European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday february 2,1993even when he was in Kelly came up Flat by John f. Bonfatti Pasadena Calif. Apr Jim Kelly was looking to make amends for two Slraight super bowl losses. Instead he could Only look on As the Buffalo Bills lost once again.\. Kelly was knocked out of the game with 6 52 left in the second Quarter when linebacker Ken Norton or. Rolled onto his right knee on a pass Rush. It was the same knee that Houston Oiler defensive end Ray Childress rolled onto in buffaloes season finale causing a sprain that kept Kelly out of the Bills first two playoff games. Just like that Kelly was finished for the Day. There would be no Chance to make people forget super bowls Sepeff bowl analysis past. He now must live with the sad numbers 50 for 95, with Only two touchdowns and sue interceptions in his three super bowls. A a. When he returned to the Field sunday it was on crutches Early in the third Quarter confirming Bills fans worst fears. From that Point on All Kelly could do was cheer. Even when he was in there Kelly came up Flat. He completed 4 of 7 passes for 82 Yards but More importantly he threw two interceptions and lost a Fumble a a big Fumble. After dropping Back to pass with 1 21 left in the first Quarter Kelly coughed up the Ball As he was blindsided by Charles Haley at his own 2-Yard line. The Ball bounced right into defensive lineman Jimmie Jones hands and Jones stepped into the end zone to make it 14-7. Kelly was also hit As he threw his first interception which Dallas converted into a touchdown that tied the game at 7-7. D intercept hurried Kelly lobbed a fourth Down pass into the end zone that was intercepted by Thomas Everett. A a Frank Reich who. Led the Bills on the greatest comeback in nil history while subbing for Kelly against Houston in the Bills first playoff game replaced Kelly after Norton knocked him out of the game. But the aggressive Dallas defense did no to allow Reich a Chance to repeat his spectacular performance in but sports the stars and stripes Page 33 Bill quarterback Jim Kelly grimaces As teammate Jim Richcr looks on. Kelly was knocked out of the game. His second interception came at the Dallas 1, when a falows 41-38 Victory Over the oilers on Jan. 3, when the Bills erased a 32-Point deficit. The cowboys ended up picking off Reich twice. Kelly said before the game that he wanted to be the first of the six quarterbacks drafted on the first round in 1983 a Kelly Dan Marino John Elway Tony Eason Todd Ken of Brien a to win a super bowl. 1 Elway had three chances with the Denver Broncos but lost in 1987,1988 and 1990. Marino had a Chance with the Miami dolphins but lost the super bowl in his second season to the san Francisco 49ers 38-16. Eason made it to the super bowl with the new eng land patriots in 1986, but the Chicago bears won that game in a 46-10 rout. Still Kelly insisted before the game that he did no to agree with those who said a quarterback had to win a super bowl before he could be considered among the games greatest. Quot Dan Marino John Elway a All those Guys arc Hall of Fame Type quarterbacks in my opinion but they Haven to won a super bowl Quot he said. A if i have to Stop playing today for whatever reason id be Fine. Quot in a secure financially Quot Kelly said. Quot in be taken care of my family. Win or lose in a tha pained expression he wore when he returned to the Field without Nis uniform said otherwise. Buffalo should not be allowed Back by Jim Luke los Angeles a move them. To the pfc to the Cal to ism. Frankly it does no to matter where. Just so Long As the Buffalo Bills Are of to of the super bowl. R they had their three strikes. There ought to be a Law. It would be a very popular Law. Legislators should be tripping Oyer each other monday morning running up the Steps of Capitol Hill to propose the Bill. Buffalo will be banned from the championship game of professional football a no matter what happens in the acc playoffs. They will not they cannot be allowed Back. No Way for the rest of the decade at least. It would be too soon too cruel too cold too painful. If not for their Sake then for the rest of us. We Are just now forgetting the Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings or Linie super bowl losers each. Neither of those lost three in a Row As Buffalo has now by a combined score of 109 its getting worse. The first time against new York it was Only one Point ast year against Washington it was 13 and not As close As the score Sug the i Tine was 35 Points and Only a clock showed them any mercy. S"0u.ld be Clear that Fate plays favor is. It kisses some teams like Long lost a k1vcs, an soaps others like rent a is. There is no longer any doubt commentary about which Bill of particulars fits the Bills they done to just tempt Fate to beat them they insist on it. Maybe it did no to have to be this Way. Maybe when the Bills were poised 1 Yard from the goal line Quot and trailed the Dallas cowboys by Only 14-7 a minute into the second Quarter the window Sash of opportune. To had not started Down on the fingers they dangled carelessly on the Edge. Maybe at that one moment they think. Maybe Buffalo quarterback Jim Kelly eats the Ball instead of running for his life to the right and trying to throw Back to his left through a crowd of White shirted defenders. Then maybe v e Don t have to sit through another dub acted he a sundays 52-17 Laugher. At some Point you think maybe the Bills lower their sights. You think but apparently they done to. That is supposed to be coach Marv Levy a department but after sunday you wonder if the Captain of the titanic is in charge of their ship when Buffalo running Back Thurman Thomas was asked a Hefner he was surprised by the Call that led to Kellys throwing the momentum shifting interception he replied candidly. Quot actually a Thomas said a i was. Quot a lot of players were. But you can t question the Call. Marv sent t in because he thought it would work. It did t. In this Case it Wasny to just one bad decision though. It was an epidemic. With less than two minutes to go in the first half and Buffalo still Able to Limp into the locker room hurting no worse than 21-lb, Thomas caught a screen pass near his own 20, Slid to his right and found almost As Many Texas defenders collecting there As showed up at the Alamo. Thomas should have protected the Ball and just gone Down. Instead he wanted to go Down with guns blazing. Cowboy defender Leon Lett strippers the Ball team Tate Jimmy Jones recovered and on the next play Troy Aikman threw yet another touchdown pass. Suddenly the deficit was a much less manageable 28-10. The Only suspense that remained was from what spot in the Rose bowl would Michael Jackson materialize. We should be fair about this. The cowboys Are an exceptional team very possibly a dynasty in the making. Brutal on defense willing to grind out Yards the toughest Way imaginable they Are worthy of the Mantle of pfc Champion and the tradition that has seen them and their conference Brothers win the last nine super bowls and 10 of the past 12. They Are Swift Strong and hungry qualities that the Bills almost certainly share. But they Are one other thing that the never be started his Celebration a bit too Early by the los Angeles timt4 Pasadena Calif. Super bowl xxvii which obviously needed some comic Relief near the end got just that sunday night in the person of Leon Lett 292 found defensive tackle of the dal As cowboys. With about five minutes left in the game Lett scooped up a Fumble by Bill quarterback Frank Reich and began to ramble toward the end zone 65 Yards away. He rambled and rambled and about the 5-Yard line Lett started to celebrate. He did a strutting dance a nothing to make halftime Star Michael Jackson Start looking for a Day Job a holding the Ball extended in his right hand. In the midst of Lett a two step Buffalo wide receiver Don Beebe came up from behind and knocked the Ball Loose taking Lett a touchdown away when the Ball bounced into and out of the end zone for a Touchback. Quot i thought i was in the end zone. I guess 1 Wasny to he said
