2011 Buffalo Bills season

2011 Buffalo Bills season
Head coach	Chan Gailey
General manager	Buddy Nix
Owner	Ralph Wilson
Home field	Ralph Wilson Stadium
Results
Record	6–10
Division place	4th AFC East
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	none

The 2011 Buffalo Bills season was the team's 42nd season in the National Football League and its 52nd overall. The Bills improved on their 4–12 record from the 2010 season, winning six games; however, the team also missed the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season; the team had not made the playoffs since 1999, the longest standing playoff drought in the NFL at the time. Buffalo played in the Eastern division of the American Football Conference (AFC).

Overview

In week 3 of the season, the Bills broke a 15-game losing streak that the team had accrued against the New England Patriots that dated to opening day of the 2003 season; Buffalo defeated the Patriots, 34–31. In doing so, the 2011 Bills became the only team since before 1950 (when comprehensive statistical record keeping began) to win two consecutive games in which they trailed by 18 or more points; they overcame a 21–3 deficit to Oakland in Week Two, and a 21–0 deficit to New England in Week Three.

Incidentally, Buffalo's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals the following week was the Bills' first loss to Cincinnati since the 1988 AFC Championship game; that streak had been the longest winning streak by one team over another after Buffalo snapped their losing streak to New England.

The Bills started the season with a 5–2 record, positioned to make the playoffs, before losing eight of their final nine games, eliminating them from the playoffs.

Wide receiver Stevie Johnson set a franchise mark as the only receiver in Bills history to record two consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. No other Bills receiver—including Andre Reed, James Lofton, Eric Moulds or Lee Evans—had done so with Buffalo. Buffalo's offense only surrendered 23 sacks all season, the fewest in the NFL.^[1]

Key Injuries

The Bills started the season with a promising 5–2 record. However, the remainder of the Bills' season was plagued by injuries to key starters, including linebacker Shawne Merriman, center Eric Wood, cornerback Terrence McGee,^[2] star nose tackle Kyle Williams (as well as backup Torell Troup), and star running back Fred Jackson, all of whom were placed on injured reserve to end their respective seasons.^[3][4]

The Bills also lost two wide receivers that did not contribute significantly during the 2011 season, Marcus Easley and Roscoe Parrish, to IR (the former missing his second full season, the latter coming off a strong 2010 season), and two kickers, incumbent starter Rian Lindell and replacement Dave Rayner; the Bills were compelled to sign a third-string kicker, Brandon Coutu, for the final game of the 2011 season against New England.^[5] Rookie Marcell Dareus also admitted to playing much of the season with numerous injuries, but continued to stay on the field out of a personal obligation to the team.^[6] Starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick also sustained an undisclosed injury in the middle of the season, but was never listed on the injury report (nor was the injury ever specified), and Fitzpatrick continued to play the rest of the season.^[7]

Strong start, weak finish

After a dominating Week Eight shutout win over Washington in Toronto, Buffalo suffered a seven-game losing streak to the New York Jets (twice), Dallas Cowboys, Miami Dolphins (twice), Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers. The Week Fourteen loss to San Diego eliminated the team from postseason contention. (With the Detroit Lions earning a playoff spot in Week 16, and the Houston Texans winning the AFC South in 2011, the Bills have sole possession of the NFL's longest current playoff drought, at twelve and counting.) The 2011 losing streak was eventually broken by defeating the Denver Broncos on Christmas Eve, a game that was blacked out in Western New York due to poor ticket sales.

In the first seven games of the season (of which the Bills won five), the Bills had a +9 turnover differential (18 takeaways, 9 giveaways); from Week Nine until the end of the season, the Bills gave the ball away 21 times, with only 12 takeaways. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick started the season strongly, posting a 97.8 passer rating and a 14/7 touchdown-interception ratio through the first seven games; in the final nine games, Fitzpatrick threw ten touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, with a 66.5 quarterback rating in that span. His 23 total interceptions were the most thrown by any quarterback in the league in 2011. He threw only 5 interceptions total in the Bills' six wins, and 18 in their ten losses. Bills wide receiver David Nelson stated that Fitzpatrick was injured by Redskins linebacker London Fletcher in Week Eight, the last win before the losing streak began. Said Nelson, "A lot of people don't know, but Fitz during the Washington game actually cracked a couple of ribs. So after that, he was playing hurt."^[8]

Offseason

Uniform change

On February 9, 2011, the Bills announced that the team planned to introduce redesigned uniforms for the 2011 season. No details were given on what the uniforms would look like, but it was said that the charging buffalo logo would be kept. Later reports leaked by a Madden NFL 12 trailer, and said to be confirmed by the league, indicated the team would be adopting the uniforms the team wore between 1975 and 1983.^[9] It was also announced that an official unveiling of the new uniforms would be at a fan appreciation event later in the summer.^[10] The uniforms were unveiled on June 24, 2011. The team also announced that the U.S. military will be involved in the unveiling.^[11]

Due to the 2011 NFL lockout that ran from March 11 – July 25, actual Bills' players were prohibited from attending the event. Instead, models from the New York National Guard, along with former Bills' Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas, modeled the new uniforms.^[12] This is the first full redesign of the team’s uniforms since the 2002 season.

The Bills wore their white jerseys at home against the New York Jets in Week Nine.^[13][14]

Draft

2011 Buffalo Bills draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	3	Marcell Dareus *	DT	Alabama
2	34	Aaron Williams	CB	Texas
3	68	Kelvin Sheppard	LB	LSU
4	100	Da'Norris Searcy	DB	North Carolina
4	122	Chris Hairston	OL	Clemson	Pick from SEA^[a]
5	133	Johnny White	RB	North Carolina
6	169	Chris White	LB	Mississippi St
7	206	Justin Rogers	CB	Richmond
7	245	Michael Jasper	DT	Bethel (TN)	Compensatory^[b]
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

^{^[a]} The Bills acquired this fourth-round selection and a 2012 conditional draft selection in an October 2010 trade that sent RB Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks.

^{^[b]} Compensatory selection.

Staff

Buffalo Bills 2011 staff
	Front Office President – Ralph Wilson CEO – Russ Brandon Executive Vice President/General Manager – Buddy Nix Senior Vice President of Football Administration – Jim Overdorf Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel – Doug Whaley Director of Pro Personnel – Tom Gibbons Director of College Scouting – Chuck Cook Head Coaches Head Coach – Chan Gailey Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers – Dave Wannstedt Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs – Curtis Modkins Quarterbacks – George Cortez Wide Receivers – Stan Hixon Tight Ends – Bob Bicknell Offensive Line – Joe D'Alessandris Assistant Offensive Line – Bobby Johnson Offensive Quality Control – Kevin Patullo			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – George Edwards Defensive Line – Giff Smith Outside Linebackers – Bob Sanders Defensive Backs – George Catavolos Defensive Quality Control – Adrian White Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Bruce DeHaven Assistant Special Teams – Stan Kwan Strength and Conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Eric Ciano Head Strength and Conditioning – John Gamble

Final roster

2011 Buffalo Bills final roster
	Quarterbacks 14 Ryan Fitzpatrick 16 Brad Smith WR/KR  4 Tyler Thigpen Running backs 30 Tashard Choice 38 Corey McIntyre FB 28 C. J. Spiller PR 20 Johnny White Wide receivers 88 Kamar Aiken 80 Derek Hagan 13 Steve Johnson 82 Ruvell Martin 86 David Nelson 18 Naaman Roosevelt Tight ends 87 Kevin Brock 84 Scott Chandler 89 Fendi Onobun		Offensive linemen 77 Demetrius Bell T 74 Colin Brown G/T 75 Chris Hairston T 69 Michael Jasper T 67 Andy Levitre C/G 79 Erik Pears T 76 Chad Rinehart G 60 Kraig Urbik G 71 Sam Young T Defensive linemen 92 Alex Carrington DE 99 Marcell Dareus NT/DE 97 Lionel Dotson DE 98 Dwan Edwards DE 73 Jarron Gilbert DE 72 Kellen Heard DE/NT 94 Kyle Moore DE		Linebackers 50 Nick Barnett ILB 57 Danny Batten OLB 54 Andra Davis ILB 91 Spencer Johnson OLB/DE 90 Chris Kelsay OLB/DE 52 Arthur Moats OLB 58 Kirk Morrison ILB 55 Kelvin Sheppard ILB Defensive backs 31 Jairus Byrd FS 27 Reggie Corner CB 29 Drayton Florence CB 21 Leodis McKelvin CB 47 Joshua Nesbitt FS 26 Justin Rogers CB 43 Bryan Scott SS 25 Da'Norris Searcy SS 23 Aaron Williams CB 37 George Wilson SS Special teams 10 Brandon Coutu K  8 Brian Moorman P 65 Garrison Sanborn LS		Reserve lists 83 Mike Caussin TE (IR) -- Jon Corto FS (IR) 81 Marcus Easley WR (IR) 36 Bruce Hall RB (IR) 22 Fred Jackson RB (IR) 19 Donald Jones WR (IR)  9 Rian Lindell K (IR) 24 Terrence McGee CB (IR) 56 Shawne Merriman OLB (IR) 11 Roscoe Parrish WR (IR)  3 Dave Rayner K (IR) 85 Lee Smith TE (IR) 53 Reggie Torbor ILB/OLB (IR) 96 Torell Troup NT (IR) 51 Chris White ILB (IR) 95 Kyle Williams NT (IR) 70 Eric Wood C (IR) Practice squad 48 Robert Eddins OLB 15 David Gilreath WR 46 Doyle Miller CB 44 Prince Miller CB 93 Jay Ross NT 17 Tim Toone WR 62 Jake Vermiglio G 68 Keith Williams G Rookies in italics 53 Active, 17 Inactive, 8 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 13	at Chicago Bears	L 3–10	0–1	Soldier Field	Recap
2	August 20	at Denver Broncos	L 10–24	0–2	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
3	August 27	Jacksonville Jaguars	W 35–32 (OT)	1–2	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
4	September 1	Detroit Lions	L 6–16	1–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 11	at Kansas City Chiefs	W 41–7	1–0	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
2	September 18	Oakland Raiders	W 38–35	2–0	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
3	September 25	New England Patriots	W 34–31	3–0	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
4	October 2	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 20–23	3–1	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
5	October 9	Philadelphia Eagles	W 31–24	4–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
6	October 16	at New York Giants	L 24–27	4–2	MetLife Stadium	Recap
7	Bye
8	October 30	Washington Redskins	W 23–0	5–2	Rogers Centre (Toronto)	Recap
9	November 6	New York Jets	L 11–27	5–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
10	November 13	at Dallas Cowboys	L 7–44	5–4	Cowboys Stadium	Recap
11	November 20	at Miami Dolphins	L 8–35	5–5	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
12	November 27	at New York Jets	L 24–28	5–6	MetLife Stadium	Recap
13	December 4	Tennessee Titans	L 17–23	5–7	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
14	December 11	at San Diego Chargers	L 10–37	5–8	Qualcomm Stadium	Recap
15	December 18	Miami Dolphins	L 23–30	5–9	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
16	December 24	Denver Broncos	W 40–14	6–9	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
17	January 1	at New England Patriots	L 21–49	6–10	Gillette Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

 #  Indicates the game was part of the Bills Toronto Series.

Game summaries

Week 1

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 14 6 14 7 41 Chiefs 0 7 0 0 7 Date: September 11 Location: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,755 Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C), sunny Referee: Scott Green TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Scoring summary Q1 12:14 BUF Scott Chandler 4 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 7–0 Q1 :55 BUF Stevie Johnson 27 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 14–0 Q2 6:42 BUF Rian Lindell 27 yard field goal BUF 17–0 Q2 5:38 BUF Rian Lindell 38 yard field goal BUF 20–0 Q2 1:46 KC Jamaal Charles 6 yard pass from Matt Cassel (Ryan Succop kick) BUF 20–7 Q3 4:19 BUF Scott Chandler 11 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 27–7 Q3 :14 BUF Donald Jones 4 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 34–7 Q4 11:50 BUF C.J. Spiller 9 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 41–7

^[15]

With the win, the Bills start 1-0.

Week 2

1 2 3 4 Total Raiders 0 21 0 14 35 • Bills 0 3 14 21 38 Date: September 18 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,191 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sunny Referee: Mike Carey TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Scoring summary Q2 11:33 OAK Michael Bush 1 yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick) OAK 7–0 Q2 8:08 OAK Darren McFadden 5 yard run (Sebastian Janikowski kick) OAK 14–0 Q2 2:22 BUF Rian Lindell 25 yard field goal OAK 14–3 Q2 1:22 OAK Jason Campbell 1 yard run (Sebastain Janikowski kick) OAK 21–3 Q3 13:26 BUF Fred Jackson 43 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) OAK 21–10 Q3 3:41 BUF Stevie Johnson 7 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) OAK 21–17 Q4 14:10 BUF Fred Jackson 1 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 24–21 Q4 9:18 OAK Darren McFadden 12 yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastian Janikowski kick) OAK 28–24 Q4 4:48 BUF Scott Chandler 6 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 31–28 Q4 3:41 OAK Denarius Moore 50 yard pass from Jason Campbell (Sebastain Janikowski kick) OAK 35–31 Q4 :14 BUF David Nelson 6 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 38–35

^[16]

Week 3

1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 14 7 3 7 31 • Bills 0 10 7 17 34 Date: September 25 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,174 Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C), partly cloudy Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Scoring summary Q1 9:45 NE Wes Welker 14 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 7–0 Q1 6:01 NE Rob Gronkowski 1 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 14–0 Q2 6:01 NE Rob Gronkowski 26 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 21–0 Q2 1:56 BUF Stevie Johnson 11 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpattrick (Rian Lindell kick) NE 21–7 Q2 :03 BUF Rian Lindell 42 yard field goal NE 21–10 Q3 9:34 BUF Scott Chandler 3 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) NE 21–17 Q3 4:51 NE Stephen Gostkowski 23 yard field goal NE 24–17 Q4 10:36 BUF Fred Jackson 1 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) Tie 24–24 Q4 10:22 BUF Drayton Florence 27 yard interception return (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 31–24 Q4 3:25 NE Wes Welker 6 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) Tie 31–31 Q4 :00 BUF Rian Lindell 28 yard field goal BUF 34–31

With the stunning win, the Bills improved to 3-0.

Week 4

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 17 0 3 20 • Bengals 3 0 10 10 23 Date: October 2 Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 41,142 Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), sunny Referee: Gene Steratore TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon and Steve Tasker

Scoring summary Q1 2:02 CIN Mike Nugent 31 yard field goal CIN 3–0 Q2 13:33 BUF Rian Lindell 43 yard field goal Tie 3–3 Q2 3:10 BUF Bryan Scott 43 yard interception return (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 10–3 Q2 :40 BUF Fred Jackson 2 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 17–3 Q3 11:23 CIN Mike Nugent 21 yard field goal BUF 17–6 Q3 5:26 CIN Jermaine Gresham 17 yard pass from Andy Dalton (Mike Nugent kick) BUF 17–13 Q4 11:22 BUF Rian Lindell 23 yard field goal BUF 20–13 Q4 4:09 CIN Andy Dalton 3 yard run (Mike Nugent kick) Tie 20–20 Q4 :00 CIN Mike Nugent 43 yard field goal CIN 23–20

Week 5

1 2 3 4 Total Eagles 0 7 7 10 24 • Bills 7 14 10 0 31 Date: October 9 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 69,803 Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Brian Billick, and Laura Okmin

Scoring summary Q1 8:03 BUF Fred Jackson 5 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 7–0 Q2 12:42 PHI Jeremy Maclin 2 yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick) Tie 7–7 Q2 9:17 BUF David Nelson 6 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 14–7 Q2 9:00 BUF Nick Barnett 31 yard interception return (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 21–7 Q3 9:11 BUF Brad Smith 5 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 28–7 Q3 7:17 PHI LeSean McCoy 10 yard run (Alex Henery kick) BUF 28–14 Q3 1:15 BUF Rian Lindell 25 yard field goal BUF 31–14 Q4 14:51 PHI DeSean Jackson 31 yard pass from Michael Vick (Alex Henery kick) BUF 31–21 Q4 9:29 PHI Alex Henery 35 yard field goal BUF 31–24

Week 6

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 14 3 0 7 24 • Giants 7 10 7 3 27 Date: October 16 Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 79,243 Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), sunny Referee: Clete Blakeman TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Scoring summary Q1 5:20 NYG Ahmad Bradshaw 1 yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick) NYG 7–0 Q1 5:06 BUF Fred Jackson 80 yard run (Rian Lindell kick) Tie 7–7 Q1 :24 BUF Naaman Roosevelt 60 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 14–7 Q2 9:51 NYG Lawrence Tynes 26 yard field goal BUF 14–10 Q2 2:58 NYG Ahmad Bradshaw 1 yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick) NYG 17–14 Q2 :39 BUF Rian Lindell 49 yard field goal Tie 17–17 Q3 6:53 NYG Ahmad Bradshaw 1 yard run (Lawrence Tynes kick) NYG 24–17 Q4 8:57 BUF Stevie Johnson 9 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) Tie 24–24 Q4 1:32 NYG Lawrence Tynes 23 yard field goal NYG 27–24

Week 8

1 2 3 4 Total Redskins 0 0 0 0 0 • Bills 7 6 7 3 23 Date: October 30 Location: Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario Game start: 4:05 p.m. EST Game attendance: 51,579 Game weather: Indoors (dome) Referee: Terry McAulay TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Troy Aikman, and Pam Oliver

Scoring summary Q1 5:11 BUF Scott Chandler 20 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 7–0 Q2 8:45 BUF Rian Lindell 37 yard field goal BUF 10–0 Q2 :00 BUF Rian Lindell 44 yard field goal BUF 13–0 Q3 10:56 BUF Scott Chandler 15 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 20–0 Q4 3:26 BUF Rian Lindell 41 yard field goal BUF 23–0

Week 9

1 2 3 4 Total • Jets 0 3 17 7 27 Bills 0 0 3 8 11 Date: November 6 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 70,133 Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), sunny Referee: Ed Hochuli TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Scoring summary Q2 2:55 NYJ Nick Folk 49 yard field goal NYJ 3–0 Q3 10:16 NYJ Nick Folk 50 yard field goal NYJ 6–0 Q3 8:34 NYJ LaDainian Tomlinson 1 yard run (Nick Folk kick) NYJ 13–0 Q3 4:47 BUF Rian Lindell 24 yard field goal NYJ 13–3 Q3 3:27 NYJ Santonio Holmes 8 yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick) NYJ 20–3 Q4 6:27 NYJ John Conner 1 yard run (Nick Folk kick) NYJ 27–3 Q4 3:14 BUF David Nelson 7 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Ryan Fitzpatrick run) NYJ 27–11

^[17]

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 7 0 0 7 • Cowboys 14 14 6 10 44 Date: November 13 Location: Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 85,157 Game weather: Indoors (roof closed) Referee: Jerome Boger TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Scoring summary Q1 12:12 DAL Dez Bryant 34 yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick) DAL 7–0 Q1 3:05 DAL Laurent Robinson 5 yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick) DAL 14–0 Q2 12:17 DAL Laurent Robinson 58 yard pass from Tony Romo (Dan Bailey kick) DAL 21–0 Q2 8:16 BUF David Nelson 3 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick) DAL 21–7 Q2 1:05 DAL DeMarco Murray 1 yard run (Dan Bailey kick) DAL 28–7 Q3 2:25 DAL Dan Bailey 45 yard field goal DAL 31–7 Q3 :16 DAL Dan Bailey 36 yard field goal DAL 34–7 Q4 5:11 DAL Dan Bailey 31 yard field goal DAL 37–7 Q4 4:54 DAL Terrence Newman 43 yard interception return (Dan Bailey kick) DAL 44–7

^[18]

Week 11

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 3 3 0 2 8 • Dolphins 14 14 7 0 35 Date: November 20 Location: Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 57,531 Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C), sunny Referee: Walt Coleman TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Scoring summary Q1 10:13 BUF Dave Rayner 30 yard field goal BUF 3–0 Q1 3:28 MIA Anthony Fasano 1 yard pass from Matt Moore (Shayne Graham kick) MIA 7–3 Q1 :58 MIA Reggie Bush 5 yard run (Shayne Graham kick) MIA 14–3 Q2 12:45 MIA Charles Clay 12 yard pass from Matt Moore (Shayne Graham kick) MIA 21–3 Q2 1:36 MIA Davone Bess 4 yard pass from Matt Moore (Shayne Graham kick) MIA 28–3 Q3 10:08 MIA Lex Hilliard recovered blocked punt in end zone (Shayne Graham kick) MIA 35–3 Q4 13:25 BUF Safety, Daniel Thomas tackled by Kelvin Sheppard in end zone MIA 35–5

^[19]

Trying to snap a two-game losing streak, the Bills flew to Sun Life Stadium for a Week 11 AFC East showdown with the Miami Dolphins. Buffalo delivered the game's opening punch in the first quarter with a 30-yard field goal from kicker Dave Rayner, but the Dolphins answered with quarterback Matt Moore completing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Anthony Fasano, followed by running back Reggie Bush getting a 5-yard touchdown run. Miami added onto their lead in the second quarter with Moore completing a 12-yard touchdown pass to fullback Charles Clay and a 4-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Davone Bess. The Bills would close out the half with a 56-yard field goal from Rayner.

The Dolphins added onto Buffalo's misery in the third quarter with running back Lex Hilliard recovering a blocked punt in the endzone for a touchdown. The Bills tried to rally in the fourth quarter as rookie linebacker Kelvin Sheppard tackled running back Daniel Thomas in the endzone for a safety, but Miami's lead proved to be too much to overcome.

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 5–5.

Week 12

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 7 7 7 3 24 • Jets 0 14 7 7 28 Date: November 27 Location: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 79,088 Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), partly cloudy Referee: Carl Cheffers TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon

Scoring summary Q1 1:38 BUF David Nelson 8 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 7–0 Q2 12:02 NYJ Dustin Keller 3 yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick) Tie 7–7 Q2 2:06 BUF Stevie Johnson 5 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Rian Lindell kick) BUF 14–7 Q2 1:03 NYJ Plaxico Burress 14 yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick) Tie 14–14 Q3 3:50 NYJ Dustin Keller 18 yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick) NYJ 21–14 Q3 2:11 BUF Brad Smith 36 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick) Tie 21–21 Q4 9:46 BUF Dave Rayner 53 yard field goal BUF 24–21 Q4 1:01 NYJ Santonio Holmes 16 yard pass from Mark Sanchez (Nick Folk kick) NYJ 28–24

^[20]

Week 13

1 2 3 4 Total • Titans 10 7 3 3 23 Bills 7 3 0 7 17 Date: December 4 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 56,463 Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), mostly cloudy Referee: Alberto Riveron TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein

Scoring summary Q1 12:27 TEN Rob Bironas 48 yard field goal TEN 3–0 Q1 7:17 BUF C.J. Spiller 35 yard field goal (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 7–3 Q1 5:50 TEN Chris Johnson 48 yard run (Rob Bironas kick) TEN 10–7 Q2 13:48 TEN Chris Johnson 4 yard run (Rob Bironas kick) TEN 17–7 Q2 6:46 BUF Dave Rayner 27 yard field goal TEN 17–10 Q3 6:45 TEN Rob Bironas 27 yard field goal TEN 20–10 Q4 8:55 TEN Rob Bironas 44 yard field goal TEN 23–10 Q4 2:58 BUF Stevie Johnson 2 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick) TEN 23–17

^[21]

Week 14

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 0 10 0 10 • Chargers 7 9 14 7 37 Date: December 11 Location: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California Game start: 4:15 p.m. EST Game attendance: 62,494 Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), cloudy Referee: Gene Steratore TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Scoring summary Q1 7:52 SD Antonio Gates 7 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick) SD 7–0 Q2 14:16 SD Mike Tolbert 1 yard run (kick blocked) SD 13–0 Q2 6:41 SD Nick Novak 47 yard field goal SD 16–0 Q3 11:43 BUF Dave Rayner 37 yard field goal SD 16–3 Q3 10:11 BUF Bryan Scott recovered fumble in end zone (Dave Rayner kick) SD 16–10 Q3 4:11 SD Antonio Gates 2 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick) SD 23–10 Q3 4:02 SD Steve Gregory 26 yard interception return (Nick Novak kick) SD 30–10 Q4 9:01 SD Patrick Crayton 26 yard pass from Philip Rivers (Nick Novak kick) SD 37–10

^[22]

Week 15

1 2 3 4 Total • Dolphins 0 13 7 10 30 Bills 7 0 0 16 23 Date: December 18 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 60,898 Game weather: 31 °F (−1 °C), snow Referee: John Parry TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots

Scoring summary Q1 4:53 BUF C.J. Spiller 24 yard run (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 7–0 Q2 14:52 MIA Anthony Fasano 22 yard pass from Matt Moore (Dan Carpenter kick) Tie 7–7 Q2 8:34 MIA Dan Carpenter 20 yard field goal MIA 10–7 Q2 6:05 MIA Dan Carpenter 26 yard field goal MIA 13–7 Q3 12:06 MIA Brandon Marshall 65 yard pass from Matt Moore (Dan Carpenter kick) MIA 20–7 Q4 11:46 MIA Dan Carpenter 26 yard field goal MIA 23–7 Q4 5:54 BUF C.J. Spiller 3 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (pass failed) MIA 23–13 Q4 5:41 MIA Reggie Bush 76 yard run (Dan Carpenter kick) MIA 30–13 Q4 2:27 BUF Derek Hagan 2 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Dave Rayner kick) MIA 30–20 Q4 1:22 BUF Dave Rayner 34 yard field goal MIA 30–23

^[23]

Week 16

1 2 3 4 Total Broncos 7 0 7 0 14 • Bills 0 17 6 17 40 Date: December 24 Location: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 45,112 Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C), sunny Referee: Walt Anderson TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz and Phil Simms

Scoring summary Q1 7:13 DEN Tim Tebow 1 yard run (Matt Prater kick) DEN 7–0 Q2 6:06 BUF Dave Rayner 28 yard field goal DEN 7–3 Q2 4:05 BUF Leodis McKelvin 80 yard punt return (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 10–7 Q2 :19 BUF C.J. Spiller 4 yard run (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 17–7 Q3 11:42 DEN Daniel Fells 17 yard pass from Tim Tebow (Matt Prater kick) BUF 17–14 Q3 6:19 BUF Dave Rayner 25 yard field goal BUF 20–14 Q3 2:32 BUF Dave Rayner 25 yard field goal BUF 23–14 Q4 13:26 BUF Dave Rayner 29 yard field goal BUF 26–14 Q4 8:03 BUF Jarius Byrd 37 yard interception return (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 33–14 Q4 7:45 BUF Spencer Johnson 17 yard fumble return (Dave Rayner kick) BUF 40–14

^[24]

Week 17

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 21 0 0 0 21 • Patriots 0 14 14 21 49 Date: January 1 Location: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 68,756 Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), sunny Referee: Bill Leavy TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Randy Cross

Scoring summary Q1 11:18 BUF Tashard Choice 1 yard run (Brandon Coutu kick) BUF 7–0 Q1 5:19 BUF Stevie Johnson 18 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Brandon Coutu kick) BUF 14–0 Q1 :48 BUF C.J. Spiller 15 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Brandon Coutu kick) BUF 21–0 Q2 11:58 NE BenJarvus Green-Ellis 1 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick) BUF 21–7 Q2 5:42 NE Aaron Hernandez 39 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) BUF 21–14 Q3 12:19 NE Stephen Gostkowski 47 yard field goal BUF 21–17 Q3 5:13 NE Stephen Gostkowski 20 yard field goal BUF 21–20 Q3 1:32 NE Rob Gronkowski 17 yard pass from Tom Brady (Danny Woodhead run) NE 28–21 Q4 11:16 NE BenJarvus Green-Ellis 3 yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 35–21 Q4 3:02 NE Rob Gronkowski 7 yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 42–21 Q4 2:55 NE Sterling Moore 21 yard interception return (Stephen Gostkowski kick) NE 49–21

^[25]

Buffalo's final game of the season was a 49–21 loss to New England on New Year's Day 2012. In a mirror image of Week Three, the Bills opened a 21–0 on New England, before giving up 49 unanswered points to the high-powered Patriot offense. Head coach Chan Gailey benched wide receiver Stevie Johnson after Johnson caught a touchdown, then lifted his jersey to reveal "Happy New Year" on his shirt. The touchdown was Johnson's final play of the season as he was benched for the rest of the game. According to Pro-Football-Reference.com, New England, who won by 28, became the first team in NFL history to win a game by more than eight points after trailing by more than 20 points after one quarter.^[26] It was also the first time in a two-game season series that the winning team in each game overcame a deficit of more than 17 points.^[27] With the loss, the Bills finished with a 6–10 record and secured the 10th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(1) New England Patriots	13	3	0	.813	5–1	10–2	513	342	W8
New York Jets	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	394	382	L3
Miami Dolphins	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	348	330	W1
Buffalo Bills	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	372	434	L1

References

1. 2011 Buffalo Bills: Team Allows Fewest Sacks In NFL
2. BuffaloBills.com: McGee out for season; Jackson, Jones also hurt
3. Fred Jackson's deactivation was somewhat controversial, as it disqualified him from Pro Bowl consideration; Jackson, whose leg was expected to heal by the time of the Pro Bowl, was a contender for the game, and would have been the only Bill to make the team, since the Bills had no players named to the contest. At the end of Week Ten (the game in which Jackson was injured), he was leading the NFL in rushing yards, with 917.
4. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, in 2011, in the regular season, from 1st week to 10th week, sorted by descending Rushing Yds
5. ESPN: Buffalo Bills Transactions – 2011
6. Sullivan, Jerry (December 29, 2011). Rookie year an education for Dareus. The Buffalo News. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
7. Cortez was the only logical choice to run the Ti-Cats. The Hamilton Spectator. Retrieved January 10, 2012.
8. Buffalo Rumblings: Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick Played Hurt, Per David Nelson
9. Graham, Tim (April 25, 2011). Promo video leaks Buffalo's new uniforms. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 26, 2011.
10. http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article336833.ece
11. After the unveiling, there was a movie screening The Blind Side which was scheduled to round out the unveiling and fan appreciation event. Fans could vote for which film they want to see on the Bills' Facebook page.
12. http://www.buffalonews.com/sports/bills-nfl/article440998.ece
13. The Bills hadn't worn white at home since 1986 vs. Indianapolis
14. Bills to wear white jerseys on Sunday
15. Game Book
16. Game Book
17. Game Book
18. Game Book
19. Game Book
20. Game Book
21. Game Book
22. Game Book
23. Game Book
24. Game Book
25. Game Book
27. ESPN: Elias Sports Bureau, 2 January, 2012