The Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills meet on Monday night in a matchup of franchises that have had a number of disappointing Super Sundays. Both teams have been the poster team for Super Bowl failure over the years.
The two teams have represented the AFC on 12 occasions in the Super Bowl and are a combined 3-9, with Denver solely responsible for the wins.
The Broncos’ five Super Bowl losses are tied with the New England Patriots for the most ever. The Bills and Minnesota Vikings are tied for second most with four losses. New England has won six Super Bowls, while Buffalo and Minnesota are still searching for a Super Bowl win.
Broncos’ Rough Start in the Big Game
The Broncos needed heroics from quarterback John Elway to get past the Cleveland Browns in the 1986 AFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl XXI. Denver jumped out to a 10-9 halftime lead against the New York Giants in that game but were outscored 30-10 in the second half.
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The Broncos returned to the Super Bowl the next season against Washington and again jumped out to an early lead. After scoring the game’s first 10 points, the Broncos gave up 42 straight points, including 35 in the second quarter.
Two years later, Denver reached Super Bowl XXIV against the defending champion San Francisco 49ers. Joe Montana’s 49ers outplayed the Broncos early and led 27-3 at halftime. The 55-10 loss was the Broncos’ third Super Bowl in four years.
John Elway and the Broncos Break Through for a Super Upset
The Broncos entered Super Bowl XXXII as 11-point underdogs to the Green Bay Packers, who were the defending champions. Elway, with the help of Super Bowl MVP Terrell Davis, was able to finally win a Super Bowl. Davis scored the game-winning touchdown with under two minutes left in the game.
The following year, the Broncos went 14-2 in the regular season and returned to the Super Bowl against the Atlanta Falcons. Denver won a second straight championship behind Elway’s 336 pass yards in his final career game. The Hall of Fame quarterback recorded a passing and rushing touchdown apiece to earn the game’s MVP honors.
Denver reached the Super Bowl twice with Peyton Manning as quarterback. The Broncos suffered a 43-8 loss against Russell Wilson’s Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII. Two years later, Manning and the Broncos returned to beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50.
The Bills Go Four in a Row
The Bills reached the franchise’s first Super Bowl during the 1990 season. The Bills scored 95 points in two AFC playoff games to reach Super Bowl XXV against the Giants. Buffalo was held to 19 points in the game, and its dreams of a championship evaporated when Scott Norwood’s field-goal attempt in the final seconds went wide right.
The Bills would return to the Super Bowl in the next three seasons and lose each time. They were never able to get as close to a title as in their first trip, and each game had its own notable moment.
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In Super Bowl XXVI against Washington, running back Thurman Thomas was not able to find his helmet and missed the first play of the game. Buffalo would fall behind 17-0 in the first half and go on to lose by a 37-24 score.
The next season, the Bills faced a young Dallas Cowboys team and jumped out to a 7-0 lead. Dallas ended up taking control of the game by halftime and went on to win 52-17. Buffalo had nine turnovers, including two fumbles that Dallas ended up recovering and returning for touchdowns.
One of the lasting images of the Bills’ Super Bowl run happened late in the game when wide receiver Don Beebe chased down Cowboys defensive lineman Leon Lett, who was trying to score a long touchdown after a fumble recovery. Beebe knocked the ball out of Lett’s hands at the goal line, and the Bills got the ball back. This prevented the Cowboys from setting a record for points scored in a Super Bowl.
In Super Bowl XXVIII, the Bills faced the Cowboys again and actually had a 13-6 lead at halftime. The game turned on the first drive of the second half when Thomas, who was a five-time All-Pro, fumbled, and Cowboys safety James Washington picked it up and returned it 46 yards for a game-tying touchdown.
Dallas, behind running back Emmitt Smith and one of the best offensive lines in NFL history, controlled the second half. The Cowboys won 30-13 for a second straight championship, as the Bills lost the Super Bowl for the fourth straight time.
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