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1972 Buffalo Bills

Franchise Index: Previous Season / Next Season

Record: 4-9-1, Finished 4th in AFC East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 257 points (18.4/g), 19th of 26 in the NFL.
 Allowed 377 points (26.9/g), 24th.
 Differential of -120 points (-8.6/g), 22nd.
 Expected W-L: 4.0-10.0.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -8 (-0.6/g), 19th.

Simple Rating System: Total -7.2, Offense: -1.6, Defense: -5.6, SoS: 1.4, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Lou Saban

Training Camp: Niagara University (Niagara Falls, New York)

Team Stats and Rankings

Tot Yds & TO Passing Rushing
Pts Yds Ply Y/P TO FL 1stPy 1stD Cmp Att Yds TD Int NY/A 1stD Att Yds TD Y/A 1stD
Team Offense 257 3733 877 4.3 39 15 19 221 164 316 1601 16 24 4.4 98 512 2132 11 4.2 104
Team Defense 377 4192 862 4.9 31 8 29 249 131 308 1951 19 23 5.9 95 532 2241 26 4.2 125
Lg Rank Offense 19 18 24 14 20 20 24 12 23 25 7 6 18 11
Lg Rank Defense 24 17 15 25 19 2 7 20 7 16 22 22 25 17

Team Games & Schedule

Score Offense Defense
Week Day Date OT Rec Opp Tm Opp 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO 1stD TotYd PassY RushY TO
1 Sun September 17 boxscore L 0-1 New York Jets 24 41 16 287 207 80 4 19 293 102 191 1
2 Sun September 24 boxscore W 1-1 San Francisco 49ers 27 20 17 233 56 177 1 10 202 169 33 4
3 Sun October 1 boxscore L 1-2 Baltimore Colts 0 17 11 229 111 118 5 17 339 180 159 4
4 Sun October 8 boxscore W 2-2 New England Patriots 38 14 19 305 160 145 2 23 354 244 110 4
5 Sun October 15 boxscore L 2-3 @ Oakland Raiders 16 28 16 295 114 181 1 22 396 181 215 2
6 Sun October 22 boxscore L 2-4 @ Miami Dolphins 23 24 11 188 24 164 1 20 310 80 230 4
7 Sun October 29 boxscore L 2-5 Pittsburgh Steelers 21 38 24 418 164 254 4 18 309 93 216 1
8 Sun November 5 boxscore L 2-6 Miami Dolphins 16 30 12 172 99 73 2 21 327 73 254 1
9 Sun November 12 boxscore L 2-7 @ New York Jets 3 41 11 210 67 143 4 17 289 141 148 1
10 Sun November 19 boxscore W 3-7 @ New England Patriots 27 24 19 295 116 179 4 15 298 183 115 4
11 Sun November 26 boxscore L 3-8 @ Cleveland Browns 10 27 12 175 28 147 2 16 253 121 132 2
12 Sun December 3 boxscore L 3-9 @ Baltimore Colts 7 35 13 244 144 100 4 22 391 202 189
13 Sun December 10 boxscore T 3-9-1 Detroit Lions 21 21 23 418 231 187 3 14 260 144 116
14 Sun December 17 boxscore W 4-9-1 @ Washington Redskins 24 17 17 264 80 184 2 15 171 38 133 3

Passing

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS QBrec Cmp Att Cmp% Yds TD TD% Int Int% Lng Y/A AY/A Y/C Y/G Rate QBR Sk Yds NY/A ANY/A Sk% 4QC GWD
16 Dennis Shaw 25 QB 14 13 4-8-1 136 258 52.7 1666 14 5.4 17 6.6 58 6.5 4.6 12.3 119.0 63.5 38 320 4.55 2.91 12.8 3 3
17 Mike Taliaferro 31 5 0 16 33 48.5 176 1 3.0 4 12.1 24 5.3 0.5 11.0 35.2 35.2 6 48 3.28 -0.82 15.4
10 Leo Hart 23 qb 2 1 0-1-0 6 15 40.0 53 0 0.0 3 20.0 13 3.5 -5.5 8.8 26.5 10.6 4 32 1.11 -6.00 21.1
32 O.J. Simpson*+ 25 RB 14 0 5 8 62.5 113 1 12.5 0 0.0 34 14.1 16.6 22.6 8.1 145.8 1 11 11.33 13.56 11.1
11 Spike Jones 25 P 14 0 1 2 50.0 4 0 0.0 0 0.0 4 2.0 2.0 4.0 0.3 56.2 0 0 2.00 2.00 0.0
Team Total 25.0 14 4-9-1 164 316 51.9 2012 16 5.1 24 7.6 58 6.4 4.0 12.3 143.7 57.1 49 411 4.39 2.30 13.4 3 3
Opp Total 14 131 308 42.5 2148 19 6.2 23 7.5 7.0 4.85 16.4 153.4 56.0 22 197 5.9 3.9 6.7

Rushing & Receiving

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
Rushing Receiving
No. Age Pos G GS Att Yds TD Lng Y/A Y/G A/G Rec Yds Y/R TD Lng R/G Y/G YScm RRTD Fmb
32 O.J. Simpson*+ 25 RB 14 0 292 1251 6 94 4.3 89.4 20.9 27 198 7.3 0 25 1.9 14.1 1449 6 8
34 Jim Braxton 23 FB 14 0 116 453 5 21 3.9 32.4 8.3 24 232 9.7 1 25 1.7 16.6 685 6 2
30 Wayne Patrick 26 13 0 35 130 0 9 3.7 10.0 2.7 8 42 5.3 1 10 0.6 3.2 172 1 3
16 Dennis Shaw 25 QB 14 13 35 138 0 16 3.9 9.9 2.5 138 0 6
33 Randy Jackson 24 5 0 17 57 0 15 3.4 11.4 3.4 2 21 10.5 1 13 0.4 4.2 78 1 0
10 Leo Hart 23 qb 2 1 5 19 0 16 3.8 9.5 2.5 19 0 2
17 Mike Taliaferro 31 5 0 5 19 0 14 3.8 3.8 1.0 19 0 1
81 Bob Chandler 23 WR 14 0 3 27 0 16 9.0 1.9 0.2 33 528 16.0 5 43 2.4 37.7 555 5 1
11 Spike Jones 25 P 14 0 2 18 0 10 9.0 1.3 0.1 18 0 1
40 J.D. Hill* 24 WR 14 0 1 11 0 11 11.0 0.8 0.1 52 754 14.5 5 58 3.7 53.9 765 5 1
37 Ted Koy 25 14 0 1 9 0 9 9.0 0.6 0.1 1 9 9.0 0 9 0.1 0.6 18 0 0
80 Jan White 24 TE 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 12 148 12.3 2 18 0.9 10.6 148 2 0
25 Haven Moses 26 5 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 3 60 20.0 1 25 0.6 12.0 60 1 0
28 Dwight Harrison 24 7 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 16 16.0 0 16 0.1 2.3 16 0 0
86 Dave Washington 24 14 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 1 4 4.0 0 4 0.1 0.3 4 0 0
Team Total 25.0 14 512 2132 11 94 4.2 152.3 36.6 164 2012 12.3 16 58 11.7 143.7 4144 27 29
Opp Total 14 532 2241 26 4.2 160.1 38.0 131 1951 14.9 19 9.4 139.4 4192 45 20

Kick & Punt Returns

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Age Pos G GS Ret Yds TD Lng Y/R Rt Yds TD Lng Y/Rt APYd
41 Alvin Wyatt 25 KR/PR 14 0 11 85 0 27 7.7 17 432 0 43 25.4 517
26 Linzy Cole 24 8 0 7 35 0 13 5.0 16 415 0 51 25.9 450
43 Tony Greene 23 RCB 14 0 2 18 0 9 9.0 15 378 0 66 25.2 396
40 J.D. Hill* 24 WR 14 0 4 24 0 12 6.0 2 32 0 26 16.0 821
37 Ted Koy 25 14 0 5 63 0 25 12.6 81
64 Andy Selfridge 23 13 0 3 36 0 16 12.0 36
34 Jim Braxton 23 FB 14 0 1 12 0 12 12.0 697
28 Dwight Harrison 24 7 0 1 2 0 2 2.0 18
32 O.J. Simpson*+ 25 RB 14 0 1 21 0 21 21.0 1470
Team Total 25.0 14 25 164 0 27 6.6 60 1389 0 66 23.2 5697
Opp Total 14 39 1 29 644 0 22.2

Kicking & Punting

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Tot PAT Punting
No. Age Pos G GS FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FGA FGM FG% XPA XPM XP% Pnt Yds Lng Blck Y/P
11 Spike Jones 25 P 14 0 80 3104 67 1 38.8
3 John Leypoldt 26 K 14 0 2 2 5 4 7 6 9 4 1 24 16 66.7% 30 29 96.7%
Team Total 25.0 14 2 2 5 4 7 6 9 4 1 24 16 66.7% 30 29 96.7% 80 3104 67 1 38.8
Opp Total 14 27 16 59.3% 47 47 100.0% 65 2568 39.5

Defense & Fumbles

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
Def Interceptions Fumbles Tackles
No. Age Pos G GS Sk Int Yds TD Lng PD FF Fmb FR Yds TD Tkl Ast Sfty
32 O.J. Simpson*+ 25 RB 14 0 0 8 1 0 0
16 Dennis Shaw 25 QB 14 13 0 6 2 -11 0
43 Tony Greene 23 RCB 14 0 3 45 1 39 0 0 2 1 0 0
56 Ken Lee 24 MLB 12 6 6 155 1 61 0
30 Wayne Patrick 26 13 0 0 3 2 0 0
42 Maurice Tyler 22 SS 14 0 4 61 0 27 0 0 0 1 3 0
41 Alvin Wyatt 25 KR/PR 14 0 4 52 1 49 0 0 0 1 10 0
86 Dave Washington 24 14 0 1 4 0 4 0 0 0 3 0 0
34 Jim Braxton 23 FB 14 0 0 2 1 0 0
81 Bob Chandler 23 WR 14 0 0 1 1 0 0
57 Dale Farley 23 7 0 1 42 0 42 0 0 0 1 0 0
10 Leo Hart 23 qb 2 1 0 2 0 0 0
11 Spike Jones 25 P 14 0 0 1 1 0 0
68 Remi Prudhomme 30 C 8 0 0 1 1 0 0
26 Linzy Cole 24 8 0 0 1 0 0 0
82 Al Cowlings 25 RDE 14 0 0 0 1 1 0
72 Don Croft 23 LDT 14 0 0 0 1 0 0
78 Dave Foley 25 LT 12 12 0 0 1 0 0
59 Paul Guidry 28 LLB 14 0 1 0 0 0 0
40 J.D. Hill* 24 WR 14 0 0 1 0 0 0
20 Robert James* 25 LCB 14 0 1 0 0 0 0
37 Ted Koy 25 14 0 0 0 1 7 0
48 John Pitts 27 FS 14 0 1 10 0 10 0
58 Mike Stratton 31 RLB 10 0 1 0 0 0 0
17 Mike Taliaferro 31 5 0 0 1 0 -5 0
Team Total 25.0 14 23 369 3 61 0 0 29 20 5 0
Opp Total 14 49 20 12

Scoring Summary

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS RshTD RecTD PR TD KR TD FblTD IntTD OthTD AllTD 2PM XPM FGM Sfty Pts
3 John Leypoldt 26 K 14 0 29 16 77
34 Jim Braxton 23 FB 14 0 5 1 6 36
32 O.J. Simpson*+ 25 RB 14 0 6 6 36
81 Bob Chandler 23 WR 14 0 5 5 30
40 J.D. Hill* 24 WR 14 0 5 5 30
80 Jan White 24 TE 14 0 2 2 12
43 Tony Greene 23 RCB 14 0 1 1 6
33 Randy Jackson 24 5 0 1 1 6
56 Ken Lee 24 MLB 12 6 1 1 6
25 Haven Moses 26 5 0 1 1 6
30 Wayne Patrick 26 13 0 1 1 6
41 Alvin Wyatt 25 KR/PR 14 0 1 1 6
Team Total 25.0 14 11 16 3 30 29 16 257
Opp Total 14 26 19 1 47 16 377