Wild Card Frank Reich's defining moment in his pro career is actually another comeback, this one often called the
greatest comeback in NFL playoff history. It was also the largest comeback in NFL history, with the Bills overcoming a 32-point deficit, until 2022, when the
Minnesota Vikings overcame a 33-point deficit against the Indianapolis Colts. In the playoffs following the 1992 season against the
Houston Oilers. Reich led the Bills on a 35–3 run in the second half before overtime, en route to a 41–38 victory on a
Steve Christie field goal. Reich would help the Bills defeat the
Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round before once again giving the team back to Kelly, who led them into
Super Bowl XXVII, where they were annihilated by the
Dallas Cowboys 52–17. Reich had to enter the game when starter
Jim Kelly was forced out of the game with a knee injury during the 2nd quarter. • HOU – Jeffires 3-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick)
7–0 HOU • BUF – FG Christie 36-yards
7–3 HOU • HOU – Slaughter 7-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick)
14–3 HOU • HOU – Duncan 26-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick)
21–3 HOU • HOU – Jeffires 27-yard pass from Moon (Del Greco kick)
28–3 HOU • HOU – McDowell 58-yard interception return (Del Greco kick)
35–3 HOU • BUF – K. Davis 1-yard run (Christie kick)
35–10 HOU • BUF – Beebe 38-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick)
35–17 HOU • BUF – Reed 26-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick)
35–24 HOU • BUF – Reed 18-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick)
35–31 HOU • BUF – Reed 17-yard pass from Reich (Christie kick)
38–35 BUF • HOU – FG Del Greco 26-yards
38–38 tie • BUF – FG Christie 32-yards
41–38 BUF Divisional Conference Championship With the win, the Bills advanced to their 3rd straight Super Bowl. This would be their last playoff win on the road until
2025.
Super Bowl The Bills entered
Super Bowl XXVII trying to avoid becoming the first team to lose three consecutive Super Bowls. Once again the team was loaded with talent, boasting 12 Pro Bowl selections. During the regular season, Buffalo's
no-huddle offense ranked as the number two offense in the league (6,114 yards) and ranked as the number one rushing offense (2,436). Running back
Thurman Thomas rushed for 1,487 yards and 9 touchdowns during the regular season, while also catching 58 passes for 626 yards and another 3 touchdowns. Running back
Kenneth Davis rushed for 613 yards, caught 15 passes for 80 yards, and added another 251 yards returning kickoffs. Quarterback
Jim Kelly had 269 out of 462 completions for 3,457 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. Wide receiver
Andre Reed lead the team with 65 receptions for 913 yards and 3 touchdowns, receiver
James Lofton contributed 51 receptions for 786 yards and 6 touchdowns, and wide receiver
Don Beebe had 33 receptions for 554 and 2 touchdowns. Also tight end
Pete Metzelaars recorded 30 receptions for 298 yards and 6 touchdowns. The Bills also had one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, led by Pro Bowlers
Will Wolford,
Jim Ritcher, and Howard Ballard, along with center
Kent Hull. On defense, the line was anchored by tackles
Bruce Smith (14 sacks) and
Jeff Wright (6 sacks, 1 fumble recovery), who were fully recovered after missing almost all of the previous season due to injuries. The Bills were once again led by their trio of linebackers
Darryl Talley (77 tackles, 4 sacks),
Shane Conlan (66 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception), and Pro Bowler
Cornelius Bennett (52 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 fumble recoveries). The defensive secondary was aided by the emergence of second year defensive back
Henry Jones, who led the NFL with 8 interceptions, returning them for 263 yards and 2 touchdowns. Defensive back
Mark Kelso recorded 7 interceptions, while Pro Bowl defensive back
Nate Odomes had 5. However, the Bills quest for a third consecutive Super Bowl suffered a major setback when they lost the final game of the season to the
Houston Oilers. The loss caused the Bills to finish with an 11–5 record, losing the
AFC East title to the
Miami Dolphins based on tiebreaking rules, and thus making them a
wild card team for the playoffs. Thus, even if they won their first playoff game, they would have to win two on the road to make the Super Bowl. To make matters worse, Kelly also suffered strained knee ligaments during the loss to the Oilers and had to miss the first 2 playoff games. Furthermore, their first opponent in the playoffs ended up being the Oilers. A headline on a Buffalo newspaper stated the Bills situation: "Bills Begin The Longest Road Today."
Starting lineups Source:
Scoring Summary • BUF – TD: Thurman Thomas 2-yard run (Steve Christie kick)
7–0 BUF • DAL – TD: Jay Novacek 23-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Lin Elliott kick)
7–7 tie • DAL – TD: Jimmie Jones 2-yard fumble return (Lin Elliott kick)
14–7 DAL • BUF – FG: Steve Christie 21 yards
14–10 DAL • DAL – TD: Michael Irvin 19-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Lin Elliott kick)
21–10 DAL • DAL – TD: Michael Irvin 18-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Lin Elliott kick)
28–10 DAL • DAL – FG: Lin Elliott 20 yards
31–10 DAL • BUF – TD: Don Beebe 40-yard pass from Frank Reich (Steve Christie kick)
31–17 DAL • DAL – TD: Alvin Harper 45-yard pass from Troy Aikman (Lin Elliott kick)
38–17 DAL • DAL – TD: Emmitt Smith 10-yard run (Lin Elliott kick)
45–17 DAL • DAL – TD: Ken Norton Jr. 9-yard fumble return (Lin Elliott kick)
52–17 DAL == Awards and records ==