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1979 Buffalo Bills

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Record: 7-9-0, Finished 4th in AFC East Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 268 points (16.8/g), 23rd of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 279 points (17.4/g), 8th.
 Differential of -11 points (-0.7/g), 17th.
 Expected W-L: 7.6-8.4.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +7 (0.4/g), 7th.

Coached by Chuck Knox (7-9-0)

1979 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 29 6 16 238 for 458, 3,572 yards, 14 td, 15 int, & 22 rushes for 68 yards and 1 td

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1973

RB Terry Miller 23 1 0 139 rushes for 484 yards, 1 td, & 10 catches for 111 yards and 0 td

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1978

FB Curtis Brown 25 2 15 172 rushes for 574 yards, 1 td, & 39 catches for 401 yards and 3 td

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 59th pick / 1977

WR Jerry Butler 22 Rook 13 48 catches for 834 yards, 4 td, & 2 rushes for 13 yards and 0 td

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1979

WR Frank Lewis 32 8 15 54 catches for 1,082 yards, 2 td, & 2 rushes for -6 yards and 0 td

Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 8th pick / 1971

TE Reuben Gant 27 5 14 19 catches for 245 yards, 2 td

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 18th pick / 1974

LT Ken Jones 27 3 16 1 fumble recovered

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 45th pick / 1976

LG Reggie McKenzie 29 7 16

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 27th pick / 1972

C Willie Parker 31 6 16 1 fumble recovered

San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 75th pick / 1971

RG Joe DeLamielleure* 28 6 16

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 26th pick / 1973

RT Joe Devlin 25 3 16 2 fumbles recovered

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1976

 Defensive Starters
LDE Ben Williams 25 3 15

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 78th pick / 1976

NT Mike Kadish 29 6 13 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered

Miami Dolphins / 1st / 25th pick / 1972

RDE Sherman White 31 7 9

Cincinnati Bengals / 1st / 2nd pick / 1972

RDE Scott Hutchinson 23 1 5

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 38th pick / 1978

LOLB Isiah Robertson 30 8 16 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 10th pick / 1971

LILB Jim Haslett 24 Rook 16 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 51st pick / 1979

RILB Shane Nelson 24 2 16 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered
ROLB Lucius Sanford 23 1 16 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Buffalo Bills / 4th / 89th pick / 1978

LCB Mario Clark 25 3 16 5 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 18th pick / 1976

RCB Charles Romes 25 2 16 1 interception, 1 fumble recovered

Buffalo Bills / 12th / 309th pick / 1977

SS Steve Freeman 26 4 16 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered

New England Patriots / 5th / 117th pick / 1975

FS Tony Greene 30 8 12 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered
 Special Teams Starters
K Nick Mike-Mayer 29 6 0 20 of 29 field goals & 17 of 18 extra points

Atlanta Falcons / 10th / 248th pick / 1973

P Rusty Jackson 29 3 0 96 punts for a 38.2 average, 0 blocked
PR Keith Moody 26 3 0 38 punt returns for a 8.4 average and 0 td

Buffalo Bills / 10th / 280th pick / 1976

KR Keith Moody 26 3 0 27 kick returns for a 20.6 average and 0 td

Buffalo Bills / 10th / 280th pick / 1976

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Jon Borchardt 22 G-T 16 0 260 6-5 Montana State 8/13/1957 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 62nd pick / 1979

Curtis Brown 25 RB 15 15 203 5-10 Missouri 12/7/1954 2

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 59th pick / 1977

Jerry Butler 22 WR 13 13 178 6-0 Clemson 10/12/1957 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1979

Bob Chandler 30 WR 3 0 180 6-0 USC 4/24/1949 8

Buffalo Bills / 7th / 160th pick / 1971

Mario Clark 25 DB 16 16 194 6-2 Oregon 3/29/1954 3

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 18th pick / 1976

Mike Collier 26 RB 16 1 200 5-11 Morgan State 9/21/1953 4

Pittsburgh Steelers / 14th / 364th pick / 1975

Joe DeLamielleure* 28 G 16 16 254 6-3 Michigan State 3/16/1951 6

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 26th pick / 1973

Tom Dempsey 32 K 3 0 255 6-2 Palomar College 1/12/1947 10
Joe Devlin 25 T-G 16 16 261 6-5 Iowa 2/23/1954 3

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1976

Joe Ferguson 29 QB 16 16 195 6-1 Arkansas 4/23/1950 6

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 57th pick / 1973

Steve Freeman 26 DB 16 16 185 5-11 Mississippi State 5/8/1953 4

New England Patriots / 5th / 117th pick / 1975

Danny Fulton 23 WR 6 0 184 6-2 Nebraska,Nebraska-Omaha 9/2/1956 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 65th pick / 1978

Ed Fulton 24 G 5 0 250 6-3 Maryland 1/27/1955 1

Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 68th pick / 1977

Reuben Gant 27 TE-WR 14 14 230 6-4 Oklahoma State 4/12/1952 5

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 18th pick / 1974

Will Grant 25 C 16 0 254 6-3 Idaho State,Kentucky 3/7/1954 1

Buffalo Bills / 10th / 255th pick / 1978

Doug Greene 23 DB 15 0 205 6-2 Texas A&M-Kingsville 2/10/1956 1

St. Louis Cardinals / 3rd / 69th pick / 1978

Tony Greene 30 DB 16 12 170 5-10 Maryland 8/29/1949 8
Dee Hardison 23 DE-DT-NT-DE 16 3 274 6-4 North Carolina 5/2/1956 1

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1978

Jim Haslett 24 LB 16 16 232 6-3 Indiana (PA) 12/9/1955 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 51st pick / 1979

Tom Higgins 25 LB 16 0 235 6-2 North Carolina State 7/13/1954 Rook
Roland Hooks 26 RB 16 0 197 6-0 North Carolina State 1/2/1953 3

Buffalo Bills / 10th / 253rd pick / 1975

Ron Howard 28 TE 1 0 229 6-4 Seattle 3/3/1951 5
Scott Hutchinson 23 DE 16 5 246 6-4 Florida 5/27/1956 1

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 38th pick / 1978

Rusty Jackson 29 P 16 0 193 6-2 LSU 11/17/1950 3
Dan Jilek 26 LB 15 0 220 6-2 Michigan 12/3/1953 3

Buffalo Bills / 4th / 109th pick / 1976

Dennis D. Johnson 23 RB-TE 3 0 220 6-3 Mississippi State 2/26/1956 1

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 59th pick / 1978

Ken E. Johnson 24 DE 3 0 253 6-5 Knoxville 3/25/1955 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 4th / 83rd pick / 1979

Ken Jones 27 T-DE 16 16 260 6-5 Arkansas State 12/1/1952 3

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 45th pick / 1976

Mike Kadish 29 DT-NT 16 13 270 6-5 Notre Dame 5/27/1950 6

Miami Dolphins / 1st / 25th pick / 1972

Chris Keating 22 LB 16 0 223 6-2 Maine 10/12/1957 Rook
Frank Lewis 32 WR 15 15 196 6-1 Grambling State 7/4/1947 8

Pittsburgh Steelers / 1st / 8th pick / 1971

Dan Manucci 22 QB 14 0 196 6-2 Kansas State 9/3/1957 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 5th / 116th pick / 1979

Reggie McKenzie 29 G 16 16 255 6-4 Michigan 7/27/1950 7

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 27th pick / 1972

Nick Mike-Mayer 29 K 13 0 186 5-8 Temple 3/1/1950 6

Atlanta Falcons / 10th / 248th pick / 1973

Terry Miller 23 RB 16 0 196 5-10 Oklahoma State 1/7/1956 1

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1978

Keith Moody 26 DB 16 0 171 5-11 Syracuse 6/13/1953 3

Buffalo Bills / 10th / 280th pick / 1976

Bill Munson 38 QB 3 0 203 6-2 Utah State 8/11/1941 15

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 7th pick / 1964
Houston Oilers / 16th / 126th pick / 1964

Shane Nelson 24 LB 16 16 226 6-1 Baylor 5/25/1955 2
Jeff Nixon 23 DB 16 4 190 6-3 Richmond 10/13/1956 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 4th / 87th pick / 1979

Willie Parker 31 C-G 16 16 245 6-3 North Texas 12/28/1948 6

San Francisco 49ers / 3rd / 75th pick / 1971

Lou Piccone 30 WR 16 4 175 5-9 West Liberty State 7/17/1949 5
Steve Powell 23 RB 15 0 186 5-11 Truman State 1/2/1956 1

Buffalo Bills / 7th / 183rd pick / 1978

Isiah Robertson 30 LB 16 16 225 6-3 Southern 8/17/1949 8

Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 10th pick / 1971

Charles Romes 25 DB 16 16 191 6-1 North Carolina Central 12/16/1954 2

Buffalo Bills / 12th / 309th pick / 1977

Lucius Sanford 23 LB 16 16 216 6-2 Georgia Tech 2/14/1956 1

Buffalo Bills / 4th / 89th pick / 1978

Joe Shipp 24 TE 16 2 225 6-4 USC 7/25/1955 Rook
Fred Smerlas 22 NT-DT 13 3 277 6-3 Boston College 4/8/1957 Rook

Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1979

Tim Vogler 23 G-C 10 0 259 6-3 Ohio State 10/2/1956 Rook
Sherman White 31 DE 15 9 250 6-5 California 10/6/1948 7

Cincinnati Bengals / 1st / 2nd pick / 1972

Ben Williams 25 DE-NT 16 15 251 6-3 Mississippi 9/1/1954 3

Buffalo Bills / 3rd / 78th pick / 1976

Leonard Willis 26 WR 7 0 183 5-11 Ohio State 3/4/1953 3

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 118th pick / 1976

Team Total 26.1 16 219.8 6-1.9 3.3