 Candlestick Park, the site of the game | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | September 13, 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Stadium | Candlestick Park San Francisco, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | 49ers by 3.5[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Red Cashion | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 64,053 | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers |
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TheNo Punt Game is the nickname given to aNational Football League game held between theBuffalo Bills andSan Francisco 49ers on September 13, 1992 atCandlestick Park inSan Francisco, California. The game was the first in NFL history to see nopunts by either team, as the Bills and 49ers, led by quarterbacksJim Kelly andSteve Young, respectively, combined for 1,086 total yards of offense, with both quarterbacks passing for over 400 yards.[2][3] Promoted as a potentialSuper Bowl "preview", the No Punt Game featured several players now enshrined in thePro Football Hall of Fame, including Kelly, Young,Andre Reed,James Lofton,Jerry Rice,Thurman Thomas andBruce Smith. It is remembered as one of the greatest games ever played.[4]
During the late 1980s and early 1990s,ESPN anchorChris Berman regularly predicted for seven consecutive years through his alter ego, "The Swami", that the Bills and 49ers would match up during a Super Bowl; one or the other – but never both – made it during that span.[5] Likewise, this game was promoted as a "potential Super Bowl preview" by television announcersDick Enberg andBob Trumpy.[6]
The starting quarterbacks for the two teams,Steve Young andJim Kelly, had both played in theUnited States Football League before joining the NFL. During a1985 game between Young'sLos Angeles Express and Kelly'sHouston Gamblers, Los Angeles jumped to a 33–13 lead, but the Gamblers came back under 574 passing yards from Kelly, winning 34–33 in what is now called "The Greatest Game No One Saw", due toABC deciding to air theNew Jersey Generals game as the sole USFL game to be broadcast that week.[7] By 1992, Kelly had become entrenched as the Buffalo Bills' franchise quarterback, while Young was substituting for injured 49ers starterJoe Montana.[8] Buffalo had appeared in the previous two Super Bowls, while San Francisco had missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years despite finishing 10–6the previous season.
The game started slowly, with neither team scoring on their opening possession, due to San Francisco kickerMike Cofer missing a 33-yard field goal and Jim Kelly getting strip-sacked by the 49ers defense on the ensuing Bills drive. After that, all other drives in the first half aside from a Bills kneeldown at the end resulted in a score. Much like the aforementioned USFL Game, Young's 49ers jumped to an early lead over Kelly's Bills, leading 24–13 after halftime. However, Buffalo would respond with two unanswered touchdown passes from Kelly to tight endPete Metzelaars, the latter of which occurred after Bills defenderBruce Smith forced 49ers running backKeith Henderson to fumble. The 49ers would retake the lead with their own long touchdown pass from Young to receiverJohn Taylor. After both quarterbacks threw interceptions on the next two drives, Kelly marched the Bills 72 yards in the 4th quarter, culminating with an 11-yardThurman Thomas touchdown run to retake the lead 34–31. The 49ers had one last chance to tie or take the lead, but Cofer missed a 47-yard field goal attempt wide-right with 1 minute remaining, allowing Buffalo to kneel out the clock and claim victory.[citation needed]
In addition to neither 49ers punterKlaus Wilmsmeyer nor Bills punterChris Mohr being called to punt,a first in NFL history, several other offensive milestones were reached in the game. Young and Kelly became just the third pair of NFL quarterbacks to each surpass 400 yards passing in a game, combining for 852 passing yards. This was the only game in1992 to feature any 400-yard passers.[6] 4 receivers topped 100 yards during the game, and 18 plays went for more than 20 yards, with 5 of those surpassing 40 yards.[8] Bills cornerbackNate Odomes was later quoted saying "You saw two of the finest offensive teams on the field today, and two not-so-good defensive teams." Likewise, 49ers linebackerMike Walter quipped, "I feel as a defensive guy that I have to go over and apologize to the offensive guys." Despite the perceived lack of defensive play, both teams were able to force three turnovers on each other.[8]
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 34 |
| 49ers | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Buffalo | Position | San Francisco | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | |||
| James Lofton | WR | SE | John Taylor |
| Will Wolford | LT | Steve Wallace | |
| Jim Ritcher | LG | Guy McIntyre | |
| Kent Hull | C | Jesse Sapolu | |
| Glenn Parker | RG | Roy Foster | |
| Howard Ballard | RT | Harris Barton | |
| Andre Reed | WR | FL | Jerry Rice |
| Thurman Thomas | RB | Ricky Watters | |
| Jim Kelly | QB | Steve Young | |
| Steve Tasker | FL | TE | Brent Jones |
| Don Beebe | FL | FB | Tom Rathman |
| Defense | |||
| Phil Hansen | LE | Pierce Holt | |
| Jeff Wright | NT | Michael Carter | |
| Bruce Smith | RE | Dennis Brown | |
| Darryl Talley | ROLB | LCB | Eric Davis |
| Cornelius Bennett | LOLB | RCB | Don Griffin |
| Kirby Jackson | DB | SS | Merton Hanks |
| Kurt Schulz | DB | FS | Dana Hall |
| Nate Odomes | RCB | LOLB | Tim Harris |
| James Williams | LCB | LILB | Mike Walter |
| Henry Jones | SS | RILB | Bill Romanowski |
| Mark Kelso | FS | ROLB | John Johnson |
| Source:[10] | |||
Buffalo and San Francisco both finished the season strong following the game, but would both see their seasons end with playoff losses to theDallas Cowboys, the eventual Super Bowl champions. The 49ers would only lose one more game in the regular season, finishing with a 14–2 record and the number 1 seed in the NFC, but lost in theNFC Championship Game to Dallas 30–20. Buffalo would finish second in the AFC East with an 11–5 record and the number 4 seed in the AFC. In the playoffs, the Bills overcame a 35–3 lead by theHouston Oilers in the AFC wild card game, now known as "The Comeback", to win 41–38. Buffalo would make it to theSuper Bowl, but lost to Dallas 52–17.[citation needed]
Since the "No Punt Game", there have been six other regular season games with zero punts by either team. Two came in2014: during week 4 as theGreen Bay Packers defeated theChicago Bears 38–17,[11] and in week 8, as theNew Orleans Saints beat the Packers 44–23.[12] In week 4 of2021, theKansas City Chiefs defeated thePhiladelphia Eagles 42–30 in a game with no punts.[13] In week 13 of2023, theDallas Cowboys defeated theSeattle Seahawks 41–35 without a punt from either team.[14] TheWashington Commanders defeated theCincinnati Bengals 38–33 in week 3 of2024 without a punt or a turnover from either team, the first time this has occurred since 1940.[15] That same season in week 17, theDetroit Lions defeated theSan Francisco 49ers 40–34 in a game that featured 10 combined touchdowns and zero punts, the first time this has occurred since 1937. Of all "no punt games" in recorded NFL history, the 1992 Bills–49ers game had the highest number of total combined turnovers at six.[16]
The first playoff no-punt game occurred during the2003–04 NFL playoffs as the 3 seedIndianapolis Colts led byPeyton Manning,Edgerrin James, andReggie Wayne defeated the 2 seedKansas City Chiefs led byTrent Green,Dante Hall, andPriest Holmes, by a 38–31 score in the Divisional round.[12]
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