1994: Cowboys Win Back-to-Back Titles With Super Bowl XXVIII Win Over Bills

Super Bowl XXVIII on January 30, 1994 featured a rematch of the last contest’s participants. The Dallas Cowboys had mauled the Buffalo Bills by a 52-17 score, an especially bitter blow for the Bills since it was their third straight Super Bowl defeat.

The Cowboys, under Head Coach Jimmy Johnson, topped the NFC East with a 12-4 record during the ’93 regular season, defeated Green Bay in the Divisional playoff round and then, also for the second straight year, defeated their nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers, to win the conference title. The offense centered most heavily on the nucleus of QB Troy Aikman, RB Emmitt Smith (the consensus league MVP, pictured above), and WR Michael Irvin, but also had outstanding players in FB Daryl “Moose” Johnston and TE Jay Novacek. The defense featured DE Charles Haley (even though hobbled by a disc injury), DT Russell Maryland, MLB Ken Norton, and FS Thomas Everett.


Head Coach Marv Levy’s Bills were also 12-4 in topping the AFC East and had beaten the Raiders and Chiefs to win their fourth consecutive AFC Championship. Like the Cowboys, they had a veteran core on offense that included QB Jim Kelly (pictured at left), RB Thurman Thomas, and WR Andre Reed. The tough defense included All-Pro DE Bruce Smith, NT Jeff Wright, linebackers Darryl Talley and Cornelius Bennett, CB Nate Odomes, SS Henry Jones, and FS Mark Kelso.

The game was played inside the Georgia Dome in Atlanta with 72,817 on hand. The Cowboys scored on their first possession that followed a 50-yard return of the opening kickoff by WR Kevin Williams. Aikman immediately passed for 20 yards to Irvin to get to the Buffalo 28 yard line, and three plays later Eddie Murray kicked a 41-yard field goal.

The Bills responded in kind, driving 43 yards in seven plays. Kelly completed passes of 11 yards to Reed and 24 to Thurman Thomas, but a throw on third-and-seven was dropped by WR Bill Brooks and Buffalo settled for a Super Bowl-record 54-yard field goal by Steve Christie.

Dallas had to punt following its next possession, but Buffalo handed the ball back on its first play as Thomas fumbled after gaining seven yards on a shovel pass from Kelly. Safety Darren Woodson recovered at the 50 and the Cowboys drove to another field goal, this time of 24 yards, with Aikman completing a 24-yard pass to WR Alvin Harper along the way.

The Bills proceeded to put together a long, 17-play drive that extended into the second quarter and was helped along when CB Dave Thomas ran into punter Chris Mohr for a five-yard penalty in a fourth-and-three situation. Kelly completed seven passes and Thurman Thomas ran the ball seven times, including a four-yard touchdown run that put Buffalo back on top at 10-6.

Again Dallas had to punt, but John Jett’s kick was downed at the Buffalo one yard line. The Bills managed to advance to the Cowboys’ 46 in 11 plays and returned the favor when Mohr’s 45-yard punt was downed at the one by special teams star Steve Tasker. But just as Buffalo had, Dallas responded to being pinned back by mounting a long drive, primarily fueled by short throws by Aikman. However, after reaching the Bills’ 37, Aikman’s long pass was intercepted by Odomes, who returned it 41 yards to the Dallas 47.

With just over a minute remaining in the half, the Bills took over and, starting with throws by Kelly of 12 yards to Thomas and 22 to Reed, reached the Dallas nine before Christie kicked a 28-yard field goal to give Buffalo a 13-6 lead at halftime. It seemed as though Buffalo’s Super Bowl luck might be changing, but it was not to be.

On the third play of the second half, Thomas fumbled and FS James Washington (pictured below) recovered and ran 46 yards for a touchdown. With the successful extra point, the game was suddenly tied at 13-13. The Bills went three-and-out on their next possession, and the Cowboys drove 64 yards, virtually all accounted for by Emmitt Smith. The star running back ran the ball six straight times and a total of seven over the course of the drive, gaining 61 yards that included a 15-yard scoring carry. The Cowboys were now ahead 20-13 and just starting to roll.


The Bills got the ball back and drove into Dallas territory, but had to punt. The teams traded punts for the remainder of the third quarter. However, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Washington made another big play for the Cowboys as he intercepted a Kelly pass and returned it 12 yards to the Buffalo 46.

Once again, it was Emmitt Smith fueling the ensuing drive, carrying the ball six times and gaining nine yards on a screen pass. Along the way, Aikman threw to Harper for 16 yards and a first-and-goal at the six. The final run by Smith was for one yard and a TD, and Dallas led by a 27-13 margin with under 10 minutes remaining in the game.

Following another punt by the Bills, the Cowboys put together one last scoring drive, going 49 yards in nine plays, featuring a 35-yard pass play from Aikman to Harper and ending with Murray’s 20-yard field goal.

Buffalo held the ball for 17 plays, nearly using up the remainder of the clock, but could score no more points. Backup QB Bernie Kosar, who had been dealt to the Cowboys by Cleveland during the season, came in to take a knee and run out the last six seconds, participating in a Super Bowl for the only time in his career, and the Cowboys won a second straight title by the score of 30-13.

Dallas outgained the Bills (341 to 314 yards) although Buffalo had more first downs (22 to 20). But Buffalo’s running game was held to 87 yards on 27 carries and the Bills gave up three turnovers, to one suffered by Dallas.


Emmitt Smith, who dominated the second half and was the game’s MVP, ran for 132 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns. Troy Aikman (pictured at right) completed 19 of 27 passes for 207 yards with no TDs and one interception. Michael Irvin and Jay Novacek caught 5 passes apiece, for 66 and 26 yards respectively, and Alvin Harper gained 75 yards on his three receptions.

For Buffalo, Jim Kelly went to the air 50 times, with 31 completions for 260 yards, and had one picked off. Thurman Thomas gained just 37 yards on 16 carries, including a touchdown, but caught 7 passes for 52 yards, although he also had the two fumbles. Bill Brooks also had 7 catches, for 63 yards, while Andre Reed gained 75 yards on 6 receptions. RB Kenneth Davis was the team’s leading ground gainer with 38 yards on 9 attempts.

The fourth straight Super Bowl loss was the end of the run for Buffalo, as the Bills sank to 7-9 in 1994. It was the end for Jimmy Johnson as well, as he quit the club due to differences with owner Jerry Jones. The Cowboys again went 12-4 in ’94 under Barry Switzer, but finally lost to the 49ers in the NFC title game. They regained the championship throne following the 1995 season.

1996: Jaguars Defeat Bills for Franchise’s First Postseason Win

In their second season of existence, the Jacksonville Jaguars had gotten off to a 4-7 start. They were performing in typical fashion for a recent expansion team, but then they reeled off five straight wins to finish the year. The Jaguars not only ended the 1996 regular season with a winning record of 9-7, but finished in second place in the AFC Central and qualified for the postseason as a wild card entry.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin’s team featured third-year QB Mark Brunell, who led the NFL with 4367 passing yards and 7.8 yards per attempt. Wide receivers Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith emerged as outstanding receivers, but it was the running game that keyed the season-concluding winning streak. Veteran RB Natrone Means (pictured above), formerly of the Chargers, gained 364 of his 507 rushing yards in the last five games. The defense benefited from the addition of eleventh-year veteran DE Clyde Simmons (pictured below left) and rookie DE Tony Brackens, as well as rookie LB Kevin Hardy.


The Jaguars went on the road for their first playoff game, facing the Buffalo Bills at Rich Stadium on December 28. The Bills, coached for the eleventh season by Marv Levy, went 10-6 to end up second in the AFC East. Many of the key players who had helped Buffalo to dominate the AFC at the beginning of the decade were still vital to the club’s success, but were also showing the effects of aging and wear-and-tear, including 36-year-old QB Jim Kelly, 30-year-old RB Thurman Thomas, and 32-year-old WR Andre Reed. Defense had mostly carried the club during the season, in particular DE Bruce Smith, still an elite player at age 34.

There were 70,213 fans at Rich Stadium, a venue where the Bills had never lost a postseason game, on a cloudy day with temperatures in the fifties. Following a punt by Jacksonville, the Bills drove 43 yards in six plays to score the game’s first touchdown on a seven-yard pass from Kelly to Thomas. However, on Buffalo’s third possession the veteran defensive end Simmons intercepted a shovel pass from Kelly that was also intended for Thomas and returned it 20 yards for a touchdown.

The Bills came right back with a ten-play drive that included four pass completions by Kelly and ended with a two-yard touchdown run by Thomas over right tackle. But the Jacksonville offense, which had not been able to move thus far in the game, was spurred by a 62-yard run by Means to the Buffalo five. The drive stalled there, but Mike Hollis kicked a 27-yard field goal and the score was 14-10 after one quarter.

The Bills had to punt following their next possession but regained the ball when a long Brunell pass was intercepted by CB Thomas Smith in the end zone. Buffalo proceeded to mount another long drive that included three pass completions to WR Quinn Early that totaled 31 yards. But on fourth-and-one at the Jacksonville 16 yard line, Kelly’s attempted quarterback sneak was stopped short.

The Jaguars regained momentum as Brunell threw to TE Pete Mitchell for a 47-yard gain into Buffalo territory and then Means ran for a 30-yard touchdown. Jacksonville was ahead for the first time at 17-14.

The Bills managed a 33-yard field goal by Steve Christie at the two-minute warning while Jacksonville came up empty on its last possession of the half when Hollis was short on a 58-yard field goal attempt on the last play before halftime. The score remained 17-17 at the intermission.

Buffalo’s opening drive of the third quarter resulted in a 47-yard field goal by Christie that put the Bills back in front. The teams traded punts before the Jaguars moved 62 yards in 11 plays, featuring a 27-yard pass completion from Brunell to McCardell, and culminated in a 24-yard Hollis field goal to again tie the game at 20-20.

On the second play of the fourth quarter, Buffalo CB Jeff Burris intercepted a partially deflected Brunell pass and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown and 27-20 lead for the Bills. The Jaguars responded by driving 65 yards in 10 plays that resulted in a two-yard TD pass from Brunell to Jimmy Smith, and with the successful PAT the game was again tied.

On Buffalo’s next series, Kelly fumbled when hit by safety Chris Hudson and CB Aaron Beasley recovered for the Jaguars at the Jacksonville 42. Brunell completed passes of 14 yards to Smith and 11 to McCardell in setting up a 45-yard field goal attempt by Hollis that hit the right upright but caromed on through for three points.

Todd Collins replaced the injured Kelly at quarterback for the Bills and was unable to move the team in two possessions while the Jaguars were able to run a minute-and-a-half off the clock. Brackens forced Collins to fumble in the last seconds to nail down the 30-27 win for Jacksonville.


The Jaguars outgained Buffalo (409 yards to 308) although the Bills had the edge in first downs (19 to 18). Buffalo suffered more turnovers (three to two) and only managed to sack Brunell twice as offensive left tackle Tony Boselli (pictured at right) had an outstanding day against Bruce Smith.

Natrone Means had a big day running the ball for Jacksonville, gaining 175 yards on 31 carries with a TD. Mark Brunell (pictured below) completed 18 of 33 passes for 239 yards with a touchdown against two interceptions. Jimmy Smith caught 5 passes for 58 yards and a score while Keenan McCardell gained 76 yards on his four receptions.


In his last game before retiring, Jim Kelly was successful on 21 of 32 passes for 239 yards with a TD and an interception. Quinn Early caught 9 passes for 122 yards, but the Buffalo running game was held to 92 yards on 29 attempts – Thurman Thomas led the way with 50 yards on 14 carries.

Jacksonville advanced to the AFC Championship game after beating Denver in the Divisional playoff round, but the prospect of a Super Bowl between the two 1995 expansion teams (the Carolina Panthers had similarly advanced through the NFC postseason) ended when New England handily defeated the Jaguars for the AFC title (the Panthers also lost the NFC Championship game to Green Bay).

For Buffalo, it was the end of the postseason road in the Levy era. The Bills dropped to 6-10 in 1997, and while they were back in the playoffs in ’98, it was under a new head coach (Wade Phillips), Kelly was retired, and Thurman Thomas only a shell of his former greatness (381 yards rushing for the year).

1990: Bills Score 20 Points in 1:33 to Beat Broncos

Both the Buffalo Bills and Denver Broncos had won two of their first three games of the 1990 season prior to meeting at Rich Stadium on September 30. The host Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had won the AFC East title the previous two years, although with only a 9-7 record in ’89. The talented club had been mired in controversy in 1989, and had underachieved. Denver, coached by Dan Reeves for the preceding nine seasons, was the defending AFC champion, although the Broncos had been badly beaten in the Super Bowl by the 49ers.

The Broncos scored on the first possession of the game, going 80 yards in 12 plays with RB Bobby Humphrey running for a touchdown from a yard out. The teams traded fumbles, but there was no further scoring in the opening period.

The Bills blocked a 49-yard field goal attempt by David Treadwell early in the second quarter, but came up empty when Scott Norwood’s 47-yard attempt hit the right upright and bounced away. In their next possession, Bills QB Jim Kelly was intercepted by FS Steve Atwater, giving Denver good field position at the Buffalo 30 yard line. The Broncos capitalized as QB John Elway completed a 25-yard pass to WR Vance Johnson and two plays later RB Steve Sewell scored on another short touchdown run. Buffalo finally got on the board just before the end of the half on a 37-yard field goal by Norwood, but it was Denver leading comfortably by 14-3 at the intermission.

Buffalo got a break in the third quarter when DE Bruce Smith sacked Elway, forcing a fumble that LB Darryl Talley recovered for the Bills at the Denver 10. After Kelly was sacked for a two-yard loss, RB Don Smith ran for a 12-yard touchdown, but the extra point attempt failed. However, the Broncos extended their lead to 21-9 later in the period after a fumbled handoff to RB Thurman Thomas gave Denver the ball on the Buffalo 19. Following an Elway pass and a penalty on Bills LB Shane Conlan for a late hit, RB Sammy Winder ran for a three-yard touchdown.

With Denver seemingly in control in the fourth quarter, the game took a dramatic twist. The Broncos appeared set to score again, having driven to the Buffalo six yard line, but Treadwell’s field goal attempt was blocked by CB Nate Odomes – LB Cornelius Bennett (pictured at top) picked up the loose ball at the 20 and returned it for an 80-yard touchdown. Instead of being down 24-9, the Bills had cut the Denver margin to 21-16.

On the second play of Denver’s ensuing possession, an Elway pass was deflected at the line by DE Leon Seals and intercepted by safety Leonard Smith, who returned it 39 yards for another Buffalo TD. While Norwood missed the extra point attempt, the Bills had gone from being down by 12 points to up by one at 22-21. And it wasn’t over.

An illegal block on the kickoff return by the Broncos put the ball on the Denver five yard line. On the first play, Elway fumbled the snap and Cornelius Bennett recovered at the two. It took just one play for RB Kenneth Davis to run for a two-yard touchdown; this time the PAT attempt was successful and the Buffalo lead was now 29-21. The Bills had scored a total of 20 points in just 1:33 of playing time.

The shaken Broncos had to punt on their next possession after Bruce Smith again sacked Elway, this time for a ten-yard loss on a third-and-12 play. Buffalo moved into Denver territory, but Norwood’s 48-yard field goal attempt was wide to the right.


Now with under four minutes remaining, it looked as though the Broncos were finished when Elway threw three straight incompletions, but on fourth-and-ten he connected with WR Ricky Nattiel for a 20-yard gain to midfield. Suddenly, Elway was passing Denver downfield with four more completions that included a seven-yard TD to Nattiel - with the successful conversion, Buffalo’s lead was narrowed to one point. However, the onside kick was recovered by the Bills who were then able to run out the clock. The final score was 29-28 in favor of Buffalo.

It was a stunning win for the Bills, who were outgained by the Broncos, 410 yards to 197. Buffalo gained just 64 yards on the ground, to Denver’s 208. Bobby Humphrey (pictured above right) had an outstanding day running the ball, gaining 177 yards on 34 carries with one TD. John Elway completed 15 of 28 passes for 221 yards with a touchdown, but also with two interceptions (part of five overall turnovers by the Broncos). Ricky Nattiel was the club’s leading receiver with four catches for 62 yards and the TD.

Buffalo’s offensive performance was not strong. Reflecting the low rushing total, Thurman Thomas gained just 36 yards on 13 attempts – he caught four passes for 25 more yards. WR James Lofton also caught four passes, and led the Bills with 57 receiving yards. Jim Kelly completed 18 of 34 passes for 167 yards with no TDs and one interception.


The big defensive plays – including the one on special teams – made the difference in the outcome. Bruce Smith (pictured at left), with five tackles in addition to the two key sacks and the forced fumble, was recognized as the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Week, although there were several other members of the unit who played significant roles in the dramatic win.

The Bills won their next six games and 10 of 12 to finish the regular season at 13-3, winning a third straight AFC East title and this time advancing to the Super Bowl where they lost to the New York Giants by one point - the previous year’s underachievers broke through to a higher level, even if they fell short of the pinnacle. Denver, meanwhile, went in the opposite direction, losing 9 of the remaining 12 contests to end up at 5-11 and at the bottom of the AFC West.

1991: Kelly & Thomas Lead Bills to Win Over Miami

The Buffalo Bills, defending AFC Champions, opened the 1991 season by hosting the division rival Miami Dolphins at Rich Stadium on September 1. Under Head Coach Marv Levy, the Bills had utilized a quick-striking offense and solid defense to win the AFC East for the third consecutive year in ’90 with a 13-3 record and came within a missed field goal of winning the Super Bowl. Two of the key players on offense had been QB Jim Kelly (pictured at right), in his prime at age 31, and RB Thurman Thomas.

Head Coach Don Shula’s Dolphins finished right behind Buffalo with a 12-4 tally in 1990, qualifying for a wild card playoff spot and losing to the Bills in the divisional round. Entering the new season, the passing of ninth year QB Dan Marino was still central to the offense, while fumble-prone RB Sammie Smith had suffered a knee injury during the preseason; unheralded Mark Higgs was the opening day starter.

The Dolphins took the early advantage. After Scott Norwood missed a 25-yard field goal on Buffalo’s opening drive, Miami struck quickly with a 43-yard touchdown pass from Marino to WR Mark Clayton on a flea-flicker play. On their next possession, the Dolphins drove 65 yards in 10 plays, capped by Higgs scoring on a three-yard TD run, and were staked to a 14-0 lead.


The Bills came back as Kelly connected with WR Andre Reed on a 54-yard touchdown pass play, and that was it for the first half scoring. The Dolphins had passed the ball just nine times while Higgs (pictured at left) had gained 80 yards on 15 carries.

Miami led off the scoring in the third quarter as Charlie Baumann kicked a 21-yard field goal. Kelly had to briefly leave the game due to injury on Buffalo’s ensuing possession, but backup QB Frank Reich completed both of his passes, including a three-yard touchdown throw to TE Butch Rolle that narrowed the Miami margin to 17-14.

The Dolphins were forced to punt on their next series, and Kelly returned to the contest and passed to Thomas for a touchdown play that covered 50 yards and put the Bills ahead for the first time at 21-17.

Miami went three-and-out but got a break when DE T.J. Turner recovered a fumble by Buffalo WR Don Beebe at the Bills 44 yard line. Seven plays later Marino hit Clayton with a pass into the end zone from five yards out, and the Dolphins were back in front at 24-21 early in the fourth quarter. The quick-striking Bills came back with a six-play series that ended in a one-yard TD run by FB Carwell Gardner.

The key turnover of the game came on Miami’s next possession as Buffalo FS Mark Kelso recovered a fumble by Higgs near midfield. The Bills scored seven plays later when Thomas ran in from seven yards. While Marino threw another touchdown pass, this time to WR Mark Duper for three yards, it was too little, too late as Buffalo held on to win by a score of 35-31.

It was an impressive display by the Bills offense, which rolled up a club record 593 yards. Jim Kelly completed 29 of 39 passes for 381 yards with two TDs and one intercepted. Thurman Thomas ran the ball 25 times for 165 yards and a TD and also gained another 103 yards on 8 pass receptions that included another score. However, it was Andre Reed, another significant member of the offense, leading the team in pass receiving with 11 catches for 154 yards and a TD.

In defeat, Dan Marino had been successful on 17 of 28 passes for 267 yards with three touchdowns and none intercepted. Mark Higgs gained an impressive 146 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown, but also suffered the key fumble. Mark Clayton caught 6 passes for 138 yards and two TDs.

Buffalo again went on to win the AFC East with a 10-6 record and appeared in the Super Bowl for the second straight year, losing convincingly to the Washington Redskins. Miami finished at 8-8 and in third place in the division, just missing out on a wild card spot due to having been swept by the Jets in the season series, who also finished with the same record.

Jim Kelly led the AFC in passing with a 97.6 rating, and topped the NFL in touchdown passes (33) and percentage of TD passes (7.0) while finishing third with 3844 yards through the air. Thurman Thomas (pictured below) was the AFC’s top rusher with 1407 yards on 288 attempts and the NFL’s all-purpose yardage leader with 2038.