| October 06, 2004 | « Previous Story | HOME | Next Story » | Posted at 02:39 AM |
The Bills lead the regular season series with the Jets by eight games (47-39) and just 45 points (1,759-1,714). After the two teams split the regular season series in each of the 1999-2001 campaigns, the Jets won both contests in 2002 – a 37-31 OT victory in the season opener at Buffalo and a 31-13 home win in game 11. In 2003, the Jets were victorious over the Bills 30-3 on Oct. 12 and fell at Buffalo 17-6 on Dec. 7
Buffalo’s 46 wins against the Jets are its most against any other NFL team (the Patriots are next at 40). Four of the last six games in the series have been decided by six points or fewer. Here are some memorable matchups.
The Bills found themselves needing to sweep the season ending home and home series with the New York Jets. Going into the last two games against the Jets, the Bills stood 5-6-1 and their season looked over. Cookie Gilchrist to this point of the season was having a very average year. After a dozen games, he had only 622 yards and 8 TDs. In the final two games, Gilchrist carried them on his back rushing for 357 yards and scoring six touchdowns. In the first game against the Jets he set the pro football single game rushing record of 243 yards, which stood until 1971.
In front of 20,222 at War Memorial Stadium, Gilchrist had the greatest game ever by a professional football player to date rushing the ball. When the smoke had cleared, he surpassed Jim Brown’s NFL record of 237 yards in 1957. His 5 TDs in the game set an AFL record. The damage could have been worse, as 50 more yards of Gilchrist’s running were called back due to penalties.
Cookie Gilchrist opened the scoring for Buffalo 3 minutes into the game capping the opening drive with a 4 yard TD run. John Tracey got the ball right back for Buffalo recovering a fumble on the ensuing kick. That resulted in a Mack Yoho FG pushing the Bills lead to 10-0. The Jets would answer with a 74 yard drive of their own to pull within 10-7.
Daryle Lamonica, starting in place of the benched Kemp, then highlighted a 53 yard Bills drive with a flair for the dramatic. With the drive seemingly stalled in Jet territory, Lamonica executed a fake field goal and completed a 19 yard pass to Mike Stratton, the Bills stalwart linebacker in on special teams duty. The gamble paid off, with Gilchrist scoring from 1 yard out. The Bills pushed their lead to 24-7 at the half when Lamonica hit Elbert Dubenion with a 23 yard scoring strike with :26 seconds remaining. It was set up by a Ray Abruzzese interception.
In the second half, the Bills fed the Jets a steady diet of more Cookie. Gilchrist would score on 3 more long drives for the Bills. Scoring runs of 1, 19 and 6 yards pushed the score to 45-7. Only a late Don Maynard 23 yard TD catch late spoiled the party for the home crowd.
Buffalo already needed a lot of help to get to the post season. After beating the Jets, they needed the Patriots to beat division leader Houston. Houston obliged, dropping their game to Boston 46-28. Houston would collapse completely- going 1-5 to close the season after a 5-3 start.
After an astonishing 219 yard performance against New England in the snows of Rich Stadium, The Buffalo Bills as a team were committed to get Simpson Jim Brown’s record. With 1,803 yards in 13 games, OJ was 61 yards shy heading to Shea stadium, the weather again would try what defenses could not do- slow down the Juice. Flurries, wind, and bitter temperatures were on hand again in the season finale against the New York Jets.
On the first series of the game, it was obvious what the game plan was- feed Simpson the ball. OJ contributed 57 yards as the Bills moved down the field in a time consuming drive. Jim Braxton capped the nearly 9 minute drive for Buffalo’s first score, a 1 yard TD plunge.
On the Bills’ next series, Simpson broke Brown’s 10 year old record with the first play from scrimmage, a 6 yard run. Back in the huddle, the focus now turned to the unthinkable record- 2,000 yards in a season.The game was halted as he was mobbed by his teammates. Buffalo and OJ needed 134 more yards, and had 3 quarters to get the job done. With all the excitement, on the very next play Simpson fumbled the ball at midfield. Jets QB Joe Namath made the Bills pay for the mistake, hitting Jerome Barkum on a 48 yard scoring strike to tie the game 7-7.
Buffalo went back to work, on another grinding 70 yard drive. Simpson capped the drive with a 13 yard TD scamper with 1:12 left in the half. After 51 seconds and a 3 and out by the Jets, Bill Cahill returned a punt 51 yards for another Bills TD. It was the back breaker for the overmatched Jets. The only thing keeping the New York crowd in attendance during the miserable weather conditions was the assault on 2000.
Braxton and Simpson battered the Jets defense into the third quarter, and Buffalo extended their lead to 28-7 on Braxton’s second 1 yard TD run in the game. On that drive, the Bills broke Miami’s 1 year old record of 2,960 yards rushing as a team. With around 8 minutes remaining, QB Joe Ferguson entered the huddle and informed “The Electric Company” that OJ was 60 yards shy of 2,000. It was all they needed to hear. Fired up, they proceeded to blow the Jet defenders off the line of scrimmage. In under 2 minutes, Simpson managed to churn out 56 more yards, to give him 1,996. With 5:56 to play, Ferguson called the play that would change football history.
It was the 27 play-“ Ferguson recounted. “I fake to the FB (Braxton) up the middle. Reggie McKenzie leads the way as Joe DeLamielleure pulls in front of him and leads through the hole. It’s OJ’s favorite play.” Simpson slid off the left side for seven yards, giving him 2,003 and earning him an escort off the field on the shoulders of his teammates. His day and season were over, with exactly 200 yards on 34 carries. Braxton added 98 more on 24 attempts.
The Bills went on to an easy 34-14 win, their 4th in a row. Unfortunately, the Bills would learn that they were eliminated from playoff contention as the Pittsburgh Steelers claimed the wild card berth. But the news would not tarnish what this young team did on that frozen field, or what they were able to accomplish all season. Simpson's appreciation of his blockers' efforts hasn't been restricted to flattering references in the press; following the 1973 season, he presented members of the Bills' offense and coaching staff with gold bracelets, a gesture that reportedly cost him more than $20,000.
OJ’s 204-yard day against the Jets set still more records. He became the first back to get 200 yards in back to back games, his 419 yards the most in back to back games for any back to date. He also owned the most 200 yard games in one season with three. His 332 attempts was another league record, and his 6 yard a rush average led the NFL.
The FG gave Norwood 100 points on the season, becoming the first Bill to accomplish the feat since OJ Simpson in 1975. Following the game, fans stormed the field tearing down the goalposts.
