1993 Buffalo Bills season

The 1993 Buffalo Bills season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1993 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses, and finished first in the AFC East division.

1993 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerRalph Wilson
Head coachMarv Levy
General managerJohn Butler
Home fieldRich Stadium
Results
Record12–4
Division place1st AFC East
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs (Raiders) 29–23
Won AFC Championship (Chiefs) 30–13
Lost Super Bowl XXVIII (Cowboys) 13-30

The Bills qualified for their fourth straight Super Bowl, where they faced the Dallas Cowboys in a rematch of the previous season's Super Bowl. However, just like with the previous Super Bowl, the Bills would lose to the Cowboys, this time by a score of 13–30. Until the 2020 season, this Bills squad was the last to reach the AFC Championship Game.

Season summary

Despite the many jokes about the Bills having lost three straight Super Bowls—a fan pleaded with head coach Marv Levy for the team to not return to the Super Bowl: "I can't take it. I can't go to work on Monday if we don't win the game. It's tearing me up. I can't handle it"—Don Beebe recalled that "I've got to be honest with you. We thrived in it. We enjoyed it. We were going to go to four ... I think that comes a lot from the Winston Churchill poems and the speeches that we would get from Marv". Dan Patrick reported that "Buffalo players have been wearing t-shirts reading something along the lines of 'Let's Tick Them Off and Go for Four'".[1] The team qualified for another Super Bowl; they became the first franchise to win four consecutive conference championships, as well as the first to appear in four consecutive Super Bowls.

Defensive end Bruce Smith was named NEA Defensive Player of the Year, and tied for the league lead with 13.5 sacks. Smith, linebacker Darryl Talley and special teams gunner Steve Tasker were named to the 1993 All-Pro team. The Bills' 47 defensive takeaways in 1993 is the third-highest total of the 1990s.[2]

Running back Thurman Thomas led the AFC with 1,315 rushing yards.[3]

NFL Draft
1993 Buffalo Bills draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 28 Thomas Smith  CB North Carolina
2 55 John Parrella  DT Nebraska
4 111 Russell Copeland  WR Memphis
5 136 Mike Devlin  C Iowa
5 139 Sebastian Savage  CB NC State
5 167 Corbin Lacina  OT Augustana
7 195 Willie Harris  WR Mississippi State
8 223 Chris Leuneberg  OT West Chester (PA)
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel
1993 Buffalo Bills staff
Front office
  • Owner/President – Ralph Wilson
  • Vice President of Administration/General Manager – Bill Polian
  • Vice President of Football Operations – Marv Levy
  • Assistant General Manager/Director of Pro Personnel – Bob Ferguson
  • Director of Player Personnel – John Butler
  • Assistant Director/Collegiate Scouting – A. J. Smith
  • Director of Player Development/Alumni Relations - Jerry Butler

Head coaches

  • Head Coach – Marv Levy
  • Assistant Head Coach – Elijah Pitts
  • Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach – Chuck Lester

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches
  • Defensive Coordinatorr/Linebackers – Walt Corey
  • Defensive Line – Dan Sekanovich
  • Defensive Backs – Dick Roach
  • Defensive Quality Control / Administrative Assistant – Chuck Lester

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Roster
1993 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Game Site Final Score Record Attendance
1 September 5, 1993 New England Patriots Rich Stadium W 38–14 1–0
79,751
2 September 12, 1993 at Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium W 13–10 2–0
63,226
3 Bye
4 September 26, 1993 Miami Dolphins Rich Stadium L 22–13 2–1
79,635
5 October 3, 1993 New York Giants Rich Stadium W 17–14 3–1
79,283
6 October 11, 1993 Houston Oilers Rich Stadium W 35–7 4–1
79,613
7 Bye
8 October 24, 1993 at New York Jets The Meadowlands W 19–10 5–1
71,541
9 November 1, 1993 Washington Redskins Rich Stadium W 24–10 6–1
79,106
10 November 7, 1993 at New England Patriots Foxboro Stadium W 13–10 7–1
54,326
11 November 15, 1993 at Pittsburgh Steelers Three Rivers Stadium L 0–23 7–2
60,265
12 November 21, 1993 Indianapolis Colts Rich Stadium W 23–9 8–2
79,101
13 November 28, 1993 at Kansas City Chiefs Arrowhead Stadium L 7–23 8–3
74,452
14 December 5, 1993 Los Angeles Raiders Rich Stadium L 24–25 8–4
79,478
15 December 12, 1993 at Philadelphia Eagles Veterans Stadium W 10–7 9–4
60,769
16 December 19, 1993 at Miami Dolphins Joe Robbie Stadium W 47–34 10–4
71,597
17 December 26, 1993 New York Jets Rich Stadium W 16–14 11–4
70,817
18 January 2, 1994 at Indianapolis Colts Hoosier Dome W 30–10 12–4
43,028

Week 1
See also: 1993 New England Patriots season
Week One: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Patriots 0 7 7014
Bills 0 17 02138

at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: September 5
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 66 F, wind 12 mph
  • Referee: Gerald Austin
  • TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth
  • Box Score

Week 2
1 234Total
• Bills 7 303 13
Cowboys 0 307 10
  • Date: September 12
  • Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
  • Game start: 3:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 85°F, wind 16 mph
  • Referee: Bernie Kukar
  • TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy

[4]

Week 3
1 234Total
• Dolphins 16 330 22
Bills 0 607 13

Week 5
See also: 1993 New York Giants season
Week Five: New York Giants (3–0) at Buffalo Bills (2–1)
1 2 34Total
Giants 0 14 0014
Bills 10 0 0717

at Rich Stadium • Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: October 3
  • Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C) • 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
  • Game attendance: 79,283
  • Pro-Football-Reference.com

Week 6
1 234Total
Oilers 7 000 7
• Bills 7 2107 35

[5]

Week 9

November 1, 1993; the latest in-season home Monday Night Football game the Bills have ever hosted.

1 234Total
Redskins 7 300 10
• Bills 14 073 24


[6]

Week 13
Buffalo Bills (8-2) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-3)
1 234Total
• Bills 7 17210 45
Chiefs 7 3103 23


[7]

Week 15

Starting QBs -> Buffalo Bills: Jim Kelly / Philadelphia Eagles: Bubby Brister - (Randall Cunningham injured and out for this game).

Vegas Line: Buffalo Bills -4.0 /// Over/Under: 33.5 (under)

Jim Kelly injured late in the 3rd quarter, Frank Reich comes in relief.

Vai Sikahema fumbles two kickoff returns, the later setting up Buffalo for the winning field goal.

Steve Christie was 0/3 (Missing from 41,29, and 51) for the day up until the 4th quarter FG made with 2:18 left in the game.

Matt Bahr misses a last second 45 yard field goal attempt (short).

Buffalo Bills (8-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)
1 234Total
• Bills 0 0010 10
Eagles 0 070 7

[8]

[9]

TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
BillsPassingJim Kelly17/27, 210 yards, 2 INT
RushingKenneth Davis (American football)18 carries, 70 yards
ReceivingBill Brooks (American football)10 receptions, 90 yards
EaglesPassingBubby Brister28/48, 299 yards, 1 TD
RushingHeath Sherman9 carries, 37 yards
ReceivingHerschel Walker11 receptions, 109 yards

[10]

StatisticsBillsEagles
First downs1921
Plays–yards66-33571-368
Rushes–yards29-10123-70
Passing yards234298
Passing: Comp–Att–Int23-37-228-48-0
Time of possession29:0130:59

[11]

Week 16
Buffalo (9-4) at Miami (9-4)
1 234Total
• Bills 9 17210 47
Dolphins 7 1377 34

Standings
AFC East
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(1) Buffalo Bills 12 4 0 .750 329 242 W4
Miami Dolphins 9 7 0 .563 349 351 L5
New York Jets 8 8 0 .500 270 247 L3
New England Patriots 5 11 0 .313 238 286 W4
Indianapolis Colts 4 12 0 .250 189 378 L4

Playoffs
Round Date Opponent Game Site Final Score Attendance
Divisional January 15, 1994 Los Angeles Raiders (4) Rich Stadium W 29–23
61,923
AFC Championship January 23, 1994 Kansas City Chiefs (3) Rich Stadium W 30–13
76,642
Super Bowl January 30, 1994 vs. Dallas Cowboys (N1) Georgia Dome L 13–30
72,817

Super Bowl XXVIII

Scoring Summary
  • DAL – FG: Eddie Murray 41 yards 3–0 DAL
  • BUF – FG: Steve Christie 54 yards 3–3 tie
  • DAL – FG: Eddie Murray 24 yards 6–3 DAL
  • BUF – TD: Thurman Thomas 4 yard run (Steve Christie kick) 10–6 BUF
  • BUF – FG: Steve Christie 28 yards 13–6 BUF
  • DAL – TD: James Washington 46 yard fumble return (Eddie Murray kick) 13–13 tie
  • DAL – TD: Emmitt Smith 17 yard run (Eddie Murray kick) 20–13 DAL
  • DAL – TD: Emmitt Smith 1 yard run (Eddie Murray kick) 27–13 DAL
  • DAL – FG: Eddie Murray 20 yards 30–13 DAL

Awards and records

References
  1. "Four Falls of Buffalo". 30 for 30. Season 3. December 12, 2015. ESPN.
  2. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1990 to 1999, in the regular season, sorted by descending Takeaways, behind the 1991 Eagles and 1991 Saints.
  3. Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p. 680, Martin's Press, August 1994, ISBN 0-312-11073-1
  4. Pro-Football-Reference.com
  5. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2013-Dec-14.
  7. Pro-Football-Reference.com ,
  8. . Retrieved 2020-Jul-06.
  9. . Retrieved 2020-Jul-06.
  10. . Retrieved 2020-Jul-06.
  11. . Retrieved 2020-Jul-06.
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