The Buffalo Bills have experienced more disappointments than triumphs throughout their history. Despite their recent success, many fans still focus on the team’s playoff struggles, especially their inability to reach the Super Bowl with Josh Allen as quarterback.
However, the Bills have had some memorable seasons where they dominated the regular season and advanced deep into the playoffs—only to fall short in the Super Bowl. In the early 1990s, Buffalo was the league’s top team, making four straight Super Bowl appearances with Jim Kelly leading the offense.
Although Kelly had a slow start with the Bills—joining the team in 1986 after being drafted in 1983—he went on to become the franchise’s best quarterback to date. Over 11 seasons, Kelly threw for 35,467 yards and 237 touchdowns. His style of play, with a strong passing game, resembles that of Josh Allen, making Allen a natural fit for Buffalo when they drafted him in 2018.
Recently, CBS Sports writer Bryan DeArdo ranked Kelly as the 23rd greatest quarterback of all time, placing him above notable players like Dan Fouts and Philip Rivers. DeArdo highlighted Kelly’s leadership of the “K-Gun” offense that set an NFL record by reaching four consecutive Super Bowls and noted his impressive stats, such as leading the league in completion percentage and passer rating in 1990, and touchdown passes in 1991.
Buffalo’s offense under Kelly was one of the league’s most potent, featuring stars like running back Thurman Thomas and receiver Andre Reed. Their high-powered attack often overwhelmed opposing defenses. The main reason Kelly ranked lower on DeArdo’s list was his lack of a Super Bowl championship ring.
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