Standing out from the Herd.
The Buffalo Bills entered the NFL in 1970 when the AFL and the NFL merged.
Since then, there have been some incredible players to pull on the blue and red jersey.
We are going to take a look at the greatest at each position, building an offense that would set any era of NFL on fire.
Once that is in the books, we will break it down in future articles and find out what really made these guys so special.
Quarterback – Jim Kelly (for now!)
Leader of the Bills through the 1980s and 90s – Kelly ran his ‘K-gun’ fast-paced passing offense, revolutionising the game during that span.
Four Super Bowl appearances, 101 wins, 35,000 passing yards and 237 touchdowns – it is hard to argue with the impact No.12 had on the Buffalo Bills.
Give Josh Allen more time and I have no doubt we will be crowning him the Bills’ greatest ever quarterback. .
But for now, Jim has done more than enough to earn that title.
Running Back – O.J. Simpson
Okay, okay – leaving Thurman Thomas out is potentially going to get me banned from the state of New York.
Hear me out, what O.J. Simpson did on the football field was nothing short of league altering. He totalled 10,183 yards in 107 games. That’s 90.9 yards per game.
In 1973 he ran for 2,003 rushing yards in 14 games. Only seven players in the league have bettered that total, yet they each had at least 16 games.
Then again, in 1975 he backed it up with 2,243 yards from scrimmage in another 14-game season.
These yards per game numbers are likely never going to be seen again from a modern day running back.
Wide Receiver – Andre Reed
It’s #VictoryTuesday and we’re on the the Divisional round for #KCvsBUF
1991: Another divisional round matchup featuring this 53 yard Andre Reed TD#GoBills pic.twitter.com/8ihBPXXlnC
— BillsVHS📼 (@BillsVhs) January 16, 2024
No one comes close to Reed’s longevity and yardage.
Jim Kelly’s number one target throughout his time in Buffalo, Reed made seven consecutive Pro Bowls.
The rangy receiver once caught 15 of 19 targets for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a Week 11 match-up against the Green Bay Packers in 1994.
Tight End – Elbert ‘Golden Wheels’ Dubenion
Before the tight end position was even known as a tight end, Elbert Dubenion was causing mismatches for opposition defenzes.
Part of the inaugural Buffalo Bills of 1960 – 10 years before the AFL-NFL merger – Elbert played nine seasons with the Bills.
Tackle – Dion Dawkins & Joe Devlin
One new. One old.
Dawkins has three Pro Bowls in eight seasons, and counting, in Buffalo.
Devlin played 13 seasons for Buffalo at right tackle – dependable and reliable.
Guards – Reggie McKenzie & Joe DeLamielluere
Both a part of the ‘Electric Company’ offensive line that paved the way for O.J. Simpson to set numerous records.
Very few come close to the impact they have had.
Center – Kent Hull
The man tasked with putting the ball in the hands of quarterback Jim Kelly.
Eleven seasons, 170 games. Three Pro Bowls.
