In the sunset season for the concrete cathedral so often overflowed with as many as 80,000 passionate patrons, WIVB News 4 Buffalo is taking a daily look back over 400 games played in the Orchard Park stadium’s 52 years.
Oct. 1
1978 — Bills 28, Chiefs 13 — Bob Chandler caught two touchdown passes from Joe Ferguson, and Buffalo got its second victory in a row before a crowd of 47,310 at Rich Stadium. Both of Chandler’s touchdowns came in the second quarter, which also included a scoring run from Terry Miller following Chandler’s 44-yard reception. The Bills led 21-6 at halftime after allowing two field goals in the first quarter. Ferguson was 15 of 18 passing for 210 yards, with Chandler catching all seven of his targets for 116 yards. Miller ran for 67 yards, and Curtis Brown added 43 yards with a TD run in the fourth quarter.
1989 — Bills 31, Patriots 10 — A sold-out stadium watched Thurman Thomas rush for 105 yards and gain another 99 yards receiving, surpassing the 200-yard threshold for the first time in his career, along with scoring a pair of touchdowns. Jim Kelly was 12 of 17 passing for 278 yards and three touchdowns, while Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie had a rough day against the Bills defense. Bruce Smith and Nate Odomes sacked Flutie, who was 15 of 41 passing for 155 net yards with a touchdown and an interception by Leonard Smith. Andre Reed led the Bills with 114 yards receiving, tight ends Pete Metzelaars and Keith McKeller caught TDs, and Thomas ran 74 yards on a short pass from Kelly for the final score as the Bills improved to 3-1.
2000 — Colts 18, Bills 16 — Peyton Manning led a touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter then later advanced Indianapolis 42 yards in the final minute to set up Mike Vanderjagt’s 45-yard winning field goal on the final play. Rob Johnson’s 40-yard touchdown pass to Eric Moulds gave Buffalo the lead with 1:08 remaining. The Bills rushed for 170 yards, Moulds accounted for 112 of Johnson’s 215 net passing yards (he took four sacks) and Buffalo didn’t turn the ball over, but three first half drives that ended in short Steve Christie field goals. With a 2-2 record, the Bills fell into fourth place in the AFC East.
2006 — Bills 17, Vikings 12 — Willis McGahee’s early scoring run and J.P. Losman’s touchdown pass to Peerless Price in the third quarter provided enough points for the win in what was somewhat of a defensive struggle. Linebackers London Fletcher and Angelo Crowell made interceptions in the second half to help Buffalo control the ball for almost 36 minutes. Losman totaled 220 yards, and McGahee ran for 78 yards. The Bills survived 15 penalties to get to 2-2 in coach Dick Jauron’s first season.
2023 — Bills 48, Dolphins 20 — Stefon Diggs caught three of four touchdown passes from Josh Allen, who ran for another TD in a Bills scoring spree one week after the Dolphins put up 70 points in a game. Allen had 310 net yards passing, 120 yards going to Diggs, and a balanced running game produced 104 yards. Greg Rousseau had two of Buffalo’s four sacks, and Micah Hyde intercepted Tua Tagovailoa. It wasn’t all good for the Bills however, as Tre’Davious White was carted off the field with an Achilles tendon injury that would hasten the end of his first tenure with the team. The victory was Buffalo’s third in a row after a season-opening loss.
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Jonah Bronstein joined the WIVB squad in 2022 as a digital sports reporter. The Buffalonian has covered the Bills, Sabres, Bandits, Bisons, colleges, high schools and other notable sporting events in Western New York since 2005, for publications including The Associated Press, The Buffalo News, and Niagara Gazette. Read more of his work here.