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. 11
1993 — Bills 35, Oilers 7 — In a Monday night return engagement nine months after the great playoff comeback, Buffalo’s K-gun offense and opportunistic defense shot down redemption hopes for Warren Moon and company. Jim Kelly passed for 247 yards and three touchdowns, while Warren Moon threw three interceptions and fumbled twice among seven Oilers turnovers. Andre Reed had 85 yards receiving and two touchdowns, Thurman Thomas totaled 127 yards with a scoring run, Don Beebe caught the other TD, Bruce Smith had two sacks, and Cornelius Bennett contributed an interception with a sack. Attendance at Rich Stadium was 79,613 as the Bills improved to 4-1 for the fourth time in six seasons.
2009 — Browns 6, Bills 3 — An unforgettable game even if very little that happened on the field was worth remembering. Winning quarterback Derek Anderson needed to complete only two passes in directing an offense that scratched out just 193 yards. Buffalo’s offense was hardly any better with 288 yards and three turnovers. The Bills were flagged for 15 penalties, nine of them false starts. Roscoe Parrish lost two fumbles in the last four minutes, the first one putting the Browns in position for Billy Cundiff’s winning goal from 18 yards away, and the second one near midfield on Buffalo’s last gasp to get in position for a tying field goal. Considered by many to be the worst NFL game played this century.
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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.