| 1989 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| General manager | Bill Polian |
| Head coach | Marv Levy |
| Offensive coordinator | Ted Marchibroda |
| Defensive coordinator | Walt Corey |
| Home stadium | Rich Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 1stAFC East |
| Playoffs | LostDivisional Playoffs (atBrowns) 30–34 |
| Pro Bowlers | RBThurman Thomas WRAndre Reed CKent Hull DEBruce Smith ILBShane Conlan |
The1989 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 30th overall season as a football team and the 20th in theNational Football League (NFL). The Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the NFL's 1989 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses. Although Buffalo won the division and qualified for the postseason, their record was a drop off from their 12–4 mark in1988, and they were defeated by theCleveland Browns in theDivisional Round.
The team was nicknamed theBickering Bills because of a rash of internal conflicts within the team. During a Monday Night loss to theDenver Broncos, star quarterbackJim Kelly could be seen arguing with wide receiverChris Burkett, which led to the latter's last game with the team, as he was released shortly after the game.[1]
Kelly was injured in a Week 5 blowout loss to theIndianapolis Colts and subsequently blamed his offensive line's blocking, notablyoffensive tackleHoward Ballard, for contributing to his injury.[2]
In the week leading up to a Week 8 matchup with Miami, assistant coachesTom Bresnahan and Nick Nicolau got into a fistfight while the two were reviewing game film.[1]
The biggest blowup occurred when starting running backThurman Thomas, asking to address Jim Kelly's criticism of the offense, and the pass-catching ability of running backRonnie Harmon in particular, criticized Kelly himself on aRochester, New York television show. When asked what position the Bills could upgrade at, Thomas replied, "Quarterback." Thomas claimed at first that it was a joke, but later, when appearing onPaul Maguire'sBudweiser Sportsline show, he stated that the team didn't appreciate Kelly's public criticism and that Kelly should elevate his level of play.[3][4]
Unable to select a first or second-round pick in the 1989 draft, the Bills were able to pick wide receiverDon Beebe. Beebe was a third-round pick from smallChadron State. He would be a productive wide receiver for the team for six seasons. Beebe would achieve something akin to folk hero status in Buffalo, when, inSuper Bowl XXVII, as the Bills were being soundly defeated byDallas, Beebe chased down Cowboys defensive tackleLeon Lett, stripped the ball from his hands and saved what would have been a sure touchdown.
The Bills also drafted future two-sport athleteBrian Jordan in the seventh round. Though the Bills cut him before the 1989 season began, Jordan would go on to play three productive seasons for theAtlanta Falcons, and fifteen seasons as aMajor League Baseballoutfielder.
| 1989 Buffalo Bills draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 82 | Don Beebe | Wide receiver | Chadron State | |
| 4 | 109 | John Kolesar | Wide receiver | Michigan | |
| 5 | 137 | Michael Andrews | Defensive back | Alcorn State | |
| 6 | 164 | Sean Doctor | Running back | Marshall | |
| 7 | 173 | Brian Jordan | Cornerback | Richmond | |
| 7 | 193 | Chris Hale | Cornerback | USC | |
| 9 | 249 | Pat Rabold | Defensive tackle | Wyoming | |
| 10 | 276 | Carlo Cheattom | Safety, Cornerback | Auburn | |
| 11 | 305 | Richard Harvey | Linebacker | Tulane | |
| 12 | 332 | Derrell Marshall | Offensive tackle | USC | |
| Made roster | |||||
| 1989 Buffalo Bills draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 4 | Brett Young | Defensive back | Oregon | |
| Made roster | |||||
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Louie Aguiar | Punter | Utah State |
| Charlie Baumann | Kicker | West Virginia |
| Tom Doctor | Linebacker | Canisius |
| Matt Jaworski | Linebacker | Colgate |
| Gerald Mack | Cornerback | North Carolina Central |
| Tracy Sandres | Cornerback | Florida State |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
| Quarterbacks(QB) Running backs(RB) Wide receivers(WR) Tight ends(TE) | Offensive linemen(OL) | Linebackers(LB)
Defensive backs(DB)
Special teams(ST) | Practice squad 47 active, 12 inactive, 4 practice squadReserve
|
Before the season, futureHall of Famedefensive endBruce Smith was offered a large contract by Denver (US$7.5 million over five years), one that the Bills chose to match to retain Smith.[8] In 1989, Smith became the Bills' all-time sack leader when he reached his 52nd sack; he would end his 19-year career with 200, the most of any NFL player all-time.
Despite the internal strife the Bills experienced, they had some memorable wins. The Bills started the season with a last-second victory atMiami. The Dolphins led 24–13 in the fourth but Buffalo scored on aFlip Johnson touchdown catch, then with two seconds left on the clock,quarterbackJim Kelly dropped back to pass, but ran the ball in to the end zone as time expired, securing a 27–24 win.[9]
In Week Three, the Bills traveled to theHouston Astrodome and faced the "Run, and Shoot"Oilers. The Bills raced to a 27–10 lead in the third, but the Oilers exploded and the two teams combined for 45 points to force overtime. In overtime, a missedTony Zendejas kick allowed the Bills to win onJim Kelly's 28-yard score toAndre Reed. The 47–41 win would become the highest-scoring game between the two franchises. Kelly finished with five touchdown throws.
In Week Six the Bills hosted the undefeatedLos Angeles Rams, with backup quarterbackFrank Reich subbing for an injured Jim Kelly. The two clubs combined for 26 fourth-quarter points, and with 77 seconds remaining Reich started a drive from the Buffalo 36 yard line and with sixteen seconds leftAndre Reed caught the winning eight-yard touchdown.
In Week Thirteen, on Monday Night Football, the Bills lost to theSeattle Seahawks 17–16, which included SeahawkSteve Largent running in a botched extra-point attempt.Dave Krieg's 51-yard touchdown in the fourth was ultimately the 1-point difference.
The Bills then lost their next two games (to the Saints and 49ers) before securing the AFC East title with a shutout road win over theNew York Jets.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 10 | atMiami Dolphins | W 27–24 | 1–0 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 54,541 | |
| 2 | September 18 | Denver Broncos | L 14–28 | 1–1 | Rich Stadium | 78,176 | |
| 3 | September 24 | atHouston Oilers | W 47–41(OT) | 2–1 | Houston Astrodome | 57,278 | |
| 4 | October 1 | New England Patriots | W 31–10 | 3–1 | Rich Stadium | 78,921 | |
| 5 | October 8 | atIndianapolis Colts | L 14–37 | 3–2 | Hoosier Dome | 58,890 | |
| 6 | October 16 | Los Angeles Rams | W 23–20 | 4–2 | Rich Stadium | 76,231 | |
| 7 | October 22 | New York Jets | W 34–3 | 5–2 | Rich Stadium | 76,811 | |
| 8 | October 29 | Miami Dolphins | W 31–17 | 6–2 | Rich Stadium | 80,208 | |
| 9 | November 5 | atAtlanta Falcons | L 28–30 | 6–3 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 45,267 | |
| 10 | November 12 | Indianapolis Colts | W 30–7 | 7–3 | Rich Stadium | 79,256 | |
| 11 | November 19 | atNew England Patriots | L 24–33 | 7–4 | Sullivan Stadium | 49,663 | |
| 12 | November 26 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24–7 | 8–4 | Rich Stadium | 80,074 | |
| 13 | December 4 | atSeattle Seahawks | L 16–17 | 8–5 | Kingdome | 57,682 | |
| 14 | December 10 | New Orleans Saints | L 19–22 | 8–6 | Rich Stadium | 70,037 | |
| 15 | December 17 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 10–21 | 8–7 | Candlestick Park | 60,927 | |
| 16 | December 23 | atNew York Jets | W 37–0 | 9–7 | Giants Stadium | 21,148 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text. | |||||||
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 10 | 14 | 27 |
| Dolphins | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
atJoe Robbie Stadium,Miami, Florida
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Broncos | 5 | 13 | 3 | 7 | 28 |
| Bills | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
The Bills lost onMonday Night Football 28–14, giving up a safety whenJamie Mueller was downed in the Bills endzone in the first quarter. It never got better asJim Kelly was intercepted three times by the Broncos.John Elway and four Broncos backs rushed for 201 yards and won despite ten penalties for 71 yards. Kelly got into a confrontation with receiverChris Burkett. In the game, Burkett had only one catch for six yards; Burkett was cut and quickly signed by theJets.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 10 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 47 |
| Oilers | 7 | 3 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 41 |
The Bills traveled to theAstrodome and the ensuing game against theOilers became the highest-scoring meeting in the two clubs' history. With Buffalo up 13–10 on the final play of the second quarter a blocked Oilers field goal attempt was run back for a 76-yard Bills touchdown byMark Kelso. The Bills clawed to a 27–10 lead but the Oilers scored two quick touchdowns in the third, the second aCris Dishman score on a blocked punt.Warren Moon was drilled as he rifled a touchdown toErnest Givens and Givens literally jumped over three Bills defenders as he landed in the endzone; a Kelly interception led to aLorenzo White score, but after aThurman Thomas touchdown and the overturning of a Bills pick-six, Moon drove down forTony Zendejas's game-tying 52-yard field goal. Zendejas missed another kick in overtime, and Kelly's 28-yard strike toAndre Reed ended the game, a 47–41 overtime Bills win.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| Bills | 7 | 17 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 20 |
| • Bills | 0 | 6 | 0 | 17 | 23 |
| Q1 | LA | Buford McGee 3 yard pass fromJim Everett (Mike Lansford kick) | LA 7–0 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Scott Norwood 38 yard field goal | LA 7–3 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Scott Norwood 47 yard field goal | LA 7–6 | |
| Q3 | LA | Mike Lansford 34 yard field goal | LA 10–6 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Scott Norwood 40 yard field goal | LA 10–9 | |
| Q4 | LA | Mike Lansford 36 yard field goal | LA 13–9 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Thurman Thomas 1 yard pass fromFrank Reich (Scott Norwood kick) | BUF 16–13 | |
| Q4 | LA | Flipper Anderson 78 yard pass from Jim Everett (Mike Lansford kick) | LA 20–16 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Andre Reed 8 yard pass from Frank Reich (Scott Norwood kick) | BUF 23–20 | |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 3 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| • Bills | 0 | 21 | 0 | 10 | 31 |
This game would set a Bill's record for the highest attendance at Rich Stadium for a Bill's game to date.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| • Falcons | 0 | 3 | 17 | 10 | 30 |
[13]This would be the final win of the season for Atlanta.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| • Bills | 13 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 30 |
| Q1 | BUF | Thurman Thomas 8 yard pass fromJim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) | BUF 7–0 | |
| Q1 | BUF | Scott Norwood 42 yard field goal | BUF 10–0 | |
| Q1 | BUF | Scott Norwood 40 yard field goal | BUF 13–0 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Andre Reed 32 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) | BUF 20–0 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Andre Reed 3 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Scott Norwood kick) | BUF 27–0 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Scott Norwood 32 yard field goal | BUF 30–0 | |
| Q4 | IND | Randy Dixon recovered fumble in end zone (Dean Biasucci kick) | BUF 30–7 | |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| • Patriots | 0 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 33 |
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| Bills | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Bills first win vs Bengals since 09/11/1983
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| Seahawks | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Saints | 13 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 22 |
| Bills | 0 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 19 |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| • 49ers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 21 |
| Q1 | BUF | Scott Norwood 23 yard field goal | BUF 3–0 | |
| Q3 | SF | Roger Craig 1 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) | SF 7–3 | |
| Q4 | SF | Steve Young 2 yard rush (Mike Cofer kick) | SF 14–3 | |
| Q4 | SF | Jerry Rice 8 yard pass fromSteve Young (Mike Cofer kick) | SF 21–3 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Jim Kelly 1 yard rush (Scott Norwood kick) | SF 21–10 | |
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 3 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 37 |
| Jets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Buffalo Bills(3) | 9 | 7 | 0 | .563 | 6–2 | 8–4 | 409 | 317 | W1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 298 | 301 | L1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–8 | 331 | 379 | L2 |
| New England Patriots | 5 | 11 | 0 | .313 | 4–4 | 5–7 | 297 | 391 | L3 |
| New York Jets | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–6 | 3–9 | 253 | 411 | L3 |
Buffalo Bills (9–7) at Cleveland Browns (9–6–1)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 30 |
| Browns | 3 | 14 | 14 | 3 | 34 |
atCleveland Stadium,Cleveland, Ohio
In a shootout, Browns linebackerClay Matthews intercepted Bills quarterbackJim Kelly at the Cleveland 1-yard line with 3 seconds remaining to preserve a 34–30 victory. Kelly threw for 405 yards and 4 touchdowns while Browns quarterbackBernie Kosar threw for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns with no interceptions. Browns receiverWebster Slaughter had the best postseason performance of his career with 3 receptions for 114 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Buffalo scored first with wide receiverAndre Reed's 72-yard touchdown reception. But Cleveland struck back with a 45-yard field goal byMatt Bahr and a 52-yard touchdown pass from Kosar to Slaughter. Kelly's 33-yard touchdown pass toJames Lofton put the Bills back in the lead, 14–10, but Browns retook the lead with Ron Middleton's 3-yard catch shortly before the end of the first half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Kosar hooked up with Slaughter for another touchdown pass, this one 44-yards, to increase their lead to 24–14. Buffalo responded with a 6-yard touchdown catch by running backThurman Thomas, who tied an NFL playoff record with 13 receptions for 150 yards. But Browns running backEric Metcalf returned the ensuing kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give his team a 31–21 lead by the end of the third quarter. After an exchange of field goals, Thomas caught a three-yard touchdown pass. But the extra point failed, forcing the Bills to attempt to score a touchdown instead of a field goal on their final drive. With time running out, Kelly led the Bills to Cleveland's 11-yard line, but halfbackRonnie Harmon dropped a potential game-winning catch in the end zone, and Matthews intercepted Kelly on the next play.
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| Franchise | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture | |
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Division championships (15) | |
| Conference championships (4) | |
| League championships (2) | |
| Wall of Fame | |
| Media |
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| Owners | |
| Current league affiliations |
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