1990 Buffalo Bills season

1990 Buffalo Bills season
1990 Buffalo Bills season
Owner	Ralph Wilson
General manager	Bill Polian
Head coach	Marv Levy
Home field	Rich Stadium
Results
Record	13–3
Division place	1st AFC East
Playoff finish	Won Divisional Playoffs; (vs. Dolphins) 44–34; Won AFC Championship; (vs. Raiders) 51–3; Lost Super Bowl XXV; (vs. Giants) 19–20
Pro Bowlers	10 QB Jim Kelly ; RB Thurman Thomas ; WR Andre Reed ; C Kent Hull ; OT Will Wolford ; DT Bruce Smith ; ILB Shane Conlan ; OLB Cornelius Bennett ; OLB Darryl Talley ; ST Steve Tasker ;
AP All-Pros	5 RB Thurman Thomas (1st team) ; C Kent Hull (1st team) ; WR Andre Reed (2nd team) ; DT Bruce Smith (2nd team) ; ILB Shane Conlan (2nd team) ;
	← 1989; Bills seasons; 1991 →;

The 1990 Buffalo Bills season was the 31st for the franchise and the 21st in the National Football League (NFL). The team finished the year with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and first in the American Football Conference (AFC) East division. They were 8–0 at home for the second time in their franchise history.^[1] On the road, the Bills were 5–3. Buffalo qualified for their first Super Bowl appearance, but lost 20–19 to the New York Giants after an infamous missed field goal by Scott Norwood in the game's closing seconds.

The Bills' offense was one of the best in the league; their 428 points (26.75 points per game) scored was first in the league, and since they only gave up 263 points (6th in the league), their point differential was 165 points (10.3 per game), which was the best in the NFL in 1990, as well as the best point-differential in franchise history.^[2] Buffalo's 48 offensive touchdowns (28 passing, 20 rushing) also led the league.

Defensive end Bruce Smith was named Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year for 1990,^[3] recording 101 tackles, four forced fumbles, and a career-high 19 sacks.^[4]The season was chronicled on October 2, 2008 for America's Game: The Missing Rings, as one of the five greatest NFL teams to never win the Super Bowl.

^ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 262.
^ Pro-Football-Reference: 1990 Buffalo Bills
^ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1990 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics.
^ Pro-football-reference.com: Bruce Smith.

[1] NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 262.

[2] Pro-Football-Reference: 1990 Buffalo Bills

[3] Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1990 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics.

[4] Pro-football-reference.com: Bruce Smith.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]