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2022 Buffalo Bills season

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2022 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerTerry and Kim Pegula
General managerBrandon Beane
Head coachSean McDermott
Home field
Results
Record13–3
Division place1st AFC East
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Dolphins) 34–31
Lost Divisional Playoffs
(vs. Bengals) 10–27
Pro Bowlers
AP All-Pros
2
Uniform

The 2022 season was the Buffalo Bills' 53rd in the National Football League (NFL), their 63rd as a franchise, their eighth full season under the ownership of Terry and Kim Pegula, and their sixth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane.

The Bills entered the 2022 season as two-time defending AFC East champions. The Bills clinched the AFC East for the third consecutive season and improved on their 11–6 record from last season. The Week 17 game against Cincinnati was declared a no-contest after Bills' safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field. He was given CPR for ten minutes before being rushed to the hospital. Despite the incident, the Bills won their last game of the season to finish 13–3, tied for the best record in the history of the franchise, but they lost control of their destiny to clinch the number 1 seed in the AFC as a result of the cancellation, which allowed Kansas City to clinch the number 1 seed in the AFC the day before their last game of the regular season despite having the head-to-head tiebreaker.[1][2][3][4] In the playoffs, they defeated Miami, 34–31 in the wild-card round. However, they then fell to Cincinnati 27–10, losing in the divisional round for the second consecutive season.[5]

2022 was the final season in the Bills' lease on Highmark Stadium signed back in 2012. Negotiations were finalized and approved for the construction of a new stadium for the team by May 2023,[6] with construction beginning afterwards with a completion date before the 2026 season;[7] the team had stated that it would not renew its lease on Highmark Stadium unless an agreement for a new stadium was struck by the end of the 2022 season.[8]

Transactions

[edit]

Arrivals

[edit]
Position Player 2021 team(s) Date signed Notes
G Rodger Saffold Tennessee Titans March 14, 2022[9] 1 year / $6.25 million
DT DaQuan Jones Carolina Panthers March 16, 2022[10] 2 years / $14 million
LB Von Miller Denver Broncos / Los Angeles Rams March 16, 2022[11] 6 years / $120 million
DT Tim Settle Washington Football Team March 17, 2022[12] 2 years / $9 million
DT Jordan Phillips Arizona Cardinals March 17, 2022[13] 1 year / $5 million
DE Shaq Lawson New York Jets March 18, 2022[14] 1 year / $1.1875 million
QB Matt Barkley Tennessee Titans / Carolina Panthers / Atlanta Falcons March 21, 2022[15] 1 year / $1.145 million
C Greg Mancz Miami Dolphins March 21, 2022[16] 1 year / $1.2725 million
WR Jamison Crowder New York Jets March 22, 2022[17] 1 year / $2 million
RB Duke Johnson Miami Dolphins March 22, 2022[18] 1 year / $1.2725 million
T David Quessenberry Tennessee Titans April 21, 2022[19] 1 year / $1.75 million
WR Tavon Austin Jacksonville Jaguars June 2, 2022[20] 1 year / $1.12 million
G Greg Van Roten New York Jets June 13, 2022[21] 1 year / $1.2725 million
P Sam Martin Denver Broncos August 31, 2022[22] 1 year / $1.2725 million
T Justin Murray Arizona Cardinals September 27, 2022[23] 1 year / $1.035 million
CB Xavier Rhodes Indianapolis Colts September 28, 2022[24] 1 year / $ .2772 million
FS Jared Mayden Philadelphia Eagles October 10, 2022[25] 1 year / $ .207 million
WR John Brown Las Vegas Raiders / Denver Broncos / Jacksonville Jaguars / Tampa Bay Buccaneers November 26, 2022[26] 1 year / $ .3582 million

Departures

[edit]
Position Player 2022 team Date signed Notes
RB Antonio Williams New York Giants January 27, 2022[27] 2 years / $1.585 million
QB Davis Webb New York Giants February 7, 2022[28] 1 year / $ .945 million
DT Harrison Phillips Minnesota Vikings March 16, 2022[29] 3 years / $19.5 million
G Jon Feliciano New York Giants March 16, 2022[30] 1 year / $3.25 million
QB Mitchell Trubisky Pittsburgh Steelers March 17, 2022[31] 2 years / $14.285 million
CB Levi Wallace Pittsburgh Steelers March 17, 2022[32] 2 years / $8 million
RB Matt Breida New York Giants March 21, 2022[33] 1 year / $1.1875 million
DE Efe Obada Washington Commanders March 23, 2022[34] 1 year / $1.1875 million
DE Mario Addison Houston Texans May 10, 2022[35] 2 years / $7.7 million
DE Jerry Hughes Houston Texans May 11, 2022[36] 2 years / $10 million
P Matt Haack Indianapolis Colts August 24, 2022[37] 1 year / $1.035 million
CB Nick McCloud New York Giants August 31, 2022[38] 2 years / $1.765 million
FS Josh Thomas Arizona Cardinals September 1, 2022[39] 1 year / $ .207 million
WR Isaiah Hodgins New York Giants November 2, 2022[40] 2 years / $1.575 million
DT Justin Zimmer Miami Dolphins November 23, 2022[41] 1 year / $1.035 million
WR Marquez Stevenson Cleveland Browns December 14, 2022[42] 1 year / $ .207 million
CB Xavier Rhodes Dallas Cowboys January 7, 2023[43] 1 year / $ .3582 million
T Daryl Williams Free Agent Released March 14, 2022[44]
DT Vernon Butler Free agent Contract Expired March 16, 2022[45]
DE Bryan Cox Jr. Free agent Contract Expired March 16, 2022[46]
DT Star Lotulelei Free agent Released March 18, 2022[47]
WR Emmanuel Sanders Retired Retired September 7, 2022[48]
WR Tavon Austin Free agent Released October 5, 2022[49]
LB Andre Smith Free agent Released October 17, 2022[50]
WR Tanner Gentry Free agent Released January 17, 2023[51]
LB Joe Giles-Harris Free agent Released January 17, 2023[51]

Trades

[edit]
Position Arrived From Date of trade Departed
QB Case Keenum Cleveland Browns March 20, 2022[52] 7th-round pick
G 2023 5th-round pick Arizona Cardinals August 22, 2022[53] Cody Ford
RB Nyheim Hines Indianapolis Colts November 1, 2022[54] Zack Moss 2023 Conditional 6th-round pick
FS Dean Marlowe Atlanta Falcons November 1, 2022[55] 2023 7th-round pick

Draft

[edit]
2022 Buffalo Bills Draft
Round Selection Player Position College Notes
1 23 Kaiir Elam CB Florida from Ravens[A]
25 Traded to the Baltimore Ravens[A]
2 57 Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers[B]
60 Traded to the Cincinnati Bengals[C] from Buccaneers[B]
63 James Cook RB Georgia from Bengals[C]
3 89 Terrel Bernard LB Baylor
4 130 Traded to the Baltimore Ravens[A]
5 148 Khalil Shakir WR Boise State from Bears[D]
168 Traded to the Chicago Bears[D]
6 180 Matt Araiza P San Diego State from Buccaneers[B]
185 Christian Benford CB Villanova from Panthers[E]
203 Traded to the Chicago Bears[D]
209 Luke Tenuta OT Virginia Tech from Bengals[C]
7 231 Baylon Spector LB Clemson from Falcons[F]
246 Traded to the Cleveland Browns[G]

Draft trades

  1. ^ a b c The Bills traded first- and fourth-round selections (25th and 130th overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a first-round selection (23rd overall).
  2. ^ a b c The Bills traded a second-round selection (57th overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for second- and sixth-round selections (60th and 180th overall).
  3. ^ a b c The Bills traded a second-round selection (60th overall) to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for second- and sixth-round selections (63rd and 209th overall).
  4. ^ a b c The Bills traded fifth- and sixth-round selections (168th and 203rd overall) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a fifth-round selection (148th overall).
  5. ^ The Bills traded DE Darryl Johnson to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round selection (185th overall).[56]
  6. ^ The Bills traded TE Lee Smith to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for a seventh-round selection (231st overall).[57]
  7. ^ The Bills traded a seventh-round selection (246th overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for QB Case Keenum.[52]

Undrafted free agents

[edit]
2022 Buffalo Bills Undrafted Free Agents
Name Position College Ref.
Alec Anderson OT UCLA [58]
Raheem Blackshear RB Virginia Tech
C. J. Brewer DT Coastal Carolina [59]
Prince Emili Penn
Travon Fuller CB Tulsa [58]
Ja'Marcus Ingram Buffalo [59]
Kingsley Jonathan DE Syracuse [58]
Derek Kerstetter OT Texas
Tanner Owen Northwest Missouri State
Neil Pau'u WR BYU
Will Ulmer OT Marshall [59]
Malik Williams WR Appalachian State [58]
Jalen Wydermyer TE Texas A&M

Staff

[edit]
2022 Buffalo Bills staff

Front office

  • Owner/CEO – Terry Pegula
  • Owner/president – Kim Pegula
  • General manager – Brandon Beane
  • Assistant general manager – Brian Gaine
  • Director of player personnel – Terrance Gray
  • Senior advisor to the GM/football operations – Jim Overdorf
  • Assistant director of college scouting – Lake Dawson
  • Senior director of pro scouting – Malik Boyd
  • Assistant director of pro scouting/team advances – Chris Marrow
  • Assistant director of pro scouting/free agency – Curtis Rukavina
  • Vice president of football administration – Kevin Meganck
  • Director of football operations – Brendan Rowe
  • Senior personnel Executive – Matt Bazirgan

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Head strength and conditioning – Eric Ciano
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Hal Luther
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Will Greenberg
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Jason Oszvart
  • Strength and conditioning assistant – Nick Lacy


Final roster

[edit]
2022 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Practice squad

Reserve

Rookies in italics
53 active, 6 reserve, 16 practice squad

Preseason

[edit]

The Bills' preseason opened with a last-second win against Indianapolis, after trailing 24–10 late in the 4th quarter. This extended their preseason win streak to a record[ambiguous] 9 games.[citation needed] Following a Week 2 win over Denver, their streak ended at 10 games with a loss in Week 3 to Carolina.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 13 Indianapolis Colts W 27–24 1–0 Highmark Stadium Recap
2 August 20 Denver Broncos W 42–15 2–0 Highmark Stadium Recap
3 August 26 at Carolina Panthers L 0–21 2–1 Bank of America Stadium Recap

Regular season

[edit]

On May 9, the NFL announced that the Bills would host the Tennessee Titans at 7:15 p.m. ET on September 19, as part of ESPN's Week 2 Monday Night doubleheader.[60]

The remainder of the Bills' 2022 schedule was announced on May 12.[61][62]

Schedule

[edit]
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 8 at Los Angeles Rams W 31–10 1–0 SoFi Stadium Recap
2 September 19 Tennessee Titans W 41–7 2–0 Highmark Stadium Recap
3 September 25 at Miami Dolphins L 19–21 2–1 Hard Rock Stadium Recap
4 October 2 at Baltimore Ravens W 23–20 3–1 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
5 October 9 Pittsburgh Steelers W 38–3 4–1 Highmark Stadium Recap
6 October 16 at Kansas City Chiefs W 24–20 5–1 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
7 Bye
8 October 30 Green Bay Packers W 27–17 6–1 Highmark Stadium Recap
9 November 6 at New York Jets L 17–20 6–2 MetLife Stadium Recap
10 November 13 Minnesota Vikings L 30–33 (OT) 6–3 Highmark Stadium Recap
11 November 20 Cleveland Browns W 31–23 7–3 Ford Field[I] Recap
12 November 24 at Detroit Lions W 28–25 8–3 Ford Field Recap
13 December 1 at New England Patriots W 24–10 9–3 Gillette Stadium Recap
14 December 11 New York Jets W 20–12 10–3 Highmark Stadium Recap
15 December 17 Miami Dolphins W 32–29 11–3 Highmark Stadium Recap
16 December 24 at Chicago Bears W 35–13 12–3 Soldier Field Recap
17 January 2[II] at Cincinnati Bengals No contest[65]
18 January 8 New England Patriots W 35–23 13–3 Highmark Stadium Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

[edit]

Week 1: at Los Angeles Rams

[edit]

NFL Kickoff Game

Week 1: Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 3 71431
Rams 0 10 0010

at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Game information

The Bills put up 31 points over the defending Super Bowl champions in a primetime win. Josh Allen had 4 total touchdowns while Matthew Stafford was held to just 1.

Week 2: vs. Tennessee Titans

[edit]
Week 2: Tennessee Titans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Titans 7 0 007
Bills 7 10 24041

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Stefon Diggs had 3 touchdowns on Monday Night Football and the Bills thumped the defending #1 seed in the AFC Titans 41–7 after losing to them the last 2 seasons. The defense held the Titans to 187 yards of total offense and Matt Milano had an interception returned for a touchdown. Unfortunately, the Bills would lose Dane Jackson and Micah Hyde to neck injuries during the game, with Hyde later being ruled out for the season with a herniated disc.[66][67]

Week 3: at Miami Dolphins

[edit]
Week 3: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 7 3219
Dolphins 7 7 0721

at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

The Bills sideline was in the sweltering sun while the home Dolphins were on the shaded side of Hard Rock Stadium, a major factor contributing to the Dolphins home field advantage. After trading touchdowns in the first half, the Bills had a 17–14 lead going into the fourth quarter, but Chase Edmonds scored his 2nd touchdown of the game to give the Dolphins a 21–17 lead. The Bills responded with an 8-minute drive, but on 4th and Goal from the 1-yard line, Josh Allen's pass fell incomplete and turned the ball over on downs. The Bills forced a Dolphins punt, but Thomas Morstead's kick hit Trent Sherfield in the buttocks and deflected backwards and out of the end zone for a safety to make the score 21–19. The play instantly became known as "The Butt Punt."

The Bills, only needing a field goal instead of a touchdown to win, got the ball back with no timeouts. With 18 seconds left, Allen avoided a sack and passed the ball to Isaiah McKenzie who tried to get out of bounds at the MIA-35 but was tackled just short of the sideline. The Bills hustled to get back to the line of scrimmage in time, but the clock hit all zeros and players on both teams collapsed in exhaustion. The Bills lost 21–19 in an instant classic, and fell to 2–1. The Dolphins became the only 3–0 team in the AFC.

Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens

[edit]
Week 4: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 3 7 10323
Ravens 14 6 0020

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

Despite Baltimore climbing to a 20–3 lead at one point in the second quarter, with 10 of the Ravens' points coming off Bills turnovers, the Bills scored 20 unanswered points of their own and shut out Lamar Jackson and the Ravens offense in the second half. A key interception of Jackson by Bills safety Jordan Poyer in the fourth quarter set up Buffalo's game-winning field goal, as Ravens head coach John Harbaugh controversially opted to go for a touchdown on fourth and goal instead of attempting a go-ahead field goal. This was Buffalo's first win by one score since the 2020 season and their biggest comeback win since defeating the New England Patriots after being down 21–0 in week 3 of 2011.[68]

Week 5: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

[edit]
Week 5: Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Steelers 3 0 003
Bills 10 21 0738

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

After a close win in Baltimore, the Bills came back home to play the Steelers, resulting in a 38–3 blowout victory. Josh Allen threw for a career-high 424 yards, also matching a career high of four passing touchdowns, in addition to matching the franchise record for the longest play from scrimmage when he threw a 98-yard touchdown pass to Gabe Davis on the third play of the game. Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett made his first career start during the game, taking the place of previous starter and former Bills backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. With the win, Buffalo improved to 4–1.[69]

Week 6: at Kansas City Chiefs

[edit]
Week 6: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 10 7724
Chiefs 0 10 7320

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

  • Date: October 16
  • Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT/3:25 p.m. CDT
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
  • Game attendance: 73,586
  • Referee: Brad Allen
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In a rematch of the previous season's AFC Divisional playoff game against Kansas City, which saw Buffalo lose in overtime after allowing the Chiefs to tie the game with just 13 seconds left in regulation, the Bills and Chiefs competed toe-to-toe on both offense and defense until the fourth quarter. After Buffalo's defense limited the Chiefs to a field goal in the quarter and forced a three-and-out on the Chiefs' penultimate drive, Josh Allen marched the Bills down the field, throwing a game-winning touchdown pass to Dawson Knox with 1:04 left in regulation. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was intercepted by Bills cornerback Taron Johnson two plays later, preventing another last-minute scoring drive by Kansas City in addition to allowing Buffalo to avenge its playoff loss. The Bills improved to 5–1 with the win, attaining the best record in the AFC heading into their bye week.[70]

Week 8: vs. Green Bay Packers

[edit]
Week 8: Green Bay Packers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Packers 0 7 3717
Bills 7 17 3027

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: October 30
  • Game time: 8:20 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: Partly cloudy, 50 °F (10 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,863
  • Referee: Ronald Torbert
  • TV announcers (NBC): Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth and Melissa Stark
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 9: at New York Jets

[edit]
Week 9: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 7 0317
Jets 3 7 7320

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 6
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Warm and overcast, 76 °F (24 °C)
  • Game attendance: 83,135
  • Referee: Land Clark
  • TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

The Bills squandered a 14–3 first-half lead and lost to Zach Wilson and the rival Jets 20–17, thanks to a strong performance from the Jets' defense and run game (despite missing starting running back Breece Hall due to a season-ending injury), in addition to a fourth-quarter field goal by Greg Zuerlein set up by a 6-minute drive that started at New York's four-yard line. In addition, Allen, who scored two rushing touchdowns but also threw two interceptions during the game, suffered an elbow injury on Buffalo's final drive, which ended with a turnover on downs and allowed the Jets to run out the clock. With the upset loss, the Bills fell to 6–2.[71]

Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings

[edit]
Week 10: Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Vikings 7 3 713333
Bills 14 10 33030

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

The Bills blew their second consecutive double-digit lead, squandering a 27–10 third quarter lead. After the Bills stopped a long Vikings drive that stalled within Buffalo's one-yard line, a botched snap on Buffalo's ensuing play resulted in a fumble recovered by Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks for a touchdown that put Minnesota up 30–27. The Bills would score a field goal that tied the score at 30 apiece and led to overtime.

After the Vikings scored first on a 33-yard field goal by Greg Joseph, Allen marched the Bills downfield, but threw a game-ending interception to Patrick Peterson from Minnesota's 20-yard line, his second of the game and sixth in three games. With a 33–30 overtime loss, their second consecutive upset loss, the Bills fell to 6–3 and third place in the division.[72]

This was Stefon Diggs' first game against his former team after he was traded from Minnesota to Buffalo before the 2020 season. Diggs and Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson, who was drafted with the first-round pick Buffalo sent for Diggs, both had strong performances in the game, as they both surpassed 100 yards receiving and made remarkable one-handed catches during the course of what was later called the "game of the year" by several analysts.[73]

Week 11: vs. Cleveland Browns

[edit]
Week 11: Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Browns 7 3 01323
Bills 3 10 9931

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan[I]

Game information

Due to a severe lake effect snowstorm in Buffalo, this game was moved to Ford Field in Detroit in a similar fashion to the Bills' 2014 home game against the New York Jets, which was moved due to the "Snowvember" storm that dumped 7 feet of snow on Highmark Stadium. This was the Bills' second home game in franchise history moved to Detroit.[74] Since Buffalo was scheduled to go to Detroit for the following week's game anyway, this relocation worked in their favor.

Week 12: at Detroit Lions

[edit]

Thanksgiving Day games

Week 12: Buffalo Bills at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 10 2928
Lions 7 7 01125

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: November 24
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: None (indoor stadium)
  • Game attendance: 66,553
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In Buffalo's third Thanksgiving Day game in four years, Detroit, winner of three straight after a 1–6 start, kept pace with the Bills in a back-and-forth affair and took the lead in the fourth quarter. Josh Allen led a go-ahead touchdown drive to retake the lead, although kicker Tyler Bass missed the extra point, his first such miss since the 2020 season.[75] Despite the Lions tying the game with a field goal with 23 seconds left on the clock, Allen put the Bills into field goal range on the next drive with a 36-yard pass to Stefon Diggs, who was double-covered,[76] and Bass made the game-winning 45–yard kick, allowing Buffalo to win 28–25 and improve to 8–3.[75]

Week 13: at New England Patriots

[edit]
Week 13: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 3 14 0724
Patriots 7 0 0310

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

Aside from a 48-yard catch-and-run touchdown pass in the first quarter from Patriots quarterback Mac Jones to Marcus Jones, who normally plays cornerback, the Bills kept New England's offense in check, forcing numerous punts, and dominated the game with a balanced offense between the passing and rushing attacks, resulting in a 24–10 win in favor of Buffalo. With the team's first division win of the season and fifth win in six games over the Patriots, Buffalo improved to 9–3.[77]

Week 14: vs. New York Jets

[edit]
Week 14: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Jets 0 0 7512
Bills 0 7 10320

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: December 11
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Rain showers, 37 °F (3 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,603
  • Referee: Alex Kemp
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Week 15: vs. Miami Dolphins

[edit]
Week 15: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 10 13329
Bills 7 14 01132

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Buffalo hosted the Dolphins in a rematch of week 3's game, with weather conditions featuring lake-effect snow in contrast to the hot, humid conditions in Miami earlier that year. Early in the game, fans threw snowballs onto the field before head official Bill Vinovich warned that the Bills would be assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty if any snowballs hit Dolphins players despite no rule existing on that matter.[78]

The Dolphins took the early 3–0 lead, but the Bills responded with a quick drive to take the lead with a touchdown pass to Quintin Morris from Josh Allen. After Buffalo took a 21–13 halftime lead, Miami stormed back with two quick passing touchdowns from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, respectively, to retake the lead, then forced a fumble on Allen to set up a field goal to make the score 29–21 in its favor. Allen and the Bills offense would nonetheless adjust to Miami's heavy blitz, setting up a Dawson Knox touchdown reception with several quarterback runs to avoid pressure, with Allen barely crossing the plane on Buffalo's ensuing two-point conversion attempt to tie the game at 29. After a stalled drive by Dolphins, Buffalo received the ball back with under six minutes left, but drove down the field from its own 14-yard-line to the Miami 7-yard-line, setting up Tyler Bass's game-winning field goal. With the 32–29 win, their 10th in their last 12 games against the Dolphins, the Bills improved to 11–3 and clinched their fourth-straight playoff berth.[79]

Week 16: at Chicago Bears

[edit]
Week 16: Buffalo Bills at Chicago Bears – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 6 0 151435
Bears 7 3 0313

at Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
  • Game weather: Mostly sunny, 9 °F (−13 °C)
  • Game attendance: 59,929
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel, Adam Archuleta and AJ Ross
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

In frigid conditions, Buffalo trailed Chicago 10–6 at halftime, partly due to Tyler Bass missing an extra point and a field goal in addition to a redzone interception by Josh Allen, but stormed back in the second half thanks to strong performances by running backs Devin Singletary and James Cook, outscoring the Bears 29–3 the rest of the way and holding dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields to just six yards rushing in the game. With the dominant win, the Bills improved to 12–3 and clinched their third straight AFC East division title.[80]

Week 17: at Cincinnati Bengals

[edit]
Week 17: Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 3 - --3
Bengals 7 - --7

at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

The game was postponed with 5:58 remaining in the 1st quarter due to an injury to Damar Hamlin, who was sent to the hospital in critical condition after collapsing on the field. The NFL released a statement that said that the game will not be resumed during the week, as well the team's week 18 game will be played as it is scheduled.[81][82][83] The game was ultimately declared no contest, and it was officially canceled on January 5.[82] It was the only time in NFL history that a regular season game has been canceled after starting and was never made up.[84][85]

Week 18: vs. New England Patriots

[edit]
Week 18: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 7 3623
Bills 7 7 14735

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: January 8
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Cloudy, 31 °F (−1 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,753
  • Referee: Clay Martin
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo and Tracy Wolfson
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

Playing one week after Hamlin's collapse and hospitalization, Buffalo dedicated this game to him as part of league-wide tributes to Hamlin, who was continuing to recover in the ICU.[86] Despite three passing touchdowns by Mac Jones, the Bills countered with two kick return touchdowns by Nyheim Hines and three passing scores from Allen, in addition to intercepting Jones three times. The Bills matched a franchise record by notching their 13th win of the season, clinching the #2 seed in the AFC and ensuring that a hypothetical AFC Championship matchup with the Chiefs, who clinched the #1 seed but would have lost the tiebreaker to Buffalo had they won the previous game, would be played on a neutral site due to special changes to playoff seeding in light of the previous game's cancellation.[87]

Standings

[edit]

Division

[edit]
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(2) Buffalo Bills 13 3 0 .813 4–2 9–2 455 286 W7
(7) Miami Dolphins 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 397 399 W1
New England Patriots 8 9 0 .471 3–3 6–6 364 347 L1
New York Jets 7 10 0 .412 2–4 5–7 296 316 L6

Conference

[edit]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1 Kansas City Chiefs West 14 3 0 .824 6–0 9–3 .453 .422 W5
2 Buffalo Bills East 13 3 0 .813 4–2 9–2 .489 .471 W7
3 Cincinnati Bengals North 12 4 0 .750 3–3 8–3 .507 .490 W8
4 Jacksonville Jaguars South 9 8 0 .529 4–2 8–4 .467 .438 W5
Wild cards
5[a] Los Angeles Chargers West 10 7 0 .588 2–4 7–5 .443 .341 L1
6[a] Baltimore Ravens North 10 7 0 .588 3–3 6–6 .509 .456 L2
7[b] Miami Dolphins East 9 8 0 .529 3–3 7–5 .537 .457 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
8[b] Pittsburgh Steelers North 9 8 0 .529 3–3 5–7 .519 .451 W4
9 New England Patriots East 8 9 0 .471 3–3 6–6 .502 .415 L1
10[c][d] New York Jets East 7 10 0 .412 2–4 5–7 .538 .458 L6
11[c][d] Tennessee Titans South 7 10 0 .412 3–3 5–7 .509 .336 L7
12[c] Cleveland Browns North 7 10 0 .412 3–3 4–8 .524 .492 L1
13 Las Vegas Raiders West 6 11 0 .353 3–3 5–7 .474 .397 L3
14 Denver Broncos West 5 12 0 .294 1–5 3–9 .481 .465 W1
15 Indianapolis Colts South 4 12 1 .265 1–4–1 4–7–1 .512 .500 L7
16 Houston Texans South 3 13 1 .206 3–2–1 3–8–1 .481 .402 W1
Tiebreakers[e]
  1. ^ a b LA Chargers finished ahead of Baltimore based on conference record (7–5 vs. 6–6).
  2. ^ a b Miami finished ahead of Pittsburgh based on head-to-head victory, claiming the 7th and final playoff spot.
  3. ^ a b c NY Jets and Tennessee finished ahead of Cleveland based on conference record (5–7 vs. 4–8).
  4. ^ a b NY Jets finished ahead of Tennessee based on common record (3–3 vs. 2–4 against: Buffalo, Cincinnati, Denver, Green Bay, Jacksonville).
  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.

Postseason

[edit]

Schedule

[edit]
Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 15 Miami Dolphins (7) W 34–31 1–0 Highmark Stadium Recap
Divisional January 22 Cincinnati Bengals (3) L 10–27 1–1 Highmark Stadium Recap

Game summaries

[edit]

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (7) Miami Dolphins

[edit]
AFC Wild Card Playoffs: (7) Miami Dolphins at (2) Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 0 17 7731
Bills 14 6 14034

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

AFC Divisional Playoffs: vs. (3) Cincinnati Bengals

[edit]
AFC Divisional Playoffs: (3) Cincinnati Bengals at (2) Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bengals 14 3 7327
Bills 0 7 3010

at Highmark Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

  • Date: January 22, 2023
  • Game time: 3:05 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Snow, 34 °F (1 °C)
  • Game attendance: 70,733
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson and Jay Feely
  • Recap, Game Book
Game information

While the Bills were widely criticized by the media for losing this playoff game in blowout fashion,[88][89] several players on the team revealed their emotional exhaustion after the game due to several events that occurred to the team and the city of Buffalo during the course of the season and offseason,[90] including Hamlin's collapse, two severe blizzards, including one during Christmas that killed dozens in Erie County,[91] owner Kim Pegula suffering "unspecified health issues" in June that were later revealed by her daughter Jessica Pegula to be cardiac arrest,[92] and the 2022 Buffalo shooting in May.[93] Guard Rodger Saffold and safety Micah Hyde stated that the team had "run out of gas" after facing constant adversity throughout the "emotionally draining" season.[90]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Due to public safety concerns regarding a severe winter storm in the Buffalo area, the Bills' Week 11 game vs. the Cleveland Browns was relocated to Detroit's Ford Field.[63]
  2. ^ Game started on January 2. Due to an injury involving Damar Hamlin, the game was postponed part way through the first quarter.[64] On January 5, the game was cancelled.[65]

References

[edit]
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[edit]