2004 Buffalo Bills season

2004 Buffalo Bills season
Head Coach	Mike Mularkey
Home Field	Ralph Wilson Stadium
Results
Record	9–7
Place	3rd AFC East
Playoff Finish	did not qualify
Timeline
Previous season	Next season
2003	2005

The 2004 Buffalo Bills season was their 45th in the league. The team improved upon their previous season's output of 6–10, finishing 9–7. However, this was the fifth straight season in which the team missed the playoffs.

Buffalo needed a win in the final game of the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers to qualify for the playoffs. However, despite the Steelers playing their third-string, Buffalo lost and subsequently missed the playoffs. It was the only winning season that Buffalo had in the first decade of the 2000s (2000–2009).

According to Football Outsiders, who has tracked every play in the NFL since the early 1990s, the 2004 Bills are statistically the best NFL team (in their record-keeping history) to have failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Main article: 2004 NFL Draft

The Bills drafted future starters Lee Evans from Wisconsin and J.P. Losman from Tulane in the first round of the 2004 Draft. Buffalo also signed undrafted tight end Jason Peters from Arkansas and converted him into a Pro Bowl offensive tackle. Buffalo traded their 2004 second round pick and 2005 first round pick to move into position to draft Losman.

Round	Pick #	Player	Position	College
1	13	Lee Evans	Wide Receiver	Wisconsin
1	22	J.P. Losman	Quarterback	Tulane
3	74	Tim Anderson	Defensive Tackle	Ohio State
4	109	Tim Euhus	Tight End	Oregon State
7	207	Dylan McFarland	Offensive Tackle	Montana
7	214	Jonathan Smith	Wide Receiver	Georgia Tech

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	TV Time	Attendance
1	September 12, 2004	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 13–10	CBS 1:00pm	72,389
2	September 19, 2004	at Oakland Raiders	L 13–10	CBS 4:05pm	53,610
3	Bye
4	October 3, 2004	New England Patriots	L 31–17	CBS 1:00pm	72,698
5	October 10, 2004	at New York Jets	L 16–14	CBS 4:15pm	77,976
6	October 17, 2004	Miami Dolphins	W 20–13	CBS 1:00pm	72,714
7	October 24, 2004	at Baltimore Ravens	L 20–6	CBS 1:00pm	69,809
8	October 31, 2004	Arizona Cardinals	W 38–14	FOX 1:00pm	65,887
9	November 7, 2004	New York Jets	W 22–17	CBS 1:00pm	72,574
10	November 14, 2004	at New England Patriots	L 29–6	ESPN 8:30pm	68,756
11	November 21, 2004	St. Louis Rams	W 37–17	FOX 4:15pm	72,393
12	November 28, 2004	at Seattle Seahawks	W 38–9	CBS 4:05pm	66,271
13	December 5, 2004	at Miami Dolphins	W 42–32	CBS 1:00pm	73,084
14	December 12, 2004	Cleveland Browns	W 37–7	CBS 1:00pm	72,330
15	December 19, 2004	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 33–17	CBS 1:00pm	65,378
16	December 26, 2004	at San Francisco 49ers	W 41–7	CBS 4:05pm	63,248
17	January 2, 2005	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 29–24	CBS 1:00pm	73,414

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
New England Patriots	14	2	0	.875	5–1	10–2	437	260	W2
New York Jets	10	6	0	.625	3–3	7–5	333	261	L2
Buffalo Bills	9	7	0	.563	3–3	5–7	395	284	L1
Miami Dolphins	4	12	0	.250	1–5	2–10	275	354	L1