24th season in franchise history
The 1983 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 14th season in the National Football League, and the 24th overall. It was the first of three seasons for head coach Kay Stephenson. Bills running back Joe Cribbs was both the Bills' leading rusher (1131 yards), and the team's leader in receptions and receiving yards (57 catches for 524 yards).[note 1] The team looked to improve on its 4–5 record from 1982. With the NFL schedule back to 16 games, the Bills were a more competitive team during 1983. The team started 5–2 through its first 7 games. However, they would struggle the rest of the way, as they went 3–6 in its final 9 games en route to a mediocre 8–8 season. This season also saw the Bills beat the Dolphins in Miami for the first time since 1966, Miami's inaugural season. After beating the Chiefs, 14–9, in Arrowhead Stadium on December 4, the Bills would lose 22 road games in a row, which included going 0–8 on the road in each of the following two seasons.
Offseason
NFL draft
The Bills drafted future Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, the third of a record six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 1983 draft. Kelly received opposing offers from the United States Football League[1] and from the Canadian Football League’s Montreal Concordes.[2] Kelly would ultimately sign with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers for the following three seasons[3] before making his first start with the Bills in Week One of the 1986 season. The Bills later retired Kelly's #12, at the time the only number the franchise retired. Linebacker Darryl Talley played for twelve years with the Bills. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, in 1990 and 1991. He was inducted into the Bills Wall of Fame.
[4]
Personnel
Staff
1983 Buffalo Bills staff | Front office Head coaches - Head Coach – Kay Stephenson
Offensive coaches - Running Backs – Andy MacDonald
- Receivers – Milt Jackson
- Tight Ends – Al Sandahl
- Offensive Line – Jim Niblack
- Offensive Assistant – Perry Moss
| | | Defensive coaches - Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Bob Zeman
- Defensive Line – Don Lawrence
- Defensive Backfield – Jerry Glanville
- Defensive Assistant – Miller McCalmon
Special teams coaches - Special Teams – Miller McCalmon
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Roster
1983 Buffalo Bills roster |
| Quarterbacks Running backs Wide receivers Tight ends | | Offensive linemen Defensive linemen | | Linebackers Defensive backs Special teams | | Reserve lists - 87 Robert Holt WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
- 88 Mike Mosley WR (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
- -- Roger Taylor T (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
- 39 Matt Vandenboom DB (IRTooltip Injured reserve)
Practice squad
Rookies in italics |
Schedule
Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Attendance | Notes |
1 | September 4, 1983 | Miami Dolphins | L 12–0 | 0–1 | 78,715 | Uwe von Schamann accounted for all points scored |
2 | September 11, 1983 | at Cincinnati Bengals | W 10–6 | 1–1 | 46,839 | Joe Ferguson threw a 14-yard touchdown |
3 | September 18, 1983 | Baltimore Colts | W 28–23 | 2–1 | 40,937 | Game lead changed seven times in final three quarters |
4 | September 25, 1983 | Houston Oilers | W 30–13 | 3–1 | 60,070 | Ferguson threw for only 127 yards |
5 | October 3, 1983 | New York Jets | L 34–10 | 3–2 | 79,933 | Buffalo's only Monday Night Football appearance of the year |
6 | October 9, 1983 | at Miami Dolphins | W 38–35 | 4–2 | 59,948 | Ferguson threw five touchdowns and 419 yards; first road win over Miami since 1966 |
7 | October 16, 1983 | at Baltimore Colts | W 30–7 | 5–2 | 38,565 | Last trip to Baltimore until formation of Ravens |
8 | October 23, 1983 | New England Patriots | L 31–0 | 5–3 | 60,424 | Ferguson intercepted three times by Roland James |
9 | October 30, 1983 | New Orleans Saints | W 27–21 | 6–3 | 49,413 | Ferguson threw four touchdowns |
10 | November 6, 1983 | at New England Patriots | L 21–7 | 6–4 | 42,604 | Ferguson intercepted four times |
11 | November 13, 1983 | at New York Jets | W 24–17 | 7–4 | 48,513 | Bills outscored Jets 24–3 in second half; Bills last visit ever to Shea Stadium and Queens, NY |
12 | November 20, 1983 | Los Angeles Raiders | L 27–24 | 7–5 | 72,393 | Bills lost despite erasing 21-point Raiders lead in the fourth |
13 | November 27, 1983 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 41–17 | 7–6 | 48,246 | Eric Dickerson rushed for 125 yards |
14 | December 4, 1983 | at Kansas City Chiefs | W 14–9 | 8–6 | 27,104 | Joe Cribbs' 185 rushing yards constituted almost all of Buffalo's offense |
15 | December 11, 1983 | San Francisco 49ers | L 23–10 | 8–7 | 38,039 | Ferguson intercepted three times |
16 | December 18, 1983 | at Atlanta Falcons | L 31–14 | 8–8 | 31,015 | Matt Kofler threw for 125 yards |
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text |
Season summary
Week 1
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Dolphins | 0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 12 | Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - Date: September 4
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 78,715
- Game weather: 72 °F (22.2 °C) • 12 miles per hour (19 km/h; 10 kn)
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Bob Griese
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Week 2
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Bills | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | Bengals | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 6 | |
Week 3
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Colts | 6 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 23 | • Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 | - Date: September 18
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Referee: Pat Haggerty
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Week 4
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Oilers | 3 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 13 | • Bills | 7 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 30 | |
Week 5
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Jets | 0 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 34 | Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 10 | - Date: October 5
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Referee: Jerry Markbreit
- TV announcers (ABC): Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, OJ Simpson
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Week 6
Dan Marino first start in NFL | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | • Bills | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 3 | 38 | Dolphins | 0 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 35 | - Date: October 9
- Location: Orange Bowl
- Game start: 1:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 59,948
- Game weather: 79 °F (26.1 °C) • 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Referee: Fred Silva
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Bob Griese
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Week 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Bills | 7 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 30 | Colts | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | - Date: October 16
- Location: Memorial Stadium
- Referee: Bob Frederic
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Week 8
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Patriots | 0 | 7 | 0 | 24 | 31 | Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - Date: October 23
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Referee: Tom Dooley
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Week 9
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Saints | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 | • Bills | 7 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 27 | - Date: October 30
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Game attendance: 49,413
- Referee: Jim Tunney
- Television network: CBS
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | 4:06 | BUF | Butler 15 yard pass from Ferguson (Danelo kick) | BUF 7–0 | | Q2 | 13:14 | BUF | Hunter 40 yard pass from Ferguson (Danelo kick) | BUF 14–0 | | Q2 | 5:59 | BUF | Mosley 22 yard pass from Ferguson (kick failed) | BUF 20–0 | | Q2 | 1:57 | NO | Tice 12 yard pass from Wilson (Andersen kick) | BUF 20–7 | | Q3 | 0:19 | BUF | Mosley 8 yard pass from Ferguson (Danelo kick) | BUF 27–7 | | Q4 | 7:33 | NO | Brenner 3 yard pass from Wilson (Andersen kick) | BUF 27–14 | | Q4 | 3:34 | NO | Young 5 yard pass from Wilson (Andersen kick) | BUF 27–21 | |
The Bills knocked Ken Stabler out of the game at the end of the first quarter with a rib injury. [5]
Week 10
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Bills | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | • Patriots | 0 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 21 | |
Week 11
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Bills | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 24 | Jets | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 | - Date: November 13
- Location: Shea Stadium
- Game attendance: 48,513
- Game weather: 37 °F (2.8 °C) • 19 miles per hour (31 km/h; 17 kn)
- Referee: Gene Barth
- TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones
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Week 12
Los Angeles Raiders (8-3) at Buffalo Bills (7-4) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Raiders | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 27 | Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 21 | 24 | |
Week 13
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 17 | • Rams | 0 | 14 | 10 | 17 | 41 | |
Week 14
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | |
Week 15
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • 49ers | 3 | 3 | 14 | 3 | 23 | Bills | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | - Date: December 11
- Location: Rich Stadium Orchard Park, NY
- Game start: 1:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 38,039
- Game weather: 27 °F (−2.8 °C) • 17–26 miles per hour (27–42 km/h; 15–23 kn) Cloudy
- Referee: Bob Frederic
- TV announcers (CBS): Dick Stockton, Wayne Walker
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Week 16
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | Bills | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | • Falcons | 3 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 31 | |
Standings
Awards and honors
All-Pros
Notes
References
- ^ Northrop, Milt (April 30, 1983). "Bills To Battle With USFL — Blitz Make Pitch for Kelly". The Buffalo News. p. C-1.
- ^ Beacon, Bill (May 4, 1983). "Concordes Make Pitch for Kelly". The Ottawa Citizen. p. 49.
- ^ Felser, Larry; Northrop, Milt (June 9, 1983). "Bills To Lose Jim Kelly to the USFL". The Buffalo News. p. C-1.
- ^ "1983 Buffalo Bills draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. 1983 Oct 31.
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