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1972 Buffalo Bills
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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.
Coached by Lou Saban (4-9-1)
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1972 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Dennis Shaw | 25 | 2 | 13 | 136 for 258, 1,666 yards, 14 td, 17 int, & 35 rushes for 138 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 30th pick / 1970 |
| RB | O.J. Simpson*+ | 25 | 3 | 0 | 292 rushes for 1,251 yards, 6 td, & 27 catches for 198 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1969 |
| FB | Jim Braxton | 23 | 1 | 0 | 116 rushes for 453 yards, 5 td, & 24 catches for 232 yards and 1 td | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1971 |
| WR | Bob Chandler | 23 | 1 | 0 | 33 catches for 528 yards, 5 td, & 3 rushes for 27 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 160th pick / 1971 |
| WR | J.D. Hill* | 24 | 1 | 0 | 52 catches for 754 yards, 5 td, & 1 rush for 11 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 4th pick / 1971 |
| TE | Jan White | 24 | 1 | 0 | 12 catches for 148 yards, 2 td | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 29th pick / 1971 |
| LT | Dave Foley | 25 | 3 | 12 | 1 fumble recovered | New York Jets / 1st / 26th pick / 1969 |
| LG | Reggie McKenzie | 22 | Rook | 14 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 27th pick / 1972 |
|
| C | Remi Prudhomme | 30 | 6 | 0 | 1 fumble recovered | St. Louis Cardinals / 3rd / 37th pick / 1964 |
| C | John Matlock | 28 | 5 | 0 | ||
| RG | Bob Penchion | 23 | Rook | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 108th pick / 1972 |
|
| RG | Dick Hart | 29 | 5 | 0 | ||
| RT | Donnie Green | 24 | 1 | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 107th pick / 1971 |
|
| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Walt Patulski | 22 | Rook | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1972 |
|
| LDT | Don Croft | 23 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Baltimore Colts / 5th / 115th pick / 1972 |
| RDT | Jerry Patton | 26 | 1 | 0 | ||
| RDE | Al Cowlings | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1970 |
| LLB | Paul Guidry | 28 | 6 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Buffalo Bills / 8th / 73rd pick / 1966 |
| MLB | Ken Lee | 24 | 1 | 6 | 6 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 8th / 204th pick / 1971 |
| RLB | Mike Stratton | 31 | 10 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Buffalo Bills / 13th / 100th pick / 1962 |
| LCB | Robert James* | 25 | 3 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| RCB | Tony Greene | 23 | 1 | 0 | 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| SS | Maurice Tyler | 22 | Rook | 0 | 4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Buffalo Bills / 10th / 235th pick / 1972 |
| FS | John Pitts | 27 | 5 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 22nd pick / 1967 |
| FS | Alvin Wyatt | 25 | 2 | 0 | 4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Oakland Raiders / 6th / 154th pick / 1970 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | John Leypoldt | 26 | 1 | 0 | 16 of 24 field goals & 29 of 30 extra points | |
| P | Spike Jones | 25 | 2 | 0 | 80 punts for a 38.8 average, 1 blocked | Houston Oilers / 4th / 92nd pick / 1970 |
| PR | Alvin Wyatt | 25 | 2 | 0 | 11 punt returns for a 7.7 average and 0 td | Oakland Raiders / 6th / 154th pick / 1970 |
| KR | Alvin Wyatt | 25 | 2 | 0 | 17 kick returns for a 25.4 average and 0 td | Oakland Raiders / 6th / 154th pick / 1970 |
| No. | Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 60 | Bill Adams | 22 | G-T | 6 | 0 | 255 | 6-2 | Holy Cross | 2/4/1950 | Rook | Miami Dolphins / 7th / 161st pick / 1972 |
| 54 | Tom Beard | 24 | C | 12 | 0 | 280 | 6-6 | Michigan State | 6/10/1948 | Rook | Denver Broncos / 8th / 187th pick / 1971 |
| 34 | Jim Braxton | 23 | RB | 14 | 0 | 243 | 6-1 | West Virginia | 5/23/1949 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1971 |
| 81 | Bob Chandler | 23 | WR | 14 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | USC | 4/24/1949 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 160th pick / 1971 |
| 52 | Edgar Chandler | 26 | LB | 1 | 0 | 225 | 6-3 | Georgia | 8/31/1946 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 4th / 86th pick / 1968 |
| 83 | Bob Christiansen | 23 | DT | 4 | 0 | 230 | 6-4 | UCLA | 5/8/1949 | Rook | Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 125th pick / 1972 |
| 26 | Linzy Cole | 24 | WR | 8 | 0 | 172 | 5-11 | TCU | 4/21/1948 | 2 | Chicago Bears / 9th / 210th pick / 1970 |
| 75 | Frank Cornish | 28 | DT | 6 | 0 | 282 | 6-4 | Grambling State | 6/20/1944 | 6 | Chicago Bears / 11th / 144th pick / 1965 |
| 79 | Paul Costa | 31 | TE-T | 9 | 0 | 268 | 6-6 | Notre Dame | 12/7/1941 | 7 | Green Bay Packers / 4th / 55th pick / 1964 |
| 82 | Al Cowlings | 25 | DE-DT-LB | 14 | 0 | 255 | 6-5 | USC | 6/16/1947 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1970 |
| 72 | Don Croft | 23 | DT | 14 | 0 | 254 | 6-4 | Texas-El Paso | 1/7/1949 | Rook | Baltimore Colts / 5th / 115th pick / 1972 |
| 63 | Dick Cunningham | 28 | T-LB | 9 | 7 | 245 | 6-3 | Arkansas | 10/12/1944 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 9th / 136th pick / 1966 |
| 73 | Jeff Curchin | 25 | T-G | 1 | 0 | 260 | 6-7 | Florida State | 12/17/1947 | 2 | Chicago Bears / 6th / 139th pick / 1970 |
| 57 | Dale Farley | 23 | LB | 7 | 0 | 225 | 6-3 | West Virginia | 9/27/1949 | 1 | Miami Dolphins / 3rd / 74th pick / 1971 |
| 78 | Dave Foley | 25 | T-C | 12 | 12 | 255 | 6-5 | Ohio State | 10/28/1947 | 3 | New York Jets / 1st / 26th pick / 1969 |
| 47 | Leon Garror | 24 | DB | 12 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | Alcorn State | 5/2/1948 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 105th pick / 1972 |
| 74 | Donnie Green | 24 | T | 14 | 0 | 272 | 6-7 | Purdue | 7/12/1948 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 107th pick / 1971 |
| 43 | Tony Greene | 23 | DB | 14 | 0 | 170 | 5-10 | Maryland | 8/29/1949 | 1 | |
| 59 | Paul Guidry | 28 | LB | 14 | 0 | 227 | 6-3 | LSU,McNeese State | 1/14/1944 | 6 | Buffalo Bills / 8th / 73rd pick / 1966 |
| 28 | Dwight Harrison | 24 | DB-WR | 7 | 0 | 187 | 6-1 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 10/12/1948 | 1 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 35th pick / 1971 |
| 62 | Dick Hart | 29 | G | 5 | 0 | 253 | 6-2 | none | 3/4/1943 | 5 | |
| 10 | Leo Hart | 23 | QB | 2 | 1 | 203 | 6-3 | Duke | 3/3/1949 | 1 | Atlanta Falcons / 3rd / 59th pick / 1971 |
| 40 | J.D. Hill* | 24 | WR | 14 | 0 | 202 | 6-1 | Arizona State | 10/30/1948 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 4th pick / 1971 |
| 33 | Randy Jackson | 24 | RB | 5 | 0 | 220 | 6-0 | Wichita State | 11/13/1948 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 4th / 79th pick / 1972 |
| 20 | Robert James* | 25 | DB | 14 | 0 | 184 | 6-1 | Fisk | 7/7/1947 | 3 | |
| 51 | Bruce Jarvis | 24 | C | 1 | 0 | 250 | 6-7 | Washington | 11/3/1948 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 53rd pick / 1971 |
| 11 | Spike Jones | 25 | P | 14 | 0 | 197 | 6-2 | Georgia | 7/9/1947 | 2 | Houston Oilers / 4th / 92nd pick / 1970 |
| 37 | Ted Koy | 25 | TE-RB-LB | 14 | 0 | 212 | 6-2 | Texas | 9/15/1947 | 2 | Oakland Raiders / 2nd / 50th pick / 1970 |
| 56 | Ken Lee | 24 | LB | 12 | 6 | 230 | 6-4 | Washington | 9/3/1948 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 8th / 204th pick / 1971 |
| 3 | John Leypoldt | 26 | K | 14 | 0 | 229 | 6-2 | Northern Virginia Community College | 3/31/1946 | 1 | |
| 50 | Jeff Lyman | 22 | LB | 1 | 0 | 235 | 6-3 | BYU | 8/21/1950 | Rook | St. Louis Cardinals / 4th / 82nd pick / 1972 |
| 53 | John Matlock | 28 | C | 11 | 0 | 249 | 6-4 | Miami (FL) | 10/19/1944 | 5 | |
| 76 | Mike McBath | 26 | DE-DT-T | 2 | 0 | 251 | 6-4 | Penn State | 5/29/1946 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 119th pick / 1968 |
| 67 | Reggie McKenzie | 22 | G | 14 | 14 | 255 | 6-4 | Michigan | 7/27/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 27th pick / 1972 |
| 25 | Haven Moses | 26 | WR-SE | 5 | 0 | 208 | 6-2 | San Diego State | 7/27/1946 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 9th pick / 1968 |
| 88 | Steve Okoniewski | 23 | DT-DE | 10 | 0 | 257 | 6-3 | Montana,Washington | 8/22/1949 | Rook | Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 41st pick / 1972 |
| 50 | Dick Palmer | 25 | LB | 4 | 0 | 232 | 6-2 | Kentucky | 4/9/1947 | 2 | Baltimore Colts / 10th / 252nd pick / 1970 |
| 30 | Wayne Patrick | 26 | RB | 13 | 0 | 254 | 6-2 | Louisville | 9/1/1946 | 4 | Cincinnati Bengals / 10th / 247th pick / 1968 |
| 77 | Jerry Patton | 26 | DT | 14 | 0 | 261 | 6-3 | Nebraska | 3/27/1946 | 1 | |
| 85 | Walt Patulski | 22 | DE | 14 | 0 | 259 | 6-6 | Notre Dame | 2/3/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1972 |
| 69 | Bob Penchion | 23 | G-C | 12 | 0 | 265 | 6-5 | Alcorn State | 8/11/1949 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 108th pick / 1972 |
| 48 | John Pitts | 27 | DB | 14 | 0 | 218 | 6-4 | Arizona State | 2/28/1945 | 5 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 22nd pick / 1967 |
| 68 | Remi Prudhomme | 30 | C-DE-G-DT | 8 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | LSU | 4/24/1942 | 6 | St. Louis Cardinals / 3rd / 37th pick / 1964 |
| 87 | Louis Ross | 25 | DE | 14 | 0 | 248 | 6-6 | South Carolina State | 8/31/1947 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 8th / 183rd pick / 1971 |
| 21 | John Saunders | 22 | DB | 2 | 0 | 198 | 6-3 | Toledo | 4/29/1950 | Rook | Los Angeles Rams / 4th / 87th pick / 1972 |
| 64 | Andy Selfridge | 23 | LB | 13 | 0 | 218 | 6-3 | Virginia | 1/12/1949 | Rook | San Diego Chargers / 13th / 321st pick / 1972 |
| 16 | Dennis Shaw | 25 | QB | 14 | 13 | 217 | 6-3 | San Diego State,USC | 3/3/1947 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 30th pick / 1970 |
| 32 | O.J. Simpson*+ | 25 | RB | 14 | 0 | 212 | 6-2 | USC | 7/9/1947 | 3 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1969 |
| 58 | Mike Stratton | 31 | LB | 10 | 0 | 224 | 6-3 | Tennessee | 4/10/1941 | 10 | Buffalo Bills / 13th / 100th pick / 1962 |
| 17 | Mike Taliaferro | 31 | QB | 5 | 0 | 202 | 6-2 | Illinois | 7/26/1941 | 8 | New York Giants / 10th / 138th pick / 1963 |
| 71 | Bob Tatarek | 26 | DT | 1 | 0 | 270 | 6-4 | Miami (FL) | 7/3/1946 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 34th pick / 1968 |
| 42 | Maurice Tyler | 22 | DB | 14 | 0 | 188 | 6-0 | Morgan State | 7/19/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 10th / 235th pick / 1972 |
| 86 | Dave Washington | 24 | LB-TE | 14 | 0 | 223 | 6-5 | Alcorn State | 9/12/1948 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 9th / 219th pick / 1970 |
| 80 | Jan White | 24 | TE | 14 | 0 | 216 | 6-2 | Ohio State | 10/6/1948 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 29th pick / 1971 |
| 41 | Alvin Wyatt | 25 | DB | 14 | 0 | 184 | 5-10 | Bethune-Cookman | 12/13/1947 | 2 | Oakland Raiders / 6th / 154th pick / 1970 |
| 68 | Willie Young | 25 | T | 1 | 0 | 270 | 6-4 | Alcorn State | 11/12/1947 | 1 | |
| Team Total | 25.0 | 14 | 230.5 | 6-3.0 | 2.2 |