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15. Div Round loss in BF, 1993, Hoss' first year, Timmer's first year as starter. We dominated H1. Ran AT em. Did what we wanted. Two Nap McCallum TD's, unstoppable power, short yardage. But a big bogus PI vs Torin Dorn just before HT set up Kelly, and it was close. Hoss and Timmer were hot. Just like the month before. After losing to 0-10 CN, our 1993 looked dead. But was surprisingly revived the next week, here, in BF, as Hoss and Brown hooked up wild, 183 yards. We'd barely made the playoffs, tying DN in the finale at :00, a 4 yard TD, Hoss to Alexander Wright, forcing OT, which we won after Elam missed a 40 yarder. Then, we did DN again, last week, WC round---3 Hoss H1 TD's, including bombs to Timmer and Jett, and 3 more McCallum rush TD's in all S&B H2. So when Kelly went up in Q3 on a 20-ish yard TD to Bill Brooks, it was no surprise to see Hoss and #81 respond instantly. Short drop, QB looks L, holds ball, waits for WR, pops him just coming out the far side, R side---jukes a S first step, already full speed, amazing---and gone, 86 yards, our longest ever postseason. Late Q4, we were 3rd and 1, our 29. A 1st down just about ices it. McCallum outta the I wasn't in there, he was hurt. Oh, no. Nick Bell. Outta I. Oh, please no. Timmer's unSTOPpable. But hand off goes to super slow starting, size/speed Bell, ankled down in the backfield by not stupid Cornelius Bennett. Game on the line, Long and Townsend COULD NOT get heat. QB carved us up. Won it with another 20-ish yarder to Brooks. Had we attacked BF, we'd'a gone to KC next, vs pretty Joe Montana and angry Marcus Allen. In the midst of that mad KC-over-OK streak, exactly 1990 to 99, when KC took us 18 of 20. And Aikman, Emmitt, Irvin awaited after that.

16. 3-51, the 1990 Title, in BF, sans Bo. We'd'a had no chance that day even with ubermensch. Not so long as Jay Schroeder was QB. And Howie Long, Greg Townsend, Willie Gault... Not on the at field. Maybe in mud. 1990 we were 12-4, Shell's first year, started 4-0, playing super old fashioned football ala Lamonica. Then, week 5, on SNF in BF. We dominated. Ran AT em. Bo was still a Royal. We threw at will, Fern and Gault, 20 yard look-ins. Built a 24-14 edge, mid Q4. Kelly and company then exploded---24 points in 6:03. Tasker blocked a P, returned for a TD by a ST'er. Cornelius Bennett---sack/strip/recover. Norwood FG. Thus, 24-31, about 2:00 to go. No worry. We're moving the ball. Another smart pass, an out to Gault, L sideline, exactly midfield, bobbled, stud CB Nate Odomes arriving, each grasping pigskin, each getting a piece---finally grabbed off the skinny WR's back by the hard hitting CB, who traipsed the sideline. The 3-51, then, was really just a 60:00 extension of those suicidal 6:03 of week 5. Our 12th Title appearance, 8th loss. BF became just the 2nd team to beat us and not win it all, DN in 77 being the first. The Bills were just vastly superior to us.

17. Expansion curse, 1971. It finally caught up with us. Clem ruined himself vs MI in 67, McCloughan as well vs CN in 68. In 69, a loss and tie prevented 14-0, CN and MI, 3rd and 4th year pups. In 71, it cost us postseason, only time in 11 years. A tie in NO, a loss in AT. The details aren't important. Hubbard fumbled numerous in one, the Bomber stunk out another. The expansion dilemna continued bigtime with SE, who swept us in 78 and 79, our next 2 holidays at home. Expansionists have bugged us all the way thru the Ravens, Texans, Jags, Panthers... Bucs.

Professor Eyepatch