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1969 Buffalo Bills season
Head Coach John Rauch
Home Field War Memorial Stadium
Results
Record 4–10
Place 4th AFL Eastern
Playoff Finish did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season Next season
1968 1970

The 1969 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s tenth season, and was the final season of the American Football League before the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger. The Bills played an AFL-record seven games against opponents that went on to reach the postseason;[1] Buffalo lost all seven of these games.

The 1969 season was the first for running back O.J. Simpson, who would go on to a Hall of Fame career.

Although Buffalo only won four games, their penultimate win—a Week Ten victory against the Miami Dolphins—would be their last victory against the Dolphins until the 1980 season. After the win, the Bills suffered against Miami an NFL-record twenty consecutive games lost by one team to another.

Offseason[]

  • August 9, 1969: O.J. Simpson signs a four-year contract worth $215,000.[2]
  • August 20, 1969: The Bills acquired wide receiver Marlin Briscoe.[3]
  • August 25, 1969: Guard George Flint and defensive tackle Tom Sestak both announced their retirements.[4]
  • August 25, 1969: Running back/returner Ed Rutkowski was released by the Bills.[4]

Draft[]

1969 Buffalo Bills draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 1 O.J. Simpson *   RB USC
2 27 Bill Enyart  RB Oregon St
3 53 Julian Nunamaker  DE Tennessee-Martin
4 79 Mike Richey  OT North Carolina
5 105 Ben Mayes  DE Drake
7 157 John Helton  DE Arizona St
8 183 Waddey Harvey  DT Virginia Tech
8 192 James Harris *  QB Grambling State
10 235 James Baines  WR Montana
11 261 Bobby Hall  RB NC State
12 287 Lloyd Pate  RB Cincinnati
12 312 Leon Lovelace  OT Texas Tech
14 339 Bubba Thornton  WR TCU
15 365 Karl Wilson  RB Olivet
16 391 Robert Kirk  OG Indiana
17 417 Wayne Lineberry  LB East Carolina
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[5]

Personnel[]

Coaches/Staff[]

1969 Buffalo Bills staff
Front office

Coaching staff

Offensive coaches

  • Wide Receivers - Bill Miller
  • Offensive Line – Marvin Bass

Defensive coaches

  • Defensive Line – Ray Malavasi
  • Linebackers – Ralph Hawkins
  • Defensive Backfield – Claude Gibson
  • Kickers - Bugsy Engelberg

Final roster[]

1969 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Preseason[]

Date Opponent Score Result Record Attendance
August 2 at Houston Oilers 24–7 [6] Loss 0–1
37,250
August 8 Washington Redskins 21–17 [7] Win 1–1
37,012
August 15 at Detroit Lions 24–12 [3] Loss 1–2
34,206
August 22 Baltimore Colts 20–7 [8] Loss 1–3
45,750
August 30 Chicago Bears (played in Cleveland) 23–16 [8] Loss 1–4
85,531
September 6 at Los Angeles Rams 50–20 [8] Loss 1–5
69,904

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Date Opponent Score Result Record Attendance
September 14 New York Jets 33–19 Loss 0–1
46,165
September 21 Houston Oilers 17–3 Loss 0–2
40,146
September 28 Denver Broncos 41–28 Win 1–2
40,302
October 5 at Houston Oilers 28–14 Loss 1–3
46,485
October 11 Boston Patriots 23–16 Win 2–3
46,201
October 19 at Oakland Raiders 50–21 Loss 2–4
54,418
October 26 at Miami Dolphins 24–6 Loss 2–5
39,837
November 2 Kansas City Chiefs 29–7 Loss 2–6
45,844
November 9 at New York Jets 16–6 Loss 2–7
62,680
November 16 Miami Dolphins 28–3 Win 3–7
32,686
November 23 at Boston Patriots 35–21 Loss 3–8
25,584
November 30 Cincinnati Bengals 16–13 Win 4–8
35,122
December 7 at Kansas City Chiefs 22–19 Loss 4–9
47,112
December 14 at San Diego Chargers 45–6 Loss 4–10
47,582

Week 1[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
• Jets 6 10 3 14 33
Bills 3 0 6 10 19

[9]


Week 2[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
• Oilers 0 7 3 7 17
Bills 3 0 0 0 3
  • Date: September 21
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 40,146
  • Game weather: 58°F; wind 6

[10]


Week 3[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Broncos 14 0 7 7 28
• Bills 3 17 21 0 41
  • Date: September 28
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 40,302
  • Game weather: 53°F; wind 9

[11]


Week 4[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 0 7 7 14
• Oilers 7 7 7 7 28

[12]


Week 5[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 6 0 7 3 16
• Bills 7 3 3 10 23
  • Date: October 11
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 46,201
  • Game weather: 67°F; wind 14

[13]


Week 6[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 7 0 14 21
• Raiders 14 28 6 2 50
  • Date: October 19
  • Location: Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
  • Game attendance: 54,418
  • Game weather: 56°F; wind 8

[14]


Week 7[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 3 0 3 0 6
• Dolphins 0 14 3 7 24
  • Date: October 26
  • Location: Orange Bowl
  • Game attendance: 39,837
  • Game weather: 79°F; wind 14

[15]


Week 8[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
• Chiefs 0 3 3 23 29
Bills 7 0 0 0 7
  • Date: November 2
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 45,844
  • Game weather: 56°F; wind 13

[16]


Week 9[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 3 3 0 6
• Jets 0 7 3 6 16

[17]


Week 10[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Dolphins 3 0 0 0 3
• Bills 7 7 7 7 28
  • Date: November 16
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 32,686
  • Game weather: 28°F; wind 16

[18]


Week 11[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 7 7 7 0 21
• Patriots 14 7 0 14 35

[19]


Week 12[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bengals 3 3 0 7 13
• Bills 3 3 10 0 16
  • Date: November 30
  • Location: War Memorial Stadium
  • Game attendance: 35,122
  • Game weather: 28°F; wind 17

[20]


Week 13[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 3 0 10 6 19
• Chiefs 7 6 3 6 22
  • Date: December 7
  • Location: Kansas City Municipal Stadium
  • Game attendance: 47,112
  • Game weather: 34°F; wind 14

[21]


Week 14[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Bills 0 0 0 6 6
• Chargers 10 14 7 14 45

[22]


Standings[]

AFL Eastern Division
view · talk · edit W L T PCT DIV PF PA STK
New York Jets 10 4 0 .714 8–0 353 269 W2
Houston Oilers 6 6 2 .500 5–3 278 279 W1
Boston Patriots 4 10 0 .286 3–5 266 316 L2
Buffalo Bills 4 10 0 .286 2–6 230 359 L2
Miami Dolphins 3 10 1 .231 2–6 233 332 L1

Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972. This was the final year of the AFL The Baltimore Colts would join the AFL eastern teams and become the AFC East in 1970.

Awards and records[]

References[]

  1. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the AFL, in the regular season, in games against playoff teams only, sorted by most games in season matching criteria., tied with the
  2. Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p. 435, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  3. 3.0 3.1 Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.437, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  4. 4.0 4.1 Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p. 439, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  5. The Football Database - 1969 Buffalo Bills Draft. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  6. Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.434, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  7. Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.435, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.439, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  9. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  10. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  11. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  12. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  13. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  14. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  15. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  16. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  17. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  18. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  19. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  20. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  21. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
  22. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2016-Dec-11.
Eastern Division Western Division
Boston Cincinnati
Buffalo Denver
Houston Kansas City
Miami Oakland
New York Jets San Diego
1969 AFL DraftAFL PlayoffsAll-Star gameSuper Bowl IV
Related: 1969 NFL Season


1969 NFL-AFL season by teamv · d · e
NFL Eastern Western Eastern Western AFL
Capitol Century Coastal Central Boston Cincinnati
Dallas Cleveland Atlanta Chicago Buffalo Denver
New Orleans NY Giants Baltimore Detroit Houston Kansas City
Philadelphia Pittsburgh Los Angeles Green Bay Miami Oakland
Washington St. Louis San Francisco Minnesota NY Jets San Diego
1969 NFL DraftNFL PlayoffsPro BowlSuper Bowl IV
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