1995: Panthers Lose Debut to Falcons in Overtime

The Carolina Panthers, one of two NFL expansion teams for the 1995 season along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, took the field for their first regular season game on September 3. Coached by Dom Capers, most recently the defensive coordinator of the Steelers, the Panthers were coming into their first season facing the usual obstacles of a new team, utilizing either unproven or over-the-hill talent, but GM Bill Polian had been aggressive in free agency. The Panthers were to feature a conservative offense, tough defense, and solid special teams. QB Frank Reich (pictured above), the long-time backup in Buffalo, was starting while first draft choice Kerry Collins was groomed to take over the job, and there were veteran receivers in WRs Mark Carrier and Willie Green plus TE Pete Metzelaars. LB Sam Mills, formerly of the USFL and Saints, provided leadership as well as ability at inside linebacker, and there were other established hands in LB Lamar Lathon and CB Tim McKyer.

The Atlanta Falcons, Carolina’s first opponent, were coming off a 7-9 record in 1994, their third straight losing season and first under Head Coach June Jones. Operating a run-and-shoot offense, QB Jeff George threw for 3734 yards and 23 touchdowns and, while free agent WR Andre Rison departed in the offseason, there was a good group of small but fast of receivers for George’s passes. The defense was of greater concern, having given up a lot of points and fallen short in close contests in ‘94.

There were 58,808 fans in attendance at the Georgia Dome. The Falcons had the game’s first possession and went three-and-out. Carolina then went 65 yards in eight plays. Frank Reich had completions of 20 yards to Willie Green and 10 to Mark Carrier. Another pass to Carrier picked up 18 yards in a third-and-13 situation to reach the Atlanta 19. Following two carries by RB Randy Baldwin, Reich threw to Pete Metzelaars for eight yards and a touchdown. John Kasay added the extra point.

It didn’t take long for the Panthers to add to their lead. WR Roell Preston fumbled the ensuing kickoff and RB Vince Workman recovered for the visitors at the Atlanta 22. This time Carolina was only able to pick up a yard in three plays, but Kasay kicked a 39-yard field goal to make the score 10-0.

The Falcons came back with a seven-play, 47-yard series that was highlighted by Jeff George connecting with RB/WR Eric Metcalf (pictured at left) on a third down play for a 36-yard gain to the Carolina 16. Morten Andersen, a newcomer to the club after thirteen years in New Orleans, booted a 27-yard field goal to make it a seven-point margin.

Reich came out throwing on the next Carolina series, hitting Green for 11 yards and then Carrier for 46 yards to the Atlanta 23. The Panthers were unable to move any further but came away with another Kasay field goal, this time from 41 yards.

The teams traded punts as the game moved into the second quarter. Taking possession at their own two yard line following a Carolina punt, the Falcons came through with a big play when George threw to WR Bert Emanuel for 46 yards. George completed six more passes as Atlanta moved 98 yards in 11 plays, the last for a 12-yard TD to WR J.J. Birden. Andersen’s extra point narrowed Carolina’s lead to 13-10.

Following a short series by the Panthers, the Falcons drove to another score. George completed three passes but, after reaching the Carolina 33 at the two-minute warning, two more throws fell incomplete and Andersen kicked a 51-yard field goal. The score remained 13-13 at the half.

The Panthers were forced to punt following the first series of the third quarter and the home team went 58 yards in seven plays to take the lead. George threw to WR Terance Mathis for 23 yards and, in a third-and-eight situation, connected with Mathis again for 19 yards to the Carolina 14. Three plays later, he tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to Emanuel and, with Andersen’s PAT, the Falcons were in front by 20-13.

The defenses took control as neither team was able to sustain a drive until, with less than four minutes remaining in the period, Metcalf took off for a 19-yard gain to spur a series in which the Falcons reached midfield. However, FS Brett Maxie intercepted a pass to end the threat and the score remained tied heading into the final period.

The teams continued to exchange punts until RB Craig Heyward of the Falcons fumbled and Maxie recovered for Carolina at the Atlanta 22. However, two penalties and two sacks moved the Panthers back to the 44 and they were forced to punt.

Carolina got the ball again on a punt with 1:15 remaining in regulation. Starting at his own 20, Reich passed to RB Bob Christian for 23 yards and, after two incompletions, to Green for 13 yards. Reich threw long to Green once again, and the result was a 44-yard touchdown. A gamble for a two-point conversion was nullified by a false start and, backed up five yards, the Panthers kicked to tie the score at 20-20 instead.

Getting the ball back with 20 seconds on the clock, the Falcons tried to win the game in regulation as George completed two passes, but a 58-yard field goal try by Andersen fell short and the contest went into overtime.

The Panthers had the initial possession in the OT period and Reich completed two passes, but fumbled when stripped by DE Lester Archambeau, who recovered the ball at the Carolina 31. Six plays later, at 2:42 into the extra period, Andersen booted a 35-yard field goal and Atlanta came away the winner by a final score of 23-20.

The Falcons led in total yards (391 to 312) and first downs (20 to 17). Carolina was hurt by gaining only 51 yards on 20 running plays and giving up nine sacks. The Panthers also committed seven penalties, to four flags thrown on Atlanta. By contrast, the Falcons gave up three sacks and were more balanced on offense, rushing for 117 yards while gaining 274 net passing yards.

Jeff George completed 27 of 45 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns while giving up one interception. Eric Metcalf had 9 catches for 95 yards and ran for 56 yards on just 7 carries. Terance Mathis contributed 8 receptions for 83 yards and Bert Emanuel added 6 for 90 yards and a TD. Craig Heyward paced the ground game with 61 yards on 19 carries.

For the Panthers, Frank Reich was successful on 23 of 44 throws for 329 yards and two TDs while giving up no interceptions. Willie Green (pictured below) pulled in 7 of those passes for 121 yards and a score and Mark Carrier had 5 receptions for 96 yards. Randy Baldwin led what there was of a running attack with 43 yards on 17 attempts.

“There is no moral victory,” said a disappointed Frank Reich. “It’s win or lose. We want to win early and win often. Anything less in unacceptable. This was tough. We had our chance.”

The Panthers went on to lose their first five games before reeling off four consecutive wins on the way to a respectable 7-9 record, placing fourth in the NFC West. They also defeated the Falcons in the rematch at Clemson Memorial Stadium. Atlanta lost the next week but then won three in a row and finished at 9-7, placing second in the division and qualifying for a Wild Card spot. The Falcons were defeated by Green Bay in the first postseason round.

By the point the season turned around for the Panthers, Frank Reich had given way to Kerry Collins as the starting quarterback. He ended up throwing just 39 more passes, completing 44 percent in all, and the two TD passes against the Falcons were his only scoring tosses. Mark Carrier and Willie Green remained effective receivers, with Carrier catching 66 passes for 1002 yards (15.2 avg.) and three touchdowns and Green hauling in 47 for 882 yards (18.8 avg.) and six TDs.

Eric Metcalf continued to be highly productive for the Falcons with 104 pass receptions for 1189 yards (11.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns to go along with his 133 yards on 28 rushing attempts (4.8 avg.). Adding in kick returns, Metcalf gained a total of 1983 all-purpose yards, which ranked fifth in the NFL. Terance Mathis and Bert Emanuel also had over a thousand receiving yards with 1039 apiece, on 78 and 74 catches, respectively. 

1989: Backup QB Reich Leads Bills to Last-Minute Win Against Rams

The Buffalo Bills were 3-2 and without their starting quarterback as they took on the undefeated Los Angeles Rams on October 16, 1989. QB Jim Kelly suffered a shoulder separation in a 37-14 loss to the Colts the previous week and the little-known backup quarterback, Frank Reich, was forced to step in. Under Head Coach Marv Levy, the Bills had won the AFC East in 1988 and featured a productive offense that included RB Thurman Thomas and WR Andre Reed while the defense was anchored by DE Bruce Smith and included a good linebacking corps.

The Rams, in their eighth season under Head Coach John Robinson, were 5-0 and a more pass-oriented team than they had been throughout most of Robinson’s tenure with the club. QB Jim Everett was the reason, and he had a reliable target for his passes in WR Henry Ellard while second-year WR Willie “Flipper” Anderson was emerging as a potent deep threat.

It was a rainy Monday night at Rich Stadium for the nationally-telecast contest. Things started well for the Rams when CB Jerry Gray intercepted Frank Reich’s second pass of the night, giving LA good field position at the Buffalo 46. The Bills defense held, but Dale Hatcher’s punt was muffed by CB Mickey Sutton and recovered by LA’s WR Ron Brown at the Buffalo 16. Five plays later Everett threw to RB Buford McGee in the end zone for a three-yard touchdown.

There was no further scoring in the first quarter as neither offense was able to get much going. Buffalo got a break with 5:23 to go in the half when Los Angeles RB Greg Bell (an ex-Bill) fumbled at his own 20 and NT Jeff Wright recovered. Scott Norwood kicked a 28-yard field goal four plays after that to cut LA’s lead to 7-3.

The Bills got the ball back at the Rams’ 49 following a punt with 2:16 left on the clock and advanced to the 29 in seven plays, from where Norwood was again successful on a 47-yard field goal try to make it 7-6 at the half.

The defenses continued to dominate in the third quarter. On their third series of the second half, the Rams drove into Bills territory as Everett completed passes to Henry Ellard for 24 and 19 yards. The drive stalled at the Buffalo 17 and Mike Lansford booted a 34-yard field goal to stretch the LA lead to 10-6.

The Bills responded with a late-period scoring drive that stretched into the fourth quarter. Reich completed a pass to Thurman Thomas for 13 yards in a third-and-10 situation and Buffalo advanced to the Los Angeles 23. The 12-play, 52-yard possession ended with another Norwood field goal, this time from 40 yards.

It was once again a one-point game, but the Rams came back with a long series that covered 60 yards in 12 plays. Everett completed four passes and Lansford capped the drive with a 36-yard field goal.

On Buffalo’s next play from scrimmage, Reich threw to Andre Reed for a 47-yard gain to the LA 39. A costly defensive holding penalty nullified a sack of Reich on third down and a 15-yard completion to Reed put the ball at the six. Reich’s one-yard TD pass to Thomas and Norwood’s extra point put the Bills in front for the first time at 16-13 with a little over two minutes remaining.

The Rams failed to convert a fourth-and-four play just after the two minute warning, but three plays later Thomas fumbled and safety Michael Stewart recovered. LA made the Bills pay in short order as Everett passed to the fleet Willie Anderson for a 78-yard touchdown. It was 20-16 and, with the Bills getting the ball back with 1:17 left on the clock, it seemed as though the Rams would remain undefeated.

Reich passed to Reed on first down, who fumbled but C Kent Hull saved the day for Buffalo by recovering. A short completion to Thomas was followed by a false start penalty that made it third-and-six. Reich threw to Thomas for 17 yards and a first down at the LA 43. Two more passes to Thomas gained another 21 yards and a toss to RB Ronnie Harmon picked up 14 yards. With 20 seconds left in the game, Reich threw to Reed for an eight-yard touchdown to finish off the seven-play, 64-yard drive. It finished off the Rams, too, as there was time left for only one Everett pass and Buffalo won by a score of 23-20.

Buffalo outgained the Rams (348 yards to 266) and had more first downs (17 to 15). Of LA’s yardage total, only 59 came on the ground. The Bills turned the ball over four times, to two suffered by Los Angeles.

Frank Reich, overcoming a slow start, completed 21 of 37 passes for 214 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Thurman Thomas (pictured below) rushed for 105 yards on 24 carries and caught 9 passes for 67 yards and a TD. Andre Reed gained 106 yards on 8 pass receptions that included the winning touchdown.

For the Rams, Jim Everett was successful on just 15 of 36 throws for 219 yards and two TDs with one picked off. With the long scoring reception Flipper Anderson had 87 yards on only two catches while Henry Ellard hauled in 4 passes for 70 yards. Greg Bell, the NFL’s second-ranking rusher coming into the game, ran for 44 yards on 21 attempts.

Reich continued to perform well for the Bills, leading them to two more wins before Kelly returned to the lineup. It was a controversy-filled year in Buffalo as Kelly feuded with teammates, two assistant coaches engaged in a fist fight in the film room, and fingers were pointed at players who had fueled the ’88 surge but seemed less consistent in 1989. For all that, Buffalo topped the AFC East for the second straight year, but with a lesser 9-7 record. The Bills lost at Cleveland in the Divisional playoff round.

As for the Rams, the loss at Buffalo was the first of four in a row, but they recovered to finish with six wins in their last seven games to finish at 11-5 and second to San Francisco in the NFC West. They qualified for the postseason as a Wild Card and advanced to the conference title game where they lost to the arch-rival 49ers.

In his relief role, Frank Reich completed 53 of 87 passes (60.9 %) for 701 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions. He went on to play five more years in Buffalo before moving on to the expansion Carolina Panthers, capably backing up Jim Kelly and engineering a memorable comeback in the 1992 postseason. 

1993: Bills Overcome 32-Point Deficit, Beat Oilers in Overtime

The Buffalo Bills, under Head Coach Marv Levy, had been AFC Champions in 1990 and ’91 and went 11-5 in 1992 to finish second in the AFC East (to Miami, due to the conference record tiebreaker). They had lost the Super Bowls following those previous conference titles, and their road to another shot required them to host the Houston Oilers on January 3, 1993 in the Wild Card playoff round.

The team’s veteran core was still intact. RB Thurman Thomas ran for 1487 yards and caught 56 passes for 626 more to lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2113) for the fourth straight year. WR Andre Reed caught 65 passes for 913 yards and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the fifth consecutive season. OT Will Wolford and G Jim Ritcher anchored a solid offensive line. Defensively, DE Bruce Smith, LB Cornelius Bennett, CB Nate Odomes, and SS Henry Jones all had Pro Bowl years. However, QB Jim Kelly had slumped toward the end of the season, and a knee injury in the last game forced him to miss the playoff contest against Houston – backup QB Frank Reich (pictured above) would be starting.

The Houston Oilers, who finished second in the AFC Central with a 10-6 record, were also not recent strangers to the postseason – they had qualified for the playoffs for the sixth straight year. However, they had not made it beyond the divisional round in any of those seasons, leading the club to gain a reputation for choking in big games. Coached since 1990 by the low-key Jack Pardee, they utilized a run-and-shoot offense that was run effectively by 36-year-old QB Warren Moon (pictured below left) and included three wide receivers that were chosen for the Pro Bowl in Haywood Jeffires, Curtis Duncan, and Ernest Givins. RB Lorenzo White ran for 1226 yards and caught 57 passes. But while they could run up points, the defense was prone to blowing leads – a factor that would come into play in classic fashion in the playoff game at Buffalo.


There were 75,141 fans present at Rich Stadium, and for the first half of the contest they had little to cheer about. The Oilers took the opening kickoff and drove 80 yards in 14 plays, culminating in a three-yard touchdown pass from Moon to Jeffires. Buffalo responded with a 10-play drive that led to a 36-yard field goal by Steve Christie and the score was 7-3 after one quarter.

Houston took control in the second quarter. They finished off another long, 12-play drive, again covering 80 yards, with Givins hauling in four passes along the way for 41 yards. It was WR Webster Slaughter finishing off the possession, however, as Moon threw to him for a seven-yard TD. Buffalo went three-and-out, and the Oilers again drove to a touchdown. This time it took only five plays to go 67 yards and Moon threw a 26-yard scoring pass to Duncan. It was 21-3 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

Buffalo was able to put together a drive in its next possession, but after getting to the Houston 32, Reich threw an incomplete pass on fourth-and-four and the Oilers took over on downs. Moon capped an eight-play drive with his fourth touchdown pass of the day, covering 27 yards to Jeffires, and Houston took a big 28-3 margin into halftime.

The Bills received the second half kickoff, and four plays later Reich, throwing out of the shotgun formation, was intercepted by safety Bubba McDowell, who returned it 58 yards for another Houston touchdown. The score was now 35-3, and it seemed as though the Oilers had the game well in hand.

Buffalo put together a scoring drive, converting a third-and-15 situation (Reich pass to Reed for 16 yards) and fourth-and-two (RB Kenneth Davis running for five yards) along the way. Davis ran for a one-yard touchdown and the score was now 35-10.

The Bills executed a successful onside kick, and four plays later Reich threw to WR Don Beebe for a 38-yard touchdown that made it 35-17. Houston went three-and-out on its next possession, and following a short punt the Bills moved swiftly down the field on yet another scoring drive. Reich completed passes of 18 yards to WR James Lofton, 39 yards to Beebe, and 19 to Davis before hitting Reed for a 26-yard touchdown. Houston’s margin was now down to 35-24, and Buffalo wasn’t done yet in the third quarter.

The Oilers got the ball back, and Moon was intercepted by Henry Jones, who returned it 15 yards to the Houston 23. Reich threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Reed on a fourth-and-five play, and with yet another successful Christie PAT, it was now a four-point game at 35-31.

The reeling Oilers were unable to get anything going on their next possession, as Moon completed one of three passes and was sacked once (he fumbled, but Houston recovered). The decision by the Bills to abandon the six-defensive back prevent defense of the first half and return to their standard alignment was proving effective.

Having scored 28 points in the third quarter, Buffalo’s offense finally stalled to begin the fourth period and the Bills went three-and-out. Houston’s offense began to move, with Moon hitting on six passes, including one to Givins for 27 yards. An apparent interception was wiped out by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Bruce Smith, but after getting to the Buffalo 14, a field goal attempt was botched when Montgomery, the holder for placekicks as well as punter, fumbled the snap.

The Bills drove down field, going 74 yards on a possession that featured a 35-yard run by Davis. Reich again threw to Reed for a 17-yard touchdown, and Buffalo was ahead by 38-35, having scored 35 unanswered points since the interception return by McDowell early in the third quarter.

With three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Moon once more led the Oilers on a methodical drive that covered 63 yards in 12 plays. Al Del Greco kicked a 26-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score at 38-38 and send the game into overtime.

Houston won the toss for the overtime period, but on the third play Moon was intercepted by Odomes, who returned it to the Houston 35 (a facemask penalty on Jeffires moved the ball another 15 yards closer). Following two short runs by Davis, Christie kicked a 32-yard field goal at just over three minutes into OT and Buffalo, having made the biggest comeback in NFL history, came away with a 41-38 win.

Houston outgained the Bills (429 yards to 366) and had more first downs (27 to 19), but the inability to stop Buffalo’s attack in the second half and the interception in overtime sealed the Oilers’ fate.

Frank Reich completed 21 of 34 passes for 289 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Andre Reed (pictured below) caught 8 passes for 136 yards and scored three of the TDs. Kenneth Davis led the Bills in rushing with 68 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown (Thurman Thomas, who left the game in the third quarter due to a hip injury, had 26 yards on 11 attempts).


Warren Moon went to the air 50 times with 36 completions for 371 yards and four touchdowns against two big interceptions. Ernest Givins caught 9 passes for 117 yards while Haywood Jeffires, Webster Slaughter, and Curtis Duncan all grabbed 8 apiece (for 98, 73, and 57 yards, respectively). Lorenzo White ran for 75 yards on 19 carries.

For Reich, the big comeback was not a first – playing at the college level in 1984, he had led Maryland to a 42-40 win over Miami after trailing 31-0 at halftime. Asked afterward if he thought back to that earlier comeback, he replied, “Many times. As a football player, you gear your mind to not thinking in terms of how far behind you are. We're so geared to the game not being over until the final whistle blows.”

“I've never seen momentum change like that in my life,” said a disappointed Warren Moon afterward. “We had control of this ball game like no other team has had control of the ball game.”

The Bills won their next two games, over Pittsburgh in the Divisional playoff and Miami for the AFC Championship; however, their futility in the Super Bowl continued as they lost by a 52-17 margin to the Dallas Cowboys.