2010 Buffalo Bills season

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2010 Buffalo Bills season
OwnerRalph Wilson
General managerBuddy Nix
Head coachChan Gailey
Home fieldRalph Wilson Stadium
Rogers Centre (Week 9)
Results
Record4–12
Division place4th AFC East
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro BowlersDT Kyle Williams

The 2010 season was the Buffalo Bills' 51st season in the National Football League (NFL), It was Buffalo's first season with Buddy Nix in the role of general manager and head coach Chan Gailey. The Bills hoped to improve on their 6–10 record from the 2009 season, and attempt to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999. The Bills had the 9th pick in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft selecting C. J. Spiller, a running back from Clemson. This season marks the first 0–8 start since 1984, in which they finished 2–14. They were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12, extending their playoff drought to 11 seasons. Despite the poor start, Buffalo became largely competitive after the bye in Week 9.

Their next four losses were by only three points each, all to teams that made the playoffs that year—Baltimore, Kansas City, Chicago and Pittsburgh (three of these losses went to overtime). The Bills eventually won four of their final eight games, which carried over into a strong start to the 2011 season. The 2010 season was marked by the emergence of wide receiver Stevie Johnson, who gained 1,073 receiving yards and nose tackle Kyle Williams, an All-Pro in 2010 who gained status as an elite defensive tackle.[1][2][3]

Offseason

The Bills had fired head coach Dick Jauron after Week 10 of the 2009 season; he had been replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The remainder of the Jauron coaching staff was released at the end of the year, including Fewell. Former Dallas Cowboys and Georgia Tech head coach Chan Gailey was hired as the Bills' new head coach and Buddy Nix had taken over as general manager after a two-year vacancy in the position. (Current team CEO Russ Brandon had handled GM responsibilities.) Gailey installed the 3-4 defense (although the team would play in a 4–3 on certain downs)[4] and the "Pistol" offensive formation. George Edwards was named defensive coordinator, and though Gailey stated he would call the offensive plays, Curtis Modkins was named the nominal offensive coordinator. On February 18, 2010, starting right tackle Brad Butler announced his retirement from professional football. Butler suffered a season ending (ultimately a career ending) knee injury vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in week 2 of the 2009 season. The Bills held an open competition for the starting quarterback position between Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brian Brohm during training camp. Edwards was named starter prior to the first preseason game, but was released from the team after two poor performances. Fitzpatrick took over in Week 3 and, in 13 games, became the first Bills quarterback to throw for 3,000 passing yards in a season since J. P. Losman in 2006.[5][6]

2010 Draft

Main article: 2010 NFL Draft
2010 Buffalo Bills Draft Selections
Round Overall Player Position College
1 9 C. J. Spiller RB Clemson
2 41 Torell Troup DT UCF
3 72 Alex Carrington DE Arkansas State
4 107 Marcus Easley WR Connecticut
5 140 Ed Wang OT Virginia Tech
6 178 Arthur Moats DE James Madison
6 192 Danny Batten DE South Dakota State
7 209 Levi Brown QB Troy
7 216 Kyle Calloway OT Iowa

In-season transactions

Come week three Fitzpatrick was named starter against the Patriots as Edwards was benched. In the game Fitzpatrick had surpassed Edwards' statistics for the first two games. This resulted in Edwards' release from the roster the following day on Monday, a day after the game, when his success in the preseason did not continue into the first two games of the regular season.[7] He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars off waivers the next day on Tuesday.[8]

Similarly, Marshawn Lynch was one of the starting running backs at the beginning of the regular season. He was only to be traded to the Seattle Seahawks after four games into the regular season with the rise of running backs Fred Jackson and first-round draft pick C. J. Spiller created a logjam. The draft picks were at first undisclosed. It was later announced that the Bills would receive a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft.[9]

Staff

Buffalo Bills 2010 staff
Front office
  • Owner/founder/president – Ralph Wilson
  • CEO – Russ Brandon
  • Executive vice president/general manager – Buddy Nix
  • Senior vice president of football administration – Jim Overdorf
  • Vice president of college scouting – Tom Modrak
  • Assistant general manager/director of pro personnel – Doug Whaley
  • Player Personnel Analyst – Kevin Meganck
  • Pro Personnel Coordinator – Rob Hanrahan

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

Final roster

2010 Buffalo Bills final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 14 inactive, 9 practice squad

Schedule

Preseason

The Bills preseason schedule was announced on March 31, 2010. The second preseason game, against the Indianapolis Colts, was held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto as part of the Bills Toronto Series.[10]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 August 13 at Washington Redskins L 17–42 0–1 FedExField Recap
2 August 19 Indianapolis Colts W 34–21 1–1 Canada Rogers Centre (Toronto) Recap
3 August 28 Cincinnati Bengals W 35–20 2–1 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
4 September 2 at Detroit Lions L 23–28 2–2 Ford Field Recap

Regular season

Football statistics site Football Outsiders calculates that the Bills had the toughest schedule in the league in 2010, based on strength of opponent,[11] whilst Pro Football Reference argues that the 2010 Bills had the toughest schedule for any NFL team since 1971, with nine games against opponents 10–6 or better.[12] Apart from their AFC East division games, the Bills played against the AFC North and NFC North according to the conference rotation, and played the Chiefs and Jaguars based on 2009 divisional positions.

Though the Bills were the last team to record their first win in 2010, starting the season with eight consecutive losses, they improved greatly in the second half of the season, with a record of 4–4 to finish the year. Nine of the Bills' twelve losses were to teams that qualified for the postseason, including both representatives in Super Bowl XLV – Pittsburgh and Green Bay. Six of the twelve losses were by eight points or less. Four Buffalo losses had a margin of three points or less and three losses were in overtime, all to eventual playoff teams (Week 7 at Baltimore, Week 8 at Kansas City and Week 12 vs. Pittsburgh).

Week Date Opponent Result Record Game site NFL.com
recap
1 September 12 Miami Dolphins L 10–15 0–1 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
2 September 19 at Green Bay Packers L 7–34 0–2 Lambeau Field Recap
3 September 26 at New England Patriots L 30–38 0–3 Gillette Stadium Recap
4 October 3 New York Jets L 14–38 0–4 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
5 October 10 Jacksonville Jaguars L 26–36 0–5 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
6 Bye
7 October 24 at Baltimore Ravens L 34–37 (OT) 0–6 M&T Bank Stadium Recap
8 October 31 at Kansas City Chiefs L 10–13 (OT) 0–7 Arrowhead Stadium Recap
9 November 7 Chicago Bears L 19–22 0–8 Canada Rogers Centre (Toronto) Recap
10 November 14 Detroit Lions W 14–12 1–8 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
11 November 21 at Cincinnati Bengals W 49–31 2–8 Paul Brown Stadium Recap
12 November 28 Pittsburgh Steelers L 16–19 (OT) 2–9 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
13 December 5 at Minnesota Vikings L 14–38 2–10 Mall of America Field Recap
14 December 12 Cleveland Browns W 13–6 3–10 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
15 December 19 at Miami Dolphins W 17–14 4–10 Sun Life Stadium Recap
16 December 26 New England Patriots L 3–34 4–11 Ralph Wilson Stadium Recap
17 January 2 at New York Jets L 7–38 4–12 New Meadowlands Stadium Recap

Standings

AFC East
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(1) New England Patriots 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 518 313 W8
(6) New York Jets 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 367 304 W1
Miami Dolphins 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 275 332 L3
Buffalo Bills 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 283 425 L2

Conference

AFC[13]
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division winners
1 New England Patriots East 14 2 0 .875 5–1 10–2 .504 .504 W8
2[a] Pittsburgh Steelers North 12 4 0 .750 5–1 9–3 .500 .417 W2
3[b] Indianapolis Colts South 10 6 0 .625 4–2 8–4 .473 .425 W4
4[b] Kansas City Chiefs West 10 6 0 .625 2–4 6–6 .414 .381 L1
Wild cards
5[a] Baltimore Ravens North 12 4 0 .750 4–2 9–3 .484 .422 W4
6 New York Jets East 11 5 0 .688 4–2 9–3 .492 .409 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 San Diego Chargers West 9 7 0 .563 3–3 7–5 .457 .410 W1
8[c] Jacksonville Jaguars South 8 8 0 .500 3–3 7–5 .453 .383 L3
9[c] Oakland Raiders West 8 8 0 .500 6–0 6–6 .469 .469 W1
10 Miami Dolphins East 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .539 .438 L3
11[d] Houston Texans South 6 10 0 .375 3–3 5–7 .523 .500 W1
12[d] Tennessee Titans South 6 10 0 .375 2–4 3–9 .508 .500 L2
13 Cleveland Browns North 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 .570 .475 L4
14[e] Denver Broncos West 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .516 .453 L1
15[e][f] Buffalo Bills East 4 12 0 .250 1–5 3–9 .578 .344 L2
16[e][f] Cincinnati Bengals North 4 12 0 .250 2–4 3–9 .582 .438 L1
Tiebreakers[g]
  1. ^ a b Pittsburgh clinched the AFC North title instead of Baltimore based on division record (5–1 to Baltimore's 4–2).
  2. ^ a b Indianapolis clinched the AFC No. 3 seed instead of Kansas City based on a head-to-head victory.
  3. ^ a b Jacksonville finished ahead of Oakland based on head-to-head victory.
  4. ^ a b Houston finished ahead of Tennessee in the AFC South based on division record (3–3 to Tennessee's 2–4).
  5. ^ a b c Denver finished ahead of Buffalo and Cincinnati based on strength of victory.
  6. ^ a b Buffalo finished ahead of Cincinnati based on head-to-head victory.
  7. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division.

Regular season results

Week 1: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week 1: Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Dolphins 3 7 0515
Bills 0 3 0710

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

The Buffalo Bills began their season at home with an AFC East duel with the Miami Dolphins. In the 1st quarter, Buffalo trailed early when Dolphins kicker Dan Carpenter nailed a 32-yard field goal. The deficit was increased in the 2nd quarter when running back Ronnie Brown got a 1-yard TD run. The Bills eventually replied when kicker Rian Lindell made a 51-yard field goal.

In the 4th quarter, Miami increased their lead with Carpenter hitting a 43-yard field goal. Buffalo replied with a touchdown pass from quarterback Trent Edwards making a 31-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roscoe Parrish. The final score was made when long snapper Garrison Sanborn snapped the ball to Brian Moorman out of bounds for a safety, giving the Dolphins 2 more points and the Bills a loss.

With the loss, the Bills began at 0–1.

Week 2: at Green Bay Packers

Week 2: Buffalo Bills at Green Bay Packers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 7 007
Packers 13 0 14734

at Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Game information

Hoping to rebound from their loss to the Dolphins, the Bills flew to Lambeau Field for an interconference duel with the Packers. In the 1st quarter Buffalo trailed early as kicker Mason Crosby made a 44 and a 24-yard field goal, followed by RB Brandon Jackson getting a 1-yard TD run. The Bills made their only score of the game in the 2nd quarter when RB Fred Jackson made a 3-yard TD run. In the third quarter the Bills struggled further when QB Aaron Rodgers completed a 7-yard TD pass to WR Donald Driver, followed by Rodgers scrambling 9 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Packers increased their lead in the fourth when Rodgers made a 30-yard touchdown pass to WR James Jones.

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–2.

Week 3: at New England Patriots

Week 3: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 3 13 7730
Patriots 7 10 14738

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

Game information

Still looking for a win the Bills flew to Gillette Stadium for an AFC East rivalry match against the Patriots. In the first quarter Buffalo took the early lead when kicker Rian Lindell nailed a 39-yard field goal. Then they fell behind when QB Tom Brady made a 7-yard TD pass to WR Randy Moss. The Bills replied in the second quarter with Lindell making another 39-yard field goal, which was followed by QB Ryan Fitzpatrick getting a 5-yard TD pass to RB C. J. Spiller. The Patriots replied and took the narrow lead when Danny Woodhead made a 22-yard TD run. The Bills got the lead back when Lindell made a 34-yard field goal, which didn't last very long after kicker Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 43-yard field goal. The Bills fell further behind in the third quarter when Brady found Moss again on a 35-yard TD pass, but straight after the PAT, Buffalo scored when C. J. Spiller returned a kickoff and ran 95 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Patriots increased their narrow lead when Brady made a 5-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski, followed in the fourth quarter by RB BenJarvis Green-Ellis getting a 7-yard TD run. The Bills tried to come back into the game when Fitzpatrick made a 37-yard touchdown pass to WR Stevie Johnson, but the Patriots defense prevented anything else from happening, giving the Bills a loss and their 14th straight vs. the Patriots.

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–3. The next day Trent Edwards was released. He was picked up by the Jacksonville Jaguars off wavers the next day.[8]

Week 4: vs. New York Jets

Week 4: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jets 7 10 21038
Bills 0 7 0714

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Still looking for their first win of the season, the Bills went home, donned their throwback uniforms, and played a Week 4 AFC East duel with the New York Jets. Buffalo would trail early in the first quarter as Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson got a 1-yard touchdown run. New York would add onto their lead in the second quarter as kicker Nick Folk nailed a 19-yard field goal, followed by quarterback Mark Sanchez completing a 41-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Braylon Edwards. Buffalo would close out the half as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick connected with tight end David Martin on a 4-yard touchdown pass.

In the third quarter, the Jets would greatly extend their lead with tight end Dustin Keller catching a 3-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver/quarterback Brad Smith, followed by his 2-yard touchdown reception from Sanchez. Afterwards, Tomlinson would help secure the win for New York with his 26-yard touchdown run. The Bills would close out the game in the fourth quarter as Fitzpatrick completed a 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Stevie Johnson.

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 0–4. Two days later, Marshawn Lynch was traded to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick in the 2011 draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft, and tackle Jamon Meredith was waived.

Week 5: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 5: Jacksonville Jaguars at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Jaguars 3 10 14936
Bills 10 3 7626

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Still looking for a win the Bills played on home ground for an AFC duel with the Jaguars. In the first quarter the Bills took the lead as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick made a 45-yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans; followed by kicker Rian Lindell making a 29-yard field goal. The Jaguars replied with kicker Josh Scobee nailing a 49-yard field goal, but in the second quarter the lead had expanded again with Lindell's 22-yard field goal. After that, the Jaguars rallied with Scobee getting another 49-yard field goal, then QB David Garrard made a 1-yard TD pass to TE Marcedes Lewis; followed in the third quarter by Garrard again finding Lewis on a 27-yard TD pass. Buffalo re-tied the game with Fitzpatrick completing a 5-yard TD pass to WR Stevie Johnson, but the Jaguars pulled away with Garrard making a 7-yard TD pass to WR Mike Sims-Walker, followed in the fourth quarter by Scobee making a 34, 40 and a 46-yard field goal. Buffalo tried to tie the game with Fitzpatrick making a 7-yard TD pass to Johnson, but with a failed 2-point conversion, it became a 2-possession game which in turn became very difficult for Buffalo to recover.

With the loss, Buffalo entered their bye week with their first 0–5 start since 1985.

Week 7: at Baltimore Ravens

Week 7: Buffalo Bills at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Bills 10 14 010034
Ravens 3 17 140337

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland

Game information

Still looking for a win the Bills flew to M&T Bank Stadium for an AFC duel against the Ravens. In the 1st quarter the Bills trailed early as kicker Billy Cundiff made a 41-yard field goal. But they pulled ahead with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completing a 33-yard TD pass to WR Lee Evans, followed by kicker Rian Lindell hitting a 21-yard field goal. The lead was increased in the second quarter with Fitzpatrick finding WR Stevie Johnson on a 33-yard TD pass. The Ravens replied with QB Joe Flacco making a 26-yard TD pass to TE Todd Heap. Then Fitzpatrick found Evans again on a 20-yard TD pass to put the Bills up 24–10. The lead was narrowed when Cundiff hit a 48-yard field goal, followed by Flacco throwing a 14-yard TD pass to Heap. In the third quarter the Bills fell behind with Flacco completing a 34-yard TD pass to WR Anquan Boldin, followed by RB Willis McGahee getting a 2-yard TD run. The Bills managed to tie the game in the 4th quarter with Fitzpatrick making a 17-yard TD pass to Evans, and with Lindell getting a 50-yard field goal. After overtime, the decision was made when Cundiff successfully put away a 38-yard field goal to keep the Bills winless after 6 games.

With the loss, the Bills fell to 0–6. After a win by the Carolina Panthers the same week, the Bills became the only team still in contention for an imperfect season.

Week 8: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 8: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Bills 0 0 010010
Chiefs 0 7 03313

at Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri

Game information

Still looking for a win the Bills flew to Arrowhead Stadium for an AFC duel with the Chiefs. In the First quarter the Bills trailed early as QB Matt Cassel got a 1-yard TD pass to WR Dwayne Bowe. The Bills narrowed the lead in the third quarter with kicker Rian Lindell making a 43-yard field goal. The Chiefs scored with kicker Ryan Succop getting a 28-yard field goal. The Bills responded and tied the game with Ryan Fitzpatrick throwing a 4-yard TD pass to WR Stevie Johnson. At overtime, Succop missed a 38-yarder with 3:38 in the OT. Rian Lindell then kicked a 53-yard field goal, which supposedly would've given the Bills the win, but KC called a timeout. Lindell's second kick hit the right upright and bounced off. The decision was made with Succop successfully hitting a 35-yard field goal with 3 seconds left on the clock to keep the Bills winless after 7 games. And their first 0–7 start since 1984.

Starting offensive tackle Cornell Green was placed on injured reserve to clear a roster spot for linebacker Shawne Merriman, who the Bills picked up on waivers from the San Diego Chargers on November 3.

Week 9: vs. Chicago Bears (Bills Toronto Series)

Week 9: Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bears 0 7 7822
Bills 0 7 6619

at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Game information

Still searching for their first win of the season, the Bills flew to the Rogers Centre for their Week 9 interconference duel with the Chicago Bears. After a scoreless first quarter, Buffalo trailed in the second quarter as Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Greg Olsen. The Bills answered with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hooked up with wide receiver Roscoe Parrish on a 14-yard touchdown pass.

Chicago retook the lead as running back Chester Taylor got a 1-yard touchdown run. The Bills responded with a 4-yard touchdown run from running back Fred Jackson (with a blocked extra point). Buffalo took the lead in the fourth quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run from fullback Corey McIntyre (with a failed two-point conversion), but the Bears got the last laugh with Cutler completing a 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Earl Bennett, along with a two-point conversion pass to running back Matt Forté.

With the loss, the Bills fell to their first 0–8 start since 1984. And became the first team to start out a season 0–8 since the Bengals and Lions in 2008.

Week 10: vs. Detroit Lions

Week 10: Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Lions 0 3 0912
Bills 0 7 7014

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Still on the hunt for their first win of the season the Bills played on home ground for an interconference duel with the Lions. In the 2nd quarter the Bills took the lead after RB Fred Jackson got a 1-yard TD run. In that quarter the Lions only came away with a 25-yard field goal by Dave Rayner. The Bills increased their lead in the third quarter with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completing a 16-yard TD pass to Jackson. The Lions tried to come back in the 4th quarter with Rayner making a 45-yard field goal and with QB Shaun Hill throwing a 20-yard TD pass to WR Calvin Johnson. The two-point conversion attempt failed, giving the Bills their first victory of the season and eliminating their chances of a winless season.

With the win, the Bills improved to 1–8.

Week 11: at Cincinnati Bengals

Week 11: Buffalo Bills at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 7 142149
Bengals 7 24 0031

at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

Game information

After coming away with their first win the Bills flew to Paul Brown Stadium for an AFC duel with the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick matched his career high with four touchdown passes during Buffalo's biggest comeback in 13 years, and the Bills won their second consecutive game Sunday, 49–31 over the bumbling Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals (2–8) appeared to be in control after Johnathan Joseph's interception return put them ahead 28–7 in the second quarter. The Bengals' smallest crowd since 2003 saw a vintage collapse. Buffalo (2–8) took advantage of Cincinnati's depleted secondary—Joseph and safety Chris Crocker went out late in the first half—for its biggest comeback since it overcame a 26–0 deficit and topped the Indianapolis Colts 37–35 on Sep 21, 1997, according to STATS LLC. Steve Johnson caught three of the touchdown passes, including an 11-yarder that put Buffalo ahead 35–31 early in the fourth quarter. Johnson finished with eight catches for 137 yards and 3 touchdowns.

With the win, Buffalo improved to 2–8 and are still in postseason contention.

After Week 11, The Buffalo Bills won the GMC Never Say Never Moment of the Week and now are nominated for the Never Say Never moment of the 2010 season.

Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 12: Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
Steelers 7 6 03319
Bills 0 0 79016

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Coming off their win over the Bengals, the Bills went home, donned their throwbacks, and played a Week 13 intraconference duel with the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was head coach Chan Gailey's first time facing the Steelers since leaving team in 1998 to become the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Gailey served as the Steelers' wide receiver coach from 1994 to 1995 and as offensive coordinator from 1996 to 1997. Buffalo trailed early in the first quarter as Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall got a 1-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh added onto their lead in the second quarter with kicker Shaun Suisham getting a 45-yard and a 46-yard field goal.

The Bills answered in the third quarter as quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick found running back Fred Jackson on a 65-yard touchdown reception. Buffalo would tie the game in the fourth quarter with a 29-yard and a 32-yard field goal from kicker Rian Lindell. The Steelers would regain the lead as Suisham made a 48-yard field goal, yet the Bills tied the game again with Lindell's 49-yard field goal. Wide Receiver Stevie Johnson dropped what would have been a 40-yard, game-ending touchdown pass in overtime. However, Pittsburgh got the last laugh in overtime as Suisham booted the game-winning 41-yard field goal.

With the loss, the Bills fell to 2–9 and were eliminated from postseason contention.

Week 13: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 13: Buffalo Bills at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 7 0 0714
Vikings 7 24 0738

at Mall of America Field at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

The Bills' twelfth game was an interconference duel with the Vikings. It featured Bills LB Arthur Moats' hit on Vikings QB Brett Favre, which would end the longest streak of quarterback starts in NFL history at 297 games. The Bills took the lead with CB Drayton Florence returning an interception 40 yards for a touchdown. They soon fell behind with Vikings backup QB Tarvaris Jackson throwing a 31-yard TD pass to WR Sidney Rice. Followed in the second quarter by RB Adrian Peterson getting a 2 and a 3-yard TD run. Then Jackson found Rice again on a 6-yard TD pass, followed by kicker Ryan Longwell nailing a 38-yard field goal. They continued to struggle in the fourth quarter when Peterson ran 43 yards to the endzone for a touchdown. The Bills responded with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick getting a 12-yard TD pass to TE David Martin.

With the loss, Buffalo fell to 2–10.

Week 14: vs. Cleveland Browns

Week 14: Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Browns 3 3 006
Bills 0 10 0313

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Hoping to snap a two-game losing streak the Bills played on home ground for an AFC duel against the Browns. The Bills trailed early as kicker Phil Dawson got a 19-yard field goal, but they took the lead in the second quarter as QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completed an 11-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson. The lead was narrowed when Dawson made a 25-yard field goal, but was expanded after kicker Rian Lindell nailed a 30 and a 19-yard field goal.

With the win, the Bills improved to 3–10.

Week 15: at Miami Dolphins

Week 15: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 10 7017
Dolphins 0 7 0714

at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida

Game information

Coming off their win over the Browns the Bills flew south to Sun Life Stadium for an AFC East rivalry rematch against the Dolphins. The second quarter saw the Bills taking the early advantage with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick completing an 18-yard TD pass to WR David Nelson. This was followed by kicker Rian Lindell nailing a 29-yard field goal. The Dolphins responded with RB Ronnie Brown getting a 6-yard TD run, but the Bills increased their lead in the third quarter with Fitzpatrick throwing a 15-yard TD pass to WR Stevie Johnson. The lead was narrowed in the fourth quarter with QB Chad Henne getting a 9-yard TD pass to WR Brandon Marshall, but the Bills defense was solid enough to hang them on for the win.

With the win, Buffalo improved to 4–10.

Week 16: vs. New England Patriots

Week 16: New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Patriots 7 17 7334
Bills 3 0 003

at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York

Game information

Coming off their win over the Dolphins the Bills played an AFC East rivalry rematch against the Patriots. In the first quarter the Bills had the early lead as kicker Rian Lindell hit a 26-yard field goal, but failed to maintain this lead as the Patriots dominated the rest of the game with Danny Woodhead getting a 29-yard TD run, followed by QB Tom Brady completing an 8-yard TD pass to TE Rob Gronkowski, then with kicker Shayne Graham nailing a 34-yard field goal, and with Brady completing a 4 and an 8-yard TD pass to TE Alge Crumpler and to Gronkowski. After that Graham made a 26-yard field goal.

With the loss, the Bills fell to 4–11.

Week 17: at New York Jets

Week Seventeen: Buffalo Bills (4–11) at New York Jets (10–5)
Period 1 2 34Total
Bills 0 0 707
Jets 10 7 71438

at New Meadowlands Stadium • East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: January 2
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: Overcast • 48 °F (9 °C) • Wind W 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
  • Game attendance: 79,019
  • Referee: Carl Cheffers
  • TV announcers (CBS): Gus Johnson and Steve Tasker
  • GameBook
Game information

The Bills' final game was a division rivalry rematch against the Jets. The Bills trailed early with kicker Nick Folk making a 28-yard field goal. Their offense struggled as CB Marquice Cole returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, which was then followed by QB Mark Brunell making a 17-yard TD pass to WR Santonio Holmes. The Bills made their only score of the game with FS Jairus Byrd returning an interception 37 yards for a touchdown, but they fell further behind after Brunell found WR Braylon Edwards on a 52-yard TD pass. This was followed by QB Kellen Clemens scrambling 10 yards for a touchdown, then with RB John Conner getting a 16-yard TD run.

With the loss, the Bills finish with a 4–12 record.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2010 Buffalo Bills season.
  1. ^ ESPN: AFC East's Best – #11
  2. ^ Pro Football Focus – Kyle Williams: Beast
  3. ^ "Washington Post – Week 13 NFL preview". Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  4. ^ Football Outsiders: Four Downs – AFC East
  5. ^ Pro Football Reference – 2010 Buffalo Bills
  6. ^ ["2006 Buffalo Bills Statistics & Players | Pro-Football-Reference.com".}]
  7. ^ John Wawrow (September 27, 2010). "Bills release QB Trent Edwards – NFL Wire". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  8. ^ a b Mark Long (September 28, 2010). "Jaguars claim QB Edwards off waivers from Bills – NFL Wire". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  9. ^ Tim Booth (October 5, 2010). "Bills send RB Lynch to Seahawks – NFL Wire". The Buffalo News. Retrieved July 22, 2012.
  10. ^ "Bills announce preseason game opponents". Archived from the original on April 2, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2010.
  11. ^ Final 2010 DVOA Ratings
  12. ^ Pro Football Reference; 2010 Buffalo Bills
  13. ^ "2010 Conference Standings". NFL.com. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
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