The 2014 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 45th season in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
, 55th season of competition, second under
head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches. In some sports, the head coach is instead called the "manager", as in assoc ...
Doug Marrone
Douglas Charles Marrone (born July 25, 1964) is an American football coach and former offensive lineman who is the offensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as the head coach a ...
and the first in franchise history without
Ralph Wilson
Ralph Cookerly Wilson Jr. (October 17, 1918 – March 25, 2014) was an American businessman and sports executive. He was best known as the founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, a team in the National Football League (NFL). He was one of the fo ...
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
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
, 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.
Background
Death of Ralph Wilson and sale to Terrence Pegula
Ralph Wilson
Ralph Cookerly Wilson Jr. (October 17, 1918 – March 25, 2014) was an American businessman and sports executive. He was best known as the founder and owner of the Buffalo Bills, a team in the National Football League (NFL). He was one of the fo ...
, the founding owner of the Buffalo Bills, died at the age of 95 on March 25, 2014. In his will, Wilson placed the team into a
trust
Trust often refers to:
* Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality
It may also refer to:
Business and law
* Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another
* Trust (bus ...
governed by his wife, niece and two team officials, who were separately given instructions to sell the team in short order, not only to the highest bidder, but with a precondition that the team be kept in Buffalo. Three bidders stepped forward with bids:
stalking horse bidder
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
, the family of
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. The Sabres compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team was established in 1970, along w ...
owner and natural gas baron
Terrence Pegula
Terrence Michael Pegula (born March 27, 1951) is an American billionaire businessman and petroleum engineer. He is the owner of Pegula Sports and Entertainment which owns the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and, with his wife ...
and a consortium led by musician
Jon Bon Jovi and the principals of
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE) is a professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. With assets that include franchises in four of the six major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
, the last of whom raised serious concerns that the
team would relocate to Toronto at the first opportunity. The Pegula family was named as the winning bidder on September 9 and closed on its purchase of the team on October 8.
Cancellation of the Toronto Series
On March 5, 2014, three weeks before Wilson's death, the Bills announced the postponement of the
Bills Toronto Series
The Bills Toronto Series was a series of National Football League (NFL) games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original series began in the 2008 season and ran through 2012. The Bills were orig ...
for one year. Bills President and CEO
Russ Brandon
Russ Brandon (born June 1967) is an American sports executive, and current President of the XFL. Brandon is best known for his 21-year tenure in the front office of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League.
Career Early career
Brando ...
will evaluate the series in the future, possibly to permanently cancel games in Toronto. On December 3, 2014, after six years and a 1–5 record (their only win coming in a 23–0 shutout victory against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
), the Bills Toronto Series was permanently cancelled.
On-field
The Bills won their first two games, a 23–20 overtime road win at
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
(their first-ever victory at Soldier Field) and an emotionally raucous 29–10 home win against division rival
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
, a game played just days after the announcement that the Pegulas would purchase the team and keep it in Buffalo. But Buffalo lost their next two, a 22–10 loss at home against
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
and a 23–17 loss on the road at
Houston
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...
, after which Marrone benched quarterback
EJ Manuel
Erik Rodriguez "EJ" Manuel Jr. (born March 19, 1990) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Florida State, leading the Seminoles to an ACC championship and Orange Bowl win in his senior year, and was drafted by ...
(their first round pick
the previous year) in favor of journeyman
Kyle Orton
Kyle Raymond Orton (born November 14, 1982) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Dr ...
. In his first start as a Bill against
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...
at Ford Field, Orton threw for 308 yards as Buffalo came back from a 14-0 halftime deficit to defeat Detroit 17–14 in then-defensive coordinator
Jim Schwartz
James J. Schwartz (born June 2, 1966) is an American football coach who is a Senior Defensive Assistant for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He was head coach of the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL) ...
's first return to Detroit since being fired in the offseason, following an eventual game-winning 58-yard field goal by kicker
Dan Carpenter
Daniel Roy Carpenter (born November 25, 1985) is a former American football placekicker. He was signed by the Miami Dolphins as an undrafted free agent in 2008 after playing college football for the University of Montana. He has also played for ...
.
Buffalo would lose its next game, a 37–22 loss at home against
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the Can ...
before coming back from a 16–10 deficit against
Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
to win 17-16 after Orton threw for 283 yards, two touchdowns, the second of which to rookie wide receiver
Sammy Watkins and connecting with tight end
Scott Chandler for 18 yards to convert a 3rd-and-12 and 24 yards to convert a 4th-and-20, respectively (Orton also had an interception and a lost fumble, one of three for the Bills offense). Unfortunately for Buffalo, running backs
C. J. Spiller
Clifford "C. J." Spiller Jr. (born August 5, 1987) is an American football coach and former running back who is currently the running backs coach at Clemson University. He previously served as a graduate intern at Clemson in 2020.
Spiller play ...
and
Fred Jackson were both injured in the first half. With running back
Bryce Brown
Bryce Lee Brown (born May 14, 1991) is a former American football running back who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Buffalo Bills, and Seattle Seahawks. He attended the University of Tennessee his freshman year of college, but decided to t ...
, who the Bills traded their conditional fourth-rounder that can become a third-round selection (that they had acquired in the trade that sent
Stevie Johnson
Steven John Johnson Jr. (born July 22, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draf ...
to
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
) to
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...
, inactive for the game and no time to find anyone to help carry the ball, running back
Anthony Dixon
Anthony Rishard "Boobie" Dixon (born September 24, 1987) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football for Mississippi State Univers ...
, who the Bills signed as a free agent from
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...
was left to carry the ball himself, with fullback
Frank Summers assisting.
On November 30, the Bills beat the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
giving them their seventh win, which not only improved on
the previous season, in which they finished 6-10 for the third time since 2003 (they finished 6–10 in 2009 and 2011, the latter of which after they started 5–2), but it also gives them their best start entering December since the
2000 Buffalo Bills season, in which they finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. With a win against the
Green Bay Packers on December 14, the Bills broke a league-leading streak of nine consecutive losing seasons dating back to
2005; however, the next week's 26–24 loss to the
Oakland Raiders eliminated them from playoff contention for the 15th consecutive year,
continuing a league-leading drought. The team finished with a 17–9 win against the
New England Patriots, who were
resting the starters
Resting the starters is the substitution of regular players on a sports team with backup players, and it occurs when a team has clinched at least a playoff berth, often its division, and in many cases, home advantage, and no further regular season ...
in preparation for a playoff run; the win was the first time the team had won at
Gillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Foot ...
(they had lost all 12 previous attempts) and established the team's first winning season since 2004 (former head coach
Mike Mularkey
Michael Rene Mularkey (born November 19, 1961) is a former American football coach and tight end in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Florida, and was drafted in the ninth round of the 1983 NF ...
's first season).
Roster changes
Free agents lost
Signings
2014 draft
;Draft trades
* The Bills traded their original first-round selection (No. 9 overall) and their
2015 first- and fourth-round selections to the
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (A ...
in exchange for the Browns' first-round selection (No. 4 overall).
* The Bills traded their original second-round selection (No. 41 overall) to the
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994.
The arr ...
in exchange for the Rams' second- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 44 and 153 overall, respectively).
* The Bills traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 149 overall) to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
in exchange for the Buccaneers' seventh-round selection (No. 221 overall) and a 2015 fifth-round selection.
* The Bills traded their sixth-round selection (No. 185 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for
wide receiver Mike Williams.
* The Bills traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 224 overall) to the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in exchange
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
Bryce Brown and the Eagles' seventh-round selection (No. 237 overall). The trade also includes a conditional future draft selection, which the Eagles could receive from the Bills in either 2015 or 2016. If Brown hits undisclosed statistical rushing targets in 2014, the Eagles will receive the Bills' 2016 third-round selection, otherwise, the Eagles could receive the Bills' 2015 fourth-round selection, which the Bills conditionally acquired in a trade that sent wide receiver
Stevie Johnson
Steven John Johnson Jr. (born July 22, 1986) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draf ...
to the
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. However, if Johnson does not meet certain statistical receiving targets with the 49ers in 2014, the trade with the 49ers will be voided, and if Brown does not meet certain statistical rushing targets with the Bills in 2014, the Bills will not have to send a future selection to the Eagles.
Staff
Final roster
Schedule
Preseason
On February 27, 2014, the
NFL announced that, to celebrate the induction of wide receiver
Andre Reed, the Bills would play the
New York Giants in the
Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Fame Game is an annual National Football League (NFL) exhibition game in Canton, Ohio, held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, part ...
in
Canton, Ohio, which took place on August 3, 2014, and aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
. The remainder of the Bills' preseason opponents were announced on April 9, 2014.
Regular season
;Notes
* Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
* For the first time since 2007, the Bills did not play a game in Toronto, as the
Bills Toronto Series
The Bills Toronto Series was a series of National Football League (NFL) games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The original series began in the 2008 season and ran through 2012. The Bills were orig ...
was suspended in March 2014 and permanently canceled later that year.
["No Toronto in 2014." ''WGR''. Retrieved March 5, 2014. "WGR has learned that the Buffalo Bills will not play in Toronto this season. The future of the Toronto Series is unclear. Keep it locked to WGR for details"]
Game summaries
Week 1: at Chicago Bears
Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins
Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers
Week 4: at Houston Texans
Week 5: at Detroit Lions
Week 6: vs. New England Patriots
Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week 8: at New York Jets
Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 11: at Miami Dolphins
Week 12: vs. New York Jets
Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns
This was the 1st time the Bills have had a winning record this late in the season since 2008
Week 14: at Denver Broncos
Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers
The Bills were the only AFC East team to defeat all of their NFC North opponents. The Bills also improved their record to 6–0 against the Packers at home.
Week 16: at Oakland Raiders
This loss eliminated Buffalo from playoff contention.
Week 17: at New England Patriots
This was the first time Buffalo won in New England since November 5, 2000.
Standings
Division
Conference
Fist bump controversy
After a touchdown by
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...
' running back
C. J. Anderson
Cortrelle Javon Anderson (born February 10, 1991) is an American football coach and former running back who is currently the running backs coach at Rice University. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons, primarily with ...
during the December 7 game, two officials acknowledged the call through the use of a
fist bump.
The move was seen by many Bills fans and players, including defensive back
Aaron Williams,
as an insensitive gesture, with some likening the gesture to a conspiracy.
However, the NFL responded saying the gesture was "an acknowledgment of good mechanics between the two officials involved in making the call."
Notes
References
External links
*
{{2014 NFL season by team
Buffalo
Buffalo Bills seasons
Buffalo Bills