2024 Buffalo Bills season | |
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Owner | Terry and Kim Pegula |
General manager | Brandon Beane |
Head coach | Sean McDermott |
Home field | Highmark Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 13–4 |
Division place | 1st AFC East |
Playoff finish | Won Wild Card Playoffs (vs. Broncos) 31–7 TBD Divisional Playoffs (vs. Ravens) |
Pro Bowlers | QB Josh Allen OT Dion Dawkins |
All-Pros | QB Josh Allen (2nd team) |
Uniform | |
The 2024 season is the Buffalo Bills' 55th in the National Football League (NFL), their 65th overall, their tenth full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, and their eighth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.
This is their first season since 2019 without wide receiver Stefon Diggs, as he was traded to the Houston Texans. The team also released several veterans such as center Mitch Morse, cornerback Tre'Davious White, and safety Jordan Poyer, several players who had been key contributors during the McDermott era, among others.
Due to the roster turnover, many outlets went into the season expecting regression for the Bills. Despite this, the Bills finished the regular season with a record of 13–4, their best since the introduction of the 17-game season in 2021, also improving on their 11–6 record from the previous season.
Highlights of the regular season included a Week 11 win over the then-undefeated Kansas City Chiefs that clinched the Bills' sixth consecutive winning season. Two weeks later, they clinched their fifth consecutive AFC East title, as well as their sixth consecutive playoff appearance since 2019, with a Week 13 win over the San Francisco 49ers. This broke the franchise record set when they won four consecutive division titles from 1988–1991. [1] Lastly, a Week 17 win over the New York Jets helped the team secure the no. 2 seed in the AFC for the third consecutive year.
In addition, the Bills won all eight of their home games for the first time since 1990 and scored a franchise-record 525 points, surpassing their total from 2020. The team drew an average home attendance of 70,696 in 8 home games in the 2024 NFL season, a 9.8% increase from the previous year.
The Bills defeated the seventh seed Denver Broncos 31–7 in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs to advance to the Divisional Round, where they will host the third seed Baltimore Ravens.
Position | Arrived | From | Date of trade | Departed |
---|---|---|---|---|
C | 2024 5th-round pick | Chicago Bears | March 4, 2024 [46] | Ryan Bates |
WR | 2025 2nd-round pick (via MIN) | Houston Texans | April 3, 2024 [47] | Stefon Diggs 2024 6th-round pick 2025 5th-round pick |
CB | Brandon Codrington 2026 7th-round pick | New York Jets | August 27, 2024 [48] | 2026 6th-round pick |
WR | Amari Cooper 2025 6th-round pick | Cleveland Browns | October 15, 2024 [49] | 2025 3rd-round pick 2026 7th-round pick |
Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 | Traded to Kansas City [A] | |||
32 | Traded to Carolina [B] | from Kansas City [A] | |||
2 | 33 | Keon Coleman | WR | Florida State | from Carolina [B] |
60 | Cole Bishop | S | Utah | ||
3 | 91 | Traded to Green Bay [C] | |||
95 | DeWayne Carter | DT | Duke | from Kansas City [A] | |
4 | 128 | Ray Davis | RB | Kentucky | |
133 | Traded to Kansas City [A] | compensatory | |||
5 | 141 | Sedrick Van Pran-Granger | C | Georgia | from Carolina [B] |
144 | Traded to Chicago [D] | from Chicago [E] | |||
160 | Edefuan Ulofoshio | LB | Washington | from Green Bay [C] | |
163 | Traded to Green Bay [F] | ||||
168 | Javon Solomon | DE | Troy | from Green Bay [F] | |
6 | 189 | Traded to Houston [G] | from LA Rams [H] | ||
200 | Traded to Carolina [B] | from Houston [I] | |||
204 | Tylan Grable | OT | UCF | ||
219 | Daequan Hardy | CB | Penn State | from Green Bay [F] | |
7 | 221 | Travis Clayton | OG | IPPP | from Kansas City [A] |
248 | Traded to Kansas City [A] |
Draft trades
Notes
Name | Position | College | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Keaton Bills | G | Utah | [56] |
Rondell Bothroyd | DT | Oklahoma | |
Gunner Britton | G | Auburn | |
Jack Browning | P | San Diego State | |
Te'Cory Couch | CB | Miami (FL) | |
Branson Deen | DT | Miami (FL) | |
Mike Edwards | OT | Campbell | |
Frank Gore Jr. | RB | Southern Miss | |
Xavier Johnson | WR | Ohio State | |
Lawrence Keys | WR | Tulane | |
Keni-H Lovely | CB | Western Michigan | |
David Ugwoegbu | DE | Houston | |
Joe Andreessen | LB | Buffalo | [57] |
Gable Steveson | DT | Minnesota | [58] |
Shayne Simon | LB | Pittsburgh | [59] |
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Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | August 10 | Chicago Bears | L 6–33 | 0–1 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
2 | August 17 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 9–3 | 1–1 | Acrisure Stadium | Recap |
3 | August 24 | Carolina Panthers | L 26–31 | 1–2 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 8 | Arizona Cardinals | W 34–28 | 1–0 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
2 | September 12 | at Miami Dolphins | W 31–10 | 2–0 | Hard Rock Stadium | Recap |
3 | September 23 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 47–10 | 3–0 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
4 | September 29 | at Baltimore Ravens | L 10–35 | 3–1 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
5 | October 6 | at Houston Texans | L 20–23 | 3–2 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
6 | October 14 | at New York Jets | W 23–20 | 4–2 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
7 | October 20 | Tennessee Titans | W 34–10 | 5–2 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
8 | October 27 | at Seattle Seahawks | W 31–10 | 6–2 | Lumen Field | Recap |
9 | November 3 | Miami Dolphins | W 30–27 | 7–2 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
10 | November 10 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 30–20 | 8–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
11 | November 17 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 30–21 | 9–2 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
12 | Bye | |||||
13 | December 1 | San Francisco 49ers | W 35–10 | 10–2 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
14 | December 8 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 42–44 | 10–3 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
15 | December 15 | at Detroit Lions | W 48–42 | 11–3 | Ford Field | Recap |
16 | December 22 | New England Patriots | W 24–21 | 12–3 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
17 | December 29 | New York Jets | W 40–14 | 13–3 | Highmark Stadium | Recap |
18 | January 5 | at New England Patriots | L 16–23 | 13–4 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cardinals | 7 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 28 |
Bills | 0 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 34 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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Trailing 17–3 at one point in the second quarter, the Bills stormed back in the second half with 21 unanswered points to take the lead. The Cardinals had one last chance to win after the Bills expanded their lead to 34–28, but quarterback Kyler Murray's last second Hail Mary pass attempt was denied by Bills cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram, preventing a repeat of the Hail Murray from the 2020 season. [60] Bills quarterback Josh Allen had four total touchdowns in the win, tallying his fourth career game with multiple rushing and passing touchdowns, tied for the most in league history with Steve Young. [61] The Bills would begin their season with a 1–0 record.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 7 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Dolphins | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
Game information | ||
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The Bills cruised to a 31–10 win over the rival Dolphins, thanks to three total touchdowns by running back James Cook and the defense intercepting Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa three times. However, the win was overshadowed by Tagovailoa suffering a concussion after running into contact with safety Damar Hamlin. This was Tagovailoa's third officially reported concussion in two years. [62] With this win, the Bills improved to 2–0.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jaguars | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Bills | 13 | 21 | 3 | 10 | 47 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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The Bills turned in a strong performance against the Jaguars in Week 3 on Monday Night Football . Buffalo's defensive line only allowed Jacksonville a field goal and a touchdown in the game, with Bills safety Damar Hamlin picking off Jaguar quarterback Trevor Lawrence for his first interception. Rookies Keon Coleman and Ray Davis scored their first career NFL touchdowns, with Coleman catching a 24-yard pass from Josh Allen and Davis running for a 3-yard touchdown. Davis' fellow halfbacks James Cook and Ty Johnson also scored touchdowns as the Bills improved their record to 3–0.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Ravens | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Game information | ||
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After three consecutive wins to open the season, the Bills took a sour loss from the Ravens on Sunday Night Football . With the defense missing several key players due to ongoing injuries, they were unable to contain Baltimore running back Derrick Henry as he rushed for 199 yards. The offense was outgained 236 to 427 culminating in the Bills' first loss of the 2024 season as they fell to 3–1.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 3 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 20 |
Texans | 14 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
Game information | ||
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The Bills faced off against former receiver Stefon Diggs for the first time since they traded him to the Texans in the offseason. The game started off with a 38-yard Tyler Bass field goal, only for Texans running back Cam Akers to rush for a 15-yard touchdown and Houston quarterback C. J. Stroud to throw a 67-yard pass touchdown pass to wide receiver Nico Collins. The Bills would ultimately turn around in the second half with touchdowns from James Cook and Keon Coleman, and another Tyler Bass field goal put the Bills in a tied situation against the Texans. However, in what was seen as a major gaffe, the Bills opted to pass three consecutive times from their own end zone with just seconds left in regulation, resulting in three incompletions from Josh Allen, who finished with a career-worst 30% completion percentage. Buffalo punted with 16 seconds left in the game and Houston retaining all three of its timeouts. After a quick gain to get into field goal range and a timeout taken by Houston, Kaʻimi Fairbairn kicked a 59-yard field goal just as time expired, denying Buffalo’s attempt to come back. With the loss, Buffalo dropped back-to-back games and fell to 3–2 on the season.
Head coach Sean McDermott took the blame for deciding to pass in the waning moments of the game instead of running, which would have forced the Texans to burn their timeouts and likely taken the game to overtime, [63] and the team's training staff was criticized for allowing Allen back into the game after he suffered what appeared to be a concussion at first glance, though a later review found no violation of the NFL's concussion protocol. [64]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
Jets | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
Game information | ||
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After suffering back-to-back losses, the Bills started this Monday Night Football game against the division rival Jets with a strong rushing attack, despite missing starting tailback James Cook due to a toe injury, and Josh Allen scoring three touchdowns in the first half, namely a one-yard rushing touchdown and scoring passes to Mack Hollins and Dawson Knox. The defense struggled to contain Aaron Rodgers and Breece Hall at times, despite the returns of cornerback Taron Johnson and safety Taylor Rapp, culminating in the Jets keeping the score close, with Rodgers throwing a 52-yard Hail Mary pass to Allen Lazard as time expired in the first half. During a low-scoring second half, Bills kicker Tyler Bass kicked a go-ahead field goal with just three minutes to go, and Rodgers was intercepted by Johnson on the ensuing drive, sealing Buffalo’s fourth win in the 2024 season.
Ray Davis filled in admirably for Cook, rushing for 97 yards overall. Khalil Shakir also returned to play in limited snaps after missing the week prior due to an injury he suffered in the Ravens game two weeks prior. Both Bass and Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein struggled in the game, missing two kicks apiece, and the two teams combined for 22 accepted penalty flags for 204 yards in a sloppy, tension-filled game. [65] The Bills improved to 4–2, with their first win in three weeks.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Titans | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
Bills | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 34 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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Despite Tennessee leading 10-0 at one point in the second quarter, Buffalo ultimately took control in the second half, overcoming consecutive three-and-out possessions in the first half to score 34 unanswered points. All three of Buffalo's active halfbacks, namely James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Ray Davis, scored touchdowns, in addition to newly-acquired receiver Amari Cooper. With the win, Buffalo improved to 5–2 in Josh Allen's 100th career game. [66]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 7 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
Seahawks | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
Game information | ||
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Buffalo's dominance continued once more against Seattle, with the Seahawks' defense unable to contain the Bills' offense, resulting in the Bills gaining 31 unanswered points. Buffalo got touchdowns from Keon Coleman and Dalton Kincaid, while James Cook rushed for two touchdowns and Tyler Bass successfully made a 27-yard field goal. Buffalo's defensive line only allowed Seattle a field goal and a touchdown. However, Josh Allen's streak of no interceptions in 2024 ended when Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe picked him off. Despite that interception, the Bills improved to 6–2. [67]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dolphins | 3 | 7 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
Bills | 3 | 3 | 14 | 10 | 30 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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The Bills opened the scoring in their second regular-season meeting with the Dolphins, with Tyler Bass making a 40-yard field goal. The Buffalo defense allowed Miami to put points on the board in two consecutive drives. The Dolphins took advantage of Josh Allen's second interception of the season, where a pass intended for Keon Coleman bounced off of the receiver's hands and was picked off by Miami cornerback Jalen Ramsey on the 3-yard line. Miami drove 97 yards to score their first touchdown of the game, putting them ahead 10-3. The Bills were forced to settle for a 49-yard field goal from Bass to end the first half after two consecutive plays ending in touchdowns were negated by holding penalties. The Dolphins received the kickoff to start the second half, but their first drive ended in a forced fumble by Taron Johnson, with Kaiir Elam recovering the ball for the Bills. Miami and Buffalo traded scores through the third and fourth quarter, leading to a 27-27 score in the final moments. The Bills got into field goal range on their final drive of the game with the help of a personal foul penalty called on Miami safety (and former Bill) Jordan Poyer after he hit Coleman in the head. [68] The penalty set the Bills up for a game-winning, 61-yard field goal by Bass, [69] setting a new record for the longest field goal in Bills history. [70] The Dolphins were unable to score in the time remaining, improving Buffalo's record to 7–2. This was the Bills' fourth consecutive victory and their fifth consecutive regular-season victory against Miami.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
Colts | 3 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
Game information | ||
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The Bills started this matchup against the Colts with a pick six by Taron Johnson, who intercepted a pass from Indianapolis backup quarterback Joe Flacco, and a 29-yard Tyler Bass field goal. Both teams put up a strong performance against each other, although Josh Allen threw his third and fourth interceptions of 2024 to Colts linebacker E. J. Speed and cornerback Kenny Moore II. The Bills' defense at times struggled to contain the Colts' offense, with Matt Gay kicking two field goals and Flacco throwing a touchdown pass to Tyler Goodson to put the Colts ahead by three points in the second quarter. However, a 13-yard touchdown run by Allen and a 47-yard field goal from Bass put the Bills ahead again by seven points. Buffalo put the game out of reach in the final quarter, as James Cook ran for a two-yard touchdown and Bass kicked his third field goal of the game, this time for 28 yards. The Bills improved to 8-2 on the season and secured their first win in Indianapolis since 1998.
With his 13-yard touchdown, Allen became tied for second in Bills franchise history for rushing touchdowns at 57. Furthermore, the Bills had no passing touchdowns in the game. Also this was first time when the Bills won five consecutive games in a 8–2 record since 1993. [71]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chiefs | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 30 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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The Buffalo Bills hosted the Kansas City Chiefs for their fifth consecutive regular season matchup. The Chiefs received the ball to start, but the Bills defense forced a turnover on the second play of the game. Taylor Rapp picked off a pass thrown by Patrick Mahomes as he was being tackled by DaQuan Jones, and the Bills capitalized on the takeaway with an 8-play, 65-yard drive to go up 6-0. There were four lead changes during the second quarter of the tame, beginning with the Chiefs driving 88 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-6 and the Bills answering with a 70-yard touchdown drive to go up 13-7. The Chiefs took advantage of a miscue to make it 14-13 after picking off Josh Allen, and the Bills ended the first half with a 33-yard field goal to bring the score to 16-14.
After trading punts on the first four plays of the second half, the Bills held onto the ball for 6:03 on their longest touchdown drive of the game, putting them two scores ahead of the Chiefs at 23-14. The Chiefs responded with a touchdown, bringing the game within 2 points. Facing 4th & 2 on the Chiefs' 26 yard line, Josh Allen took control of the game and brought his team to 30-21 with a 26-yard rushing touchdown. The Chiefs attempted to bring the game within one score, but with 1:17 left to play, Terrel Bernard intercepted a pass intended for Travis Kelce and clinched the game for Buffalo. The Bills ended the Chiefs' undefeated season and their 15-game win streak, and the Bills became the first team to score 28 or more points against Kansas City since the 2022 season. [72] Josh Allen's rushing touchdown put him in 2nd place for most rushing touchdowns in Bills history, with 58. [73] He also tied Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly for the most total touchdowns, at 244. [74] With their fourth consecutive win against Kansas City, and first home win against the Chiefs since 2012, the Bills entered their bye week at 9–2. It was the first time this particular matchup had been decided by more than one score since Week 5 of the 2021 season.
The game was watched by 31.2 million viewers, becoming the highest-rated football game of the 2024 NFL season. It was the highest-rated regular season and non-holiday game since the Week 9 matchup of the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts during the 2007 NFL season.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
49ers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
Bills | 7 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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The Bills' Sunday Night Football matchup against the 49ers saw Buffalo cruise to their 7th consecutive victory and 10th overall victory in 2024. They did so in a dominant fashion, with the Bills Defense Line only allowing San Francisco a field goal and a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Bills offense gained 35 points with 28 of them unanswered. These points included rushing touchdowns from Ray Davis, James Cook, and Josh Allen, while Allen and Mack Hollis scored passing touchdowns. Allen also became the first quarterback in NFL history to score passing, receiving, and rushing touchdowns all in the same game. This game would improve the Bills to 10–2 and win their fifth consecutive AFC East title. It is the fastest an NFL team has clinched their division since the 2009 Indianapolis Colts, a complete opposite scenario compared to the Bills 2023 season where they clinched their division in the last regular season game. This marks the team's best start to a season since 1991. [75]
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
Rams | 7 | 17 | 14 | 6 | 44 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
Game information | ||
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Following seven consecutive victories, Buffalo’s dominance took a hard loss from the Rams with Buffalo’s defense constantly struggling to contain the Matthew Stafford led Rams offense with the team gaining multiple points, including a blocked punt by Rams tight end, Hunter Long. The Bills would attempt to come back with touchdowns by Josh Allen, Ty Johnson, Khalil Shakir, and Mack Hollins, but it wouldn’t be enough as an attempted punt return would be stopped as time expired in the game, dropping their record to 10–3. [76] Despite this, Allen had yet another record-breaking performance, including becoming the first player in modern NFL history to score three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 14 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 48 |
Lions | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
Game information | ||
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Following a hard loss the week prior, Buffalo utilized their strong rushing attack in game to gain multiple points. Despite the rare scenario of being the underdogs of the match, Buffalo would start the game off with a 14–0 lead. However, from there, both teams put up good performances against each other during the game, consistently scoring points back and forth. For the Bills, Josh Allen and James Cook rushed for two touchdowns each, Khalil Shakir and Ray Davis each caught passing touchdowns and Tyler Bass made two of his three attempted field goals. However, it would ultimately be Bass’ two field goals that played a factor in the Bills putting the game out of reach of Detroit. To finish it off, Taron Johnson narrowly recovered an onside kick with twelve seconds left in the game, giving the Bills the win. This victory would raise them to an 11–3 record.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Patriots | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
Bills | 0 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 24 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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After earning an explosive win the previous week, Buffalo began their first meeting of the season against their division rival sluggishly, as both the offense and defense struggled against New England. After trailing 14–0, Buffalo managed to find rhythm and scored 24 unanswered points to make it a two-score game. These points included a rushing touchdown by James Cook, a field goal by Tyler Bass, a passing touchdown from Josh Allen to Cook, and a 0-yard fumble return touchdown by Taron Johnson. New England answered back with another touchdown towards the end of the game, but were unable to recover their onside kick. From there, Buffalo secured enough first-downs to run out the game clock and secure the win. The Bills would now go up to a record of 12–3, improving upon their regular season record from the previous year.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
Bills | 7 | 5 | 21 | 7 | 40 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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After a close game with the Jets earlier in the season, the Bills approached their rematch with dominance by shutting the Jets out 33–0 by the end of the third quarter. Josh Allen scored one rushing touchdown and two passing touchdowns, the latter being caught by Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman. A safety by A.J. Epenesa and a field goal by Tyler Bass contributed to the lead as well. With this performance, the Bills would rest their starters. Shortly after doing so, they scored a 69-yard touchdown pass from Mitchell Trubisky to Tyrell Shavers to make it 40–0. The Jets responded back with two touchdowns, but ultimately had no shot of making a comeback. With this win, the Bills would rise to a 13–3 record and secure the no. 2 seed in the AFC for the third consecutive year.
In addition to this, Allen became the first quarterback in NFL history with 40+ touchdowns in five consecutive seasons, while Cooper eclipsed 10,000 receiving yards across his career. Franchise milestones were also achieved, such as the Bills going undefeated at home for the first time since 1990.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bills | 0 | 10 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
Patriots | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
Game information | ||
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With the no. 2 seed in the AFC secured, the Bills largely played their backups in the final matchup of the regular season, though Josh Allen got the start and played one snap, a hand-off, to continue his active starts streak. [77] Backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky led the Bills to 16 points including a James Cook touchdown run, which helped Cook tie O. J. Simpson's franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season. [78] However, the backup defense allowed the Patriots offense, led by backup quarterback Joe Milton III, to score 23 points, resulting in a win for New England that cost them the number one pick in the 2025 NFL draft. [79]
With the loss, the Bills finished the regular season with a 13–4 record. In addition to this, they would score 525 points throughout the season, the highest in franchise history. This surpasses the record of 501 points from 2020.
AFC East | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
(2) Buffalo Bills | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 5–1 | 9–3 | 525 | 368 | L1 |
Miami Dolphins | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 345 | 364 | L1 |
New York Jets | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 338 | 404 | W1 |
New England Patriots | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 2–4 | 3–9 | 289 | 417 | W1 |
Seed | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division leaders | |||||||||||
1 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 15 | 2 | 0 | .882 | 5–1 | 10–2 | .488 | .463 | L1 |
2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 5–1 | 9–3 | .467 | .448 | L1 |
3 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .529 | .525 | W4 |
4 | Houston Texans | South | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 8–4 | .481 | .376 | W1 |
Wild cards | |||||||||||
5 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 8–4 | .467 | .348 | W3 |
6 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .502 | .453 | L4 |
7 | Denver Broncos | West | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .502 | .394 | W1 |
Did not qualify for the postseason | |||||||||||
8 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .478 | .314 | W5 |
9 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .457 | .309 | W1 |
10 | Miami Dolphins | East | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 6–6 | .419 | .294 | L1 |
11 | New York Jets | East | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 2–4 | 5–7 | .495 | .341 | W1 |
12 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 3–3 | 4–8 | .478 | .265 | L1 |
13 | New England Patriots | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 2–4 | 3–9 | .471 | .471 | W1 |
14 | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 0–6 | 3–9 | .540 | .353 | L1 |
15 | Cleveland Browns | North | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .536 | .510 | L6 |
16 | Tennessee Titans | South | 3 | 14 | 0 | .176 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .522 | .431 | L6 |
Round | Date | Time (EST) | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | TV | Recap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Wild Card | January 12 | 1:05 p.m. | Denver Broncos (7) | W 31–7 | 1–0 | Highmark Stadium | CBS | Recap |
Divisional | January 19 | 6:40 p.m. | Baltimore Ravens (3) | Highmark Stadium | CBS |
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broncos | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Bills | 3 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 31 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
Game information | ||
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Heading into their first match of the postseason, Buffalo would quickly fall behind 7–0 after a touchdown on Denver's opening drive. However, from there, the Bills would dominate the remainder of the game. They would go on to score 31 unanswered appoints accomplished by three field goals by Tyler Bass, a rushing touchdown by James Cook, and two touchdown passes from Josh Allen to Ty Johnson and Curtis Samuel. With the win, the Bills would win the Wild Card Playoff game and advance to the Divisional round for the fifth consecutive year.
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ravens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
The 2014 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League (NFL), 55th season of competition, second and final under head coach Doug Marrone and the first in franchise history without Ralph Wilson as owner. The Bills defense continued its strong play from last season, finishing first in the league with 54 quarterback sacks. Overall, the Bills improved on their 6–10 record from 2013, finishing with a 9–7 record, their first winning season since 2004, yet they still missed the playoffs after a Week 16 loss to the Oakland Raiders.
The 2015 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 66th in the National Football League (NFL), the 70th overall, second playing their home games at Levi's Stadium, and the only season under head coach Jim Tomsula. They were attempting to make history as the first Super Bowl host team to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, but they failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014, and ended with a 5–11 record to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row and suffered their first losing season and last place finish since 2010 and 2005 respectively, and marked the 31st consecutive year in which the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played, a feat that was not achieved since themselves in 1984 until the 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers broke the streak five years later.
The 2017 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 55th as the Kansas City Chiefs, the 58th overall, the fifth under head coach Andy Reid, and first under general manager Brett Veach. They won the AFC West, but lost to the Tennessee Titans in the wild-card round after blowing a 21–3 lead at the half. The season was the first to feature future two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes whose first start came in the last game of the regular season against the Denver Broncos, a game which had no playoff implications as the Chiefs had secured the division in Week 16.
The 2017 season was the Buffalo Bills' 58th overall, 48th in the National Football League (NFL) and third full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula. The season was the first under the leadership of general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. On December 31, 2017, the final week of the regular season, the Bills finally ended their 18-year playoff drought with the Bills winning 22–16 over the Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals upsetting the Baltimore Ravens 31–27.
The 2018 season was the Buffalo Bills' 59th overall, 49th in the National Football League (NFL), fourth full under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula and second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. The team previously finished with a 9–7 record in 2017 and returned to the playoffs for the first time after having not been to the playoffs since 1999.
The 2019 season was the Buffalo Bills' 60th overall, 50th in the National Football League (NFL), fifth full under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula and third under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.
The 2019 season was the Cleveland Browns' 67th in the National Football League (NFL), their 71st overall, their second full season under general manager John Dorsey and their only season under head coach Freddie Kitchens. They finished 6–10 despite entering the season with high expectations, failing to improve on their 7–8–1 record from 2018 or end their franchise-record and league-high 16-year playoff drought. They also suffered a 12th consecutive losing season, also a franchise record and the longest such streak in the league. Following the season, the Browns fired Kitchens after one season and Dorsey left his position as well.
The 2020 season was the Buffalo Bills' 61st as a franchise, 51st in the National Football League (NFL), the sixth full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula and fourth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane. After acquiring players such as Stefon Diggs, Mario Addison, and A. J. Klein during the offseason, the Bills offense, led by quarterback Josh Allen, took another step forward, scoring an at the time franchise-record 501 points and leading the Bills to 13 wins in the regular season, and their first playoff wins and first AFC Championship appearance of the 21st century.
The 2020 season was the Baltimore Ravens' 25th in the National Football League (NFL) and their 13th under head coach John Harbaugh. They failed to improve upon their franchise-best 14–2 regular season and were denied their third consecutive AFC North title following a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12 after 18 of their players contracted COVID-19. Despite this, as well as a 6–5 start, the Ravens won their five remaining games to finish 11–5 and after a win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 17, clinched their third consecutive playoff berth. The Ravens rushed for 3,071 yds during the regular season, best in the NFL for the second consecutive season.
The 2021 season was the Buffalo Bills' 52nd in the National Football League (NFL), seventh full under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, and their fifth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.
The 2021 season was the New England Patriots' 52nd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 62nd overall, their 20th playing home games at Gillette Stadium, and their 22nd under head coach Bill Belichick.
The 2022 season was the Buffalo Bills' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 63rd as a franchise, their eighth full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, and their sixth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.
The 2022 season was the Miami Dolphins' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 57th overall, the first under new head coach Mike McDaniel, and seventh under general manager Chris Grier. It also set out with the acquisition of 3x All-Pro receiver Tyreek Hill, who joined Jaylen Waddle as Tua Tagovailoa's receiving duo after breaking contract talks with the Chiefs and being traded in March.
The 2022 season was the New York Jets' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 63rd overall, their fourth under general manager Joe Douglas and their second under head coach Robert Saleh.
The 2022 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 55th overall, and their fourth under head coach Zac Taylor. After an 0–2 start, the Bengals quickly turned around, winning 12 out of their last 14 games to match their franchise best record of 12–4. The Bengals improved upon their 10–7 record from the previous season and clinched the AFC North title for the second straight year. Cincinnati's Week 17 game against Buffalo was declared a no-contest after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest, resulting in only 16 games played. Despite the incident, they won the AFC North and won their last game to finish 12–4, tied for the best record in the history of the franchise, but they could not clinch the 1 seed in the AFC as a result of the cancellation and risked losing home advantage if they lost their last game and coin toss to the Baltimore Ravens. Instead, they defeated Baltimore 27–16 to avoid that situation.
The 2022 season was the Chicago Bears' 103rd in the National Football League (NFL) and their first under general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. They failed to improve upon their 6–11 record from the previous season.
The 2022 season was the Detroit Lions' 93rd in the National Football League (NFL), the 21st playing their home games at Ford Field and their second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes.
The 2023 season was the Buffalo Bills' 64th season as a franchise, their 54th in the National Football League (NFL), their ninth full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, and their seventh under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.
The 2023 season was the Miami Dolphins' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 58th overall, their eighth under general manager Chris Grier and their second under head coach Mike McDaniel.
The 2023 season was the Cincinnati Bengals' 54th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 56th overall and their fifth under head coach Zac Taylor. The Bengals failed to match their 12–4 record from 2022 after a 34–20 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in week 11. With a Week 17 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, coupled with wins by the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills earlier in the day, the Bengals were eliminated from playoff contention for the first time since 2020.
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