1984 Buffalo Bills season | |
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Head Coach | Kay Stephenson |
Home Field | Rich Stadium |
Results | |
Record | 2-14 |
Place | 5th in AFC East |
Playoff Finish | Did not qualify for playoffs |
Timeline | |
Previous Season | Next Season |
1983 | 1985 |
Offseason
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Uniform change
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For the third time in team history, the Bills changed their helmets. While keeping the streaking buffalo logo from the second change, the Bills changed their helmet color from white to red. They would keep the red helmet through the 2010 season.[8] It was the Bills first major change to their helmets since changing from the "standing Bison" to the streaking buffalo before the 1974 season. Since three of the Bills' four AFC Eastern division opponents—Miami, Indianapolis and New England—had white helmets, "it was easier for [Ferguson] to distinguish and that's the reason why we made the switch."[9][10] Ferguson had thrown a high number of interceptions over the previous two seasons, and coach Kay Stephenson hoped it would help the quarterback reduce them. Ironically, 1984 was Ferguson's last year with the Bills, and only year with the red helmets; Ferguson, after 107 consecutive starts dating to the 1977 season (at the time tied with the league record), was benched in favor of Joe Dufek on September 30. Ferguson's interception total actually increased compared to the previous year, and he would go on to play for at least three more teams (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Canadian football's San Antonio Texans) that all had white helmets.
Offseason
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NFL draft
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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.
1984 Buffalo Bills draft picks | ||||||||
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Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Made Roster? | Pro Bowl (?) | HOF (?) | |
1 | 26 | Greg Hill | Running back | Notre Dame | Yes | No | No | |
2 | 41 | Rodney Bellinger | Defensive back | Miami (FL) | Yes | No | No | |
3 | 79 | Sean McNanie | Defensive end | San Diego State | Yes | No | No | |
3 | 82 | Speedy Neal | Running back | Miami (FL) | Yes | No | No | |
4 | 95 | Mitchell Brookins | Wide receiver | Illinois | Yes | No | No | |
5 | 128 | John Kidd | Punter | Northwestern | Yes | No | No | |
6 | 155 | Tony Slaton | Center | USC | No | No | No | |
7 | 182 | Stan David | Linebacker | Texas Tech | Yes | No | No | |
8 | 209 | Stacy Rayfield | Defensive back | Texas–Arlington | No | No | No | |
9 | 236 | Leroy Howell | Defensive end | Appalachian State | No | No | No | |
10 | 263 | Joe Azelby | Linebacker | Harvard | Yes | No | No | |
11 | 299 | Craig White | Wide receiver | Missouri | Yes | No | No | |
12 | 322 | Russell Davis | Wide receiver | Maryland | No | No | No |
Personnel
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Staff/Coaches
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1984 Buffalo Bills staff | ||||||
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Front Office
Defensive/Special Teams Coaches
Strength & Conditioning
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Roster
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References
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- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: Team Game Finder Query Results
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference: In a single season, from 1978 to 2011, in the regular season, sorted by descending Sacked
- ↑ The record was later shattered by the Eagles in 1986.
- ↑ Second to Indianapolis
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: 1984 NFL Standings, Team & Offensive Statistics
- ↑ (1975 Bears are the other)
- ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1940 to 2011, in the NFL, in the regular season, requiring Points Differential <= -25, sorted by most games in season matching criteria.
- ↑ SportsLogos.net: Buffalo Bills Logos
- ↑ ProFootballTalk.com: The story behind the Bills’ red helmets, 23 June 2011|Retrieved January 4, 2012]
- ↑ BuffaloBills.com: Untold uniform stories: Fergie behind helmet color change, 23 June 2011|Retrieved January 4, 2012
- ↑ {{cite web |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/buf/1984_draft.htm |title=1984 Buffalo Bills draftees |work=Pro-Football-Reference.com |accessdate=July 25, 2018}
External links
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- 1984 Buffalo Bills season article at Wikipedia