Sorry, punting aficionados – this one is not for you.
Buffalo's no-punt, high-scoring thriller against the San Francisco 49ers from Sept. 13, 1992 will air this Sunday, Aug. 30 beginning at 3 p.m. on WIVB Channel 4 in Buffalo and WROC Channel 8 in Rochester. Presented by Connors and Ferris, it will be the second of four legendary Bills games re-airing in advance of the 2020 season.
Here is everything you need to know.
The matchup
Coming off back-to-back AFC Championships, the Bills were at the height of their powers entering the 1992 season. They earned a 40-7 blowout victory in their Week 1 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, setting up a Week 2 battle with another franchise that had seen its share of recent success: Steve Young and the San Francisco 49ers.
What ensued was a duel that would live in the record books. In a shootout reminiscent of their days is the USFL, Young and Bills quarterback Jim Kelly combined for 852 passing yards and six passing touchdowns while Klaus Wilmsmeyer and Chris Mohr sat idly in the NFL's first game without a punt.
"You just do your normal routine, get ready, get ready, get ready, and hope they make a first down," Mohr, the Bills punter, would tell ESPN.com. "Eventually, you look at the clock and say, 'I guess I'm not going to punt today.'"
The Bills erased a 24-13 halftime deficit on a pair of third-quarter touchdowns from Kelly to tight end Pete Metzelaars. Young connected with John Taylor on a 54-yard touchdown to put the 49ers ahead 31-27, but an 11-yard run by Thurman Thomas gave the Bills a permanent lead with 3:04 remaining.
Kelly finished the game with three touchdowns and 403 passing yards, the latter of which stood as the highest mark of his Hall of Fame career.
How to watch
Tune in this Sunday, Aug. 30 at 3 p.m. ET to WIVB Channel 4 in Buffalo and WROC Channel 8 in Rochester.
Where to Follow Along
For more information and for additional Bills content, follow along with the team on buffalobills.com, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, the Bills Mobile app, presented by M&T Bank, and the My One Buffalo app.
