Team History AT Buffalo (Shield Your Eyes)

[kleese]

The good news is that if a member of Bills Mafia ever gets too chesty with a Redskins/WFT fan, we can always simply remind them about Jan. 26th, 1992-- this was obviously the most significant game these two teams have ever played-- and we all know how that turned out. 

 

Overall, the history between these two teams is really light-- only 14 total games played (Including the SB) since the 1970 merger over 50 years ago. 

 

In that limited sample, one thing is for sure-- Buffalo has NOT treated us well when we've come to visit. At all. While our team hasn't been treated well, I certainly always was on a personal level...

 

My Mom and her entire family hail from Buffalo. I was born in 1977 in NJ and then grew up mostly in OK/TX. But my Mom's family remained in Buffalo. From the time I was born through the early 90's, I spent quite a bit of time in Buffalo. We grandmother lived in a row house, very close (as in just a few houses down) to other aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends. She worked for the Mayor's Office at City Hall for many years. My Uncle was an officer in Buffalo PD. My memories of Buffalo are just great. Sure, a lot of it has to do with just good family moments/memories, but I loved the city too. It was so different from where I lived- like a different world-- very much a throwback. People were friendly, food was great, atmosphere was warm and welcoming. There was a deli right down the block from my Grandmother's house called "Johnny's Meats." Whenever we arrived, that's the first place we'd hit. They would recognize me as "Edna's grandson." We even got snowed in once and had to stay an extra few days before we could fly out. I loved it. 

 

My Grandma was very proud of her city and defensive when it came to the jokes often hurled at Buffalo and Buffalonians. She did NOT like it when people talked about how cold it was and how much it snowed-- I think she felt that they should be known for more than that-- we tried to tell, you know Nana, it DOES snow a lot-- but she wasn't having it. After joining the NFL in 1970, the Bills spent the next 15 years or so being generally disappointing-- certainly never making a big impact. In the later part of the 80s the nucleus for their great teams began to form and they became a MASSIVE source of proud for the city-- and for my family-- especially my Grandma. She was far from a die-hard sports fan, but she loved the Bills because they were a representation of Buffalo. If anyone hasn't seen "The Four Falls of Buffalo" I can't recommend it enough. It does a great job of depicting the connection between the Bills and the city during that era. In 1991 I was mildly bummed the Bills won the AFC because I would have preferred to beat someone else in the SB (I knew we were going to win). I had some good natured barbs with my Grandma about it, but I never dared to get too deep there. 

 

As I entered HS and then college, the trips to Buffalo slowed considerably. My grandma spent more time visiting us than vice versa. Started seeing my cousins and extended family less and less-- and then of course, people started dying. From approx. 1992-mid 2000's I think I only went three times-- and two of those were for the funerals of my Nana and my Uncle. It's been well over 15 years since I've been now. Somewhat strangely, never made it to a Bills game. It was on the radar briefly for this year, but it didn't come together. Part of me thinks maybe I should never go back and let that place and those memories stay the way they are. So I can't speak to what Buffalo is like today, but I can attest that my experience there was top notch. 

 

Now, to the games: 

 

12-4-1977: Redskins 10, Bills 0: Our first ever game at Buffalo was a real yawner-- can't say I remember it though as I was less than 3 months old. 

 

11-29-1981: Bills 21, Redskins 14: This one was also goes farther back than my memory bank. This was Gibbs' first year where we started 0-5 and then finished 8-3. This was one of the 3 losses. The 1981 Bills were a rarity for them in this era-- they made the playoffs, beat the Jets in the Wild Card game, and then went down to the wire with the Bengals in Cincinnati before losing in the divisional round. 

 

11-1-1987: Redskins 27, Bills 7: Very strange blind spot for me here. From approx. 1986-present I can pretty much remember at least SOMETHING about every single game we've played-- or at least can easily jog my memory by reading something or viewing a clip. This is one of the few games that totally escapes me-- especially odd because I was pretty locked into the teams in this era as you might expect. I literally have no recall of this game-- it was a few years before satellite viewing became an option so it wouldn't have been on locally for me-- but even in those cases I can usually remember seeing the scroll, watching highlights, etc. This is a totally blank page for me. The game is on youtube in it's entirety so I killed some time checking it out--- Bills were just getting their act together with Levy, Kelly, and company. Not quite there yet. We handled them pretty easily on a gray day in Buffalo. 

 

11-1-1993: Bills 24, Redskins 10: I've talked about the 1993 season before and how I was in complete denial about what was going on. We were 1-5 heading into this game on Monday Night and I was still very confident in the team and thought they would bounce back and go on a winning streak-- despite the fact that Buffalo was headed to their fourth straight SB, I had confidence and was excited for the game-- watched from our loft room on one of those old, giant big screen TVs at our home in Houston. We hung around and were only down 14-10 in the third before Buffalo pulled away late. This was the night reality started to set in that this was NOT a good team and a rebuild was probable. 

 

11-3-1996: Bills 38, Redskins 13: Sort of the opposite of 1993... we were 7-1 heading into this game. Riding high. Buffalo was pretty good too, but we were on fire. I do remember thinking that we'd eventually come down to earth-- remember, we lost week 1 and then rattled off 7 straight-- but I was pretty confident. This was a late afternoon game-- I was a freshmen in college now, catching the game from The Vista Sports Grill on the 6th floor of a downtown building in Norman, OK. We scored early to take a 7-0 lead-- it was a disaster from there. Total domination from the Bills. Honestly, I wasn't too bummed about this one-- again, figured we'd eventually lose again and dropping a road game to an AFC team was no biggie. It would be the following week-- the infamous Boomer Esiason game when things would get iffy. 

 

10-19-2003: Bills 24, Redskins 7: Another late afternoon start.. the score here was worse than it indicates. Buffalo dominated. Patrick Ramsey was brutal for us and we gave up over 160 yards rushing to Travis Henry. We had started the season 3-3 under Spurrier that year and this is where the season started to really take a turn for the worse. 

 

10-30-2011: Bills 23, Redskins 0: And another late afternoon game on the road in Western NY... or Canada I should say... this was the annual Toronto game for Buffalo during those few years where they did that... and oh what a terrible display for us. All Redskins fans will remember this as the game where John Beck was sacked 10 times. Obviously, that's an indictment of the offensive line, but in this care, it was actually obvious without even watching film that Beck himself was the cause of most of the sacks. Never seen a QB so stuck in the headlights like that. It was almost like his objective was to take a seven step drop and then just fall down. He was so, so bad. What did he start-- three games for us total? Something like that. But if feels like so many more because he was so incompetent that it really sticks out. Fitzpatrick started and played well for the Bills that day. 

 

11-3-2019: Bills 24, Redskins 9: The 2019 is one of the least entertaining/interesting in my fan history-- I just wanted every game to end before it started. I was mildly more interested in this one because it was Haskins' first start. Another game where the score wasn't quite indicative of the way the game actually went. This was a very easy win for Buffalo-- even though it was a one-score game for awhile in the second half. A bland, boring game between two rookie QBs who have since gone down very different paths. 

 

So, 2-6 overall 

 

Average score: Bills 20, Redskins 11

 

If you just focus on the five straight losses since we lost one in 1987, the average score is Bills 27, Redskins 8 

 

In the 8 games, only one (1981) has been even moderately competitive. 

 

 

 

 

[NewCliche21]

Yeah but let's see how our record against them is in MINNESOTA!

[Cooleyfan1993]

Wait. Josh Allen wasn’t a rookie in 2019. He was a rookie in 2018

[zCommander]

So much Buffalo in your earlier days...and not a single word about how did you become a Redskins fan instead? 

[kleese]

42 minutes ago, Cooleyfan1993 said:

Wait. Josh Allen wasn’t a rookie in 2019. He was a rookie in 2018

 

Good catch on that, forgot he was a year earlier. 

10 minutes ago, zskins said:

So much Buffalo in your earlier days...and not a single word about how did you become a Redskins fan instead? 

 

Because the answer to that question is literally unknown. Its as if I was born a Redskins fan. Dad is an Eagles fan and Mom Bills, but neither were big fans at all and it isn't something I was indoctrinated with either way. I literally do not recall ever choosing to be a Redskins fan or knowing someone who was. It's like its just always been that way. I imagine I was a front-runner and chose them because they were good in the early 80's, but have no recollection of making a conscious decision. It's weird. 

[ThomasRoane]

I remember what buttholes most of the Bills fans were in 2007 after Sean Taylor died.  We lost 17 - 16.  Unfortunately, Joe Gibbs didn't realize you couldn't call back to back timeouts then and that gave the bills a closer shot at the winning field goal.  Their fans were as rude and obnoxious as the worst cowboys or eagles fans that day.  No appreciation for the fact that as fans we were all still grieving.  They deserve to be curb stomped and I hope it happens this weekend.  

[DWinzit]

1 hour ago, kleese said:

If anyone hasn't seen "The Four Falls of Buffalo" I can't recommend it enough. It does a great job of depicting the connection between the Bills and the city during that era.

 

So, 2-6 overall 

Average score: Bills 20, Redskins 11

If you just focus on the five straight losses since we lost one in 1987, the average score is Bills 27, Redskins 8 

In the 8 games, only one (1981) has been even moderately competitive. 

 

Note to self, check out "The Four Falls of Buffalo". Thanks for the recommendation kleese

 

History will turn as we have never played in Buffalo in September, we never had Heini at the helm and I was not at the other games  

(I had tickets to the 93 game but was unable to attend)

[redskinss]

If every week we put up our overall record against our opponents it's gonna suck for the last 30 years against every one of them because we've sucked for the last 30 years.

At some point we're gonna have to put the past in the past.

Tampa Bay would likely get some pretty bad results if they did this weekly as well but it wouldn't mean much just like it won't mean much when we turn the corner either.

[kleese]

2 hours ago, redskinss said:

If every week we put up our overall record against our opponents it's gonna suck for the last 30 years against every one of them because we've sucked for the last 30 years.

At some point we're gonna have to put the past in the past.

Tampa Bay would likely get some pretty bad results if they did this weekly as well but it wouldn't mean much just like it won't mean much when we turn the corner either.

First of all, there are actually some teams we’ve owned over the last 30 years (looking at you Chicago) and others where we’ve been at least decent. 
 

Secondly, and more importantly, these threads don’t exist to draw any parallels to the present or future— just a fun exercise in reminiscing. 

[redskinss]

18 minutes ago, kleese said:

First of all, there are actually some teams we’ve owned over the last 30 years (looking at you Chicago) and others where we’ve been at least decent. 
 

Secondly, and more importantly, these threads don’t exist to draw any parallels to the present or future— just a fun exercise in reminiscing. 

After I made my post I was afraid it might be construed as criticism. 

I didn't mean for it to come off that way.

Just the unfortunate observation that other than the 80's our franchise record is probably pretty poor against most teams.

[Bacon]

2 hours ago, ThomasRoane said:

I remember what buttholes most of the Bills fans were in 2007 after Sean Taylor died.  We lost 17 - 16.  Unfortunately, Joe Gibbs didn't realize you couldn't call back to back timeouts then and that gave the bills a closer shot at the winning field goal.  Their fans were as rude and obnoxious as the worst cowboys or eagles fans that day.  No appreciation for the fact that as fans we were all still grieving.  They deserve to be curb stomped and I hope it happens this weekend.  

This was the lowest point of my fandom in many ways. Yeah, we got a lot worse after that, but the combination of losing Sean, Gibbs screwing up so blatantly and embarrassing ourselves in that context was too much to bear. Really made me wonder if I could handle any more heartbreak. 

 

Apparently I could! 

[c slag]

I Agree with you about the 2019 season, each game was just brutal to watch, except for maybe the win against Miami 

 Looking back now, I will always have a fondness for that season, since it was the last one with the Redskins name 

[kleese]

21 minutes ago, redskinss said:

After I made my post I was afraid it might be construed as criticism. 

I didn't mean for it to come off that way.

Just the unfortunate observation that other than the 80's our franchise record is probably pretty poor against most teams.

No offense taken. You’re not far off in terms of franchise history. The short of it is that the Redskins were a good team for approx the first 10-15 years of their existence into the 1940’s. Then they crashed in the 50’s and it stayed that way until Lombardi arrived in 1969. From then through 1992 was by far the greatest stretch in our history. It was essentially 25 years of misery, followed by 20+ years of greatness, followed by 30 years of disappointment and failure. That’s our history in a nutshell. 

[hail2skins]

23 minutes ago, Bacon said:

This was the lowest point of my fandom in many ways. Yeah, we got a lot worse after that, but the combination of losing Sean, Gibbs screwing up so blatantly and embarrassing ourselves in that context was too much to bear. Really made me wonder if I could handle any more heartbreak.

I remember sitting in the club level right after the game and watching an exhausted Gibbs at the podium, and some woman screaming "you dumb ***!" at the TV. Then going to the Chicago game a few days later, absolutely the coldest one I attended there. If Jason C didn't get hurt, I don't think we would've made the playoffs that season.

[kleese]

24 minutes ago, Bacon said:

This was the lowest point of my fandom in many ways. Yeah, we got a lot worse after that, but the combination of losing Sean, Gibbs screwing up so blatantly and embarrassing ourselves in that context was too much to bear. Really made me wonder if I could handle any more heartbreak. 

 

Apparently I could! 

That loss was one of the only times I’ve kinda sorta been mad at the God’s— football or otherwise. I just felt the outcome of that day was just unfair, quite frankly (of course we all know life ain’t fair). But the fanbase was hurting, the team was hurting, and Gibbs was hurting and to go down like that just wasn’t right. For sure one of my most down moments as a fan— but it was unique because it wasn’t anger/frustration/sadness TOWARDS our failures— it was honestly feeling sorry for myself/the team. Painful day all around and still stings to remember it. 

[ThomasRoane]

24 minutes ago, hail2skins said:

I remember sitting in the club level right after the game and watching an exhausted Gibbs at the podium, and some woman screaming "you dumb ***!" at the TV. Then going to the Chicago game a few days later, absolutely the coldest one I attended there. If Jason C didn't get hurt, I don't think we would've made the playoffs that season.

 

I still have my Sean Taylor towel they gave out.  It's laid out in my Redskins shrine at the office.  Ever since that day I just can't stand a Bills fan.  

[bowhunter]

32 minutes ago, ThomasRoane said:

 

I still have my Sean Taylor towel they gave out.  It's laid out in my Redskins shrine at the office.  Ever since that day I just can't stand a Bills fan.  

In Buffalos defense, Have you seen some of our fans??  lol

[86 Snyder]

7 hours ago, Cooleyfan1993 said:

Wait. Josh Allen wasn’t a rookie in 2019. He was a rookie in 2018

 

 

8 hours ago, kleese said:

11-3-1996: Bills 38, Redskins 13: Sort of the opposite of 1993... we were 7-1 heading into this game. Riding high. Buffalo was pretty good too, but we were on fire. I do remember thinking that we'd eventually come down to earth-- remember, we lost week 1 and then rattled off 7 straight-- but I was pretty confident. This was a late afternoon game-- I was a freshmen in college now, catching the game from The Vista Sports Grill on the 6th floor of a downtown building in Norman, OK. We scored early to take a 7-0 lead-- it was a disaster from there. Total domination from the Bills. Honestly, I wasn't too bummed about this one-- again, figured we'd eventually lose again and dropping a road game to an AFC team was no biggie. It would be the following week-- the infamous Boomer Esiason game when things would get iffy. 

 

 

I remember being super pissed about this game in real time.  Irrationally pissed for a team falling to 7-2.  Hard to say why but I just felt the implosion coming after this result and if I had to point to a single game the fortold our fate for the next several decades, it would be THIS GAME.  Seriously.  If I had to circle one game with the benefit of hindsight as to when it all went to ****, it was this one.  

 

 

Edited September 24, 2021 by 86 Snyder

[petey hodge]

Yeah.  The one thing I remember about the Bills...  (outside of pounding them during the SB)

 

Those Effers ran an opportunistic play against our 10-man Sean Taylor tribute...  (and got the first down).  Not cool, man.

 

[ThomasRoane]

7 hours ago, petey hodge said:

Yeah.  The one thing I remember about the Bills...  (outside of pounding them during the SB)

 

Those Effers ran an opportunistic play against our 10-man Sean Taylor tribute...  (and got the first down).  Not cool, man.

 

 

I liked it as a fan but Greggggg neglected to inform Gibbs who was super pissed!  Probably wouldn't have allowed him to do that.  That was a good move though and it did show what lowlife's the Bills could be.  A simple play up the middle wouldn't have hurt them.  

 

Seriously, I think I want this game more than the NYG victory!  

[kleese]

1 hour ago, ThomasRoane said:

 

I liked it as a fan but Greggggg neglected to inform Gibbs who was super pissed!  Probably wouldn't have allowed him to do that.  That was a good move though and it did show what lowlife's the Bills could be.  A simple play up the middle wouldn't have hurt them.  

 

Seriously, I think I want this game more than the NYG victory!  

I don’t begrudge the Bills for that play. Why concede a down? If we really wanted to make a statement but not have it affect the game, Gregg could have approved it through Gibbs and then they could have gone to the Bills and informed them and maybe ask them to take a delay of game— which we then could decline. You get a 30 second “moment” there and move on. We didn’t handle that aspect of the day well and I have no problem with Buffalo for that. 

[petey hodge]

1 hour ago, kleese said:

I don’t begrudge the Bills for that play. Why concede a down? If we really wanted to make a statement but not have it affect the game, Gregg could have approved it through Gibbs and then they could have gone to the Bills and informed them and maybe ask them to take a delay of game— which we then could decline. You get a 30 second “moment” there and move on. We didn’t handle that aspect of the day well and I have no problem with Buffalo for that. 

I want to think they pulled off a nice "chunk play" for like 17 yards or so...  Just seemed not that classy... and since most of Redskins Nation was hurting badly inside, many of us carry a bias where we might not care if the Bills did that to the Cowboys with 10 men.

[ThomasRoane]

1 hour ago, kleese said:

I don’t begrudge the Bills for that play. Why concede a down? If we really wanted to make a statement but not have it affect the game, Gregg could have approved it through Gibbs and then they could have gone to the Bills and informed them and maybe ask them to take a delay of game— which we then could decline. You get a 30 second “moment” there and move on. We didn’t handle that aspect of the day well and I have no problem with Buffalo for that. 

 

Fine.  Good alternative.  However, I reserve the right to continue my loathing of the Bills and their bitter fans who have nothing but Super Bowl participation trophies in their trophy case!

[TheShredder]

I'm more persuaded by the likelihood that WFT is due to win a game vs any streak to continue.

[kleese]

59 minutes ago, TheShredder said:

I'm more persuaded by the likelihood that WFT is due to win a game vs any streak to continue.

Me too. Then I remember our 9 game losing streak in games at Dallas (1996-2004). Every year I was like, “well, THIS year we are due…”