We may not have come away last week with a win, but you’d be hard-pressed to not be encouraged by what we saw on Sunday afternoon. Had one bounce gone the Jets way, I may have had to re-write my piece from last week on the best opening day games in Jets history. 

With that game in the books, we now turn our attention to this weekend and the first divisional matchup of the season. The Jets will welcome Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills this Sunday, hoping to put down a statement and get back on equal terms with the only side in the AFC East to record a victory in week one. 

The Jets/Bills rivalry may lack the intensity that the Jets share with the Dolphins and Patriots which is probably due to the fact that when the Bills are good the Jets are bad, and when the Jets are good, the Bills are bad. In fact, these two teams have only ever both had winning seasons in the same year on four occasions, but there have still been some memorable games through the years, and the Jets haven’t always walked away victorious. 

Heading into this weekend, Buffalo hold an all-time series lead with 71 wins and 58 losses, and have won 8 of the last 10 games, so let’s hope the Jets are due a victory this weekend. 

Before then, we’re taking a stroll down memory lane as we look at five of the most memorable games in this rivalry’s history. 

1981 – AFC Wild Card Game – Buffalo Bills 31-27 New York Jets

First on our list is the only playoff game in this rivalry’s history, despite playing in the same conference for over 7 decades now. The two teams were evenly matched entering the game, but with the Jets hosting it at Shea stadium, many expected NY to advance to the divisional round despite this being our first playoff game since the 1970 merger. 

The game started in ominous fashion with Bruce Hector fumbling the opening kickoff in the rain and it being returned for a Bills TD just 16 seconds into the contest. Things went from bad to worse for the Jets with the Bills racing to a 24-0 lead but that 1981 team didn’t lack fight, they kept battling to the very end with Mickey Schuler scoring his first and only TD of the season and Robert Jones and Kevin Long scoring to make it a four point game. 

The Jets got the ball back with a chance to win it all and they were given another lifeline when a Buffalo interception was nullified due to a holding call. Richard Todd drove the Jets to the Bills 11 yard line with time expiring but his 4th interception of the afternoon was also the dagger as he failed to spot Bill Simpson who was able to ice the game for Buffalo.

1985 – New York Jets 42-3 Buffalo Bills

Next up we have the highest margin of victory for the Jets against the Bills, with a dominant performance in 1985. The two teams at this point were heading in different directions. The Jets were on their way to an 11-5 record with the Bills struggling to 2-14 for the second consecutive year. 

That 1985 Bills unit was widely regarded as one of the worst offensive teams in NFL history, with their 200 points scoring the lowest total from any team in the 1980s. This lopsided divisional result contributed to the early firing of Kay Stephenson in Western NY after just four games. 

The star of the show was undoubtedly Freeman McNeil who totalled 192 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on just 18 carries with Ken O’Brien throwing 2 touchdowns. The Jets were coming off an embarrassing 31-0 loss in week one to the Raiders and this victory propelled them to 7 wins in 8 games. 

Unfortunately for the Jets they lost 3 of their final 5 games to miss out to the Dolphins in the AFC East and their season was ended by the New England Patriots 26–14 in the wild card round.

2002 – Buffalo Bills 31-37 New York Jets

The Jets finished the 2002 season with a 9-7 record and an AFC East title, only the second in their history and first since 1998. Although the start of the season was largely forgettable due to a 2-5 record, the opening day victory in Orchard Park was special. 

I like to remember this game as the Chad Morton game. With nothing to separate the sides at the end of four quarters, the game headed to OT, but Morton called ‘game’ when he returned the opening kickoff for a 96 yard TD, which I believe is still the longest overtime kickoff returned for a touchdown in NFL history. 

What’s remarkable about it is that it was his second kickoff return TD of the day, with the earlier return going 98 yards. Only 11 players in NFL history have ever returned multiple kickoffs for a TD in the same game, and Morton did it in an AFC East divisional showdown. 

1986 – New York Jets 14-13 Buffalo Bills

Despite being drafted by the Bills in 1983, Jim Kelly didn’t make an appearance in Western New York until 1986. The now legendary QB who resides in the Pro Football HOF never wanted to play for Buffalo and elected to suit up for the Houston Gamblers in 1984 and 1985 before the USFL folded. 

While the Jets walked away with a victory thanks to a suffocating defense and Mickey Shuler catching the game winning 36-yard touchdown, it’s famous for one of the best calls in NFL history by referee Ben Dreith.

As Marty Lyons hit Jim Kelly as he was throwing, the camera panned back to the QB with Lyons on top of him throwing some fisticuffs, this created a bench clearing scrum. When the penalty call was made, Dreith turned his microphone on and stated: “Personal foul on number 99 of the defense, after he tackled the quarterback, he’s giving him the business down there, that’s a 15 yard penalty”

Still one of the finest calls in NFL history and certainly the most memorable call in this rivalry. 

2001 – Buffalo Bills 36-42 New York Jets

The first year under new head coach Herm Edwards was also a highly successful one. The Jets finished the season 10-6 and moved on to the playoffs where they were defeated by the Oakland Raiders. 

The Jets started the season 7-3, and that included this win against a Buffalo Bills team who would end the year at 3-13. This game saw a little bit of everything, Vinny Testaverde threw for multiple touchdowns, Curtis Martin rushed for 135 yards and 2 scores. 

This game however has been included for another reason: Aaron Glenn recorded his 21st career interception for New York in this game and his only interception against the Bills as a Jets player. He had multiple picks against both the Patriots and Dolphins, but this was his lone one against our friends from Western New York.