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. 25
1981 — Bills 9, Broncos 7 — A crowd of 77,757 at Rich Stadium saw Buffalo’s Bermuda Triangle defense drive a victory that benefitted the Bills (5-3 on way to 10-6 finish) in beating out the Broncos (5-3) for a playoff spot in ’81. Nick Mike-Mayer kicked three field goals including a 36-yarder with one second remaining that was Buffalo’s first snap in the red zone of the entire game. The Bills defense forced 12 punts in allowing only 10 first downs and 161 yards, 74 coming on two plays in the second quarter that put the Broncos ahead 7-0. Ken Johnson had three of the Bills’ seven sacks, Joe Cribbs rushed for 123 yards, Frank Lewis had 90 yards receiving, and Joe Ferguson was 21 of 42 passing for 204 yards with in an interception. Denver’s Larry Canada took an encroachment penalty on a punt that led to Mike-Mayer sneaking a season-long 46-yard field goal over the crossbar in the third quarter. After the winning kick, NBC announcer Don Criqui proclaimed this “probably the best game in the NFL so far this season.”
***
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.