Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 18, 1993 TAG: 9301180100
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: MIAMI LENGTH: Long
SUPER MATCH: COWBOY-BILLS
Through injuries, wild cards and wild comebacks, the Buffalo Bills never flinched. Now comes the real test: a third straight Super Bowl.Maybe this time, with a suddenly overpowering defense, they'll win the big one.
The Bills qualified for a record-tying third straight Super Bowl with a convincing 29-10 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Sunday's AFC Championship Game. Buffalo will play Dallas, which won the NFC Championship game 30-20 over San Francisco.
"It's been a long road and a hard road," Bills coach Marv Levy said. "I've never been prouder in all the years I've coached than to be associated with the men on this team."
One of those men, defensive end Bruce Smith, played like Superman on Sunday. He had seven tackles, 1 1/2 sacks, a forced fumble and a blocked pass.
"This is very gratifying," said Smith, who has overcome a cracked rib on one side and bruised ribs on the other side of his battered body. "My heart was pumping so fast before the game I thought I'd have to see the doctor.
"I don't think there is a healthy guy in the league. We've been through 23 weeks. But the good and great players rise to the occasion."
Just the way Thurman Thomas did. The NFL's total offense leader the past four seasons showed why with 96 yards rushing and 70 more on five receptions.
"I think this team has really matured a lot and is ready to go out and win a Super Bowl," Thomas said.
Quarterback Jim Kelly, back after missing 2 1/2 games with a knee injury, had a 17-yard TD pass to Thomas. He wasn't real NFL notebook. B2 sharp, but his 17-for-24 performance for 177 yards blunted any criticism of coach Levy for starting him over Frank Reich, who led the Bills to their first two postseason victories.
Ken Davis had a 2-yard TD run and Steve Christie tied a postseason-record with five field goals, from distances of 21, 33, 21, 31 and 38 yards.
"What can I say?" said Christie, who left Tampa Bay and joined Buffalo as a free agent before the season. "Wow!"
Buffalo's defense, virtually impenetrable since the third quarter of the first playoff game, flustered Dan Marino all day. The Bills, who have allowed just 16 points since falling behind 35-3 in their playoff opener against Houston, had four sacks as defensive stars Smith, Darryl Talley and Cornelius Bennett were dominant.
The Dolphins, winners of the AFC East on the final day of the season as Buffalo lost, hurt themselves with five turnovers. Seeking their first AFC title since 1984, the Dolphins could not come close to stopping their archrivals from equaling their own feat of three successive Super Bowl appearances (1971-73).
"Anytime you turn the ball over as many times as we did in our own territory against a team as good as Buffalo, it's going to be tough to win," Marino said.
Buffalo, now 6-1 at Joe Robbie Stadium, became the fourth wild-card team to make the long trip to the big game. Only the 1980 Oakland Raiders won the NFL championship as a wild card.
"We've been living for today," Smith said. "For three weeks."
Levy stretched his hex over Dolphins coach Don Shula, the second winningest in NFL history. He's only 4-12 against Levy.
Buffalo's dominance Sunday was built around the powerful surges of Smith. All-Pro tackle Richmond Webb simply couldn't handle the star defensive end out of Virginia Tech.
"We've got to give their defense credit," Webb said. "It makes it tough once you get behind."
The Bills were helped by Miami's offensive ineptitude. Marino was 22-for-45 for 268 yards, with eight drops by Dolphins receivers. The only Miami touchdown was a 15-yard pass to Mark Duper with 7 1/2 minutes remaining.
Miami, coming off a 31-0 victory over San Diego that seemed to stamp its defense as a major force, was run over by the Bills. Buffalo had the ball for 36:19 and 73 plays in securing a third straight postseason victory for the first time. The other wins were the wild 41-38 decision over Houston in which the Bills staged a record comeback from a 32-point deficit, and a 24-3 win at Pittsburgh, their first on the road in the playoffs since 1981.
"I think the key was that we weren't able to run with it and we couldn't stop the run," Shula said. "Although we had two takeaways, we couldn't stop them."
The sloppiness began on Miami's first possession after Buffalo drove to the Dolphins' 39, only to have Keith McKeller drop a pass when open for first-down yardage.
On third down, Fred Banks caught a 13-yard pass from Marino and fumbled when hit by Nate Odomes, who recovered. But it took Buffalo just one play to hand back the turnover.
Miami gave it right back as Marino was sacked by Smith and fumbled.
This time, Buffalo got Christie's first 21-yard field goal. His five field goals tied a playoff record set by Chuck Nelson for Minnesota in 1987 and tied by Matt Bahr of the New York Giants in 1990.
The Bills, aided by more Miami mistakes, grabbed a 13-3 edge three minutes into the second quarter. Bryan Cox's roughing-the-passer penalty helped in Buffalo's 64-yard drive that culminated in Thomas' 17-yard score on a screen pass. Marino was intercepted by Phil Hansen on the next play as Hansen tipped the ball into the air and caught it at the Dolphins 17. That led to Christie's 33-yard field goal.
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL