He’s one of the most iconic players in Buffalo Bills history. And, come Saturday, he’ll return to Orchard Park … as the “enemy.”
Oh, Frank Reich’s place in the franchise’s greatest moments is written in stone.
He etched it on Jan. 3, 1993, when, playing in place of injured Hall-of-Fame-quarterback-to-be Jim Kelly, he started against Houston in a wild-card playoff game at Ralph Wilson Stadium.
The Bills, who hadn’t won the AFC East after two straight Super Bowl appearances – Miami claimed the division via a tiebreaker between 11-5 teams – sleep-walked through the first half, trailing 28-3 at intermission.
Then, early in the third quarter, Reich was intercepted by Oilers defensive back Bubba McDowell, who returned it for a “pick six.” Buffalo was now down 35-3 and seemingly toast.
But the Bills’ backup QB produced four touchdowns in a span of under seven minutes – three TD passes and a Kenneth Davis run – aided by a successful onside kick.
Buffalo went on to a 41-38 overtime win on Steve Christie’s 32-yard field goal. Reich threw four touchdown passes (three to Andre Reed) in producing the greatest comeback in NFL history (32 points).
After the game, over 100 media people gathered in the Bills’ weight room, which had been cannibalized into an interview area, to get the comments of the star of the game.
Reich, a profoundly Christian man, never pushed his religion as a player.
But on this night, he begged our indulgence to share a Bible verse that he felt related to what had just happened on the field.
Normally, when an athlete prosthelytizes, members of the press roll their collective eyes accompanied by the sound of tape recorders being clicked off.
That didn’t happen with Reich, who was so admired and respected, he read his biblical passage for about a minute, then took questions.
After that game, the Bills went on to lose their third straight Super Bowl, 52-17, to Dallas at the Rose Bowl.
Three seasons later, Reich signed as a free agent with the expansion Carolina Panthers and, before he left, former Buffalo general manager Bill Polian, who drafted Reich in 1985’s third round, called him “the greatest backup quarterback in NFL history.”
BUT TOMORROW afternoon at Bills Stadium, Reich, for the second time in his three seasons as an NFL head coach, has his Indianapolis Colts in the playoffs.
So, of course, with him returning to the city where he made his reputation as a player, Reich was questioned earlier this week about his “homecoming” by the Indianapolis media.
“Obviously, it’s a special place for Linda and I and our family,” he said. “Two of our (three) girls were born there. But this is a business trip. Fortunately, I’ve been back to Buffalo a few times since as a player (Panthers, Jets and Lions) and as a coach (Colts, Cardinals and Chargers). I feel like I’ve gotten all that out of my system.
“It’s unique because it’s the playoffs. I love Buffalo, will always love Buffalo, will always be a Bills fan – except for this Saturday. (Last) Sunday, though, they did us right (beating Miami assuring Indianapolis’ advance to the playoffs).”
AS FOR tomorrow’s game, Reich admitted, “I’d rather be the No. 1 seed, but I do feel good about our team. The pressure is not on us. We should be loose. We should be aggressive. We should be freed up to play our best game of the year against a really good football team. In reality, no one’s going to give us a chance (Buffalo is favored by 6½ points). It’s that us-against- the-world mentality, and that’s all you need.
“I don’t care what seed we are. We’re the No. 7 seed, big deal. We’ve got to seize the opportunity. This is the first year for a seventh seed (due to the Covid-19-expanded playoffs). Well, let us be the first No. 7 seed to win a world championship.”
And Reich offered his reasoning.
“In my 27 years in the NFL (14 as a player, 13 as a coach), I’ve been on teams that have won 11 (or more) games eight times and six of those times it resulted in those teams going to the Super Bowl,” he said of four trips with the Bills and one each with the Colts and Eagles, the latter two as an assistant coach. “You win 11 games in this league and you’ve got the team that can get there. We really believe that.”
But Reich also knows his team got the toughest draw of the AFC’s wild-card round.
“We’re going up against one of the hottest, if not the hottest, team in the NFL,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for the Bills. Personally, I know (coach) Sean McDermott fairly well. I have respect for a lot of coaches in this league (and) he’s in the top category of guys I respect … the way he coaches and who he is as a leader and a person.”
But tomorrow, Reich desperately wants to beat him.
(Chuck Pollock, a Times Herald senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@oleantimesherald.com)
