Buffalo Bills · Franchise era 3 of 5
The K-Gun years: the Buffalo Bills story
The story in one sentence
Kelly's no-huddle offense and a defense led by Smith reached four straight Super Bowls, an achievement defined equally by dominance and heartbreak.
Four consecutive AFC championships
Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Bruce Smith gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for the seventeen-year drought.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1985
What came before
An elite line powered Simpson's 2,003-yard season before Chuck Knox later returned Buffalo to the playoffs with a tougher, balanced roster.
- 11TradeOctober 31, 1987
October 31, 1987
The three-team Eric Dickerson megadeal
The Colts wanted an immediate superstar, Buffalo wanted its unsigned top pick and Los Angeles chose a vast rebuild after its relationship with Dickerson broke down.
To IND
To BUFDraftPICKround asset
To LARDraft1STround asset+1 assetsDickerson to IndianapolisIND receives Eric DickersonBUF receives Rights to Cornelius Bennett · No. 2LAR receives Greg Bell, Owen Gill, Three 1st-round picks + 1 more6 original assets · 2 outcomes tracedOpen trade → 1991-01-27
Super Bowl: Buffalo Bills vs New York Giants
1992-01-12
Conference Championship: Denver Broncos vs Buffalo Bills
1992-01-26
Super Bowl: Buffalo Bills vs Washington
After 1996
What came next
Buffalo cycled through coaches and quarterbacks while devoted fans waited through the league's longest active playoff drought.
The core