This week in Billsology

by Dave Gennocro

1962- The Bills defeat the winless Raiders 14-6, before 21,037 at War Memorial Stadium.
1965- The Bills defeat the Chiefs in Kansas City, 23-7, despite only gaining 47 yards on the ground.
1968- Elbert Dubenion, the Bills all time reception leader, announces his retirement. Coach Harvey Johnson immediately assigns Dubenion to the Bills scouting department.
1974-The Bills defeat New England 30-28 to move into a first place tie with the Patriots at 5-1.

1975- The Bills storm out to a 14-0 lead against the visiting New York Giants on Monday Night Football, then end up losing, 17-14. The game is significant because although the TV broadcast was blacked out in the Buffalo area, subscribers to International Cable got to see the game on a feed that the cable provider picked up from Syracuse.

1978- In the second lowest scoring game in team history, the Bills shut out the visiting Bengals 5-0, before 47,754 fans at Rich Stadium.

1980- The Bills crush the Patriots 31-13 in an early season hail storm at Rich Stadium, upping their record to 6-2.

1991- Jim Kelly flies to New York City to film his Nuprin commercial.

1997- With no time on the clock, Steve Christie hits a 27 yard field goal to lift the Bills past the Colts, 9-6 on Monday Night Football. The game was so dull, it prompted the network to leave both teams off their schedule the following year.

1998- Doug Flutie bootlegs around the left side of the line, and the Bills squeeze by the visiting Jaguars, 17-16.

2001- Gregg Williams gets his first taste of victory, in a Sunday night contest in Jacksonville, as the Bills win 13-10. The taste would be fleeting though, as Gregg would only be victorious seventeen times in three years, as the Bills Head Coach.

2003- The calls for Gregg Williams’ head grow louder, as his Bills fail to show up in a 30-3 loss to the Jets at the Meadowlands.

This Week in Fishology…

1959- Ralph Wilson tries to secure a lease with the city of Miami to put an AFL team there, and is flatly denied. Wilson then decides on the city of Buffalo, and it’s depression-era War Memorial Stadium.

1987- The Bills make their first visit to Pro Player Stadium, and come out with a 34-31 win, after being behind at the half, 21-3. The collapse was the biggest in Miami team history.

2002- The Jimmy Johnson auditions for an off-Broadway production of Grease.

Billsology’s Greatest Games:

Bills vs. Jets, 10/22/89
The outcome of this game was never in doubt. The Bills offense rolled up 204 yards rushing, and the defense never let the Jets cross their 20 yard line, as the Bills win big, on a very windy day at Rich Stadium, 30-3. On the ground, the Bills had one rushing score from Thomas, but had three touchdown receptions from Reed, Harmon, and Ken Davis, respectively. Scott Norwood added two field goals. All this scoring was engineered by backup Quarterback Frank Reich, who, subbing for the injured Jim Kelly, won his second start in a row. The win upped the Bills record to 5-2, and preserved their one game lead in the AFC East.

Happy Birthday!

10/2- Tim Euhus
10/7- Jonathan Linton
10/12- Jerry Butler
10/14-Terrence McGee
10/19- Gregg Zolman
10/21- Willis McGahee
10/23- Doug Flutie
10/24- Pat Williams
10/27- Peerless Price
10/29- Travis Henry
10/31-Chris Kelsay