The 1968 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s ninth season.
| 1968 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| Head coach | Joe Collier and Harvey Johnson |
| Home field | War Memorial Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 1–12–1 |
| Division place | 5th AFL Eastern |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
The Bills' 1–12–1 record in 1968 (a 0.107 winning percentage) is the second-worst in team history: the 1971 Bills went 1–13. They were one of only two teams in AFL history (the other being the 1962 Oakland Raiders) to finish the season with only one victory.
The Bills, coming off a 4–10 season in 1967, fired coach Joe Collier after an 0–2 start in 1968. Defensive backfield coach Harvey Johnson was promoted to interim head coach,[1] where he went 1–10–1 to finish the year.[2]
With the release of running back Wray Carlton, wide receiver Elbert Dubenion was the last player from the Bills' original roster in 1960 to still be with the team.[3]
The majority of Buffalo's games were started by backup quarterback Dan Darragh, after injuries claimed the seasons of long-time starter Jack Kemp and new addition Tom Flores. Even Darragh and new addition Kay Stephenson were injured. Ultimately, running back Ed Rutkowski, who hadn't played the quarterback position since college six years prior, ended up starting at quarterback for the Bills.[4]
Buffalo's only win of the season was a home victory over the New York Jets, who eventually went on to win Super Bowl III. In that game, the Bills held a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter before giving up two late touchdowns to the Jets. Ultimately, the Bills were able to hold on to the two-point win.[5] Through the 2022 season, this is the only instance in which a team that had only 1 win have that win come against the eventual Super Bowl champion.
Offseason
- August 24: Bills sign fullback Wayne Patrick.[6]
- August 27: Bills acquire quarterback (and future Bills head coach) Kay Stephenson from the San Diego Chargers for a Fifth Round Pick.[6]
- August 28: Bills acquire fullback Bob Cappadona from the Boston Patriots for a ninth round draft pick.[6]
- September 2: The Bills cut running backs Wray Carlton, wide receiver Ed Rutkowski (who would return later in the season as a quarterback), tight end Charley Ferguson and defensive tackle Dudley Meredith.[3]
AFL Draft
Personnel
Coaches/Staff
| 1968 Buffalo Bills staff | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Front office
Coaching staff
Offensive coaches
Defensive coaches
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Final roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers Tight ends
| Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
| Linebackers Defensive backs
Special teams
| Reserve lists
| ||||||
Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 5 | Detroit Lions | W 13–9 | 1–0 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 11 | Miami Dolphins | T 28–28 | 1–0–1 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | August 17 | Cincinnati Bengals | L 6–10 | 1–1–1 | Nippert Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 23 | Houston Oilers | L 7–37 | 1–2–1 | Astrodome | Recap |
| 5 | August 30 | Cleveland Browns | L 12–22 | 1–3–1 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 8 | Boston Patriots | L 7–16 | 0–1 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 15 | Oakland Raiders | L 6–48 | 0–2 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 22 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 23–34 | 0–3 | Nippert Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 29 | New York Jets | W 37–35 | 1–3 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 5 | Kansas City Chiefs | L 7–18 | 1–4 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 6 | October 12 | at Miami Dolphins | T 14–14 | 1–4–1 | Miami Orange Bowl | Recap |
| 7 | October 20 | at Boston Patriots | L 6–23 | 1–5–1 | Fenway Park | Recap |
| 8 | October 27 | Houston Oilers | L 7–30 | 1–6–1 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 9 | November 3 | at New York Jets | L 21–25 | 1–7–1 | Shea Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 10 | Miami Dolphins | L 17–23 | 1–8–1 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 17 | San Diego Chargers | L 6–21 | 1–9–1 | War Memorial Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 24 | at Denver Broncos | L 32–34 | 1–10–1 | Mile High Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | November 28 | at Oakland Raiders | L 10-13 | 1–11–1 | Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum | Recap |
| 14 | December 7 | at Houston Oilers | L 6–35 | 1–12–1 | Astrodome | Recap |
Standings
| AFL Eastern Division | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | PF | PA | STK | ||
| New York Jets | 11 | 3 | 0 | .786 | 7–1 | 419 | 280 | W4 | |
| Houston Oilers | 7 | 7 | 0 | .500 | 5–3 | 303 | 248 | W2 | |
| Miami Dolphins | 5 | 8 | 1 | .385 | 4–3–1 | 276 | 355 | L1 | |
| Boston Patriots | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 2–6 | 229 | 406 | L2 | |
| Buffalo Bills | 1 | 12 | 1 | .077 | 1–6–1 | 199 | 367 | L8 | |
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings in the AFL.
Game summaries
Week 12 vs. Raiders
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Raiders | 0 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 13 |
at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum • Oakland, California
- Date: November 28
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C) • Wind 5
- Game attendance: 39,883
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information |
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Thanksgiving Day
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