Bills' 7-1 start is their best in 33 years, taking fans back to 1993

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A lot has changed since the last time the Buffalo Bills started a season 7-1. It was 1993. Most people didn't carry a cell phone, streaming wasn't a thing, and Blockbuster was a popular place to rent a movie on VHS. Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" dominated the music charts, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline was around $1.17, and a dozen chicken wings could cost you around $4. It was a different time, but a familiar start for the Bills. On Nov. 7, 1993, Buffalo improved to 7-1 with a 13-10 overtime victory over the New England Patriots. "A Buffalo offense that sputtered all day long finally made two big passing plays when it had to, and in the end it was Steve Christie that made the biggest play of them all," then-Eyewitness Sports reporter John Murphy said from New England. "So the Bills make the turn at 7-1 on the year," added Sports Anchor Jerry Azar from the studio. The Bills wouldn't start a season 7-1 again for 33 years. Until now. Buffalo's 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings moved the Bills to 7-1 and ended that 33-year wait. For Bills fans, the milestone is also an opportunity to think about just how much life has changed since 1993. "It's been a long time," Ricky Varone, of Albany, said. Asked what he was doing in 1993, Varone had to think about it for a moment. "I was in the Navy, and I'm trying to think where I was in 1993," Varone said. "I was actually stationed at Camp David, the presidential retreat." For Amanda Alford, of Buffalo, 1993 is a little harder to remember. "I was 1 year old," Alford said. "I was born in 1992, so yeah, I wasn't sure what was happening." Bill Willcox, of Lancaster, remembers being at a very different point in his life. "I had some young daughters, I was married, I lived in Hamburg," Willcox said. But Buffalo's 7-1 record is more than a trip down memory lane. Here's where history gets interesting. WATCH: Bills' 7-1 start is their best in 33 years, taking fans back to 1993 Bills' 7-1 start is their best in 33 years, taking fans back to 1993 The previous three times the Bills opened a season 7-1, in 1990, 1991, and 1993, Buffalo went all the way to the Super Bowl. The 1993 season ended with the Bills' fourth consecutive Super Bowl appearance. Of course, Buffalo is still searching for its first Super Bowl championship, and there is plenty of football left to play this season. Try telling Bills fans it's too early to dream. "We're going, we're going," Ricky Varone said. "I know the whole team is gonna do it." His wife, Nora Varone, said Bills Mafia needs to think positively. "You gotta manifest it," she said. "So if you manifest it, it will come." Alford didn't hesitate when asked whether it's too early to start talking about the Super Bowl. "Absolutely not," she said. "We're going to the Super Bowl. Absolutely." Willcox is feeling confident too. "I think they're good enough," he said. "Yeah, I think they can do it. Kansas City doesn't scare me anymore." There's still a lot of football left to play. But 33 years later, 7-1 is once again an exciting start in Buffalo.