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1968 Buffalo Bills season

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1968 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerRalph Wilson
Head coachJoe Collier and Harvey Johnson
Home fieldWar Memorial Stadium
Results
Record1–12–1
Division place5th AFL Eastern
Playoff finishDid not qualify

The 1968 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s ninth season.

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

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AFL Draft

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Personnel

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Coaches/Staff

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1968 Buffalo Bills staff
Front office

Coaching staff

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Final roster

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1968 Buffalo Bills roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Reserve


Rookies in italics

Preseason

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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

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Schedule

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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

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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

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Week 12 vs. Raiders

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Buffalo Bills (1–10–1) at Oakland Raiders (9–2)
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 3 0710
Raiders 0 3 10013

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

Thanksgiving Day

Awards and Records

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References

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  1. ^ Johnson would be promoted to head coach again before the 1971 season
  2. ^ Johnson resumed his defensive coaching duties under John Rauch in 1969, but would later be promoted to head coach again for one year in 1971.
  3. ^ a b Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.393, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  4. ^ [Neft, David S.; Cohen, Richard M.; and Korch, Rich The Sports Encyclopedia: Pro Football, 12th Edition, p.144, Martin's Press, August 1994, ISBN 0-312-11073-1
  5. ^ Pro-Football-Reference: New York Jets 35 at Buffalo Bills 37, Sunday, September 29, 1968
  6. ^ a b c Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.392, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
  7. ^ Rockin’ the Rockpile: The Buffalo Bills of the American Football League, p.513, Jeffrey J. Miller, ECW Press, 2007, ISBN 978-1-55022-797-0
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