The 1986 Buffalo Bills season was the 27th season for the club and its 17th in the National Football League (NFL).
Although the Bills were only 2–6 at the midway point of the season, their games were much more competitive than in years past. (Only two of their losses in the first eight games were by more than a touchdown.) Still, after a 6-point Week Nine loss to Tampa Bay, the Bills fired coach Hank Bullough, and hired former Kansas City coach Marv Levy from outside the organization, an unusual mid-season tactic. (Levy had been out of coaching since being the head man with the USFL's Chicago Blitz in 1984.) Levy would win his first game with the Bills against Pittsburgh in Week Ten, and one more game against Kansas City in Week Thirteen, finishing with a 2–5 record in his first half-season as head coach.[1]
Offseason
At the end of the 1985 season, the Bills' future was in serious jeopardy; two consecutive seasons in which the team had finished 2–14 had driven attendance at Rich Stadium to less than 30,000 fans per game. 1985 first overall draft pick Bruce Smith, while he had a respectable rookie season, underperformed compared to expectations and was admittedly not putting his whole heart into the game of football. Quarterback Jim Kelly, whom the team had drafted in the first round of the 1983 draft as their franchise quarterback of the future, still refused to play in Buffalo and was prepared to play the 1986 season as a member of the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League; the Generals' soon-to-be-displaced quarterback, Doug Flutie, who would become a Bill much later in his career, also rejected the team's overtures and stayed in the USFL.[2] These rejections forced the Bills to sign Art Schlichter, a notorious compulsive gambler who had flamed out with the Indianapolis Colts, as their backup plan; Schlichter was to compete with Frank Reich, whom the Bills drafted the previous year, for the starting position.
Buffalo's fortunes underwent a drastic improvement before the season. On July 29, 1986, the USFL received only a nominal judgment in its antitrust lawsuit against the NFL, leaving the league without much-needed capital and forcing the end of its operations. With no other options, Kelly then signed with the Bills amid much fanfare, and Schlichter was released. The signing (along with those of fellow USFL refugees Ray Bentley and Kent Hull) doubled the team's home attendance.[3]
Personnel
Staff
1986 Buffalo Bills staff |
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Front office
- President – Ralph Wilson
- Vice President of Administration/General Manager – Bill Polian
- Vice President of Football Operations – Hank Bullough
- Director of Player Personnel – Norm Pollom
- Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Bob Ferguson
- Administrative Assistant to the Head Coach – Jim Valek
Head coaches
- Head Coach – Hank Bullough
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
- Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers – Herb Paterra
- Defensive Line – Ted Cottrell
- Outside Linebackers – Ardell Wiegandt
- Defensive Backfield – Dick Moseley
Special teams coaches
- Special Teams – Elijah Pitts
Strength and conditioning
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[6]
Roster
1986 Buffalo Bills roster |
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
Rookies in italics
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Regular season
Schedule
Week |
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
Attendance |
1 |
September 7, 1986 |
New York Jets |
L 28–24 |
79,951 |
2 |
September 14, 1986 |
at Cincinnati Bengals |
L 36–33 |
52,714 |
3 |
September 21, 1986 |
St. Louis Cardinals |
W 17–10 |
65,762 |
4 |
September 28, 1986 |
Kansas City Chiefs |
L 20–17 |
67,555 |
5 |
October 5, 1986 |
at New York Jets |
L 14–13 |
69,504 |
6 |
October 12, 1986 |
at Miami Dolphins |
L 27–14 |
49,467 |
7 |
October 19, 1986 |
Indianapolis Colts |
W 24–13 |
50,050 |
8 |
October 26, 1986 |
New England Patriots |
L 23–3 |
77,808 |
9 |
November 2, 1986 |
at Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
L 34–28 |
32,806 |
10 |
November 9, 1986 |
Pittsburgh Steelers |
W 16–12 |
72,000 |
11 |
November 16, 1986 |
Miami Dolphins |
L 34–24 |
76,474 |
12 |
November 23, 1986 |
at New England Patriots |
L 22–19 |
60,455 |
13 |
November 30, 1986 |
at Kansas City Chiefs |
W 17–14 |
31,492 |
14 |
December 7, 1986 |
Cleveland Browns |
L 21–17 |
42,213 |
15 |
December 14, 1986 |
at Indianapolis Colts |
L 24–14 |
52,783 |
16 |
December 21, 1986 |
at Houston Oilers |
L 16–7 |
31,409 |
Game summaries
Week 1
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Jets |
7 |
7 | 0 | 14 |
28 |
Bills |
7 |
3 | 0 | 14 |
24 |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | BUF | Bell 2 yard pass from Kelly (Norwood kick) | BUF 7–0 |
| Q1 | | NYJ | Paige 2 yard run (Leahy kick) | Tie 7–7 |
| Q2 | | NYJ | Toon 46 yard pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick) | NYJ 14–7 |
| Q2 | | BUF | Norwood 19 yard field goal | NYJ 14–10 |
| Q4 | | BUF | Reed 55 yard pass from Kelly (Norwood kick) | BUF 17–14 |
| Q4 | | NYJ | Hector 1 yard run (Leahy kick) | NYJ 21–17 |
| Q4 | | NYJ | Walker 71 yard pass from O'Brien (Leahy kick) | NYJ 28–17 |
| Q4 | | BUF | Metzelaars 4 yard pass from Kelly (Norwood kick) | NYJ 28–24 |
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Jim Kelly 20/33, 292 Yds, 3 TD [7]
Week 2
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
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Bills |
3 |
6 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
26 |
• Bengals |
7 |
14 | 0 | 12 | 3 |
36 |
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[8]
Week 3
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Cardinals |
0 |
0 | 3 | 7 |
10 |
• Bills |
0 |
10 | 0 | 7 |
17 |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q2 | | BUF | Norwood 35 yard field goal | BUF 3–0 |
| Q2 | | BUF | Moore 2 yard run (Norwood kick) | BUF 10–0 |
| Q3 | | STL | Lee 27 yard field goal | BUF 10–3 |
| Q4 | | BUF | Bell 6 yard run (Norwood kick) | BUF 17–3 |
| Q4 | | STL | Sikahema 19 yard pass from Lomax (Lee kick) | BUF 17–10 |
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[9]
Week 4
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Chiefs |
3 |
7 | 0 | 10 |
20 |
Bills |
7 |
0 | 7 | 3 |
17 |
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[10]
Week 5
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
0 |
7 | 3 | 3 |
13 |
• Jets |
0 |
7 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
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[11]
Week 6
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
• Dolphins |
3 |
7 | 10 | 7 |
27 |
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[12]
Week 7
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Colts |
3 |
3 | 7 | 0 |
13 |
• Bills |
7 |
10 | 7 | 0 |
24 |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | BUF | Bellinger 15 yard fumble return (Norwood kick) | BUF 7–0 |
| Q1 | | IND | Biasucci 46 yard field goal | BUF 7–3 |
| Q2 | | BUF | Norwood 37 yard field goal | BUF 10–3 |
| Q2 | | IND | Biasucci 44 yard field goal | BUF 10–6 |
| Q2 | | BUF | Reed 6 yard pass from Kelly (Norwood kick) | BUF 17–6 |
| Q3 | | IND | Brooks 18 yard pass from Trudeau (Biasucci kick) | BUF 17–13 |
| Q3 | | BUF | Reed 13 yard pass from Kelly (Norwood kick) | BUF 24–13 |
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[13]
Week 8
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Patriots |
7 |
10 | 3 | 3 |
23 |
Bills |
0 |
0 | 3 | 0 |
3 |
- Date: October 26
- Location: Rich Stadium
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[14]
Week 9
|
1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
0 |
0 | 14 | 14 |
28 |
• Buccaneers |
10 |
10 | 0 | 14 |
34 |
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[15]
Week 10
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Steelers |
0 |
0 | 12 | 0 |
12 |
• Bills |
6 |
7 | 0 | 3 |
16 |
- Date: November 9
- Location: Rich Stadium
- Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 55°F; wind 27
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | 6:15 | BUF | Reed 3 yard pass from Kelly (kick failed) | BUF 6–0 |
| Q2 | 3:06 | BUF | Riddick 5 yard run (Norwood kick) | BUF 13–0 |
| Q3 | 14:44 | PIT | Jackson 5 yard run (kick failed) | BUF 13–6 |
| Q3 | 10:11 | PIT | Thompson 11 yard pass from Malone (kick failed) | BUF 13–12 |
| Q4 | 10:18 | BUF | Norwood 29 yard field goal | BUF 16–12 |
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[16]
Week 11
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Dolphins |
0 |
10 | 10 | 14 |
34 |
Bills |
7 |
14 | 3 | 0 |
24 |
- Date: November 16
- Location: Rich Stadium
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[17]
Week 12
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
0 |
3 | 3 | 13 |
19 |
• Patriots |
9 |
6 | 0 | 7 |
22 |
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[18]
Week 13
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Bills |
0 |
10 | 7 | 0 |
17 |
Chiefs |
7 |
0 | 0 | 7 |
14 |
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[19]
Week 14
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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• Browns |
7 |
7 | 7 | 0 |
21 |
Bills |
0 |
3 | 7 | 7 |
17 |
- Date: December 7
- Location: Rich Stadium
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[20]
Week 15
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
7 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
14 |
• Colts |
0 |
0 | 14 | 10 |
24 |
- Date: December 14
- Location: Hoosier Dome
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
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[21]
Week 16
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1 |
2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Bills |
0 |
7 | 0 | 0 |
7 |
• Oilers |
7 |
3 | 3 | 3 |
16 |
- Date: December 21
- Location: Astrodome
- Game weather: Indoors (dome)
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[22]
External links
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Franchise | |
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Stadiums | |
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Culture | |
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Lore | |
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Rivalries | |
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Division championships (10) | |
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Conference championships (4) | |
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League championships (2) | |
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Wall of Fame | |
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Media | |
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Owners | |
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Current league affiliations | |
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Former league affiliation | |
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Seasons (58) | |
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Championship seasons in bold
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