Buffalo Bills

:Alternate meanings: the Buffalo Bills barbershop quartet, the Bills youth subculture

Franchise history

The early years

The Buffalo Bills were a charter member of the American Football League in 1960. After a public contest, the team adopted the same name as the former All-America Football Conference team in Buffalo. In the AFL, a predominantly offensive league, the Bills were a great defensive team.

Related Topics:
American Football League - 1960 - All-America Football Conference

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The 1964 Bills allowed just 300 rushing attempts 913 yards rushing 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. 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.

Related Topics:
American Football League - Pro Football Hall of Fame - Billy Shaw

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The Bills won AFL championships in both 1964 and 1965, 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 in 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.

Related Topics:
AFL - Cookie Gilchrist - Jack Kemp - Daryle Lamonica - Elbert Dubenion - Ernie Warlick - Bob Kalsu - 1968 - Vietnam War - 1970

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Before the 1969 season, the Bills drafted running back O.J. Simpson, who would become the face of the franchise through the 1970s. The Bills became part of the NFL when the latter absorbed the AFL in a merger in 1970. 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. Lou Saban, who had coached the Bills' AFL championship teams, was re-hired in 1972.

Related Topics:
1969 - Running back - O.J. Simpson - 1971 - Lou Saban - 1972

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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. They made the NFL playoffs for the first time in 1974, but lost in the first round to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers.

Related Topics:
1973 - Joe Ferguson - 1966 - 1974 - Super Bowl - Pittsburgh Steelers

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After a mediocre 1975 season the Bills had internal troubles in 1976, as the team dropped to the bottom of the AFC East, where they stayed for the rest of the 1970s. After the 1977 season Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Chuck Knox was hired as head coach and he would end up leading the Bills back to the top.

Related Topics:
1975 - 1976 - 1977 - San Francisco 49ers - Chuck Knox

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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 team's players and fans alike adopted the informal slogan "We're Talkin' Proud" during this period. The following year—the strike-shortened season of 1982—the Bills slipped to a 4–5 final record.

Related Topics:
1980 - Miami Dolphins - New York Jets - Cincinnati Bengals - 1982

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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.

Related Topics:
1983 - Jim Kelly - United States Football League - Seattle Seahawks - Kay Stephenson - 1984 - 1985

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The Marv Levy - Jim Kelly era

After the USFL's demise, Jim Kelly joined the Bills for the 1986 season, and immediately proved to be worth the wait. In addition to new coach Marv Levy, a receiving game featuring Andre Reed and a defense led by first-overall draft pick Bruce Smith, the Bills started marching back to the top.

Related Topics:
USFL - 1986 - Marv Levy - Andre Reed - Bruce Smith

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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.

Related Topics:
1988 - Thurman Thomas - Houston Oilers - Cincinnati Bengals - 1989 - Cleveland Browns

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In 1990 the Bills switched to a no-huddle offense 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 in the playoffs on their way to Super Bowl XXV. The Bills were overwhelming favorites to beat the New York Giants, but the defensive plan laid out by coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick kept Buffalo in check (and without the ball) throughout 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. It went wide to the right, and the Giants emerged victorious; however, some criticized Levy for not calling one more offensive play in an effort to make the field goal try shorter. Norwood's miss set the stage for future failures by the Bills in the early 1990s.

Related Topics:
1990 - Los Angeles Raiders - Super Bowl XXV - New York Giants - Bill Parcells - Bill Belichick - Scott Norwood

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The Bills steamrolled through the 1991 regular season as well, finishing 13–3 again and with Thurman Thomas winning the Offensive Player of the Year award. 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 24–0 halftime lead and never looked back, handing the Bills a 37–24 loss (an embarrassing moment occurred as the teams were leaving the field at the end of the first half when Bills center Adam Lingner angrily ordered a cameraman to "Get that f***in' camera out of my face;" the comment was picked up by a nearby microphone and everyone watching or listening to the game on television or radio would have had an opportunity to hear it).

Related Topics:
1991 - Kansas City Chiefs - Denver Broncos - Washington Redskins - Super Bowl XXVI

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The Bills lost the 1992 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 by 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 thrashing. 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 five and was on his way to scoring. Lett 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.

Related Topics:
1992 - Frank Reich - Steve Christie - Super Bowl XXVII - Dallas Cowboys

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By now the Bills had become laughingstocks, poster children for failure in the eyes of many. They looked to rectify the situation in the 1993 season, but the same result happened. They won the AFC East championship 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 put Dallas in the lead, however, and the Bills were stunned again, 30–13. This fourth Super Bowl loss earned them what is known as the 0 for 4 Curse.

Related Topics:
1993 - Los Angeles Raiders - Kansas City Chiefs - Super Bowl XXVIII - January 30 - 1994 - James Washington - 0 for 4 Curse

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The Bills 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. The outcome of Buffalo's 1994 season has proven to mark the start of what has become known as the "Super Bowl Runner-up Jinx:" Beginning with the 1993 Bills, no Super Bowl loser has since reached the conference championship game the following year in either the AFC or the NFC, and only one has advanced that far in the postseason in either of the next two seasons after losing a Super Bowl (the Steelers, who lost to Denver in the 1997 AFC Championship Game two years after having lost Super Bowl XXX to Dallas); furthermore, only one Super Bowl loser since the 1989 Denver Broncos (who lost the game the year before the first of Buffalo's four defeats) has won a Super Bowl in any season since losing one (the New England Patriots, who lost the game in 1996 but won it in 2001, 2003, and 2004) and starting with the 1998 Atlanta Falcons, five out of six Super Bowl losers have finished with losing records the season after. The 1993 Bills also proved to be the first of twelve different teams to lose the Super Bowl, with no NFL team doing so twice since then.

Related Topics:
1994 - Runner-up - 1997 - 1989 - Denver Broncos - New England Patriots - 1996 - 2001 - 2003 - 2004 - 1998 - Atlanta Falcons

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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 beat Buffalo in the divisional playoff and ended up being the AFC's representative there.

Related Topics:
1995 - Bryce Paup

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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. Jim Kelly retired after the season, 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.

Related Topics:
1996 - Jacksonville Jaguars - Antowain Smith - 1997 - Marv Levy

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Recent years

The Bills, under new coach Wade Phillips signed two quarterbacks for the 1998 season, Rob Johnson and former Canadian Football League star Doug Flutie. This started one of the biggest controversies in the NFL at the time. Despite many Bills fans wanting Flutie to get the starting job, Phillips named Johnson to the position. After Johnson and the Bills stumbled to begin the season, Flutie came in and led the Bills to a playoff spot and 10–6 record. They faltered in their first playoff game against the Dolphins, though the game's poor officiating was one of many poorly called games which caused instant replay to be brought back in 1999.

Related Topics:
Wade Phillips - Quarterback - 1998 - Rob Johnson - Canadian Football League - Doug Flutie

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Flutie's popularity continued into the 1999 season, with the Bills finishing 11–5, two games behind the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC East standings. However, Johnson was given the starting job in the first playoff game against the Tennessee Titans (the former Houston Oilers) in Nashville. The Bills scored a field goal with 16 seconds left to give them a 16–15 lead, but the Music City Miracle, a lateral from Frank Wycheck to Kevin Dyson that led to a Tennessee touchdown on the ensuing kickoff lost the game for Buffalo. Many Bills fans still think that the lateral was actually a forward pass, and the touchdown should not have counted, calling the play "The Immaculate Deception". The Titans ended up advancing to the Super Bowl. Others believe it wouldn't be an issue, had Johnson not taken sack in the endzone early on, allowing Tennessee to get 2 points, and good field position, which they used to score a touchdown.

Related Topics:
1999 - Indianapolis Colts - Tennessee Titans - Nashville - Music City Miracle - Frank Wycheck - Kevin Dyson - Touchdown

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The final ties to the Bills' Super Bowl years were severed in 2000, 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 a dismal 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 rout of the Seahawks. Smith would be quickly replaced by rookie Travis Henry.

Related Topics:
2000 - Antowain Smith - Eric Moulds - Marcellus Wiley - John Butler - San Diego Chargers - Travis Henry

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Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams 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.

Related Topics:
Gregg Williams - 2001 - Rob Johnson - Alex Van Pelt - Drew Bledsoe - Tom Brady

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Bledsoe revived the Bills 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 Patriot castoff, safety Lawyer Milloy, joined the Bills days before the 2003 season began and 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, the Bills stumbled through the rest of the season, finishing 6–10. 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 Washington. Gregg Williams was fired as head coach after the 2003 season and replaced with Mike Mularkey. The Bills also drafted another quarterback, J.P. Losman, to be used if Bledsoe continued to struggle in 2004.

Related Topics:
2002 - Lawyer Milloy - 2003 - Mike Mularkey - J.P. Losman - 2004

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And indeed, Bledsoe did continue 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 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 7–2 in their next nine 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, the late season surge gave the team a positive direction to approach 2005.

Related Topics:
Willis McGahee - Travis Henry - Lee Evans

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In the offseason, the Bills released quarterback Drew Bledsoe, who was then signed by the Dallas Cowboys—reuniting him with once coach Bill Parcells. Many fans hope that replacement J.P Losman can lead the Bills to the playoffs in the 2005–2006 season.

Related Topics:
Drew Bledsoe - Dallas Cowboys - Bill Parcells

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Football analysts also have hope for a good season from Willis McGahee. The Bills intend to use a power running attack. He is expected to be the work horse that drives the Bills offense.

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It seems that just like the Flutie/Johnson controversy, the Losman/Bledsoe controversy has been the only topic for discussion in Buffalo. Though Bledsoe struggled it is hard for a team to start a rookie quarterback and expect to win. Many fans believe the Bills are cursed right now as they have not been able to get a quarterback anywhere near as productive as Jim Kelly.

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Season-by-season