The strength of three: The 30 greatest trios in NFL history
By Ian Cummings
. Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed. Buffalo Bills. Bad Luck Bills . 13. player. 16
It’s a shame that the standard measure of greatness in the NFL is the number of rings in one’s closet. Because while the Buffalo Bills of the 1980s didn’t have that, they had just about everything else.
From the fearless gunslinger Jim Kelly to the heavy-handed running of Thurman Thomas to the steady speed and reliability of Andre Reed, the Bills’ attack featured an offensive trio that was multi-faceted and almost impossible to stop.
Almost.
The Bills, behind this trio, infamously made it to four straight Super Bowls, losing all of them. It’s the closest thing to dominance that isn’t synonymous with the word, and it’s a figment of history that pains Bills fans to this day.
And yet, they take solace in the fact that they once had three Pro Football Hall of Famers on the same offense. Their team earned respect, and even today, that trio is remembered as one of the NFL greats.