Come Sunday, the Buffalo Bills will open one last season at the stadium originally known as Rich.
I was a season ticket holder for its first three seasons, while still a college student. Later I would cover Bills games there for the Courier-Express and then USA Today. I remember well when the place seemed antiseptic and new. And now it's ready for the wrecking ball, or nearly so.
All of which makes it a good time to pick the greatest games ever played there – so far, anyway. Here I've given playoff games some extra weight. Otherwise, these choices are self-explanatory as just one man's opinion.
Make that one old man's opinion. By this time next year, after all, I'll be three-Bills-stadiums-old.
No. 30: Bills 16, Jets 12
(Week 3 of 1974 season)
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A game so bad, it's great. Monsoon comes in sideways. Joe Namath completes two passes to his guys – and three to the Bills. Joe Ferguson completes no passes, but has O.J. Simpson.
No. 29: Bills 16, Titans 13
(Opener of 2000 season)
In Bills' first game since Forward Lateral (known elsewhere as the Music City Miracle), crowd is in a murderous mood. Hell hath no fury like Bills fans scorned.
Doug Flutie-scores-winning-touchdown
Bills quarterback Doug Flutie scores the game winner vs. the Jaguars on Oct. 18, 1998, at Rich Stadium in Orchard Park. Buffalo News file photo
No. 28: Bills 17, Jaguars 16
(Week 7 of 1998 season)
Doug Flutie wins it in final seconds on naked bootleg.
No. 27: Bills 51, Bengals 24
(Week 2 of 1979 season)
Roland Hooks, Mr. Efficiency, rushes for 70 yards on five carries and catches three passes for 40. Ends up with four TDs on eight touches.
No. 26: Bills 13, Colts 7 (OT)
(Week 14 of 2017 season)
Snow-ver-time!
No. 25: Chiefs 27, Bills 24
(Playoffs following 2023 season)
Tyler Bass misses tying 44-yard field goal with 1:53 left. It goes ... wide right.
No. 24: Bills 14, Cowboys 3
(Week 12 of 1985 season)
Bills enter 0-11. Greg Bell pops 85-yard TD run on first play from scrimmage.
Buffalo Bills vs San Francisco 49ers diving Josh Allen
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) dives for the pylon for a touchdown after catching a lateral from wide receiver Amari Cooper during the third quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Highmark Stadium on Dec. 1, 2024. Joshua Bessex/Buffalo News
No. 23: Bills 35, 49ers 10
(Week 13 of 2024 season)
Snow. Nation watching on a Sunday night. And Josh Allen gets credit for a passing TD and a rushing TD on same crazy play.
No. 22: Bills 23, Rams 20
(Week 6 of 1989 season)
Frank Reich leads large comeback. Wouldn't be his last.
No. 21: Bills 19, Jets 16 (OT)
(Week 12 of 1988 season)
Fred Smerlas blocks 40-yard field goal try to force overtime. Bills clinch AFC East. Fans tear down goal posts. November is a tad early for that, but not opener early.
No. 20: Bills 27, Ravens 25
(Playoffs following 2024 season)
Ravens tight end Mark Andrews drops 2-point conversion that would have tied game with 93 seconds to go. (Yes, bad things happen to other teams, too.)
No. 19: Bills 10, Rams 7 (OT)
(Week 14 of 1980 season)
The Encore Game: Bills emerge from locker room half-dressed for can-can of a curtain call.
Bills Ravens third (copy)
Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson (24) returns an interception for a touchdown during the third quarter of the AFC divisional round playoff game at Bills Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 16, 2021. Harry Scull Jr. / Buffalo News
No. 18: Bills 17, Ravens 3
(Playoffs following 2020 season)
Taron Johnson's 101-yard pick six breaks it open.
No. 17: Bills 23, Vikings 22
(Week 2 of 1982 season)
Bills trail 19-0, but Joe Ferguson leads them all the way back. (Will this stadium ever see a bigger comeback?)
No. 16: Bills 23, Chiefs 14
(Week 7 of 1973 season)
Bills are last NFL team to reach "Monday Night Football." Atmosphere: Electric! Simpson runs for 157 yards, behind the Electric Company, and stays on pace to break 2,000 for the season.
No. 15: Bills 28, Steelers 13
(Week 12 of 1980 season)
Sold-out stadium is 40% Steelers fans. Bills pile up points on defending NFL champs as fans adopt cheesy "We're Talking Proud" jingle as an unlikely anthem.
No. 14: Jaguars 30, Bills 27
(Playoffs following 1996 season)
Jim Kelly carried off like a soldier on his shield. End of an era.
McCoy Sports Buffalo Bills Oilers Comeback 1993 (copy)
Steve Christie celebrates the game-winning field goal that capped the greatest comeback in NFL history. Buffalo News file photo
No. 13: Bills 29, Raiders 23
(Playoffs following 1993 season)
Coldest home game in Bills’ history: 0 degrees, minus-32 wind chill. (Marvism: When it's too tough for them, it's just right for us.)
No. 12: Bills 35, Patriots 23
(Week 18 of 2022 season)
A week after Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest, Nyheim Hines returns opening kickoff for TD – then does it again in third quarter. Lightning strikes twice.
No. 11: Bills 37, Dolphins 22
(Playoffs following 1995 season)
Bills send Don Shula, NFL's winningest coach, into retirement on a loss.
No. 10: Bills 21, Raiders 20
(1974 season opener)
Lead changes three times – and almost four – in final two minutes. On a wild Monday night, Ferguson to Ahmad Rashad for the win.
No. 9: Bills 27, Colts 24
(Playoffs following 2020 season)
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Josh’s diving, flying, Superman of a touchdown!
No. 8: Bills 44, Dolphins 34
(Playoffs following 1990 season)
Jim Kelly and Dan Marino in a shootout: They combine for 662 yards and six TDs.
No. 7: Bills 47, Patriots 17
(Playoffs following 2021 season)
Seven TDs on seven possessions is perfection versus Pats. Bill Belichick looks on helplessly. (Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.)
No. 6: Bills 17, Oilers 10
(Playoffs following 1988 season)
First playoff game in Rich Stadium history. Steve Tasker emerges as a special star against the team that let him get away.
No. 5: Bills 17, Dolphins 7
(Season opener, 1980)
Bills beat Fins after 20 consecutive losses to them. Fans tear down goal posts on opening day. Feels like an exorcism.
No. 4: Bills 10, Broncos 7
(AFC championship game following 1992 season)
Carlton Bailey gets pick six on John Elway, who gets knocked out of game.
No. 3: Bills 30, Chiefs 13
(AFC championship game following 1994 season)
Bills knock out Joe Montana as they reach fourth consecutive Super Bowl. Deal with it, America.
No. 2: Bills 41, Oilers 38 (OT)
(Wild-card game following 1992 season)
Old Irish joke: Old man at zoo with grandson, looking at giraffes, says, "Come away, sonny, there's no such animal." Did this game really happen?
FILE BILLS 91 AFC TITLE GAME (copy)
Jim Kelly celebrates during the AFC title game on Jan. 20, 1991, at then-Rich Stadium, when the Bills beat the Los Angeles Raiders 51-3 to move on to Super Bowl XXV. Buffalo News file photo
No. 1: Bills 51, Raiders 3
(AFC championship game following 1990 season)
Bills off to their first Super Bowl thanks to this fever dream of a game. They roll up 41 points by halftime. Crowd all but levitates. Like shooting pure joy into their veins.
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