1980 Buffalo Bills

1980 Buffalo Bills season
Head Coach	Chuck Knox
Home Field	Rich Stadium
Results
Record	11-5
Place	1st in AFC East
Playoff Finish	L AFC Divisional
Timeline
Previous Season	Next Season
1979	1981

The 1980 Buffalo Bills season was the 21st season for the club, and 11th season in the National Football League. Their 11–5 record was tied for best in the AFC.

The Bills' defense allowed only 260 points in 1980, 3rd best in the league. Their 4,101 total yards surrendered were best in the NFL in 1980. Buffalo's defense was well represented on the UPI All-AFC team: nose tackle Fred Smerlas and linebacker Jim Haslett – two thirds of Buffalo's "Bermuda Triangle" with linebacker Shane Nelson – were named to the 1st team All-AFC. Defensive end Ben Williams was named to the second team.

Although Buffalo's offensive statistics were not as impressive as its defense, four offensive players were named All-AFC: left guard Reggie McKenzie, left tackle Ken Jones, wide receiver Jerry Butler and rookie running back Joe Cribbs.

Cribbs rushed for 1,185 yards, and made his first Pro Bowl. Jerry Butler and Fred Smerlas also were selected to play in the annual all-star game.

Breaking "The Streak"

The Bills had not beaten the Miami Dolphins in the entire decade of the 1970s, a streak of twenty straight losses, the longest in NFL history. The last time the Bills had defeated Miami was 1969.

The Bills had been outscored 565 (28.5 points per games) to 299 (14.5) during the 1970s by the Dolphins, failing to score more than ten points in over a third of the contests (7). They were shut out three times. Conversely, the Dolphins were held under twenty points just four times, and scored 45 points on the Bills twice. The domination was so thorough that the Bills only lost by one score or less five times, and Don Shula had never lost to Buffalo since taking over as Dolphins coach in 1970. The Bills only held a lead at any point in eight of the games, and only twice in the fourth quarter. Joe Ferguson had lost to the Dolphins 14 straight times.

On opening day of the 1980 season, Miami visited Rich Stadium, attempting to extend the streak to 21 games. At the end of three quarters, Miami led 7–3. In the fourth quarter, running back Roosevelt Leaks scored the go-ahead touchdown to make the score 10–7. Joe Cribbs added a second touchdown to extend the lead to 17–7, and Jeff Nixon intercepted his third pass of the game with only 36 seconds left, breaking the streak at 20 games.

A rowdy crowd of 79,000 fans celebrated, and many stormed the field to tear down the goal posts, carrying them around the field.

The rivalry continued well into the 1990s, but with different results: from 1986 to 1996—the years in which Bills quarterback Jim Kelly and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino played at the same time—the Bills won 14 of 22 match-ups between the teams.

The Bills suffered similar ineptitude against the New England Patriots in the 2000s, losing 20-of-21 games dating from Week 16 of the 2000 season to Week 16 of the 2010 season. (Only the 2003 home opener stopped the streak from breaking Miami's 20-game record.)

Offseason

NFL Draft

• Main article: 1980 NFL Draft

North Carolina State's Jim Ritcher became an anchor of the Buffalo offensive line for the next 14 years; he was the starter for all four Buffalo Super Bowl teams, and was second-team All-Pro in 1991.

Running back Joe Cribbs was Buffalo's starting running back from 1980–1983, and again in 1985 (after returning from one year in the USFL).

Tight end Mark Brammer played for the Bills for five seasons. Greg Cater was Buffalo's starting punter from 1980–1983.

= Pro Bowler

Round	Pick #	Player	Position	College
1	16	Jim Ritcher	Guard	North Carolina State
2	29	Joe Cribbs	Running back	Auburn
2	37	Gene Bradley	Quarterback	Arkansas State
3	67	Mark Brammer	Tight end	Michigan State
3	71	John Schmeding	Guard	Boston College
4	93	Ervin Parker	Linebacker	South Carolina St.
5	119	Jeff Pyburn	Defensive back	Georgia
5	129	Keith Lee	Defensive back	Colorado St.
8	202	Todd Krueger	Quarterback	Northern Michigan
9	231	Kent Davis	Defensive back	SE Missouri State
10	259	Greg Cater	Punter	Tennessee-Chattanooga
11	286	Joe Gordon	Defensive tackle	Grambling St.
12	316	Roger Lapham	Tight end	Maine

Personnel

Staff/Coaches

1980 Buffalo Bills staff

Front Office Majority Owner/Team President – Ralph Wilson General Manager – Stew Barber Vice President/Minority Owner – Pat McGroder Coaching Staff Head Coach – Chuck Knox Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line - Ray Proschaska Running Backs Coach - Elijah Pitts Quarterbacks Coach - Kay Stephenson Wide Receivers Coach - Jack Donaldson Defensive/Special Teams Coaches Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers Coach - Tom Caitlin Defensive Line – Willie Zapalac Defensive Backs – Jim Wagstaff Special Teams - Steve Moore & Elijah Pitts Special Assignments' Special Assignments Coach - Miller McCalmon

Roster

1980 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks 12 Joe Ferguson 10 David Humm Running Backs 47 Curtis Brown FB 20 Joe Cribbs 25 Roland Hooks 48 Roosevelt Leaks FB 40 Terry Miller Wide Receivers 80 Jerry Butler 19 Duke Fergerson 81 Ron Jessie 82 Frank Lewis 89 Lou Piccone Tight Ends 86 Mark Brammer 88 Reuben Gant		Offensive Linemen 73 Jon Borchardt T 68 Joe DeLamielleure G 70 Joe Devlin T 69 Conrad Dobler G 53 Will Grant C 72 Ken Jones T 67 Reggie McKenzie G 51 Jim Ritcher G 65 Tim Vogler G Defensive Linemen 74 Dee Hardison DT 90 Scott Hutchinson DE 71 Mike Kadish DT 91 Ken Johnson DE 76 Fred Smerlas DT 83 Sherman White DE 77 Ben Williams DE		Linebackers 55 Jim Haslett 52 Chris Keating 59 Shane Nelson 58 Isiah Robertson 57 Lucius Sanford 41 Phil Villapiano Defensive Backs 28 Rufus Bess CB 29 Mario Clark CB 22 Steve Freeman FS 21 Doug Greene 42 Rod Kush 38 Jeff Nixon SS 26 Charles Romes CB 45 Bill Simpson FS Special Teams 7 Greg Cater P 5 Nick Mike-Mayer K
* Note: Rookies in itlics

Regular season

Sports Illustrated's Paul Zimmerman wrote about the Bills' 1980 season, "It was a euphoric kind of year for Buffalo. Chuck Knox and his defensive coordinator, Tom Catlin, built the defense into No. 1 in the NFL with virtually the same people who had been lousy in '79. The Bills even beat Miami for the first time in a generation. And then Quarterback Joe Ferguson picked exactly the wrong time of year to sprain his ankle – the playoffs. And San Diego ended the dream."

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	September 7	Miami	W 17–7	1–0	Rich Stadium	Recap
2	September 14	NY Jets	W 20–10	2–0	Rich Stadium	Recap
3	September 21	at New Orleans	W 35–26	3–0	Superdome	Recap
4	September 28	Oakland	W 24–7	4–0	Rich Stadium	Recap
5	October 5	at San Diego	W 26–24	5–0	San Diego Stadium	Recap
6	October 12	Baltimore	L 12–17	5–1	Rich Stadium	Recap
7	October 19	at Miami	L 14–17	5–2	Orange Bowl	Recap
8	October 26	New England	W 31–13	6–2	Rich Stadium	Recap
9	November 2	Atlanta	L 14–30	6–3	Rich Stadium	Recap
10	November 9	at NY Jets	W 31–24	7–3	Shea Stadium	Recap
11	November 16	at Cincinnati	W 14–0	8–3	Riverfront Stadium	Recap
12	November 23	Pittsburgh	W 28–13	9–3	Rich Stadium	Recap
13	November 30	at Baltimore	L 24–28	9–4	Memorial Stadium	Recap
14	December 7	Los Angeles	W 10–7 (OT)	10–4	Rich Stadium	Recap
15	December 14	at New England	L 2–24	10–5	Foxboro Stadium	Recap
16	December 21	at San Francisco	W 18–13	11–5	Candlestick Park	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

Template:1980 AFC East standings

Game summaries

Week 1 vs Dolphins

Week One: Miami Dolphins (0–0) at Buffalo Bills (0–0) 1 2 3 4 Total Dolphins 0 0 7 0 7 Bills 0 3 0 14 17 at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Date: September 7 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game weather: 64°F / 18°C Game attendance: 79,598 Referee: Gordon McCarter TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Mike Haffner Box Score Game information First quarter No scoring Second quarter BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 40-yard field goal. Bills 3–0. Third quarter MIA – Tony Nathan 4-yard pass from Bob Griese (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–3. Fourth quarter BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 4-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 10–7. BUF – Joe Cribbs 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 17–7. Top passers MIA – Bob Griese – 11/18, 101 yards, TD, 2 INT BUF – Joe Ferguson – 20/32, 198 yards, TD, 5 INT Top rushers MIA – Steve Howell – 6 rushes, 43 yards BUF – Joe Cribbs – 18 rushes, 60 yards, TD Top receivers MIA – Duriel Harris – 3 receptions, 42 yards BUF – Joe Cribbs – 9 receptions, 71 yards

Week 2 vs Jets

Week Two: New York Jets (0–1) at Buffalo Bills (1–0) 1 2 3 4 Total Jets 3 0 0 7 10 Bills 0 10 10 0 20 at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Date: September 14 Game time: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 68°F / 20°C Game attendance: 65,315 Referee: Pat Haggerty TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie Box Score Game information First quarter NYJ – Pat Leahy 44-yard field goal. Jets 3–0. Second quarter BUF – Joe Cribbs 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 7–3. BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 47-yard field goal. Bills 10–3. Third quarter BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 38-yard field goal. Bills 13–3. BUF – Jeff Nixon 50-yard interception return (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 20–3. Fourth quarter NYJ – Clark Gaines 11-yard pass from Richard Todd (Pat Leahy kick). Bills 20–10. Top passers NYJ – Richard Todd – 19/34, 168 yards, TD, INT BUF – Joe Ferguson – 18/29, 207 yards Top rushers NYJ – Clark Gaines – 14 rushes, 94 yards BUF – Roosevelt Leaks – 12 rushes, 58 yards Top receivers NYJ – Clark Gaines – 12 receptions, 91 yards BUF – Reuben Gant – 4 receptions, 84 yards

Week 3 at Saints

Week Three: Buffalo Bills (2–0) at New Orleans Saints (0–2) 1 2 3 4 Total Bills 7 7 7 14 35 Saints 0 19 0 7 26 at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana Date: September 21 Game time: 1:00 p.m. CDT Game weather: Indoors (dome) Game attendance: 51,154 Referee: Fred Wyant TV announcers (NBC): Jay Rudolph and Gene Washington Box Score Game information First quarter BUF – Frank Lewis 12-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 7–0. Second quarter NO – Chuck Muncie 1-yard run (Benny Ricardo kick). Tie 7–7. BUF – Joe Cribbs 12-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 14–7. NO – Ike Harris 44-yard pass from Archie Manning. Bills 14–13. NO – Benny Ricardo 45-yard field goal. Saints 16–14. NO – Benny Ricardo 47-yard field goal. Saints 19–14. Third quarter BUF – Frank Lewis 18-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 21–19. Fourth quarter BUF – Mark Brammer 2-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 28–19. BUF – Joe Cribbs 7-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 35-19. NO – Ike Harris 15-yard pass from Archie Manning (Benny Ricardo kick). Bills 35–26. Top passers BUF – Joe Ferguson – 22/31, 295 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT NO – Archie Manning – 24/34, 285 yards, 2 TD Top rushers BUF – Joe Cribbs – 22 rushes, 89 yards, 2 TD NO – Chuck Muncie – 10 rushes, 22 yards Top receivers BUF – Jerry Butler – 5 receptions, 133 yards NO – Brooks Williams – 6 receptions, 89 yards

Week 4 vs Raiders

Week Four: Oakland Raiders (2–1) at Buffalo Bills (3–0) 1 2 3 4 Total Raiders 0 0 7 0 7 Bills 7 10 0 7 24 at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Date: September 28 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game weather: 54°F / 12°C Game attendance: 77,259 Referee: Dick Jorgensen TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and John Brodie Box Score Game information First quarter BUF – Curtis Brown 4-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 7–0. Second quarter BUF – Joe Cribbs 1-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 14–0. BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 30-yard field goal. Bills 17–0. Third quarter OAK – Lester Hayes 48-yard interception return (Chris Bahr kick). Bills 17–7. Fourth quarter BUF – Joe Cribbs 21-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 24–7. Top passers OAK – Dan Pastorini – 10/20, 158 yards, 2 INT BUF – Joe Ferguson – 17/22, 175 yards, TD, INT Top rushers OAK – Mark van Eeghen – 10 rushes, 46 yards BUF – Joe Cribbs – 30 rushes, 90 yards, TD Top receivers OAK – Bob Chandler – 3 receptions, 87 yards BUF – Jerry Butler – 3 receptions, 49 yards

Week 5 at Chargers

Week Five: Buffalo Bills (4–0) at San Diego Chargers (4–0) 1 2 3 4 Total Bills 3 9 0 14 26 Chargers 7 10 7 0 24 at San Diego Stadium, San Diego, California Date: October 5 Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT Game weather: 68°F / 20°C Game attendance: 51,982 Referee: Bob McElwee TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson Box score Game information First quarter BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 48-yard field goal, 10:11. Bills 3–0. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 3:17. SDG – Kellen Winslow 4-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 5:44. Chargers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 2:50. Second quarter SDG – John Jefferson 5-yard pass from Dan Fouts (Rolf Benirschke kick), 14:56. Chargers 14–3. Drive: 9 plays, 55 yards, 2:02. BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 29-yard field goal, 8:51. Chargers 14–6. Drive: 12 plays, 69 yards, 6:05. BUF – Lucius Sanford blocked punt recovery in end zone (kick failed), 2:24. Chargers 14–12. SDG – Rolf Benirschke 29-yard field goal, 0:12. Chargers 17–12. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 2:12. Third quarter SDG – Clarence Williams 3-yard run (Rolf Benirschke kick), 6:19. Chargers 24–12. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 2:25. Fourth quarter BUF – Mark Brammer 9-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 10:43. Chargers 24–19. Drive: 4 plays, 16 yards, 1:34. BUF – Joe Cribbs 3-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick), 7:28. Bills 26–24. Drive: 5 plays, 21 yards, 2:54. Top passers BUF – Joe Ferguson – 14/28, 129 yards, TD SD – Dan Fouts – 20/35, 220 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers BUF – Joe Cribbs – 23 rushes, 87 yards, TD SD – Chuck Muncie – 10 rushes, 37 yards Top receivers BUF – Jerry Butler – 3 receptions, 44 yards SD – John Jefferson – 7 receptions, 85 yards, TD

Week 6 vs Colts

Week Six: Baltimore Colts (3–2) at Buffalo Bills (5–0) 1 2 3 4 Total Colts 10 7 0 0 17 Bills 0 9 0 3 12 at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Date: October 12 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game weather: 49°F / 9°C Game attendance: 73,634 Referee: Jim Tunney TV: NBC Box Score Game information First quarter BAL – Mike Siani 38-yard pass from Bert Jones (Steve Mike-Mayer kick). Colts 7–0. BAL – Steve Mike-Mayer 21-yard field goal. Colts 10–0. Second quarter BUF – Roosevelt Leaks 1-yard run. Colts 10–6. BAL – Don McCauley 1-yard run (Steve Mike-Mayer kick). Colts 17–6. BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 49-yard field goal. Colts 17–9. Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 20-yard field goal. Colts 17–12. Top passers BAL – Bert Jones – 10/21, 206 yards, TD, INT BUF – Joe Ferguson – 17/36, 210 yards, INT Top rushers BAL – Joe Washington – 22 rushes, 74 yards BUF – Joe Cribbs – 18 rushes, 76 yards Top receivers BAL – Mike Siani – 4 receptions, 91 yards, TD BUF – Frank Lewis – 3 receptions, 52 yards

Week 7 at Dolphins

Week Seven: Buffalo Bills (5–1) at Miami Dolphins (3–3) 1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 0 7 7 14 Dolphins 7 7 3 0 17 at Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, Florida Date: October 19 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game weather: 80°F / 27°C Game attendance: 41,636 Referee: Red Cashion TV announcers (NBC): Dick Enberg and Merlin Olsen Box Score Game information First quarter MIA – Don Bessillieu 44-yard fumble return (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 7–0. Second quarter MIA – Nat Moore 3-yard pass from David Woodley (Uwe von Schamann kick). Dolphins 14–0. Third quarter BUF – Joe Cribbs 2-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Dolphins 14–7. MIA – Uwe von Schamann 23-yard field goal. Dolphins 17–7. Fourth quarter BUF – Jerry Butler 7-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Dolphins 17–14. Top passers BUF – Joe Ferguson – 24/42, 221 yards, TD MIA – David Woodley – 11/17, 93 yards, TD, INT Top rushers BUF – Joe Cribbs – 14 rushes, 38 yards, TD MIA – Terry Robiskie – 18 rushes, 84 yards Top receivers BUF – Frank Lewis – 4 receptions, 71 yards MIA – Nat Moore – 4 receptions, 39 yards, TD

Week 8 vs Patriots

Week Eight: New England Patriots (6–1) at Buffalo Bills (5–2) 1 2 3 4 Total Patriots 3 0 10 0 13 Bills 0 14 0 17 31 at Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Date: October 26 Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT Game weather: 41°F / 5°C Game attendance: 75,092 Referee: Ben Dreith TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones and Len Dawson Box Score Game information First quarter NE – John Smith 41-yard field goal. Patriots 3–0. Second quarter BUF – Frank Lewis 14-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 7–3. BUF – Frank Lewis 12-yard pass from Joe Ferguson (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 14–3. Third quarter NE – Russ Francis 26-yard pass from Steve Grogan (John Smith kick). Bills 14–10. NE – John Smith 32-yard field goal. Bills 14–13. Fourth quarter BUF – Nick Mike-Mayer 23-yard field goal. Bills 17–13. BUF – Joe Cribbs 16-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 24–13. BUF – Joe Cribbs 5-yard run (Nick Mike-Mayer kick). Bills 31–13. Top passers NE – Steve Grogan – 13/29, 138 yards, TD, 4 INT BUF – Joe Ferguson – 12/28, 176 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers NE – Don Calhoun – 8 rushes, 24 yards BUF – Joe Cribbs – 30 rushes, 118 yards, 2 TD Top receivers NE – Russ Francis – 2 receptions, 32 yards, TD BUF – Frank Lewis – 5 receptions, 80 yards, 2 TD

Week 9

1 2 3 4 Total • Falcons 0 10 10 10 30 Bills 7 7 0 0 14 Date: November 2 Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 40°F / 4°C, wind 9 mph / 15 km/h Referee: Chuck Heberling Television network: CBS

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 10 7 7 7 31 Jets 0 10 0 14 24 Date: November 9 Location: Shea Stadium, Flushing, New York Game start: 4:00 p.m. Game weather: 44 °F / 7 °C, wind 12 mph / 19 km/h Television network: NBC

Week 11

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 0 7 0 7 14 Bengals 0 0 0 0 0 Date: November 16 Location: Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 34 °F / 1 °C, wind 11 mph / 18 km/h

Week 12

1 2 3 4 Total Steelers 7 3 0 3 13 • Bills 7 7 7 7 28 Date: November 23 Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 41 °F / 5 °C, wind 10 mph / 16 km/h

Week 13

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 7 7 3 7 24 • Colts 0 14 7 7 28 Date: November 30 Location: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 43 °F / 6 °C, wind 14 mph / 23 km/h Referee: Jerry Markbreit TV announcers: NBC

Week 14

1 2 3 4 OT Total Rams 0 0 7 0 0 7 • Bills 0 0 7 0 3 10 Date: December 7 Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 43 °F / 6 °C, wind 9 mph 14 km/h TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully

First ever win for Buffalo vs Rams

Week 15

1 2 3 4 Total Bills 0 0 2 0 2 • Patriots 7 7 7 3 24 Date: December 14 Location: Schaefer Stadium, Foxboro, Massachusetts Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 28 °F / -2 °C, wind 15 mph 24 km/h Referee: Cal Lepore TV announcers (NBC): Bob Costas and Gene Washington

Week 16

1 2 3 4 Total • Bills 6 7 5 0 18 49ers 6 0 7 0 13 Date: December 21 Location: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 53 °F / 12 °C, wind 6 mph 10 km/h Referee: Ben Dreith TV announcers (NBC): Don Criqui and Mike Haffner

External links

• 1980 Buffalo Bills season article at Wikipedia