1965 Buffalo Bills

1965 Buffalo Bills season
Head Coach	Lou Saban
Home Field	War Memorial Stadium
Results
Record	10-3-1
Place	1st
Playoff Finish	W AFL Championship
Timeline
Previous Season	Next Season
1964	1966

The 1965 Buffalo Bills were 1965 AFL East champions and won their second straight AFL championship.

Season summary

Although Buffalo's offense was in the middle of the pack in 1965, it was their dominant team defense that kept them atop the league's standings. Buffalo gave up only 226 points (16.1 per game), fewest in the AFL, and one point fewer than AFL Championship runner-up San Diego. The Bills' opportunistic defense led the league in interceptions, with 32, and gave up a league-low four rushing touchdowns all season. Between week 6 of the 1964 season, through week eight of the 1965 season, including two 1964 playoff games, the Bills' defense did not allow a touchdown by rushing, a Professional Football record that still stands.

The Bills, who had led the AFL in points, rushing yards and total yards the previous season, suffered significantly after losing star running back Cookie Gilchrist in the offseason. Statistically, the Bills dropped to 6th (out of 8) in rushing yards, and 7th in passing yards. Still, they managed to finish 3rd in the AFL in points scored, with 313 (22.3 per game).

The Bills' turnover ratio was +18, best in the AFL, and fourth best in AFL history. Buffalo's +87 point differential was second-best in the league in 1965.

Seven Bills made the 1965 AFL All-Star team: safety George Saimes, cornerback Butch Byrd, linebacker Mike Stratton, defensive tackle Tom Sestak, guard Billy Shaw, kicker Pete Gogolak, and quarterback Jack Kemp.

Personnel

Coaches/Staff

1965 Buffalo Bills staff
Front Office President – Ralph Wilson Head Coaches Head Coach – Lou Saban Offensive Coaches Running Backs/Wide Receivers – John Mazur Offensive Line – Jerry Smith			Defensive Coaches Linebackers/Defensive Backs – Joe Collier

Final roster

1965 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks  12 Daryle Lamonica  15 Jack Kemp Running Backs  34 Cookie Gilchrist FB  20 Bobby Smith HB  30 Wray Carlton RB  43 Joe Auer RB  33 Billy Joe HB Wide Receivers  44 Elbert Dubenion  48 Pete Mills WR  81 Bill Groman  85 Glenn Bass  46 Bo Roberson LB/P  40 Ed Rutkowski QB/RB/SE/KR Tight Ends  84 Ernie Warlick  80 Charley Ferguson  82 Paul Costa		Offensive Linemen  66 Billy Shaw G  50 Al Bemiller G  52 Bill Laskey G/T  60 Dave Behrman C  67 Joe O'Donnell G  73 George Flint G  77 Stew Barber T  79 Dick Hudson T Defensive Linemen  70 Tom Sestak DT  72 Ron McDole DE  74 Tom Keating DT  75 Dudley Meredith DT  76 Henry Schmidt DT  83 Hatch Rosdahl DL  88 Tom Day DE  78 Jim Dunaway DT		Linebackers  55 Paul Maguire LB/P  56 Marty Schottenheimer MLB  58 Mike Stratton OLB  64 Harry Jacobs MLB  51 John Tracey OLB Defensive Backs  42 Butch Byrd CB  45 Hagood Clarke S  49 Floyd Hudlow DB  24 Booker Edgerson CB  32 Donnie Stone DB  26 George Saimes S  23 Eugene Sykes DB  22 Charley Warner DB Special Teams  55 Tom Janik S/P  3 Pete Gogolak K  23 Eugene Sykes LS
Note: Rookies in italics

Season schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 11	Boston	W 24–7	45,502
2	September 19	at Denver	W 30–15	30,682
3	September 26	NY Jets	W 33–21	45,056
4	October 3	Oakland	W 17–12	41,256
5	October 10	San Diego	L 34–3	45,260
6	October 17	at Kansas City	W 23–7	26,941
7	October 24	Denver	W 31–13	45,046
8	October 31	Houston	L 19–17	44,267
9	November 7	at Boston	W 23–7	24,415
10	November 14	at Oakland	W 17–14	19,352
11	November 21	Bye
12	November 25	at San Diego	T 20–20	27,473
13	December 5	at Houston	W 29–18	23,087
14	December 12	Kansas City	W 34–25	40,298
15	December 19	at NY Jets	L 14–12	57,396

External links

• 1965 Buffalo Bills article at Wikipedia