This story is part of a series from Sal Maiorana documenting the unforgettable moments in the current Highmark Stadium.
Oct. 8, 2007 - Cowboys 25, Bills 24
If there was a game that better epitomized what it was like for the Buffalo Bills and their fans during the 17-year playoff drought, this Monday night debacle has to be in the discussion, and the 71,000-plus who were there that night would surely agree.
By this point, we were close to halfway through that awful period in team history, and there had already been some horrible, inexplicable losses, and there would be more to come. But perhaps none could match the level of maddening frustration that this one delivered as the Bills gave up nine points in the final 20 seconds to turn what looked like a tremendous victory over the Dallas Cowboys into a mortifying loss.
“No,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said when asked if he could believe what he had just witnessed from his seemingly cursed team. “I mean I saw the scoreboard, I saw the kick. I’ve been in the game long enough, I’ve seen a lot of different things happen. I’m very attached to these people and very disappointed for them. They put their heart and soul into preparation and to suffer these kinds of losses … ’’
This was the second time in the first five weeks of 2007 that the Bills had lost a home game on a last play field goal, the first one coming against the Broncos, and as bizarre as that one was, this was even more ridiculous.
“There’s a lot of guys in there hurt,” said cornerback Terrence McGee. “We made too many big plays to lose that game. It just seemed like we won, but that’s football, it’s not over until it’s over. We left everything on the field, we were just one play short.’’
McGee’s 103-yard kickoff return in the third quarter gave the Bills a 24-13 lead, and it came on the heels of interception returns for touchdowns in the first half by George Wilson and Chris Kelsay, making this just the second game in team history where the Bills scored three TDs on returns.
In all the Bills’ defense caused six turnovers including five interceptions of Dallas quarterback Tony Romo, yet still, somehow, it was Romo running off the field in glee after producing nine Dallas points in the final 20 seconds. It was simply unbelievable.
With the Cowboys down 24-16, Romo began a march with 3:45 to play at his own 20, and on the 12th and final play he hit Patrick Crayton with a four-yard TD pass with 20 seconds to go. However, when cornerback Jabari Greer stripped Terrell Owens in the back corner of the end zone to deny him from catching a two-point conversion pass from Romo, the Bills were still ahead 24-22 and the place breathed a loud and glorious sigh of relief.
What a victory this would be over a Dallas team that came into the night a perfect 4-0, right? Nah. Instead, it joined the pantheon of putrid losses the Bills have suffered through the years.
Dallas’ Tony Curtis recovered an onside kick at the Buffalo 47, and Romo -- operating with no timeouts -- completed two short passes to move the ball to the 35. Nick Folk, a rookie kicker from Arizona, cooly drilled a 53-yard kick but wait -- a split second before the ball was snapped, Jauron called timeout. No problem. Folk hit the re-kick as easily as the original attempt to end the game.
“Everyone was excited after the two-point play, but I knew we still had a lot of time left and we had to recover an onside kick,” said Bills quarterback Trent Edwards, who passed for 176 yards but did not produce an offensive touchdown. “You have to give credit to their kicker on that onside kick, putting the ball up there and allowing them to get the ball back. I played against that kicker in college and I saw him make long field goals against us at Stanford. For him to make those kicks tonight on national TV was pretty impressive.’’
Celebrate the final season at Highmark Stadium with Farewell to The Ralph: Remembering Where We Cheered, Froze, Cried and Bonded—a 208-page keepsake capturing five decades of unforgettable Buffalo Bills moments, fan devotion and stadium legacy. Preorder now at https://BillsStadium.PictorialBook.com to save 20%.
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bills stadium history include 2007 MNF miracle Dallas comeback
Category: General Sports
