Frank Reich relives Bills' greatest game in Highmark Stadium history

As the Buffalo Bills prepare for their final game at Highmark Stadium, there's no debate on the greatest game played there.

Frank Reich | Staff file photo, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Buffalo Bills have won 262 games in Rich/Ralph/Highmark Stadium. They won 16 playoff games there, including three AFC Championship Games that led to the Super Bowl.

But of all those years and games and memories, one clearly stands out for Bills Mafia: The Comeback.

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As the Bills prepare to close "old" Highmark Sunday in a meaningless game against the awful New York Jets and likely with star quarterback Josh Allen playing no more than a snap, the memories are flooding in. So is the realization that it will likely be the last game at the stadium.

"We knew it was special at the time," former quarterback Frank Reich said this week. "There was a camaraderie between the players and the fans in that stadium that was like no place else."

He should know. Because it wasn't Hall of Famer Jim Kelly or future Canton resident Allen who authored the best memory in Highmark Stadium history. It was the backup quarterback from Maryland.

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The Bills had been to two Super Bowls but in the 1992 season a return trip looked bleak. In the regular-season finale Kelly suffered strained knee ligaments in a 27-3 loss to the Oiler in Houston. The Wild Card Game was a rematch vs. Houston, but without Kelly. To make matters worse, the Bills were also without star linebacker Cornelius Bennett and running back Thurman Thomas, who left the game with a hip injury.

You can't talk about Bills history without mentioning "35-3."

Longest field goal: 54 yards -- Steve Christie, Buffalo Bills, Super Bowl XXVIII with Frank Reich holding | H. DARR BEISER via Imagn Content Services, LLC

On Jan. 3 1993 at then-Rich Stadium — 33 years ago — the Oilers dominated early. Warren Moon completed 19 of 22 passes and threw four touchdowns in the first half and Reich threw a Pick Six on the first series of the third quarter to make it 35-3.

The game wasn't sold out and, due to the NFL's blackout rule, wasn't shown locally on Buffalo TV. Only 71,000 were in attendance, but Bills Mafia can recite what happened next by memory.

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"70,000 people were at that game," legendary Bills' head coach Marv Levy said. "I've already met 400,000 of them."

Down 32, Kenneth Davis kept alive a drive with a 4th-down run. Pete Metzelaars caught a pass that should have intercepted. Steve Christie recovered an onside kick. Don Beebe caught a touchdown when replays showed he stepped out of bounds. Henry Jones' interception. Three touchdown catches by Andre Reed. The Oilers fumbling the snap on a 31-yard field goal. Nate Odomes' interceptin in overtime and, finally, Christie's 32-yard game-winner in overtime.

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Reich finished 21 of 34 for 289 yards and four touchdowns. In nine years in Buffalo he only made eight starts.

Bills-Oilers | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

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