The Buffalo Bills are on the brink of qualifying for their first Super Bowl appearance since the early 1990s. Should they be victorious against the Chiefs in Kansas City on Sunday, they’ll be just one win away from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in franchise history.
The Heartbreaking Playoff History Of The Buffalo Bills
But in order to come out with a win in the AFC Championship, they’ll have to exercise their postseason demons, as the Bills have endured some of the worst playoff heartbreak in the history of the NFL.
Four Straight Super Bowl Losses (1990 – 1993)
Buffalo owned the AFC in the early 90s. They were named division champions in the AFC East 5 out of 6 times between 1988 and 1993, thanks to a high-powered offense led by quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas. Their regular season success translated to solid postseason performances, as they represented their conference in the Super Bowl four straight times to begin the decade.
But they own the historical distinction of losing all four times. Their best chance was their first, as they were able to hang with the New York Giants’ stellar defense, and had a shot to win Super Bowl XXV in the closing seconds of the game.
It would be the start of their postseason woes that can almost be considered a curse. Placekicker Scott Norwood came onto the field with 8 seconds left and the Bills facing a 1-point deficit, but pushed the game-winning attempt wide right. Buffalo would lose by a margin of 20-19. They didn’t come close in any of their three following Super Bowl appearances, including a 35-point defeat against the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXVII.
26 Years Of Disappointment & The Music City Miracle (1994-2016)
The Bills would qualify for the playoffs in four of the six years after their Super Bowl runs ended, but won just a single game during that span. After defeating the Miami Dolphins in the Wild Card round during the 1995 season, Buffalo would go winless in the postseason for nearly two and a half decades.
One of those games lives in infamy. After kicking a field goal to take a one-point lead against the eventual AFC Champion Tennessee Titans, they kicked off with 16 seconds left, with only a miracle keeping them from advancing to the Divisional Round. That is exactly what Tennessee got, though, as a cross-field lateral by Frank Wycheck was taken 75-yars to the end zone by Kevin Dyson. It is affectionately known as the “Music City Miracle” and would be the last playoff game for the Bills for 17 years.
That postseason drought is tied for the 4th longest in NFL history.
Recent Heartbreak At The Hands Of Mahomes & The Chiefs (2019-2023)
The Josh Allen era has been one of the most successful in Bills history, and would likely already have a Super Bowl ring or two if it weren’t for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
The two sides have met in the postseason three times since 2020, and Buffalo has failed to win a single matchup. The first was a 38-24 defeat in the 2020 AFC Championship game, which featured a 23-point Kansas City lead at one point.
But the last two meetings have ended in heartbreaking fashion. The 2021 Divisional Round matchup saw the Bills take a 3-point lead with 13 seconds left, but Mahomes, Tyreek Hill, and Travis Kelce pulled off a miracle, forcing overtime and eventually winning 42-36. It is widely considered to be one of the classic playoff games in NFL history.
Then came the matchup last year. It looked like they’d go to overtime for the second year in a row, as Tyler Bass lined up for a 44-yard, game tying field goal. Unfortunately for Buffalo, the dreaded words “wide right” reared their ugly head. The Chiefs eliminated the Bills yet again on their way to back-to-back championships, adding another chapter to the rivalry as well as Buffalo’s heartbreaking playoff history.
