2012_Buffalo_Bills_season
2012 Buffalo Bills season
53rd season in franchise history
The 2012 Buffalo Bills season was the franchise's 43rd season in the National Football League (NFL), the 53rd overall and the third and final under head coach Chan Gailey. The team had hoped to make the playoffs for the first time since 1999, but failed and continue to own the NFL's longest playoff drought.
| 2012 Buffalo Bills season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ralph Wilson |
| General manager | Buddy Nix |
| Head coach | Chan Gailey |
| Home field | Ralph Wilson Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 4th AFC East |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | C. J. Spiller, RB Kyle Williams, DT Jairus Byrd, S |
| AP All-Pros | Jairus Byrd, S |
| |
2012 was the final year on the Bills' current lease with Ralph Wilson Stadium as well as the final year on the current Bills Toronto Series agreement. The league had approved an additional five-year extension of the Toronto series, extending through 2017, on the condition that the Bills and Rogers Communications come to an agreement extending the series,[1] a condition that both sides have indicated willingness to do. The Bills and the league demanded significant and expensive renovations to Ralph Wilson Stadium as a condition of renewing the stadium lease.[2] The Buffalo News reported renovations could top 200 million dollars.[3] The Bills and Erie County (the owners of Ralph Wilson Stadium) missed the deadline for a long-term agreement in September 2012.[4] However, on December 21, the Bills agreed with Erie County to a 10-year lease on Ralph Wilson Stadium, extending it through for at least another 7 years.[5]
On January 2, 2012, one day after the conclusion of the season, George Edwards was fired from his position as defensive coordinator. Edwards had been the defensive coordinator for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. Former NFL and college head coach Dave Wannstedt was promoted to defensive coordinator. (Bills head coach Chan Gailey had been the offensive coordinator under Wannstedt in 2000 and 2001, when Wannstedt was Miami's head coach.)
In his annual season-ending press conference, general manager Buddy Nix laid out his priorities for the offseason. Nix stated that the team was eager to re-sign wide receiver Stevie Johnson, kicker Rian Lindell and offensive tackle Demetress Bell. Johnson and Lindell were successfully re-signed; Bell was signed by Philadelphia. He also stated that he wanted to re-sign running back Fred Jackson and have him retire as a Bill.[6] Jackson whose contract ran through the end of the 2012 season was having a career season before a mid season 2011 injury. Johnson renewed his contract with the Bills for five years and $36.2 million on March 5, 2012.[7]
On March 15, 2012, the Bills made the biggest free agent acquisition in team history, signing all-pro defensive end Mario Williams to a contract worth $100 million over six years, with $50 million guaranteed, the largest contract for a defensive player in NFL history.[8] The recruiting of Williams took place over three days, starting with general manager Buddy Nix and defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt escorting Williams to Buffalo in a private jet. Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was also part of the recruiting.
On March 21, 2012 Mark Anderson, who had 12.5 sacks with the Patriots over the 2011 regular season and playoffs, signed a four-year deal with Buffalo.[9] With announced plans to switch to the 4–3 defense the Bills could field Mario Williams at left end and Anderson on the opposite side in passing situations. Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus will anchor the middle of the defensive line.
On May 11, 2012 the Bills made yet another high-profile signing by signing QB Vince Young to a one-year contract to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick.[10] Young was the 3rd overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. He was nonetheless released in the middle of the preseason, with Gailey citing inconsistency as the reason, and replaced by Tarvaris Jackson, whom the Bills acquired in a trade with the Seattle Seahawks. Because Jackson was not ready for the start of the regular season, the Bills will go with four quarterbacks on its roster for the first several weeks of the season.
Kickoff specialist John Potter, a rookie, made the 53-man roster. He will specialize in kickoffs to ease pressure on the team's aging kickers, placekicker Rian Lindell and punter Brian Moorman, who handled the duties in the past. (Moorman would be released from the roster three weeks into the regular season.)
2012 Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | Stephon Gilmore | Cornerback | South Carolina |
| 2 | 41 | Cordy Glenn | Guard | Georgia |
| 3 | 69 | T. J. Graham | Wide receiver | NC State |
| 4 | 105 | Nigel Bradham | Outside linebacker | Florida State |
| 124[a] | Ron Brooks | Cornerback | LSU | |
| 5 | 144 | Zebrie Sanders | Tackle | Florida State |
| 147[b] | Tank Carder | Inside Linebacker | TCU | |
| 6 | 178 | Mark Asper | Guard | Oregon |
| 7 | 251[c] | John Potter | Kicker | Western Michigan |
Notes
- ^[a] The team acquired an additional fourth-round selection (#124 overall) in a trade that sent wide receiver Lee Evans to the Baltimore Ravens.
- ^[b] The team acquired an additional fifth-round selection (#147 overall) as part of a trade that sent running back Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks.
- ^[c] Compensatory selection.
Undrafted free agents
Stanford safety Delano Howell, Missouri State running back Chris Douglas, Virginia Tech cornerback Cris Hill, Colorado State offensive lineman Paul Madsen, Florida State punter Shawn Powell, Texas offensive lineman David Snow, Penn State safety Nick Sukay, Mercyhurst safety/long snapper Ian Wild, Texas A&M linebacker Garrick Williams and Richmond quarterback Aaron Corp.[11] Corp was later released.
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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| Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Preseason
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | August 9 | Washington Redskins | L 6–7 | 0–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | at Minnesota Vikings | L 14–36 | 0–2 | Mall of America Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 25 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–38 | 0–3 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | August 30 | at Detroit Lions | L 32–38 | 0–4 | Ford Field | Recap |
Regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Game site | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9 | at New York Jets | L 28–48 | 0–1 | MetLife Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 16 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 35–17 | 1–1 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 23 | at Cleveland Browns | W 24–14 | 2–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | September 30 | New England Patriots | L 28–52 | 2–2 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | October 7 | at San Francisco 49ers | L 3–45 | 2–3 | Candlestick Park | Recap |
| 6 | October 14 | at Arizona Cardinals | W 19–16 (OT) | 3–3 | University of Phoenix Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 21 | Tennessee Titans | L 34–35 | 3–4 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | Bye | |||||
| 9 | November 4 | at Houston Texans | L 9–21 | 3–5 | Reliant Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 11 | at New England Patriots | L 31–37 | 3–6 | Gillette Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 15 | Miami Dolphins | W 19–14 | 4–6 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 25 | at Indianapolis Colts | L 13–20 | 4–7 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 13 | December 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 34–18 | 5–7 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 9 | St. Louis Rams | L 12–15 | 5–8 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 16 | Seattle Seahawks | L 17–50 | 5–9 | Rogers Centre (Toronto) | Recap |
| 16 | December 23 | at Miami Dolphins | L 10–24 | 5–10 | Sun Life Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 30 | New York Jets | W 28–9 | 6–10 | Ralph Wilson Stadium | Recap |
- Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
- # Indicates the game was part of the Bills Toronto Series.
Game summaries
Week 1: at New York Jets
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 28 |
| Jets | 7 | 20 | 14 | 7 | 48 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: September 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 79,088
- Referee: Robert Frazer
- TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Week 2: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chiefs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 17 |
| Bills | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 35 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: September 16
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 66 °F (19 °C), mostly sunny
- Game attendance: 69,402
- Referee: Robert Dalton
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 14 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
- Date: September 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C), rain
- Game attendance: 69,353
- Referee: David Scott
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein
Week 4: vs. New England Patriots
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patriots | 7 | 0 | 14 | 31 | 52 |
| Bills | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: September 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 70,684
- Referee: John Parry
- TV announcers (CBS): Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf
Week 5: at San Francisco 49ers
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 49ers | 3 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 45 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: October 7
- Game time: 4:15 p.m. EDT/1:15 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 69,732
- Referee: Jerome Boger
- TV announcers (CBS): Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots
Week 6: at Arizona Cardinals
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 9 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 19 |
| Cardinals | 3 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 16 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
- Date: October 14
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. Arizona time
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 60,385
- Referee: Alberto Riveron
- TV announcers (CBS): Bill Macatee and Steve Tasker
Week 7: vs. Tennessee Titans
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titans | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| Bills | 14 | 6 | 14 | 0 | 34 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: October 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), mostly sunny
- Game attendance: 68,836
- Referee: Mike Carey
- TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Week 9: at Houston Texans
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| Texans | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Reliant Stadium, Houston, Texas
- Date: November 4
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 71,698
- Referee: Bill Vinovich
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
Week 10: at New England Patriots
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
| Patriots | 10 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 37 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts
- Date: November 11
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 68,756
- Referee: Bill Leavy
- TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle and Dan Fouts
With the loss, the Bills dropped to 3–6 and 0–11 against the Patriots at Gillette Stadium.
Week 11: vs. Miami Dolphins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolphins | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Bills | 13 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: November 15
- Game time: 8:20 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 35 °F (2 °C), clear and crisp
- Game attendance: 69,118
- Referee: Jeff Triplette
- TV announcers (NFLN): Brad Nessler, Mike Mayock and Alex Flanagan
By beating the Dolphins on a Thursday Night Football showdown, Buffalo improved to 4–6 and snapped an 8-game losing skid against division rivals.
Week 12: at Indianapolis Colts
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| Colts | 7 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 20 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
- Date: November 25
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 64,366
- Referee: Ed Hochuli
- TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaguars | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 18 |
| Bills | 7 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 34 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: December 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), rain
- Game attendance: 53,971
- Referee: Pete Morelli
- TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes and Steve Beuerlein (blacked out locally)
Week 14: vs. St. Louis Rams
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 15 |
| Bills | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: December 9
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 37 °F (3 °C), cloudy
- Game attendance: 68,109
- Referee: Gene Steratore
- TV announcers (Fox): Ron Pitts, Mike Martz and Krista Voda
Week 15: vs. Seattle Seahawks
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seahawks | 14 | 17 | 16 | 3 | 50 |
| Bills | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Date: December 16
- Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST
- Game weather: Played indoors (retractable roof closed)
- Game attendance: 40,770
- Referee: Scott Green
- TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, John Lynch and Jennifer Hale
With the loss, the Bills fall to 5–9 and are officially eliminated from postseason contention.
Week 16: at Miami Dolphins
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bills | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Dolphins | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
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at Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
- Date: December 23
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), sunny
- Game attendance: 54,462
- Referee: Walt Anderson
- TV announcers (CBS): Don Criqui and Randy Cross
Week 17: vs. New York Jets
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| Bills | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, New York
- Date: December 30
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 28 °F (−2 °C), mostly sunny
- Game attendance: 54,533
- Referee: Terry McAulay
- TV announcers (CBS): Marv Albert and Rich Gannon (blacked out locally)
| AFC East | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2) New England Patriots | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 6–0 | 11–1 | 557 | 331 | W2 |
| Miami Dolphins | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 288 | 317 | L1 |
| New York Jets | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 4–8 | 281 | 375 | L3 |
| Buffalo Bills | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 344 | 435 | W1 |
Team leaders
| Player(s) | Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Passing Yards | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 2471 Yards |
| Passing Touchdowns | Ryan Fitzpatrick | 20 TDs |
| Rushing Yards | C. J. Spiller | 907 Yards |
| Rushing Touchdowns | C. J. Spiller | 5 TDs |
| Receiving Yards | Stevie Johnson | 705 Yards |
| Receiving Touchdowns | Scott Chandler | 6 TDs |
| Points | Rian Lindell | 83 Points |
| Kickoff Return Yards | Leodis McKelvin | 453 Yards |
| Punt Return Yards | Leodis McKelvin | 387 Yards |
| Tackles | Nick Barnett | 82 Tackles |
| Sacks | Mario Williams | 9.5 Sacks |
| Interceptions | Jairus Byrd | 5 INTs |
stats values are correct through Week 14. '
League rankings
- Total Offense (YPG): 346.4 (17th)
- Passing (YPG): 199 (26th)
- Rushing (YPG): 147.9 (4th)
- Total Defense (YPG): 368.5 (24th)
- Passing (YPG): 229 (13th)
- Rushing (YPG): 139.2 (30th)
Stats correct through week 14.
- "Five-year extension of Buffalo Bills' Toronto series approved". NFL. NFL.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- Bailey, Budd (December 31, 2011). 2011 in review: In sports, high hopes and painful losses. The Buffalo News. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
- "Progress made in Bills lease/renovation talks". The Buffalo News. June 15, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- Jewell-Gee, Denise (September 12, 2012). Bills, county agree they need one-year extension of stadium lease. The Buffalo News. Retrieved September 12, 2012.
- Wawrow, John (December 21, 2012). "Bills staying put after agreeing to new lease". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
- "Buffalo Bills sign RB Fred Jackson to two-year extension". NFL. NFL.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- Gaughan, Mark (March 15, 2012). "Bills' Williams: 'Can't wait to get out there and make things happen'". The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- Gaughan, Mark (March 21, 2012). "Bills sign productive pass rusher in Anderson". The Buffalo News. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- "Vince Young agrees to one-year deal with Buffalo Bills". NFL. NFL.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.
- "Bills sign 10 undrafted rookies, including Aaron Corp". NBC Sports. NBCSports.com. Retrieved June 19, 2012.