2015 Buffalo Bills season

2015 Buffalo Bills season
Head coach	Rex Ryan
General manager	Doug Whaley
Owner	Terrence Pegula and Kim Pegula
Home field	Ralph Wilson Stadium
Results
Record	8–8
Division place	3rd AFC East
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	RB LeSean McCoy QB Tyrod Taylor C Eric Wood OG Richie Incognito
Uniform

The Buffalo Bills entered the 2015 season looking for a new head coach as Doug Marrone, who coached the two previous seasons, opted out of his contract on December 31, 2014, to take advantage of a contract loophole (in reality, co-owner Terrence Pegula would have fired him had he stayed). On January 12, 2015, Rex Ryan, who previously spent the past six seasons coaching the division-rival New York Jets, leading them to two straight AFC Championship games in 2009 and 2010, signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract, being the franchise's 18th head coach and the fourth in the past seven years. However, finishing the regular season with a record of 8–8, the Bills were unable to make the playoffs in their first season with Ryan as coach, making it the 16th straight season without a playoff appearance, which became the longest active in major professional sports after the Toronto Blue Jays broke their 22-year playoff drought on September 25.^[1] It was also the first full season under the ownership of Terrence and Kim Pegula, who also own the Buffalo Sabres, having purchased the Bills partway through 2014 after the death of longtime owner Ralph Wilson in March at the age of 95 (they purchased the Sabres in February 2011 after Tom Golisano didn't want to continue owning a cursed NHL team). The Bills began their season with an open competition for the starting quarterback position after Kyle Orton, the starter for most of the 2014 campaign, retired during the off-season. Tyrod Taylor, a free agent acquisition from Baltimore, won the competition over incumbent second-string quarterback E.J. Manuel and trade acquisition Matt Cassel, whom the team later traded to Dallas in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick in 2017.

Roster changes

Signings

Position	Player	2014 Team	Date signed	Notes and references
OG	Richie Incognito	No Team	February 8, 2015	1 year/$2.25 million
DE	Jerry Hughes	Buffalo Bills	March 9, 2015	5 years/$45 million
FB	Jerome Felton	Minnesota Vikings	March 11, 2015	4 years/$9.2 million
WR	Marcus Easley	Buffalo Bills	March 12, 2015	4 years/$7 million
DE	Jarius Wynn	Buffalo Bills	March 12, 2015	2 years/$2.2 million
QB	Tyrod Taylor	Baltimore Ravens	March 12, 2015	2 years/$7 million
WR	Percy Harvin	New York Jets	March 13, 2015	3 year/$24 million
TE	Charles Clay	Miami Dolphins	March 19, 2015	5 years/$38 million
DE	Alex Carrington	St. Louis Rams	May 4, 2015	1 year
FB	John Conner	New York Jets	May 13, 2015	1 year/$745,000
QB	Matt Simms	New York Jets	May 29, 2015	1 year/$585,000

Free agents lost

Position	Player	2015 Team	Date signed	Notes and references
CB	Da'Norris Searcy	Tennessee Titans	March 10, 2015	4 years/$24 million
TE	Lee Smith	Oakland Raiders	March 10, 2015	3 years/$9.1 million
RB	C.J. Spiller	New Orleans Saints	March 13, 2015	4 years/$18 million
TE	Scott Chandler	New England Patriots	March 13, 2015	2 years/$5.3 million
OL	Erik Pears	San Francisco 49ers	March 14, 2015	2 years/$4.7 million
LB	Larry Dean	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	April 9, 2015	1 year/$745,000
OT	Chris Hairston	San Diego Chargers	April 15, 2015	1 year
LB	Brandon Spikes	New England Patriots	May 18, 2015	1 year (Released June 8, 2015)

Trades

Player/picks acquired	From	Date traded	Player/picks traded
LeSean McCoy	Philadelphia Eagles	March 10, 2015	Kiko Alonso
Matt Cassel Minnesota's 2015 6th Round Pick	Minnesota Vikings	March 10, 2015	Buffalo's 2015 5th Round Pick Buffalo's 2016 7th Round Pick
Dallas's 2017 5th Round Pick	Dallas Cowboys	September 25, 2015	Matt Cassel Buffalo's 2017 7th Round Pick

Draft

2015 Buffalo Bills draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	50	Ronald Darby	CB	Florida St
3	81	John Miller	OG	Louisville
5	155	Karlos Williams	RB	Florida St
6	188	Tony Steward	OLB	Clemson
6	194	Nick O'Leary	TE	Florida St
7	234	Dezmin Lewis	WR	Central Arkansas
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

• The Bills did not have a selection in the first-round or fourth-round as a result of a trade that sent their 2014 first-round selection (No. 19 overall), later revealed to be Ja'Wuan James, to the Miami Dolphins, fourth-round selection (No. 115 overall), later revealed to be Shaquelle Evans, to the New York Jets and their first-round selection (No. 9 overall), later revealed to be Anthony Barr, to the Cleveland Browns in a three-team trade that sent the Browns' 2014 first-round selection (No. 4 overall), later revealed to be Sammy Watkins, to Buffalo.
• The Bills acquired a fourth-round selection (No. 113 overall) in a trade that sent Stevie Johnson to the San Francisco 49ers. The Bills later traded this selection to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Bryce Brown.
• The Bills acquired a fifth-round selection (No. 137 overall) as part of a trade that sent their 2014 seventh-round selection (No. 221 overall), later revealed to be Randell Johnson, to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bills later traded this selection and their 2016 seventh-round selection to the Vikings in exchange for Matt Cassel and the Vikings' 2015 sixth-round selection (No. 188 overall), later revealed to be Tony Steward.

Staff

2015 Buffalo Bills staff
	Front office Owner/CEO – Terry Pegula Owner – Kim Pegula President – Russ Brandon General Manager – Doug Whaley Senior Vice President of Football Administration – Jim Overdorf Director of Player Personnel – Jim Monos Director of College Scouting – Kelvin Fisher Head coaches Head Coach – Rex Ryan Assistant Head Coach/Running Backs – Anthony Lynn Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Greg Roman Quarterbacks – David Lee Wide Receivers – Sanjay Lal Tight Ends – Tony Sparano Jr. Offensive Line – Aaron Kromer Senior Offensive Assistant – Chris Palmer Assistant Offensive Line – Kurt Anderson Offensive Quality Control – Jason Vrable			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Dennis Thurman Defensive Line – Karl Dunbar Assistant Defensive Line – Jeff Weeks Linebackers – Bobby April III Outside linebackers – Jason Rebrovich Defensive Backs – Tim McDonald Defensive Backs – Donnie Henderson Defensive Assistant – D'Anton Lynn Special teams coaches Special Teams – Danny Crossman Assistant Special Teams – Eric Smith Strength and conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Eric Ciano Assistant Head Strength and Conditioning – Hal Luther Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Jason Oszvart Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Dan Liburd

Final roster

2015 Buffalo Bills final roster
	Quarterbacks  8 Josh Johnson  3 EJ Manuel  5 Tyrod Taylor Running backs 26 Anthony Dixon 42 Jerome Felton FB 35 Mike Gillislee 25 LeSean McCoy 29 Karlos Williams Wide receivers 80 Leonard Hankerson 15 Chris Hogan 13 Dez Lewis 19 Walt Powell 17 Greg Salas 14 Sammy Watkins Tight ends 89 Chris Gragg 84 Nick O'Leary		Offensive linemen 77 Cordy Glenn T 72 Ryan Groy G 64 Richie Incognito G 71 Cyrus Kouandjio T 76 John Miller G 79 Jordan Mills T 60 Kraig Urbik G 70 Eric Wood C Defensive linemen 90 T. J. Barnes NT 97 Corbin Bryant DT 96 Stefan Charles DT 99 Marcell Dareus NT 93 Lavar Edwards DE 75 IK Enemkpali DE 55 Jerry Hughes DE 94 Mario Williams DE 69 Jerel Worthy DT		Linebackers 53 Nigel Bradham WB 52 Preston Brown MB 91 Manny Lawson SB 51 Kevin Reddick MB 59 A. J. Tarpley MB 54 Max Valles OLB/DE Defensive backs 39 Mario Butler CB 28 Ronald Darby CB 20 Corey Graham S 21 Leodis McKelvin CB 36 Jonathan Meeks S 46 Merrill Noel CB 30 Bacarri Rambo S 37 Nickell Robey CB 44 Sammy Seamster CB 27 Duke Williams S Special teams  2 Dan Carpenter K  4 Jordan Gay KOS 65 Garrison Sanborn LS  6 Colton Schmidt P		Reserve lists 33 Ron Brooks CB (IR) 98 Alex Carrington DE (IR) 79 Tyson Chandler T (IR) 85 Charles Clay TE (IR) 81 Marcus Easley WR (IR) 24 Stephon Gilmore CB (IR) 88 Marquise Goodwin WR (IR) 48 MarQueis Gray TE/HB (IR) 18 Percy Harvin WR (IR) 66 Seantrel Henderson T (NF-Ill.) 58 Randell Johnson SB (IR) 57 Ty Powell MB (IR) 50 Tony Steward MB (IR) 41 Cam Thomas CB (PUP) 23 Aaron Williams S (IR-DFR) 95 Kyle Williams DT (IR) 41 Cierre Wood RB (IR) 10 Robert Woods WR (IR) 92 Jarius Wynn DL (IR) Practice squad 86 Blake Annen TE 31 Jonathan Dowling S  7 Zac Dysert QB -- Manasseh Garner TE 87 Jacob Maxwell TE 62 Ronald Patrick C 56 Cedric Reed DE 68 Cyril Richardson OL -- Phillip Thomas CB Rookies in italics 53 Active, 19 Inactive, 9 Practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	August 14	Carolina Panthers	L 24–25	0–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
2	August 20	at Cleveland Browns	W 11–10	1–1	FirstEnergy Stadium	Recap
3	August 29	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 43–19	2–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
4	September 3	at Detroit Lions	L 10–17	2–2	Ford Field	Recap

Regular season

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Game site	NFL.com recap
1	September 13	Indianapolis Colts	W 27–14	1–0	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
2	September 20	New England Patriots	L 32–40	1–1	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
3	September 27	at Miami Dolphins	W 41–14	2–1	Sun Life Stadium	Recap
4	October 4	New York Giants	L 10–24	2–2	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
5	October 11	at Tennessee Titans	W 14–13	3–2	Nissan Stadium	Recap
6	October 18	Cincinnati Bengals	L 21–34	3–3	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
7	October 25	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 31–34	3–4	Wembley Stadium	Recap
8	Bye
9	November 8	Miami Dolphins	W 33–17	4–4	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
10	November 12	at New York Jets	W 22–17	5–4	MetLife Stadium	Recap
11	November 23	at New England Patriots	L 13–20	5–5	Gillette Stadium	Recap
12	November 29	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 22–30	5–6	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
13	December 6	Houston Texans	W 30–21	6–6	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
14	December 13	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 20–23	6–7	Lincoln Financial Field	Recap
15	December 20	at Washington Redskins	L 25–35	6–8	FedEx Field	Recap
16	December 27	Dallas Cowboys	W 16–6	7–8	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap
17	January 3	New York Jets	W 22–17	8–8	Ralph Wilson Stadium	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Week One: Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Colts	0	0	0	14	14
Bills	7	10	7	3	27

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: September 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 70,319
• Referee: John Parry
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: Percey Harvin 51 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7–0). Drive: 5 plays, 68 yards, 2:39 Second quarter BUF Dan Carpenter 41 yard field goal, (BUF 10–0). Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:22 BUF: Karlos Williams 26 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 17–0). Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 2:22 Third quarter BUF: Anthony Dixon 1 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 24–0). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:26 IND: Donte Moncrief 2 yard pass from Andrew Luck, Andrew Luck-Coby Fleener 2pt conversion good, (BUF 24–8). Drive: 18 plays, 65 yards, 8:40 Fourth quarter BUF Dan Carpenter 45 yard field goal, (BUF 27–8). Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 1:30 IND: Dwayne Allen 6 yard pass from Andrew Luck, 2pt conversion failed, (BUF 24–14). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:18 Top passers IND – Andrew Luck, 26/49, 243 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 14/19, 195 yards, 1 TD Top rushers IND – Frank Gore, 8 carries, 31 yards BUF – Karlos Williams, 6 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD Top receivers IND – T.Y. Hilton, 7 receptions, 88 yards BUF – Percy Harvin, 5 receptions, 79 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers IND – Henry Anderson, 8 tackles BUF – Nigel Bradham, 7 tackles, 1 sack

Week 2: vs. New England Patriots

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Patriots	14	10	13	3	40
Bills	7	6	0	19	32

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: September 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 70,858
• Referee: Ron Torbert
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: Karlos Williams 2 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7–0). Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 5:00 NE: Julian Edelman 8 yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (TIE 7–7). Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:30 NE: Dion Lewis 6 yard run, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (NE 14–7). Drive: 2 plays, 13 yards, 00:31 Second quarter NE: Rob Gronkowski 2 yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (NE 21–7). Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 1:36 BUF: Charles Clay 9 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP failed, (NE 21–13). Drive: 2 plays, 48 yards, 1:25 NE: Stephen Gostkowski 46 yard field goal, (NE 24–13). Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 2:55 Third quarter NE Stephen Gostkowski 21 yard field goal, (NE 27–13). Drive: 12 plays, 77 yards, 4:58 NE: Julian Edelman 22 yard pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good, (NE 34–13). Drive: 9 plays, 83 yards, 3:12 NE: Stephen Gostkowski 50 yard field goal, (NE 37–13). Drive: 6 plays, 23 yards, 00:59 Fourth quarter BUF: Robert Woods 32 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, 2pt conversion failed, (NE 37–19). Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 3:46 BUF: Tyrod Taylor 7 yard run, 2pt conversion failed, (NE 37–25). Drive: 7 plays, 59 yards, 2:43 BUF: Sammy Watkins 24 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (NE 37–32). Drive: 2 plays, 50 yards, 00:15 NE: Stephen Gostkowski 25 yard field goal, (NE 40–32). Drive: 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:01 Top passers NE – Tom Brady, 38/59, 466 yards, 3 TD BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 23/30, 242 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT Top rushers NE – Dion Lewis, 7 carries, 40 yards, 1 TD BUF – LeSean McCoy, 15 carries, 89 yards Top receivers NE – Rob Gronkowski, 7 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD BUF – Sammy Watkins, 6 receptions, 60 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers NE – Jamie Collins, 8 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble BUF – Preston Brown, 6 tackles, 1 forced fumble

Week 3: at Miami Dolphins

Week Three: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	14	13	0	14	41
Dolphins	0	0	0	14	14

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

• Date: September 27
• Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 87 °F (31 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 64,869
• Referee: Jerome Boger
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: Charles Clay 25 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7-0). Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:17 BUF: LeSean McCoy 10 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 14–0). Drive: 8 plays, 81 yards, 3:40 Second quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 26 yard field goal, (BUF 17–0). Drive: 9 plays, 57 yards, 5:00 BUF: Preston Brown 43 yard interception return, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 24-0). BUF: Dan Carpenter 51 yard field goal, (BUF 27–0). Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 00:42 Third quarter MIA: Rishard Matthews 21 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill, 2pt conversion good, (BUF 27-8). Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:14 Fourth quarter BUF: Chris Hogan 38 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 34–8). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:46 MIA: Rishard Matthews 46 yard pass from Ryan Tannehill, Andrew Franks XP failed, (BUF 34-14). Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 00:51 BUF: Karlos Williams 41 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 41–14). Drive: 2 plays, 44 yards, 1:10 Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 21/29, 277 yards, 3 TD MIA – Ryan Tannehill, 26/49, 297 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT Top rushers BUF – Karlos Williams, 12 carries, 110 yards, 1 TD MIA – Jonas Gray, 9 carries, 49 yards Top receivers BUF – Charles Clay, 5 receptions, 82 yards, 1 TD MIA – Rishard Matthews, 6 receptions, 113 yards, 2 TD Top tacklers BUF – Corey Graham, 10 tackles MIA – Reshad Jones, 8 tackles

Week 4: vs. New York Giants

Week Four: New York Giants at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	9	7	0	8	24
Bills	3	0	0	7	10

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: October 4
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 70,677
• Referee: John Hussey
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NYG: Josh Brown 47 yard field goal, (NYG 3–0). Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:11 BUF: Dan Carpenter 51 yard field goal, (TIE 3–3). Drive: 5 plays, 15 yards, 1:21 NYG: Dwayne Harris 21 yard pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown XP failed, (NYG 9–3). Drive: 2 plays, 32 yards, 00:37 Second quarter NYG: Rueben Randle 11 yard pass from Eli Manning, Josh Brown XP good, (NYG 16–3). Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:02 Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter BUF: Karlos Williams 23 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (NYG 16–10). Drive: 3 plays, 43 yards, 00:54 NYG: Rashard Jennings 51 yard pass from Eli Manning, Andre Williams run-2pt conversion good, (NYG 24–10). Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 1:59 Top passers NYG – Eli Manning, 20/35, 212 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 28/42, 274 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers NYG – Rashad Jennings, 9 carries, 38 yards BUF – Karlos Williams, 18 carrries, 40 yards Top receivers NYG – Rashard Jennings, 2 receptions, 54 yards, 1 TD BUF – Charles Clay, 9 receptions, 111 yards Top tacklers NYG – Kerry Wynn, 7 tackles BUF – Corey Graham, 8 tackles

Week 5: at Tennessee Titans

Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Tennessee Titans – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	0	0	14	14
Titans	0	3	7	3	13

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

• Date: October 11
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT/12:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: 67 °F (19 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 65,670
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein and Steve Tasker
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter No Scoring Second quarter TEN: Ryan Succop 21 yard field goal, (TEN 3–0). Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 7:39 Third quarter TEN: Antonio Andrews 1 yard run, Ryan Succop XP good, (TEN 10–0). Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 4:15 BUF: Tyrod Taylor 22 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (TEN 10–7). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:31 Fourth quarter TEN: Ryan Succop 41 yard field goal, (TEN 13–7). Drive: 13 plays, 72 yards, 6:44 BUF: Chris Hogan 2 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 14–13). Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:11 Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 10/17, 109 yards, 1 TD TEN – Marcus Mariota, 21/32, 1 INT Top rushers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 8 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD TEN – Marcus Mariota, 5 carries, 47 yards Top receivers BUF – Chris Hogan, 3 receptions, 1 TD TEN – Antonio Andrews, 3 receptions, 45 yards Top tacklers BUF – Corey Graham, 8 tackles TEN – Avery Williamson, 7 tackles, 1 sack

Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week Six: Cincinnati Bengals at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	7	10	14	3	34
Bills	7	7	0	7	21

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: October 18
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,593
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: EJ Manuel 2 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 7–0). Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 5:39 CIN: Jeremy Hills 13 yard pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent XP good, (TIE 7–7). Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 2:43 Second quarter CIN: Giovani Bernard 17 yard run, Mike Nugent XP good, (CIN 14–7). Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:11 CIN: Mike Nugent 47 yard field goal, (CIN 17–7). Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:34 BUF: Sammy Watkins 22 yard pass from EJ Manuel, Dan Carpenter XP good, (CIN 17–14). Drive: 14 plays, 86 yards, 6:55 Third quarter CIN: Marvin Jones 10 yard pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent XP good, (CIN 24–14). Drive: 8 plays, 90 yards, 4:05 CIN: Tyler Eifert 4 yard pass from Andy Dalton, Mike Nugent XP good, (CIN 31–14). Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 4:41 Fourth quarter CIN: Mike Nugent 39 yard field goal, (CIN 34–14). Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 5:07 BUF: LeSean McCoy 4 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (CIN 34–21). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 3:50 Top passers CIN – Andy Dalton, 22/33, 243 yards, 3 TD BUF – EJ Manuel, 28/42, 263 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers CIN – Jeremy Hill, 16 carries, 56 yards BUF – LeSean McCoy, 17 carries, 90 yards, 1 TD Top receivers CIN – Marvin Jones, 9 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD BUF – Charles Clay, 9 receptions, 62 yards Top tacklers CIN – Reggie Nelson, 8 tackles BUF – Preston Brown, 7 tackles

Week 7: at Jacksonville Jaguars

NFL International Series

Week Seven: Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	3	10	0	18	31
Jaguars	0	27	0	7	34

at Wembley Stadium, London, England

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/9:30 a.m. EDT
• Game weather: 48 °F (9 °C), sunny intervals
• Game attendance: 84,021
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (Yahoo! Screen, WIVB): Kevin Harlan, Rich Gannon and Jamie Erdahl
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 31 yard field goal, (BUF 3–0). Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:38 Second quarter JAX: Allen Robinson 13 yard pass from Blake Bortles, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 7–3). Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 3:08 JAX: Chris Clemons 6 yard fumble return, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 14-3). JAX: Telvin Smith 26 yard interception return, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 21-3). JAX: T.J. Yeldon 28 yard run, Jason Myers XP failed, (JAX 27–3). Drive: 3 plays, 36 yards, 1:30 BUF: Robert Woods 16 yard pass from EJ Manuel, Dan Carpenter XP good, (JAX 27–10). Drive: 12 plays, 85 yards, 5:39 BUF: Dan Carpenter 38 yard field goal, (JAX 27–13). Drive: 7 plays, 30 yards, 1:30 Third quarter No Scoring Fourth quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 26 yard field goal, (JAX 27–16). Drive: 14 plays, 91 yards, 5:40 BUF: Marcus Easley 58 yard pass from EJ Manuel, LeSean McCoy-run 2pt conversion good, (JAX 27–24). Drive: 2 plays, 52 yards, 00:42 BUF: Corey Graham 44 yard interception return, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 31-27). JAX: Allen Hurns 31 yard pass from Blake Bortles, Jason Myers XP good, (JAX 34–31). Drive: 7 plays, 84 yards, 3:05 Top passers BUF – EJ Manuel, 24/42, 298 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT JAX – Blake Bortles, 13/29, 182 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers BUF – LeSean McCoy, 18 carries, 68 yards JAX – T.J. Yeldon, 20 carries, 115 yards, 1 TD Top receivers BUF – Robert Woods, 9 receptions, 84 yards, 1 TD JAX – Allen Robinson, 6 receptions, 98 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers BUF – Corey Graham, 8 tackles, 1 INT JAX – Telvin Smith, 8 tackles, 1 INT

Week 9: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Nine: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Dolphins	0	7	7	3	17
Bills	9	10	7	7	33

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: November 8
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 49 °F (9 °C), sunny with some clouds
• Game attendance: 70,214
• Referee: Carl Cheffers
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter BUF: Ryan Tannehill fumble out of bounds in end zone for safety, (BUF 2-0). BUF: LeSean McCoy 48 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 9–0). Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:58 Second quarter MIA: Lamar Miller 1 yard run, Andrew Franks XP good, (BUF 9–7). Drive: 9 plays, 85 yards, 4:25 BUF: Dan Carpenter 43 yard field goal, (BUF 12–7). Drive: 8 plays, 47 yards, 4:20 BUF: Karlos Williams 11 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 19–7). Drive: 4 plays, 84 yards, 2:07 Third quarter MIA: Lamar Miller 1 yard run, Andrew Franks XP good, (BUF 19–14). Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:55 BUF: Sammy Watkins 44 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 26–14). Drive: 3 plays, 40 yards, 2:12 Fourth quarter BUF: Karlos Williams 38 yard run, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 33–14). Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 6:16 MIA: Andrew Franks 48 yard field goal, (BUF 33–17). Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:42 Top passers MIA – Ryan Tannehill, 27/36, 309 yards BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 11/12, 181 yards, 1 TD Top rushers MIA – Lamar Miller, 12 carries, 44 yards, 2 TD BUF – LeSean McCoy, 16 carries, 112 yards, 1 TD Top receivers MIA – Lamar Miller, 7 receptions, 97 yards BUF – Sammy Watkins, 8 receptions, 168 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers MIA – Brent Grimes, 7 tackles BUF – Ronald Darby, 10 tackles

Week 10: at New York Jets

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	12	10	0	22
Jets	3	0	7	7	17

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

• Date: November 12
• Game time: 8:25 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 78,160
• Referee: Brad Allen
• TV announcers (NFLN): Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NYJ: Randy Bullock 29 yard field goal, (NYJ 3–0). Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 4:57 Second quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 47 yard field goal, (TIE 3–3). Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:28 BUF: Duke Williams 19 yard fumble return, Dan Carpenter XP failed, (BUF 9-3). BUF: Dan Carpenter 41 yard field goal, (BUF 12–3). Drive: 12 plays, 57 yards, 4:47 Third quarter BUF: Karlos Williams 26 yard pass from Tyrod Taylor, Dan Carpenter XP good, (BUF 19–3). Drive: 7 plays, 80 yards, 3:45 BUF: Dan Carpenter 29 yard field goal, (BUF 22–3). Drive: 5 plays, 12 yards, 2:24 NYJ: Brandon Marshall 14 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Randy Bullock XP good, (BUF 22–10). Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 4:03 Fourth quarter NYJ: Eric Decker 31 yard pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick, Randy Bullock XP good, (BUF 22–17). Drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 2:51 Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 17/27, 158 yards, 1 TD NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick, 15/34, 193 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers BUF – LeSean McCoy, 19 carries, 112 yards NYJ – Chris Ivory, 18 carries, 99 yards Top receivers BUF – Charles Clay, 5 receptions, 52 yards NYJ – Eric Decker, 6 receptions, 85 yards, 1 TD Top tacklers BUF – Nigel Bradham, 4 tackles – Bacarri Rambo, 2 tackles, 1 INT, 1 FF NYJ – Demario Davis, 6 tackels, 1 sack

Rex Ryan made his return to MetLife Stadium for the first time since leaving the Jets after the 2014 season. The Bills wore their red Nike "color rush" uniforms. Just 0:18 left in fourth quarter, Jets quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick attempted a comeback, but a game-saving interception by the Bills sealed the 22-17 victory over the Jets. With the win, the Bills improved to 5-4.

Week 11: at New England Patriots

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	3	7	3	13
Patriots	3	7	10	0	20

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 29 °F (−2 °C), clear and cold
• Game attendance: 66,829
• Referee: Gene Steratore
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mike Tirico, Jon Gruden and Lisa Salters
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter NE: Stephen Gostkowski 35 Yd Field Goal, (NE 3-0). Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 5:56 Second quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 52 Yd Field Goal, (3-3). Drive: 11 plays, 51 yards, 5:36 NE: James White 20 Yd pass from Tom Brady, Stephen Gostkowski XP good (NE 10-3). Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 0:33 Third quarter BUF: LeSean McCoy 27 Yd Run, Dan Carpenter XP good (10-10). Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:06 NE: James White 6 Yd Run, Stephen Gostkowski XP good (NE 17-10). Drive: 6 plays, 64 yards, 2:04 NE: Stephen Gostkowski 35 Yd Field Goal, (NE 20-10) Drive: 6 plays, 14 yards, 1:50 Fourth quarter BUF: Dan Carpenter 33 Yd Field Goal, (NE 20-13). Drive: 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:05 Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 20-36, 233 yards NE – Tom Brady, 20-39, 277 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception Top rushers BUF – LeSean McCoy, 20 attempts, 82 yards, 1 touchdown NE – LeGarrette Blount, 16 attempts, 56 yards Top receivers BUF – Chris Hogan, 6 receptions, 95 yards NE – Danny Amendola, 9 receptions, 117 yards Top tacklers BUF – Preston Brown, 5 solo, 4 assist NE – Logan Ryan, 7 solo, 2 assist

Week 12: at Kansas City Chiefs

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	10	6	6	0	22
Chiefs	0	14	10	6	30

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

• Date: November 29
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
• Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy and rainy
• Game attendance: 72,493
• Referee: Terry McAulay
• TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 21-38, 291 yards, 3 touchdowns KC – Alex Smith, 19-30, 255 yards, 2 touchdowns Top rushers BUF – LeSean McCoy, 19 attempts, 70 yards KC – Spencer Ware, 19 attempts, 114 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers BUF – Sammy Watkins, 6 receptions, 158 yards, 2 touchdowns KC – Jeremy Maclin, 9 receptions, 160 yards, 1 touchdown Top tacklers BUF – Marcell Dareus, 6 solo KC – Josh Mauga, 9 solo, 1 TFL

Week 13: vs. Houston Texans

Week Thirteen: Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Texans	6	7	0	8	21
Bills	7	14	0	9	30

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: December 6
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,544
• Referee: Tony Corrente
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers HOU – Brian Hoyer, 26-43, 293 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 11-21, 211 yards, 3 touchdowns Top rushers HOU – Chris Polk, 12 attempts, 61 yards BUF – LeSean McCoy, 21 attempts, 112 yards Top receivers HOU – Cecil Shorts III, 6 receptions, 91 yards BUF – Sammy Watkins, 3 receptions, 109 yards, 1 touchdown Top tacklers HOU – Kareem Jackson, 5 solo, 1 assist BUF – Preston Brown, 5 solo, 4 assist

Week 14: at Philadelphia Eagles

Week Fourteen: Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	7	3	10	0	20
Eagles	7	10	3	3	23

at Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

• Date: December 13
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), partly cloudy
• Game attendance: 69,596
• Referee: Ed Hochuli
• TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter Second quarter Third quarter Fourth quarter Top passers BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 19-36, 268 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception PHI – Sam Bradford, 23-38, 247 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception Top rushers BUF – LeSean McCoy, 20 attempts, 74 yards PHI – Darren Sproles, 7 attempts, 41 yards, 1 touchdowns Top receivers BUF – Robert Woods, 5 receptions, 106 yards PHI – Zach Ertz, 5 receptions, 98 yards Top tacklers BUF – Corey Graham, 8 solo, 1 assist PHI – Fletcher Cox, 7 solo, 1 assist, 1 sack, 2 TFL

LeSean McCoy made his return to Philadelphia for the first time since the Eagles traded him in the offseason. McCoy was seen kissing the Eagles logo, but did not stick around to interact with his former teammates or coach Chip Kelly.

Week 15: at Washington Redskins

Week Fifteen: Buffalo Bills at Washington Redskins – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bills	0	0	0	25	25
Redskins	7	14	7	7	35

at FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland

• Date: December 20
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 80,124
• Referee: Clete Blakeman
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

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

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 6-8 and was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the 16th season in a row. ^[2]

Week 16: vs. Dallas Cowboys

Week Sixteen: Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Cowboys	3	3	0	0	6
Bills	6	0	3	7	16

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: December 27
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), rain showers
• Game attendance: 70,172
• Referee: Jeff Triplette
• TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston and Laura Okmin
• Recap, Gamebook

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

Week 17: vs. New York Jets

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

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jets	0	7	10	0	17
Bills	7	9	3	3	22

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

• Date: January 3, 2016
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 68,670
• Referee: Walt Anderson
• TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts and Evan Washburn
• Recap, Gamebook

Game information

First quarter (5:55) Tyrod Taylor 18 yd. TD run (Dan Carpenter kick is good) Bills 7-0 Second quarter (13:02) Karlos Williams 2 yd. TD run (kick failed, wide left) Bills 13-0 (9:42) Brandon Marshall 17 yd. TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Randy Bullock kick is good) Bills 13-7 (:27) Dan Carpenter 20 yd. FG Bills 16-7 Third quarter (13:24) Randy Bullock 39 yd. FG Bills 16-10 (5:05) Dan Carpenter 37 yd. FG Bills 19-10 (1:15) Eric Decker 21 yd. TD pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick (Randy Bullock kick is good) Bills 19-17 Fourth quarter (3:53) Dan Carpenter 42 yd. FG Bills 22-17 Top passers NYJ – Ryan Fitzpatrick, 16-37 181 yards, 2 touchdowns, 3 interceptions BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 18-28, 182 yards Top rushers NYJ – Chris Ivory, 6 attempts, 81 yards BUF – Tyrod Taylor, 10 attempts, 51 yards, 1 touchdown Top receivers NYJ – Brandon Marshall 8 receptions, 126 yards, 1 touchdown BUF – Sammy Watkins, 11 receptions, 136 yards Top tacklers NYJ – David Harris, 10 total, 4 assists,2 sacks, 2 TFL BUF – Corey Graham, 6 solo, 1 TFL

Prior to the game the team called for paid volunteers to help shovel snow out of Ralph Wilson Stadium.^[3] Former Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick made his first return to Buffalo since being cut after the 2012 season, hoping to clinch a playoff spot for his new team with a win. Despite the Jets setting various team records, the Bills ultimately pulled out a win, finishing the 2015 campaign at 8-8 and keeping the Jets out of the playoffs for a fifth straight year.

Standings

Division

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(2) New England Patriots	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	465	315	L2
New York Jets	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	387	314	L1
Buffalo Bills	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	379	359	W2
Miami Dolphins	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	310	389	W1

AFC
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division Leaders
1[lower-alpha 1]	Denver Broncos	West	12	4	0	.750	4–2	8–4	.500	.479	W2
2[lower-alpha 1]	New England Patriots	East	12	4	0	.750	4–2	9–3	.473	.448	L2
3[lower-alpha 1]	Cincinnati Bengals	North	12	4	0	.750	5–1	9–3	.477	.406	W1
4	Houston Texans	South	9	7	0	.563	5–1	7–5	.496	.410	W3
Wild Cards
5	Kansas City Chiefs	West	11	5	0	.688	5–1	10–2	.496	.432	W10
6[lower-alpha 2]	Pittsburgh Steelers	North	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.504	.463	W1
Did not qualify for the playoffs
7[lower-alpha 2]	New York Jets	East	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	.441	.388	L1
8[lower-alpha 3]	Buffalo Bills	East	8	8	0	.500	4–2	7–5	.508	.438	W2
9[lower-alpha 3]	Indianapolis Colts	South	8	8	0	.500	4–2	6–6	.500	.406	W2
10	Oakland Raiders	West	7	9	0	.438	3–3	7–5	.512	.366	L1
11	Miami Dolphins	East	6	10	0	.375	1–5	4–8	.469	.469	W2
12[lower-alpha 3]	Jacksonville Jaguars	South	5	11	0	.313	2–4	5–7	.473	.375	L3
13[lower-alpha 3]	Baltimore Ravens	North	5	11	0	.313	3–3	4–8	.508	.425	L1
14	San Diego Chargers	West	4	12	0	.250	0–6	3–9	.527	.328	L2
15[lower-alpha 3]	Cleveland Browns	North	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	.531	.271	L3
16[lower-alpha 3]	Tennessee Titans	South	3	13	0	.188	1–5	1–11	.492	.375	L4
Tiebreakers[lower-alpha 4]
Denver finished ahead of New England and Cincinnati for the No. 1 seed based on head-to-head sweep. New England finished ahead of Cincinnati for the No. 2 seed based on record vs. common opponents — New England's cumulative record against Buffalo, Denver, Houston and Pittsburgh was 4–1, while Cincinnati's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3. Pittsburgh finished ahead of the New York Jets for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents — Pittsburgh's cumulative record against Cleveland, Indianapolis, New England and Oakland was 4–1, while the Jets' cumulative record against the same four teams was 3–2. The tiebreaker was based on head-to-head victory. 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.

References

1. http://espn.go.com/blog/buffalo-bills/post/_/id/21143/bills-now-have-longest-current-playoff-drought-among-major-sports
2. "Bills vs. Redskins - Game Recap - December 20, 2015 - ESPN".
3. http://www.wgrz.com/story/news/2016/01/18/stadium-shovelers-paid-week/78971332/

External links

• Official website