Bills’ current playoff drought isn’t unique

By Anthony Bialy  |   Monday, June 25, 2007  |  Comments( 28 )

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If it seems as if it's been an excruciatingly long time since a Buffalo Bills playoff appearance, it's because it has. On Jan. 8, 2000, President Bill Clinton was trying to calm a nation that just withstood all its computers and planes crashing plus those nuclear missiles launching themselves on account of Y2K (remember?) when the Bills got shafted by officials who literally couldn't see straight.

The Music City Miracle aside, it's at the point where fans are almost understandably accustomed to the frustration, as there will be at least eight years between the Bills earning a playoff slot.

But how does the current dubious streak rank compared to other extended postseason absences in the team's history?

The bad news for the current Bills is that the franchise managed to make the playoffs the fourth season it existed in 1963, a shorter span than what's going on right now. Of course, that was with fewer teams involved, and they did lose to the Patriots in the Eastern Division playoff game, but it was still a shorter dry patch than what Buffalo's fans are dealing with now. Following their two AFL championships, the Bills made a third appearance in the top game after the 1966 season, whereby they were blown out, 31-7, by the Chiefs, a team that then went on to get blown out itself in Super Bowl I.

Fans then had to wait until 1974 for another chance at a game after the regular season; after having survived the Ed Rutkowski disaster quarterback scenario and the John Rauch era in the meantime among numerous other miseries, they were rewarded by watching their team be summarily dismissed by the Steelers, 32-14. It was the only playoff appearance of the O.J. Simpson era. Of course, they didn't make the postseason in 1973 even with a 9-5 record. Today, teams like the 2006 Giants get there after a season of .500 football, but a respectable won-loss record along with maybe the best single season ever by a football player just didn't cut it then. Even worse, they wouldn't make the playoffs for the rest of the brown and pea green decade.

After the unexpectedly pleasant division championship of 1980 and subsequent heartbreaking playoff loss in San Diego, the Bills followed it up by actually winning a wild-card game the next year against the Jets before losing in the next round to the Bengals. But once again, that was it for a few more campaigns.

Back-to-back 2-14 seasons along with jokes about children wanting to be placed in protective custody of the Bills because they don't beat anybody preceded 1988's division championship, of course the precursor to the Super Bowl years and the less fruitful late '90s appearances.

So, both younger and older fans with poor memories should bear in mind that the Bills have faced long playoff famines before, although none took place during the salary-cap era when the system is allegedly jury-rigged to allow a quick turnaround from misery.

That said, the positive news is that things are looking up. That can be claimed after any season, of course: for example, some excessively upbeat fans said during the summer of 2001 that the West Coast offense was going to make Rob Johnson successful. But the case is stronger now for genuine proof of improvement, as the miserable incompetence of the Tom Donahoe era is behind the Bills, and one of his few worthwhile moves, drafting J.P. Losman, began to pay off in 2006.

There are still unanswered questions, including new Bills on the offensive line and new NFLers at running back and linebacker, not to mention concerns about whether the defensive tackles and non-Lee Evans wide receivers will step up their respective games this season.

Despite those worries, the 2006 Bills not only won two more games than their 2005 counterparts, they also played much better, even in defeat. A young, fairly talented team with improved coaching that's begun to learn how to win is the best hope for those looking for evidence that this most current loathsome streak of playoff absences could be ended this season.

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CommentsComments: 28  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
rich		08:06 AM
06/25/2007
good article anthony. this very well could be the year. i predict the bills running thru the broncos in week one; then beating...
No.2
Kevin		09:26 AM
06/25/2007
Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. I'm a die-hard Bills fans, but even I must admit that the playoffs are a long-shot at...
No.3
George		09:38 AM
06/25/2007
Rich, I think you better wake up and smell the coffee. This team will be lucky if it wins 4 games all season!
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