1985 Buffalo Bills season

The 1985 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League, and the 26th overall. It was Buffalo's second-consecutive 2–14 season. Head coach Kay Stephenson was fired after an 0–4 start. Defensive coordinator Hank Bullough took over, going 2–10 for the remainder of the season. For the second consecutive season, the Bills went winless on the road.

1985 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerRalph Wilson
General managerTerry Bledsoe
Head coachKay Stephenson (weeks 1-4)
Hank Bullough (weeks 5-16)
Home fieldRich Stadium
Results
Record2–14
Division place5th AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlersnone

Season summary

The Bills' offense was anemic; its 200 points scored is the lowest total in the 1980s,[note 1] and the lowest total in team history for a sixteen-game schedule. Having concluded that longtime starting quarterback Joe Ferguson's career was over after a spike in interceptions in the early 1980s, the Bills cut him in the offseason. (The assumption would be in error, as Ferguson would sign with the Detroit Lions and play an additional six seasons in the NFL after being released.) Ferguson's replacements, quarterbacks Vince Ferragamo and Bruce Mathison, only produced 9 passing touchdowns all season,[1] while combining for a league-high 31 interceptions.[2] Buffalo scored fewer than ten points in seven of its sixteen games. The team’s point-differential of negative-181 is the third-worst in franchise history.

Offseason

NFL draft
Main article: 1985 NFL draft

In 1985, the Bills used the first overall pick in the draft to select All-American defensive end Bruce Smith. Smith would end up going on to dominate throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. Smith was an 11-time All-Pro selection, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and logged an NFL-record 200 sacks[note 2] by the end of his career.

Fourth-round pick Andre Reed, a wide receiver out of Kutztown (PA) State, would go on to be the leading receiver in Buffalo Bills history. When he retired after the 2000 season, Reed's 951 career receptions were third in NFL history behind Jerry Rice and Cris Carter.[3]

Maryland quarterback Frank Reich would become famous for quarterbacking “The Comeback”, a 1993 playoff game in which Buffalo, down 35–3 in the third quarter, would score 35 unanswered points to win 41–38 in overtime. It is the largest deficit overcome to win a game in NFL history.[note 3]

Reed played more games with the Bills, 221, than any other player. Smith was second with 217 games.[4]

1985 Buffalo Bills draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 1 Bruce Smith * †  Defensive end Virginia Tech
1 14 Derrick Burroughs  Defensive back Memphis
2 29 Mark Traynowicz  Guard Nebraska
2 42 Chris Burkett  Wide receiver Jackson State
3 57 Frank Reich  Quarterback Maryland
3 63 Hal Garner  Linebacker Utah State
4 86 Andre Reed * †  Wide receiver Kutztown State
4 112 Dale Hellestrae  Offensive tackle Southern Methodist
5 130 Jimmy Teal  Wide receiver Texas A&M
6 141 Mike Hamby  Defensive end Utah State
7 169 Ron Pitts  Defensive back UCLA
8 197 Jacque Robinson  Fullback Washington
9 225 Glenn Jones  Defensive back Norfolk State
10 253 Chris Babyar  Guard Illinois
11 282 James Seawright  Linebacker South Carolina
12 333 Paul Woodside  Placekicker West Virginia
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[5]

Personnel

Staff
1985 Buffalo Bills staff
Front office
  • President – Ralph Wilson
  • Senior Executive Vice President – Pat McGroder
  • Vice President of Administration/General Manager – Terry Bledsoe
  • Vice President of Football Operations – Kay Stephenson
  • Vice President of Player Personnel – Norm Pollom
  • Director of Pro Personnel – Bill Polian
  • Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Bob Ferguson

Head coaches

  • Head Coach – Kay Stephenson
  • Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator – Hank Bullough

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Strength and conditioning

[6]

Roster
1985 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists
  • 75 Mike Hamby DE (IRTooltip Injured reserve)


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule
Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 8 San Diego Chargers L 9–14 0–1 Rich Stadium 67,597
2 September 15 at New York Jets L 3–42 0–2 Giants Stadium 63,449
3 September 22 New England Patriots L 14–17 0–3 Rich Stadium 40,334
4 September 29 Minnesota Vikings L 20–27 0–4 Rich Stadium 45,667
5 October 6 at Indianapolis Colts L 17–49 0–5 Hoosier Dome 60,003
6 October 13 at New England Patriots L 3–14 0–6 Sullivan Stadium 40,462
7 October 20 Indianapolis Colts W 21–9 1–6 Rich Stadium 28,430
8 October 27 at Philadelphia Eagles L 17–21 1–7 Veterans Stadium 60,987
9 November 3 Cincinnati Bengals L 17–23 1–8 Rich Stadium 25,640
10 November 10 Houston Oilers W 20–0 2–8 Rich Stadium 21,881
11 November 17 at Cleveland Browns L 7–17 2–9 Cleveland Municipal Stadium 54,478
12 November 24 Miami Dolphins L 14–23 2–10 Rich Stadium 50,474
13 December 1 at San Diego Chargers L 7–40 2–11 Jack Murphy Stadium 45,487
14 December 8 New York Jets L 7–27 2–12 Rich Stadium 23,122
15 December 15 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 24–30 2–13 Three Rivers Stadium 35,953
16 December 22 at Miami Dolphins L 0–28 2–14 Miami Orange Bowl 64,811

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1
1 234Total
• Chargers 7 700 14
Bills 3 600 9

[7]

Week 3
1 234Total
• Patriots 3 770 17
Bills 0 707 14
Scoring summary
1NETony Franklin 32-yard field goalPatriots 3–0
2BUFGreg Bell 16-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Scott Norwood kick)Bills 7–3
2NETony Collins 5-yard pass from Craig James (Tony Franklin kick)Patriots 10–7
3NEIrving Fryar 85-yard punt return (Tony Franklin kick)Patriots 17–7
4BUFAndre Reed 18-yard pass from Vince Ferragamo (Scott Norwood kick)Patriots 17–14

[8]

Week 6
1 234Total
Bills 0 300 3
• Patriots 0 077 14
Scoring summary
2BUFScott Norwood 47-yard field goalBills 3–0
3NEIrving Fryar 16-yard pass from Steve Grogan (Tony Franklin kick)Patriots 7–3
4NERaymond Clayborn 27-yard interception return (Tony Franklin kick)Patriots 14–3

[9]

Week 7
1 234Total
Colts 3 330 9
• Bills 7 707 21
  • Date: October 20
  • Location: Rich Stadium
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 28,430
  • Game weather: 47 °F (8.3 °C); wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
  • Referee: Fred Wyant
Scoring summary
Q1BUFBell 7 yard run (Norwood kick)BUF 7–0
Q1INDAllegre 41 yard field goalBUF 7–3
Q2INDAllegre 27 yard field goalBUF 7–6
Q2BUFBell 1 yard run (Norwood kick)BUF 14–6
Q3INDAllegre 38 yard field goalBUF 14–9
Q4BUFMetzelaars 3 yard pass from Ferragamo (Norwood kick)BUF 21–9

[10]

Week 8
1 234Total
Bills 7 370 17
• Eagles 0 0021 21
  • Date: October 27
  • Location: Veterans Stadium
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game attendance: 60.987
  • Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C); wind 17 miles per hour (27 km/h; 15 kn)
  • Referee: Ben Dreith
  • TV announcers (NBC): Tom Hammond
Scoring summary
Q1BUFReed 14 yard run (Norwood kick)BUF 7–0
Q2BUFNorwood 26 yard field goalBUF 10–0
Q3BUFReed 7 yard pass from Ferragamo (Norwood kick)BUF 17-0
Q4PHIJaworski 3 yard run (McFadden kick)BUF 17–7
Q4PHIHopkins 24 yard interception return (McFadden kick)BUF 17–14
Q4PHIQuick 32 yard pass from Jaworski (McFadden kick)PHI 21–17

[11]

Week 10
1 234Total
Oilers 0 000 0
• Bills 10 0100 20
  • Date: November 10
  • Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 45 °F (7.2 °C), wind 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn)
  • Referee: Bob Frederic
Scoring summary
1BUFScott Norwood 24 yard field goalBills 3–0
1BUFGreg Bell 2 yard run (Scott Norwood kick)Bills 10–0
3BUFScott Norwood 23 yard field goalBills 13–0
3BUFBruce Mathison 5 yard run (Scott Norwood kick)Bills 20–0

[12]

Week 16
1 234Total
Bills 0 000 0
• Dolphins 7 7014 28

[13]

Standings
AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Miami Dolphins(2) 12 4 0 .750 6–2 9–3 428 320 W7
New York Jets(4) 11 5 0 .688 6–2 9–3 393 264 W1
New England Patriots(5) 11 5 0 .688 6–2 8–4 362 290 W1
Indianapolis Colts 5 11 0 .313 1–7 2–10 320 386 W2
Buffalo Bills 2 14 0 .125 1–7 2–12 200 381 L6

Notes
  1. This excludes the strike-shortened, nine-regular-season-game 1982 season
  2. As of 2020
  3. As of 2017

References
  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1985 Buffalo Bills
  2. Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1985 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics
  3. Pro-Football-Reference.com: For combined seasons, from 1920 to 2000, sorted by descending Receptions
  4. Pro-Football-Reference.com: For combined seasons, from 1960 to 2011, playing for the Buffalo Bills, sorted by descending Games
  5. "1985 Buffalo Bills draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2014.
  6. 1985 Buffalo Bills Media Guide. pp. 3–21.
  7. . Retrieved 2021-Jun-05.
  8. Pro-Football-Reference.com
  9. Pro-Football-Reference.com
  10. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2015-Apr-22.
  11. . Retrieved 2015-Apr-22.
  12. Pro-Football-Reference.com
  13. . Retrieved 2021-Jun-04.
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