2014 Buffalo Bills season

2014 Buffalo Bills season
Head coach	Doug Marrone
General manager	Doug Whaley
Owner	Mary Wilson (weeks 1-5) Terrence Pegula (week 6-present)
Home field	Ralph Wilson Stadium Ford Field (week 12)
Results
Record	9–7
Division place	2nd AFC East
Playoff finish	did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	Marcell Dareus, DT Kyle Williams, DT Mario Williams, DE
Uniform

The 2014 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 45th season in the National Football League, 55th season of competition, second under head coach Doug Marrone and the first in the franchise's history without Ralph Wilson as owner, as he died on March 25 at the age of 95. The Bills improved on their 6–10 record from 2013, finishing with a 9–7 record, their first winning season since 2004, in which they finished 9-7. However, they were officially eliminated from playoff contention after their 26-24 loss to the Oakland Raiders in Week 16, continuing their record playoff drought in the NFL.

Background

Death of Ralph Wilson and sale to Terrence Pegula

Ralph Wilson, the founding owner of the Buffalo Bills, died at the age of 95 on March 25, 2014. In his will, Wilson placed the team into a trust governed by his wife, niece and two team officials, who were separately given instructions to sell the team in short order, not only to the highest bidder, but with a precondition that the team be kept in Buffalo. Three bidders stepped forward with bids: stalking horse bidder Donald Trump, the family of Buffalo Sabres owner and natural gas baron Terrence Pegula and a consortium led by musician Jon Bon Jovi and the principals of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the last of whom raised serious concerns that the team would relocate to Toronto at the first opportunity. The Pegulas were named as the winning bidder on September 9, 2014 and closed on its purchase of the team on October 8.

Cancellation of the Toronto Series

On March 5, 2014, three weeks before Wilson's death, the Bills announced the postponement of the Bills Toronto Series for one year. Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon evaluated the series and, on December 3, 2014, after six years and a 1-5 record (their only win coming in a 23-0 shutout victory against the Washington Redskins in 2011), permanently cancelled the Bills Toronto Series.

On-field

The Bills won their first two games, a 23-20 overtime road win at Chicago (their first-ever victory at Soldier Field) and an emotionally raucous 29-10 home win against division rival Miami, a game played just days after the announcement that the Pegulas would be purchasing the team and keeping it in Buffalo. But Buffalo went on to lose their next two, a 22-10 loss at home against San Diego and a 23-17 loss on the road at Houston, after which Marrone benched quarterback E.J. Manuel (their first round pick the previous year) in favor of journeyman Kyle Orton. In his first start as a Bill against Detroit at Ford Field, Orton threw for 308 yards as Buffalo came back from a 14-0 halftime deficit to defeat Detroit 17-14 following an eventual game-winning 58-yard field goal by kicker Dan Carpenter. Buffalo would lose its next game, a 37-22 loss at home against New England, a game played just days after the announcement that the Pegulas took over ownership from the Wilson family, before coming back from a 16-10 deficit against Minnesota to win 17-16 after Orton threw for 283 yards, two touchdowns, the second of which to rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins and connecting with tight end Scott Chandler for 18 yards to convert a 3rd-and-12 and 24 yards to convert a 4th-and-20, respectively (Orton also had an interception and a lost fumble, one of three for the Bills offense). Unfortunately for Buffalo, running backs C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson were both injured in the first half. With running back Bryce Brown, who the Bills traded their conditional fourth-rounder that can become a third-round selection (that they had acquired in the trade that sent Stevie Johnson to San Francisco) to Philadelphia, inactive for the game against Minnesota and no time to find anyone to help carry the ball, running back Anthony Dixon, who the Bills signed as a free agent from San Francisco was left to carry the ball himself, with fullback Frank Summers assisting. On November 30, 2014, the Bills beat the Cleveland Browns giving them their seventh win, which not only improved on the previous season, in which they finished 6-10 for the third time since 2003 (they also finished 6-10 in 2009 and 2011), but it also gives them their best start entering December since the 2000 Buffalo Bills season, in which they finished 8-8. With a win against the Green Bay Packers on December 14, the Bills broke a league-leading streak of nine consecutive losing seasons dating back to 2005; however, the next week's 26-24 loss to the then 2–12 Oakland Raiders eliminated them from playoff contention for the fifteenth consecutive year, continuing a league-leading drought. The team finished with a 17-9 win against the New England Patriots, who were resting the starters in preparation for a playoff run that culminated with their fourth Super Bowl title; the win was the first time the team had ever won at Gillette Stadium (they had lost all 12 previous attempts prior to that) and established the team's first winning season in a decade.

Roster changes

Free agents lost

Position	Player	2014 Team	Notes
S	Byrd, JairusJairus Byrd	New Orleans Saints	Signed 6 years/$56 million
DE	Carrington, AlexAlex Carrington	St. Louis Rams	Signed 1 year/$1.5 million
S	Leonhard, JimJim Leonhard	Cleveland Browns	Signed 1 year/$855,000
LB	Moats, ArthurArthur Moats	Pittsburgh Steelers	Signed 1 year/$795,000
OT	Welch, ThomasThomas Welch	unsigned

Signings

Position	Player	2013 Team	Date signed	Notes and references
MLB	Spikes, BrandonBrandon Spikes	New England Patriots	March 18	Signed 1 year/$3.25 million
RB	Dixon, AnthonyAnthony Dixon	San Francisco 49ers	March 15	Signed 3 years/$3.5 million
OG	Williams, ChrisChris Williams	St. Louis Rams	March 12	Signed 4 years/$13.4 million
CB	Graham, CoreyCorey Graham	Baltimore Ravens	March 12	Signed 4 years/$16.3 million
LB	Rivers, KeithKeith Rivers	New York Giants	March 12	Signed 2 years/$4.05 million
CB	Williams, AaronAaron Williams	Buffalo Bills	March 5	Signed 4 years/$26.01 million extension
K	Carpenter, DanDan Carpenter	Buffalo Bills	March 11	Signed 4 years/$9.95 million extension
TE	Chandler, ScottScott Chandler	Buffalo Bills	March 13	Signed 2 years/$4.75 million extension
RB	Jackson, FredFred Jackson	Buffalo Bills	July 30	Signed 1 year/$2.6 million extension

2014 draft

2014 Buffalo Bills Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College
1	4	Sammy Watkins	Wide receiver	Clemson
2	44	Cyrus Kouandjio	Offensive tackle	Alabama
3	73	Preston Brown	Linebacker	Louisville
4	109	Ross Cockrell	Cornerback	Duke
5	153	Cyril Richardson	Guard	Baylor
6	None — see draft trades below
7	221	Randell Johnson	Linebacker	Florida Atlantic
	237	Seantrel Henderson	Offensive tackle	Miami

Draft trades

• The Bills traded their original first-round selection (No. 9 overall) and their 2015 first-round and fourth-round selections to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for the Browns' first-round selection, later revealed to be Sammy Watkins.
• The Bills traded their original second-round selection (No. 41 overall) to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for the Rams' second- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 44 and 153 overall, respectively).
• The Bills traded their original fifth-round selection (No. 149 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the Buccaneers' seventh-round selection (No. 221 overall) and a 2015 fifth-round selection.
• The Bills traded their sixth-round selection (No. 185 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for wide receiver Mike Williams.
• The Bills traded their original seventh-round selection (No. 224 overall) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange running back Bryce Brown and the Eagles' seventh-round selection (No. 237 overall). The trade also includes a conditional future draft selection, which the Eagles could receive from the Bills in either 2015 or 2016. If Brown hits undisclosed statistical rushing targets in 2014, the Eagles will receive the Bills' 2016 third-round selection, otherwise, the Eagles could receive the Bills' 2015 fourth-round selection, which the Bills conditionally acquired in a trade that sent wide receiver Stevie Johnson to the San Francisco 49ers. However, if Johnson does not meet certain statistical receiving targets with the 49ers in 2014, the trade with the 49ers will be voided, and if Brown does not meet certain statistical rushing targets with the Bills in 2014, the Bills will not have to send a future selection to the Eagles.

Staff

2014 Buffalo Bills staff
	Front office Owner/CEO – Terrence Pegula Owner – Kim Pegula President – Russ Brandon General Manager – Doug Whaley Senior Vice President of Football Administration – Jim Overdorf Special Assistant – Buddy Nix Director of Pro Personnel – Jim Monos Director of Pro Personnel – Tom Gibbons Director of College Scouting – Kelvin Fisher Head coaches Head Coach – Doug Marrone Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Nathaniel Hackett Quarterbacks – Todd Downing Running Backs – Tyrone Wheatley Wide Receivers – Rob Moore Tight Ends – Greg Adkins Offensive Line – Pat Morris Offensive Quality Control – Kurt Anderson Offensive Quality Control – Jason Vrable Senior Offensive Assistant – Jim Hostler Assistant to the Head Coach – Stephen Brown			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Jim Schwartz Defensive Line – Pepper Johnson Assistant Defensive Line – Jason Rebrovich Linebackers – Fred Pagac Defensive Backs – Donnie Henderson Assistant Defensive Backs – Samson Brown Defensive Quality Control – Thad Bogardus Special teams coaches Special Teams – Danny Crossman Assistant Special Teams – John Anselmo Strength and conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Eric Ciano Assistant Head Strength and Conditioning – Hal Luther Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Dan Liburd

Final roster

2014 Buffalo Bills final roster
	Quarterbacks  3 EJ Manuel  18 Kyle Orton Running backs 35 Bryce Brown 26 Anthony Dixon 22 Fred Jackson 28 C. J. Spiller Wide receivers 81 Marcus Easley 88 Marquise Goodwin 15 Chris Hogan 11 Marcus Thigpen 80 Deonte Thompson 14 Sammy Watkins 10 Robert Woods Tight ends 84 Scott Chandler 89 Chris Gragg 48 MarQueis Gray 85 Lee Smith		Offensive linemen 77 Cordy Glenn T 75 Chris Hairston T 66 Seantrel Henderson T 71 Cyrus Kouandjio T 79 Erik Pears T 68 Cyril Richardson G 60 Kraig Urbik G 70 Eric Wood C Defensive linemen 97 Corbin Bryant DT 96 Stefan Charles DT 99 Marcell Dareus DT 55 Jerry Hughes DE 91 Manny Lawson DE 95 Kyle Williams DT 94 Mario Williams DE 92 Jarius Wynn DE		Linebackers 53 Nigel Bradham OLB 52 Preston Brown MLB 54 Larry Dean OLB 58 Randell Johnson OLB 57 Ty Powell MLB 56 Keith Rivers OLB 51 Brandon Spikes MLB Defensive backs 33 Ron Brooks CB 29 Ross Cockrell CB 24 Stephon Gilmore CB 20 Corey Graham CB 30 Bacarri Rambo FS 37 Nickell Robey CB 25 Da'Norris Searcy SS 23 Aaron Williams FS 27 Duke Williams SS Special teams  2 Dan Carpenter K  4 Jordan Gay K 65 Garrison Sanborn LS  6 Colton Schmidt P		Reserve lists 50 Kiko Alonso OLB (NF-Inj.) 30 Mario Butler CB (IR) 31 Kenny Ladler FS (IR) 21 Leodis McKelvin CB (IR) 36 Jonathan Meeks FS (IR) 58 Stevenson Sylvester OLB (IR) 74 Chris Williams G (IR) Practice squad 46 Deon Broomfield S 62 William Campbell G 45 Jimmy Gaines LB 98 Ike Igbinosun DE 93 Bryan Johnson DE 73 D.J. Morrell G 17 Tobais Palmer WR 44 Rod Sweeting CB 90 Jeremy Towns DT  7 Jeff Tuel QB 86 Caleb Holley WR (Injured) Rookies in italics 53 Active, 8 Inactive, 10 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

On February 27, 2014, the NFL announced that, to celebrate the induction of wide receiver Andre Reed, the Bills would play the New York Giants in the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio, which took place on August 3, 2014 and was aired on NBC, after the network television premiere of WrestleMania XXX.^[1] The remainder of the Bills' preseason opponents were announced on April 9, 2014.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
HOF	August 3	vs. New York Giants	L 13–17	0–1	Fawcett Stadium	Recap
1	August 8	at Carolina Panthers	W 20–18	1–1	Bank of America Stadium	Recap
2	August 16	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 16–19	1–2	Heinz Field	Recap
3	August 23	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	L 14–27	1–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
4	August 28	Detroit Lions	L 0–23	1–4	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 7	at Chicago Bears	W 23–20 (OT)	1–0	Soldier Field	Recap
2	September 14	Miami Dolphins	W 29-10	2–0	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
3	September 21	San Diego Chargers	L 10–22	2–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
4	September 28	at Houston Texans	L 13-10	3-1	NRG Stadium	Recap
5	October 5	at Detroit Lions	W 17-14	3–2	Ford Field	Recap
6	October 12	New England Patriots	L 14-34	3–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
7	October 19	Minnesota Vikings	W 27-16	4–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
8	October 26	at New York Jets	W 43-23	4-4	MetLife Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 9	Kansas City Chiefs	L 13–17	5–4	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
11	November 13	at Miami Dolphins	L 9–22	5–5	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
12	November 24[upper-alpha 1]	New York Jets	W 38–3	6–5	Ford Field (Ralph Wilson Stadium was snowed in)	Recap
13	November 30	Cleveland Browns	W 26–10	7–5	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
14	December 7	at Denver Broncos	L 17–24	7–6	Sports Authority Field at Mile High	Recap
15	December 14	Green Bay Packers	W 21–13	8–6	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
16	December 21	at Oakland Raiders	L 24–26	8–7	O.co Coliseum	Recap
17	December 28	at New England Patriots	W 17–9	9–7	Gillette Stadium	Recap

Notes

• Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
• For the first time since 2007, the Bills did not play a game in Toronto, as the Bills Toronto Series was suspended in March 2014 and permanently cancelled in December 2014.^[3]

Game summaries

Week 1: at Chicago Bears

Week One: Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	3IR2=0	{{{R2}}}	10	10	Expression error: Unrecognized word "ir".
Bears	0	13	0	7	20

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 62,425
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter CHI: Martellus Bennett 12 yard pass from Jay Cutler, Robbie Gould XP good, 11:35 (CHI 7–0). Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 1:55) BUF: E. J. Manuel 2 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, 6:52 (TIE 7–7). Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:43) Second quarter BUF Dan Carpenter 50 yard field goal, 8:07 (BUF 10–7). Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 3:23) BUF: C. J. Spiller 7 yard pass from E. J. Manuel, Dan Carpenter XP good, 5:30 (BUF 17–7). Drive: 1 play, 7 yards, 0:06) Third quarter CHI: Robbie Gould 41 yard field goal, 9:34 (BUF 17–10). Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 5:26) CHI: Brandon Marshall 11 yard pass from Jay Cutler, Robbie Gould XP good, 2:30 (TIE 17–17). Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:30) Fourth quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 33 yard field goal, 4:02 (BUF 20–17). Drive: 8 plays, 37 yards, 3:50) CHI: Robbie Gould 37 yard field goal, 0:30 (TIE 20–20). Drive: 12 plays, 61 yards, 3:32) Overtime BUF: Dan Carpenter 27 yard field goal, 9:46 (BUF 23–20). Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:34) Top passers BUF – E. J. Manuel, 16/22, 173 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT CHI – Jay Cutler, 34/49, 349 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers BUF – Fred Jackson, 7 carries, 61 yards CHI – Matt Forté, 17 carries, 82 yards Top receivers BUF – Robert Woods, 4 receptions, 78 yards CHI – Matt Forté, 8 receptions, 87 yards Top tacklers BUF – Leodis McKelvin, 13 tackles CHI – Ryan Mundy, 6 tackles

Week 2: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Two: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	0	0	7	7
Bills	7	14	0	3	24

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,954
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 27 yard FG (BUF 3-0). Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 4:46) BUF: Dan Carpenter 27 yard FG (BUF 6-0). Drive: 6 plays, 22 yards, 1:50) Second quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 31 yard FG (BUF 9-0). Drive: 6 plays, 40 yards, 2:15) Third quarter MIA: C. Sturgis 34 yard FG (BUF 9-3). Drive: 13 plays, 64 yards, 5:25) BUF: C.J. Spiller, 102 yard kickoff return TD, Dan Carpenter XP is good (BUF 16-3). Drive: 0 plays, 0 yards, 0:12) MIA: Mike Wallace, 7 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill, C. Sturgis XP is good (BUF 16-10). Fourth quarter Top passers MIA – Ryan Tannehill, 31/49, 241 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT BUF – E.J. Manuel, 16/26, 202 yards, 1 TD Top rushers MIA – BUF – C.J. Spiller, 12 carries, 69 yards Top receivers MIA – Mike Wallace, 5 receptions, 56 yards, 1 TD BUF – Sammy Watkins, 8 receptions, 117 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers MIA – BUF –

Week 3: vs. San Diego Chargers

Week Three: San Diego Chargers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chargers	3	14	0	14	31
Bills	0	0	10	0	10

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,611
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers SD – BUF – Top rushers SD – BUF – Top receivers SD – BUF – Top tacklers SD – BUF –

Week 4: at Houston Texans

Week Four: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	0	0	10IR5=3	Expression error: Unrecognized word "ir".
Texans	7	3	0	0IH5=0	Expression error: Unrecognized word "ih".

at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
• Game attendance: 71,756
• Referee: Bill Vinovich
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – HOU – Top rushers BUF – HOU – Top receivers BUF – HOU – Top tacklers BUF – HOU –

Week 5: at Detroit Lions

Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	3	21	7	0	31
Lions	7	7	7	17	38

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 62,775
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (Fox): Sam Rosen, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – DET – Top rushers BUF – DET – Top receivers BUF – DET – Top tacklers BUF – DET –

Week 6: vs. New England Patriots

Week Six: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	3	13	15	3	34
Bills	7	0	0	7	14

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: October 12
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), clear & sunny
• Game attendance: 70,185
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Tony Siragusa
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NE – BUF – Top rushers NE – BUF – Top receivers NE – BUF – Top tacklers NE – BUF –

Week 7: vs. Minnesota Vikings

Week Seven: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Vikings	6	7	3	0	16
Bills	0	17	0	10	27

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,477
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (Fox): Tim Brando, Brendon Ayanbadejo and Peter Schrager
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers MIN – BUF – Top rushers MIN – BUF – Top receivers MIN – BUF – Top tacklers MIN – BUF –

Week 8: at New York Jets

Week Eight: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	10	3	6	19
Jets	7	7	0	10	24

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: October 26
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 78,160
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – NYJ – Top rushers BUF – NYJ – Top receivers BUF – NYJ – Top tacklers BUF – NYJ –

Week 10: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Week Ten: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chiefs	3	0	0	14	17
Bills	7	3	3	0	13

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 42 °F (6 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,119
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers KC – BUF – Top rushers KC – BUF – Top receivers KC – BUF – Top tacklers KC – BUF –

Week 11: at Miami Dolphins

Week Eleven: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	3	3	3	0	9
Dolphins	3	0	9	10	22

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: November 13
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 71,573
• Referee: Walt Coleman
• TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – MIA – Top rushers BUF – MIA – Top receivers BUF – MIA – Top tacklers BUF – MIA –

Week 12: vs. New York Jets

Week Twelve: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	3	0	0	0	3
Bills	7	7	17	7	38

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan^{[upper-alpha 1]}

• Date: November 24^{[upper-alpha 1]}
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. EST^{[upper-alpha 1]}
• Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
• Game attendance: 56,044
• Referee: Pete Morelli
• TV announcers (CBS^{[upper-alpha 1]}): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers NYJ – BUF – Top rushers NYJ – BUF – Top receivers NYJ – BUF – Top tacklers NYJ – BUF –

Week 13: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week Thirteen: Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	3	0	0	7	10
Bills	0	0	14	12	26

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: November 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 57 °F (14 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,576
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Trent Green and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers CLE – BUF – Top rushers CLE – BUF – Top receivers CLE – BUF – Top tacklers CLE – BUF –

Week 14: at Denver Broncos

Week Fourteen: Buffalo Bills at Denver Broncos – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	3	0	14	17
Broncos	7	7	10	0	24

at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado

• Date: December 7
• Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
• Game weather: 63 °F (17 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 76,913
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – DEN – Top rushers BUF – DEN – Top receivers BUF – DEN – Top tacklers BUF – DEN –

Week 15: vs. Green Bay Packers

Week Fifteen: Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Packers	3	7	0	3	13
Bills	7	3	6	5	21

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: December 14
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 38 °F (3 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 70,214
• Referee: Bill Leavy
• TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, David Diehl and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers GB – BUF – Top rushers GB – BUF – Top receivers GB – BUF – Top tacklers GB – BUF –

The Bills were the only AFC East team to defeat all of their NFC North opponents

Week 16: at Oakland Raiders

Week Sixteen: Buffalo Bills at Oakland Raiders – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	7	3	0	14	24
Raiders	0	13	6	7	26

at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California

• Date: December 21
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
• Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 53,436
• Referee: Craig Wrolstad
• TV announcers (CBS): Brian Anderson and Chris Simms
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – OAK – Top rushers BUF – OAK – Top receivers BUF – OAK – Top tacklers BUF – OAK –

Week 17: at New England Patriots

Week Seventeen: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	7	10	0	0	17
Patriots	3	3	3	0	9

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: December 28
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,756
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information
First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – NE – Top rushers BUF – NE – Top receivers BUF – NE – Top tacklers BUF – NE –

Standings

Division

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(1) New England Patriots	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	468	313	L1
Buffalo Bills	9	7	0	.563	4–2	5–7	343	289	W1
Miami Dolphins	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	388	373	L1
New York Jets	4	12	0	.250	1–5	4–8	283	401	W1

Conference

AFC[4][5]
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	PD	STK
Division leaders
1[lower-alpha 1]	New England Patriots	East	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	468	313	155	L1
2[lower-alpha 1]	Denver Broncos	West	12	4	0	.750	6–0	10–2	482	354	128	W1
3[lower-alpha 2]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	11	5	0	.688	4–2	9–3	436	368	68	W4
4[lower-alpha 2]	Indianapolis Colts	South	11	5	0	.688	6–0	9–3	458	369	89	W1
Wild Cards
5	Cincinnati Bengals	North	10	5	1	.656	3–3	7–5	365	344	21	L1
6	Baltimore Ravens	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	6–6	409	302	107	W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7[lower-alpha 3]	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	4–2	8–4	372	307	65	W2
8[lower-alpha 3]	Kansas City Chiefs	West	9	7	0	.563	3–3	7–5	353	281	72	W1
9[lower-alpha 3]	San Diego Chargers	West	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	348	348	0	L1
10[lower-alpha 3]	Buffalo Bills	East	9	7	0	.563	4–2	5–7	343	289	54	W1
11	Miami Dolphins	East	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	388	373	15	L1
12	Cleveland Browns	North	7	9	0	.438	2–4	4–8	299	337	–38	L5
13	New York Jets	East	4	12	0	.250	1–5	4–8	283	401	–118	W1
14[lower-alpha 4]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	249	412	–163	L1
15[lower-alpha 4]	Oakland Raiders	West	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	253	452	–199	L1
16	Tennessee Titans	South	2	14	0	.125	1–5	2–10	254	438	–184	L10
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 5]
New England defeated Denver head-to-head (Week 9, 43–21). Pittsburgh defeated Indianapolis head-to-head (Week 8, 51–34). Kansas City finished ahead of San Diego in the AFC West based on head-to-head sweep (Week 7, 23–20; Week 17, 19–7). Houston finished ahead of Kansas City and Buffalo based on conference record. Kansas City finished ahead of Buffalo based on head-to-head victory (Week 10, 17–13). San Diego finished ahead of Buffalo based on head-to-head victory (Week 3, 22–10). Jacksonville finished ahead of Oakland based on record vs. common opponents (1–4 to 0–5). When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Fist bump controversy

After a touchdown by Denver Broncos' running back CJ Anderson during the December 7 game, two officials acknowledged the call through the use of a fist bump.^[6][7] The move was seen by many Bills fans and players, including defensive back Aaron Williams,^[6] as an insensitive gesture, with some likening the gesture to a conspiracy.^[8][9] However, the NFL responded saying the gesture was "an acknowledgment of good mechanics between the two officials involved in making the call."^[10]

Notes

1. The Week 12 game vs. the New York Jets, originally scheduled at 1:00pm ET on November 23 at Ralph Wilson Stadium, was re-scheduled to November 24 at 7:00pm ET and relocated to Ford Field in Detroit due to a lake-effect snowstorm that struck the Buffalo area the night of November 17.^[2]

References

1. Patra, Kevin (February 27, 2014). "Buffalo Bills, N.Y. Giants to play in Hall of Fame Game". NFL.com. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
2. Rosenthal, Gregg (November 20, 2014). "Jets-Bills game moved to Detroit on Monday night". NFL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2014.
3. "No Toronto in 2014." WGR. Retrieved March 5, 2014. "WGR has learned that the Buffalo Bills will not play in Toronto this season. The future of the Toronto Series is unclear. Keep it locked to WGR for details"
4. "2014 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
5. "2014 NFL playoff picture". CBS Sports. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
6. Mandell, Nina (December 8, 2014). "NFL says refs in Broncos game were celebrating correct call, not touchdown with fist bump". USA Today. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
7. Breech, John (December 8, 2014). "LOOK: Two refs fist bump after Broncos TD; Bills players not happy". ESPN. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
8. "Bills fans angry at referee “fist bump” caught on camera". WIVB. December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
9. Parziale, James (December 7, 2014). "Refs fist-bump after C.J. Anderson scores for Broncos, but they're not rooting for Denver". FOX Sports. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
10. Mandell, Nina (December 8, 2014). "NFL says refs in Broncos game were celebrating correct call, not touchdown with fist bump". USA Today. Retrieved December 8, 2014.

External links

• Official website