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Throughout the history of their franchise, the Buffalo Bills have relied on a strong defense and running game for their success. Playing in Buffalo might have something to do with that. While the Bills haven’t won a Super Bowl, they did win a couple of AFL championships. I did put one of guys from the 60s on this list, Tom Sestak. I would have loved to have put Cookie Gilchrist and Jack Kemp on the list, but just couldn’t.
Kemp was the target of one of the best political jokes I’ve ever heard. It went, “Jack Kemp threw his hat into the political ring, and it was intercepted.” And finally, on this type of list what do you do with O. J. Simpson? I set off-field issues aside for this list. When Simpson was on the field, he was one of the greatest running backs of his generation.
10: Tom Sestak
In a nod to the great Bills of the 60s I put Tom Sestak on the list. He was one of the greatest defensive linemen in the early AFL, Sestak was named to four Pro Bowls and named to the AFL All-Pro team from 1963–65. Stats from that era are sketchy, but by all accounts, Tom was one of the greats of the early AFL.
9. Darryl Talley
Talley is an example of an excellent player who needs a second look to really be appreciated. Darryl was named to two Pro Blows and no All-Pro teams. Being named to Pro Bowls is nice, but two is a low number to be on a list like this. Darryl recorded 38.5 sacks, forced 14 fumbles, recovered 12 fumbles, and intercepted 11 passes. Those aren’t bad numbers but what stands out about Talley is his 1095 tackles. That total makes him the Bills’ career leader in that category.
8. Joe DeLamielleure
DeLamielleureis the third and last offensive lineman to make this list. Joe D played eight seasons for the Bills and went to five Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro three times. DeLamielleure played with the Bills from 1973–80 so he and Reggie McKenzie formed an integral part of the “Electric Company” which turned on “The Juice”. Joe was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s All 70’s team. DeLamielleure was ultimately named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
7. Andre Reed
Buffalo hasn’t exactly been a hotbed of great wide receivers. Andre Reed, however, did excel in his 15 seasons with the Bills. Andre is easily the Bills’ statistical career leader in basically every meaningful receiving category. His career stat line with the Bills was 941 catches good for 13,095 yards and 86 TDs. Reed also played in 21 playoff games for the Bill, catching 85 passes for 1229 yards and another nine TDs. Reed played in all four of the Bills Super Bowl appearances and was named to the Pro Bowl seven times.
6. Josh Allen
Allen is one of the best QBs in the NFL right now and has put together some really nice seasons but doesn’t seem to have reached his full potential. Allen’s passing stats are pretty good, but they are supplemented by his running ability. Going forward, his WRs don’t look to be overwhelming so his future could be challenging. Josh still has a real chance to climb this ladder. Stay tuned.
5. Cornelius Bennett
Bennett is perhaps the second-best known defender in Bills history. During his nine years with the Bills, Bennett had 52.5 sacks, forced 22 fumbles, recovered 18 fumbles, and picked off six passes. Bennett was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was named All-Pro in 1988. Like some other guys on this list, Cornelius went to all four of the Bills’ Super Bowls.
4. Thurman Thomas
Thomas was a versatile running back who was a threat as both a rusher and receiver. (When he could find his helmet.) From 1989–96 Thomas rushed over 1000 yards each season. From 1989–93 Thurman led the NFL in combined rushing and receiving yards with totals of 1913- 1829- 2038 and 2113. In 12 seasons with the Bills, Thomas ran for 11,938 yards. Thomas accounted for 65 rushing TDs and 22 receiving TDs while in Buffalo. Thomas was the NFL’s MVP in 1991 and was named to five Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams. And yes, he also went to all four of the Bills’ Super Bowls.
3. O. J. Simpson
Yes, I know I said I set off-field issues aside for this list, but I couldn’t bring myself to rank Simpson higher than the other two guys on this list. For pure running ability, be it on a football field or running through an airport, Simpson was one of the greatest backs in NFL history. O. J. led the NFL in rushing four times, and three times had the longest run from scrimmage during a season. The Juice was named to six Pro Bowls and five All-Pro Bowl teams. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Reference’s All 70s teams. In 1973 Simpson was the NFL’s MVP. Whether it was offensive linemen in his NFL career or lawyers after his playing days, O. J. was surrounded by great personnel.
2. Bruce Smith
A strong argument could be made for Bruce being number one on this list, though I’ve got him at number two. In a franchise that has a history of being strong on defense, Smith is the greatest Bills defender of all.
In an amazing 15 seasons in Buffalo, Bruce was named to 11 Pro Bowls and eight All-Pro teams. Smith is credited with 171 sacks, forced 35 fumbles and recovered 14 of them. Bruce also scored one TD on a recovered fumble. In 20 playoff games, Bruce recorded another 14.5 sacks. Smith was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1990 and 1996. He was also named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Reference’s All 90s team. Smith’s 200 career sacks make him the NFL’s career leader in that category. Smith was a primary reason the Bills made it to the Super Bowl from 1990–93.
1. Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly had good, but not eye-popping stats in his 11 seasons as the Bills starting QB. Kelly was more than a passer; he was a leader. He and Bruce Smith led the Bills to their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
At the time I really didn’t care a great deal whether the Bills won or lost those games, but looking back on it now, I wish the bills had won at least one of the games. I wish that Scott Norwood’s field goal attempt had been a few feet to the left. Also, I wish that Jim Kelly and a lot of those guys had at least one Super Bowl ring. I wish the city of Buffalo had a Super Bowl champion to reflect on. I’ve had more of those thoughts as I’ve seen Jim Kelly’s battle with cancer. Jim had a nice run of awards during his career. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was named All-Pro once. Kelly and the Bills might not have won a Super Bowl in four tries, but they’re certainly not losers.
