History of the Buffalo Bills
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This article details the history of the Buffalo Bills
American Football Club. The team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League
(AFL) and won two consecutive AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. The club joined the National Football League
(NFL) as part of the 1970
AFL-NFL Merger
. The Bills have the distinction of being the only team to advance to four consecutive Super Bowl
s, but also has the dubious distinction of losing all four of them.
" was founded; it played under various names (most notably the Buffalo All-Americans from 1920 to 1923) from 1918 to 1929 before folding; that team joined what would become the NFL in 1920 and finished in a tie atop the league standings in 1921.
After Buffalo hosted two NFL games in 1938, the third American Football League
installed the Buffalo Indians
in the city; the Indians played two years before the league suspended and ultimately folded due to World War II. After the war, when the All-America Football Conference
formed, Buffalo was again selected for a team; originally known as the Buffalo Bisons, the same name as a baseball team
and (at the time) a hockey team
in the area, the team sought a new identity and named itself the "Buffalo Bills
" in 1947. When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, the AAFC Bills were merged into the Cleveland Browns
. Though there was no connection between the AAFC team and the current team, the Bills name proved popular enough that it was used as the namesake for the future American Football League
team that would form in 1959.
announced formation of the American Football League in the summer of 1959, Harry Wismer
, who was to own the Titans of New York
franchise, reached out to insurance salesman and automobile heir Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to see if he was interested in joining the upstart league. (Both Wismer and Wilson were minority owners of NFL franchises at the time: Wilson part-owned the Detroit Lions
, while Wismer was a small partner in the Washington Redskins
but had little power due to majority owner George Preston Marshall
's near-iron fist over the team and the league). Wilson agreed to field a team in the new league, with the words "Count me in. I'll take a franchise anywhere you suggest."http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1134343/index.htm Hunt gave him the choice of five cities: Miami, Buffalo, Cincinnati and two others; after being turned down in his effort to put a team in Miami, and consulting with Detroit media, he next turned to Buffalo. This effort was successful, and he sent Hunt a telegram with the now-famous words, "Count me in with Buffalo."
The Buffalo Bills were a charter member of the American Football League
(AFL) in 1960
. After a public contest, the team adopted the same name as the AAFC Buffalo Bills
, the former All-America Football Conference
team in Buffalo.
The Bills gained four of the first five picks in the 1961 AFL draft, including the top slot, which they used to draft offensive tackle Ken Rice
. They also drafted guard Billy Shaw
in the same draft. Success did not come overnight. On August 8, 1961
, the Bills became the first (and only) American Football League
team to play a Canadian Football League
team, the nearby Hamilton Tiger-Cats
. Because of that game, they also hold the dubious distinction of being the only current NFL team to have ever lost to a CFL team, as the Tiger-Cats won, 38-21. Hamilton was one of the best teams in the CFL, and Buffalo, at the time, was the worst team in the AFL. That, however, was about to change.
In the 1962 offseason, Buffalo began to stock up on offensive talent. Jack Kemp
was acquired off waivers from the San Diego Chargers
after the Chargers thought Kemp, who had led the Chargers to back-to-back AFL title games, had a bum hand. The Bills also drafted Syracuse
running back phenomenon Ernie Davis
; however, Davis instead opted to play for the NFL, and died of leukemia before playing a single down of professional football. Instead, the Bills then acquired one of the CFL's top running backs, Cookie Gilchrist
. These offensive weapons, coupled with the buildup of one of the AFL's staunchest defenses, resulted in a swift turnaround that had the Bills into the playoffs by 1963.
In the AFL, a predominantly offensive league, the Bills were a great defensive team. The 1964
Bills allowed just 913 yards rushing on 300 attempts during the regular season, a pro football record. The same defense registered fifty quarterback sacks, a team record that stands today, even though it was established in a 14-game season. They were the first American Football League
team to win 13 games in a season. The 1964 defense also allowed only four touchdowns rushing all season, and started a string that would extend into the 1965 season
: seventeen straight games without allowing an opponent to score a rushing touchdown. Eight members of the 1964 squad were on that year's AFL Eastern Division All-Star Team, including cornerback Butch Byrd
. Three were eventually named to the American Football League's All-Time Team, and six to the second team. The only professional football player ever inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
, without ever playing in the NFL, was a member of the 1964 Bills; guard Billy Shaw
. Mike Stratton
, famous for his hit heard 'round the world in the 1964 AFL championship, played for the Bills during this era, as did punter (later ESPN
analyst) Paul Maguire
and, from 1965 to 1968, future NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer
.
The Bills won AFL championships in both 1964 and 1965 and were one of only three teams to appear in an AFL championship game for three consecutive years, and the only AFL team to play in the post-season for four straight years, 1963
through 1966
. In addition to their defensive prowess, the Bills had offensive muscle as well, in stars such as fullback Cookie Gilchrist
, quarterbacks Jack Kemp
and Daryle Lamonica
, and receivers Elbert Dubenion
and Ernie Warlick
. Tragedy struck the Bills when Bob Kalsu
, an offensive lineman, quit the team after his 1968
rookie season to serve in the Vietnam War
, where he was killed in action in 1970.
The 1968 season
was a tumultuous one. With starter Jack Kemp injured, Buffalo resorted to converting wide receiver Ed Rutkowski
to quarterback in a rotation with Rutkowski, Kay Stephenson
and Dan Darragh
. The result was disastrous, and the Bills
once again dropped to last in the league, resulting in the Bills earning the first overall draft pick in what was now the combined AFL-NFL draft
. The Bills selected O. J. Simpson
with their pick.
, the Bills drafted running back O. J. Simpson
, who would become the face of the franchise through the 1970s. The NFL-AFL merger placed Buffalo in the AFC East division with the Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, and Colts. Their first season in the NFL saw the team win only three games, lose ten, and tie one. In 1971
, not only did the Bills
finish in sole possession of the NFL's worst overall record at 1–13, but they also scored the fewest points (184) in the league that year while allowing the most (394); no NFL team has since done all three of those things in the same season in a non-strike year. They thus obtained the #1 draft pick for 1972, which was Notre Dame DE Walt Patuski. Despite good on-field performances, he struggled with injuries before being traded to the Cardinals in 1976. Lou Saban
, who had coached the Bills' AFL championship teams, was re-hired in 1972
, in which the team finished 4-9-1.
Meanwhile, War Memorial Stadium was in severe need of replacement, being in poor condition and too small to meet the NFL's post-1969 requirement that all stadiums seat at least 50,000. Construction began on a new stadium in the suburbs after Ralph Wilson threatened to move the team to another city. The new facility featured a capacity of over 80,000 and, unlike other stadiums, was built into the ground. Rich Stadium
opened in 1973 and continues to house the Bills today.
1973
was a season of change: Joe Ferguson
became their new quarterback, they moved into a new stadium, Simpson recorded a 2,000-yard season and was voted NFL MVP, and the team had its first winning record since 1966
with eight wins. The "Electric Company" of Simpson, Jim Braxton
, Paul Seymour, and Joe DeLamielleure
as recounted in the locally-recorded hit "Turn on the Juice", lead a dramatic turnaround on the field. The "Electric Company" was the offensive line (OG Reggie McKenzie
, OT Dave Foley
, C Mike Montler
, OG Joe DeLamielleure
and OT Donnie Green
) which provided the electricity for the "Juice". O.J. became the only player to rush for 2,000 yards prior to the introduction of a 16-game season. The team made the NFL playoffs at 9-5 for the first time in 1974
, but lost the wild card round to the eventual Super Bowl
champion Pittsburgh Steelers
.
After an 8-6 1975 season
, the Bills
had internal troubles in 1976
; Ferguson was injured and Gary Marangi proved ineffective in replacement. The team dropped to the bottom of the AFC East at 2-12, where they stayed for the rest of the 1970s. On a high note, the 1976 Thanksgiving Classic
saw Simpson set the league record for rushing yards in a game, despite a 27-14 loss to the Detroit Lions
. After the 1977 season
, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers
.
was hired as head coach and he would end up leading the Bills back to the top.
1980
marked another breakthrough for the Bills
. They beat the archrival Miami Dolphins
for the first time in 11 years in their season opener, en route to winning their first AFC East title. The following season
, they lost their title to the Dolphins
, but won their first NFL playoff game (over the New York Jets
). They lost in the second round to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals
. The following year—the strike-shortened season of 1982
—the Bills
slipped to a 4–5 final record.
In the famous 1983 draft
the Bills selected quarterback Jim Kelly
as their replacement to an aging Joe Ferguson
, but Kelly decided to play in the upstart United States Football League
instead. Knox left his coaching position to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks
, and new coach Kay Stephenson
proved to be less than stellar. In 1984
and 1985
, the Bills went 2–14.
. Among the players that Buffalo picked up after the league's demise were starting quarterback Jim Kelly
(of the Houston Gamblers
), center Kent Hull (of the New Jersey Generals
), and linebacker Ray Bentley
(of the Oakland Invaders
), all of whom joined the Bills for the 1986 season
; this, combined with the high draft picks accumulated over the course of the teams' poor seasons in the USFL years, propelled the Bills into a national powerhouse. Midway through the 1986 season
, the Bills fired coach Hank Bullough
and replaced him with Marv Levy
, the former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
. Levy, along with general manager Bill Polian
, put together a receiving game featuring Andre Reed
, a defense led by first-overall draft pick Bruce Smith, and a top-flight offensive line, led by Hull along with Jim Ritcher
, Will Wolford
and Howard "House" Ballard
.
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 having an easy time with the Houston Oilers
in the divisional playoff, they lost the AFC championship to the Cincinnati Bengals
.
1989
was a relative disappointment, with a 9–7 record and a first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns
. The Bills
had a chance to win the game as time was running out, but Ronnie Harmon
dropped a Kelly pass in the corner of the end zone. During this season, the Bills were called the "Bickering Bills" by the fans and media due to significant infighting among the players and coaches throughout the season.
, the Bills switched to a no huddle, hurry-up offense (frequently with Kelly in the shotgun formation, the "K-gun", named for tight-end Keith McKeller
), and it started one of the most successful runs in NFL history. The team finished 13–3 and blew out the Miami Dolphins
and Los Angeles Raiders
(51-3) in the playoffs
on their way to Super Bowl XXV
. The Bills were overwhelming favorites to beat the New York Giants
(whom they had beaten on the road during the regular season), but the defensive plan laid out by Giants coach Bill Parcells
and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick
kept Buffalo in check (and without the ball) for much of the game. The game featured many lead changes, and with the score 20–19 in favor of New York with eight seconds left, Bills kicker Scott Norwood
attempted a 47-yard field goal
. His miss became the most famous missed field goal in NFL history, and was termed "Wide Right".
as well, finishing 13–3 again and with Thurman Thomas winning the Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP awards. They also had an easy time with the Kansas City Chiefs
in their first playoff game and beat the Denver Broncos
in a defensive struggle in the AFC Championship. The Bills looked to avenge their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss a year earlier by playing the Washington Redskins
in Super Bowl XXVI
, but it was not to be. The Redskins opened up a 17–0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing the Bills a 37–24 loss. During this game, Thurman Thomas lost his helmet and shockingly had to sit out the first two plays of the game, making the Bills the butt of jokes nationwide.
AFC East title to the Miami Dolphins
and Jim Kelly was injured in the final game of the regular season. Backup quarterback Frank Reich
started their wild card playoff game against the Houston Oilers
, and they were down 35–3 early in the third quarter. Undaunted, the Bills scored touchdowns on several consecutive possessions to tie the game and force overtime. Steve Christie
kicked the game-winning field goal in the extra session to cap the biggest comeback in NFL history
, 41–38. They then handily defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the divisional playoff and upset the archrival Dolphins in the AFC Championship to advance to their third straight Super Bowl. Super Bowl XXVII
, played against the Dallas Cowboys
, turned out to be a mismatch. Buffalo committed 9 turnovers en route to a 52–17 loss. The Bills became the first team in NFL history to lose three consecutive Super Bowls. One of the sole bright spots for the Bills was Don Beebe's rundown and strip of Leon Lett after Lett had returned a fumble inside the Bills' 5 and was on his way to scoring. Lett started celebrating too early and held the ball out long enough for Beebe, who had made up a considerable distance to get to Lett, to knock it out of his hand. (The play resulted in a touchback, not a touchdown.)
with a 12–4 record, and again won playoff games against the Los Angeles Raiders
and Kansas City Chiefs
, setting up a rematch with the Cowboys
in Super Bowl XXVIII
on January 30, 1994. The Bills became the only team ever to play in four straight Super Bowls, and looked ready to finally win one when they led at halftime. A Thurman Thomas fumble returned for a touchdown by James Washington
tied the game, with Super Bowl MVP Emmitt Smith
taking over the rest of the game for the Cowboys and the Bills were stunned again, 30–13.
would not get a chance to make it five straight in 1994
. The team stumbled down the stretch and finished 7–9, fourth in the division and out of the playoffs.
During this period Steve Tasker
established himself year in and year out as the league's top special teams performer.
In 1995
, Buffalo
, with free agent linebacker Bryce Paup
anchoring the defense, again made the playoffs
with a 10–6 record, and defeated Miami
in the wild card round. They would not get a chance to get back to the Super Bowl—the Pittsburgh Steelers
, who went on to advance to the Super Bowl
, beat Buffalo in the divisional playoffs 40–21.
In 1996
, the Bills saw their commanding lead in the AFC East race disappear to a surging New England Patriots
team. They still made the playoffs, but as a wild card—and the first victim of the Cinderella Jacksonville Jaguars
, the first (and Currently Only (as of 2010 season)) visiting team ever to win a playoff game in Buffalo. Jim Kelly retired after the season after the Bills management told him they were moving in a new direction and wanted him to help develop a younger QB to take over, signaling an end to the most successful era in Bills history. Thurman Thomas gave way to new running back Antowain Smith
. Kelly's loss was felt in 1997
, with the Bills
stumbling to 6–10. Coach Marv Levy
retired after the season.
signed two quarterback
s for the 1998 season
, one that Buffalo traded a high first round pick for, and one that was signed as almost an afterthought. The former was for Jaguars backup Rob Johnson and the latter was former Heisman Trophy
winner and Canadian Football League
star Doug Flutie
. Despite many Bills fans wanting Flutie to get the starting job after Flutie looked the better of the two QBs in camp and in preseason, Phillips named Johnson to the position. The Bills stumbled to begin the season, and after Johnson suffered a rib injury against the Indianapolis Colts
, Flutie came in and led the Bills to a playoff spot and a 10–6 record. They faltered in their first playoff game against the Miami Dolphins
, although Eric Moulds
set a playoff record for most receiving yards in a game with 240.
, with the Bills finishing 11–5, two games behind the Indianapolis Colts
in the AFC East
standings. Wade Phillips gave Rob Johnson the starting quarterback job in the first round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans
even though Flutie had won 10 games and had gotten the Bills into the playoffs. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left to give them a 16–15 lead. But the Titans won the game on a controversial play that became to be known as the "Music City Miracle
": During the ensuing kickoff, Frank Wycheck
lateraled the ball to Kevin Dyson
who then scored the winning touchdown
. Although Wycheck's pass was close to an illegal forward lateral
, replays were ruled inconclusive and the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown. The Titans went on to advance to the Super Bowl
. As of 2011, this was the Bills last playoff appearance.
, when Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were all cut. Antowain Smith
, Eric Moulds
, and Marcellus Wiley
respectively had long since eclipsed them on the depth chart. After an 8–8 season, and the team still caught up in the Johnson vs. Flutie controversy, general manager John Butler departed for the San Diego Chargers
—and took Flutie and Wiley with him. Doug Flutie left the Bills with a .677 winning percentage in 31 starts. Antowain Smith also left as a free agent for the New England Patriots, where he was the starting running back on their first two Super Bowl championship teams. Both Flutie and Smith were dominant in their final game as Bills, in a 42-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks
. Thomas would be quickly replaced by rookie Travis Henry
.
, a former executive with the Pittsburgh Steelers
. The move turned out to be disastrous. Donahoe proceeded to gut the franchise of most of its recognizable talent and replaced it with young, inexperienced, unknown lower-end players, and installed Rob Johnson as the quarterback. The team went from playoff contenders to a 31-49 record during Donahoe's five-year tenure. The Bills still have not made it to the playoffs since Donahoe's arrival, even after his departure.
took over as head coach for the 2001 season
, which proved to be the worst in recent memory for the Bills. Rob Johnson went down in mid-season with an injury and Alex Van Pelt
took over. Buffalo finished 3–13. The Bills even lost a much-hyped mid-season match up with "Bills West" (the Flutie-led Chargers
). After the season, they traded for quarterback Drew Bledsoe
, deemed expendable by the Patriots after Tom Brady
led them to a Super Bowl
victory.
for the 2002 season
, leading them to an 8–8 record, setting 10 team passing records in the process. However, in a tough division with all other teams finishing 9–7, they were still in last place. Another Patriots castoff, safety Lawyer Milloy
, who joined the Bills days before the 2003 season
began, gave the team an immediate boost on defense. After beating eventual champions New England
31–0 in the first game, and crushing the Jaguars
in their second game, play-by-play announcer Van Miller
immediately announced his retirement as of the end of the season, expecting the team to have a shot at the title. However, the Bills
stumbled through the rest of the season, finishing 6–10. In fact their season had ended the exact opposite of the beginning as they were trounced by New England 31–0. In one game, however, the Bills' fans gained a small measure of satisfaction when the defense sacked Rob Johnson multiple times in his relief effort for the Washington Redskins
.
. The Bills also drafted another quarterback, J.P. Losman
, to be used if Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004
. Unfortunately, Losman broke his leg in the pre-season and missed most of the regular season, seeing very limited action.
Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004
. The Bills started the 2004 season 0–4, with Bledsoe and his offense struggling in their run-first offense, averaging only 13 points per game. Additionally, each loss was heartbreakingly close. The team finally managed to turn things around with a victory at home against the also winless Miami Dolphins
. This, along with the emergence of Willis McGahee
(a first round-pick and a gamble by the Bills due to the knee injury that McGahee suffered in his last college game) taking over the starting running back role from the injured Travis Henry
, and emergence of Lee Evans
to give the Bills a second deep threat, sparked the Bills to go 9–2 in their next eleven games. This string of victories allowed the Bills to be in the hunt for a final AFC wildcard playoff spot. Though they would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers
in the final game of the season, costing them a playoff berth and devastating the fans, the late season surge gave the team a positive direction to approach 2005.
After the season, wanting to go in a younger direction and unhappy with Drew Bledsoe
's overall performance, the Bills decided to hand the starting quarterback reins to J.P. Losman
. This angered Bledsoe, who demanded his release, which the Bills granted. Bledsoe then signed with the Dallas Cowboys
, reuniting him with his former New England Patriots
coach Bill Parcells
.
1-3 as a starter, prompting Kelly Holcomb
to replace him. Losman would not see action again until Holcomb was injured in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs
. He led the Bills
to a win in that game, but would again be replaced by Holcomb after losing the next several games. Perhaps the low point of Losman's season was a 24–23 loss to the Miami Dolphins
, a game in which Buffalo led 21–0 and 23–3, but gave up 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. Buffalo's 2005 campaign resulted in a 5–11 record and the firing of General Manager Tom Donahoe
in January 2006. Marv Levy was named as his replacement, with hopes that he would improve a franchise that failed to make the playoffs during Donahoe's tenure. That same month, Mike Mularkey resigned as head coach, citing family reasons along with disagreement over the direction of the organization. Dick Jauron
was hired as his replacement.
and 2007 seasons
both brought 7-9 records under Jauron's coaching, having been eliminated from playoff contention in December in both years. 2006 saw the additions of Donte Whitner
, Ko Simpson
, Ashton Youboty
, Anthony Hargrove
and Kyle Williams
to the defensive corps while 2007 brought in Trent Edwards
to quarterback the offense, rookie first-round draft pick Marshawn Lynch
, second-round pick Paul Posluszny
, offensive linemen Derrick Dockery
and Langston Walker
, and backup running back Fred Jackson. J. P. Losman played all 16 games in 2006 but was benched in early 2007 in favor of Edwards.
At the end of the 2007 season, Levy retired once again, citing the fact that he had reached the end of his two-year contract. Meanwhile offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild
, a frequent fan target for the Bills' offensive woes, was hired as head coach of Colorado State University
's football program
. Offensive line coach Jim McNally
retired shortly after the end of the season. All of those positions were filled from within, with Turk Schonert
promoted to offensive coordinator.
by Bills owner Ralph Wilson to lease his team to Canadian media mogul Edward S. "Ted" Rogers, Jr.
to play an annual regular season game and a biennial preseason game
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
's Rogers Centre
over the next five years, in exchange for a sum of C$78,000,000 cash. The games began during the 2008 season
. Notable additions to the roster for 2008 include linebacker Kawika Mitchell
, acquired as a free agent from the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants
, and defensive tackle Marcus Stroud
, in addition to draft picks, cornerback Leodis McKelvin
and wide receiver James Hardy
. The Bills started extremely well that season, starting out with a 5-1 record before their bye week and showing promise in Trent Edwards as finally being a capable quarterback for the Bills. However, Edwards suffered a concussion from a huge hit in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
. The team then went 2-8 in their last games, earning them another 7-9 record, which then resulted in the longest active streak of missed playoffs at the time.
the Buffalo Bills made a major splash in the free agency market when it acquired veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens
, who had recently been released by the Dallas Cowboys
and is known as much for his elaborate touchdown celebrations as he is for his on-the-field play. Owens was signed to a one year deal. In addition, former starting quarterback J. P. Losman, by this point relegated to third string behind Trent Edwards and Gibran Hamdan
, was allowed to become a free agent. In the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
, the Bills selected defensive end/linebacker Aaron Maybin from Penn State with the 11th overall pick and center Eric Wood
of Louisville with the 28th overall pick. Buffalo also selected free safety Jarius Byrd of Oregon, guard Andy Levitre
of Oregon State, tight end Shawn Nelson
of Southern Mississippi, and cornerbacks Cary Harris
of USC and Ellis Lankster
of West Virginia. As the season began, Terrell Owens proved to disappoint for most of the season, and the offensive line suffered from severe turnover, leading the team to stumble to a 3-6 start, after which the Bills fired head coach Dick Jauron
midseason. Overall, Owens' stats for 2009 were modest: 829 yards and five TDs. The season opener against New England was a loss, although Buffalo's morale was raised by the fact that it was only by a single point. Other notable games included a 16-13 OT victory over the Jets in Week 6, and the Week 10 game against Tennessee, where that team's owner Bud Adams made an obscene gesture at Bills fans and was fined $250,000. The Week 13 game against the Jets was an international series match held across the border in Toronto. In Week 15, the Bills hosted New England, but despite optimistic predictions, fell 17-10, marking the fifth season in a row where they lost both matches against the Patriots. This completely eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention and marked their tenth consecutive season without a playoff appearance. On the season ender, they "routed" the 14-1 Indianapolis Colts 30-7 to end the year at 6-10, however, it should be noted that Peyton Manning was benched early due to this being a meaningless game for the playoff bound Colts. Quarterback Trent Edwards battled injury throughout the whole season, splitting games with back-up Ryan Fitzpatrick
, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills were hit with another hard blow when star running back Marshawn Lynch was given a three game suspension by Commissioner Goodell for pleading guilty to misdemeanor weapons charges. Though back-up running back Fred Jackson did quite well in Lynch's absence, his performance then hindered on Lynch's return but he still had a 1,000 yard rushing season. However, the performance of free Safety Jarius Byrd showed extreme promise as Byrd led the NFL with 9 interceptions and was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl
.
, a former assistant general manager of the San Diego Chargers
, was named general manager in the final week of the 2009 season. One of his first personnel moves was to cut ties with Owens (ironically, a man he had recruited during his time in college football).
On January 20, the team named Chan Gailey
as head coach. Gailey was previously the offensive coordinator of Kansas City and head coach of Georgia Tech and the Dallas Cowboys, going 8-0 in the division in 1998, and leading the team to the postseason in both 1998 and 1999.
With the expiration of Terrell Owens' contract in March 2010, the Bills chose not to re-sign him.
As 2010 began, the Bills lost to Miami at home. After going 0-4, the Bills released Trent Edwards and named Ryan Fitzpatrick starting quarterback. Despite some close games, they ended up at an 0-8 record before beating Detroit at home in Week 10. Then came a 49-31 win in Cincinnati and an OT loss to Pittsburgh. The team finished 2010 with a 4-12 record.
The Bills fired Tom Modrak
, one of the last connections to the Donahoe era, shortly after the 2011 NFL Draft
. As a result of the Bills' poor play in 2010, the team earned the third overall selection in said draft, using it to select defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
in an effort to improve the team's long-struggling run defense.
Buffalo had an excellent start to 2011, routing Kansas City 41-7. The following week, they hosted Oakland and prevailed in a 38-35 shootout match.
In week 3, the Bills beat the Patriots on a last second field goal; breaking a 15 game franchise losing streak spanning 8 years to that team.
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
American Football Club. The team began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) and won two consecutive AFL titles in 1964 and 1965. The club joined the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) as part of the 1970
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
AFL-NFL Merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. The Bills have the distinction of being the only team to advance to four consecutive Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
s, but also has the dubious distinction of losing all four of them.
Prior to 1960
The Bills were not the first professional football team to play in Buffalo, nor was it the first NFL team in the region. In 1918, a franchise known as the "Buffalo NiagarasBuffalo (NFL)
Buffalo, New York had a turbulent, early-era National Football League team that operated under three different names and several different owners between the 1910s and 1920s...
" was founded; it played under various names (most notably the Buffalo All-Americans from 1920 to 1923) from 1918 to 1929 before folding; that team joined what would become the NFL in 1920 and finished in a tie atop the league standings in 1921.
After Buffalo hosted two NFL games in 1938, the third American Football League
American Football League (1940)
American Football League, also known as the AFL III to distinguish it from earlier organizations of that name, was a major professional American football league that operated from 1940-1941...
installed the Buffalo Indians
Buffalo Indians
The Buffalo Indians were a professional American football team that competed in the third American Football League in 1940 and in 1941. The team played its home games in Civic Stadium in Buffalo, New York...
in the city; the Indians played two years before the league suspended and ultimately folded due to World War II. After the war, when the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
formed, Buffalo was again selected for a team; originally known as the Buffalo Bisons, the same name as a baseball team
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
and (at the time) a hockey team
Buffalo Bisons (AHL)
The Buffalo Bisons were an American Hockey League ice hockey franchise that played from 1940 to 1970 in Buffalo, New York. They replaced the original Buffalo Bisons hockey team, which left the area in 1936 after its arena collapsed...
in the area, the team sought a new identity and named itself the "Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
" in 1947. When the AAFC merged with the NFL in 1950, the AAFC Bills were merged into the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Though there was no connection between the AAFC team and the current team, the Bills name proved popular enough that it was used as the namesake for the future American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
team that would form in 1959.
The AFL years
When Lamar HuntLamar Hunt
Lamar Hunt was an American sportsman and promoter of American football, soccer, basketball, and ice hockey in the United States and an inductee into three sports' halls of fame. He was one of the founders of the American Football League and Major League Soccer , as well as MLS predecessor the...
announced formation of the American Football League in the summer of 1959, Harry Wismer
Harry Wismer
Harry Wismer was a sports broadcaster and charter owner of the New York Titans franchise in the American Football League.-Early years:...
, who was to own the Titans of New York
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
franchise, reached out to insurance salesman and automobile heir Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. to see if he was interested in joining the upstart league. (Both Wismer and Wilson were minority owners of NFL franchises at the time: Wilson part-owned the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, while Wismer was a small partner in the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
but had little power due to majority owner George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall
George Preston Marshall was the owner and president of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League from 1932 until his death in 1969.-Contributions:...
's near-iron fist over the team and the league). Wilson agreed to field a team in the new league, with the words "Count me in. I'll take a franchise anywhere you suggest."http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1134343/index.htm Hunt gave him the choice of five cities: Miami, Buffalo, Cincinnati and two others; after being turned down in his effort to put a team in Miami, and consulting with Detroit media, he next turned to Buffalo. This effort was successful, and he sent Hunt a telegram with the now-famous words, "Count me in with Buffalo."
The Buffalo Bills were a charter member of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) in 1960
1960 American Football League season
The 1960 American Football League season was the inaugural regular season of the American Football League.The season ended when the Houston Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers in the inaugural AFL Championship game.-Division races:...
. After a public contest, the team adopted the same name as the AAFC Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills (AAFC)
The Buffalo Bills was an American Football team, based in Buffalo, NY, that played in the All-America Football Conference from 1946 to 1949. During its first season in 1946, the team was known as the Buffalo Bisons...
, the former All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
team in Buffalo.
The Bills gained four of the first five picks in the 1961 AFL draft, including the top slot, which they used to draft offensive tackle Ken Rice
Ken Rice (American football)
Kenneth Earl Rice is a former an American football offensive tackle in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, and the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Auburn University....
. They also drafted guard Billy Shaw
Billy Shaw
William Lewis "Billy" Shaw is an American former college and professional football player.Drafted in 1961 by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, Billy Shaw of Georgia Tech was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like...
in the same draft. Success did not come overnight. On August 8, 1961
1961 American Football League season
The 1961 American Football League season was the second regular season of the American Football League. The Los Angeles Chargers moved to San Diego, California following the 1960 season, retaining the Chargers name....
, the Bills became the first (and only) American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
team to play a Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
team, the nearby Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
. Because of that game, they also hold the dubious distinction of being the only current NFL team to have ever lost to a CFL team, as the Tiger-Cats won, 38-21. Hamilton was one of the best teams in the CFL, and Buffalo, at the time, was the worst team in the AFL. That, however, was about to change.
In the 1962 offseason, Buffalo began to stock up on offensive talent. Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
was acquired off waivers from the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
after the Chargers thought Kemp, who had led the Chargers to back-to-back AFL title games, had a bum hand. The Bills also drafted Syracuse
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
running back phenomenon Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis
Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...
; however, Davis instead opted to play for the NFL, and died of leukemia before playing a single down of professional football. Instead, the Bills then acquired one of the CFL's top running backs, Cookie Gilchrist
Cookie Gilchrist
Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist was a gridiron football player in the American Football League and Canadian Football League.-Career:...
. These offensive weapons, coupled with the buildup of one of the AFL's staunchest defenses, resulted in a swift turnaround that had the Bills into the playoffs by 1963.
In the AFL, a predominantly offensive league, the Bills were a great defensive team. The 1964
1964 American Football League season
The 1964 American Football League season was the fifth regular season of the American Football League.The season ended when the Buffalo Bills defeated the San Diego Chargers in the AFL Championship game...
Bills allowed just 913 yards rushing on 300 attempts during the regular season, a pro football record. The same defense registered fifty quarterback sacks, a team record that stands today, even though it was established in a 14-game season. They were the first American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
team to win 13 games in a season. The 1964 defense also allowed only four touchdowns rushing all season, and started a string that would extend into the 1965 season
1965 American Football League season
The 1965 American Football League season was the sixth regular season of the American Football League.The season also saw a change of television address as the games moved from ABC to NBC....
: seventeen straight games without allowing an opponent to score a rushing touchdown. Eight members of the 1964 squad were on that year's AFL Eastern Division All-Star Team, including cornerback Butch Byrd
Butch Byrd
George Edward "Butch" Byrd was a professional American football defensive back. He started his career playing college football at Boston University. He joined the Buffalo Bills in 1964 and immediately made an impact in the defensive backfield, with seven interceptions. Byrd was also a solid...
. Three were eventually named to the American Football League's All-Time Team, and six to the second team. The only professional football player ever inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
, without ever playing in the NFL, was a member of the 1964 Bills; guard Billy Shaw
Billy Shaw
William Lewis "Billy" Shaw is an American former college and professional football player.Drafted in 1961 by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, Billy Shaw of Georgia Tech was the prototypical "pulling guard" who despite his size held his own against much bigger defensive linemen like...
. Mike Stratton
Mike Stratton
David Michael Stratton was an American football linebacker in the AFL and NFL for the Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers....
, famous for his hit heard 'round the world in the 1964 AFL championship, played for the Bills during this era, as did punter (later ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
analyst) Paul Maguire
Paul Maguire
Paul Leo Maguire is a former American football player and current television sportscaster.-Early sports career:Maguire attended Ursuline High School in Youngstown,Ohio and was recruited to play at The Citadel by the late Al Davis who was then an assistant coach and chief recruiter...
and, from 1965 to 1968, future NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer
Marty Schottenheimer
Martin Edward "Marty" Schottenheimer is the current head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach...
.
The Bills won AFL championships in both 1964 and 1965 and were one of only three teams to appear in an AFL championship game for three consecutive years, and the only AFL team to play in the post-season for four straight years, 1963
1963 American Football League season
The 1963 American Football League season was the fourth regular season of the American Football League.The season ended when the San Diego Chargers defeated the Boston Patriots in the AFL Championship game.-Division Races:...
through 1966
1966 American Football League season
The 1966 American Football League season was the seventh regular season of the American Football League, and one of the last before the AFL-NFL Merger. The league entered talks with the National Football League regarding a merger, which would take effect fully in 1970.The season also saw the debut...
. In addition to their defensive prowess, the Bills had offensive muscle as well, in stars such as fullback Cookie Gilchrist
Cookie Gilchrist
Carlton Chester "Cookie" Gilchrist was a gridiron football player in the American Football League and Canadian Football League.-Career:...
, quarterbacks Jack Kemp
Jack Kemp
Jack French Kemp was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player. A Republican, he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H. W. Bush from 1989 to 1993, having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York's 31st...
and Daryle Lamonica
Daryle Lamonica
Daryle Pat Lamonica is a former American collegiate and professional football quarterback who played in the American Football League, and later in the NFL....
, and receivers Elbert Dubenion
Elbert Dubenion
Elbert Dubenion was an American football wide receiver. He played college football for Bluffton College in northwest Ohio....
and Ernie Warlick
Ernie Warlick
Ernest "Ernie" "Big Hoss" Warlick is a former tight end from North Carolina Central University who played American collegiate and Professional Football as well as Canadian Professional Football...
. Tragedy struck the Bills when Bob Kalsu
Bob Kalsu
James Robert "Bob" Kalsu was an All-American tackle at the University of Oklahoma and an eighth-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills of the American Football League in 1968....
, an offensive lineman, quit the team after his 1968
1968 American Football League season
The 1968 American Football League season was the ninth regular season of the American Football League, and its penultimate season prior to the AFL-NFL Merger....
rookie season to serve in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
, where he was killed in action in 1970.
The 1968 season
1968 American Football League season
The 1968 American Football League season was the ninth regular season of the American Football League, and its penultimate season prior to the AFL-NFL Merger....
was a tumultuous one. With starter Jack Kemp injured, Buffalo resorted to converting wide receiver Ed Rutkowski
Ed Rutkowski
Edward John Anthony Rutkowski is a former American football player, and a former politician in Buffalo, New York. Rutkowksi was a noted college and professional American football player...
to quarterback in a rotation with Rutkowski, Kay Stephenson
Kay Stephenson
George Kay Stephenson is a former American college and professional football player and current coach, whose latter career has seen him work in four different professional leagues. Stephenson played quarterback for the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills...
and Dan Darragh
Dan Darragh
Daniel Meyer Darragh , is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player. He played college football at William & Mary. A quarterback, he played professionally in the American Football League for the Buffalo Bills from 1968 through 1969, and for the NFL Bills in 1970...
. The result was disastrous, and the Bills
1968 Buffalo Bills season
-Offseason:* August 24: Bills sign Fullback Wayne Patrick.* August 27: Bills acquire future Buffalo Bills Head Coach Kay Stephenson from the San Diego Chargers for a Fifth Round Pick....
once again dropped to last in the league, resulting in the Bills earning the first overall draft pick in what was now the combined AFL-NFL draft
1969 NFL Draft
The 1969 National Football League Draft was part of the Common Draft, the third and final year in which the NFL and American Football League held a joint draft of college players. The draft took place on January 28–29, 1969....
. The Bills selected O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
with their pick.
1970–1977: The O.J. Simpson-"Electric Company" era
Before the 1969 season1969 American Football League season
The 1969 American Football League season was the tenth regular season of the American Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger...
, the Bills drafted running back O. J. Simpson
O. J. Simpson
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson , nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American collegiate and professional football player, football broadcaster, and actor...
, who would become the face of the franchise through the 1970s. The NFL-AFL merger placed Buffalo in the AFC East division with the Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, and Colts. Their first season in the NFL saw the team win only three games, lose ten, and tie one. In 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
, not only did the Bills
1971 Buffalo Bills season
The 1971 Buffalo Bills season was the 12th season for the club and its 2nd in the National Football League.For the second time in four seasons, the Bills finished with a 1-13 record. The season began in turmoil when coach John Rauch resigned, forcing pro personnel director Harvey Johnson to assume...
finish in sole possession of the NFL's worst overall record at 1–13, but they also scored the fewest points (184) in the league that year while allowing the most (394); no NFL team has since done all three of those things in the same season in a non-strike year. They thus obtained the #1 draft pick for 1972, which was Notre Dame DE Walt Patuski. Despite good on-field performances, he struggled with injuries before being traded to the Cardinals in 1976. Lou Saban
Lou Saban
Louis Henry Saban was an American football player and coach. Saban played for Indiana University in college and as a pro for the Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference...
, who had coached the Bills' AFL championship teams, was re-hired in 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
, in which the team finished 4-9-1.
Meanwhile, War Memorial Stadium was in severe need of replacement, being in poor condition and too small to meet the NFL's post-1969 requirement that all stadiums seat at least 50,000. Construction began on a new stadium in the suburbs after Ralph Wilson threatened to move the team to another city. The new facility featured a capacity of over 80,000 and, unlike other stadiums, was built into the ground. Rich Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
opened in 1973 and continues to house the Bills today.
1973
1973 NFL season
The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season featured O.J. Simpson becoming the first man to rush for 2,000 yards in one season...
was a season of change: Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
became their new quarterback, they moved into a new stadium, Simpson recorded a 2,000-yard season and was voted NFL MVP, and the team had its first winning record since 1966
1966 American Football League season
The 1966 American Football League season was the seventh regular season of the American Football League, and one of the last before the AFL-NFL Merger. The league entered talks with the National Football League regarding a merger, which would take effect fully in 1970.The season also saw the debut...
with eight wins. The "Electric Company" of Simpson, Jim Braxton
Jim Braxton
James Robert Braxton was a professional American football fullback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins.-Collegiate career:...
, Paul Seymour, and Joe DeLamielleure
Joe DeLamielleure
Joseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
as recounted in the locally-recorded hit "Turn on the Juice", lead a dramatic turnaround on the field. The "Electric Company" was the offensive line (OG Reggie McKenzie
Reggie McKenzie (guard)
Reginald McKenzie is a former American football player. He played at the offensive guard position for the University of Michigan from 1969 to 1971 and was a consensus first-team All-American in 1971. He also who played 13 years of professional football for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks...
, OT Dave Foley
Dave Foley (American football)
David Foley is a former college and professional offensive lineman of the 1960s and '70s.Foley was a three-year starter at offensive tackle for the Ohio State Buckeyes under head coach Woody Hayes...
, C Mike Montler
Mike Montler
Michael R. Montler was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Boston/New England Patriots, Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos, and the Detroit Lions.-University of Colorado:...
, OG Joe DeLamielleure
Joe DeLamielleure
Joseph Michael DeLamielleure is a former American football offensive lineman who was an All-American at Michigan State. He was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 1973 NFL Draft. He won All-Rookie Honors, after finding out a physical condition with his irregular heartbeat was...
and OT Donnie Green
Donnie Green
Donnie Gerald Green is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Detroit Lions. He played college football at Purdue University and was drafted in the fifth round of the 1971 NFL Draft....
) which provided the electricity for the "Juice". O.J. became the only player to rush for 2,000 yards prior to the introduction of a 16-game season. The team made the NFL playoffs at 9-5 for the first time in 1974
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
, but lost the wild card round to the eventual Super Bowl
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
champion Pittsburgh Steelers
1974 Pittsburgh Steelers season
-NFL Draft:In the 1974 NFL Draft, Pittsburgh Steelers are the only team in NFL history to select four Pro Football Hall of Fame players in the same draft .* Round 1: Lynn Swann, USC...
.
After an 8-6 1975 season
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
, the Bills
1976 Buffalo Bills season
The 1976 Buffalo Bills season was the 17th season for the club and its 7th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Awards and honors:...
had internal troubles in 1976
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
; Ferguson was injured and Gary Marangi proved ineffective in replacement. The team dropped to the bottom of the AFC East at 2-12, where they stayed for the rest of the 1970s. On a high note, the 1976 Thanksgiving Classic
Thanksgiving Classic
The National Football League's Thanksgiving Classic is a series of games played during the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. It has been a regular occurrence since the league's inception in 1920. Since 2006, three games are played every Thanksgiving...
saw Simpson set the league record for rushing yards in a game, despite a 27-14 loss to the Detroit Lions
1976 Detroit Lions season
The 1976 Detroit Lions season was the 47th season in franchise history. After the first four games of the season, Rick Forzano was released and replaced by Tommy Hudspeth.-NFL Draft:-Regular season:...
. After the 1977 season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
1978–1985: The Chuck Knox-Kay Stephenson era
Chuck KnoxChuck Knox
Charles Robert "Chuck" Knox is a former American football coach at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He is best remembered as head coach of three National Football League teams, the Seattle Seahawks, the Buffalo Bills, and the Los Angeles Rams, serving two separate stints with...
was hired as head coach and he would end up leading the Bills back to the top.
1980
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
marked another breakthrough for the Bills
1980 Buffalo Bills season
The 1980 Buffalo Bills season was the 21st season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:- Standings :-Starters:-AFC Playoff:...
. They beat the archrival Miami Dolphins
1980 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Regular season:The 1980 NFL season would see the Dolphins drop to an 8–8 record, from their 10–6 showing the previous year.Quarterback Bob Griese, who struggled with leg problems during 1979, lost the starting job to longtime backup Don Strock, but he did poorly in two games, leading...
for the first time in 11 years in their season opener, en route to winning their first AFC East title. The following season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, they lost their title to the Dolphins
1981 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Playoffs:- Standings :-Notes and references:**...
, but won their first NFL playoff game (over the New York Jets
1981 New York Jets season
The 1981 New York Jets season was the 22nd season for the team and the 12th in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 4–12 record from 1980 under head coach Walt Michaels...
). They lost in the second round to the eventual AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals
1981 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1981 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 14th year in professional football and its 12th with the National Football League.The Bengals unveiled new uniforms with tiger-striped helmets, jerseys and pants. They had at least a share of the AFC Central lead the entire season and, on Dec...
. The following year—the strike-shortened season of 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
—the Bills
1982 Buffalo Bills season
The 1982 Buffalo Bills season was the 23rd season for the club and its 13th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: -References:* * *...
slipped to a 4–5 final record.
In the famous 1983 draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
the Bills selected quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
as their replacement to an aging Joe Ferguson
Joe Ferguson
Joseph Carlton Ferguson, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. Ferguson played college football at the University of Arkansas, where he still holds the school's single game record for most completions and in that same season was named the Southwest Conference's Offensive...
, but Kelly decided to play in the upstart United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
instead. Knox left his coaching position to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, and new coach Kay Stephenson
Kay Stephenson
George Kay Stephenson is a former American college and professional football player and current coach, whose latter career has seen him work in four different professional leagues. Stephenson played quarterback for the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills...
proved to be less than stellar. In 1984
1984 NFL season
The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland to Indianapolis, Indiana....
and 1985
1985 NFL season
The 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, the Bills went 2–14.
1986–1997: Marv Levy–Jim Kelly era
Buffalo benefited greatly from the collapse of the USFLUnited States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
. Among the players that Buffalo picked up after the league's demise were starting quarterback Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
(of the Houston Gamblers
Houston Gamblers
The Houston Gamblers were an American football team that competed in the United States Football League in 1984 and 1985. The Gamblers were coached by veteran NFL head coach Jack Pardee in both their seasons...
), center Kent Hull (of the New Jersey Generals
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
), and linebacker Ray Bentley
Ray Bentley
Ray Russell Bentley is a former professional American football linebacker.-Playing career:...
(of the Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders
Oakland Invaders was a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
), all of whom joined the Bills for the 1986 season
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
; this, combined with the high draft picks accumulated over the course of the teams' poor seasons in the USFL years, propelled the Bills into a national powerhouse. Midway through the 1986 season
1986 NFL season
The 1986 NFL season was the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXI when the New York Giants defeated the Denver Broncos to win their first league title in 30 years.-Major rule changes:...
, the Bills fired coach Hank Bullough
Hank Bullough
Henry Charles "Hank" Bullough is a former American Football player and coach. He played college football at Michigan State and graduated in 1954. Bullough was a starting guard for the Spartans team that won the 1952 Rose Bowl...
and replaced him with Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
, the former head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. Levy, along with general manager Bill Polian
Bill Polian
Bill Polian is the Vice Chairman of the Indianapolis Colts NFL team. He rose to league prominence as the General Manager of the Buffalo Bills, building a team that participated in four straight Super Bowls, losing each time...
, put together a receiving game featuring Andre Reed
Andre Reed
Andre Darnell Reed is a former professional American football player. He played wide receiver in the National Football League for 16 seasons, 15 with the Buffalo Bills and one with the Washington Redskins .Reed ranks tenth in NFL history in total career receptions with 951.-Football career:Reed...
, a defense led by first-overall draft pick Bruce Smith, and a top-flight offensive line, led by Hull along with Jim Ritcher
Jim Ritcher
-Career:He started his career playing high school football for Highland High School in Medina, Ohio and was an All-American at North Carolina State and won the Outland Trophy in 1979 as the nation's best offensive lineman. In the National Football League, Richer was moved to guard from center by...
, Will Wolford
Will Wolford
William Charles Wolford is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Pittsburgh Steelers....
and Howard "House" Ballard
Howard Ballard
Howard Louis Ballard is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. Nicknamed "House" for his sturdy build, he played in four Super Bowls and was selected to two Pro Bowls while a member of the Bills. He played college...
.
After the strike year of 1987
1987 NFL season
The 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4–6 were played with replacement players...
, in 1988
1988 NFL season
The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri to the Phoenix, Arizona area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division....
, the rookie season of running back Thurman Thomas, the Bills
1988 Buffalo Bills season
The 1988 Buffalo Bills season was the 29th season for the team and the 19th season in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1988 season with a record of 12 wins and 4 losses. The Bills were 8–0 at home for...
went 12–4 and finished atop the AFC East for the first of four consecutive seasons. After having an easy time with the Houston Oilers
1988 Houston Oilers season
-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-References:* *...
in the divisional playoff, they lost the AFC championship to the Cincinnati Bengals
1988 Cincinnati Bengals season
The 1988 Cincinnati Bengals season was the team's 21st year in professional football and its 19th with the National Football League.The Bengals were a team on the rebound. During the 1987 strike-shortened season, quarterback Boomer Esiason and head coach Sam Wyche had openly feuded, and the team...
.
1989
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
was a relative disappointment, with a 9–7 record and a first-round playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns
1989 Cleveland Browns season
The 1989 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 40th season with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...
. The Bills
1989 Buffalo Bills season
The 1989 Buffalo Bills season was the 30th season for the team and the 20th season in the National Football League. The Bills finished in first place in the AFC East and finished the National Football League's 1989 season with a record of 9 wins and 7 losses....
had a chance to win the game as time was running out, but Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Harmon
Ronnie Keith Harmon is a former professional American football player. After a standout career at the University of Iowa in the Big Ten Conference, he played for 12 seasons in the NFL. A 6", 220-lb...
dropped a Kelly pass in the corner of the end zone. During this season, the Bills were called the "Bickering Bills" by the fans and media due to significant infighting among the players and coaches throughout the season.
1990
In 19901990 NFL season
The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League. To increase revenue, the league changed the regular season so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period...
, the Bills switched to a no huddle, hurry-up offense (frequently with Kelly in the shotgun formation, the "K-gun", named for tight-end Keith McKeller
Keith McKeller
Terrell Keith McKeller is a former American football tight end for the Buffalo Bills from 1987 to 1993. McKeller's blocking and pass receiving was a big asset to the team during the early 90's, assisting them to 4 Super Bowl appearances — Super Bowl XXV, Super Bowl XXVI, Super Bowl XXVII,...
), and it started one of the most successful runs in NFL history. The team finished 13–3 and blew out the Miami Dolphins
1990 Miami Dolphins season
-Offseason:-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-Passing:-Receiving:-Defense:-AFC Wildcard Game:With 2:28 left in the game, the Dolphins capped an 85-yard drive with quarterback Dan Marino's winning 12-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mark Clayton....
and Los Angeles Raiders
1990 Los Angeles Raiders season
The 1990 Los Angeles Raiders season was the club's 31st season in the National Football League . Led by Coach of the Year Art Shell, the club appeared in its first AFC Championship Game since the 1983 season, but lost a lopsided affair to the Buffalo Bills, 51–3.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Game details:*...
(51-3) in the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1990-91
The NFL playoffs following the 1990 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXV.The league expanded its playoff system from a 10-team to a 12-team tournament...
on their way to Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV
Super Bowl XXV was an American football game played on January 27, 1991 at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida to decide the National Football League champion following the 1990 regular season. The National Football Conference Champion New York Giants defeated the American Football Conference ...
. The Bills were overwhelming favorites to beat the New York Giants
1990 New York Giants season
The 1990 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their sixth championship—and second Super Bowl—in franchise history...
(whom they had beaten on the road during the regular season), but the defensive plan laid out by Giants coach Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
kept Buffalo in check (and without the ball) for much of the game. The game featured many lead changes, and with the score 20–19 in favor of New York with eight seconds left, Bills kicker Scott Norwood
Scott Norwood
Scott Allan Norwood is a former American football placekicker in the NFL who played for the Buffalo Bills. Norwood was an integral part of its offense during the late 1980s and early 1990s, and kicked in Buffalo's first two Super Bowl appearances...
attempted a 47-yard field goal
Wide Right (Buffalo Bills)
Wide Right or 47 Wide Right describes kicker Scott Norwood's missed 47-yard field goal attempt at the end of Super Bowl XXV on January 27, 1991.-The field goal attempt:...
. His miss became the most famous missed field goal in NFL history, and was termed "Wide Right".
1991
The Bills steamrolled through the 1991 regular season1991 NFL season
The 1991 NFL season was the 72nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXVI when the Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills....
as well, finishing 13–3 again and with Thurman Thomas winning the Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP awards. They also had an easy time with the Kansas City Chiefs
1991 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1991 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 10–6 record and Wild Card spot in the 1992 playoffs. The Chiefs defeated their division rival, the Los Angeles Raiders in the Wild Card round, resulting in the franchise's first playoff victory since Super Bowl IV in 1970...
in their first playoff game and beat the Denver Broncos
1991 Denver Broncos season
-Schedule:-AFC Championship Game:Buffalo relied on missed field goals by Denver and some key plays from their defense to narrowly defeat the Broncos in a tough defensive struggle. Although the first half was scoreless, the Broncos advanced into Buffalo territory on all five of their possessions in...
in a defensive struggle in the AFC Championship. The Bills looked to avenge their heartbreaking Super Bowl loss a year earlier by playing the Washington Redskins
1991 Washington Redskins season
The 1991 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1990. The Redskins would finish the season 14-2. They went undefeated in the playoffs and beat the Buffalo Bills 37-24 to win Super Bowl XXVI...
in Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI
Super Bowl XXVI was an American football game played on January 26, 1992 at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota to decide the National Football League champion following the 1991 regular season...
, but it was not to be. The Redskins opened up a 17–0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing the Bills a 37–24 loss. During this game, Thurman Thomas lost his helmet and shockingly had to sit out the first two plays of the game, making the Bills the butt of jokes nationwide.
1992
The Bills lost the 19921992 NFL season
The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League.Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots–Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that...
AFC East title to the Miami Dolphins
1992 Miami Dolphins season
-Schedule:-AFC Divisional Playoff:As the Dolphins defense shut out the Chargers, holding San Diego quarterback Stan Humphries to just 18 of 44 completions for 140 yards and intercepting him four times. Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino threw 3 touchdown passes in the second quarter...
and Jim Kelly was injured in the final game of the regular season. Backup quarterback Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
started their wild card playoff game against the Houston Oilers
1992 Houston Oilers season
-Schedule:-Standings:-AFC Wildcard:Miracle at ReichFrank Reich's defining moment in his pro career is actually another comeback, this one often called the greatest comeback in NFL history , in the playoffs following the 1992 season against the Houston Oilers...
, and they were down 35–3 early in the third quarter. Undaunted, the Bills scored touchdowns on several consecutive possessions to tie the game and force overtime. Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
kicked the game-winning field goal in the extra session to cap the biggest comeback in NFL history
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
, 41–38. They then handily defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers
1992 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The Pittsburgh Steelers celebrated their 60th Anniversary season in 1992. This was also Bill Cowher's first season as head coach following the retirement of Chuck Noll after 23 seasons. The team was coming off a 7–9 season in 1991....
in the divisional playoff and upset the archrival Dolphins in the AFC Championship to advance to their third straight Super Bowl. Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII
Super Bowl XXVII was a football game played on January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1992 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football Conference champion...
, played against the Dallas Cowboys
1992 Dallas Cowboys season
-Week 3: vs Phoenix Cardinals:-Week 5: at Philadelphia Eagles:-Week 6: vs Seattle Seahawks:-Week 7: vs Kansas City Chiefs:-NFC Divisional Round: Dallas Cowboys 34, Philadelphia Eagles 10:...
, turned out to be a mismatch. Buffalo committed 9 turnovers en route to a 52–17 loss. The Bills became the first team in NFL history to lose three consecutive Super Bowls. One of the sole bright spots for the Bills was Don Beebe's rundown and strip of Leon Lett after Lett had returned a fumble inside the Bills' 5 and was on his way to scoring. Lett started celebrating too early and held the ball out long enough for Beebe, who had made up a considerable distance to get to Lett, to knock it out of his hand. (The play resulted in a touchback, not a touchdown.)
1993
The Bills won the AFC East championship in 19931993 NFL season
The 1993 NFL season was the 74th regular season of the National Football League. For the first time in league history, all NFL teams played their 16-game schedule over a span of 18 weeks. After the success of expanding the regular season to a period of 17 weeks in 1990, the league hoped this new...
with a 12–4 record, and again won playoff games against the Los Angeles Raiders
1993 Los Angeles Raiders season
The 1993 Los Angeles Raiders season was the club’s 34th season in the NFL.-Offseason:During the offseason the Raiders signed quarterback Jeff Hostetler from the New York Giants to lead the offense. Joe Kelly a former first round pick of the Bengals was signed to fill the middle lineback slot...
and Kansas City Chiefs
1993 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 1993 Kansas City Chiefs season was arguably the franchise's most successful in 22 years: The Chiefs won the AFC Western Division and finished with a 11–5 record...
, setting up a rematch with the Cowboys
1993 Dallas Cowboys season
The 1993 Dallas Cowboys season marked their 34th in the NFL and a quest for back-to-back Super Bowl titles. The season saw the franchise become the first team to start 0–2 and still reach the Super Bowl.-Regular season:...
in Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII
Super Bowl XXVIII was an American football game played on January 30, 1994, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1993 regular season. The National Football Conference champion Dallas Cowboys defeated the American Football...
on January 30, 1994. The Bills became the only team ever to play in four straight Super Bowls, and looked ready to finally win one when they led at halftime. A Thurman Thomas fumble returned for a touchdown by James Washington
James Washington
James McArthur Washington is a former American football safety for the UCLA Bruins and in the National Football League. Currently he is a co-host of FOX Sports Radio's flagship morning show Out Of Bounds with Craig Shemon...
tied the game, with Super Bowl MVP Emmitt Smith
Emmitt Smith
Emmitt James Smith, III is a retired American football player who was a running back in the National Football League for fifteen seasons during the 1990s and 2000s. Smith played college football for the University of Florida, where he was an All-American; thereafter, he played professionally for...
taking over the rest of the game for the Cowboys and the Bills were stunned again, 30–13.
1994–97: Decline
The Bills1994 Buffalo Bills season
The 1994 Buffalo Bills season was the 35th season for the team franchise and the 25th in the National Football League. The Buffalo Bills finished the National Football League's 1994 season with a record of 7 wins and 9 losses, and finished fourth in the AFC East division. The Bills were 4–4 at home...
would not get a chance to make it five straight in 1994
1994 NFL season
The 1994 NFL season was the 75th regular season of the National Football League. To honor the NFL's 75th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season...
. The team stumbled down the stretch and finished 7–9, fourth in the division and out of the playoffs.
During this period Steve Tasker
Steve Tasker
Steven Jay Tasker is a broadcaster for CBS Sports, who previously was a wide receiver/gunner in the National Football League. He was drafted in the ninth round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played college football at Northwestern...
established himself year in and year out as the league's top special teams performer.
In 1995
1995 NFL season
The 1995 NFL season was the 76th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 30 teams with the addition of the Carolina Panthers and the Jacksonville Jaguars...
, Buffalo
1995 Buffalo Bills season
The 1995 Buffalo Bills season was the 36th season for the club and its 26th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:-AFC Wild Card Game:...
, with free agent linebacker Bryce Paup
Bryce Paup
Bryce Eric Paup is a former American football defensive end and linebacker, who played professionally for the Green Bay Packers , the Buffalo Bills , the Jacksonville Jaguars , and the Minnesota Vikings .-Biography:Paup grew up on a farm in Scranton, Iowa, where he played football at Scranton...
anchoring the defense, again made the playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1995-96
The NFL playoffs following the 1995 NFL season led up to Super Bowl XXX.-Bracket:-AFC: Buffalo Bills 37, Miami Dolphins 22:Although Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino completed 33 out of 64 passes for 422 yards, the Bills jumped to a 27-0 lead going into the fourth quarter, and rushed for an NFL...
with a 10–6 record, and defeated Miami
1995 Miami Dolphins season
-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-AFC Wild Card Game:Although Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino completed 33 out of 64 passes for 422 yards, the Bills jumped to a 27–0 lead going into the fourth quarter, and rushed for an NFL playoff record 341 yards....
in the wild card round. They would not get a chance to get back to the Super Bowl—the Pittsburgh Steelers
1995 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 1995 season saw the Steelers return to the Super Bowl for the first time in sixteen years . The team's 11–5 finish was good enough for the AFC Central championship and the second seed in the conference...
, who went on to advance to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXX
Super Bowl XXX was an American football game played on January 28, 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona to decide the National Football League champion following the 1995 regular season...
, beat Buffalo in the divisional playoffs 40–21.
In 1996
1996 NFL season
The 1996 NFL season was the 77th regular season of the National Football League and the season was marked by notable controversies from beginning to end...
, the Bills saw their commanding lead in the AFC East race disappear to a surging New England Patriots
1996 New England Patriots season
The New England Patriots participated in the National Football League's 1996 season, the team's 37th in football. The Patriots finished with a record of eleven wins and five losses, and finished first in the AFC East division...
team. They still made the playoffs, but as a wild card—and the first victim of the Cinderella Jacksonville Jaguars
1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 1996 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the team's second year in the National Football League, and saw the Jaguars trying to improve on their 4-12 record from their inaugural season. The Jaguars marked success as they won six of their last seven games of the season and finished with a record of 9–7...
, the first (and Currently Only (as of 2010 season)) visiting team ever to win a playoff game in Buffalo. Jim Kelly retired after the season after the Bills management told him they were moving in a new direction and wanted him to help develop a younger QB to take over, signaling an end to the most successful era in Bills history. Thurman Thomas gave way to new running back Antowain Smith
Antowain Smith
Antowain Drurell Smith is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. At 6'2", , Smith's powerful running style made him an effective runner between the tackles...
. Kelly's loss was felt in 1997
1997 NFL season
The 1997 NFL season was the 78th regular season of the National Football League. The Oilers relocated from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee...
, with the Bills
1997 Buffalo Bills season
The 1997 Buffalo Bills season was their 38th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–6, instead finishing 6–10. The team missed the playoffs for only the second time in ten seasons.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:...
stumbling to 6–10. Coach Marv Levy
Marv Levy
Marvin Daniel Levy is a former American and Canadian football coach, front office executive and author.He is a former professional football coach, in the CFL as head coach of the Montreal Alouettes , and in the NFL as head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills , coaching the Bills...
retired after the season.
1998
The Bills, under new coach Wade PhillipsWade Phillips
Wade Allen Phillips is the defensive coordinator for the Houston Texans and former head coach for the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills. He was also an interim head coach for the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons...
signed two quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s for the 1998 season
1998 NFL season
The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
, one that Buffalo traded a high first round pick for, and one that was signed as almost an afterthought. The former was for Jaguars backup Rob Johnson and the latter was former Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner and Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
star Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
. Despite many Bills fans wanting Flutie to get the starting job after Flutie looked the better of the two QBs in camp and in preseason, Phillips named Johnson to the position. The Bills stumbled to begin the season, and after Johnson suffered a rib injury against the Indianapolis Colts
1998 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1998 Indianapolis Colts season was the 46th season for the team in the National Football League and 15th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1998 season with a record of 3 wins and 13 losses, and finished fifth in the AFC East division.-NFL...
, Flutie came in and led the Bills to a playoff spot and a 10–6 record. They faltered in their first playoff game against the Miami Dolphins
1998 Miami Dolphins season
The 1998 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 33rd as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's output of 9–7, winning ten games. The team qualified for the playoffs for the second straight year.-Schedule:...
, although Eric Moulds
Eric Moulds
Eric Shannon Moulds is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 24th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State...
set a playoff record for most receiving yards in a game with 240.
1999
Flutie's popularity continued into the 1999 season1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, with the Bills finishing 11–5, two games behind the Indianapolis Colts
1999 Indianapolis Colts season
The 1999 Indianapolis Colts season was the 47th season for the team in the National Football League and 16th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 1999 season with a record of 13 wins and 3 losses, and won the AFC East...
in the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
standings. Wade Phillips gave Rob Johnson the starting quarterback job in the first round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans
1999 Tennessee Titans season
The 1999 Tennessee Titans season was the Titans' 40th season and their 30th in the National Football League. It was the first season for the club under the moniker "Titans," while the nickname "Oilers" was retired by the NFL...
even though Flutie had won 10 games and had gotten the Bills into the playoffs. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left to give them a 16–15 lead. But the Titans won the game on a controversial play that became to be known as the "Music City Miracle
Music City Miracle
The Music City Miracle is the name commonly given to a play that took place on January 8, 2000 during the National Football League's 1999–2000 playoffs...
": During the ensuing kickoff, Frank Wycheck
Frank Wycheck
Frank John Wycheck is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland by the Washington Redskins...
lateraled the ball to Kevin Dyson
Kevin Dyson
Kevin Tyree Dyson is a former American football wide receiver of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Tennessee Oilers 16th overall in the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Utah....
who then scored the winning touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
. Although Wycheck's pass was close to an illegal forward lateral
Forward lateral
A is an informal term, used in both gridiron football and rugby football codes, to describe an illegal pass. A forward lateral occurs when any player, who has advanced beyond the line of scrimmage or at any time in rugby, passes the ball forward to another player who is any distance ahead of the...
, replays were ruled inconclusive and the call on the field was upheld as a touchdown. The Titans went on to advance to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXIV
Super Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
. As of 2011, this was the Bills last playoff appearance.
2000
The final ties to the Bills' Super Bowl years were severed in 20002000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, when Thurman Thomas, Andre Reed and Bruce Smith were all cut. Antowain Smith
Antowain Smith
Antowain Drurell Smith is a former American Football running back in the National Football League who played nine NFL seasons, most notably with the New England Patriots. At 6'2", , Smith's powerful running style made him an effective runner between the tackles...
, Eric Moulds
Eric Moulds
Eric Shannon Moulds is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 24th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Mississippi State...
, and Marcellus Wiley
Marcellus Wiley
Marcellus Vernon Wiley, is a retired American football defensive end who played 10 seasons in the National Football League for four different teams. He was selected with the 22nd pick of the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of Columbia University by the Buffalo Bills...
respectively had long since eclipsed them on the depth chart. After an 8–8 season, and the team still caught up in the Johnson vs. Flutie controversy, general manager John Butler departed for the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
—and took Flutie and Wiley with him. Doug Flutie left the Bills with a .677 winning percentage in 31 starts. Antowain Smith also left as a free agent for the New England Patriots, where he was the starting running back on their first two Super Bowl championship teams. Both Flutie and Smith were dominant in their final game as Bills, in a 42-23 victory over the Seattle Seahawks
2000 Seattle Seahawks season
The 2000 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's 25th season with the National Football League. The 2000 season was the first of two seasons the Seahawks played at Husky Stadium while Qwest Field was being built.-2000 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Preseason:...
. Thomas would be quickly replaced by rookie Travis Henry
Travis Henry
Travis Deion Henry is a former American football running back for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
.
2001-04: The Tom Donahoe era
In 2001, following the departure of John Butler, team owner Ralph Wilson announced his retirement as president of the organization and handed the reins of his franchise to Tom DonahoeTom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe is a former general manager and president of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.-Biography:Prior to his tenure with the Bills, he was director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1991-1999...
, a former executive with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. The move turned out to be disastrous. Donahoe proceeded to gut the franchise of most of its recognizable talent and replaced it with young, inexperienced, unknown lower-end players, and installed Rob Johnson as the quarterback. The team went from playoff contenders to a 31-49 record during Donahoe's five-year tenure. The Bills still have not made it to the playoffs since Donahoe's arrival, even after his departure.
2001
Titans defensive coordinator Gregg WilliamsGregg Williams
Gregg Williams is the defensive coordinator of the New Orleans Saints and the former head coach of the Buffalo Bills. Considered one of the most respected defensive minds in the game, Williams is known for running aggressive, attacking 4-3 schemes that put heavy pressure on opposing...
took over as head coach for the 2001 season
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, which proved to be the worst in recent memory for the Bills. Rob Johnson went down in mid-season with an injury and Alex Van Pelt
Alex Van Pelt
Alexander "Alex" Van Pelt is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers of the National Football League.-College:...
took over. Buffalo finished 3–13. The Bills even lost a much-hyped mid-season match up with "Bills West" (the Flutie-led Chargers
2001 San Diego Chargers season
-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
). After the season, they traded for quarterback Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
, deemed expendable by the Patriots after Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
led them to a Super Bowl
Super Bowl XXXVI
Super Bowl XXXVI was an American football game played on February 3, 2002 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 2001 regular season. The American Football Conference champion New England Patriots won their first Super...
victory.
2002-03
Bledsoe revived the Bills2002 Buffalo Bills season
The 2002 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s forty-third season.The Bills acquired quarterback Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots on draft weekend in exchange for Buffalo's first round pick in the 2003 draft...
for the 2002 season
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, leading them to an 8–8 record, setting 10 team passing records in the process. However, in a tough division with all other teams finishing 9–7, they were still in last place. Another Patriots castoff, safety Lawyer Milloy
Lawyer Milloy
Lawyer Marzell Milloy is an American football safety. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Washington....
, who joined the Bills days before the 2003 season
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
began, gave the team an immediate boost on defense. After beating eventual champions New England
2003 New England Patriots season
The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
31–0 in the first game, and crushing the Jaguars
2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season
The 2003 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the ninth season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars failed to improve upon their 6–10 regular season record in 2002 and did not make the playoffs....
in their second game, play-by-play announcer Van Miller
Van Miller
Van Miller is a retired former radio and television sports announcer from Dunkirk, New York, where he began his career at Dunkirk radio station WFCB calling play-by-play for high school football games...
immediately announced his retirement as of the end of the season, expecting the team to have a shot at the title. However, the Bills
2003 Buffalo Bills season
The 2003 Buffalo Bills season was their 44th in the league. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 8–8, instead finishing 6–10...
stumbled through the rest of the season, finishing 6–10. In fact their season had ended the exact opposite of the beginning as they were trounced by New England 31–0. In one game, however, the Bills' fans gained a small measure of satisfaction when the defense sacked Rob Johnson multiple times in his relief effort for the Washington Redskins
2003 Washington Redskins season
The 2003 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record from 2002.-Schedule:-Standings:...
.
2004
Gregg Williams was fired as head coach after the 2003 season and replaced with Mike MularkeyMike Mularkey
Michael Rene Mularkey is an American professional football coach and a former college and professional football player. He played college football for the...
. The Bills also drafted another quarterback, J.P. Losman
J.P. Losman
Jonathan Paul "J. P." Losman is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 22nd overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
, to be used if Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
. Unfortunately, Losman broke his leg in the pre-season and missed most of the regular season, seeing very limited action.
Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
. The Bills started the 2004 season 0–4, with Bledsoe and his offense struggling in their run-first offense, averaging only 13 points per game. Additionally, each loss was heartbreakingly close. The team finally managed to turn things around with a victory at home against the also winless Miami Dolphins
2004 Miami Dolphins season
The 2004 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 39th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins were unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 10–6, instead only going 4–12 after starting the season 0–6...
. This, along with the emergence of Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(a first round-pick and a gamble by the Bills due to the knee injury that McGahee suffered in his last college game) taking over the starting running back role from the injured Travis Henry
Travis Henry
Travis Deion Henry is a former American football running back for the Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans and Denver Broncos. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, and emergence of Lee Evans
Lee Evans (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Evans was initially assigned the jersey number 84. Evans, as a reference to his full name, had always worn the number 3 in college, a number that was not allowed to be used in professional football for wide receivers...
to give the Bills a second deep threat, sparked the Bills to go 9–2 in their next eleven games. This string of victories allowed the Bills to be in the hunt for a final AFC wildcard playoff spot. Though they would lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers
2004 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2004 Pittsburgh Steelers looked to rebound after a disappointing 6–10 season the year before, which saw the team go through the entire season without winning consecutive games....
in the final game of the season, costing them a playoff berth and devastating the fans, the late season surge gave the team a positive direction to approach 2005.
After the season, wanting to go in a younger direction and unhappy with Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
's overall performance, the Bills decided to hand the starting quarterback reins to J.P. Losman
J.P. Losman
Jonathan Paul "J. P." Losman is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills 22nd overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
. This angered Bledsoe, who demanded his release, which the Bills granted. Bledsoe then signed with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, reuniting him with his former New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
coach Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
.
2005
Losman's development did not proceed as quickly as the Bills had hoped it would. He began the 2005 season2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
1-3 as a starter, prompting Kelly Holcomb
Kelly Holcomb
Bryan Kelly Holcomb is a former American football quarterback of the National Football League. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 1995...
to replace him. Losman would not see action again until Holcomb was injured in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs
2005 Kansas City Chiefs season
The 2005 Kansas City Chiefs season resulted in a 10–6 record, but no playoff berth. The Chiefs became the sixth 10–6 team to fail to qualify for the playoffs since the NFL introduced the wild card....
. He led the Bills
2005 Buffalo Bills season
The 2005 Buffalo Bills season was their 46th in the National Football League. The team was unable to improve upon their previous season's output of 9–7, instead finishing 5–11. This was the sixth consecutive season in which the team missed the playoffs....
to a win in that game, but would again be replaced by Holcomb after losing the next several games. Perhaps the low point of Losman's season was a 24–23 loss to the Miami Dolphins
2005 Miami Dolphins season
-Schedule:-References:...
, a game in which Buffalo led 21–0 and 23–3, but gave up 21 unanswered points in the 4th quarter. Buffalo's 2005 campaign resulted in a 5–11 record and the firing of General Manager Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe
Tom Donahoe is a former general manager and president of the Buffalo Bills of the NFL.-Biography:Prior to his tenure with the Bills, he was director of football operations for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1991-1999...
in January 2006. Marv Levy was named as his replacement, with hopes that he would improve a franchise that failed to make the playoffs during Donahoe's tenure. That same month, Mike Mularkey resigned as head coach, citing family reasons along with disagreement over the direction of the organization. Dick Jauron
Dick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
was hired as his replacement.
2006-07
The 20062006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
and 2007 seasons
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
both brought 7-9 records under Jauron's coaching, having been eliminated from playoff contention in December in both years. 2006 saw the additions of Donte Whitner
Donte Whitner
Donte Whitner is an American football safety for the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the Ohio State University...
, Ko Simpson
Ko Simpson
Yukota "Ko" Simpson is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Ashton Youboty
Ashton Youboty
Ashton Youboty is an American football cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
, Anthony Hargrove
Anthony Hargrove
Anthony La'Ron Hargrove is an American football defensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech.Hargrove has also played for the Buffalo Bills as...
and Kyle Williams
Kyle Williams (defensive tackle)
Kyle Derrick Williams is an American football nose tackle who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Louisiana State.-High school:Williams attended Ruston...
to the defensive corps while 2007 brought in Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
to quarterback the offense, rookie first-round draft pick Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
, second-round pick Paul Posluszny
Paul Posluszny
Paul Michael Posluszny , commonly known as "Poz", is an American football linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, offensive linemen Derrick Dockery
Derrick Dockery
Derrick Dewayne Dockery is an American football guard for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
and Langston Walker
Langston Walker
Langston Branden Walker is an American football offensive tackle for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Raiders in the second round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at California...
, and backup running back Fred Jackson. J. P. Losman played all 16 games in 2006 but was benched in early 2007 in favor of Edwards.
At the end of the 2007 season, Levy retired once again, citing the fact that he had reached the end of his two-year contract. Meanwhile offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild
Steve Fairchild
-Personal life:Fairchild graduated from Colorado State University in 1980 with a degree in economics.-References:...
, a frequent fan target for the Bills' offensive woes, was hired as head coach of Colorado State University
Colorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
's football program
Colorado State Rams football
The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...
. Offensive line coach Jim McNally
Jim McNally
Jim McNally is a retired NFL offensive line coach, whose 28-year career included tenures with the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers and New York Giants before retiring following a four-year stint with the Buffalo Bills...
retired shortly after the end of the season. All of those positions were filled from within, with Turk Schonert
Turk Schonert
Turk Leroy Schonert is a former quarterback, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in the National Football League.-Early years:...
promoted to offensive coordinator.
2008
One of the most notable moves in the league occurred during the 2008 offseason, when league officials approved an October 2007 proposalBills Toronto Series
The Bills Toronto Series is a five-year deal consisting of a series of National Football League games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series began in the 2008 NFL season and will end during the 2012 NFL season...
by Bills owner Ralph Wilson to lease his team to Canadian media mogul Edward S. "Ted" Rogers, Jr.
Edward Samuel Rogers
Edward Samuel "Ted" Rogers, Jr., OC was the President and CEO of Rogers Communications Inc., and the fifth richest person in Canada in terms of net worth. His father Edward S. Rogers, Sr...
to play an annual regular season game and a biennial preseason game
National Football League in Toronto
The National Football League has long been rumoured to be considering placing one of its franchises in Canada's largest city, Toronto, Ontario....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
over the next five years, in exchange for a sum of C$78,000,000 cash. The games began during the 2008 season
2008 NFL season
The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the...
. Notable additions to the roster for 2008 include linebacker Kawika Mitchell
Kawika Mitchell
Kawika Uilani Mitchell is an American football linebacker who currently is a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the second round in the 2003 NFL Draft. He has also been a member of the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills, and New Orleans Saints...
, acquired as a free agent from the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and defensive tackle Marcus Stroud
Marcus Stroud
Marcus LaVar Stroud is an American Football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars 13th overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia...
, in addition to draft picks, cornerback Leodis McKelvin
Leodis McKelvin
-Buffalo Bills:On July 26, McKelvin signed a five-year, $19.4 million contract with the Bills with up to $12.6 million in bonuses. McKelvin made an impact with his kick returning skills. McKelvin also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown in a preseason game against the Steelers. The...
and wide receiver James Hardy
James Hardy (American football)
James W. Hardy, III is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played college football at Indiana University.-High School career:...
. The Bills started extremely well that season, starting out with a 5-1 record before their bye week and showing promise in Trent Edwards as finally being a capable quarterback for the Bills. However, Edwards suffered a concussion from a huge hit in a game against the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The team then went 2-8 in their last games, earning them another 7-9 record, which then resulted in the longest active streak of missed playoffs at the time.
2009
On March 7, 20092009 NFL season
The 2009 NFL season was the 90th regular season of the National Football League.The preseason started with the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game on August 9, 2009, and the regular season began September 10. The season ended with Super Bowl XLIV, the league's championship game, on February 7, 2010 at...
the Buffalo Bills made a major splash in the free agency market when it acquired veteran wide receiver Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
, who had recently been released by the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and is known as much for his elaborate touchdown celebrations as he is for his on-the-field play. Owens was signed to a one year deal. In addition, former starting quarterback J. P. Losman, by this point relegated to third string behind Trent Edwards and Gibran Hamdan
Gibran Hamdan
Gibran Latif Hamdan is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League and NFL Europa. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, was allowed to become a free agent. In the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft
2009 NFL Draft
The 2009 NFL Draft was the seventy-fourth annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. The draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 25 and 26, 2009. The draft consisted of two rounds on the first day starting at 4:00...
, the Bills selected defensive end/linebacker Aaron Maybin from Penn State with the 11th overall pick and center Eric Wood
Eric Wood
-Buffalo Bills:Wood was selected with the 28th pick of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Counted on to start at right guard, Wood joined a completely retooled offensive line that was expected to feature two rookie starters—him, and second round pick Andy Levitre at left guard—and no players...
of Louisville with the 28th overall pick. Buffalo also selected free safety Jarius Byrd of Oregon, guard Andy Levitre
Andy Levitre
-Buffalo Bills:Levitre was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 51st pick overall in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft, and was the first college guard drafted. He is the sixth selection from Oregon State in Bills history, the first since Keith Ellison in 2006...
of Oregon State, tight end Shawn Nelson
Shawn Nelson (American football)
Shawn Nelson is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. Nelson was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern Mississippi....
of Southern Mississippi, and cornerbacks Cary Harris
Cary Harris
Cary Harris is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the sixth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
of USC and Ellis Lankster
Ellis Lankster
Ellis Lankster is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
of West Virginia. As the season began, Terrell Owens proved to disappoint for most of the season, and the offensive line suffered from severe turnover, leading the team to stumble to a 3-6 start, after which the Bills fired head coach Dick Jauron
Dick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
midseason. Overall, Owens' stats for 2009 were modest: 829 yards and five TDs. The season opener against New England was a loss, although Buffalo's morale was raised by the fact that it was only by a single point. Other notable games included a 16-13 OT victory over the Jets in Week 6, and the Week 10 game against Tennessee, where that team's owner Bud Adams made an obscene gesture at Bills fans and was fined $250,000. The Week 13 game against the Jets was an international series match held across the border in Toronto. In Week 15, the Bills hosted New England, but despite optimistic predictions, fell 17-10, marking the fifth season in a row where they lost both matches against the Patriots. This completely eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention and marked their tenth consecutive season without a playoff appearance. On the season ender, they "routed" the 14-1 Indianapolis Colts 30-7 to end the year at 6-10, however, it should be noted that Peyton Manning was benched early due to this being a meaningless game for the playoff bound Colts. Quarterback Trent Edwards battled injury throughout the whole season, splitting games with back-up Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bills were hit with another hard blow when star running back Marshawn Lynch was given a three game suspension by Commissioner Goodell for pleading guilty to misdemeanor weapons charges. Though back-up running back Fred Jackson did quite well in Lynch's absence, his performance then hindered on Lynch's return but he still had a 1,000 yard rushing season. However, the performance of free Safety Jarius Byrd showed extreme promise as Byrd led the NFL with 9 interceptions and was selected to the 2009 Pro Bowl
2009 Pro Bowl
The 2009 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was the NFL's all-star game for the 2008 season. It was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on February 8, 2009. This was the last time that a Pro Bowl game was held after the NFL Super Bowl game...
.
2010–future: The Buddy Nix Era
Buddy NixBuddy Nix
Buddy Nix is currently the General Manager for the Buffalo Bills. He previously was employed by the Buffalo Bills from 1993 to 2000. He joined John Butler and A. J. Smith with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2008, and returned to the Bills in 2009.Nix has three children: Steve and Stan , and...
, a former assistant general manager of the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, was named general manager in the final week of the 2009 season. One of his first personnel moves was to cut ties with Owens (ironically, a man he had recruited during his time in college football).
On January 20, the team named Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
as head coach. Gailey was previously the offensive coordinator of Kansas City and head coach of Georgia Tech and the Dallas Cowboys, going 8-0 in the division in 1998, and leading the team to the postseason in both 1998 and 1999.
With the expiration of Terrell Owens' contract in March 2010, the Bills chose not to re-sign him.
As 2010 began, the Bills lost to Miami at home. After going 0-4, the Bills released Trent Edwards and named Ryan Fitzpatrick starting quarterback. Despite some close games, they ended up at an 0-8 record before beating Detroit at home in Week 10. Then came a 49-31 win in Cincinnati and an OT loss to Pittsburgh. The team finished 2010 with a 4-12 record.
The Bills fired Tom Modrak
Tom Modrak
Tom Modrak is an American football executive who was the general manager for the Philadelphia Eagles and was most recently the Vice President of College Scouting for the Buffalo Bills before being relieved of duties on May 4, 2011. Before Philadelphia, he was in charge of scouting for the...
, one of the last connections to the Donahoe era, shortly after the 2011 NFL Draft
2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
. As a result of the Bills' poor play in 2010, the team earned the third overall selection in said draft, using it to select defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
Marcell Dareus
-Buffalo Bills:Dareus was selected with the 3rd overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills on April 28, 2011. On April 29, the day after the first round, the Bills announced that Dareus would wear jersey number 99. On July, 29, 2011, Dareus signed a 4 year deal with the Bills worth...
in an effort to improve the team's long-struggling run defense.
Buffalo had an excellent start to 2011, routing Kansas City 41-7. The following week, they hosted Oakland and prevailed in a 38-35 shootout match.
In week 3, the Bills beat the Patriots on a last second field goal; breaking a 15 game franchise losing streak spanning 8 years to that team.