The Buffalo Bills are one of 12 NFL franchises who don't have a Super Bowl win. They are tied with the Minnesota Vikings with the most Super Bowl appearances without a win. Buffalo first made the Super Bowl in 1990 and did so for three consecutive years afterward.
The 1990 Bills represented the franchise's best chance thus far ever to win a championship. For that reason and other reasons that will be explained, the 1990 Bills are the best team in the franchise's history.
Why the 1990 Bills
Let's start with how the 1990 Bills faired during the regular season. Buffalo went 13-3 and, at one point during the season, was on an eight-game winning streak. That 13-3 record was the best in the AFC and gave them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Defensively the Bills were led by defensive player of the year Bruce Smith. On the season, Smith recorded 19 sacks and four forced fumbles. With the influence of Smith, the Bills were a top seven passing defense in 1990 and sixth in points allowed.
Now offensively, the Bills had a very balanced attack. Thurman Thomas was at the forefront of Buffalo's rushing attack. Thomas' 1297 yards in 1990 was second behind only Barry Sanders, who had 1304 rushing yards. Buffalo averaged 130 rushing yards per game and ranked second in rushing touchdowns with 20.
In the passing game, Jim Kelly had one of the most efficient seasons of his career. Kelly had his best touchdown to interception ratio in 1990. In addition to having his higher passer rating of 101.2 in the same season. Kelly finished the season fourth in touchdown passes and second in yards per pass.
The combination of Thomas' dominance on the ground and Kelly's accuracy through the air, Buffalo led the NFL in points per game with 26.8 points per game.
Being elite on both sides of the ball translated to playoff dominance for Buffalo. In their two games before the Super Bowl, Buffalo won by an average of 47.5 points per game. This includes a 51-3 victory over the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC Championship.
Super Bowl XXV vs. New York Giants
In Super Bowl, the Bills would go up against the New York Giants. Buffalo would go on to lose 20-19 in heartbreaking fashion. Bills' kicker Scott Norwood missed a 47-yard field in the final seconds that would've won the game for Buffalo.
The one-point loss would be the closest game of any of their Super Bowl appearances. In their next three Super Bowl appearances, Buffalo lost by an average of 21 points per game. With a Super Bowl win in 1990, Buffalo would've had a championship pedigree that could've changed the outcome of their other Super Bowl appearances.
In 1990 the Bills made their first Super Bowl trip where the core of their team was at its youngest and healthiest. Any Buffalo team that made the Super Bowl afterward was older and had to endure another year of extremely physical 90s football. Not to mention the mental aspect of having lost in the Super Bowl the year before.
The Bills today have a bright future. Josh Allen seems to be a franchise quarterback they haven't had since Jim Kelly. They have a dominant defense and an effective rushing attack. They also added a star wide receiver in Stefon Diggs this offseason, and with Tom Brady leaving the New England Patriots, Buffalo is the favorite in the AFC East. Hopefully, for Bills fans in the years to come, they'll have a team that surpasses the 1990 Bills as the best team in franchise history.
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