Dec. 2 in Bills history: The birth of the K-Gun offense

Dec 01, 2014 at 07:45 PM

As is often case with pro football, some of the most-memorable offenses and defenses have been crowned with nicknames that capture their larger-than-life legends: Purple People Eaters, Steel Curtain, Greatest Show on Turf, Legion of Boom ... and of course, Buffalo's own K-Gun.

Debuted on Dec. 2, 1990 in the Bills' 30-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo's attack most often featured three receivers and a single running back, with QB Jim Kelly in a "shotgun" alignment a few yards behind the center.

Kelly engineered the offense, which for years was considered among the most dangerous in the NFL. The quarterback called his own plays and ran the offense without huddling. The result was a high-octane, all-cylinders onslaught that wore down opponents and helped Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed, and James Lofton cement Hall of Fame legacies.

In a sign of the offensive fireworks that would follow for years to come, Kelly hit Lofton for a 63-yard strike just 45 seconds into the game, and finished the first quarter (!) a perfect 8-of-8 for 229 yards and three touchdowns. The K-Gun was born.

Other moments in Bills history on Dec. 2 include: December 2, 1962 -- KEMP GETS HIS FIRST WIN AS BILLS QB

A record War Memorial Stadium crowd of 35,261 saw the Bills defeat the eventual AFL Champion Dallas Texans, 23-14. It was Buffalo's most impressive performance of the season. Jack Kemp passed for 248 yards and two touchdowns to notch his first win as the Bills' starting quarterback.

December 2, 1974 – BILLS CLINCH PLAYOFF BERTH

Miami beat Cincinnati 24-3, thus assuring the Bills of at least a wild card sport, the team's first playoff berth since 1966.

December 2, 1984 – BILLS WIN IN FRONT OF SMALLEST CROWD IN RICH STADIUM HISTORY

The Bills scored 21 points in the first quarter behind new QB Joe Dufek to beat the Colts 21-15 at Rich Stadium in front of 20,693 fans, the smallest crowd in Rich Stadium history.

December 2, 1990 -- KELLY UNVEILS "NO HUDDLE" OFFENSE, BILLS HOLD ON FOR WIN

Jim Kelly went 8-for-8 for 229 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter in a game where the Bills used the "No Huddle" offense for the first time. The Bills then held on for a 30-23 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles at Rich Stadium.

1 / 57

2 / 57

3 / 57

4 / 57

5 / 57

6 / 57

7 / 57

8 / 57

9 / 57

10 / 57

11 / 57

12 / 57

13 / 57

14 / 57

15 / 57

16 / 57

17 / 57

18 / 57

19 / 57

20 / 57

21 / 57

22 / 57

23 / 57

24 / 57

25 / 57

26 / 57

27 / 57

28 / 57

29 / 57

30 / 57

31 / 57

32 / 57

33 / 57

34 / 57

35 / 57

36 / 57

37 / 57

38 / 57

39 / 57

40 / 57

41 / 57

42 / 57

43 / 57

44 / 57

45 / 57

46 / 57

47 / 57

48 / 57

49 / 57

50 / 57

51 / 57

52 / 57

53 / 57

54 / 57

55 / 57

56 / 57

57 / 57

Advertising

This Ad will close in 3

This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be missing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an issue.

Dec. 2 in Bills history: The birth of the K-Gun offense

Jim Kelly through the years

Related Content

Top 3 things we learned from Bills vs. Patriots | Week 16

'It's a momentum game' | Bills players react after close victory over the Patriots

Bills 24, Patriots 21 | Final score, stats to know + game highlights

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots | How to watch, stream & listen | Week 16