August 7, 2026
August 7, 2026
1990 Buffalo Bills: First Super Bowl Journey
In the 1990s, no team in the NFL circled the wagons better than the Buffalo Bills, who assembled a roster of elite talent that would make four consecutive Super Bowl appearances in Super Bowls XXV, XXVI, XXVII, and XXVIII. Buffalo’s talent evaluation was overseen by vice president and general manager Bill Polian, while head coach Marv Levy guided the team on the field. The Bills built their attack around a no-huddle, run-and-shoot style offense that kept plays coming all game long.
Quarterback Jim Kelly orchestrated this uptempo offense, completing 219 of 346 pass attempts for 2,829 yards and 24 touchdowns in 1990. Running back Thurman Thomas rushed for 1,297 yards on 271 carries and scored 11 touchdowns, while also catching 49 passes for 532 yards and 2 touchdowns. Running back Kenneth Davis added 302 yards on 64 carries and 4 touchdowns, along with 9 receptions for 78 yards and 1 touchdown. Fullback Jamie Mueller contributed 207 yards on 59 carries and 2 touchdowns, plus 16 receptions for 106 yards and 1 touchdown.
Wide receiver Andre Reed hauled in 71 receptions for 945 yards and 8 touchdowns, while Don Beebe added 11 catches for 221 yards and 1 touchdown. James Lofton contributed 35 receptions for 712 yards and 4 touchdowns, and tight end Keith McKeller chipped in 34 catches for 464 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Special teams contributions came from running back and wide receiver Don Smith, who returned kicks for 643 yards on 32 attempts, and wide receiver Al Edwards, who added 256 yards on 11 kick returns. Edwards was selected by the Bills with the 292nd overall pick in the 11th round of the 1990 NFL Draft. Kicker Scott Norwood made 20 of 29 field goal attempts during the regular season.
Buffalo also fielded a sturdy defense that gave opponents fits. Outside linebacker Darryl Talley led the team with 123 tackles, adding 4 sacks, 2 interceptions for 60 yards and a touchdown, and 1 fumble recovery. Defensive end Bruce Smith led the defense with 19 sacks, along with 101 tackles and 4 forced fumbles. Outside linebacker Cornelius Bennett contributed 96 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries.
Inside linebacker Shane Conlan recorded 93 tackles and 1 sack, while nose tackle Jeff Wright had 76 tackles and 5 sacks. Inside linebacker Carlton Bailey added 57 tackles, 2 sacks, and 1 fumble recovery. Cornerback Nate Odomes contributed 42 tackles, 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles, and 3 fumble recoveries, one of which he returned for a touchdown. Cornerback James Williams, selected with the 16th overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, added 2 interceptions.
The Bills reeled off an 8-game winning streak that began with a 30-7 win over the New York Jets in Week 3 on September 24 and ended with a 14-0 victory over the New England Patriots in Week 11 on November 18. Buffalo’s biggest win of the streak came in Week 10 on November 11, a 45-14 rout of the Phoenix Cardinals.
In the Divisional Round, the Bills took on the Miami Dolphins on January 12, 1991, and outlasted them in a high-scoring affair, 44-34. Jim Kelly completed 19 of 29 pass attempts for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns, but also threw 1 interception. He was opposed by Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who completed 23 of 49 passes for 323 yards and 3 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions of his own. Scott Norwood added 3 field goals in the win.
Andre Reed caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Kelly in the 1st quarter and added a 26-yard touchdown catch in the 4th. Thurman Thomas scored on a 5-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter and added another 5-yard touchdown run in the 4th.
The Bills then faced the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship Game on January 20, and the Raiders proved no match, falling by a score of 51-3. Buffalo scored 41 points in the first half alone, a playoff record. Kelly completed 17 of 23 pass attempts for 300 yards and 2 touchdowns, with 1 interception. James Lofton caught a 13-yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter and an 8-yard touchdown pass in the 2nd. Thomas added a 12-yard touchdown run in the 1st quarter, while Darryl Talley returned a 27-yard interception for a touchdown. Kenneth Davis found the end zone three times, scoring from 1 and 3 yards out in the 2nd quarter before punching in his final touchdown from 1 yard out in the 4th.
The stage was set for the Buffalo Bills as they traveled to Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, to face the NFC champion New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV on January 27. Buffalo’s no-huddle offense would be opposed by New York’s power running game, led by running back Ottis Anderson. The Giants’ offensive strategy hinged on winning the time-of-possession battle, featuring rollouts, bootlegs, and play-action fakes from the quarterback.
Scoring began in the 1st quarter when Giants kicker Matt Bahr connected on a 28-yard field goal. Scott Norwood answered with a 23-yard field goal of his own. The Bills then took control of the game when Don Smith scored on a 1-yard touchdown run in the 2nd quarter, and Bruce Smith made a huge defensive play, sacking Giants quarterback Jeff Hostetler in the end zone for a safety and giving Buffalo a 12-3 lead.
The Giants answered with a 14-yard touchdown pass from Hostetler to wide receiver Stephen Baker, and in the 3rd quarter Ottis Anderson punished Buffalo’s defense with a 1-yard touchdown run to give New York a 17-12 lead. Thurman Thomas picked the Bills back up to open the 4th quarter with a 31-yard touchdown run. With 8:00 remaining in the game, Matt Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Giants a 20-19 lead.
The Bills began their final drive with 2:16 remaining, and it would prove to be one of the most thrilling drives in NFL history. Jim Kelly ran for 8 yards on 1st-and-10, then for 1 yard on 2nd-and-2. Thomas broke free for a 22-yard run on 3rd-and-1. Kelly completed a 4-yard pass to Andre Reed, then ran for 9 yards on 2nd-and-6. Keith McKeller caught a 6-yard pass from Kelly, and Thomas followed with an 11-yard run on 2nd-and-4.
With 0:08 remaining, Scott Norwood was sent out to attempt a potential game-winning 47-yard field goal, and up to that point he had been reliable all season for his team. Unfortunately for Norwood and the Bills, the happy ending wouldn’t come — his kick sailed wide right, missing the field goal.
The Giants held on to win Super Bowl XXV, 20-19, and Ottis Anderson was named Most Valuable Player. Debate soon developed among sports media figures as to whether Thurman Thomas, who finished with 135 yards and 1 touchdown on 15 carries, should have been named MVP despite his team’s loss. Super Bowl XXV was also the first Super Bowl in which neither team committed a turnover. The Giants decisively won the time-of-possession battle, controlling the ball for 40:33 of the 60-minute contest.
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