etc… “The Comeback” is an obvious top 5 all-time Bills game and a top 25 all-time NFL game for me, but it loses a bit of its luster because of Brady’s Super Bowl comeback, the 2022 Vikings comeback over the Colts, and the fact that neither Levy’s Bills nor Warren Moon’s Oilers/Titans ever won a Super Bowl.

 

2. The 1964 AFL Championship game is probably another top 5 all-time Bills game for me, but I’m not sure I’d even have it as a top 75 all-time pro football game. The AFL’s lucrative TV deal with NBC is what basically rendered a merger inevitable, but this TV deal was finalized at the beginning of the 1964 calendar year…well before this game was ever played. However, I do wholeheartedly agree that the game’s outcome increased the fledgling league’s national credibility and popularity. AFL skeptics/NFL loyalists needed to see a team like the 1964 Bills (one that was built more traditionally like Lombardi’s Packers, with Cookie at FB and Joe Collier’s seminal defense) defeat one of those “gimmicky” vertical pass-oriented offenses (with Sid Gillman’s Chargers being the 1960’s prototype for this more modern style).

 

3. Good reminder on the 9/24/89 Buffalo vs. Houston game! Another classic in a series of epic games these two franchises played between the late 1980’s and the turn of the century.

 

4. The 9/7/80 Dolphins game is in the running for greatest regular season game in Buffalo Bills history. The 0 for 70’s streak (to a Florida team, no less) was so scarring to our proud franchise’s psyche, in a manner perhaps on par with the 17-year playoff drought.

 

5. Oh it’s a solid candidate for top 10 all-time in franchise history, for sure, but Allen will need a lot more future postseason success for me to elevate it into a top 25 all-time NFL games list. This was the unofficial changing-of-the-guard moment in the AFC East, from Belichick to Allen, so that certainly gives it great historical significance in NFL lore.

 

6. The 1995 first round playoff win over the Dolphins, with about one million total rushing yards of Buffalo offense? Yes, definitely noteworthy. It was Shula’s final game and Buffalo’s last playoff win for the next 25 years.

 

RANDOM PROFOUND THOUGHT ALERT: Notice how I only have 20 games in my master list representing the first 57 years of the league’s existence, but 56 games for the last 47? Recency bias on my part? Perhaps. But also think about what the NFL was tinkering with in the latter half of the 1970’s. The evolution of the game of pro football is a dominant theme permeating my history analyses.

 

THREAD ANNOUNCEMENT: I plan on introducing my other four Bills history projects before I post my full analyses of our home field advantage and of the Thirteen Seconds legacy. Training camp doesn’t begin for two more months, so what else do you guys have to talk about besides Bills history??

[RochesterRob]

On 5/24/2024 at 10:34 AM, Taro T said:

Kate,

 

Some minor comments about your list.  Keeping in mind this is a Bills board, so obviously this homer needs to chime in.  Feel completely free to disagree.

 

1.  The Greatest Game Ever PlayedTM was the Bills hosting the Houston Oilers, not the Tennessee Titans.  (Very minor point.)

 

2. Though the game didn't end up close, it was instrumental in helping the upstart league merge with the established one, and put that upstart league on the map.  AFL Championship Game 12/26/64 Chargers at Bills - the Shot Heard Round the World.

 

3.  It was a regular season game, but one of the most exciting ones I've ever been at was the Bills OT victory down in Houston 47-41 on 9/24/89.  That was the game that Beebe had his "helicoptor" catch, Kelso (?) ran a blocked FG attempt back for a TD as time expired in the 1st 1/2.  The Bills caused a turnover by Jeffires late in the 4th that would've sealed the victory but the refs ruled his forward progress had been stopped.  Jeffires got hit and driven backwards just after he caught it and the hit didn't just drive him backwards, it propelled the ball out of his hands.  It was so clearly a blown call that SNL the next week skewered the play with John Goodman playing the part of the idiot ref that made the call.  And it ended with, what else, but Kelly to Reed for a long catch and run in OT.  Absolutely awesome game.

 

4.  Nowhere nearly as good a game, so completely understand it not being included, but the September 7, 1980 game between the Bills and Fish was historic as the Bills had won the last game the 2 teams played in '69 and this one and literally went 0 for the '70's inbetween.

 

5.  Maybe not a great game (from this perspective it was incredible), but a playoff game that had a perfect offensive output has to rate in there somewhere and at least be mentioned.  My take, obviously you are free to disagree.

 

6.  Honorable mention: the Tim Tinsdale playoff game that chased Don Shula out of the league.  Yea!

  It's important to note that it was the Oiler's we played.  The history between Bud Adams and Ralph Wilson goes all the way back to the beginning of the AFL.  There is no sense of rivalry when we play the Texan's at least for me.  The Oiler's had a pretty good lead in the series and it was as satisfying as chicken wings or beef on weck when we beat the Oiler's.  The Oiler's had colorful coaches and staff as well.  Jerry Glanville and Bum Phillips.  Bud Adams always had a sharp opinion on league matters and did his share to rub feelings the wrong way as did Al Davis of the Raiders.  The Oiler's had players who should have been rewarded with at least a SB appearance such as Earl Campbell, Warren Moon, Ernest Givins, and Ray Childress.  Hated the Oiler's as a conference rival but the history should have never gone away with a wimper.  Adams basically stole the Titan nickname from the Jets so some kind of arrangement should have been made so the city of Houston could have kept its pro football history.  

[Taro T]

On 5/25/2024 at 10:45 AM, ComradeKayAdams said:

 

Great feedback as always, Taro, but why do you keep calling me “Kate” LOL?? I’m not offended, though; just amused.

 

1. Point taken on the Oilers/Titans clarification. One of my nomenclature quirks is that I always refer to a franchise by its current name no matter the point in history being referenced. See: Commanders, Lions, Chiefs, etc… “The Comeback” is an obvious top 5 all-time Bills game and a top 25 all-time NFL game for me, but it loses a bit of its luster because of Brady’s Super Bowl comeback, the 2022 Vikings comeback over the Colts, and the fact that neither Levy’s Bills nor Warren Moon’s Oilers/Titans ever won a Super Bowl.

 

2. The 1964 AFL Championship game is probably another top 5 all-time Bills game for me, but I’m not sure I’d even have it as a top 75 all-time pro football game. The AFL’s lucrative TV deal with NBC is what basically rendered a merger inevitable, but this TV deal was finalized at the beginning of the 1964 calendar year…well before this game was ever played. However, I do wholeheartedly agree that the game’s outcome increased the fledgling league’s national credibility and popularity. AFL skeptics/NFL loyalists needed to see a team like the 1964 Bills (one that was built more traditionally like Lombardi’s Packers, with Cookie at FB and Joe Collier’s seminal defense) defeat one of those “gimmicky” vertical pass-oriented offenses (with Sid Gillman’s Chargers being the 1960’s prototype for this more modern style).

 

3. Good reminder on the 9/24/89 Buffalo vs. Houston game! Another classic in a series of epic games these two franchises played between the late 1980’s and the turn of the century.

 

4. The 9/7/80 Dolphins game is in the running for greatest regular season game in Buffalo Bills history. The 0 for 70’s streak (to a Florida team, no less) was so scarring to our proud franchise’s psyche, in a manner perhaps on par with the 17-year playoff drought.

 

5. Oh it’s a solid candidate for top 10 all-time in franchise history, for sure, but Allen will need a lot more future postseason success for me to elevate it into a top 25 all-time NFL games list. This was the unofficial changing-of-the-guard moment in the AFC East, from Belichick to Allen, so that certainly gives it great historical significance in NFL lore.

 

6. The 1995 first round playoff win over the Dolphins, with about one million total rushing yards of Buffalo offense? Yes, definitely noteworthy. It was Shula’s final game and Buffalo’s last playoff win for the next 25 years.

 

RANDOM PROFOUND THOUGHT ALERT: Notice how I only have 20 games in my master list representing the first 57 years of the league’s existence, but 56 games for the last 47? Recency bias on my part? Perhaps. But also think about what the NFL was tinkering with in the latter half of the 1970’s. The evolution of the game of pro football is a dominant theme permeating my history analyses.

 

THREAD ANNOUNCEMENT: I plan on introducing my other four Bills history projects before I post my full analyses of our home field advantage and of the Thirteen Seconds legacy. Training camp doesn’t begin for two more months, so what else do you guys have to talk about besides Bills history??

 

Apologies for that, Kay.  Apparently, it was a longer week than I'd realized.  Will try not to make that mistake again.  (No promises though.  😉 )

 

[Pete]

That dolphins chargers playoff game in 1981 was probably the best game I’ve ever seen. Comebacks are great but that was just a hard fought back and forth game with guys laying all on the line. I remember guys needing to be helped off the field after the game. 

 

The oilers comeback playoff game fun to watch. 
 

for me the 51-3 raiders afc championship game at home will always be in the top tier because I was their and what a time that was to be a bills fan. 
 

I was crushed after the loss to the giants in the Super Bowl but I remember telling my wife that that was one of the best games I could remember watching. The bills had by far the better team but marv got outcoached bad! 

 

great work as always Kay! I look forward to the rest.

[Pete]

I was going to add I think that ‘89 oilers game is the one that ended Derrick Burroughs career. That was a blow! He had Spinal stenosis.

[Taro T]

4 minutes ago, Pete said:

I was going to add I think that ‘89 oilers game is the one that ended Derrick Burroughs career. That was a blow! He had Spinal stenosis.

 

Good call.  For some reason was thinking he went down in the Bengals playoff game the previous season, but am just thinking about the BS call that went against him in that game that set up Cincy's winning score.

 

That injury really messed up the Golden Era's Superbowl run as they kept on drafting DB's high to try to replace him.  Add him to the SB teams and they likely win at least 1 of them and maybe all 4.  (Even possibly that horrible SB XXVII on a wet field in Pasadena.  Though that one was the least likely W; everything that could go wrong did that day.)

[RochesterRob]

3 hours ago, Taro T said:

 

Good call.  For some reason was thinking he went down in the Bengals playoff game the previous season, but am just thinking about the BS call that went against him in that game that set up Cincy's winning score.

 

That injury really messed up the Golden Era's Superbowl run as they kept on drafting DB's high to try to replace him.  Add him to the SB teams and they likely win at least 1 of them and maybe all 4.  (Even possibly that horrible SB XXVII on a wet field in Pasadena.  Though that one was the least likely W; everything that could go wrong did that day.)

  I watched the game at my mother's uncle's house.  Burroughs was rounding into a top DB and I knew the injury was going to cost us big.  I remember the rumor around 1990 that the Oiler's Ray Childress was being shopped around and wished we had a couple of number 1 picks to entice a trade.  Burroughs and Childress on our SB teams would have guaranteed a couple of SB victories.  

[ComradeKayAdams]

On 5/26/2024 at 10:40 PM, Pete said:

That dolphins chargers playoff game in 1981 was probably the best game I’ve ever seen. Comebacks are great but that was just a hard fought back and forth game with guys laying all on the line. I remember guys needing to be helped off the field after the game. 

 

The oilers comeback playoff game fun to watch. 
 

for me the 51-3 raiders afc championship game at home will always be in the top tier because I was their and what a time that was to be a bills fan. 
 

I was crushed after the loss to the giants in the Super Bowl but I remember telling my wife that that was one of the best games I could remember watching. The bills had by far the better team but marv got outcoached bad! 

 

great work as always Kay! I look forward to the rest.

 

You’ll be happy to know that the “Epic in Miami,” along with “The Comeback” and “Wide Right,” all made my top-25 list of greatest games in NFL history! The 1990 AFC Championship game would be a very strong candidate for my list of 10 greatest games in Bills history. As of today, it is the fourth biggest blowout in NFL/AFL playoff history.

 

On 5/27/2024 at 3:22 PM, Taro T said:

Good call.  For some reason was thinking he went down in the Bengals playoff game the previous season, but am just thinking about the BS call that went against him in that game that set up Cincy's winning score.

 

That injury really messed up the Golden Era's Superbowl run as they kept on drafting DB's high to try to replace him.  Add him to the SB teams and they likely win at least 1 of them and maybe all 4.  (Even possibly that horrible SB XXVII on a wet field in Pasadena.  Though that one was the least likely W; everything that could go wrong did that day.)

 

Good observation of their overemphasis on drafting DB’s! I see that from 1985 through 1994, Bill Polian and John Butler collectively drafted 8 DB’s with top-50 picks:

 

1985: Derrick Burroughs, 14th overall

1987: Nate Odomes, 29th overall

1987: Roland Mitchell, 33rd overall

1990: James Williams, 16th overall

1991: Henry Jones, 26th overall

1993: Thomas Smith, 28th overall

1994: Jeff Burris, 27th overall

1994: Bucky Brooks, 48th overall

 

Who knows how that era of Bills football could have resulted had they instead allocated some of these high draft pick resources for the OL and DL?? Winning any of those last three Super Bowls, however, would have been a tall order. When you guys see my pro football dynasty ranking, you’ll have both a fuller appreciation of what the early 90’s Bills were up against and a deeper sadness of what could have been…

 

Great segue to introduce my next Bills history topic…

 

So I put together a ranking of the greatest dynasties in pro football history. The main motivation was to get a better sense of the true legacy of our mid-60’s AFL Bills. In the process of working on this project, I also developed a better sense of the legacy of the early 90’s Bills and a better sense of what the current Bills iteration needs to do to achieve greatness (major spoiler alert: start advancing beyond the divisional round with some regularity).

 

The criteria for evaluation: postseason accomplishments (most important by far), regular season performances (secondary importance), Hall of Famers (tertiary importance), contributions to the development of football strategy (tertiary importance), impact on the development of the league and of pro football practices in general (tertiary importance), and impact on American culture (tertiary importance). I’ll go over all the intricate quantitative details of the evaluation criteria in a future post.

 

But in the meantime, know that the latter three criteria are subjectively scored as follows: negligible, minor, moderate, major, and greatest. The scores are currently stored in a Microsoft Excel “legacy matrix” of mine, but they were initially put together so haphazardly that further work is necessary. So far, I have the AFL era Bills with a score of “moderate” for football strategy (Joe Collier’s creative defenses from his pre-Orange Crush days, double TE formations, AFL-era vertical offenses complemented with power running FB’s), “moderate” for league development (Ralph Wilson’s merger efforts together with Lamar Hunt, winning mid-60’s AFL titles with national attention-drawing football style similar to traditional NFL teams), and “minor” for cultural legacy (Jack Kemp the politician). The Super Bowl era Bills were given a score of “moderate” for football strategy (no-huddle offense, Tasker special teams roles, Thurman pass-catching usage, Reed slot receiver usage), “negligible” for league development, and “minor” for cultural impact (a reputation for choking but also for incredible persistence had entered popular culture).

 

I’ll wrap this post up with a list of my top 50 dynasties in pro football history. Each dynasty is characterized by a minimum of 3 consecutive seasons and a maximum of its 21 most successful consecutive seasons. One person was chosen to best define the dynasty (usually a QB or a head coach). Note that this list acknowledges ALL pro football leagues throughout American history, but the nature of my scoring system resulted in teams from the pre-1920 Ohio League (Akron Pros, Canton Bulldogs, Massillon Tigers), pre-1920 Western Pennsylvania Professional Football Circuit (Latrobe Athletic Association, Duquesne Country and Athletic Club, Allegheny Athletic Association), pre-1920 NYPFL (sorry, Tommy Hughitt…), 1983-1985 USFL (Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars), and all others outside the NFL, the 1960-1969 AFL, and the 1946-1949 AAFC not making the cut for my top 50. My list, in chronological order:

 

1922-1924 Guy Chamberlin Bulldogs (including 1924 transition to Cleveland)

1925-1945 Curly Lambeau Packers (excluding seasons from 1919-1924 and 1946-1949)

1926-1946 Steve Owen Giants (excluding 1947-1953 seasons)

1930-1950 George Halas Bears (excluding seasons from 1920-1929 and 1951-1983)

1937-1952 Sammy Baugh Redskins

1941-1950 Greasy Neale Eagles

1941-1961 Dan Reeves Rams (excluding 1962-1970 seasons)

1946-1955 Otto Graham Browns

1950-1957 Bobby Layne Lions (excluding his 1958 trade season)

1952-1964 Frank Gifford Giants

1956-1972 Johnny Unitas Colts

1957-1965 Jim Brown Browns

1959-1967 Vince Lombardi Packers

1960-1966 George Blanda Oilers

1960-1971 Sid Gillman Chargers

1960-1974 Hank Stram Texans/Chiefs

1962-1969 JACK KEMP BILLS

1965-1976 Joe Namath Jets

1965-1985 Tom Landry Cowboys (excluding seasons from 1960-1964 and 1986-1988)

1965-1985 Al Davis Raiders (excluding seasons from 1963-1964 and 1986-2011)

1967-1985 Bud Grant Vikings

1970-1995 Don Shula Dolphins (excluding 1992-1995 seasons)

1971-1991 Chuck Noll Steelers (excluding 1969-1970 seasons)

1972-1982 Don Klosterman Rams

1980-2000 Edward DeBartolo Jr. 49ers (excluding 1977-1979 seasons)

1981-1992 Joe Gibbs Redskins

1981-1993 Lawrence Taylor Giants

1982-1992 Mike Ditka Bears

1983-1998 John Elway Broncos

1986-1996 JIM KELLY BILLS

1989-2000 Troy Aikman Cowboys

1992-2006 Bill Cowher Steelers

1992-2007 Brett Favre Packers

1995-2008 Derrick Brooks Buccaneers

1996-2012 Ray Lewis Ravens

1998-2010 Peyton Manning Colts

1999-2005 Marshall Faulk Rams

1999-2012 Andy Reid Eagles

2000-2019 Tom Brady Patriots

2004-2015 Tom Coughlin Giants

2006-2020 Drew Brees Saints

2007-NOW Mike Tomlin Steelers

2008-2022 Aaron Rodgers Packers (excluding 2005-2007 seasons)

2010-2023 Pete Carroll Seahawks

2012-2015 Peyton Manning Broncos

2013-NOW Howie Roseman Eagles (excluding 2000-2012 seasons)

2017-NOW Pat Mahomes Chiefs

2017-NOW Sean McVay Rams

2017-NOW Kyle Shanahan 49ers

2020-2022 Tom Brady Buccaneers

 

Look for my full ranking and analysis later this summer! But a few quick takeaways:

 

1. I arranged the list chronologically so you can get a better sense of how much the legacy of Buffalo’s two greatest eras have faded with time. Carpe diem…just imagine what a Super Bowl victory in 1966 and again in 1990 would have done for the reputation of our beloved franchise AND beloved city.

2. Buffalo wasn’t always considered a “loser” town! By 1966, the Queen City of the Great Lakes was among a small handful of American metropolitan areas with multiple pro football championships and was seeking the incredibly rare third straight.

3. From 1945-1965, Lake Erie was the center of the pro football universe. The Bills, Browns, and Lions (plus the 1945 Cleveland Rams) had garnered a combined 14 league titles…though shockingly none since…

[Vark]

Stumbled across this ticket stub cleaning out a drawer. Season Opener, Bills win 42-14