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1973 Buffalo Bills
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Record: 9-5-0, Finished 2nd in AFC East Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 259 points (18.5/g), 15th of 26 in the NFL.
Allowed 230 points (16.4/g), 10th.
Differential of 29 points (2.1/g), 12th.
Expected W-L: 8.0-6.0.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +6 (0.4/g), 8th.
Coached by Lou Saban (9-5-0)
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1973 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Joe Ferguson | 23 | Rook | 14 | 73 for 164, 939 yards, 4 td, 10 int, & 48 rushes for 147 yards and 2 td | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1973 |
| RB | O.J. Simpson*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 332 rushes for 2,003 yards, 12 td, & 6 catches for 70 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1969 |
| FB | Larry Watkins | 27 | 4 | 0 | 98 rushes for 414 yards, 2 td, & 12 catches for 86 yards and 1 td | |
| FB | Jim Braxton | 24 | 2 | 0 | 108 rushes for 494 yards, 4 td, & 6 catches for 101 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1971 |
| WR | Bob Chandler | 24 | 2 | 0 | 30 catches for 427 yards, 3 td, & 5 rushes for -14 yards and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 160th pick / 1971 |
| WR | J.D. Hill | 25 | 2 | 0 | 29 catches for 422 yards, 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 4th pick / 1971 |
| TE | Paul Seymour | 23 | Rook | 14 | 10 catches for 114 yards, 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 7th pick / 1973 |
| LT | Dave Foley* | 26 | 4 | 14 | New York Jets / 1st / 26th pick / 1969 |
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| LG | Reggie McKenzie+ | 23 | 1 | 14 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 27th pick / 1972 |
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| C | Bruce Jarvis | 25 | 2 | 8 | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 53rd pick / 1971 |
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| C | Mike Montler | 29 | 4 | 7 | Boston Patriots / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1969 |
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| RG | Joe DeLamielleure | 22 | Rook | 14 | 1 fumble recovered | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 26th pick / 1973 |
| RT | Donnie Green | 25 | 2 | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 107th pick / 1971 |
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| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Walt Patulski | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1972 |
| LDT | Mike Kadish | 23 | Rook | 9 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Miami Dolphins / 1st / 25th pick / 1972 |
| RDT | Jerry Patton | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| RDE | Earl Edwards | 27 | 4 | 14 | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 120th pick / 1969 |
|
| LLB | John Skorupan | 22 | Rook | 0 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Buffalo Bills / 6th / 136th pick / 1973 |
| MLB | Jim Cheyunski | 28 | 5 | 0 | 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Boston Patriots / 12th / 305th pick / 1968 |
| RLB | Rich Lewis | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | |
| RLB | Merv Krakau | 22 | Rook | 0 | Buffalo Bills / 14th / 344th pick / 1973 |
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| LCB | Robert James*+ | 26 | 4 | 0 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| RCB | Dwight Harrison | 25 | 2 | 0 | 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 35th pick / 1971 |
| SS | Ernie Kellermann | 30 | 7 | 0 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Dallas Cowboys / 12th / 159th pick / 1965 |
| FS | Tony Greene | 24 | 2 | 0 | 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered | |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | John Leypoldt | 27 | 2 | 0 | 21 of 30 field goals & 27 of 27 extra points | |
| P | Spike Jones | 26 | 3 | 0 | 66 punts for a 40.3 average, 0 blocked | Houston Oilers / 4th / 92nd pick / 1970 |
| PR | Donnie Walker | 23 | Rook | 0 | 25 punt returns for a 8.4 average and 0 td | Buffalo Bills / 4th / 87th pick / 1973 |
| KR | Wallace Francis | 22 | Rook | 0 | 23 kick returns for a 29.9 average and 2 td | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 110th pick / 1973 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Braxton | 24 | RB | 6 | 0 | 243 | 6-1 | West Virginia | 5/23/1949 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1971 |
| Bill Cahill | 22 | DB | 5 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | Washington | 5/5/1951 | Rook | New Orleans Saints / 7th / 158th pick / 1973 |
| Bob Chandler | 24 | WR | 14 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | USC | 4/24/1949 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 160th pick / 1971 |
| Jim Cheyunski | 28 | LB | 13 | 0 | 225 | 6-1 | Syracuse | 12/29/1945 | 5 | Boston Patriots / 12th / 305th pick / 1968 |
| Bo Cornell | 24 | LB-RB | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-2 | Washington | 3/7/1949 | 2 | Cleveland Browns / 2nd / 40th pick / 1971 |
| Phil Croyle | 26 | LB | 5 | 0 | 223 | 6-3 | California | 10/30/1947 | 2 | Houston Oilers / 7th / 159th pick / 1971 |
| Joe DeLamielleure | 22 | G | 14 | 14 | 254 | 6-3 | Michigan State | 3/16/1951 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 26th pick / 1973 |
| Earl Edwards | 27 | DT-DE | 14 | 14 | 260 | 6-7 | Wichita State | 3/17/1946 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 120th pick / 1969 |
| Dale Farley | 24 | LB | 2 | 0 | 225 | 6-3 | West Virginia | 9/27/1949 | 2 | Miami Dolphins / 3rd / 74th pick / 1971 |
| Joe Ferguson | 23 | QB | 14 | 14 | 195 | 6-1 | Arkansas | 4/23/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1973 |
| Dave Foley* | 26 | T-C | 14 | 14 | 255 | 6-5 | Ohio State | 10/28/1947 | 4 | New York Jets / 1st / 26th pick / 1969 |
| Fred Forsberg | 29 | LB | 10 | 0 | 235 | 6-1 | Washington | 7/4/1944 | 5 | Denver Broncos / 14th / 121st pick / 1966 |
| Wallace Francis | 22 | WR | 12 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Ark-Pine Bluff | 11/7/1951 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 110th pick / 1973 |
| Leon Garror | 25 | DB | 4 | 0 | 180 | 6-0 | Alcorn State | 5/2/1948 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 105th pick / 1972 |
| Donnie Green | 25 | T | 14 | 0 | 272 | 6-7 | Purdue | 7/12/1948 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 107th pick / 1971 |
| Tony Greene | 24 | DB | 14 | 0 | 170 | 5-10 | Maryland | 8/29/1949 | 2 | |
| Halvor Hagen | 26 | G-DE-T-C | 5 | 0 | 245 | 6-5 | Weber State | 2/4/1947 | 4 | Dallas Cowboys / 3rd / 74th pick / 1969 |
| Dwight Harrison | 25 | DB-WR | 14 | 0 | 187 | 6-1 | Texas A&M-Kingsville | 10/12/1948 | 2 | Denver Broncos / 2nd / 35th pick / 1971 |
| J.D. Hill | 25 | WR | 14 | 0 | 202 | 6-1 | Arizona State | 10/30/1948 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 4th pick / 1971 |
| Robert James*+ | 26 | DB | 13 | 0 | 184 | 6-1 | Fisk | 7/7/1947 | 4 | |
| Bruce Jarvis | 25 | C | 8 | 8 | 250 | 6-7 | Washington | 11/3/1948 | 2 | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 53rd pick / 1971 |
| Ray Jarvis | 24 | WR | 12 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Norfolk State | 2/2/1949 | 2 | Atlanta Falcons / 5th / 111th pick / 1971 |
| Spike Jones | 26 | P | 14 | 0 | 197 | 6-2 | Georgia | 7/9/1947 | 3 | Houston Oilers / 4th / 92nd pick / 1970 |
| Steve Jones | 22 | RB | 11 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Duke | 3/6/1951 | Rook | Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 129th pick / 1973 |
| Mike Kadish | 23 | DT-NT | 12 | 9 | 270 | 6-5 | Notre Dame | 5/27/1950 | Rook | Miami Dolphins / 1st / 25th pick / 1972 |
| Bob Kampa | 22 | DT | 7 | 0 | 252 | 6-4 | California | 4/26/1951 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 77th pick / 1973 |
| Ernie Kellermann | 30 | DB | 10 | 0 | 183 | 6-0 | Miami (OH) | 12/17/1943 | 7 | Dallas Cowboys / 12th / 159th pick / 1965 |
| Rick Kingrea | 24 | LB | 4 | 0 | 233 | 6-1 | Tulane | 7/18/1949 | 2 | Cleveland Browns / 14th / 352nd pick / 1971 |
| Ted Koy | 26 | TE-RB-LB | 13 | 0 | 212 | 6-2 | Texas | 9/15/1947 | 3 | Oakland Raiders / 2nd / 50th pick / 1970 |
| Merv Krakau | 22 | LB | 14 | 0 | 242 | 6-2 | Iowa State | 5/16/1951 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 14th / 344th pick / 1973 |
| Rich Lewis | 23 | LB | 10 | 0 | 220 | 6-3 | Portland State | 6/8/1950 | 1 | |
| John Leypoldt | 27 | K | 14 | 0 | 229 | 6-2 | Northern Virginia Community College | 3/31/1946 | 2 | |
| Brian McConnell | 23 | LB | 1 | 0 | 220 | 6-4 | Michigan State | 1/21/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 7th / 162nd pick / 1973 |
| Reggie McKenzie+ | 23 | G | 14 | 14 | 255 | 6-4 | Michigan | 7/27/1950 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 27th pick / 1972 |
| Mike Montler | 29 | C-G-T | 10 | 7 | 254 | 6-5 | Colorado | 1/10/1944 | 4 | Boston Patriots / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1969 |
| Steve Okoniewski | 24 | DT-DE | 5 | 0 | 257 | 6-3 | Montana,Washington | 8/22/1949 | 1 | Atlanta Falcons / 2nd / 41st pick / 1972 |
| Willie Parker | 25 | C-G | 14 | 0 | 245 | 6-3 | North Texas | 12/28/1948 | Rook | San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 75th pick / 1971 |
| Jerry Patton | 27 | DT | 14 | 0 | 261 | 6-3 | Nebraska | 3/27/1946 | 2 | |
| Walt Patulski | 23 | DE | 14 | 0 | 259 | 6-6 | Notre Dame | 2/3/1950 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1972 |
| Bob Penchion | 24 | G-C | 5 | 0 | 265 | 6-5 | Alcorn State | 8/11/1949 | 1 | Buffalo Bills / 5th / 108th pick / 1972 |
| John Pitts | 28 | DB | 3 | 0 | 218 | 6-4 | Arizona State | 2/28/1945 | 6 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 22nd pick / 1967 |
| Paul Seymour | 23 | TE | 14 | 14 | 252 | 6-5 | Michigan | 2/6/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 7th pick / 1973 |
| Dennis Shaw | 26 | QB | 4 | 0 | 217 | 6-3 | San Diego State,USC | 3/3/1947 | 3 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 30th pick / 1970 |
| O.J. Simpson*+ | 26 | RB | 14 | 0 | 212 | 6-2 | USC | 7/9/1947 | 4 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 1st pick / 1969 |
| John Skorupan | 22 | LB | 14 | 0 | 222 | 6-2 | Penn State | 5/17/1951 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 6th / 136th pick / 1973 |
| Ken Stone | 23 | DB-WR | 6 | 0 | 179 | 6-1 | Vanderbilt | 9/14/1950 | Rook | Washington Redskins / 10th / 245th pick / 1973 |
| Pete Van Valkenberg | 23 | RB | 13 | 0 | 192 | 6-2 | BYU | 5/19/1950 | Rook | New Orleans Saints / 3rd / 66th pick / 1973 |
| Donnie Walker | 23 | DB | 11 | 0 | 180 | 6-2 | Central State (OH) | 12/26/1950 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 4th / 87th pick / 1973 |
| Dave Washington | 25 | LB-TE | 7 | 0 | 223 | 6-5 | Alcorn State | 9/12/1948 | 3 | Denver Broncos / 9th / 219th pick / 1970 |
| Larry Watkins | 27 | RB | 14 | 0 | 230 | 6-2 | Alcorn State | 10/5/1946 | 4 | |
| Jeff Winans | 22 | G-DE-T-DT | 9 | 0 | 265 | 6-5 | USC | 10/12/1951 | Rook | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1973 |
| Team Total | 24.6 | 14 | 223.9 | 6-2.6 | 1.9 |