1995 Wild Card Playoff vs Bills

Lore & Background

This rivalry is fueled primarily by the differences between the greater New York City metropolitan area and the rest of New York State, but also by the Bills being the only team physically located in New York due to the Jets and their NFC counterparts the Giants playing their games in the New Jersey suburbs of New York City. However, the two teams have rarely been successful at the same time, and as such, their rivalry usually lacks the intensity that is present in other rivalries, such as the Bills' rivalry with the Dolphins and the Jets' with the Patriots. There have only been four seasons in which both the Bills and Jets finished with winning records. Regardless, the two teams share a bond due to this seeming inability to field winning teams simultaneously, having been the two NFL teams coached by Rex Ryan, and their long histories playing twice yearly against one another going back to the first days of the AFL. The Bills lead the overall series, 73–58. The two teams have met once in the playoffs, with the Bills winning.

In Their Own Story

The air at Giants Stadium was biting cold, a sharp contrast to the electric tension inside the stadium. As Don McCauley stepped onto the field, replacing an injured Testaverde, the crowd's murmur turned into a nervous hush. Every snap felt heavier than the last, every tackle echoing with the weight of history. When Curtis Martin broke free for a crucial gain, the roar that erupted seemed to shake the very foundation of the stadium, silencing the Bills' hope and igniting a miracle in East Rutherford.

Reader's Guide

In the 1981 AFC wild card game, the Bills had a 24–0 lead early in the game, but the Jets came back, cutting their deficit to 31–24. A late game interception of Richard Todd sealed the win for the Bills. The 1993 season saw the Jets failing to secure a playoff berth by losing a game to the Bills via three missed field goals. In 1998, the Jets secured their first ever AFC East division title by beating the Bills. The 1998 Wild Card playoff game (played on January 3, 1999) was the only playoff meeting between the teams; the Bills won.

Did You Know?

• The Bills and Jets (then known as the Titans) played each other in the inaugural game for both franchises in 1960.
• During the Jets' Super Bowl winning year in 1968, the Bills defense intercepted Joe Namath five times, including three pick-sixes, as Buffalo upset the Jets 37–35.
• In 1973, O. J. Simpson eclipsed Jim Brown's rushing yards record to surpass 2,000 yards in a 34–6 Bills win.
• The Bills and Jets have met once in the playoffs, with the Bills winning.