1993 Buffalo Bills season
34th season in franchise history, fourth straight Super Bowl appearance and loss
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 1993 Buffalo Bills season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League (NFL). 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 | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| General manager | John Butler |
| Head coach | Marv Levy |
| Offensive coordinator | Tom Bresnahan |
| Defensive coordinator | Walt Corey |
| Home stadium | Rich Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1st AFC East |
| Playoffs | Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Raiders) 29–23 Won AFC Championship (vs. Chiefs) 30–13 Lost Super Bowl XXVIII (vs. Cowboys) 13–30 |
| All-Pros | 3
|
| Pro Bowlers | 7
|
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, the Bills once again fell to the Cowboys, this time by a score of 30–13, marking their fourth straight Super Bowl loss.
Until the 2020 season, this Bills squad was the last to reach the AFC Championship Game. The Bills' four consecutive Super Bowl appearances remains unmatched as of 2026, with no other team having even so much as played in four out of five consecutive Super Bowls until the New England Patriots did so from the 2014 through the 2018 seasons. This is also the last Super Bowl appearance for the Bills overall as of 2026.
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]
Offseason
| Additions | Subtractions |
|---|---|
| WR Bill Brooks (Colts) | LB Shane Conlan (Rams) |
| CB Mickey Washington (Redskins) | WR James Lofton (Rams) |
| CB Cliff Hicks (Jets) | |
| G Mitch Frerotte (Seahawks) |
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 | |||||
Undrafted free agents
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Kurt Bloedorn | Punter | Cal State Fullerton |
| Monty Brown | Linebacker | Ferris State |
| Phil Bryant | Running back | Virginia Tech |
| Jason Carthen | Linebacker | Ohio State |
| Malcolm Everette | Safety | Youngstown State |
| Anthony Fieldings | Linebacker | Morningside |
| Bob Gordon | Wide receiver | Nebraska-Omaha |
| Dean Jones | Defensive end | Morningside |
| Yonel Jourdain | Running back | Southern Illinois |
| Kevin O'Brien | Linebacker | Bowling Green |
| Tom Svobodny | Tackle | Morehead State |
| David White | Linebacker | Nebraska |
Personnel
|
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
|
Roster
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 5 | New England Patriots | W 38–14 | 1–0 | Rich Stadium | 79,751 |
| 2 | September 12 | at Dallas Cowboys | W 13–10 | 2–0 | Texas Stadium | 63,226 |
| 3 | Bye | |||||
| 4 | September 26 | Miami Dolphins | L 13–22 | 2–1 | Rich Stadium | 79,635 |
| 5 | October 3 | New York Giants | W 17–14 | 3–1 | Rich Stadium | 79,283 |
| 6 | October 11 | Houston Oilers | W 35–7 | 4–1 | Rich Stadium | 79,613 |
| 7 | Bye | |||||
| 8 | October 24 | at New York Jets | W 19–10 | 5–1 | Giants Stadium | 71,541 |
| 9 | November 1 | Washington Redskins | W 24–10 | 6–1 | Rich Stadium | 79,106 |
| 10 | November 7 | at New England Patriots | W 13–10 (OT) | 7–1 | Foxboro Stadium | 54,326 |
| 11 | November 15 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 0–23 | 7–2 | Three Rivers Stadium | 60,265 |
| 12 | November 21 | Indianapolis Colts | W 23–9 | 8–2 | Rich Stadium | 79,101 |
| 13 | November 28 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 7–23 | 8–3 | Arrowhead Stadium | 74,452 |
| 14 | December 5 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 24–25 | 8–4 | Rich Stadium | 79,478 |
| 15 | December 12 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 10–7 | 9–4 | Veterans Stadium | 60,769 |
| 16 | December 19 | at Miami Dolphins | W 47–34 | 10–4 | Joe Robbie Stadium | 71,597 |
| 17 | December 26 | New York Jets | W 16–14 | 11–4 | Rich Stadium | 70,817 |
| 18 | January 2, 1994 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 30–10 | 12–4 | Hoosier Dome | 43,028 |
Game summaries
Week 1
Week One: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Bills | 0 | 17 | 0 | 21 | 38 |
at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: September 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), wind 12 mph (19 km/h)
- Referee: Gerald Austin
- TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond and Cris Collinsworth
- Box Score
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Week 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
- Date: September 12
- Location: Texas Stadium, Irving, Texas
- Game start: 3:00 p.m.
- Game weather: 85 °F (29 °C), wind 16 mph (26 km/h)
- Referee: Bernie Kukar
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
| 1 | BUF | Carwell Gardner 10 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 7–0 | |
| 2 | BUF | Steve Christie 48 yard field goal | Bills 10–0 | |
| 2 | DAL | Lin Elliott 43 yard field goal | Bills 10–3 | |
| 4 | DAL | Kevin Williams 5 yard run (Lin Elliott kick) | Tie 10–10 | |
| 4 | BUF | Steve Christie 35 yard field goal | Bills 13–10 | |
Week 3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Dolphins | 16 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 22 |
| Bills | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
- Date: September 26
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 79,635
- Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C) • 16 miles per hour (26 km/h; 14 kn), rain (at start of game)
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg, Paul Maguire
Week 5
Week Five: New York Giants (3–0) at Buffalo Bills (2–1)
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giants | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Bills | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Rich Stadium • Orchard Park, New York
- Date: October 3
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C) • 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
- Game attendance: 79,283
- Referee: Gordon McCarter
- TV announcers (TNT): Gary Bender and Pat Haden
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
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Week 6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oilers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Bills | 7 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
- Date: October 11
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 79,613
- Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C) • 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Referee: Tom White (American football official)
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Al Michaels, Dan Dierdorf
| Q1 | BUF | Don Beebe 34 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 7–0 | |
| Q1 | HOU | Leonard Harris 17 yard pass from Warren Moon (Al Del Greco kick) | Tie 7–7 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Andre Reed 24 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 14–7 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Andre Reed 39 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 21–7 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Thurman Thomas 7 yard run (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 28–7 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Kenneth Davis 3 yard run (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 35–7 | |
Week 8
Buffalo Bills (4–1) at New York Jets (2–3)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 19 |
| Jets | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
- Date: October 24
- Game start: 1:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 71,541
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C) • 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn)
- TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Bob Trumpy
| Q1 | NYJ | Brad Baxter 1 yard rush (Cary Blanchard kick) | NYJ 7–0 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Steve Christie 37 yard field goal | NYJ 7–3 | |
| Q2 | BUF | Steve Christie 33 yard field goal | NYJ 7–6 | |
| Q3 | BUF | Darryl Talley 61 yard interception return (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 13–7 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Steve Christie 22 yard field goal | BUF 16–7 | |
| Q4 | NYJ | Cary Blanchard 33 yard field goal | BUF 16–10 | |
| Q4 | BUF | Steve Christie 30 yard field goal | BUF 19–10 | |
Week 9
November 1, 1993.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Redskins | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| • Bills | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
- Date: November 1
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 9:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 79,106
- Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C) • 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn)
- Referee: Larry Nemmers
- TV announcers (Monday Night Football): Al Michaels, Frank Gifford, and Dan Dierdorf
| Q1 | 9:00 | BUF | Andre Reed 65 yard pass from Kelly (Christie kick) | BUF 7–0 |
| Q1 | 4:35 | WSH | Reggie Brooks 7 yard rush (Chip Lohmiller kick) | TIE 7–7 |
| Q1 | 0:10 | BUF | Bill Brooks (American football) 11 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 14–7 |
| Q2 | 8:24 | WSH | Chip Lohmiller 19 yard field goal | BUF 14–10 |
| Q3 | 5:27 | BUF | Thurman Thomas 1 yard rush (Steve Christie kick) | BUF 21–10 |
| Q4 | 11:25 | BUF | Steve Christie 45 yard field goal | BUF 24–10 |
Week 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colts | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| • Bills | 0 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
- Date: November 21, 1993
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 79,101
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C) • 21 miles per hour (34 km/h; 18 kn)
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (NBC): Dan Hicks, Dan Hampton
Week 13
Buffalo Bills (8–2) at Kansas City Chiefs (7–3)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| • Chiefs | 7 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 23 |
- Date: November 28
- Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
- Game start: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 74,452
- Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C) • 11 miles per hour (18 km/h; 9.6 kn)
- Referee: Dale Hamer
- TV announcers (NFL on NBC): Marv Albert, Mike Ditka
| 1 | 4:14 | BUF | Kenneth Davis (American football) 9 yard rush (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 7–0 |
| 1 | KC | Marcus Allen 18 yard pass from Joe Montana (Nick Lowery kick) | TIE 7–7 | |
| 2 | KC | Nick Lowery 30 yard field goal | Chiefs 10–7 | |
| 3 | KC | Keith Cash 1 yard pass from Joe Montana (Nick Lowery kick) | Chiefs 17–7 | |
| 3 | KC | Nick Lowery 22 yard field goal | Chiefs 20–7 | |
| 4 | KC | Nick Lowery 34 yard field goal | Chiefs 23–7 | |
Week 14
Los Angeles Raiders (6–5) at Buffalo Bills (8–3)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Raiders | 3 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 25 |
| Bills | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
- Date: December 5
- Location: Rich Stadium Orchard Park, NY
- Game start: 1:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 79,478
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C) • 13 miles per hour (21 km/h; 11 kn); wind chill 29
- Referee: Bob McElwee
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Todd Christensen
| 1 | 7:43 | Raiders | Jeff Jaeger 37 yard field goal | Raiders 3–0 |
| 2 | Bills | Thurman Thomas 3 yard rush (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 7–3 | |
| 2 | Raiders | Jeff Hostetler 11 yard rush (Jeff Jaeger kick) | Raiders 10–7 | |
| 2 | Bills | Don Beebe 65 yard pass from Jim Kelly (Christie kick) | Bills 14–10 | |
| 3 | Raiders | Jeff Jaeger 34 yard field goal | Bills 14–13 | |
| 3 | Bills | Steve Christie 35 yard field goal | Bills 17–13 | |
| 3 | Raiders | Jeff Jaeger 26 yard field goal | Bills 17–16 | |
| 4 | Bills | Thurman Thomas 1 yard rush (Steve Christie kick) | Bills 24–16 | |
| 4 | Raiders | Jeff Jaeger 47 yard field goal | Bills 24–19 | |
| 4 | Raiders | Tim Brown 29 yard pass from Jeff Hostetler | Raiders 25–24 | |
Week 15
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 9 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 47 |
| Eagles | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: December 12th, 1993
- Location: Veterans Stadium • Philadelphia
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 60,769
- Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C) • 21 miles per hour (34 km/h; 18 kn); wind chill 17
- Referee: Johnny Grier
- TV announcers (NBC): Marv Albert and Paul Maguire
Week 16
Buffalo (9–4) at Miami (9–4)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| • Bills | 9 | 17 | 21 | 0 | 47 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
- Date: December 19
- Location: Joe Robbie Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Elapsed time: 2:59.44
- Game attendance: 71,597
- Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) • 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
- Referee: Howard Roe
- TV announcers (NFL on NBC): Dick Enberg, Bob Trumpy
Week 17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| • Bills | 7 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 16 |
- Date: December 26, 1993
- Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 70,817
- Game weather: 9 °F (−13 °C) • 23 miles per hour (37 km/h; 20 kn)
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (NFL on NBC): Don Criqui, Paul Maguire
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
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 6 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 30 |
| Bills | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
With the loss, the Bills secured an NFL record 4 consecutive Super Bowl losses, with 3 out of 4 being multi-possession losses. As of 2025, this remains the Bills last Super Bowl appearance.
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
- Nate Odomes, Tied NFL Lead, 9 Interceptions
- Bruce Smith, Newspaper Enterprise Association Defensive Player of the Year Award
- Thurman Thomas, AFC Leader, 1,315 Rushing Yards