The Comeback (American football)
Encyclopedia
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills
and the Houston Oilers
played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history. (The largest comeback in a regular season game still remains the San Francisco 49ers
comeback from a 35-7 deficit in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints
on December 7, 1980.)
It was played in Rich Stadium
, and was televised by NBC
, with Charlie Jones
and Todd Christensen
calling the action.
.
The Buffalo Bills, the American Football Conference
(AFC) champions for the previous two seasons, recorded an 11–5 record during the 1992 regular season
and finished in second place in the AFC Eastern Division
. Buffalo's no-huddle offense led the league in rushing yards (2,436) and ranked second in the league in total offensive yards (6,114 yards).
Meanwhile, the Houston Oilers finished in second place in the AFC Central Division with a 10-6 record. Houston's Run & Shoot offense led the league in passing (4,231 yards) and its defense ranked third in the league, allowing only 4,532 total yards. Overall, the team boasted nine pro bowl selections, including their quarterback Warren Moon
(despite missing six games with injuries) and three wide receivers, Curtis Duncan
, Haywood Jeffires
, and Ernest Givins
. The Oilers also had a powerful running attack with Lorenzo White
, who rushed for 1,226 yards and caught 57 passes.
The Bills and Oilers had faced each other for the final game of the regular season, with Houston defeating Buffalo, 27–3 in Houston. During that game, Bills starting quarterback Jim Kelly
suffered strained ligaments in his knee, leaving backup quarterback Frank Reich
to finish the game in his place. With Kelly out, Reich took the reins starting in place of Kelly the following week in the wild card game. Buffalo hosted. Reich also started the following divisional playoff game in Pittsburgh
in which Buffalo also won 24–3, then advancing to the AFC Championship game the following week versus the Miami Dolphins
.
, Reich replaced injured starter Stan Gelbaugh
and led the Terrapins back from a first-half deficit of 31–0 to a 42–40 victory over the previously unbeaten Miami Hurricanes
under Bernie Kosar
.
completed 19 of 22 passes for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half, while the Oilers held the ball for 21:12, keeping the Bills' high-powered offense off the field for most of the first two quarters. On the opening drive of the first quarter, Moon completed 6 of 7 passes on an 80-yard scoring drive that took over 9 minutes off the clock and ended it with his first touchdown throw to wide receiver Haywood Jeffires
for 3 yards to give the Oilers a 7–0 lead. Buffalo responded on their ensuing drive, as Kenneth Davis returned the kickoff 33 yards to the 44-yard line. Reich subsequently led the Bills to the Oilers 18-yard line where Steve Christie
made a 36-yard field goal, to cut the score to 7-3. But Moon struck right back, leading the Oilers on a second quarter scoring drive that was nearly identical to their first one, completing 6 of 7 passes on another 80-yard drive and finishing it with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Webster Slaughter
. Then after forcing the Bills to a three-and-out, Moon threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Duncan
. Later on, with 1:15 left in the half, the Oilers drove for another touchdown, aided by an encroachment call against the Bills on fourth down and 1. Moon completed the drive with his second touchdown pass to Jeffires, this one a 27-yarder, and the Oilers went into their locker room with a 28–3 halftime lead.
angrily chided the defense. "I was hollering the same things the fans were hollering at me when we left the field," Corey says. "I can't repeat the words, but the more I talked, the louder I got. The thing that bothered me was their approach. To me, they looked timid. They looked like they were going to get in the right spots, but they weren't going to make anything happen afterward. This is an attitude game. Sometimes you start playing and you're afraid to make things happen or afraid to make a mistake." Nose Tackle Jeff Wright
recalled "With every word that came out of Walt's mouth, he reached a new temperature level, until he finally just exploded. He had every right to say the things that he said. We were embarrassing him, we were embarrassing ourselves, we were embarrassing Buffalo Bills fans."
Meanwhile, head coach Marv Levy
told his team, "You've got thirty more minutes. Maybe it's the last thirty minutes of your season. When your season's over, you're going to have to live with yourselves and look yourselves in the eyes. You'd damn well better have reason to feel good about yourselves, regardless of how this game turns out."
Apparently, the words of Corey and Levy didn't have any immediate effect. 1:41 into the third quarter, Reich threw a pass that bounced off the hands of tight end Keith McKeller
and went into the arms of defensive back Bubba McDowell
, who returned the interception 58 yards for a touchdown. Houston now had a commanding 32-point lead, 35-3; it was only the second time all season the Oilers had broken 30 points scored in a game. The Bills' misfortunes were compounded with the loss of Thurman Thomas, who had to leave the game due to a hip injury on the drive, forcing Buffalo to attempt a comeback with a second-string backfield of Reich and Davis.
A Houston radio announcer was immortalized on NFL Films
with the statement "The lights are on here at Rich Stadium, they've been on since this morning, you could pretty much turn them out on the Bills right now."
The Bills got a huge assist to start their comeback on the ensuing kickoff. The wind shifted the ball just before it was kicked by Al Del Greco
. As a result, it became an unintentional squib kick that the Bills recovered with great field position at midfield. Buffalo then drove 50 yards in 10 plays, including a pass to Pete Metzelaars
that went right through the hands of linebacker Eddie Robinson, and scored with a 1-yard touchdown run by Davis, cutting the deficit to 35–10 when the extra point was added. On the drive, Reich completed a 24-yard pass to tight end Metzelaars and a 16-yard strike to Andre Reed
, while Davis kept the drive going with a 5-yard run on fourth down and 2 before finishing it off with a touchdown run with 8:52 left in the 3rd quarter.
Christie then recovered his own onside kick
and the Bills scored on the fourth play of their ensuing drive with Reich's 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Don Beebe
(on a play in which one of Beebe's feet went partially out of bounds during the run before he made the catch—an illegal touching of the football; this was pointed out on ESPN
's "NFL Primetime" postgame recap as well as by Todd Christensen on the NBC broadcast). Then, the extra point made the score 35-17 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.
Houston was then forced to punt for the first time in the game on their next drive, and Greg Montgomery
's 25-yard kick gave Buffalo the ball at their own 41-yard line. Reich started out the ensuing drive with an 18-yard completion to James Lofton
. Davis gained 20 yards on a screen pass and then Reich threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Reed, trimming the lead (after making the extra point) to 35–24. In a span of 10 minutes in the third quarter, the Bills had run 18 plays, gained 176 yards, and scored 21 points, while holding the Oilers' offense to 3 plays for 3 yards.
The situation did not get any better for Houston. On the first play of the Oilers' ensuing possession, Moon's pass was tipped off the hands of Slaughter; Bills' safety Henry Jones intercepted the pass from Moon and returned it 15 yards to the Houston 23-yard line. Three plays later, Buffalo faced fourth down and five on the 18-yard line. Rather than attempt a field goal, Reich connected with Reed for the touchdown. With the score (including the extra point), the Bills had cut their deficit from 32 points to four in a span of just 6:52. On the Oilers' next drive, linebacker Darryl Talley
forced a fumble from Moon while sacking him. Houston recovered the fumble, but they were forced to punt, and Montgomery's 24-yard kick gave Buffalo the ball at its 48-yard line. In the third quarter, Buffalo had outscored Houston 28–7 while holding Moon to 2 of 7 completions for 19 yards.
This time, the Bills could not take advantage of their excellent starting field position and had to punt. Moon's run and shoot offense began to move the ball effectively again, aided by a roughing the passer penalty on Bruce Smith that negated linebacker Carlton Bailey
's interception. Despite two sacks by Wright on the drive, Houston reached the Buffalo 14-yard line. Al Del Greco
attempted a field goal to increase the Oilers' lead, but Montgomery fumbled the snap. Talley recovered the ball and returned it 70 yards, but officials ruled him down by contact when he made the initial recovery, giving Buffalo the ball on their own 26-yard line. After two plays, the Bills faced third down and four. With Houston's defense dropping back and expecting a pass, Reich handed the ball off to Davis, who stormed through the line and took off for a 35-yard gain. Only a diving tackle from defensive back Steve Jackson prevented Davis from taking it all the way for a touchdown. Then Reich went back to passing the ball, completing a short pass to Reed at the Oilers' 17-yard line on third down and two for the first down. With just 3:08 left in the fourth quarter, Reich threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Reed, giving Buffalo its first lead of the game 38–35 (after the extra point); for the first time all season, the Houston defense (ninth in fewest points allowed that season) had allowed over 29 points. But Moon led Houston downfield on a 63-yard drive to score the tying 26-yard field goal from Del Greco to send the game into overtime. A key play on the drive was an 18-yard completion to Slaughter on fourth down and four from the Bills' 34-yard line.
Houston won the coin toss and got the ball at its 20-yard line. Moon started out the drive with two completions for 7 yards, but his 50th pass attempt of the day turned out to be his last. On third down and three, Moon threw a pass intended for Ernest Givens five yards downfield, but due to a struggle with Talley, Givens could not get his arms up to make the catch. The ball went over his head and right into the arms of defensive back Nate Odomes
for an interception. After a 2-yard return, Jeffires committed a 15-yard facemask penalty while making the tackle, giving the Bills a first down on Houston's 20-yard line. After two runs by Davis, Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal to give Buffalo the win, 41–38. Buffalo won the following two AFC playoff games to advance to the 3rd of their four consecutive Super Bowl
appearances.
Reich finished the game with 21 of 34 pass completions for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Reed had 8 catches for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns. Davis rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 2 passes for 25 yards and returning a kickoff for 33. Moon recorded 36 of 50 completions for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. His 36 completions set a playoff record that would stand until broken by Drew Brees
' 39 completions in 2010 (Brees' New Orleans Saints
also lost that game). Givens caught 9 passes for 117 yards. Jeffires recorded 8 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The next day, the Oilers fired defensive coordinator Jim Eddy
and defensive backs coach Pat Thomas. Eddy was replaced by Buddy Ryan
.
The Bills advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Cowboys 52-17. Reich relieved an injured Jim Kelly in the second quarter, but could not lead a rally this time. NFL Films' documentary on this game claims that the Super Bowl was Reich's last playoff game. This is in fact not true. Reich appeared in another playoff game with the Lions in 1997 against the Buccaneers in relief of an injured Scott Mitchell.
In commemoration of the game, Steve Christie
's kicking shoe from the game has been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in Canton, Ohio
.
1992 Buffalo Bills season
The 1992 Buffalo Bills season was the 33rd season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1992 season with a record of 11 wins and 5 losses, and finished second in the AFC East division...
and the Houston Oilers
1992 Houston Oilers season
-Schedule:-Standings:-AFC Wildcard:Miracle at ReichFrank Reich's defining moment in his pro career is actually another comeback, this one often called the greatest comeback in NFL history , in the playoffs following the 1992 season against the Houston Oilers...
played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history. (The largest comeback in a regular season game still remains the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
comeback from a 35-7 deficit in the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
on December 7, 1980.)
It was played in Rich Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
, and was televised by NBC
NFL on NBC
NFL on NBC is the brand given to NBC Sports coverage of National Football League games until 1998, when NBC lost the NFL American Football Conference rights to CBS...
, with Charlie Jones
Charlie Jones (sportscaster)
Charlie Jones was an American Emmy Award-winning sportscaster for NBC and ABC.-Education:Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Jones earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Southern California and a law degree at the University of Arkansas.-American Football League/National Football...
and Todd Christensen
Todd Christensen
Todd Jay Christensen is a former professional American football player and a current sports broadcaster for the MountainWest Sports Network.-Early life:...
calling the action.
Background
Both teams qualified for the playoffs as wild card teamsWild card (sports)
The term wild card refers broadly to a tournament or playoff berth awarded to an individual or team that has not qualified through normal play.-International sports:...
.
The Buffalo Bills, the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) champions for the previous two seasons, recorded an 11–5 record during the 1992 regular season
1992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
and finished in second place in the AFC Eastern Division
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
. Buffalo's no-huddle offense led the league in rushing yards (2,436) and ranked second in the league in total offensive yards (6,114 yards).
Meanwhile, the Houston Oilers finished in second place in the AFC Central Division with a 10-6 record. Houston's Run & Shoot offense led the league in passing (4,231 yards) and its defense ranked third in the league, allowing only 4,532 total yards. Overall, the team boasted nine pro bowl selections, including their quarterback Warren Moon
Warren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
(despite missing six games with injuries) and three wide receivers, Curtis Duncan
Curtis Duncan
Curtis Everett Duncan , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft.A 5'11", 184-lb...
, Haywood Jeffires
Haywood Jeffires
Haywood Franklin Jeffires is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round of the 1987 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State. A 6'2", . wide receiver, Jeffires played in 10 NFL seasons from 1987-1996...
, and Ernest Givins
Ernest Givins
Ernest Pastell Givins, Jr. , was a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 2nd round of the 1986 NFL Draft. A 5'9", 175 lbs. wide receiver from the University of Louisville, Givins played in 10 NFL seasons from 1986-1995...
. The Oilers also had a powerful running attack with Lorenzo White
Lorenzo White
Lorenzo Maurice White , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round of the 1988 NFL Draft. He attended Dillard High School in Ft. Lauderdale in Florida. A 5 ft 11 in running back from Michigan State University, White played in 8...
, who rushed for 1,226 yards and caught 57 passes.
The Bills and Oilers had faced each other for the final game of the regular season, with Houston defeating Buffalo, 27–3 in Houston. During that game, Bills starting quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
suffered strained ligaments in his knee, leaving backup quarterback Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
to finish the game in his place. With Kelly out, Reich took the reins starting in place of Kelly the following week in the wild card game. Buffalo hosted. Reich also started the following divisional playoff game in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
in which Buffalo also won 24–3, then advancing to the AFC Championship game the following week versus the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Reich and the biggest comeback in college football history
As the backup quarterback for the Maryland TerrapinsUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, Reich replaced injured starter Stan Gelbaugh
Stan Gelbaugh
Stanley Morris Gelbaugh is a former professional American football quarterback. Although he played several seasons in the National Football League, he attained his greatest success in the World League of American Football with the London Monarchs, where he was the league's Offensive Most Valuable...
and led the Terrapins back from a first-half deficit of 31–0 to a 42–40 victory over the previously unbeaten Miami Hurricanes
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
under Bernie Kosar
Bernie Kosar
Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Kosar played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.-Early life and high school career:A Hungarian-American...
.
First half
Houston dominated the game early, as quarterback Warren MoonWarren Moon
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football quarterback who played for the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos and the National Football League's Houston Oilers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs...
completed 19 of 22 passes for 220 yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half, while the Oilers held the ball for 21:12, keeping the Bills' high-powered offense off the field for most of the first two quarters. On the opening drive of the first quarter, Moon completed 6 of 7 passes on an 80-yard scoring drive that took over 9 minutes off the clock and ended it with his first touchdown throw to wide receiver Haywood Jeffires
Haywood Jeffires
Haywood Franklin Jeffires is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 1st round of the 1987 NFL Draft out of North Carolina State. A 6'2", . wide receiver, Jeffires played in 10 NFL seasons from 1987-1996...
for 3 yards to give the Oilers a 7–0 lead. Buffalo responded on their ensuing drive, as Kenneth Davis returned the kickoff 33 yards to the 44-yard line. Reich subsequently led the Bills to the Oilers 18-yard line where Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
made a 36-yard field goal, to cut the score to 7-3. But Moon struck right back, leading the Oilers on a second quarter scoring drive that was nearly identical to their first one, completing 6 of 7 passes on another 80-yard drive and finishing it with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Webster Slaughter
Webster Slaughter
Webster Melvin Slaughter is a former American football wide receiver who played in the National Football League from 1986 to 1998....
. Then after forcing the Bills to a three-and-out, Moon threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Curtis Duncan
Curtis Duncan
Curtis Everett Duncan , is a former professional American football player who was selected by the Houston Oilers in the 10th round of the 1987 NFL Draft.A 5'11", 184-lb...
. Later on, with 1:15 left in the half, the Oilers drove for another touchdown, aided by an encroachment call against the Bills on fourth down and 1. Moon completed the drive with his second touchdown pass to Jeffires, this one a 27-yarder, and the Oilers went into their locker room with a 28–3 halftime lead.
Second half
In the Bills' locker room, Defensive Coordinator Walt CoreyWalt Corey
Walter Martin Corey is a former professional American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Miami....
angrily chided the defense. "I was hollering the same things the fans were hollering at me when we left the field," Corey says. "I can't repeat the words, but the more I talked, the louder I got. The thing that bothered me was their approach. To me, they looked timid. They looked like they were going to get in the right spots, but they weren't going to make anything happen afterward. This is an attitude game. Sometimes you start playing and you're afraid to make things happen or afraid to make a mistake." Nose Tackle Jeff Wright
Jeff Wright (defensive tackle)
Jeffrey Dee Wright is a former American football nose tackle who had a seven-year career in the National Football League with the Buffalo Bills. He played in four Super Bowls for the Bills, all losing efforts...
recalled "With every word that came out of Walt's mouth, he reached a new temperature level, until he finally just exploded. He had every right to say the things that he said. We were embarrassing him, we were embarrassing ourselves, we were embarrassing Buffalo Bills fans."
Meanwhile, head coach Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
told his team, "You've got thirty more minutes. Maybe it's the last thirty minutes of your season. When your season's over, you're going to have to live with yourselves and look yourselves in the eyes. You'd damn well better have reason to feel good about yourselves, regardless of how this game turns out."
Apparently, the words of Corey and Levy didn't have any immediate effect. 1:41 into the third quarter, Reich threw a pass that bounced off the hands of tight end Keith McKeller
Keith McKeller
Terrell Keith McKeller is a former American football tight end for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1993. McKeller's blocking and pass receiving was a big asset to the team during the early 90's, assisting them to 4 Super Bowl appearances — Super Bowl XXV, Super Bowl XXVI, Super Bowl XXVII,...
and went into the arms of defensive back Bubba McDowell
Bubba McDowell
Bubba McDowell was an American football safety who played seven seasons in the National Football League for the Houston Oilers and Carolina Panthers. He played college football at the University of Miami. He is currently a defensive backs coach at Prairie View A&M University....
, who returned the interception 58 yards for a touchdown. Houston now had a commanding 32-point lead, 35-3; it was only the second time all season the Oilers had broken 30 points scored in a game. The Bills' misfortunes were compounded with the loss of Thurman Thomas, who had to leave the game due to a hip injury on the drive, forcing Buffalo to attempt a comeback with a second-string backfield of Reich and Davis.
A Houston radio announcer was immortalized on NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
with the statement "The lights are on here at Rich Stadium, they've been on since this morning, you could pretty much turn them out on the Bills right now."
The Bills got a huge assist to start their comeback on the ensuing kickoff. The wind shifted the ball just before it was kicked by Al Del Greco
Al Del Greco
Albert Louis Del Greco is a former American football placekicker and a current sports radio personality and high school coach in Birmingham, Alabama.-Biography:...
. As a result, it became an unintentional squib kick that the Bills recovered with great field position at midfield. Buffalo then drove 50 yards in 10 plays, including a pass to Pete Metzelaars
Pete Metzelaars
Peter Henry Metzelaars is a former American football tight end who played for the Seattle Seahawks, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions in a sixteen-year career in the National Football League...
that went right through the hands of linebacker Eddie Robinson, and scored with a 1-yard touchdown run by Davis, cutting the deficit to 35–10 when the extra point was added. On the drive, Reich completed a 24-yard pass to tight end Metzelaars and a 16-yard strike to Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
, while Davis kept the drive going with a 5-yard run on fourth down and 2 before finishing it off with a touchdown run with 8:52 left in the 3rd quarter.
Christie then recovered his own onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
and the Bills scored on the fourth play of their ensuing drive with Reich's 38-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Don Beebe
Don Beebe
Don Lee Beebe is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Buffalo Bills , Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL....
(on a play in which one of Beebe's feet went partially out of bounds during the run before he made the catch—an illegal touching of the football; this was pointed out on ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's "NFL Primetime" postgame recap as well as by Todd Christensen on the NBC broadcast). Then, the extra point made the score 35-17 with 7:46 left in the third quarter.
Houston was then forced to punt for the first time in the game on their next drive, and Greg Montgomery
Greg Montgomery
Greg Montgomery is a former National Football League punter from for three teams. In his 9 NFL seasons, he led the NFL in yards per punt average three times , was selected to one Pro Bowl and finished his career with 22,831 punting yards and 120 punts inside the opponents 20 yard line...
's 25-yard kick gave Buffalo the ball at their own 41-yard line. Reich started out the ensuing drive with an 18-yard completion to James Lofton
James Lofton
James David Lofton is a former American football player and coach. He is a former American football coach for the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his years in the National Football League as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers , Los Angeles Raiders , the Buffalo Bills...
. Davis gained 20 yards on a screen pass and then Reich threw a 26-yard touchdown pass to Reed, trimming the lead (after making the extra point) to 35–24. In a span of 10 minutes in the third quarter, the Bills had run 18 plays, gained 176 yards, and scored 21 points, while holding the Oilers' offense to 3 plays for 3 yards.
The situation did not get any better for Houston. On the first play of the Oilers' ensuing possession, Moon's pass was tipped off the hands of Slaughter; Bills' safety Henry Jones intercepted the pass from Moon and returned it 15 yards to the Houston 23-yard line. Three plays later, Buffalo faced fourth down and five on the 18-yard line. Rather than attempt a field goal, Reich connected with Reed for the touchdown. With the score (including the extra point), the Bills had cut their deficit from 32 points to four in a span of just 6:52. On the Oilers' next drive, linebacker Darryl Talley
Darryl Talley
Darryl Victor Talley is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia....
forced a fumble from Moon while sacking him. Houston recovered the fumble, but they were forced to punt, and Montgomery's 24-yard kick gave Buffalo the ball at its 48-yard line. In the third quarter, Buffalo had outscored Houston 28–7 while holding Moon to 2 of 7 completions for 19 yards.
This time, the Bills could not take advantage of their excellent starting field position and had to punt. Moon's run and shoot offense began to move the ball effectively again, aided by a roughing the passer penalty on Bruce Smith that negated linebacker Carlton Bailey
Carlton Bailey
Carlton Wilson Bailey is a former professional American football player who played linebacker in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, New York Giants, and Carolina Panthers...
's interception. Despite two sacks by Wright on the drive, Houston reached the Buffalo 14-yard line. Al Del Greco
Al Del Greco
Albert Louis Del Greco is a former American football placekicker and a current sports radio personality and high school coach in Birmingham, Alabama.-Biography:...
attempted a field goal to increase the Oilers' lead, but Montgomery fumbled the snap. Talley recovered the ball and returned it 70 yards, but officials ruled him down by contact when he made the initial recovery, giving Buffalo the ball on their own 26-yard line. After two plays, the Bills faced third down and four. With Houston's defense dropping back and expecting a pass, Reich handed the ball off to Davis, who stormed through the line and took off for a 35-yard gain. Only a diving tackle from defensive back Steve Jackson prevented Davis from taking it all the way for a touchdown. Then Reich went back to passing the ball, completing a short pass to Reed at the Oilers' 17-yard line on third down and two for the first down. With just 3:08 left in the fourth quarter, Reich threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Reed, giving Buffalo its first lead of the game 38–35 (after the extra point); for the first time all season, the Houston defense (ninth in fewest points allowed that season) had allowed over 29 points. But Moon led Houston downfield on a 63-yard drive to score the tying 26-yard field goal from Del Greco to send the game into overtime. A key play on the drive was an 18-yard completion to Slaughter on fourth down and four from the Bills' 34-yard line.
Houston won the coin toss and got the ball at its 20-yard line. Moon started out the drive with two completions for 7 yards, but his 50th pass attempt of the day turned out to be his last. On third down and three, Moon threw a pass intended for Ernest Givens five yards downfield, but due to a struggle with Talley, Givens could not get his arms up to make the catch. The ball went over his head and right into the arms of defensive back Nate Odomes
Nate Odomes
Nathaniel Bernard Odomes is a former professional American football defensive back who played for the Buffalo Bills , Seattle Seahawks , and the Atlanta Falcons...
for an interception. After a 2-yard return, Jeffires committed a 15-yard facemask penalty while making the tackle, giving the Bills a first down on Houston's 20-yard line. After two runs by Davis, Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal to give Buffalo the win, 41–38. Buffalo won the following two AFC playoff games to advance to the 3rd of their four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearances.
Reich finished the game with 21 of 34 pass completions for 289 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 1 interception. Reed had 8 catches for 136 yards and 3 touchdowns. Davis rushed for 68 yards and a touchdown, while also catching 2 passes for 25 yards and returning a kickoff for 33. Moon recorded 36 of 50 completions for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. His 36 completions set a playoff record that would stand until broken by Drew Brees
Drew Brees
Drew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
' 39 completions in 2010 (Brees' New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
also lost that game). Givens caught 9 passes for 117 yards. Jeffires recorded 8 catches for 98 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The next day, the Oilers fired defensive coordinator Jim Eddy
Jim Eddy
Jim Eddy is a football coach who worked in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, as well as in college.Eddy's coaching career began in 1968 when he joined the coaching staff of the New Mexico State Aggies at his alma mater, New Mexico State University. In 1972, he left NMSU to...
and defensive backs coach Pat Thomas. Eddy was replaced by Buddy Ryan
Buddy Ryan
James David "Buddy" Ryan is a former American NFL football coach.-Early years:Ryan was born and reared in a small, agricultural-based community "just outside of Frederick, Oklahoma." Ryan played college football for Oklahoma A&M University where he earned four letters as a guard between 1952 and...
.
The Bills advanced to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the Cowboys 52-17. Reich relieved an injured Jim Kelly in the second quarter, but could not lead a rally this time. NFL Films' documentary on this game claims that the Super Bowl was Reich's last playoff game. This is in fact not true. Reich appeared in another playoff game with the Lions in 1997 against the Buccaneers in relief of an injured Scott Mitchell.
In commemoration of the game, Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
's kicking shoe from the game has been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
.
Scoring summary
- HOU - TD Jeffires 3-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick) 7-0 HOU
- BUF - FG Christie 36 yards 7-3 HOU
- HOU - TD Slaughter 7-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick) 14-3 HOU
- HOU - TD Duncan 26-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick) 21-3 HOU
- HOU - TD Jeffires 27-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick) 28-3 HOU
- HOU - TD McDowell 58-yard interception return (Del Greco kick) 35-3 HOU
- BUF - TD K. Davis 1-yard run (Christie kick) 8:52 left in 3rd quarter 35-10 HOU
- BUF - TD Beebe 38-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick) 35-17 HOU
- BUF - TD Reed 26-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick) 35-24 HOU
- BUF - TD Reed 18-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick) 35-31 HOU
- BUF - TD Reed 17-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick) 38-35 BUF
- HOU - FG Del Greco 26 yards 38-38 tie
- BUF - FG Christie 32 yards 41-38 BUF