2010 Buffalo Bills season
Encyclopedia
The 2010
Buffalo Bills
season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League
, and their 51st overall. It was Buffalo's first season with Buddy Nix
in the role of general manager and head coach Chan Gailey
.
The Bills hoped to improve on their 6–10 record from the 2009
season, and attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999
, the longest standing playoff drought in the NFL which is tied with the Detroit Lions
. The Bills had the 9th pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft
selecting C.J. Spiller a RB
from Clemson
.
This season marks the first 0–8 start since 1984
. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12 extending their playoff drought to 11 seasons.
Despite the poor start, Buffalo became mostly competitive after the bye in Week Nine. Their next four losses were by only three points each, all to teams that made the playoffs in 2011
-- Baltimore, Kansas City, Chicago and Pittsburgh. (Three of these games were lost in overtime.) The Bills eventually won four of their final eight games, which carried over into a strong record to start the 2011 season
.
The 2010 season was marked by the emergence of wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who gained 1,073 receiving yards, and nose tackle Kyle Williams
, an All-Pro
in 2010 who gained status as an elite defensive tackle.
after Week 10 of the 2009 season; he had been replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell
. The remainder of the Jauron coaching staff was released at the end of the year. Former Dallas Cowboys
and Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey
was hired as the Bills' new head coach, and Buddy Nix
had taken over as general manager after a two-year vacancy in the position. (Current team CEO Russ Brandon had handled GM responsibilities.)
Gailey installed the 3-4 defense
(although the team would play in a 4–3
on certain downs) and the "Pistol
" offensive formation. George Edwards
was named defensive coordinator, and though Gailey stated he would call the offensive plays, Curtis Modkins
was named the nominal offensive coordinator.
On February 18, 2010, starting right tackle Brad Butler
announced his retirement from professional football. Butler suffered a season ending (ultimately a career ending) knee injury vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
in week 2 of the 2009 season.
The Bills held an open competition for the starting quarterback
position between Trent Edwards
, Ryan Fitzpatrick
, and Brian Brohm
during training camp. Edwards was named starter prior to the first preseason game, but was released from the team after two poor performances. Fitzpatrick took over in Week Three and, in 13 games, became the first Bills quarterback to throw for 3000 passing yards since Drew Bledsoe
in 2002
.
off waivers the next day on Tuesday.
Similarly, Marshawn Lynch
was one of the starting running backs at the beginning of the regular season. He was only to be traded to the Seattle Seahawks
after four games into the regular season with the rise of running backs Fred Jackson and first-round draft pick C.J. Spiller created a logjam. The draft picks were at first undisclosed. It was later announced that the Bills would receive a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft.
in Toronto as part of the Bills Toronto Series
.
Football statistics site Football Outsiders
calculates that the Bills had the toughest schedule in the league in 2010, based on strength of opponent. Nine of the Bills' twelve losses were to teams that qualified for the postseason, including both representatives in Super Bowl XLV
– Pittsburgh and Green Bay. Six of the twelve losses were by eight points or less. Four Buffalo losses had a margin of three points or less and three losses were in overtime, all to eventual playoff teams (Week 7 at Baltimore, Week 8 at Kansas City and Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh).
COLOR KEY AND NOTES:
Preseason Week 2 – vs Indianapolis Colts
. In the 1st quarter, Buffalo trailed early when Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter
nailed a 32-yard field goal. The deficit was increased in the 2nd quarter when running back Ronnie Brown
got a 1-yard TD run. The Bills eventually replied when kicker Rian Lindell
made a 51-yard field goal.
In the 4th quarter, Miami increased their lead with Carpenter hitting a 43-yard field goal. Buffalo replied with a touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Edwards
making a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roscoe Parrish
. The final score was made when long snapper Garrison Sanborn
snapped the ball to Brian Moorman
out of bounds for a safety, giving the Dolphins 2 more points and the Bills a loss.
With the loss, the Bills began at 0–1.
for an interconference duel with the Packers. In the 1st quarter Buffalo trailed early as kicker Mason Crosby
made a 44 and a 24-yard field goal, followed by RB Brandon Jackson getting a 1 yard TD run. The Bills made their only score of the game in the 2nd quarter when RB Fred Jackson made a 3 yard TD run. In the third quarter the Bills struggled further when QB Aaron Rodgers
completed a 7 yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver
, followed by Rodgers scrambling 9 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Packers increased their lead in the fourth when Rodgers made a 30-yard touchdown pass to WR James Jones
.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–2.
for an AFC East rivalry match against the Patriots. In the first quarter Buffalo took the early lead when kicker Rian Lindell
nailed a 39-yard field goal. Then they fell behind when QB Tom Brady
made a 7-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss
. The Bills replied in the second quarter with Lindell making another 39-yard field goal, which was followed by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
getting a 5-yard TD pass to RB C.J. Spiller. The Patriots replied and took the narrow lead when Danny Woodhead
made a 22-yard TD run. The Bills got the lead back when Lindell made a 34-yard field goal, which didn't last very long after kicker Stephen Gostkowski
kicked a 43-yard field goal. The Bills fell further behind in the third quarter when Brady found Moss again on a 35-yard TD pass, but straight after the PAT, Buffalo scored when C.J. Spiller returned a kickoff and ran 95 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Patriots increased their narrow lead when Brady made a 5-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski
, followed in the fourth quarter by RB BenJarvis Green-Ellis getting a 7-yard TD run. The Bills tried to come back into the game when Fitzptrick made a 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Steve Johnson
, but the Patriots defense prevented anything else from happening, giving the Bills a loss and their 14th straight vs. the Patriots.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–3. The next day Trent Edwards was released. He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars
off wavers the next day.
. Buffalo would trail early in the first quarter as Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson
got a 1-yard touchdown run. New York would add on to their lead in the second quarter as kicker Nick Folk
nailed a 19-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Mark Sanchez
completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards
. Buffalo would close out the half as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
connected with tight end David Martin
on a 4-yard touchdown pass.
In the third quarter, the Jets would greatly extend their lead with tight end Dustin Keller
catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver/quarterback Brad Smith
, followed by his 2-yard touchdown reception from Sanchez. Afterwards, Tomlinson would help secure the win for New York with his 26-yard touchdown run. The Bills would close out the game in the fourth quarter as Fitzpatrick completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Johnson
.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–4. Two days later, Marshawn Lynch
was traded to the Seattle Seahawks
in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft, and tackle Jamon Meredith
was waived.
made a 45-yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans
; followed by kicker Rian Lindell
making a 29-yard field goal. The Jaguars replied with kicker Josh Scobee
nailing a 49-yard field goal, but in the second quarter the lead had expanded again with Lindell's 22-yard field goal. After that, the Jaguars rallied with Scobee getting another 49-yard field goal, then QB David Garrard
made a 1-yard TD pass to TE Marcedes Lewis
; followed in the third quarter by Garrard again finding Lewis on a 27-yard TD pass. Buffalo re-tied the game with Fitzpatrick completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Steve Johnson
, but the Jaguars pulled away with Garrard making a 7-yard TD pass to WR Mike Sims-Walker, followed in the fourth quarter by Scobee making a 34, 40 and a 46 yard field goal. Buffalo tried to tie the game with Fitzpatrick making a 7-yard TD pass to Johnson, but with a failed 2-point conversion, it became a 2-possession game which in turn became very difficult for Buffalo to recover.
With the loss, Buffalo entered their bye week with their first 0–5 start since 1985.
for an AFC duel against the Ravens. In the 1st quarter the Bills trailed early as kicker Billy Cundiff
made a 41-yard field goal. But they pulled ahead with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
completing a 33-yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans
, followed by kicker Rian Lindell
hitting a 21-yard field goal. The lead was increased in the second quarter with Fitzpatrick finding WR Steve Johnson
on a 33-yard TD pass. The Ravens replied with QB Joe Flacco
making a 26-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap
. Then Fitzpatrick found Evans again on a 20-yard TD pass to put the Bills up 24–10. The lead was narrowed when Cundiff hit a 48-yard field goal, followed by Flacco throwing a 14-yard TD pass to Heap. In the third quarter the Bills fell behind with Flacco completing a 34-yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin
, followed by RB Willis McGahee
getting a 2-yard TD run. The Bills managed to tie the game in the 4th quarter with Fitzpatrick making a 17-yard TD pass to Evans, and with Lindell getting a 50-yard field goal. After overtime, the decision was made when Cundiff successfully put away a 38-yard field goal to keep the Bills winless after 6 games.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 0–6. After a win by the Carolina Panthers
the same week, the Bills became the only team still in contention for an imperfect season
.
for an AFC duel with the Chiefs. In the First quarter the Bills trailed early as QB Matt Cassel
got a 1-yard TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe
. The Bills narrowed the lead in the third quarter with kicker Rian Lindell
making a 43-yard field goal. The Chiefs scored with kicker Ryan Succop
getting a 28-yard field goal. The Bills responded and tied the game with Ryan Fitzpatrick
throwing a 4-yard TD pass to WR Steve Johnson
. At overtime, Succop missed a 38-yarder with 3:38 in the OT. Rian Lindell then kicked a 53-yard field goal, which supposedly would've given the Bills the win, but KC called a timeout. Lindell's second kick hit the right upright and bounced off. The decision was made with Succop successfully hitting a 35-yard field goal with 3 seconds left on the clock to keep the Bills winless after 7 games.
Starting offensive tackle Cornell Green
was placed on injured reserve to clear a roster spot for linebacker Shawne Merriman
, who the Bills picked up on waivers from the San Diego Chargers
on November 3.
for their Week 9 interconference duel with the Chicago Bears
. After a scoreless first quarter, Buffalo trailed in the second quarter as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen
. The Bills answered with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
hooked up with wide receiver Roscoe Parrish
on a 14-yard touchdown pass.
Chicago retook the lead as running back Chester Taylor
got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Bills responded with a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Fred Jackson (with a blocked extra point). Buffalo took the lead in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from fullback Corey McIntyre
(with a failed two-point conversion), but the Bears got the last laugh with Cutler completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Earl Bennett
, along with a two-point conversion pass to running back Matt Forté
.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 0–8 and became the first team to start out a season 0–8 since the Bengals and Lions in 2008.
. The Bills increased their lead in the third quarter with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
completing a 16-yard TD pass to Jackson. The Lions tried to come back in the 4th quarter with Rayner making a 45-yard field goal and with QB Shaun Hill
throwing a 20-yard TD pass to WR Calvin Johnson
. The two-point conversion
attempt failed, giving the Bills their first victory of the season and eliminating their chances of a winless season.
With the win, the Bills improved to 1–8.
for an AFC duel with the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick matched his career high with four touchdown passes during Buffalo's biggest comeback in 13 years, and the Bills won their second consecutive game Sunday, 49–31 over the bumbling Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals (2–8) appeared to be in control after Johnathan Joseph's interception return put them ahead 28–7 in the second quarter. The Bengals' smallest crowd since 2003 saw a vintage collapse. Buffalo (2–8) took advantage of Cincinnati's depleted secondary—Joseph and safety Chris Crocker went out late in the first half—for its biggest comeback since it overcame a 26–0 deficit and topped the Indianapolis Colts 37–35 on Sept. 21, 1997, according to STATS LLC. Steve Johnson caught three of the touchdown passes, including an 11-yarder that put Buffalo ahead 35–31 early in the fourth quarter. Johnson finished with eight catches for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns.
With the win, Buffalo improved to 2–8 and are still in postseason contention.
After Week 11, The Buffalo Bills won the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week and now are nominated for the Never Say Never moment of the 2010 season.
. Buffalo trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall
got a 1-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh added onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Shaun Suisham
getting a 45-yard and a 46-yard field goal.
The Bills answered in the third quarter as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
found running back Fred Jackson on a 65-yard touchdown reception. Buffalo would tie the game in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard and a 32-yard field goal from kicker Rian Lindell
. The Steelers would regain the lead as Suisham made a 48-yard field goal, yet the Bills tied the game again with Lindell's 49-yard field goal. Wide Receiver Stevie Johnson dropped what would have been a 40-yard, game-ending touchdown pass in overtime. However, Pittsburgh got the last laugh in overtime as Suisham booted the game-winning 41-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 2–9 and were eliminated from postseason contention.
returning an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. They soon fell behind with Jackson getting a 31-yard TD pass to WR Sidney Rice
. Followed in the second quarter by RB Adrian Peterson getting a 2 and a 3-yard TD run. Then Jackson found Rice again on a 6-yard TD pass, followed by kicker Ryan Longwell
nailing a 38-yard field goal. They continued to struggle in the fourth quarter when Peterson ran 43 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Bills responded with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
getting a 12-yard TD pass to TE David Martin
.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 2–10.
got a 19-yard field goal, but they took the lead in the second quarter as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson
. The lead was narrowed when Dawson made a 25-yard field goal, but was expanded after kicker Rian Lindell
nailed a 30 and a 19-yard field goal.
With the win, the Bills improved to 3–10.
completing an 18-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson
. This was followed by kicker Rian Lindell
nailing a 29-yard field goal. The Dolphins responded with RB Ronnie Brown
getting a 6-yard TD run, but the Bills increased their lead in the third quarter with Fitzpatrick throwing a 15-yard TD pass to WR Steve Johnson
. The lead was narrowed in the fourth quarter with QB Chad Henne
getting a 9-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Marshall
, but the Bills defense was solid enough to hang them on for the win.
With the win, Buffalo improved to 4–10.
hit a 26-yard field goal, but failed to maintain this lead as the Patriots dominated the rest of the game with Danny Woodhead
getting a 29-yard TD run, followed by QB Tom Brady
completing an 8-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski
, then with kicker Shayne Graham
nailing a 34-yard field goal, and with Brady completing a 4 and an 8-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler
and to Gronkowski. After that Graham made a 26-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 4–11.
making a 28-yard field goal. Their offense struggled as CB Marquice Cole
returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, which was then followed by QB Mark Brunell
making a 17-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes
. The Bills made their only score of the game with FS Jairus Byrd
returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, but they fell further behind after Brunell found WR Braylon Edwards
on a 52-yard TD pass. This was followed by QB Kellen Clemens
scrambling 10 yards for a touchdown, then with RB John Conner
getting a 16-yard TD run.
With the loss, the Bills finish with a 4–12 record.
2010 NFL season
The 2010 NFL season was the 91st regular season of the National Football League.The regular season began with the NFL Kickoff game on NBC on Thursday, September 9, at the Louisiana Superdome as the New Orleans Saints, Super Bowl XLIV champions, defeated the Minnesota Vikings 14–9.Tom Brady,...
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
season was the team's 41st season in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and their 51st overall. It was Buffalo's first season with Buddy Nix
Buddy Nix
Buddy Nix is currently the General Manager for the Buffalo Bills. He previously was employed by the Buffalo Bills from 1993 to 2000. He joined John Butler and A. J. Smith with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2008, and returned to the Bills in 2009.Nix has three children: Steve and Stan , and...
in the role of general manager and head coach Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
.
The Bills hoped to improve on their 6–10 record from the 2009
2009 Buffalo Bills season
The 2009 Buffalo Bills season was the 50th Professional Football season for the original American Football League team, and its 40th in the NFL...
season, and attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999
1999 Buffalo Bills season
The 1999 Buffalo Bills season was the 40th season for the team in the National Football League. It would be the final season that long time Bills members Bruce Smith, Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas were on the same team together. All three were released at the end of the season due to salary cap...
, the longest standing playoff drought in the NFL which is tied with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. The Bills had the 9th pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft
2010 NFL Draft
The 2010 NFL Draft was the 75th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players. Unlike previous years, the 2010 draft took place over three days, at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with the first round on Thursday, April 22, 2010, at 7:30 pm...
selecting C.J. Spiller a RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
from Clemson
Clemson Tigers football
The Clemson Tigers football team is an American football team from Clemson University in South Carolina. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
.
This season marks the first 0–8 start since 1984
1984 Buffalo Bills season
The 1984 Buffalo Bills season was the 25th season for the club and its 15th in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Schedule:- Standings :-References:* * *...
. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12 extending their playoff drought to 11 seasons.
Despite the poor start, Buffalo became mostly competitive after the bye in Week Nine. Their next four losses were by only three points each, all to teams that made the playoffs in 2011
2011 NFL season
The 2011 NFL season, the 92nd regular season of the National Football League, began on Thursday, September 8, 2011 with the Super Bowl XLV champion Green Bay Packers defeating the New Orleans Saints 42–34 at Lambeau Field and will end with Super Bowl XLVI, the league's championship game, on...
-- Baltimore, Kansas City, Chicago and Pittsburgh. (Three of these games were lost in overtime.) The Bills eventually won four of their final eight games, which carried over into a strong record to start the 2011 season
2011 Buffalo Bills season
The 2011 Buffalo Bills season is the team's 42nd season in the National Football League and the 52nd overall. The Bills hope to improve on their record from the 2010 season, and attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999, the longest standing playoff drought in the NFL, which is...
.
The 2010 season was marked by the emergence of wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who gained 1,073 receiving yards, and nose tackle Kyle Williams
Kyle Williams (defensive tackle)
Kyle Derrick Williams is an American football nose tackle who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at Louisiana State.-High school:Williams attended Ruston...
, an All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
in 2010 who gained status as an elite defensive tackle.
Offseason
The Bills had fired head coach Dick JauronDick Jauron
Richard Manuel Jauron is the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was the head coach for the Buffalo Bills from 2006 until November 2009. Jauron has previously held head coaching positions with the Chicago Bears and, on an interim basis, with the...
after Week 10 of the 2009 season; he had been replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell
Perry Fewell
Perry Fewell is an American football coach who currently serves as the Defensive Coordinator of the New York Giants. Before that he served as the interim head coach and defensive coordinator of the National Football League's Buffalo Bills...
. The remainder of the Jauron coaching staff was released at the end of the year. Former Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey
Chan Gailey
Thomas Chandler "Chan" Gailey, Jr. is an American professional and college football coach. Gailey is the current head coach of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League ; he was formerly the head coach of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets college football...
was hired as the Bills' new head coach, and Buddy Nix
Buddy Nix
Buddy Nix is currently the General Manager for the Buffalo Bills. He previously was employed by the Buffalo Bills from 1993 to 2000. He joined John Butler and A. J. Smith with the San Diego Chargers from 2001 to 2008, and returned to the Bills in 2009.Nix has three children: Steve and Stan , and...
had taken over as general manager after a two-year vacancy in the position. (Current team CEO Russ Brandon had handled GM responsibilities.)
Gailey installed the 3-4 defense
3-4 defense
In American football, the 3–4 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of three down linemen and four linebackers.The 3–4 defense declined in popularity over the years, but has found renewed use by modern professional and college football teams. The 3–4 defense is so named because it involves 3...
(although the team would play in a 4–3
4-3 defense
In American football, a 4–3 defense is a defensive alignment consisting of four down linemen and three linebackers. It is probably the most commonly used defense in modern American football and especially in the National Football League. NFL teams that use the 4–3 defense as of 2011 include the...
on certain downs) and the "Pistol
Pistol Offense
The pistol offense is an American football formation and strategy developed in 2004 by Chris Ault, the University of Nevada head coach. It is a hybrid of the traditional shotgun and single back offenses. In the pistol offense, also commonly referred to as the "pistol formation", the quarterback...
" offensive formation. George Edwards
George Edwards (American football)
George Edwards is an American football coach, the latest hiring by the Buffalo Bills, now serving as their defensive coordinator...
was named defensive coordinator, and though Gailey stated he would call the offensive plays, Curtis Modkins
Curtis Modkins
Curtis Modkins is an American football coach, currently serving as the offensive coordinator and running backs coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League.-Playing career:...
was named the nominal offensive coordinator.
On February 18, 2010, starting right tackle Brad Butler
Brad Butler
Bradley Jay Butler, Jr. is a former American football guard and tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played high school football at E.C...
announced his retirement from professional football. Butler suffered a season ending (ultimately a career ending) knee injury vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in week 2 of the 2009 season.
The Bills held an open competition for the starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
position between Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
, and Brian Brohm
Brian Brohm
Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
during training camp. Edwards was named starter prior to the first preseason game, but was released from the team after two poor performances. Fitzpatrick took over in Week Three and, in 13 games, became the first Bills quarterback to throw for 3000 passing yards since Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
in 2002
2002 Buffalo Bills season
The 2002 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s forty-third season.The Bills acquired quarterback Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots on draft weekend in exchange for Buffalo's first round pick in the 2003 draft...
.
2010 Draft
| Round | Overall | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | C.J. Spiller | RB Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Clemson |
| 2 | 41 | Torell Troup | DT | UCF University of Central Florida The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States... |
| 3 | 72 | Alex Carrington Alex Carrington Alex Carrington is an American football linebacker with the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He played formerly with the Arkansas State Red Wolves of Arkansas State University. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 2010 NFL Draft with the 72nd overall pick... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Arkansas State Arkansas State University Arkansas State University is a public university and is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System, the state's second largest college system and third largest university by enrollment. It is located atop on Crowley's Ridge at Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA... |
| 4 | 107 | Marcus Easley Marcus Easley Marcus Landon Easley is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft with the 107th selection.-College career:... |
WR Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
Connecticut University of Connecticut The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually... |
| 5 | 140 | Ed Wang Ed Wang Edward Kai Wang is an American football offensive tackle free agent. He played college football at Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the 2010 NFL Draft.-High school career:... |
OT | Virginia Tech Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in... |
| 6 | 178 | Arthur Moats Arthur Moats Arthur 'DaBody' Moats is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. Moats played college football at James Madison, where he recorded 90 tackles as a senior. He was also a captain... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
James Madison James Madison Dukes football The James Madison Dukes football team, founded in 1972, plays at Bridgeforth Stadium. Originally called JMU Stadium, it was renamed for William E. Bridgeforth in 1990. The JMU football team was rarely the centerpiece of JMU sports until the hiring of Mickey Matthews in 1999... |
| 6 | 192 | Danny Batten Danny Batten (American football) Danny Batten is an American football linebacker currently playing for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted in the 6th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills out of South Dakota State, the first Jackrabbit to be drafted since Steve Heiden was drafted in 1999 NFL Draft... |
DE Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
South Dakota State South Dakota State University South Dakota State University is the largest university in the U.S. state of South Dakota, located in Brookings. A public land-grant university and sun grant college, founded under the provisions of the 1862 Morrill Act, SDSU offers programs of study required by, or harmonious to, this Act... |
| 7 | 209 | Levi Brown Levi Brown (quarterback) Jacob Levi Brown is an American football quarterback formerly with the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Bills in the seventh round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He played college football at Troy.-College career:... |
QB Quarterback Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line... |
Troy Troy University Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689... |
| 7 | 216 | Kyle Calloway Kyle Calloway -Hartford Colonials:Calloway signed to play 2011 for the United Football League's Hartford Colonials.-Baltimore Ravens:On August 9, 2011, Calloway signed with the Baltimore Ravens, but was waived on August 21.-External links:**... |
OT | Iowa |
In-season transactions
Come week three Fitzpatrick was named starter against the Patriots as Edwards was benched. In the game Fitzpatrick had surpassed Edwards' statistics for the first two games. This resulted in Edwards' release from the roster the following day on Monday, a day after the game, when his success in the preseason didn't carry over into the first two games of the regular season. He was picked up by the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
off waivers the next day on Tuesday.
Similarly, Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
was one of the starting running backs at the beginning of the regular season. He was only to be traded to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
after four games into the regular season with the rise of running backs Fred Jackson and first-round draft pick C.J. Spiller created a logjam. The draft picks were at first undisclosed. It was later announced that the Bills would receive a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft.
Staff
| Buffalo Bills 2010 staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front Office
Head Coaches
Offensive Coaches
|
Defensive Coaches
Special Teams Coaches
Strength and Conditioning
|
|||||
Final roster
Preseason
The Bills preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010. The second preseason game, against the Indianapolis Colts, was held at the Rogers CentreRogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
in Toronto as part of the Bills Toronto Series
Bills Toronto Series
The Bills Toronto Series is a five-year deal consisting of a series of National Football League games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series began in the 2008 NFL season and will end during the 2012 NFL season...
.
| Week | | Date | | Kickoff (EDT North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... ) | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | | TV | | NFL.com recap |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | August 13 | 7:30 p.m. | at Washington Redskins 2010 Washington Redskins season The 2010 Washington Redskins season was the 78th season for the team in the National Football League , and their first under new head coach Mike Shanahan, who also began his term as the team's Vice President of Football Operations... |
L 17–42 | 0–1 | FedEx Field | WKBW-TV WKBW-TV WKBW-TV, channel 7, is the ABC affiliate for the Buffalo, New York television market, and is one of many local Buffalo TV stations seen over-the-air and on cable in Canada. Its transmitter is located at 8909 Center Street in Colden. The station is owned by the Granite Broadcasting Corporation, who... /NFL Network NFL Network NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation... (live) |
Recap |
| 2 | August 19 | 7:30 p.m. | Indianapolis Colts 2010 Indianapolis Colts season The 2010 Indianapolis Colts season was the 58th season for the team in the National Football League, the 27th in Indianapolis, and the second under head coach Jim Caldwell... |
W 34–21 | 1–1 | Rogers Centre Rogers Centre Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League... (Toronto Toronto Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from... ) |
WKBW-TV | Recap |
| 3 | August 28 | 6:30 p.m. | Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division... |
W 35–20 | 2–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL... |
WKBW-TV | Recap |
| 4 | September 2 | 6:30 p.m.* | at Detroit Lions 2010 Detroit Lions season The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the... |
L 23–28 | 2–2 | Ford Field Ford Field Ford Field is an indoor American football stadium located in Detroit, Michigan, USA, that is the current home field of the NFL's Detroit Lions. It is owned by the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority. It regularly seats 65,000, though it is expandable up to 70,000 for football and 80,000 for... |
WKBW-TV | Recap |
Regular season
Though the Bills were the last team to record their first win in 2010, starting the season with eight consecutive losses, they improved greatly in the second half of the season, with a record of 4–4 to finish the year.Football statistics site Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.In 2005 and 2006,...
calculates that the Bills had the toughest schedule in the league in 2010, based on strength of opponent. Nine of the Bills' twelve losses were to teams that qualified for the postseason, including both representatives in Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV
Super Bowl XLV was an American football game between the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the National Football Conference champion Green Bay Packers to decide the National Football League champion for the 2010 season. The game was held at Cowboys Stadium in...
– Pittsburgh and Green Bay. Six of the twelve losses were by eight points or less. Four Buffalo losses had a margin of three points or less and three losses were in overtime, all to eventual playoff teams (Week 7 at Baltimore, Week 8 at Kansas City and Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh).
| Week | | Date | | Kickoff (ET North American Eastern Time Zone The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time... ) | | Opponent | | Results | | Game site | | TV | | NFL.com recap |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | September 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Miami Dolphins 2010 Miami Dolphins season The 2010 Miami Dolphins season was the organization's 41st season in the National Football League and 45th overall. The Dolphins are entering the 2010 season coming off a third place finish in the AFC East 7–9-Staff Changes:... |
L 10–15 | 0–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL... |
CBS NFL on CBS The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:... |
Recap |
| 2 | September 19 | 1:00 p.m. | at Green Bay Packers 2010 Green Bay Packers season The 2010 Green Bay Packers season was the 90th season in the National Football League for the Packers and the 92nd season for the team overall. With a record of 10–6, the Packers entered the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed... |
L 7–34 | 0–2 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
CBS | Recap |
| 3 | September 26 | 1:00 p.m. | at New England Patriots 2010 New England Patriots season The 2010 New England Patriots season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League and 51st season overall. The Patriots improved on their 10–6 record from 2009 by finishing with a league-best 14–2 record and clinching the top seed in the AFC, before losing to the New York Jets... |
L 30–38 | 0–3 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... |
CBS | Recap |
| 4 | October 3 | 1:00 p.m. | New York Jets 2010 New York Jets season The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game... |
L 14–38 | 0–4 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 5 | October 10 | 1:00 p.m. | Jacksonville Jaguars 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season The 2010 Jacksonville Jaguars season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League. The Jaguars, who are in their second year of "rebuilding" under general manager Gene Smith, improved upon their 7–9 record from 2009, but narrowly missed the playoffs with an 8–8 record... |
L 26–36 | 0–5 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 6 | Bye Bye (sports) A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing... |
|||||||
| 7 | October 24 | 1:00 p.m. | at Baltimore Ravens 2010 Baltimore Ravens season The 2010 Baltimore Ravens season was the 15th for the team in the National Football League and city of Baltimore, Maryland, and the 13th to host home games at M&T Bank Stadium. They played in the NFL's American Football Conference North Division... |
L 34–37 (OT) | 0–6 | M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of... |
CBS | Recap |
| 8 | October 31 | 1:00 p.m. | at Kansas City Chiefs 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season The 2010 Kansas City Chiefs season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st overall and the second under the head coach/general manager tandem of Todd Haley and Scott Pioli. The team improved on its 4–12 record from 2009, and won their first AFC West division title... |
L 10–13 (OT) | 0–7 | Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs.... |
CBS | Recap |
| 9 | November 7 | 1:00 p.m.^ | Chicago Bears 2010 Chicago Bears season The 2010 Chicago Bears season was the franchise's 91st season overall in the National Football League. Coming off a disappointing 7–9 record in the 2009 season and failing to qualify for the NFL playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Bears sought to develop their roster and improve on... |
L 19–22 | 0–8 | Rogers Centre Rogers Centre Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League... (Toronto) |
Fox NFL on FOX NFL on Fox is the brand name of the Fox Broadcasting Company's coverage of the National Football League's National Football Conference games, produced by Fox Sports... |
Recap |
| 10 | November 14 | 1:00 p.m. | Detroit Lions 2010 Detroit Lions season The 2010 Detroit Lions season was the franchise's 81st season in the NFL. It was Jim Schwartz's second season as head coach. The Lions spent most of the season at the bottom of their division, but with more division wins than the Vikings , the Lions ended up at 3rd place on the final day of the... |
W 14–12 | 1–8 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Fox | Recap |
| 11 | November 21 | 1:00 p.m. | at Cincinnati Bengals 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season The 2010 Cincinnati Bengals season was the 41st season for the team in the National Football League , and their 43rd overall. The Bengals looked to improve on their 10–6 record in 2009, during which they swept the AFC North for the first time in team history and made the playoffs as division... |
W 49–31 | 2–8 | Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and... |
CBS | Recap |
| 12 | November 28 | 1:00 p.m. | Pittsburgh Steelers 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin... |
L 16–19 (OT) | 2–9 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 13 | December 5 | 1:00 p.m. | at Minnesota Vikings 2010 Minnesota Vikings season The 2010 Minnesota Vikings season was the franchise's 50th season in the National Football League, and the fifth under head coach Brad Childress until November 22, when he was fired and Leslie Frazier was named interim head coach... |
L 14–38 | 2–10 | Mall of America Field Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, commonly called the Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Opened in 1982, it replaced Metropolitan Stadium, which was on the current site of the Mall of America in Bloomington and Memorial Stadium on the University... |
CBS | Recap |
| 14 | December 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Cleveland Browns 2010 Cleveland Browns season The 2010 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 64th season as a professional sports franchise and its 60th season as a member of the National Football League . The team failed to break the longest playoff appearance drought in franchise history, a current streak of eight seasons without reaching... |
W 13–6 | 3–10 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 15 | December 19 | 1:00 p.m. | at Miami Dolphins | W 17–14 | 4–10 | Sun Life Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 16 | December 26 | 1:00 p.m. | New England Patriots | L 3–34 | 4–11 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | CBS | Recap |
| 17 | January 2 | 1:00 p.m. | at New York Jets | L 7–38 | 4–12 | New Meadowlands Stadium New Meadowlands Stadium MetLife Stadium is a stadium in the New York City Metropolitan Area, part of the MetLife Sports Complex, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League and is adjacent to the site of the former Giants Stadium, which was home... |
CBS | Recap |
COLOR KEY AND NOTES:
- Royal blue indicates the Bills Toronto SeriesBills Toronto SeriesThe Bills Toronto Series is a five-year deal consisting of a series of National Football League games featuring the Buffalo Bills played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The series began in the 2008 NFL season and will end during the 2012 NFL season...
.
- Gray indicates that the game was blacked outBlackout (broadcasting)Blackout usually relates to the broadcasting of sports events, television programming, that is prohibited in a certain media market.The purpose is theoretically to generate more revenue by obliging certain actions from fans, either by making them buy tickets or watch other games on TV...
locally due to low ticket sales.
Preseason results
Preseason Week 1 – at Washington RedskinsWashington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
Preseason Week 2 – vs Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins
The Buffalo Bills began their season at home with an AFC East duel with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. In the 1st quarter, Buffalo trailed early when Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter
Dan Carpenter
Daniel Roy Carpenter is an American football placekicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League...
nailed a 32-yard field goal. The deficit was increased in the 2nd quarter when running back Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
got a 1-yard TD run. The Bills eventually replied when kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
made a 51-yard field goal.
In the 4th quarter, Miami increased their lead with Carpenter hitting a 43-yard field goal. Buffalo replied with a touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards
Trent Edwards is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
making a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. The final score was made when long snapper Garrison Sanborn
Garrison Sanborn
Garrison Sanborn is an American football long snapper for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2009. He played college football at Florida State.-Personal:...
snapped the ball to Brian Moorman
Brian Moorman
Brian Donald Moorman is an American football punter who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 1999. He played collegiately at Pittsburg State.Moorman is a two-time Pro Bowl selection for...
out of bounds for a safety, giving the Dolphins 2 more points and the Bills a loss.
With the loss, the Bills began at 0–1.
Week 2: at Green Bay Packers
Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Dolphins, the Bills flew to Lambeau FieldLambeau Field
Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field...
for an interconference duel with the Packers. In the 1st quarter Buffalo trailed early as kicker Mason Crosby
Mason Crosby
Mason Walker Crosby , is a professional American football placekicker for the Green Bay Packers in the National Football League. During his playing days at the University of Colorado, Crosby was widely considered the best kicker in college football, as evidenced by ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.'s...
made a 44 and a 24-yard field goal, followed by RB Brandon Jackson getting a 1 yard TD run. The Bills made their only score of the game in the 2nd quarter when RB Fred Jackson made a 3 yard TD run. In the third quarter the Bills struggled further when QB Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
completed a 7 yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver
Donald Driver
Donald Jerome Driver is an American football wide receiver and children's author. He plays for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League...
, followed by Rodgers scrambling 9 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Packers increased their lead in the fourth when Rodgers made a 30-yard touchdown pass to WR James Jones
James Jones (wide receiver)
James Deandre Jones is an American football wide receiver with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–2.
Week 3: at New England Patriots
Still looking for a win the Bills flew to Gillette StadiumGillette Stadium
Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution...
for an AFC East rivalry match against the Patriots. In the first quarter Buffalo took the early lead when kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
nailed a 39-yard field goal. Then they fell behind when QB Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
made a 7-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. The Bills replied in the second quarter with Lindell making another 39-yard field goal, which was followed by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
getting a 5-yard TD pass to RB C.J. Spiller. The Patriots replied and took the narrow lead when Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
made a 22-yard TD run. The Bills got the lead back when Lindell made a 34-yard field goal, which didn't last very long after kicker Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Carroll Gostkowski is a placekicker for the New England Patriots of the National Football League...
kicked a 43-yard field goal. The Bills fell further behind in the third quarter when Brady found Moss again on a 35-yard TD pass, but straight after the PAT, Buffalo scored when C.J. Spiller returned a kickoff and ran 95 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Patriots increased their narrow lead when Brady made a 5-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, followed in the fourth quarter by RB BenJarvis Green-Ellis getting a 7-yard TD run. The Bills tried to come back into the game when Fitzptrick made a 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
, but the Patriots defense prevented anything else from happening, giving the Bills a loss and their 14th straight vs. the Patriots.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–3. The next day Trent Edwards was released. He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
off wavers the next day.
Week 4: vs. New York Jets
Still looking for their first win of the season, the Bills went home, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 4 AFC East duel with the New York JetsNew York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Buffalo would trail early in the first quarter as Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tomlinson
LaDainian Tramayne Tomlinson is an American football running back for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers fifth overall in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Christian.Tomlinson, often referred to by his initials, L...
got a 1-yard touchdown run. New York would add on to their lead in the second quarter as kicker Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
nailed a 19-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Mark Sanchez
Mark Sanchez
Mark Travis John Sanchez is an American football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League . He was drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft as the fifth overall selection by the Jets and the second quarterback taken overall...
completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
. Buffalo would close out the half as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
connected with tight end David Martin
David Martin (American football)
David Earl Martin is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
on a 4-yard touchdown pass.
In the third quarter, the Jets would greatly extend their lead with tight end Dustin Keller
Dustin Keller
-New York Jets:Keller was drafted by the New York Jets 30th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. Keller was slowly phased into the offense and eventually finished with productive numbers in part of the presence of the veteran Brett Favre. Keller finished a strong rookie season with 48 receptions, 535...
catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver/quarterback Brad Smith
Brad Smith (American football)
Bradley "Brad" Alexander Smith is an American football quarterback, running back, wide receiver and return specialist for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played college football at Missouri.-High...
, followed by his 2-yard touchdown reception from Sanchez. Afterwards, Tomlinson would help secure the win for New York with his 26-yard touchdown run. The Bills would close out the game in the fourth quarter as Fitzpatrick completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–4. Two days later, Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Lynch
Marshawn Terrell Lynch is an American football running back for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. In his rookie year, Lynch became the Bills' first 1,000-yard rookie rusher since Greg Bell in 1984...
was traded to the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft, and tackle Jamon Meredith
Jamon Meredith
James Jamon Meredith is an American football offensive tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
was waived.
Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
Still looking for a win the Bills played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Jaguars. In the first quarter the Bills took the lead as QB Ryan FitzpatrickRyan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
made a 45-yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans
Lee Evans (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Evans was initially assigned the jersey number 84. Evans, as a reference to his full name, had always worn the number 3 in college, a number that was not allowed to be used in professional football for wide receivers...
; followed by kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
making a 29-yard field goal. The Jaguars replied with kicker Josh Scobee
Josh Scobee
Joshua Taylor Scobee is an American football placekicker, who currently plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League . He began his college football career as kicker for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs, setting several school records...
nailing a 49-yard field goal, but in the second quarter the lead had expanded again with Lindell's 22-yard field goal. After that, the Jaguars rallied with Scobee getting another 49-yard field goal, then QB David Garrard
David Garrard
David Douglas Garrard is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent.Garrard played college football at East Carolina. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fourth round of the 2002 NFL Draft, and served as the team's starting quarterback from 2007 to 2010...
made a 1-yard TD pass to TE Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Lewis
Marcedes Alexis Lewis is an American football tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League. He was drafted from UCLA as the 28th pick in the 2006 NFL Draft...
; followed in the third quarter by Garrard again finding Lewis on a 27-yard TD pass. Buffalo re-tied the game with Fitzpatrick completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
, but the Jaguars pulled away with Garrard making a 7-yard TD pass to WR Mike Sims-Walker, followed in the fourth quarter by Scobee making a 34, 40 and a 46 yard field goal. Buffalo tried to tie the game with Fitzpatrick making a 7-yard TD pass to Johnson, but with a failed 2-point conversion, it became a 2-possession game which in turn became very difficult for Buffalo to recover.
With the loss, Buffalo entered their bye week with their first 0–5 start since 1985.
Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens
Still looking for a win the Bills flew to M&T Bank StadiumM&T Bank Stadium
M&T Bank Stadium is a multi-purpose football stadium located in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the home of the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. The stadium is immediately adjacent to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Served by the Hamburg Street station of...
for an AFC duel against the Ravens. In the 1st quarter the Bills trailed early as kicker Billy Cundiff
Billy Cundiff
William A. "Billy" Cundiff is an American football placekicker for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
made a 41-yard field goal. But they pulled ahead with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
completing a 33-yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans
Lee Evans (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Evans was initially assigned the jersey number 84. Evans, as a reference to his full name, had always worn the number 3 in college, a number that was not allowed to be used in professional football for wide receivers...
, followed by kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
hitting a 21-yard field goal. The lead was increased in the second quarter with Fitzpatrick finding WR Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
on a 33-yard TD pass. The Ravens replied with QB Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco
Flacco was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens 18th overall in the 2008 NFL Draft, becoming the highest drafted player ever from the University of Delaware...
making a 26-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap
Todd Heap
Todd Benjamin Heap is an American football tight end for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State-Early years:At Mountain View High School, in Mesa, Arizona,...
. Then Fitzpatrick found Evans again on a 20-yard TD pass to put the Bills up 24–10. The lead was narrowed when Cundiff hit a 48-yard field goal, followed by Flacco throwing a 14-yard TD pass to Heap. In the third quarter the Bills fell behind with Flacco completing a 34-yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin
Anquan Boldin
-Arizona Cardinals:As a rookie Boldin set an NFL record for most receiving yards by a rookie in his first game , tied Billy Sims for most yards from scrimmage by a rookie in his first game , and holds the NFL record for most receptions in the first 26 games of an NFL career...
, followed by RB Willis McGahee
Willis McGahee
Willis Andrew McGahee III is an American football running back for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
getting a 2-yard TD run. The Bills managed to tie the game in the 4th quarter with Fitzpatrick making a 17-yard TD pass to Evans, and with Lindell getting a 50-yard field goal. After overtime, the decision was made when Cundiff successfully put away a 38-yard field goal to keep the Bills winless after 6 games.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 0–6. After a win by the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
the same week, the Bills became the only team still in contention for an imperfect season
Imperfect season
An imperfect season is defined as a team losing all of their games. It is the antithesis of a perfect season, and is often referred to as such in a tongue-in-cheek manner...
.
Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs
Still looking for a win the Bills flew to Arrowhead StadiumArrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
for an AFC duel with the Chiefs. In the First quarter the Bills trailed early as QB Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel
Matthew Brennan "Matt" Cassel is a quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
got a 1-yard TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe
Dwayne Bowe
-2007:On August 5, 2007, Bowe signed a five-year contract with the Chiefs, after holding out the first week of practice at training camp.Bowe scored his first NFL touchdown on a pass from Damon Huard in the first half of the Chiefs' game against the Chicago Bears on September 16, 2007.In his rookie...
. The Bills narrowed the lead in the third quarter with kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
making a 43-yard field goal. The Chiefs scored with kicker Ryan Succop
Ryan Succop
Ryan Barrow Succop is an American football placekicker for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He is the 2009 Mr. Irrelevant after being selected by the Chiefs with the final pick of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at South Carolina.-Early years:Succop attended...
getting a 28-yard field goal. The Bills responded and tied the game with Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
throwing a 4-yard TD pass to WR Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
. At overtime, Succop missed a 38-yarder with 3:38 in the OT. Rian Lindell then kicked a 53-yard field goal, which supposedly would've given the Bills the win, but KC called a timeout. Lindell's second kick hit the right upright and bounced off. The decision was made with Succop successfully hitting a 35-yard field goal with 3 seconds left on the clock to keep the Bills winless after 7 games.
Starting offensive tackle Cornell Green
Cornell Green (offensive tackle)
Cornell Duane Green is an American football offensive tackle who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons as an undrafted free agent in 1999...
was placed on injured reserve to clear a roster spot for linebacker Shawne Merriman
Shawne Merriman
Shawne DeAndre Merriman is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted 12th overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2005 NFL Draft. On November 2, 2010, the Chargers waived Merriman...
, who the Bills picked up on waivers from the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on November 3.
Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears (Bills Toronto Series)
Still searching for their first win of the season, the Bills flew to the Rogers CentreRogers Centre
Rogers Centre is a multi-purpose stadium, in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated next to the CN Tower, near the shores of Lake Ontario. Opened in 1989, it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League...
for their Week 9 interconference duel with the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After a scoreless first quarter, Buffalo trailed in the second quarter as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen
Greg Olsen (American football)
Gregory Olsen is an American football tight end for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
. The Bills answered with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
hooked up with wide receiver Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish
Roscoe Parrish is an American football wide receiver and punt returner who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bills in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
on a 14-yard touchdown pass.
Chicago retook the lead as running back Chester Taylor
Chester Taylor
Chester Lamar Taylor also known as "Che Tay" is an American football running back of the National Football League who is currently on the Arizona Cardinals. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2002 NFL Draft...
got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Bills responded with a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Fred Jackson (with a blocked extra point). Buffalo took the lead in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from fullback Corey McIntyre
Corey McIntyre
Corey McIntyre is an American football fullback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
(with a failed two-point conversion), but the Bears got the last laugh with Cutler completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett
Earl Bennett is an American football wide receiver for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
, along with a two-point conversion pass to running back Matt Forté
Matt Forté
Matthew Garrett Forté is an American football running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Bears in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...
.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 0–8 and became the first team to start out a season 0–8 since the Bengals and Lions in 2008.
Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions
Still on the hunt for their first win of the season the Bills played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Lions. In the 2nd quarter the Bills took the lead after RB Fred Jackson got a 1-yard TD run. In that quarter the Lions only came away with a 25-yard field goal by Dave RaynerDave Rayner
David Michael "Dave" Rayner is an American football placekicker who currently plays for the Buffalo Bills. He was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
. The Bills increased their lead in the third quarter with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
completing a 16-yard TD pass to Jackson. The Lions tried to come back in the 4th quarter with Rayner making a 45-yard field goal and with QB Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill
Shaun Hill is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
throwing a 20-yard TD pass to WR Calvin Johnson
Calvin Johnson (American football)
Calvin Johnson, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Lions second overall in the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Georgia Tech....
. The two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
attempt failed, giving the Bills their first victory of the season and eliminating their chances of a winless season.
With the win, the Bills improved to 1–8.
Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals
After coming away with their first win the Bills flew to Paul Brown StadiumPaul Brown Stadium
Paul Brown Stadium is an American sports stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is the home venue of the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. It opened on August 19, 2000. The stadium was named after Bengals' founder Paul Brown. The stadium is located on approximately of land and...
for an AFC duel with the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick matched his career high with four touchdown passes during Buffalo's biggest comeback in 13 years, and the Bills won their second consecutive game Sunday, 49–31 over the bumbling Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals (2–8) appeared to be in control after Johnathan Joseph's interception return put them ahead 28–7 in the second quarter. The Bengals' smallest crowd since 2003 saw a vintage collapse. Buffalo (2–8) took advantage of Cincinnati's depleted secondary—Joseph and safety Chris Crocker went out late in the first half—for its biggest comeback since it overcame a 26–0 deficit and topped the Indianapolis Colts 37–35 on Sept. 21, 1997, according to STATS LLC. Steve Johnson caught three of the touchdown passes, including an 11-yarder that put Buffalo ahead 35–31 early in the fourth quarter. Johnson finished with eight catches for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns.
With the win, Buffalo improved to 2–8 and are still in postseason contention.
After Week 11, The Buffalo Bills won the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week and now are nominated for the Never Say Never moment of the 2010 season.
Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Coming off their win over the Bengals, the Bills went home, donned their throwbacks, and played a Week 13 intraconference duel with the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Buffalo trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Mendenhall
Rashard Jamal Mendenhall is an American football running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Steelers 23rd overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Illinois....
got a 1-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh added onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Shaun Suisham
Shaun Suisham
Shaun Christopher Suisham is a Canadian placekicker of American football for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League . He was signed by the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2005...
getting a 45-yard and a 46-yard field goal.
The Bills answered in the third quarter as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
found running back Fred Jackson on a 65-yard touchdown reception. Buffalo would tie the game in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard and a 32-yard field goal from kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
. The Steelers would regain the lead as Suisham made a 48-yard field goal, yet the Bills tied the game again with Lindell's 49-yard field goal. Wide Receiver Stevie Johnson dropped what would have been a 40-yard, game-ending touchdown pass in overtime. However, Pittsburgh got the last laugh in overtime as Suisham booted the game-winning 41-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 2–9 and were eliminated from postseason contention.
Week 13: at Minnesota Vikings
The Bills' twelfth game was an interconference duel with the Vikings. The Bills took the lead with CB Drayton FlorenceDrayton Florence
Drayton Florence, Jr. is an American football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
returning an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. They soon fell behind with Jackson getting a 31-yard TD pass to WR Sidney Rice
Sidney Rice
-Minnesota Vikings :Rice was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2007 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He signed a four year contract with the Vikings in 2007....
. Followed in the second quarter by RB Adrian Peterson getting a 2 and a 3-yard TD run. Then Jackson found Rice again on a 6-yard TD pass, followed by kicker Ryan Longwell
Ryan Longwell
Ryan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for the franchise...
nailing a 38-yard field goal. They continued to struggle in the fourth quarter when Peterson ran 43 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Bills responded with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
getting a 12-yard TD pass to TE David Martin
David Martin (American football)
David Earl Martin is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
.
With the loss, Buffalo fell to 2–10.
Week 14: vs. Cleveland Browns
Hoping to snap a two-game losing streak the Bills played on home ground for an AFC duel against the Browns. The Bills trailed early as kicker Phil DawsonPhil Dawson
Philip Drury Dawson is an American football placekicker for the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. He holds the franchise record for most field goals made, passing Hall of Famer Lou Groza in 2010...
got a 19-yard field goal, but they took the lead in the second quarter as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson
David Nelson (American football)
David Alan Nelson is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . He was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Florida.-Early years:...
. The lead was narrowed when Dawson made a 25-yard field goal, but was expanded after kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
nailed a 30 and a 19-yard field goal.
With the win, the Bills improved to 3–10.
Week 15: at Miami Dolphins
Coming off their win over the Browns the Bills flew south to Sun Life Stadium for an AFC East rivalry rematch against the Dolphins. The second quarter saw the Bills taking the early advantage with QB Ryan FitzpatrickRyan Fitzpatrick
Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American football quarterback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the seventh round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Harvard....
completing an 18-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson
David Nelson (American football)
David Alan Nelson is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League . He was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Florida.-Early years:...
. This was followed by kicker Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
nailing a 29-yard field goal. The Dolphins responded with RB Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
getting a 6-yard TD run, but the Bills increased their lead in the third quarter with Fitzpatrick throwing a 15-yard TD pass to WR Steve Johnson
Steve Johnson (American football)
-Buffalo Bills:Johnson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft.His first reception came in Week 5 against the Arizona Cardinals, and went for 8 yards. In Week 15, against the New York Jets, Johnson caught his first touchdown reception, a two-yard pass from J. P....
. The lead was narrowed in the fourth quarter with QB Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
getting a 9-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Marshall
Brandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
, but the Bills defense was solid enough to hang them on for the win.
With the win, Buffalo improved to 4–10.
Week 16: vs. New England Patriots
Coming off their win over the Dolphins the Bills played an AFC East rivalry rematch against the Patriots. In the first quarter the Bills had the early lead as kicker Rian LindellRian Lindell
Rian Lindell is an American football placekicker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2000...
hit a 26-yard field goal, but failed to maintain this lead as the Patriots dominated the rest of the game with Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead
Danny Woodhead is an American football running back for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at Chadron State....
getting a 29-yard TD run, followed by QB Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
completing an 8-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski is an American football tight end for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
, then with kicker Shayne Graham
Shayne Graham
Michael Shayne Graham is an American football placekicker. He was signed by the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2000, and most recently played with the New England Patriots...
nailing a 34-yard field goal, and with Brady completing a 4 and an 8-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler
Alge Crumpler
-Atlanta Falcons:Crumpler was drafted by the Falcons in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. Crumpler made the first start of his NFL career against the Carolina Panthers on September 23, 2001. He caught his first two passes for a total of 13 yards. His first touchdown was scored against the...
and to Gronkowski. After that Graham made a 26-yard field goal.
With the loss, the Bills fell to 4–11.
Week 17: at New York Jets
The Bills' final game was a division rivalry rematch against the Jets. The Bills trailed early with kicker Nick FolkNick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
making a 28-yard field goal. Their offense struggled as CB Marquice Cole
Marquice Cole
Marquice Jermal Cole [Mar-KWEECE] is an American football cornerback for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, which was then followed by QB Mark Brunell
Mark Brunell
Mark Allen Brunell is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the New York Jets. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the fifth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Washington....
making a 17-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes
Santonio Holmes Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Ohio State...
. The Bills made their only score of the game with FS Jairus Byrd
Jairus Byrd
-2009 season:Byrd was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft. After spending the first couple of games as a backup Byrd started his first career game at free safety against the Miami Dolphins due to injuries to both the Bills starting safeties Donte Whitner and...
returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, but they fell further behind after Brunell found WR Braylon Edwards
Braylon Edwards
-Cleveland Browns:-2005:Edwards began his rookie season as Cleveland's third wide receiver – he would have started higher, but a hold-out caused him to miss the beginning of training camp. Early in the season Edwards revealed that he had a staph infection, and missed a few weeks as a result of it....
on a 52-yard TD pass. This was followed by QB Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens
Kellen Clemens is an American football quarterback who is currently a member of the Houston Texans of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
scrambling 10 yards for a touchdown, then with RB John Conner
John Conner (American football)
John Conner is an American football fullback. He is currently a member of the New York Jets. Conner earned a 2009 College Football All-America Team selection and was one of the best fullback prospects in the 2010 NFL Draft...
getting a 16-yard TD run.
With the loss, the Bills finish with a 4–12 record.