History of the Buffalo Bills
The history of the
The second NFL team to represent
Professional football in Buffalo before 1960
The Bills were not the first professional football team to play in
After Buffalo hosted two NFL games in 1938 (a practice that would become a semi-regular occurrence in the city until the current team's arrival), 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.
The forerunners to the Canadian Football League would also play at least one game in Buffalo in 1951. For a period in the 1950s, Silas Rooney hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers training camps at Forness Stadium on the campus of St. Bonaventure University, which allowed the team to play an annual exhibition in Buffalo and/or Rochester.[1][2]
1960–1985
Bringing pro football back to Buffalo
When Lamar Hunt announced the formation of the American Football League in the summer of 1959, Buffalo was one of the target cities Hunt sought. His first choice of owner, however, turned him down; Pat McGroder (then a liquor store owner and sports liaison with the city of Buffalo) was still hopeful that the threat of the AFL would prompt the NFL to come back to Buffalo to try to stop the AFL from gaining a foothold there (as the NFL would do with teams in Minnesota, Dallas, St. Louis and later Atlanta). McGroder's hopes never came to fruition.
Hunt gave Wilson the choice of six cities: Miami, Buffalo,
Most of Wilson's other choices would receive their own professional football franchises during the AFL's ten-year run. Before the AFL had even played a game, the NFL had responded by moving the moribund Chicago Cardinals to St. Louis, where they would share their nickname with the long-established baseball team. After the AFL established itself, Miami reversed its stance and granted the Miami Dolphins a lease for the city-owned Orange Bowl, where they commenced play in 1966. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons would join the NFL in 1967, while the Cincinnati Bengals would become the AFL's tenth (and final) team in 1968. On the other hand, Louisville has yet to be home to a team in any of the established U.S. major professional sports leagues (Louisville did later become home to the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association, but they were not accepted into the established National Basketball Association when it absorbed the ABA).
1960–1963: The Early AFL Years
The Buffalo Bills were a charter member of the
After an inaugural season that saw the Bills finish 5–8–1 (third in the four-team AFL East Division), 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 (they would go on to win the Big Four title but lose in the 49th Grey Cup that year), and Buffalo, at the time, was the worst team in the AFL.
In the 1962 offseason, Buffalo stocked up on players that would play key roles in the successful years of the mid'1960s. 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 and had a serious chance of getting him to play for Buffalo after the Redskins, a team Davis refused to play for, drafted him; however, Davis instead opted to play for the NFL after the Redskins traded him to Cleveland, and he 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.
On December 14, 1963, the Bills and the New York Jets played the final game at the Polo Grounds.[7]
The Mid 1960s: Four Straight Playoffs, 3 Division Titles, Back to Back Championships
From 1963 to 1966, Buffalo experienced its first stretch of success, making the playoffs all four years and winning back-to-back AFL championships in 1964 and 1965 under head coaches Lou Saban through 1965; and Joe Collier in 1966.
The 1964 squad compiled a 12–2 regular season mark and went on to defeat the favored defending AFL champion San Diego Chargers, 20–7 at Buffalo's War Memorial Stadium on December 26, 1964. A turning point in that game occurred in the first quarter with the Chargers ahead 7–0 and driving, when Buffalo linebacker Mike Stratton broke up a flare pass to star Charger halfback Keith Lincoln with a well-timed, hard shot to the ribs, forcing Lincoln to leave the game. This is memorialized in Bills and AFL lore as the "hit heard 'round the world".[8] Players and the fans present acknowledge that the energy in the stadium immediately changed in that instant; San Diego defensive end Earl Faison testifies of the impact it had on the game in this video
Also of note in 1964, the Bills' defense surrendered a mere 65.5 yards rushing per game
In 1965, Buffalo's offense was hampered all season by injuries to its star receivers Glenn Bass and Elbert (Golden Wheels) Dubenion; additionally, league-leading rusher Gilchrist had been traded to the Denver Broncos. The Bills adjusted, riding their stellar defense and a short, controlled passing game to a 10–3–1 record and a second consecutive AFL Eastern Division title. The team's offensive unit received significant contributions from newly acquired Bills Bo Roberson, Jack Spikes and Billy Joe en route to a championship game rematch with the Chargers, who had smashed Buffalo 34–3 earlier in the season and again were heavily favored. This time, the Bills shut out San Diego's high-powered offense 23–0 on the Chargers' home field, Balboa Stadium. Buffalo cornerback Butch Byrd electrified Bills fans with a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown, and the defense registered five sacks on San Diego's dangerous quarterback, John Hadl.
Buffalo was at the center of one of the most significant events that precipitated the AFL–NFL merger. After the 1965 season, Bills' placekicker Pete Gogolak, who introduced the innovation of kicking "soccer style" to American football instead of approaching the ball head-on,[12] decided to test the free agent market. The NFL's New York Giants were in desperate need of a placekicker, and signed Gogolak away from the AFL. This began the escalation of a bidding war for talent between the two leagues that eventually brought team owners to the negotiating table, resulting in a common draft of players out of college, and the AFL-NFL merger that was completed in 1970.
A big reason for Buffalo's sustained success during the mid-1960s was the team's dominant defensive core roster from 1964 to 1967. Many Bills fans of the era are convinced that linebacker Stratton, cornerback Byrd, tackle
The team faced two significant challenges in 1966: The beginning of coach Saban's 6-year hiatus from Buffalo; and the continuing emergence of a young rival AFL Eastern Division quarterback. Saban's departure to accept a head coaching position at the University of Maryland paved the way for former defensive coach Joe Collier to be promoted to head coach. Collier was regarded as a superior strategist whose personal style contrasted with the oft-fiery Saban. And the New York Jets with their brash young signal-caller and steadily improving supporting cast, were emerging as legitimate challengers. The result was a down-to-the wire race between the Bills and Patriots for the division crown with the Jets nipping at their heels for an opportunity to play an AFL championship game whose winner would finally get a crack at the NFL's champion. The Jets played spoiler by defeating Boston on the last Saturday of the regular season. This opened the door for Buffalo's must-win, 38–21 triumph over the Denver Broncos on the very next day. This gave the Bills their third straight division crown and a championship game at home on January 1, 1967, against the Kansas City Chiefs. The teams had split their regular season meetings but the Chiefs dominated, 31–7 and went on to play the Green Bay Packers for the "World Championship;" since known as the very first Super Bowl.
1967–71: Lean Years with Few Bright Spots
Buffalo's first general manager, Dick Gallagher had, in concert with Lou Saban, built the roster that allowed the Bills to rise to prominence in the AFL. Gallagher left the organization after the 1966 season, and subsequent GMs were did not successfully maintain a roster of championship caliber. The trade of backup quarterback Daryle Lamonica to the Oakland Raiders during the off-season leading up to 1967 was the first of many personnel decisions the team made over the next few years that left many Bills fans befuddled. And injuries caught up with the Bills in 1967, especially on the offensive line, and the team slid to a 4–9–1 record. Even tougher years were ahead for the team.
The
Offensive lineman Bob Kalsu left the team after his 1968 rookie season to serve in the Vietnam War. He never returned; Kalsu was killed in action in 1970 and is often cited by Bills fans as the first professional football player to die in action in war during his playing career. This is not true, as Young Bussey and Jack Lummus were still of playing age when they left the NFL to serve in World War II and were killed in action a few years later. Kalsu would be one of two NFL players to lose their life in Vietnam.
While the Bills struggled in these years, talent remained on the roster and there were some memorable moments, including Buffalo's lone win in 1968, a 37–35 victory over the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Jets,[13] and a gutty Thanksgiving Day, 1968 performance against the high-flying Oakland Raiders.[14] Players during these years who gave Bills fans sparks of excitement and optimism were Simpson, quarterback Dennis Shaw, wide receivers Haven Moses and Marlin Briscoe, and running back Max Anderson. In 1969 the Bills also drafted Grambling's star James Harris, who earned the Bills' starting quarterback position for a time before going on to more success with the Los Angeles Rams. Harris' success helped to break a de facto racial barrier at the quarterback position.
1972–1977: Saban returns to Turn on "the Juice:" The "Electric Company" era
Before the 1969 season, 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 Patulski. Despite good on-field performances, he struggled with injuries before being traded to the St. Louis 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,
1973 was a season of change: Joe Ferguson became their new quarterback, the team moved into a new stadium, Simpson recorded a 2,000-yard season and was voted NFL MVP, and the Bills had their 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 institution of the 16-game season in 1978. The team made the NFL playoffs at 9–5 for the first time in history in 1974, but in their divisional playoff, they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the 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 Day game 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.
1978–1983: The Chuck Knox-Kay Stephenson era
1984–1985: To the brink of collapse
Chuck Knox left his coaching position to take a job with the Seattle Seahawks, and running back Joe Cribbs also defected to the USFL, a loss incoming head coach Kay Stephenson unsuccessfully attempted to stop in court. In a 1984 article in The Buffalo News announcing Greg Bell's signing with the Bills, owner Ralph Wilson stated that the team was not yet in jeopardy, but that attendance would have to remain high, and television revenues would have to continue coming in for the team to survive. In 1984 and 1985, the Bills went 2–14. By this point, attendance at Rich Stadium had fallen to under 30,000 fans per game for most of the 1985 season, leaving the team's long-term future in doubt. Wilson was fielding offers, including one from Leonard Tose to trade the Bills for the Philadelphia Eagles.[17] Steve Tasker, who joined in 1986, recalled that "being acquired by Buffalo was akin to being sentenced to prison in Siberia" because of the team's poor record at the time and Buffalo's bad weather.[18]
1986–2000: Perennial contender
1986–1989: Marv Levy, Jim Kelly, and Bill Polian arrive
After the
1989 was a relative disappointment, with a 9–7 record and a divisional 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.[19]
1990–1993: The Super Bowl years
In
The Bills won their fourth consecutive AFC East title in
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 early in the third quarter. In what became known as The Comeback, the Bills rallied behind Reich, taking the lead late in the 4th quarter and winning the game in overtime 41–38. The 35–3 deficit remained the largest deficit (32 points) overcome to win a game in NFL history until it was broken in 2022. Buffalo then defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–3 in the divisional playoff and upset the archrival Dolphins 29–10 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 a Super Bowl-record 9 turnovers en route to a 52–17 loss, becoming 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-yard line 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, thus stopping Dallas from breaking the record for most points scored by a team in a Super Bowl (55), which was set three years earlier and is still held today by the San Francisco 49ers.
The Bills won the AFC East championship in 1993 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 in this game became the first team to face the same team in 2 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.
1994–1997: Decline
The four consecutive failures to win the title game, despite a 14–2 regular-season record against the NFC, inspired many jokes. Tasker recalled that when he made motivational speeches to groups of children, "invariably, some little guy raises his hand. He goes, 'Do you know what Bills stands for?' and I've heard it a hundred times. I go, 'No, what?' He goes 'Boy, I Love Losing Super Bowls'." A player denounced the team's poor reputation: "They still consider us losers. That is the most unfair statement that I've ever seen or heard or read in my life".
In
The Bills again made the
In 1996, the Bills saw their commanding lead in the AFC East race disappear to a surging New England Patriots team; the Bills won against the Patriots in September, then in late October the Patriots won after three touchdowns were scored in the final 85 seconds. The Bills still made the playoffs as the Wild Card home team; they became the first victim of the cinderella Jacksonville Jaguars, the first visiting team ever to win a playoff game at Rich Stadium. 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, when his replacement Todd Collins faltered and the Bills stumbled to 6–10. Coach Marv Levy retired after the season.
1998–2000: Wade Phillips, Doug Flutie, and quarterback controversy
Under new coach Wade Phillips, the Bills signed two quarterbacks 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 0–3, 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.
Flutie's popularity continued into the
The Titans game would mark the last appearance by the Bills in the playoffs for the next 18 years. Following the season, the final ties to the Bills' Super Bowl years were severed 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. In the 2000 season, the team would miss the playoffs following an 8–8 year. 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.
After the 2000 season, with the team still caught up in the Johnson vs. Flutie controversy, general manager
2001–2016: Playoff drought
2001–2005: Tom Donahoe and Drew Bledsoe
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 Donahoe, a former executive with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The move turned out to be disastrous. Donahoe (just a year after the team had released three eventual Hall of Famers in a salary cap move) proceeded to gut the franchise of most of its remaining recognizable talent and replaced it with young, inexperienced, unknown lower-end players, much of which joined Butler in San Diego that year, and installed Rob Johnson as the starting quarterback. The team went from playoff contenders to a 31–49 record during Donahoe's five-year tenure.
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).
Prior to the 2002 season, the Bills traded for quarterback
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 2004 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.[25]
Losman's development did not proceed as quickly as the Bills had hoped it would. He began the 2005 season 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. That same month, Mike Mularkey resigned as head coach, citing family reasons along with disagreement over the direction of the organization.
2006–2009: Marv Levy's return, Russ Brandon, and Dick Jauron
Marv Levy was named as Donahue's replacement in January 2006, with hopes that he would improve a franchise that failed to make the playoffs during Donahoe's tenure. Meanwhile, Russ Brandon was named to a high-level executive position as director of non-football operations alongside Levy. Dick Jauron was hired as head coach.
The 2006 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. Brandon assumed responsibilities as de facto general manager for the next two years.
In a notable move,
The Bills started extremely well in the 2008 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. Notable additions to the roster had included free agent defensive tackle Marcus Stroud and draft picks cornerback Leodis McKelvin and wide receiver James Hardy. However, Edwards suffered a concussion from a brutal hit in a game against the Arizona Cardinals. The team then went 2–8 in their last games, earning them another 7–9 record.
In
As the 2009 season began, the team stumbled to a 3–6 start, after which the Bills fired head coach Dick Jauron midseason. The offensive line suffered from severe turnover and Terrell Owens proved to disappoint, with Owens' overall stats for 2009 being 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 Titans 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 game 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 games against the Patriots. This eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention and marked their tenth consecutive season without a playoff appearance.
Quarterback Trent Edwards battled injury throughout the whole season with his play regressing throughout the weeks, 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 NFL Commissioner Roger 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 Pro Bowl.
2010–2012: Buddy Nix, Chan Gailey, and Ryan Fitzpatrick
Buddy Nix, 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). With the expiration of Terrell Owens' contract in March 2010, the Bills chose not to re-sign him. Meanwhile, 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.
As the 2010 season began, the Bills lost to Miami at home. After going 0–4, the Bills released
Buffalo had an excellent start to 2011, routing Kansas City 41–7. The following week, they hosted Oakland and erased a 21–3 deficit, winning 38–35. In week 3, the Bills hosted the Patriots; they erased a 21–0 Patriots lead and led 31–24 in the fourth; a late Tom Brady touchdown tied the game, but the Bills whipped into range of a last second field goal. The 34–31 win ended a 15-game franchise losing streak spanning 8 years to the Patriots. Despite starting the 2011 season with a 5–2 record, leading the AFC East for several weeks, a wave of injuries to several key starters led to the Bills compiling a 7-game losing streak, pushing the team out of playoff contention for the twelfth straight year. The losing streak was finally broken with a defeat of the Tim Tebow-led Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve, in a game that had unusually poor attendance. With the Detroit Lions making the playoffs for the first time since 1999 that same season, the Bills held the longest postseason drought in the NFL.
On March 15, 2012, defensive end and former first-overall pick Mario Williams, formerly of the Houston Texans, signed a six-year contract with the Bills worth up to $100 million ($49.5 million guaranteed), which made it the most lucrative contract for a defensive player in NFL history at the time.[27] Unfortunately, it was not enough to prevent another disappointing season in 2012 in which the Bills finished 6–10 again. Following the season, the Bills relieved Chan Gailey and his entire coaching staff of their duties.[28] While Gailey reinvigorated the Bills offense, his teams were undone by poor defensive play, in contrast to bad offense but decent defense under the Jauron years.[29]
2013–2014: The Doug Marrone years and the death of Ralph Wilson
On January 1, 2013, it was announced that Ralph Wilson had "passed the torch" to Russ Brandon, and that he would have complete control of football operations. He then served as CEO and President of the team. Later that month, the team hired Doug Marrone as their new head coach. Nix would announce his resignation after the draft, and Doug Whaley moved into the general manager position.
Offseason player moves included Ryan Fitzpatrick being released and replaced by
As the 2013 season approached, a knee injury to Manuel and a season-ending concussion to Kolb almost forced the team to start undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel; Manuel nonetheless recovered in time to start week 1 only to injure his other knee a few weeks later, which resulted in the signing of Thad Lewis (who himself had started a game as an undrafted rookie the previous year with the Cleveland Browns). The Bills finished 6–10 yet again and missed the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season.
Owner Ralph Wilson died March 25, 2014, at the age of 95. Wilson's assets, including the team, were placed into a
The Bills finished the 2014 season with a 9–7 record, which broke a league-leading streak of nine consecutive losing seasons. However, they were eliminated from playoff contention after a loss to the Oakland Raiders in the second to last week of the season, which extended their league-leading playoff drought to fifteen seasons. The starting quarterback for most of the 2014 season was Kyle Orton, a last-minute signing who was named starter a month into the regular season. Orton announced his retirement the Monday following the conclusion of the season.
2015–2016: Rex Ryan and new ownership under the Pegulas
The 2015 season was the first full season for the Bills under the Pegula Family's ownership. On December 31, 2014, Doug Marrone chose to opt out of his contract with the Bills. He asked for a contract extension, but his request was denied by Mr. Pegula. On January 11, 2015, it was reported that Rex Ryan, who had recently been fired from his head coaching job with the New York Jets, would become the next head coach. Ryan was officially named the new head coach the next day, January 12, 2015. The day after that, January 13, 2015, it was announced that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz would not be returning for the 2015 season. The team dramatically overhauled its offense in the offseason, bringing in a number of new starters: quarterback Tyrod Taylor, running back LeSean McCoy, fullback Jerome Felton, wide receiver Percy Harvin and tight end Charles Clay.
The Bills set a franchise record for season ticket sales for the 2015 season with more than 60,000 season tickets sold. The Rex Ryan hiring has been linked to the high increase in sales.[39] The Bills opened the 2015 season with a 24–17 win over the Indianapolis Colts, but faltered (despite an unsuccessful late-game comeback) against traditional nemesis New England. Through the first quarter of the season the Bills led the NFL in penalties heading into their Week 5 game against the Tennessee Titans. After being flagged 17 times in Week 4 against the New York Giants, the Bills were penalized only seven times in their 14–13 victory over the Titans.[40] In the end, the Bills finished a middling 8–8, missing the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season, the longest active streak in major professional sport (after the 2015 Toronto Blue Jays broke their then-22-year streak).
In 2016 Kathryn Smith became the first woman to be a full-time coach in the NFL, when she was hired by the Bills as a special teams quality control coach.[41]
The start of the 2016 season was marred by long-term injuries to both of the team's top draft picks, first-rounder Shaq Lawson and second-rounder Reggie Ragland (who will miss his entire rookie season). On December 27, 2016, Rex Ryan was fired after compiling 15–16 record in 2 seasons along with his brother Rob which made the Bills the third team in the NFL to fire a coach in-season (along with the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars who both fired Jeff Fisher and Gus Bradley), Anthony Lynn was promoted to interim coach. After winning four straight games from weeks 3–6, they only won three more games to finish 7–9. Though Ryan was hired as a defensive-minded coach, the Bills defense ironically declined during his tenure, as compared to the Doug Marrone era, though the offense improved significantly.[42][43]
2017–present: The McDermott / Allen era
2017
On January 11, 2017,
Despite low expectations for McDermott's first season, the Bills played surprisingly well aside from a 3-game midseason slump. On December 31, 2017, the Bills secured a playoff berth for the first time in 17 seasons with a win over the Miami Dolphins (concurrently with a Baltimore Ravens loss to the Cincinnati Bengals). Their season ended on January 7, 2018, when the Bills lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card game by a score of 10–3.
2018
During the offseason, the Bills overhauled their roster yet again, trading away Tyrod Taylor and tackle Cordy Glenn. In addition, longtime center Eric Wood announced his retirement due to health issues, and guard Richie Incognito began suffering mental breakdowns and was released from his contract at his request. They then brought in former Bengals backup A. J. McCarron and drafted Josh Allen to compete for the starting quarterback position. On May 1, just days after the 2018 NFL draft, Russ Brandon abruptly resigned from the organization. He was replaced as president by Kim Pegula.[47]
Notable games included a 27–6 win over the heavily favored Minnesota Vikings,[52] a rematch of the previous year's Wild Card game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in which the Bills avenged their playoff loss,[53] and a battle of rookie quarterbacks between Allen and Sam Darnold of the rival New York Jets.[54] 2018 was also notable for being the final season for longtime defensive tackle Kyle Williams, who retired at the end of the season, and was widely considered the "heart and soul" of the team. Williams caught a pass from Allen in his final game with the Bills, a 42–17 victory over the Dolphins.[55]
2019
The Bills freed up cap space after paying off the dead money for players from the Whaley era they had cut or traded. Prior to the season, numerous offensive players, such as receivers John Brown, Cole Beasley, and Andre Roberts, center Mitch Morse, running backs Frank Gore and T. J. Yeldon, and others were added in free agency, with general manager Brandon Beane dismissing the notion that "players don't want to play for Buffalo".[56][57] The team also drafted defensive tackle Ed Oliver in the first round of the draft to replace Kyle Williams.[58] Running back LeSean McCoy, who was an integral part of the offense, was one of the final preseason cuts after a strong preseason by rookie halfback Devin Singletary.[59]
The Bills clinched their second playoff appearance in three years with a 17–10 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 15, in addition to their first season with 10 or more wins in the 21st century.[60] Buffalo entered the playoffs as the AFC's 5th seed, but lost the wild card round to the Houston Texans 22–19 in overtime, despite leading that game 16–0 in the third quarter.[61]
2020
During the offseason, the Bills traded their first-round draft pick and several other selections for receiver
Buffalo started strong thanks to a high-powered passing attack, with Josh Allen enjoying a breakout year, though the defense regressed from the previous two years early in the season. Despite back-to-back losses in weeks 5–6 to the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs, the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Bills won nine of their next ten games, clinching their first AFC East division title since 1995 after a week 15 win over the Denver Broncos.[64] The Bills went on to win 13 games, tying the franchise record set in 1990 and 1991. They also swept their entire division for the first time in franchise history.[65]
As the number two seed in the AFC, the Bills hosted their first home playoff game in 24 years, against the Indianapolis Colts. The Bills won 27–24, their first playoff win in 25 years.
The Bills went on to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 17–3 in the divisional round, advancing to the AFC Championship round. The Bills re-matched against the Chiefs in their first AFC Championship game since the 1993–94 season, but were defeated 38–24.
2021
In the offseason, Allen signed a 6-year, $258 million contract extension with the Bills, keeping him on the team until 2027.[66] To back him up, Buffalo signed former Chicago Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky to a 1-year deal, replacing the departing Matt Barkley.[67] In an effort to bolster their defense, the Bills drafted defensive linemen including Gregory Rousseau and Carlos "Boogie" Basham.
After a week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Bills won the next four games in dominant fashion, which included two shutout wins and a victory over the Chiefs, before some midseason struggles, including an upset loss to the Urban Meyer-coached Jacksonville Jaguars.[68] Following a close loss to the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Bills closed out the season with another 4-game winning streak, including their third win over the Patriots in two years, to clinch their second consecutive AFC East division title despite failing to match their 13–3 record from the previous year.[69] Buffalo also finished with the league's top defense in several metrics.[70]
Claiming the 3rd seed with an 11–6 record, the Bills hosted New England in the wild card round, winning 47–17 as they scored a touchdown on all their offensive possessions aside from the final kneeldowns and never punted or turned the ball over, a first in NFL history.
2022
The Bills made a high-profile free agent signing, as All-Pro pass rusher Von Miller, formerly of the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams, was added to the roster after signing a six-year deal worth up to $120 million nearly ten years to the date of the Mario Williams signing.[73] Hyped up as the "Super Bowl favorites" prior to the season,[74] the Bills matched a franchise record by winning 13 games during the season and won their third consecutive AFC East division title. However, several events that occurred to the team and the city of Buffalo, including the 2022 Buffalo shooting, two deadly winter blizzards, and a near-fatal medical emergency to safety Damar Hamlin during the Bills' later-cancelled week 17 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, contributed to what several players described as an "emotionally draining" season.[75] The team's performance noticeably declined during the playoffs, as the Bills barely won in the wild card round against a Miami Dolphins team down to their third-string quarterback before losing in the divisional round to the Bengals in blowout fashion.[76]
Damar Hamlin injury
On January 2, 2023, Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed after tackling Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals with 5:58 left in the first quarter.
Future stadium proposal
On December 21, 2012, team CEO
After the team reached a deal with the state of New York and Erie County after the 2022 season to construct a new stadium next to the current site,[81] construction began afterwards with a completion date before the 2026 season.[82]
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