1983 Buffalo Bills season | |
---|---|
Head Coach | Kay Stephenson |
Home Field | Rich Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 8-8 |
Place | 3rd in AFC East |
Playoff Finish | Did not qualify for playoffs |
Timeline | |
Previous Season | Next Season |
1982 | 1984 |
The 1983 Buffalo Bills season was the 24th season for the club and its 14th in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first of three seasons for head coach Kay Stephenson. Bills running back Joe Cribbs was both the Bills' leading rusher (1131 yards), and the team's leader in receptions and receiving yards (57 catches for 524 yards).[1] The team looked to improve on its 4-5 record from 1982. With the NFL schedule back to 16 games, the Bills were a more competitive team during 1983. The team started 5-2 through its first 7 games. However, they would struggle the rest of the way, as they went 3-6 in its final 9 games en route to a mediocre 8-8 season. This season also saw the Bills beat the Dolphins in Miami for the first time since 1966, Miami's inaugural season.
Offseason[]
NFL draft[]
- Main article: 1983 NFL draft
The Bills drafted future Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly, the third of a record six quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 1983 draft. Kelly would play for the USFL's Houston Gamblers from 1983–1985, before making his first start with the Bills in Week One of the 1986 season. The Bills later retired Kelly's #12, at the time the only number the franchise retired. Linebacker Darryl Talley played for twelve years with the Bills. He was a two-time Pro Bowler, in 1990 and 1991. He was inducted into the Bills Wall of Fame.
1983 Buffalo Bills draft picks[2] | ||||||||
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Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Made Roster? | Pro Bowl (?) | HOF (?) | |
1 | 12 | Tony Hunter | Tight end | Notre Dame | Yes | No | No | |
1 | 14 | Jim Kelly | Quarterback | Miami (FL) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2 | 39 | Darryl Talley | Linebacker | West Virginia | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
4 | 93 | Trey Junkin | Linebacker | Louisiana Tech | Yes | No | No | |
4 | 112 | Jimmy Payne | Defensive end | Georgia | No | No | No | |
5 | 126 | Matt Vandenboom | Defensive back | Wisconsin | No | No | No | |
7 | 180 | Gurnest Brown | Defensive tackle | Maryland | No | No | No | |
8 | 207 | James Durham | Defensive back | Houston | No | No | No | |
9 | 234 | George Parker | Running back | Norfolk State | No | No | No | |
10 | 260 | Richard Tharpe | Defensive tackle | Louisville | No | No | No | |
11 | 293 | Larry White | Defensive end | Jackson State | No | No | No | |
12 | 320 | Julius Dawkins | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh | Yes | No | No |
Personnel[]
Staff/Coaches[]
1983 Buffalo Bills staff | ||||||
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Front Office
Coaching Staff
Offensive Coaches
Defensive/Special Teams Coaches
Special Assignments
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Roster[]
1983 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
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Defensive Backs
Special Teams
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Note: Rookies in italics |
Schedule[]
Preseason[]
Regular season[]
References[]
- ↑ 1983 was the last of Cribbs' three NFL Pro Bowl seasons before he left the NFL for the USFL's Birmingham Stallions in 1984.
- ↑ 1983 Buffalo Bills draftees. Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved on November 15, 2014.
- ↑ Went to play in the United States Football League (USFL), signing with Houston Gamblers, before signing with the Bills, who retained his draft rights, in 1986, upon the folding of the USFL.
External links[]
- 1983 Buffalo Bills season article at Wikipedia