As the 1970s came to an end, Buffalo Bills fans had little to cheer about. While O.J. Simpson proved a national treasure, the Bills remained the laughingstock of the league. Meanwhile, the city itself was reeling from the disastrous Blizzard of '77, steel and auto plant shutdowns, generally high unemployment, a decaying downtown and relentless razzing by Johnny Carson. But in the fall of 1980, the Bills, led by hardnosed coach Chuck Knox and gutsy...