2017 Buffalo Bills
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The 2017 season was the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
' 58th overall, 48th in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) and third full season under the ownership of
Terry Terry is a unisex diminutive nickname for the given names Teresa or Theresa (feminine) or Terence (given name), Terence, Terrance (masculine). People Male * Terry A. Canales, American politician * Terry A. Doughty (born 1959), American district ...
and
Kim Pegula Kim S. Pegula (; born June 7, 1969) is a South Korean-born American former businesswoman and the wife of American multibillionaire Terry Pegula. She was the president of Pegula Sports and Entertainment, the holding company that managed the Buffa ...
. The season was the first under the leadership of
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Brandon Beane Brandon Beane (born July 27, 1976) is an American professional football executive who is the general manager for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), a position he has held since 2017. Prior to joining the Bills, Beane served ...
and
head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
Sean McDermott Sean Michael McDermott (born March 21, 1974) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Philadelphia E ...
. On December 31, 2017, the final week of the regular season, the Bills finally ended their 18-year playoff drought (previously the longest active drought in the NFL and the longest active playoff drought among the four major professional North American sport leagues) with the Bills winning 22–16 over the Dolphins and the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
upsetting the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
31–27. The Bills also improved on their 7–9 record from
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
and clinched their first winning season since
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
(when
Doug Marrone Douglas Charles Marrone (born July 25, 1964) is an American football coach and former offensive tackle. He is currently the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL for the Mia ...
was head coach). However, the #6 seed Bills lost the Wild Card game against the #3 seed Jacksonville 10–3, extending their playoff victory drought to 22 years.


Offseason

Beane joined the Bills after 19 seasons with the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
, the last two as assistant to then-
general manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
Dave Gettleman David Alan Gettleman (born February 21, 1951) is an American former professional football executive in the National Football League (NFL). He was the general manager for the Carolina Panthers from 2013 to 2017 and the New York Giants from 2018 t ...
. Beane, who signed an undisclosed deal on May 9, 2017, replaced
Doug Whaley Douglass G. Whaley (born December 16, 1972) is an American professional football executive and former collegiate player. He is the current senior vice president of player personnel for the XFL and from 2013 to 2017 was the general manager of t ...
, who was fired by Pegula after the
2017 NFL draft The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
. Whaley was fired, along with the team's entire scouting staff, on April 30, 2017, less than 12 hours after the conclusion of the
2017 NFL draft The 2017 NFL draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
. Over the course of the 2016 offseason and into the 2017 season, many of Whaley's draft picks were purged from the roster in trades and cuts. Of the 28 players Whaley had drafted from 2014 to 2017, only nine were still on the roster by the end of August. The 2017 season was also the first under McDermott, who spent the previous eight seasons as defensive coordinator, the last six with the Panthers. McDermott, who signed an undisclosed deal on January 11, 2017, replaced
Rex Ryan Rex Ashley Ryan (born December 13, 1962) is an American former football coach and analyst. Ryan was formerly the head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), and also held various coaching positions w ...
, who was fired along with his twin brother Rob on December 27, 2016.


Transactions


Coaching and front office changes


Coaching staff


Front office


Roster changes


Arrivals


Departures


Trades


Cuts


Retirements


Draft

Notes *The Bills sent their 2017 first-round pick (10th overall), later revealed to be
Patrick Mahomes Patrick Lavon Mahomes II ( ; born September 17, 1995) is an American professional football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League (NFL). Mahomes has led the Chiefs to seven consecutive AFC Championship Game app ...
, to the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
in order to trade down during the
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
draft and select
Tre'Davious White Tre'Davious White Sr. (born January 16, 1995) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ear ...
27th overall. The Bills acquired an additional third-round selection (91st overall), later revealed to be John Johnson—who was traded, along with their original second-round selection (44th overall), later revealed to be
Gerald Everett Gerald Rashard Everett (born June 25, 1994) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football at South Alabama, and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round of the 2017 NFL draft. He has also played for ...
, to the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
in order to trade up and select Zay Jones 37th overall—an additional fifth-round selection (149th overall), later revealed to be Damontae Kazee—who was traded to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
along with the Bills third round pick and another fifth rounder for the Falcons second-round selection (63rd overall), later revealed to be
Dion Dawkins Dion Dawkins (born April 26, 1994) is an American professional American football, football offensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Temple Owls football, Temple Owls. Early ...
. The Bills sent their 2016 second-round pick (49th overall), fourth-round pick and 2017 fourth-round pick (both 117th overall), later revealed to be Jarran Reed,
Pharoh Cooper Pharoh Cooper (born March 7, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks, and was selected by the Los Angele ...
and Josh Reynolds, respectively, to the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
in order to trade up during the
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
draft and select
Reggie Ragland Reggie Keith Ragland Jr. (born September 23, 1993) is an American former professional football linebacker. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, winning two national championships. He was then selected by the Buffalo Bills in ...
41st overall (Reynolds was later traded to the Rams). The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (163rd overall), later revealed to be
Matt Milano Matthew Vincent Milano (born July 28, 1994) is an American professional American football, football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boston College Eagles football, Boston ...
, as part of a trade that sent
Mike Gillislee Michael B. Gillislee Jr. (born November 1, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators. He was selected by the Miami ...
to the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (171st overall), later revealed to be
Nathan Peterman Nathan Michael Peterman (born May 4, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers following a stint with the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fif ...
, as part of a trade that sent their seventh-round pick (228th overall), later revealed to be Joey Ivie, along with
Matt Cassel Matthew Brennan Cassel (born May 17, 1982) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He was a member of seven NFL teams, most notably the New England Patriots and Ka ...
, to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
.


Undrafted free agents


Staff


Final roster


Preseason


Regular season


Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.


Game summaries


Week 1: vs. New York Jets

With the defending Super Bowl champion
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
losing 42–27 to the
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
to kick off the 2017 NFL season and
Hurricane Irma Hurricane Irma was an extremely powerful and devastating tropical cyclone that was the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the Leeward Islands on record, followed by Hurricane Maria, Maria two weeks later. At the time, it was considered ...
delaying the game between the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
and the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
to Week 11, the Bills hoped to take advantage and grab first place in the AFC East by beating the Jets, who swept them in 2016. Quarterback
Tyrod Taylor Tyrod Di'allo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Baltimore Rav ...
threw 1-yard touchdown passes to both tight end Charles Clay and wide receiver
Andre Holmes Andre Holmes (born June 16, 1988) is a former American football wide receiver. Originally signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2011, Holmes also played for the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills, and Denver Broncos. Holmes pla ...
, while fullback
Mike Tolbert William Michael Tolbert (born November 23, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Tolbert was signed ...
rushed for a third touchdown. With Tolbert's score, the Bills recorded a rushing touchdown in 13 straight games, tying a team record set in
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
and extending the longest active streak in the NFL. Safeties
Jordan Poyer Jordan Lynn-Baxter Poyer (born April 25, 1991) is an American professional American football, football Safety (gridiron football position), safety who is a free agent. He played college football at Oregon State Beavers football, Oregon State, wh ...
and Micah Hyde both got their first takeaways as Bills in the fourth quarter, with Hyde's interception ending any hope of a Jets rally. With the win, the Bills opened the season at 1–0 and in first place in the AFC East heading into their Week 2 matchup with head coach
Sean McDermott Sean Michael McDermott (born March 21, 1974) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Philadelphia E ...
's former team, the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
.


Week 2: at Carolina Panthers

Looking for their first 2–0 start since
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
, the Bills traveled to
Bank of America Stadium Bank of America Stadium is a 74,867-seat multi-purpose stadium located on in the Uptown section of Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. It is the home facility and headquarters of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL ...
for an inter-conference matchup with the Panthers. Many former Panthers players and personnel made their return to Carolina as members of the Bills, including fullback
Mike Tolbert William Michael Tolbert (born November 23, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. Tolbert was signed ...
, cornerback Leonard Johnson, wide receiver
Kaelin Clay Kaelin Clay (born January 3, 1992) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American honors in 2014. H ...
, general manager
Brandon Beane Brandon Beane (born July 27, 1976) is an American professional football executive who is the general manager for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL), a position he has held since 2017. Prior to joining the Bills, Beane served ...
and head coach
Sean McDermott Sean Michael McDermott (born March 21, 1974) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL coaching career as an assistant for the Philadelphia E ...
. Unfortunately, despite the defense sacking Panthers quarterback
Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
six times and only allowing three field goals from
Graham Gano Graham Clark Gano (; born April 9, 1987) is a Scottish–American professional football placekicker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was signed by the B ...
, the Bills offense could not take advantage, only managing a 45-yard field goal from
Steven Hauschka Stephen Theodore Hauschka (born June 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played c ...
in the fourth quarter, the team's lowest points since losing 45–3 to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
in 2012. A potential game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback
Tyrod Taylor Tyrod Di'allo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Baltimore Rav ...
to rookie WR Zay Jones on 4th-and-11 with 9 seconds remaining sailed off Jones’ fingertips, putting the game away for the Panthers. The Bills fell to 1–1 with the loss.


Week 3: vs. Denver Broncos

Following a close loss to the Panthers, the Bills returned home to host the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
. Despite running back
LeSean McCoy LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and was selecte ...
only amassing 21 rushing yards, the Bills still managed to score with quarterback
Tyrod Taylor Tyrod Di'allo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Baltimore Rav ...
passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns and kicker
Steven Hauschka Stephen Theodore Hauschka (born June 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played c ...
kicking four field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. The Bills defense intercepted quarterback
Trevor Siemian Trevor John Siemian (born December 26, 1991) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Northwestern Wildcats and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2015 NFL draft. Siemian wa ...
twice as the team won a close-fought game 26–16. An unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty against linebacker
Von Miller Vonnie B'VSean Miller (born March 26, 1989) is an American professional American football, football linebacker. Miller played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies football, Texas A&M Aggies, where he earned consensus College Football All-A ...
allowed the Bills to continue a stalled drive in the fourth quarter and ice the game with Hauschka's fourth field goal. With the win, the Bills improved to 2–1 heading into their Week 4 matchup against the defending NFC Champion
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
. Prior to the game, several members of both teams knelt during the national anthem in the wake of President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's comments regarding NFL players who protested.


Week 4: at Atlanta Falcons

Looking to continue their winning ways after upsetting the Broncos the previous week, the Bills traveled to Atlanta to take on the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
, who made it to the Super Bowl the previous season, as fullback
Patrick DiMarco Patrick Scott DiMarco (born April 30, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was signed by the San Dieg ...
made his first return to Atlanta since signing with the Bills in free agency. The Bills defense held the Falcons in check for most of the game and tight end Charles Clay recorded his first 100-yard receiving game since
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
. A key highlight was a fumble from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan that arguably looked like a forward pass, but was ruled a fumble and returned for a 52-yard touchdown by rookie cornerback
Tre'Davious White Tre'Davious White Sr. (born January 16, 1995) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ear ...
. With the win, the Bills improve to 3–1 for the first time since
2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
and regained sole possession of first place in the
AFC East The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). There are currently four teams that reside in th ...
with the Patriots losing 33–30 to the Panthers, but lost starting receiver
Jordan Matthews Jordan Armand Matthews (born July 16, 1992) is an American professional football tight end. He played college football for the Vanderbilt Commodores and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. Matthew ...
and starting linebacker
Ramon Humber Ramon Humber (born August 10, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He attended Champlin Park High School in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, then played college football ...
to multi-week thumb injuries.


Week 5: at Cincinnati Bengals

Looking to continue their winning ways after upsetting the Falcons the week prior, the Bills traveled down to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, who got their first win of the season when they defeated their rival
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
31–7 the previous week. Already missing wideout Jordan Matthews, the Bills offense sputtered for the most part after tight end Charles Clay suffered a knee injury in the second quarter and was ruled out the rest of the game. The Bengals rallied behind strong performances from quarterback
Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...
and receiver A. J. Green despite the duo committing three turnovers, and won a close-fought game in the rain 20–16. With the loss, Buffalo fell to 3–2 going into their bye week.


Week 7: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Fresh off their bye week, the Bills returned home to host the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
.
LeSean McCoy LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and was selecte ...
scored his first two touchdowns of the season as the Bills won a shootout match 30–27, with their final 10 points coming in the last three minutes of the game. With Tampa Bay taking the lead after forcing McCoy to fumble and capitalizing with a
Mike Evans Michael, Mickey, or Mike Evans may refer to: Sports American football * Mike Evans (offensive lineman) (born 1946), American football offensive lineman * Mike Evans (defensive lineman) (born 1967), American football defensive lineman * Mike Evans ...
touchdown pass from
Jameis Winston Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January6, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles, becoming the youngest pl ...
,
Tyrod Taylor Tyrod Di'allo Taylor (born August 3, 1989) is an American professional football quarterback for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Virginia Tech Hokies and was selected by the Baltimore Rav ...
led the Bills 75 yards downfield, connecting with newly signed receiver
Deonte Thompson Deonte Thompson (born February 14, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and was a member of their 2009 BCS Nat ...
for 44 yards to help set up McCoy's second touchdown.
Tre'Davious White Tre'Davious White Sr. (born January 16, 1995) is an American professional American football, football cornerback for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers, ear ...
then forced the Buccaneers to fumble on their ensuing drive, setting up
Steven Hauschka Stephen Theodore Hauschka (born June 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played c ...
's game winning field goal. The Bills improve to 4–2 with the win. Note: Former Bills Garrison Sanborn and
Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine teams, the ...
made their first return to
New Era Field Highmark Stadium (also known colloquially as The Ralph) is a stadium in Orchard Park, New York, United States, in the Southtowns of the Buffalo metropolitan area. It is the home venue of the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). ...
since signing with the Buccaneers in free agency.


Week 8: vs. Oakland Raiders

The Bills hosted the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
in week 8. This was the first week they were without All-Pro defensive lineman
Marcell Dareus Marcell Dareus (born March 13, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, where he was named defensive MVP ...
, who was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a sixth-round draft pick just two days prior to the game. Nonetheless, the defense was still able to limit a potent Raiders offense to just 14 points, causing four turnovers in the process. LeSean McCoy led the team with over 180 yards from scrimmage and rookie linebacker
Matt Milano Matthew Vincent Milano (born July 28, 1994) is an American professional American football, football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boston College Eagles football, Boston ...
also scored off a fumble recovery. With the win, the Bills improved to 5–2 for the third time since 2008.


Week 9: at New York Jets

Coming off the convincing win against Oakland, the Bills traveled to New York for a Thursday Night rematch against their division rivals, the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
. Though heavily favored to win, the Bills played poorly on defense and allowed the Jets to run for 194 yards and three rushing touchdowns. The offense surrendered three fumbles which ultimately influenced the course of the game, despite receivers Zay Jones and
Deonte Thompson Deonte Thompson (born February 14, 1989) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators and was a member of their 2009 BCS Nat ...
catching their first touchdowns as members of the Bills. With the loss, the Bills fell to 5–3.


Week 10: vs. New Orleans Saints

For the second consecutive week, the Bills run defense under-performed, allowing 296 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
. To make matters worse, the offense was unable to stay on the field, attaining only five first downs and a field goal prior to rookie quarterback
Nathan Peterman Nathan Michael Peterman (born May 4, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers following a stint with the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the fif ...
replacing Tyrod Taylor late in the fourth quarter. With the blowout loss, the Bills fall to 5–4.


Week 11: at Los Angeles Chargers

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


Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

After consecutive weeks of playing bad defense, the Bills were finally able to rebound, holding
Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...
to just 10 points as Tyrod Taylor returned to the starting lineup on offense. Tre'Davious White sealed the win for Buffalo in the fourth quarter with an interception off Chiefs quarterback
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American ho ...
. With the win, the Bills snap their three-game losing streak and improve to 6–5.


Week 13: vs. New England Patriots

Though Buffalo was able to hold the potent
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
offense to just nine first-half points, it was not enough to beat them, as the Patriots won 23–3. Multiple Bills starters were injured, including Tyrod Taylor and Shaq Lawson. Perhaps the defining moment of the game occurred in the fourth quarter, when Tre'Davious White intercepted a pass intended for
Rob Gronkowski Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the Ne ...
. Upset that no pass interference penalty was called on White, Gronkowski reacted by jumping elbow-first onto White, who was still on the ground. The play resulted in White landing on the concussion protocol and Gronkowski receiving a one-game suspension as a result of his actions.


Week 14: vs. Indianapolis Colts

The game against Indianapolis, called the " Snow Bowl" by the media, was notable for being held in the midst of a
lake-effect snow Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water. The lower layer of air, heated by the lake water, picks up water vapor from the lake and rises through colde ...
storm that left over a foot of snow on the stadium's turf. The heavy snow and strong winds caused severe complications, making it difficult for CBS to televise the game due to low visibility and prompting both teams to run the ball far more often and make more fourth-down conversion attempts than would otherwise have been attempted, since kicking the ball was less reliable. The amount of snow on the ground did prove to be an advantage for the punters, since the ball did not bounce upon landing, making precision
coffin corner punt The coffin corner refers to the corner of the playing field in American football just in front of the end zone, from about the 5-yard line to the goal line, where the punter attempts to place their kick as to minimize the opposing team's field po ...
s easier. Nathan Peterman made his second start with Tyrod Taylor injured, and was able to post a respectable performance before leaving in the third quarter with a concussion. The low-scoring game went into overtime, and did not end until LeSean McCoy rushed for a touchdown with under two minutes to go in the extra period. The Bills improved to 7–6 with the win.


Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins

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


Week 16: at New England Patriots

A play near the end of the second quarter proved to be particularly controversial. Receiver
Kelvin Benjamin Kelvin Benjamin (born February 5, 1991) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles football, Fl ...
caught a pass in the closing seconds of the second quarter that was initially ruled a touchdown by the on-field officials; however, the league's replay official,
Alberto Riveron Alberto Riveron (born June 5, 1960) is a Cuban-American former American football official and was the senior vice president of officiating of the National Football League (NFL) from 2017 to 2021. Early life Alberto Riverón was born in Cuba ...
, determined that Benjamin did not have control of the ball until after his foot left the turf and Riveron overturned the touchdown, forcing the Bills to settle for a field goal. Bills owner
Terrence Pegula Terrence Michael Pegula (born March 27, 1951) is an American billionaire businessman and petroleum engineer. He is the owner of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL) and, with a consortium of private equity firms and athletes, th ...
indicated he would protest the decision. Though the first half was close, the Patriots outscored the Bills 24–3 in the second half, culminating in a 37–16 loss for Buffalo.


Week 17: at Miami Dolphins

The Bills started off the game up 10–0 by halftime and 19–0 by the time the Dolphins added a field goal. The Bills then fought off a comeback, including a fight that saw
Jarvis Landry Jarvis Charles Landry (born November 28, 1992) is an American former professional football wide receiver who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons. He played college football for the LSU Tigers and was selected by the Mia ...
and
Kenyan Drake Kenyan Drake (born January 26, 1994) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins, Arizona Cardinals, Las Vegas Raiders, Baltimore Ravens ...
get ejected. After a Miami touchdown that left them down six, history from the Bills–Dolphins game two weeks prior repeated itself: the Dolphins recovered an onside kick, then threw an interception with a minute to go to seal the game. With the win, Buffalo improved to 9–7, earning its first winning season since
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
. At the end of the game, the Bills were still waiting for the final outcome between the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
and the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
to determine their fates for the season. With 49 seconds left in that game, Bengals quarterback
Andy Dalton Andrew Gregory Dalton (born October 29, 1987) is an American professional football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "the Red Rifle", he played college football for the TCU Horned Frogs, wher ...
threw a 49-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Tyler Boyd on a 4th-and-12 play to go up 31–27. The Ravens were unable to respond on the following drive, sealing the win for the Bengals. The Bengals' victory ended the Ravens season with a 9–7 record. This allowed the Bills, also 9–7, to enter the playoffs with the tiebreaker over the Ravens, thus reaching the postseason for the first time in 17 years. After the game, thousands of grateful Bills fans donated money to Dalton's personal charity. Most of the donations were in $17 increments in honor of the Bills breaking their 17-year playoff drought. In the first 72 hours after the game, over 11,000 people donated a combined over $250,000 to the Andy & Jordan Dalton Foundation, while Tyler Boyd's charity of choice, the Western Pennsylvania Youth Athletic Association, received $50,000 in donations from Bills fans. Relatedly, the Bills organization announced that they were sending
Buffalo wing A Buffalo wing in American cuisine is an unbreaded chicken wing section ( flat or drumette) that is generally deep-fried, then coated or dipped in a sauce consisting of a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce and melted butter prior to serv ...
s from
Duff's Famous Wings Duff's Famous Wings is a restaurant based in the Amherst suburb of Buffalo, New York. History The restaurant was established in 1946 under the name "Duff's", referencing its founder, Louise Duffney. In 1985, the restaurant was renamed "Duff's ...
to the Bengals organization, where they were consumed by residents of The Children's Home of Cincinnati. Retired punter
Brian Moorman Brian Donald Moorman (born February 5, 1976) is an American former professional football player who was a punter in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburg State Gorillas, and was signed by the Seattle ...
, who punted for the Bills through most of the 17-year playoff drought, also saw an uptick in $17 donations to his charity, the P.U.N.T. Foundation, which has extensive operations in Western New York. As a result of Buffalo making it into the NFL playoffs for the first time since 1999, ending the longest active playoff drought in all of North American professional sports, the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
then held the longest NFL postseason drought, 15 seasons at the time and eventually 17 seasons until they reached the playoffs in
2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...
.
MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
's
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
then held the longest such drought in all North American sports at 17 seasons.


Standings


Division


Conference


Postseason


Schedule


Game summaries


AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (3) Jacksonville Jaguars

The Bills were looking to win their first playoff game since
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
, as they faced the #3-seeded
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
, another team that had recently ended a lengthy playoff drought. Despite taking a 3–0 lead shortly before halftime on a kick by
Steven Hauschka Stephen Theodore Hauschka (born June 29, 1985) is an American former professional football player who was a placekicker in the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played c ...
, the Jaguars would rally for the victory in a hard-fought defensive game, only sealing the victory with an interception by
Jalen Ramsey Jalen Ramsey ( ; born October 24, 1994) is an American professional football cornerback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida State Seminoles and was selected by the Jacksonvill ...
on the Bills' final drive.


References


External links


Official Website
{{2017 NFL season by team Bills Buffalo Bills seasons
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...