1983 Buffalo Bills season
1983 Buffalo Bills season | |
---|---|
Head coach | Kay Stephenson |
Owner | Ralph Wilson |
Home field | Rich Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 8–8 |
Division place | 2nd AFC East |
Playoff finish | did not qualify |
The 1983 Buffalo Bills season was the 24th season for the club and its 14th in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first of three seasons for head coach Kay Stephenson.
Bills running back Joe Cribbs was both the Bills' leading rusher (1131 yards), and the team's leader in receptions and receiving yards (57 catches for 524 yards).[1]
Contents
Offseason
NFL draft
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The Bills drafted future Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, the third of a record six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 1983 draft. Kelly would play for the USFL's Houston Gamblers from 1983–1985, before making his first start with the Bills in Week One of the 1986 season. The Bills later retired Kelly's #12, the only time the franchise ever retired a player's number. Linebacker Darryl Talley played for twelve years with the Bills. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, in 1990 and 1991. He was inducted into the Bills Wall of Fame.
1983 Buffalo Bills draft | |||||
Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 12 | Tony Hunter | Tight end | Notre Dame | |
1 | 14 | Jim Kelly * † | Quarterback | Miami (FL) | |
2 | 39 | Darryl Talley * | Linebacker | West Virginia | |
4 | 93 | Trey Junkin | Linebacker | Louisiana Tech | |
4 | 112 | Jimmy Payne | Defensive end | Georgia | |
5 | 126 | Matt Vandenboom | Defensive back | Wisconsin | |
7 | 180 | Gurnest Brown | Defensive tackle | Maryland | |
8 | 207 | James Durham | Defensive back | Houston | |
9 | 234 | George Parker | Running back | Norfolk State | |
10 | 260 | Richard Tharpe | Defensive tackle | Louisville | |
11 | 293 | Larry White | Defensive end | Jackson State | |
12 | 320 | Julius Dawkins | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh | |
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career |
Personnel
Staff
1983 Buffalo Bills staff | ||||||
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
|
Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
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Regular season
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | September 4, 1983 | Miami Dolphins | L 12–0 |
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Uwe von Schamann accounted for all points scored |
2 | September 11, 1983 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 10–6 |
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Joe Ferguson threw a 14-yard touchdown |
3 | September 18, 1983 | Baltimore Colts | W 28–23 |
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Game lead changed seven times in final three quarters |
4 | September 25, 1983 | Houston Oilers | W 30–13 |
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Ferguson threw for only 127 yards |
5 | October 3, 1983 | New York Jets | L 34–10 |
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Buffalo's only Monday Night appearance of the year |
6 | October 9, 1983 | at Miami Dolphins | W 38–35 |
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Ferguson threw five touchdowns and 419 yards; first road win over Miami since 1966 |
7 | October 16, 1983 | at Baltimore Colts | W 30–7 |
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Last trip to Baltimore until formation of Ravens |
8 | October 23, 1983 | New England Patriots | L 31–0 |
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Ferguson intercepted three times by Roland James |
9 | October 30, 1983 | New Orleans Saints | W 27–21 |
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Ferguson threw four touchdowns |
10 | November 6, 1983 | at New England Patriots | L 21–7 |
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Ferguson intercepted four times |
11 | November 13, 1983 | at New York Jets | W 24–17 |
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Bills outscored Jets 24–3 in second half |
12 | November 20, 1983 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 27–24 |
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Bills lost despite erasing 21-point Raiders lead in the fourth |
13 | November 27, 1983 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 41–17 |
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Eric Dickerson rushed for 125 yards |
14 | December 4, 1983 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 14–9 |
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Joe Cribbs' 185 rushing yards constituted almost all of Buffalo's offense |
15 | December 11, 1983 | San Francisco 49ers | L 23–10 |
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Ferguson intercepted three times |
16 | December 18, 1983 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 31–14 |
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Matt Kofler threw for 125 yards |
Standings
AFC East | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
Miami Dolphins(2) | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–2 | 9–3 | 389 | 250 | W5 |
New England Patriots | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 6–6 | 274 | 289 | L1 |
Buffalo Bills | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 4–4 | 7–5 | 283 | 351 | L2 |
Baltimore Colts | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 5–9 | 264 | 354 | W1 |
New York Jets | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–5 | 4–8 | 313 | 331 | L2 |
Awards and honors
All-Pros
- Fred Smerlas, Nose tackle
- Steve Freeman, Safety
References
External links
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