This Sunday, the Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills will meet for just the 13th time ever, and for only the sixth time at Lambeau Field. The two teams have met every four years since 1974, with Buffalo holding the advantage in the all-time series, 8-4. With that being said, let’s revisit a previous match-up between these two teams, this one from Week 12 of the 1994 NFL season.
Green Bay Packers-Buffalo Bills Match-Up Flashback: 1994 Week 12
In 1994, the Packers and Bills squared off for only the sixth time ever and third time in Buffalo in a Week 12 match-up that pitted future Hall of Fame quarterbacks Jim Kelly and Brett Favre against each other. This meeting would be the only time that Kelly and Favre would square off in the two’s respective careers. In this case, it was a meeting of an up-and-coming star in Favre, who was in just his fourth year of what would become a legendary 20-year NFL career, and a seasoned veteran in Kelly, who was the ninth year of his 11-year NFL career.
The 5-5 Bills, coming off of a Super Bowl appearance the year prior, came roaring out of the gates in the first quarter as Kelly engineered touchdown drives on Buffalo’s first two possessions, giving Buffalo an early 14-0 lead thanks to a five-yard touchdown run by Thurman Thomas and a 15-yard pass from Kelly to Andre Reed.
This scoring trend would continue into the second quarter, as Kelly led another Buffalo drive deep into Green Bay territory before being sacked on third and goal and settling for a field goal to make it a 17-0 game. As for Green Bay’s offense, Favre and company could get nothing going for the majority of the first half as Favre would throw a critical interception late in the second quarter to set up another Kelly touchdown pass, finding Reed once again for a 10-yard score to make it 24-0 with 2:12 left in the half.
The Pack Makes A Comeback
Trailing by 24 with no points of their own to show, the Packers began to mount a rally, as Favre engineered a quick 60-yard drive late in the first half capped by a 29-yard scoring strike to Sterling Sharpe to cut it to 24-6, as Chris Jacke would miss the ensuing extra point. Buffalo was not finished in the first half, however, as a 35-yard strike from Kelly to Russell Copeland set up a 51-yard field goal for Steve Christie, who connected and sent the Bills into halftime with a 27-6 lead.
The Packers opened the second half with a long 70-yard drive of nearly six minutes, as Favre would complete eight of nine passes on the drive and throw his second touchdown of the day, this one to Edgar Bennett from five yards out. The scoring strike would cut the lead to 27-13 with 9:02 left to play in the third, making it a two-score game. The Packers defense held around midfield to force a Buffalo punt on the ensuing possession, as Kelly was sacked on third and three by defensive lineman Gilbert Brown. Favre and company took advantage, as the Packers went on an eight play, 77-yard drive that resulted in a 26-yard strike from Favre to Sharpe for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 27-20 late in the third quarter.
The Comeback Falls Short
A promising drive by Buffalo into Green Bay territory on the ensuing possession was blown up by a Terrell Buckley interception that set up Green Bay at the Buffalo 49 early in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the Packers, three straight Favre incompletions wasted a golden opportunity to draw even, and the Packers would have to punt. Another promising Buffalo possession ended without points as Christie flubbed a 26-yard field goal that would have all but put the game away.
After the teams traded punts, the Packers had one more chance to try and tie the game starting at their own 19 with just 2:25 left in the fourth, but Favre was sacked on second down to put Green Bay at its own 1. A holding call in the end zone on third and 19 gave Buffalo a 29-20 lead, sealing the game and ending Green Bay’s comeback hopes.
Aftermath
The Packers, who dropped to 6-5 with the loss, would lose their next two games to the Cowboys and Lions before winning their final three and securing a second straight playoff berth with a record of 9-7. The Packers would go on to defeat the Lions in the Wild Card before falling to the Cowboys once again in the Divisional Round by a final score of 35-9. The Bills, who improved to 6-5 with the win, would lose four of their last five to finish the season at 7-9, missing the playoffs for the first time in six years and ending their string of four consecutive Super Bowl appearances.
Green Bay would go on to win the Super Bowl just two seasons later, while Buffalo would return to the postseason in four of the next five years before entering a 17-season playoff drought that ended last season.
