Some of the fans who left early did not realize until much later that the Bills came back to win. Others heard it unfold on the radio. The game did not sell out, so it was not televised locally. The Bills did not allow fans who left the game to re-enter the stadium. The only way for those who left to get back into the stadium was to climb over an imposing fence. Many did just that until late into the game, when the team began to allow fans with ticket stubs back in the stadium.

Frank Reich, who was filling in for Kelly, said that when the Bills were facing the seemingly insurmountable deficit, a teammate reminded him that when Reich was in college, he led Maryland back from 31 points down to beat Miami.

“I knew it could be done, but I don’t think anyone was thinking about winning the game at that point,” Reich said recently. “It was about being a professional and not getting embarrassed.”

The improbable comeback was propelled by two botched kicks, a shanked punt, a bobbled snap and a noncall by the officials. A short kickoff set up a 50-yard scoring drive by Buffalo that cut the lead to 35-10. Then Bills kicker Steve Christie recovered his own kickoff — Marv Levy, then Buffalo’s coach, still insists the play was a flub and not a planned onside kick.

Three plays later, Beebe caught a 38-yard touchdown pass on first down to make it 35-17. Replays show that he stepped out of bounds before making the catch. Barb Beebe, who insists her son never stepped out of bounds, said that was the point when she regained hope. Cris Dishman, who was a cornerback for Houston, still says the noncall cost the Oilers the game.