I remember those ol' mid-8os Bills games. They looked like minor league baseball crowds, with stretches of empty seats. And I remember NFL Today showing some of the paper-bag wearing Bill fans. Sad times, for a great fanbase. peace
Finally!!!! I've been searching for this video (now digitized) for 40 years. I set a record with 4 takeaways (3 interceptions and a fumble recovery) in this game. Thank you Maurence Shipley! btw....where did you find this video?
I always believed that if Chuck Knox had had the offense that was literally handed to Marv Levy from 1988-1993 the Bills would have won the Super Bowl during Mr. Knox's era. Mr. Knox made the most with what he had--but Levy had far more talent and did less
Chuck Knox. Turned the Rams into winners. Turned the Bills into winners. Turned my Seahawks into winners. Wherever he went, the culture changed for the better. Opportunity Knox. The only NFL Head Coach to win division titles with 3 different teams.
I will always believe that if Chuck Knox had coached the Bills 10 years later and had the core of players from that era (Jim Kelly, Thurmon Thomas, Bruce Smith etc) the Bills would have won several of those Super Bowls. Instead, they were stuck with that completely overrated Marv Levy. It wasn't Levy who led the Bills to the Super Bowls. It was the GM Bill Polian who built those teams and yet Levy couldn't win one of them. And anyone who says otherwise just needs to look at what Levy was doing in Kansas City at the same time Knox was in Buffalo. Levy never did anything in Kansas City--not ONE playoff appearance while Knox took the Bills to the playoffs several times and had a lot less to work with in terms of talent
It’s rough watching these condensed formations. Don Coryell was in the process of changing what offense looks like with 1 back sets and receiving tight ends. He really revolutionized the game.
That and Bill Walsh. Little known fact he started formulating the West Coast offense as an assistant in Cincinnati. They had a QB named Cook who was supposed to be the next big thing. Cook's career was cut very short due to injury. Walsh created the short pass offense to try to cover up the loss of Cook. He took those principles with him to SF when he became HC there. The rest is history.
Observations: 1) Fans were watching the game, not cell phones. 2) No obnoxious piped in music, just the music of fans cheering/booing. 3) So many turnovers, had to remind yourself this was the NFL, not a high school game. 4) only 4 camera angles, not 400. 4) The Bills had cheerleaders, the Jills, defunct since 2014. 5) The Bills cheerleaders, the Jills, appear to be wearing diapers. 6) Disappointed the tearing of the goal posts was cut, but still loved seeing a historic game! Bravo!!
After his record setting day against Miami, what could Jeff Nixon do for an encore? How about intercept a Richard Todd pass AND return it 50 yards for a touchdown in Rich Stadium the very next week against the Jets? That's what. Yes! Outstanding performances, Mr. Jeff Nixon!!!
Game was blacked out in Rochester so I listened to this game on the radio at my aunt's house before my 12th birthday following week. I was on fire after this game.
I live in Toronto and we were able to watch it. I'm sure it was on WGRZ-TV Buffalo (in those days NBC covered the AFC) (the game was definitely a sell-out as there was much anticipation about the Bills having a winning season in 1980 and also it was against the hated Dolphina)
The game was blacked out in Buffalo. While the game was sold out, it was not sold out within 72 hours of kickoff. By NFL rule, they blacked it out. I remember listening to it on the radio.
Buffalo's stadium then was called "Rich" stadium after Rich Foods that was HQ in Buffalo. That was the first time that an NFL stadium was named after a corporation. I believe it was a 25 year deal signed when the stadium opened in 1973
One of the first. The Patriots moved to Foxboro in 1971 and played at Schaefer Stadium, for Schaefer Beer Then, after the Sullivans financed the Jacksons 1984 tour and put the stadium up as collateral it got renamed Sullivan Stadium. Then Bob Kraft bought the stadium and renamed it Foxboro Stadium Go Bills
Buffalo went on to start the season 5-0. They finished the season 11-5 and lost 2 of those games to the then Baltimore Colts. If they could have won just one of those games they would have finished 12-4 and had home-field advantage in the playoffs (and they had beaten both San Diego and Oakland during the regular season) As it turned out they had to go to San Diego for a playoff game (although they had beaten the Chargers in the regular season and the Chargers were also 11-5 the Chargers had a better record in their division so got the home game)--in the end, the Bills lost to the Chargers on a late Dan Fouts TD pass.
@@MrPhilaCuse no the Chargers were one of 4 teams with an 11-5 record in 1980-then the tiebreaker was based on divisional record--the Chargers were 6-2 while the Bills were 5-3 (2 losses to Baltimore and 1 loss to Miami (in Miami)) Hence SD hosted the playoff game against the Bills
This was 1980. Even if you won 10 games, you still can miss the playoffs. Ask the New England Patriots that season. But, it almost happen to the San Diego Chargers instead, had the Chargers not beaten the Steelers. It might have almost happen to the Bills instead as well, had the Bills not won their season finale in the rain, fog and mud of Candlestick Park.
I was in Miami that spring (1980), but never thought they would ever lose a game to the Buffalo Bills! Miami would miss the playoffs that year; Buffalo would make the playoffs in 1980 but would lose to the San Diego Chargers in the post-season. The Dolphins would return to the playoffs in 1981--and also would lose to San Diego (in overtime)!
I watched my first ten years of NFL football from 1970-1979, from the ages of 5-15. I didn't think it was possible for Buffalo to beat Miami, as if there was a command from on high that it wasn't allowed. As if there were some gremlins under the field that tripped Buffalo whenever they threatened to beat the Fins. Or snakes that would miraculously emerge from the astroturf and bite OJ whenever the score got close. About as likely as Maryland beating Penn State. Sad this game wasn't available in Toronto we only heard about the escalating history being made on the out of town scoreboard and NBC half time hilites. Still remembering Bryant Gumball saying "An unusual game is unfolding in Orchard Park, neither Miami nor Buffalo can hang onto the football."
I wonder how many Bill players from 1970-1979 never beat Miami? I didn't think it was humanly possible for Buffalo to beat Miami as the first ten years of my being an NFL fan were this exact time frame, the 1970's. Seeing the Dolphins steamroll the Bills was as predictable as Penn State beating Maryland.
Buffalo were gangbusters coming out of the gate in 1980, ending the Miami curse, going 5-0 including an OT win over the Rams and a drubbing of the Raiders, shutting their offense out. But Oakland got better and Buffalo only went 6-5 down the stretch.
Who among the following deserve to be in the HOF? Joe Ferguson? Jim Hart? Steve Grogan? Billy Kilmer? Ron Jaworski? John Hadl? Roman Gabriel? Daryl Lamonica? Brian Sipe? Vinny Testaverde? Or do they all fall in the good/sometimes very good range?
Before I give my simple opinion. These guys deserve to be in the HOF tonight. Mike Curtis, Cornelius Bennett, Greg Townsend, Steve Tasker, Joe Jacoby, Ken Anderson, Clay Matthews, Kent Hull, and Fred Taylor. That’s just to name a few. The QBs on your list, I’d put Jim Plunkett in over all due to his two rings. The current NFL game and the easy passing stats will now make it harder for any older QBs to get in due to comparisons of stats. Many of the QBs on your list have more INTs than TD passes due to the NFL allowing defenses to defend back then. Jaws and Sipe have favorable stats, but no signature moments. Jim Hart was a great QB to me. Vinny finished his career well. Time will tell. The current game is unwatchable, hence I’m here watching a game from 1980.
What comparable divisional opponent jinxes have their been? I think the Packers are on a huge roll against the Bears these days. Did the Rams or Vikings ever go unbeaten against their weak sisters in the 1970's? Dallas swept the Giants 11 straight games from 1974-1979. Navy beat Army 14 straight years.
This was my first Bills game I watched from the 80's. And I really watched the entire game. But if you know football from modern standards ( I'm a Bills fan since the earl 90's) watching this one is a real drag. Now, I don't know if this game is representing the brand of football all the NFL teams played back then in general or if this was just the Bills and Dolphins but I have to admit it was AWFUL! The ball was more on the carpet or in defenders hands than anything, let alone lots of stupid penalties. Sloppy would be an understatement. Here are some quick notes: - the video quality is terrible but that was to be expected, given that the game is from 1980 but what's really annoying is that the audio isn't syncronous with the video. - any QB in today's game - and I mean any - would be pulled after tossing 5(!!!) interceptions in a game, and we are talking about terrible, terrible interceptions - same goes for the fumbling of the "skill" players and/or using only one hand on the ball when meeting multiple defenders head on - funny when the announcers talk about the shotgun formation being the latest football wrinkle invention and how risky it is because of the long snap being part of the deal - same goes for the passes to running backs - I have never ever heard of this german Dolphins kicker with this utterly hillarious name (I'm german and even for a native speaker his name is outright comical) of Uwe von Schamann. - was that a very young Greg Gumble at the halftime show? - Bob Costas looks like a ball boy not the professional announcer he turned into later in his career. So, nice to have seen the game that ended the losing streak to the arch rival Dolphins but I won`t watch it again, nor any other full game from that very, very dark age of NFL Football!!!
Dark age? That's funny. We who love these classic games when football was played by Men dont need you or want you to return to our messages. Glad you won't be coming back.
Hey L.L., since you weren't a Bills fan in the early '80's & likely VERY young at that time, your views are placed squarely "on quicksand">>We must CHERISH these clips/ full games showing the REAL game: no nonsense & in "taking no prisoners" style~same goes for the refreshing minimalist commentary from Costas & Haffner{i.e, TV guys now are forced to simply drone on meaninglessly to keep us zombied & mesmerized, so says the wretched Goodell & his TV~network allies /:"-(( ).....Gritty, brutal, scrappy, grinding, physical & played ALL OUT by guys & coaches who didn't give a damn HOW IT LOOKED; accordingly, winning was what really mattered~the only thing. Nowadays, SADLY, we're treated increasingly to "powder~puff", soft~pawed "football" where we're somehow supposed to worry about the "safety of players" who have willingly/voluntarily played an inherently VIOLENT game their whole lives; mark my words, not too far off in the future we're going to see QB's & WR's wearing flag belts & they'll be exempted from being tackled~hey, possibly from even being touched, FFS! /:"-((((....Take it from older, wiser guys: the NFL from 1970 up to 1993~4{i.e., free agency's advent) was a FAR better game.
@@shanetrimble9265 But since naming just one of them isn't part of your very detailed "reply", your content-free reaction has ZERO value - for anybody here. Keep up the great work...
