In the sunset season for the concrete cathedral so often overflowed with as many as 80,000 passionate patrons, WIVB News 4 Buffalo is taking a daily look back over 400 games played in the Orchard Park stadium’s 52 years.
Sept. 25
1983 — Bills 30, Oilers 13 — Joe Cribbs rushed for 133 yards and a touchdown as Buffalo improved to 3-1 on the season with the victory in front of 60,070 fans at Rich Stadium. Joe Ferguson had only 127 yards passing but found Jerry Butler and Frank Lucas for touchdowns. Fred Smerlas had three of the Bills’ seven sacks, and and defensive back David Kilson returned a fumble 87 yards for the final score.
1988 — Bills 36, Steelers 28 — Special teams were a big factor in the Bills improving to 4-0, with Scott Norwood kicking five field goals, a team record at the time, and Rob Riddick scoring two touchdowns including one on Buffalo’s second blocked punt of the game. Jim Kelly had 288 yards passing and a TD strike to Chris Burkett, Ronnie Harmon totaled 130 yards from scrimmage, Mark Kelso made two interceptions, and rookie Jeff Wright had two sacks. Attendance was 78,735.
2005 — Falcons 24, Bills 16 — Atlanta’s Michael Vick accounted for 234 yards and passed for two touchdowns while Buffalo got 95 yards and no scores from its quarterback J.P. Losman, who also fumbled in the final two minutes when the Bills were trying to score a tying touchdown. Willis McGahee rushed for 140 yards and a touchdown, but the Falcons tandem of Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett combined for 172 yards on the same number of carries (27). The Bills lost Pro Bowl linebacker Takeo Spikes for the season when he tore his Achilles tendon in the first half. The loss in front of 72,032 dropped Buffalo’s record to 1-2.
2011 — Bills 34, Patriots 31 — An oasis in the drought that got the Bills on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Ryan Fitzpatrick passed for 369 yards with touchdowns to Stevie Johnson and Scott Chandler, Fred Jackson ran for 74 yards and TD and Drayton Florence had the go-ahead score on an interception return in the fourth quarter as Buffalo came back from down 21-0. Revered broadcaster Van Miller came out of retirement and broke press box etiquette to narrate the winning kick in one of only two Buffalo wins against Tom Brady in a game he played all the way to the end. The goal posts were lowered before any fans could get to them, but many lingered in the afterglow singing “Sweet Caroline.” Good times never felt so good.
2016 — Bills 33, Cardinals 18 — LeSean McCoy rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, Aaron Wiliams returned a botched field goal for a score and Buffalo got its first win of the season following an 0-2 start and the firing of offensive coordinator Greg Roman earlier in that week. Tyrod Taylor had a 49-yard run that is still the longest by a Bills quarterback in a regular season game. Josh Allen had a 52-yarder in a playoff game, but otherwise his best carry has gone for 45 yards. Stephon Gilmore had two of Buffalo’s four interceptions against Carson Palmer on the Cardinals’ last four drives, while Lorenzo Alexander and Kyle Williams combined for three of the five sacks.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.
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