In anticipation of the Bills Monday Night matchup with the New England Patriots this week, it's time to look back at the Bills successes when playing the NFL's marquee weekly matchup. The Bills are 17-23 overall when playing in Monday Night football games, with their most recent appearance coming in 2009, a 25-24 loss to the Patriots, but some of the franchise's more exciting wins have come in primetime.
- Oct. 4, 1999: Bills 23 Dolphins 19 @ Miami
With offense at a premium, it was the Bills defense that led the way in the franchise's most recent Monday Night football victory. Linebacker John Holecek, noted for his stout defense against the run, showed his ability to rush the passer, hitting Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino from behind and forcing a key fumble in the second quarter. The ball bounced into the hands of fellow linebacker Gabe Northern, who ran with it 59 yards into the end zone for the first touchdown of the game and a 13-6 Bills lead.
Following a touchdown pass from quarterback Doug Flutie to wide receiver Eric Moulds, Holecek struck again. This time he intercepted a pass from Marino and set up kicker Steve Christie's third field goal of the game. The score put the Bills ahead 23-12 as they closed out the game with a four-point win.
- Oct. 26, 1992: Bills 24 Jets 20 @ New York
In the regular season before the Bills final Super Bowl appearance, this Monday Night-er featured a signature Jim Kelly performance in the fourth quarter. After Jets running back Brad Baxter punched in a go ahead, one-yard touchdown to give the Jets a 20-17 lead with 1:50 to play, Kelly took the Bills offense down the field. He ultimately found running back Thurman Thomas for a 12-yard touchdown reception with :51 seconds on the clock and the 24-20 win. The touchdown pass was Kelly's second of the game (he connected with wide receiver James Lofton for a 17-yard score in the second quarter). Running back Kenneth Davis scored the first touchdown of the game for the Bills on a two-yard plunge.
- Oct. 16, 1989: Bills 23 Rams 20 @ Buffalo
A week after quarterback Jim Kelly was injured against the Indianapolis Colts, backup quarterback Frank Reich stepped in and led the Bills to victory against the previously undefeated Los Angeles Rams. It was kicker Scott Norwood who carried the offense early, keeping the Bills in striking distance at 13-9 until the fourth quarter. The Bills and Rams would begin trading touchdowns in the game's final stanza.
Reich connected with running back Thurman Thomas for a one-yard touchdown reception and a 16-13 lead. After Rams quarterback Jim Everett hit wide receiver Flipper Anderson for a 78-yard touchdown to take immediate advantage of a Bills turnover and re-take the lead (20-16) with just under a minute and a half remaining, Reich would stage a last second response. Buffalo's backup QB led a seven-play 64-yard drive culminating in an eight-yard touchdown pass to Andre Reed for the game-winning score with 16 seconds left in the game.
