Mods feel free to move or delete - I didn't see a good choice of forum for this. This may be my new favorite 30 for 30. Also interesting because was I just getting into sports as a young adult in college when these games actually happened so it's interesting to compare my memories against the documentary.
* Great interview with Bill Belichick about how he defended the Bills in the first of the four Superbowls. Apparently it was the first time someone played with 2 defensive lineman. Belichick got way more press time than Parcels did. History at work.
* Kind of obvious, but Norwood's miss was a 47 yarder. That seems routine nowadays, but it was a long kick back then. He'd never made a kick that long on grass in his career.
* The players and town really had Norwood's back and he was a hero in Buffalo (unlike BB in Boston ... edit: but see the update below - I may have bought too much into the media storyline on BB).
* Not mentioned but I couldn't help but notice - Marv Levy is supposed to be the intellectual coach but his players and staff were so badly unprepared. Thurman Thomas losing his helmet, all the turnovers, the shuffle passes, letting his players party all night and then realizing they were abusing the privilege and then being forced to impose one mid-week, an assistant coach who trash talked "the hogs" at length in the game against Washington, etc.
* The comeback. The Bills came back from 35 to 3 down with less than 2 minutes in the third quarter to beat the Oilers in the playoffs.
* 9 turnovers against the Cowboys in the third game! See also: my point about Levy.
* Interesting bit about Don Beebe stripping Leon Lett on the goal line to prevent a touchdown. He got a bunch of letters, including from Cowboys fans, mostly from dads and coaches who used him as a role model.
* Interesting subtext - Thurman Thomas criticized the play calling quite a bit in interviews. I know Jim Kelly had a lot of freedom to call plays under the no huddle but I don't think Kelly was Thomas' target. Not sure who was
And at the end of it, you really empathize with the the Bills, particularly by the 4th game when they basically gave up after being up at the half. The documentary said the Bills had nothing left to give, too drained after 4 years of fighting to climb the hill. I'd say the reality was that those early 90's Cowboys teams were just way better than everyone else back then.
* Great interview with Bill Belichick about how he defended the Bills in the first of the four Superbowls. Apparently it was the first time someone played with 2 defensive lineman. Belichick got way more press time than Parcels did. History at work.
* Kind of obvious, but Norwood's miss was a 47 yarder. That seems routine nowadays, but it was a long kick back then. He'd never made a kick that long on grass in his career.
* The players and town really had Norwood's back and he was a hero in Buffalo (unlike BB in Boston ... edit: but see the update below - I may have bought too much into the media storyline on BB).
* Not mentioned but I couldn't help but notice - Marv Levy is supposed to be the intellectual coach but his players and staff were so badly unprepared. Thurman Thomas losing his helmet, all the turnovers, the shuffle passes, letting his players party all night and then realizing they were abusing the privilege and then being forced to impose one mid-week, an assistant coach who trash talked "the hogs" at length in the game against Washington, etc.
* The comeback. The Bills came back from 35 to 3 down with less than 2 minutes in the third quarter to beat the Oilers in the playoffs.
* 9 turnovers against the Cowboys in the third game! See also: my point about Levy.
* Interesting bit about Don Beebe stripping Leon Lett on the goal line to prevent a touchdown. He got a bunch of letters, including from Cowboys fans, mostly from dads and coaches who used him as a role model.
* Interesting subtext - Thurman Thomas criticized the play calling quite a bit in interviews. I know Jim Kelly had a lot of freedom to call plays under the no huddle but I don't think Kelly was Thomas' target. Not sure who was
And at the end of it, you really empathize with the the Bills, particularly by the 4th game when they basically gave up after being up at the half. The documentary said the Bills had nothing left to give, too drained after 4 years of fighting to climb the hill. I'd say the reality was that those early 90's Cowboys teams were just way better than everyone else back then.
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