 After the strike year of 1987, in 1988, the rookie season of running back Thurman Thomas, the Bills went 12–4 and finished atop the AFC East for the first of four consecutive seasons.After a 17–10 victory over the Houston Oilers in the divisional playoff, they lost the AFC championship 21–10 to the Cincinnati Bengals.1989 was a relative disappointment, with a 9–7 record and a divisional playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns.