2017 Buffalo Bills season

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2017 Buffalo Bills season
Owner Terry and Kim Pegula
Head coach Sean McDermott
General manager Brandon Beane
Home field New Era Field
Results
Record 9–7
Division place 2nd AFC East
Playoff finish Lost Wild Card Playoffs (at Jaguars) 3–10
Pro Bowlers
3
Uniform
250px

The 2017 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 58th overall season, 48th in the National Football League 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 what would have been their 18-year playoff drought (previously the longest active drought in the NFL and the longest active playoff drought among the four major professional North American sport leagues) with the Bills winning 22–16 over the Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals upsetting the Baltimore Ravens 31–27. The Bills also improved on their 7–9 record from 2016 and clinched their first winning season since 2014 (when Doug Marrone was head coach).[1] However, the #6 seed Bills lost the Wild Card game against the #3 seed Jacksonville 10–3, extending their playoff victory drought to 22 years.

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Offseason

Beane joined the Bills after 19 seasons with the Carolina Panthers, the last two as assistant to then-general manager Dave Gettleman.[2] Beane, who signed an undisclosed deal on May 9, 2017, replaced Doug Whaley, who was fired by Pegula after the 2017 NFL Draft.[3] Whaley was fired, along with the team's entire scouting staff, on April 30, 2017, less than 12 hours after the conclusion of the 2017 NFL Draft.[4] Over the course of the 2016 offseason and into the 2017 season, many of Whaley's draft picks were purged from the roster in trades and cuts. Of the 28 players Whaley had drafted from 2014 to 2017, only nine were still on the roster by the end of August.[5] The 2017 season was also the first under McDermott, who spent the previous eight seasons as defensive coordinator, the last six with the Panthers.[6] McDermott, who signed an undisclosed deal on January 11, 2017, replaced Rex Ryan, who was fired along with his twin brother Rob on December 27, 2016.[7]

Transactions

Coaching and front office changes

Coaching staff

Position Name Reason 2017 Replacement Date Notes
Head coach Rex Ryan (Weeks 1–16), Anthony Lynn (Week 17) Fired (Ryan) Sean McDermott January 11
Defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman Fired Leslie Frazier January 13
Linebackers coach Bobby April III Fired Bob Babich January 13
Offensive line coach Aaron Kromer Fired Juan Castillo January 13
Defensive line coach John Blake Fired Mike Waufle January 14
Tight ends coach Tony Sparano, Jr. Fired Rob Boras January 17
Running backs coach Anthony Lynn (Weeks 1–2), Vacant (Weeks 3–17) Resigned[8] Kelly Skipper January 18
Offensive coordinator Greg Roman (Weeks 1–2), Anthony Lynn (Weeks 3–16) Fired (Roman) Rick Dennison January 19
Assistant offensive line coach Pat Meyer Fired Andrew Dees January 20
Quarterbacks coach David Lee Fired David Culley January 24
Wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal Fired Phil McGeoghan February 2
Defensive quality control coach position created John Egorugwu February 2
Offensive quality control coach position created Marc Lubick February 2
Assistant special teams coach Eric Smith Fired Matt Smiley February 2
Special teams quality control Kathryn Smith position abolished February 2
Assistant defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich Fired Bill Teerlinck February 2
Defensive backs coach Tim McDonald Fired Gill Byrd February 7
Assistant defensive backs coach Ed Reed Fired Bobby Babich February 7
Player engagement and alumni director Paul Lancaster Fired Marlon Kerner April 3
Assistant strength and conditioning coach Hal Luther Fired Will Greenberg April 3
Assistant athletic trainer Jason Rebrovich Fired Denny Kellington April 3

Front office

Position Name Reason 2017 replacement Date Notes
General manager Doug Whaley Fired Brandon Beane May 9
Player personnel advisor Kelvin Fisher Fired Vacant
Assistant general manager Vacant Joe Schoen May 14
Player personnel director Jim Monos Fired Malik Boyd May 17
Assistant director of college scouting Vacant Lake Dawson May 18
National scout Vacant Marvin Allen May 18
National scout Vacant Brian Adams May 18
College scouting director Vacant Terrance Gray May 25
BLESTO scout Vacant Marcus Cooper May 25
Northeast area scout Vacant Pete Harris May 25
Pro scout Vacant Chris Marrow May 25

Roster changes

Arrivals

Position Player 2016 Team Date signed Notes
LS Reid Ferguson None January 2, 2017 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future)
RB Cedric O’Neal Philadelphia Eagles January 2, 2017 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future)
CB Joe Powell New York Giants January 2, 2017 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future)
CB Max Valles Buffalo Bills January 2, 2017 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future)
QB Josh Woodrum Chicago Bears January 2, 2017 2 years/$1.02 million (Reserve/Future)
SS Colt Anderson Buffalo Bills January 27, 2017 1-year extension/$900,000
LB Ramon Humber New England Patriots February 16, 2017 1 year/$900,000
FB Mike Tolbert Carolina Panthers March 8, 2017
S Micah Hyde Green Bay Packers March 9, 2017
S Jordan Poyer Cleveland Browns March 9, 2017
FB Patrick DiMarco Atlanta Falcons March 9, 2017
G Vladimir Ducasse Baltimore Ravens March 9, 2017
K Steven Hauschka Seattle Seahawks March 9, 2017 4 years
WR Corey Brown Carolina Panthers March 12, 2017
DE Ryan Davis Dallas Cowboys March 13, 2017
WR Jeremy Butler San Diego Chargers March 13, 2017
RB Joe Banyard Jacksonville Jaguars March 17, 2017
CB Leonard Johnson Carolina Panthers March 17, 2017
WR Corey Washington None March 17, 2017
WR Andre Holmes Oakland Raiders March 18, 2017 3 years/$6.5 million
CB Marcus Cromartie San Francisco 49ers April 7, 2017
T Cameron Jefferson Denver Broncos April 7, 2017
LB Jacob Lindsey None April 7, 2017
DE Jake Metz Philadelphia Eagles April 7, 2017
OL Jordan Mudge None April 7, 2017
DB Bradley Sylve None April 7, 2017
LB Junior Sylvestre Indianapolis Colts April 7, 2017
LB Eddie Yarbrough Denver Broncos April 7, 2017
DE Ian Seau Los Angeles Rams April 10, 2017
QB T.J. Yates Miami Dolphins April 10, 2017
S Trae Elston Cleveland Browns April 21, 2017
CB Shareece Wright Baltimore Ravens May 1, 2017 1 year
CB Charles James Houston Texans/Indianapolis Colts May 2, 2017
LB Carl Bradford San Francisco 49ers May 9, 2017
TE Wes Saxton Washington Redskins May 24, 2017
WR Rod Streater San Francisco 49ers May 24, 2017
LB Gerald Hodges San Francisco 49ers May 25, 2017
CB Greg Mabin None June 1, 2017
WR Rashad Ross San Francisco 49ers June 6, 2017
S Bacarri Rambo Miami Dolphins July 25, 2017
LB Sam Barrington Kansas City Chiefs/New Orleans Saints July 25, 2017
OL Karim Barton Tennessee Titans July 25, 2017
RB Taiwan Jones Oakland Raiders August 2, 2017
WR Anquan Boldin Detroit Lions August 7, 2017 1 year/$2.75 million
CB Jumal Rolle Baltimore Ravens August 12, 2017
TE Rory Anderson Chicago Bears August 20, 2017
S Adrian McDonald Los Angeles Chargers August 20, 2017
QB Keith Wenning None August 28, 2017
QB Joe Webb Carolina Panthers September 4, 2017
DT Cedric Thornton Dallas Cowboys September 5, 2017
S Shamarko Thomas Pittsburgh Steelers October 3, 2017

Departures

Position Player 2017 Team Date signed Notes Source
CB Nickell Robey-Coleman Los Angeles Rams March 7, 2017
CB Stephon Gilmore New England Patriots March 9, 2017 5 years/$65 million
WR Robert Woods Los Angeles Rams March 9, 2017 5 years/$39 million
LS Garrison Sanborn Tampa Bay Buccaneers March 14, 2017 1 year/$950,000
QB E.J. Manuel Oakland Raiders March 20, 2017 1 year/$800,000
RB Mike Gillislee New England Patriots April 24, 2017 2 years/$6.4 million
S Corey Graham Philadelphia Eagles August 3, 2017 1 year

Trades

Player/picks acquired From Date traded Player/picks traded
Conditional 7th-round pick Los Angeles Chargers July 26, 2017 Cardale Jones
E. J. Gaines
2nd-round pick		 Los Angeles Rams August 11, 2017 Sammy Watkins
6th-round pick
Jordan Matthews
3rd-round pick		 Philadelphia Eagles August 11, 2017 Ronald Darby
2019 4th-round pick Kansas City Chiefs August 28, 2017 Reggie Ragland
Kaelin Clay
2019 7th-round pick		 Carolina Panthers September 2, 2017 Kevon Seymour
Conditional 6th-round pick Jacksonville Jaguars October 27, 2017 Marcell Dareus
Kelvin Benjamin Carolina Panthers October 31, 2017 3rd-round pick
7th-round pick

Cuts

Position Player Date Notes / Source
TE Gerald Christian March 6, 2017
K Dan Carpenter March 6, 2017
S Phillip Thomas March 6, 2017
WR Marcus Easley March 8, 2017
S Aaron Williams March 9, 2017
CB Marcus Cromartie May 11, 2017
CB Marcus Roberson May 11, 2017
WR Corey Washington May 11, 2017
LB Junior Sylvestre May 15, 2017
WR Jeremy Butler May 15, 2017
T Cyrus Kouandjio May 24, 2017
QB Josh Woodrum May 24, 2017
CB Charles Gaines May 25, 2017
S Jonathan Dowling June 1, 2017
LB Anthony Harrell July 25, 2017
C Patrick Lewis July 25, 2017
CB Charles James August 12, 2017
K Austin Rehkow August 20, 2017
S Bacarri Rambo August 29, 2017
OL Karim Barton August 29, 2017
DE Jake Metz August 29, 2017
RB Cedric O’Neal August 29, 2017
CB Jumal Rolle August 29, 2017
WR Rashad Ross August 29, 2017
QB Keith Wenning September 2, 2017
RB Jordan Johnson September 2, 2017
WR Jeremy Butler September 2, 2017
WR Dezmin Lewis September 2, 2017
WR Brandon Reilly September 2, 2017
WR Daikiel Shorts September 2, 2017
TE Rory Anderson September 2, 2017
TE Wes Saxton September 2, 2017
OL Cameron Jefferson September 2, 2017
OL Jordan Mudge September 2, 2017
OL Michael Ola September 2, 2017
OG Greg Pyke September 2, 2017
OG Zach Voytek September 2, 2017
DE Marquavius Lewis September 2, 2017
DT Nigel Williams September 2, 2017
DE Ian Seau September 2, 2017
DE Max Valles September 2, 2017
LB Sam Harrington September 2, 2017
LB Carl Bradford September 2, 2017
LB Jacob Lindsey September 2, 2017
CB Marcus Sayles September 2, 2017
CB Bradley Sylve September 2, 2017
S Shamiel Gary September 2, 2017
S Adrian McDonald September 2, 2017
S Joe Powell September 2, 2017
S B.T. Sanders September 2, 2017
RB Jonathan Williams September 3, 2017
LB Gerald Hodges September 3, 2017
CB Marcus Sayles September 5, 2017
S B.T. Sanders September 5, 2017
CB Greg Mabin September 12, 2017
WR Daikiel Shorts September 12, 2017
LB Jelani Jenkins September 19, 2017
S Robert Blanton October 3, 2017
DE Eric Lee October 3, 2017

Retirements

Position Player Date Source
WR Percy Harvin March 17, 2017
WR Anquan Boldin August 20, 2017

Draft

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Main article: 2017 NFL draft
2017 Buffalo Bills draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 27 Tre'Davious White *  Cornerback LSU Trade from KC
2 37 Zay Jones  Wide receiver East Carolina Trade from LAR
2 63 Dion Dawkins *  Guard Temple Trade from ATL
5 163 Matt Milano  Linebacker Boston College Compensatory pick from NE
5 171 Nathan Peterman  Quarterback Pittsburgh Trade from DAL
6 195 Tanner Vallejo  Linebacker Boise State
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

  • The Bills sent their 2017 first-round pick (10th overall), later revealed to be Patrick Mahomes, to the Kansas City Chiefs in order to trade down during the 2017 draft and select Tre'Davious White 27th overall. The Bills acquired an additional third-round selection (91st overall), later revealed to be John Johnson—who was traded, along with their original second-round selection (44th overall), later revealed to be Gerald Everett, to the Los Angeles Rams in order to trade up and select Zay Jones 37th overall—an additional fifth-round selection (149th overall), later revealed to be Damontae Kazee—who was traded to the Atlanta Falcons along with the Bills third round pick and another fifth rounder for the Falcons second-round selection (63rd overall), later revealed to be Dion Dawkins. The Bills sent their 2016 second-round pick (49th overall), fourth-round pick and 2017 fourth-round pick (both 117th overall), later revealed to be Jarran Reed, Pharoh Cooper and Josh Reynolds, respectively, to the Chicago Bears in order to trade up during the 2016 draft and select Reggie Ragland 41st overall (Reynolds was later traded to the Rams). The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (163rd overall), later revealed to be Matt Milano, as part of a trade that sent Mike Gillislee to the New England Patriots. The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (171st overall), later revealed to be Nathan Peterman, as part of a trade that sent their seventh-round pick (228th overall), later revealed to be Joey Ivie, along with Matt Cassel, to the Dallas Cowboys.

Undrafted free agents

Position Player College Notes
TE Jason Croom Tennessee
RB Jordan Johnson Buffalo
DE Marquavius Lewis South Carolina
K/P Austin Rehkow Idaho
WR Brandon Reilly Nebraska
G Greg Pyke Georgia
S B.T. Sanders Nicholls State
CB Marcus Sayles West Georgia
WR Daikiel Shorts West Virginia
TE Keith Towbridge Louisville
S Jeremy Tyler West Virginia
DT Nigel Williams Virginia Tech
G Zach Voytek New Haven

Staff

2017 Buffalo Bills staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Final roster

2017 Buffalo Bills final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 Active, 9 Inactive, 10 Practice squad

Preseason

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 Template:Dow tooltip Minnesota Vikings L 10–17 0–1 New Era Field Recap
2 Template:Dow tooltip at Philadelphia Eagles L 16–20 0–2 Lincoln Financial Field Recap
3 Template:Dow tooltip at Baltimore Ravens L 9–13 0–3 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
4 Template:Dow tooltip Detroit Lions W 27–17 1–3 New Era Field Recap

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 10 New York Jets W 21–12 1–0 New Era Field Recap
2 September 17 at Carolina Panthers L 3–9 1–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap
3 September 24 Denver Broncos W 26–16 2–1 New Era Field Recap
4 October 1 at Atlanta Falcons W 23–17 3–1 Mercedes-Benz Stadium Recap
5 October 8 at Cincinnati Bengals L 16–20 3–2 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
6 Bye
7 October 22 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 30–27 4–2 New Era Field Recap
8 October 29 Oakland Raiders W 34–14 5–2 New Era Field Recap
9 Template:Dow tooltip at New York Jets L 21–34 5–3 MetLife Stadium Recap
10 November 12 New Orleans Saints L 10–47 5–4 New Era Field Recap
11 November 19 at Los Angeles Chargers L 24–54 5–5 StubHub Center Recap
12 November 26 at Kansas City Chiefs W 16–10 6–5 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
13 December 3 New England Patriots L 3–23 6–6 New Era Field Recap
14 December 10 Indianapolis Colts W 13–7 (OT) 7–6 New Era Field Recap
15 December 17 Miami Dolphins W 24–16 8–6 New Era Field Recap
16 December 24 at New England Patriots L 16–37 8–7 Gillette Stadium Recap
17 December 31 at Miami Dolphins W 22–16 9–7 Hard Rock Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. New York Jets

Week One: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Jets 0 6 6 0 12
Bills 0 7 7 7 21

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • BUF – Charles Clay 1-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:26. Bills 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 5:31.
  • NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 48-yard field goal, 6:34. Bills 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 4:52.
  • NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 52-yard field goal, 1:44. Bills 7–6. Drive: 8 plays, 31 yards, 2:15.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Andre Holmes 1-yard pass from Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:52. Bills 14–6. Drive: 6 yards, 64 yards, 2:13.
  • NYJ – Josh McCown 1-yard run (pass failed), 2:00. Bills 14–12. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:52.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Mike Tolbert 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 12:47. Bills 21–12. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:03.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

With the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots losing 42–27 to the Kansas City Chiefs to kick off the 2017 NFL season and Hurricane Irma delaying the game between the Miami Dolphins and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Week 11, the Bills hoped to take advantage and grab first place in the AFC East by beating the Jets, who swept them in 2016. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor threw 1-yard touchdown passes to both tight end Charles Clay and wide receiver Andre Holmes, while fullback Mike Tolbert rushed for a third touchdown. With Tolbert's score, the Bills recorded a rushing touchdown in 13 straight games, tying a team record set in 1980 and extending the longest active streak in the NFL. Safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde both got their first takeaways as Bills in the fourth quarter, with Hyde's interception ending any hope of a Jets rally. With the win, the Bills opened the season at 1–0 and in first place in the AFC East heading into their Week 2 matchup with head coach Sean McDermott's former team, the Carolina Panthers.[9]

Week 2: at Carolina Panthers

Week Two: Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 0 0 3 3
Panthers 3 3 0 3 9

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Date: September 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 74,122
  • Referee: Walt Coleman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • CAR – Graham Gano 34-yard field goal, 8:54. Panthers 3–0. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 6:11.

Second quarter

  • CAR – Graham Gano 28-yard field goal, 2:06. Panthers 6–0. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 6:51.

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 45-yard field goal, 11:15. Panthers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:18.
  • CAR – Graham Gano 20-yard field goal, 2:38. Panthers 9–3. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 8:34.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Looking for their first 2–0 start since 2014, the Bills traveled to Bank of America Stadium for an inter-conference matchup with the Panthers. Many former Panthers players and personnel made their return to Carolina as members of the Bills, including fullback Mike Tolbert, cornerback Leonard Johnson, wide receiver Kaelin Clay, general manager Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott. Unfortunately, despite the defense sacking Panthers quarterback Cam Newton six times and only allowing three field goals from Graham Gano, the Bills offense could not take advantage, only managing a 45-yard field goal from Steven Hauschka in the fourth quarter, the team's lowest points since losing 45–3 to the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. A potential game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Tyrod Taylor to rookie WR Zay Jones on 4th-and-11 with 9 seconds remaining sailed off Jones’ fingertips, putting the game away for the Panthers. The Bills fell to 1–1 with the loss.[10]

Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

Week Three: Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 3 10 3 0 16
Bills 0 13 7 6 26

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

First quarter

  • DEN – Brandon McManus 38-yard field goal, 0:53. Broncos 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 5:03.

Second quarter

  • BUF – Andre Holmes 2-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:41. Bills 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 4:08.
  • DEN – Jamaal Charles 12-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 10:26. Broncos 10–7. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:15.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 2:51. Tied 10–10. Drive: 5 plays, 1 yard, 1:55.
  • DEN – Brandon McManus 35-yard field goal, 0:42. Broncos 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 2:09.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 55-yard field goal, 0:01. Tied 13–13. Drive: 5 plays, 38 yards, 0:41.

Third quarter

  • DEN – Brandon McManus 28-yard field goal, 7:47. Broncos 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:58.
  • BUF – Charles Clay 6-yard pass from Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:20. Bills 20–16. Drive: 4 plays, 69 yards, 1:27.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 53-yard field goal, 13:52. Bills 23–16. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:37.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 27-yard field goal, 3:14. Bills 26–16. Drive: 16 plays, 53 yards, 7:30.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Following a close loss to the Panthers, the Bills returned home to host the Denver Broncos. Despite running back LeSean McCoy only amassing 21 rushing yards, the Bills still managed to score with quarterback Tyrod Taylor passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns and kicker Steven Hauschka kicking four field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. The Bills defense intercepted quarterback Trevor Siemian twice as the team won a close-fought game 26–16. An unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against linebacker Von Miller allowed the Bills to continue a stalled drive in the fourth quarter and ice the game with Hauschka's fourth field goal. With the win, the Bills improved to 2–1 heading into their Week 4 matchup against the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons.

Prior to the game, several members of both teams knelt during the national anthem in the wake of President Donald Trump's comments regarding NFL players who protested.[11]

Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

Week Four: Buffalo Bills at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 7 7 9 23
Falcons 0 10 0 7 17

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • BUF – Tre'Davious White 52-yard fumble return (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:55. Bills 14–10.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 24-yard field goal, 12:00. Bills 17–10. Drive: 19 plays, 82 yards, 11:20.
  • ATL – Justin Hardy 3-yard pass from Matt Ryan (Matt Bryant kick), 7:00. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:00.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 56-yard field goal, 4:44. Bills 20–17. Drive: 5 plays, 37 yards, 2:16.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 55-yard field goal, 3:06. Bills 23–17. Drive: 4 plays, −2 yards, 0:21.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Looking to continue their winning ways after upsetting the Broncos the previous week, the Bills traveled to Atlanta to take on the Atlanta Falcons, who made it to the Super Bowl the previous season, as fullback Patrick DiMarco made his first return to Atlanta since signing with the Bills in free agency. The Bills defense held the Falcons in check for most of the game and tight end Charles Clay recorded his first 100-yard receiving game since 2015. A key highlight was a fumble from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan that arguably looked like a forward pass, but was ruled a fumble and returned for a 52-yard touchdown by rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White. With the win, the Bills improve to 3–1 for the first time since 2011 and regained sole possession of first place in the AFC East with the Patriots losing 33–30 to the Panthers, but lost starting receiver Jordan Matthews and starting linebacker Ramon Humber to multi-week thumb injuries.[12]

Week 5: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 10 3 3 16
Bengals 0 10 0 10 20

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • CIN – Randy Bullock 30-yard field goal, 9:05. Bengals 10–3. Drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 6:09.
  • BUF – Brandon Tate 12-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:15. Tied 10–10. Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 1:34.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 38-yard field goal, 1:59. Bills 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 51 yards, 4:40.

Fourth quarter

  • CIN – Joe Mixon 5-yard run (Randy Bullock kick), 15:00. Bengals 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:59.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 28-yard field goal, 9:03. Bengals 17–16. Drive: 4 plays, 2 yards, 1:38.
  • CIN – Randy Bullock 29-yard field goal, 3:37. Bengals 20–16. Drive: 11 plays, 59 yards, 5:26.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Looking to continue their winning ways after upsetting the Falcons the week prior, the Bills traveled down to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, who got their first win of the season when they defeated their rival Cleveland Browns 31–7 the previous week. Already missing wideout Jordan Matthews, the Bills offense sputtered for the most part after tight end Charles Clay suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and was ruled out the rest of the game. The Bengals rallied behind strong performances from quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A. J. Green despite the duo committing three turnovers, and won a close-fought game in the rain 20–16. With the loss, Buffalo fell to 3–2 going into their bye week.[13]

Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Seven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Buccaneers 6 0 7 14 27
Bills 3 7 7 13 30

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

First quarter

  • TB – Patrick Murray 50-yard field goal, 9:44. Buccaneers 3–0. Drive: 11 plays, 43 yards, 5:16.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 25-yard field goal, 5:45. Tied 3–3. Drive: 11 plays, 69 yards, 3:59.
  • TB – Patrick Murray 25-yard field goal, 0:22. Buccaneers 6–3. Drive: 11 plays, 68 yards, 5:23.

Second quarter

  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:26. Bills 10–6. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 5:56.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Logan Thomas 22-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 11:36. Bills 17–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:24.
  • TB – O. J. Howard 7-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 7:11. Bills 17–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:25.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 52-yard field goal, 13:31. Bills 20–13. Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 4:26.
  • TB – O. J. Howard 33-yard pass from Jameis Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 10:08. Tied 20–20. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
  • TB – Mike Evans 12-yard pass from Winston (Patrick Murray kick), 3:14. Buccaneers 27–20. Drive: 10 plays, 54 yards, 6:16.
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 7-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:28. Tied 27–27. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:46.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 0:14. Bills 30–27. Drive: 7 plays, 21 yards, 2:06.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • TB – Mike Evans – 7 receptions, 88 yards, TD
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy – 5 receptions, 31 yards

Fresh off their bye week, the Bills returned home to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. LeSean McCoy scored his first two touchdowns of the season as the Bills won a shootout match 30–27, with their final 10 points coming in the last three minutes of the game. With Tampa Bay taking the lead after forcing McCoy to fumble and capitalizing with a Mike Evans touchdown pass from Jameis Winston, Tyrod Taylor led the Bills 75 yards downfield, connecting with newly signed receiver Deonte Thompson for 44 yards to help set up McCoy's second touchdown. Tre'Davious White then forced the Buccaneers to fumble on their ensuing drive, setting up Steven Hauschka's game winning field goal. The Bills improve to 4–2 with the win.[14]

Note: Former Bills Garrison Sanborn and Ryan Fitzpatrick made their first return to New Era Field since signing with the Buccaneers in free agency.

Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders

Week Eight: Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Raiders 7 0 0 7 14
Bills 0 14 6 14 34

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 35-yard field goal, 11:44. Bills 17–7. Drive: 4 plays, −3 yards, 1:22.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 44-yard field goal, 8:18. Bills 20–7. Drive: 6 plays, 15 yards, 2:23.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:57. Bills 27–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 7:19.
  • OAK – DeAndré Washington 4-yard pass from Derek Carr (Giorgio Tavecchio kick), 10:50. Bills 27–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:07.
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 48-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 3:12. Bills 34–14. Drive: 1 play, 48 yards, 0:09.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

  • OAK – DeAndré Washington – 8 receptions, 62 yards, TD
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy – 6 receptions, 22 yards

The Bills hosted the Oakland Raiders in week 8. This was the first week they were without All-Pro defensive lineman Marcell Dareus, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round draft pick just two days prior to the game. Nonetheless, the defense was still able to limit a potent Raiders offense to just 14 points, causing four turnovers in the process. LeSean McCoy led the team with over 180 yards from scrimmage and rookie linebacker Matt Milano also scored off a fumble recovery. With the win, the Bills improved to 5–2 for the third time since 2008.[15]

Week 9: at New York Jets

Week Nine: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 7 0 14 21
Jets 7 3 14 10 34

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • BUF – Zay Jones 10-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 14:52. Tied 7–7. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 3:16.
  • NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 45-yard field goal, 10:26. Jets 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 4:26.

Third quarter

  • NYJ – Robby Anderson 25-yard pass from Josh McCown (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 9:50. Jets 17–7. Drive: 7 plays, 74 yards, 3:49.
  • NYJ – Matt Forte 10-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 4:16. Jets 24–7. Drive: 2 plays, 61 yards, 0:57.

Fourth quarter

  • NYJ – Matt Forte 5-yard run (Chandler Catanzaro kick), 11:21. Jets 31–7. Drive: 1 play, 5 yards, 0:05.
  • NYJ – Chandler Catanzaro 32-yard field goal, 6:42. Jets 34–7. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:47.
  • BUF – Deonte Thompson 26-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:10. Jets 34–14. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 2:32.
  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor 1-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 2:29. Jets 34–21. Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 1:41.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 6 rushes, 35 yards, TD
  • NYJ – Matt Forte – 14 rushes, 77 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

Coming off the convincing win against Oakland, the Bills traveled to New York for a Thursday Night rematch against their division rivals, the New York Jets. Though heavily favored to win, the Bills played poorly on defense and allowed the Jets to run for 194 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The offense surrendered three fumbles which ultimately influenced the course of the game, despite receivers Zay Jones and Deonte Thompson catching their first touchdowns as members of the Bills. With the loss, the Bills fell to 5–3.[16]

Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Ten: New Orleans Saints at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Saints 7 10 20 10 47
Bills 3 0 0 7 10

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: November 12
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 67,501
  • Referee: Terry McAulay
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 37-yard field goal, 10:58. Bills 3–0. Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 4:02.
  • NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 1-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 6:18. Saints 7–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:40.

Second quarter

  • NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:03. Saints 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 4:47.
  • NO – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 1:39. Saints 17–3. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:04.

Third quarter

  • NO – Alvin Kamara 5-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 9:40. Saints 24–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 5:20.
  • NO – Mark Ingram Jr. 3-yard run (kick failed), 8:24. Saints 30–3. Drive: 1 play, 3 yards, 0:05.
  • NO – Drew Brees 7-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 0:22. Saints 37–3. Drive: 10 plays, 94 yards, 6:33.

Fourth quarter

  • NO – Wil Lutz 53-yard field goal, 4:53. Saints 40–3. Drive: 14 plays, 38 yards, 9:25.
  • NO – Trey Edmunds 41-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 3:04. Saints 47–3. Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:51.
  • BUF – Nick O'Leary 7-yard pass from Nathan Peterman (Steven Hauschka kick), 1:54. Saints 47–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 1:10.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

For the second consecutive week, the Bills run defense under-performed, allowing 296 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns against the New Orleans Saints. To make matters worse, the offense was unable to stay on the field, attaining only five first downs and a field goal prior to rookie quarterback Nathan Peterman replacing Tyrod Taylor late in the fourth quarter. With the blowout loss, the Bills fall to 5–4.[17]

Week 11: at Los Angeles Chargers

Week Eleven: Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Chargers – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 7 0 3 14 24
Chargers 10 27 10 7 54

at StubHub Center, Carson, California

Game information

First quarter

  • LAC – Korey Toomer 59-yard interception return (Nick Novak kick), 11:44. Chargers 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 34 yards, 3:16.
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 27-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 9:02. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 64 yards, 0:48.
  • LAC – Nick Novak 33-yard field goal, 3:57. Chargers 10–7. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 5:05.

Second quarter

  • LAC – Keenan Allen 21-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 12:53. Chargers 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 3:16.
  • LAC – Keenan Allen 2-yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick), 10:32. Chargers 24–7. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 2:11.
  • LAC – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 4:55. Chargers 27–7. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:14.
  • LAC – Melvin Gordon 10-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 1:09. Chargers 34–7. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 2:37.
  • LAC – Nick Novak 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Chargers 37–7. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 0:35.

Third quarter

  • LAC – Nick Novak 28-yard field goal, 10:21. Chargers 40–7. Drive: 11 plays, 65 yards, 4:39.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 50-yard field goal, 7:34. Chargers 40–10. Drive: 8 plays, 46 yards, 2:47.
  • LAC – Melvin Ingram 39-yard fumble return (Nick Novak kick), 1:51. Chargers 47–10. Drive: 8 plays, 22 yards, 2:49.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 12-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 13:51. Chargers 47–17. Drive: 8 plays, 78 yards, 3:00.
  • LAC – Austin Ekeler 21-yard run (Nick Novak kick), 7:57. Chargers 54–17. Drive: 9 plays, 58 yards, 5:54.
  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor 2-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 4:49. Chargers 54–24. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:08.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Nathan Peterman started in Tyrod Taylor's place. Peterman was benched at halftime after going 6 of 14 for 66 yards with 5 interceptions.[18]

Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week Twelve: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 7 6 3 0 16
Chiefs 0 3 7 0 10

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 34-yard field goal, 12:01. Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:50. Bills 10–0.
  • KC – Harrison Butker 45-yard field goal, 1:44. Drive: 5 plays, 32 yards, 1:46. Bills 10–3.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 56-yard field goal, 0:04. Drive: 8 plays, 38 yards, 1:40. Bills 13–3.

Third quarter

  • KC – Albert Wilson 19-yard pass from Alex Smith (Harrison Butker kick), 9:19. Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 5:41. Bills 13–10.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 6:52. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:27. Bills 16–10.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Top passers

Top rushers

  • BUF – LeSean McCoy – 22 rushes, 49 yards
  • KC – Alex Smith – 5 rushes, 35 yards

Top receivers

After consecutive weeks of playing bad defense, the Bills were finally able to rebound, holding Kansas City to just 10 points as Tyrod Taylor returned to the starting lineup on offense. Tre'Davious White sealed the win for Buffalo in the fourth quarter with an interception off Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith. With the win, the Bills snap their three-game losing streak and improve to 6–5.

Week 13: vs. New England Patriots

Week Thirteen: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 3 6 14 0 23
Bills 0 3 0 0 3

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: December 3
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 68,499
  • Referee: Gene Steratore
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 50-yard field goal, 1:30. Patriots 3–0. Drive: 14 plays, 59 yards, 6:21.

Second quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 31-yard field goal, 6:26. Patriots 6–0. Drive: 7 plays, 56 yards, 3:21.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 3:205. Patriots 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:21.
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 39-yard field goal, 0:15. Patriots 9–3. Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 2:50.

Third quarter

  • NE – Rex Burkhead 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:02. Patriots 16–3. Drive: 10 plays, 70 yards, 5:58.
  • NE – Rex Burkhead 14-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 1:08. Patriots 23–3. Drive: 9 plays, 78 yards, 4:38.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

Though Buffalo was able to hold the potent New England Patriots offense to just nine first-half points, it was not enough to beat them, as the Patriots won 23–3. Multiple Bills starters were injured, including Tyrod Taylor and Shaq Lawson. Perhaps the defining moment of the game occurred in the fourth quarter, when Tre'Davious White intercepted a pass intended for Rob Gronkowski. Upset that no pass interference penalty was called on White, Gronkowski reacted by jumping elbow-first onto White, who was still on the ground. The play resulted in White landing on the concussion protocol and Gronkowski receiving a one-game suspension as a result of his actions.[19]

Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts

<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>

Main article: Snow Bowl (2017)
Week Fourteen: Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 OT Total
Colts 0 0 0 7 0 7
Bills 0 7 0 0 6 13

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: December 10
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 32 °F (0 °C), heavy lake effect snow
  • Game attendance: 60,222
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Steve Tasker
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

Third quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Fourth quarter

Overtime

  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 21-yard run, 1:33. Bills 13–7. Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 0:52.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

The game against Indianapolis, called the "Snow Bowl" by the media, was notable for being held in the midst of a lake-effect snow storm that left over a foot of snow on the stadium's turf. The heavy snow and strong winds caused severe complications, making it difficult for CBS to televise the game due to low visibility and prompting both teams to run the ball far more often and make more fourth-down conversion attempts than would otherwise have been attempted, since kicking the ball was less reliable. The amount of snow on the ground did prove to be an advantage for the punters, since the ball did not bounce upon landing, making precision coffin corner punts easier.[20] Nathan Peterman made his second start with Tyrod Taylor injured, and was able to post a respectable performance before leaving in the third quarter with a concussion. The low-scoring game went into overtime, and did not end until LeSean McCoy rushed for a touchdown with under two minutes to go in the extra period. The Bills improved to 7–6 with the win.[21]

Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Fifteen: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Dolphins 3 3 0 10 16
Bills 7 14 3 0 24

at New Era Field, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: December 17
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 22 °F (−6 °C), mostly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 62,202
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (CBS): Beth Mowins and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 4-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:12. Bills 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 81 yards, 4:48.
  • MIA – Cody Parkey 28-yard field goal, 3:16. Bills 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:51.

Second quarter

  • MIA – Cody Parkey 41-yard field goal, 9:15. Bills 7–6. Drive: 14 plays, 71 yards, 7:04.
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy 16-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor (Steven Hauschka kick), 6:05. Bills 14–6. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:10.
  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor 9-yard run (Steven Hauschka kick), 0:33. Bills 21–6. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 1:50.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Stephen Hasuschka 34-yard field goal, 5:40. Bills 24–6. Drive: 5 plays, 7 yards, 2:06.

Fourth quarter

  • MIA – Kenyan Drake 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 7:57. Bills 24–13. Drive: 6 plays, 13 yards, 1:35.
  • MIA – Cody Parkey 26-yard field goal, 0:39. Bills 24–16. Drive: 17 plays, 78 yards, 3:54.

Top passers

  • MIA – Jay Cutler – 28/49, 274 yards, 3 INT
  • BUF – Tyrod Taylor – 17/29, 224 yards, TD

Top rushers

  • MIA – Kenyan Drake – 16 rushes, 78 yards, TD
  • BUF – LeSean McCoy – 20 rushes, 50 yards, TD

Top receivers

LeSean McCoy surpassed 10,000 rushing yards during the game, becoming just the 30th NFL running back to do so.

Week 16: at New England Patriots

Week Sixteen: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 3 10 3 0 16
Patriots 0 13 10 14 37

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 65,878
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

First quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 41-yard field goal, 5:30. Bills 3–0. Drive: 16 plays, 47 yards, 8:04.

Second quarter

  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 21-yard field goal, 14:14. Tied 3–3. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:16.
  • BUF – Jordan Poyer 19-yard interception return (Steven Hauschka kick), 10:28. Bills 10–3.
  • NE – Rob Gronkowski 17-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 7:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:22.
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 40-yard field goal, 1:55. Patriots 13–10. Drive: 7 plays, 66 yards, 3:00.
  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 0:00. Tied 13–13. Drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 1:55.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 30-yard field goal, 10:21. Bills 16–13. Drive: 10 plays, 63 yards, 4:39.
  • NE – Stephen Gostkowski 34-yard field goal, 5:08. Tied 16–16. Drive: 13 plays, 59 yards, 5:13.
  • NE – Mike Gillislee 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 0:55. Patriots 23–16. Drive: 4 plays, 65 yards, 1:59.
  • NE – Dion Lewis 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:27. Patriots 30–16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41.

Fourth quarter

  • NE – Dion Lewis 12-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 9:27. Patriots 30–16. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:41.
  • NE – Dion Lewis 4-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 3:58. Patriots 37–16. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 3:25.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

A play near the end of the second quarter proved to be particularly controversial. Receiver Kelvin Benjamin caught a pass in the closing seconds of the second quarter that was initially ruled a touchdown by the on-field officials; however, the league's replay official, Alberto Riveron, determined that Benjamin did not have control of the ball until after his foot left the turf and Riveron overturned the touchdown, forcing the Bills to settle for a field goal.[22] Bills owner Terrence Pegula indicated he would protest the decision.[23] Though the first half was close, the Patriots outscored the Bills 24–3 in the second half, culminating in a 37–16 loss for Buffalo.

Week 17: at Miami Dolphins

Week Seventeen: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 7 3 9 3 22
Dolphins 0 0 3 13 16

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

First quarter

Second quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 23-yard field goal, 14:46. Bills 10–0. 'Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 4:52.

Third quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 49-yard field goal, 10:17. Bills 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 4:43.
  • BUF – Kyle Williams 1-yard run (run failed), 7:08. Bills 19–0. Drive: 5 plays, 50 yards, 1:35.
  • MIA – Cody Parkey 36-yard field goal, 2:30. Bills 19–3. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 4:38.

Fourth quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 33-yard field goal, 11:41. Bills 22–3. Drive: 10 plays, 60 yards, 5:49.
  • MIA – Jarvis Landry 1-yard pass from David Fales (pass failed), 6:16. Bills 22–9. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 5:25.
  • MIA – David Fales 1-yard run (Cody Parkey kick), 1:56. Bills 22–16. Drive: 10 plays, 68 yards, 2:54.

Top passers

Top rushers

Top receivers

The Bills started off the game up 10–0 by halftime and 19–0 by the time the Dolphins added a field goal. The Bills then fought off a comeback, including a fight that saw Jarvis Landry and Kenyan Drake get ejected. After a Miami touchdown that left them down six, history from the Bills–Dolphins game two weeks prior repeated itself: the Dolphins recovered an onside kick, then threw an interception with a minute to go to seal the game. With the win, Buffalo improved to 9–7, earning its first winning season since 2014.

At the end of the game, the Bills were still waiting for the final outcome between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Baltimore Ravens to determine their fates for the season. With 49 seconds left in that game, Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton threw a 49-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on a 4th-and-12 play to go up 31–27. The Ravens were unable to respond on the following drive, sealing the win for the Bengals.[24] The Bengals' victory ended the Ravens season with a 9–7 record. This allowed the Bills, also 9–7, to enter the playoffs with the tiebreaker over the Ravens, thus reaching the postseason for the first time in 17 years.[25]

After the game, thousands of grateful Bills fans donated money to Dalton's personal charity. Most of the donations were in $17 increments in honor of the Bills breaking their 17-year playoff drought.[26] In the first 72 hours after the game, over 11,000 people donated a combined over $250,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, while Tyler Boyd's charity of choice, the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association, received $50,000 in donations from Bills fans.[27][28] Relatedly, the Bills organization announced that they were sending Buffalo wings from Duff's Famous Wings to the Bengals organization,[29] where they were consumed by residents of The Children's Home of Cincinnati.[30] Retired punter Brian Moorman, who punted for the Bills through most of the 17-year playoff drought, also saw an uptick in $17 donations to his charity, the P.U.N.T. Foundation, which has extensive operations in Western New York.[31]

As a result of Buffalo making it into the NFL playoffs for the first time since 1999, ending the longest active playoff drought in all of North American professional sports, the Cleveland Browns then held the longest NFL postseason drought, 15 seasons at the time and eventually 17 seasons until they reached the playoffs in 2020.[32] MLB's Seattle Mariners then held the longest such drought in all North American sports at 17 seasons.[33]

Standings

Division

Template:2017 AFC East standings

Conference

Template:2017 AFC standings

Postseason

Playoff round Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
Wild Card January 7, 2018 at Jacksonville Jaguars (3) L 3–10 0–1 EverBank Field Recap

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Buffalo Bills at (3) Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 3 0 0 3
Jaguars 0 3 7 0 10

at EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida

Game information

First quarter

  • No scoring plays.

Second quarter

  • BUF – Steven Hauschka 31-yard field goal, 1:53. Bills 3–0. Drive: 18 plays, 71 yards, 8:06.
  • JAX – Josh Lambo 44-yard field goal, 0:07. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 0:38.

Third quarter

  • JAX – Ben Koyack 1-yard pass from Blake Bortles (Josh Lambo kick), 0:48. Jaguars 10–3. Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards, 8:52.

Fourth quarter

  • No scoring plays.
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers

The Bills were looking to win their first playoff game since 1995, as they faced the #3-seeded Jacksonville Jaguars, another team that has recently ended a lengthy playoff drought. Despite taking a 3–0 lead shortly before halftime on a kick by Steven Hauschka, the Jaguars would rally for the victory in a hard-fought defensive game, only sealing the victory with an interception by Jalen Ramsey on the Bills' final drive.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lynn left to pursue head coaching opportunities, accepting the position with the Los Angeles Chargers that offseason.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[permanent dead link]
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Colts vs. Bills - Game Summary - December 10, 2017 - ESPN
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Wawrow, John (December 26, 2017). Bills owner Pegula questions NFL replay review inconsistency. Associated Press. Retrieved December 26, 2017.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

Template:2017 NFL season by team

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