1988
The 2017 Bills are hoping to be just like the 1988 Bills team that started a great run in franchise history.
The Bills didn’t go to the playoffs from 1982-1987, which doesn’t seem like that long of a drought now. But still, it was a tough time to be a Bills fan that included two 2-14 seasons.
1988 was the year things changed. It was Jim Kelly’s third year with the Bills and his first division title. It was a season that saw the Bills finish the regular season with an 12-4 record and a return to the postseason.
The Bills made it all the way to the AFC Championship, only to lose to the Cincinnati Bengals. As Bills fans now know, it was the start of a special run.
Marv Levy ended the season with Coach of the Year honors in only his second full season coaching the team. It was also Thurman Thomas‘ rookie season and Andre Reed‘s third season. It is crazy to think just how great the team was with some of the biggest names in franchise history being so young.
This season got fans thinking about Super Bowl championships, and oh how nice it would be to go back to that year with all that optimism.