Important Dates in Bills History, presented by M&T Bank, helps fans recognize what's important. In the NFL, having a strong ground game is important and on Oct. 30, 1988, Bills iconic running back Thurman Thomas earned his first 100-yard game rushing for 116 yards in a shutout win over the Green Bay Packers.
Thomas' performance propelled the Bills to a 28-0 victory over the Packers at Rich Stadium. Cornelius Bennett recorded 2.5 sacks on Depew native and Packers quarterback Don Majkowski and Mark Kelso returned an interception 78 yards for a touchdown.
Thomas would go on to record 100-yard rushing performances a total of 46 times in his career. In 12 years in Buffalo, Thomas accumulated eight seasons with 1,000 yards rushing, five trips to the Pro Bowl, and 11,938 yards on the ground. His presence in Buffalo's backfield helped the Bills achieve success in the early '90s and set the standard for future running backs.
Thomas was inducted to the Bills Wall of Fame in 2005 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007.
