1985 Buffalo Bills season

1985 Buffalo Bills season
Head coach	Kay Stephenson (weeks 1-4) (3rd season) Hank Bullough (weeks 5-16) (1st season)
General manager	Terry Bledsoe (Since 1984)
Owner	Ralph Wilson (Since 1959)
Home field	Rich Stadium
Results
Record	2–14
Division place	5th AFC East
Playoff finish	did not qualify

The 1985 Buffalo Bills season was the 26th season for the club and its 16th in the National Football League (NFL). It was Buffalo's second-consecutive 2–14 season. Head coach Kay Stephenson was fired after an 0–4 start. Defensive coordinator Hank Bullough took over, going 2–10 for the remainder of the season.

The Bills' offense was anemic: it's 200 points scored is the lowest total in the 1980s, and the lowest total in team history for a 16-game schedule. Bills quarterbacks Vince Ferragamo and Bruce Mathison only produced 9 passing touchdowns all season, while combining for a league-high 31 interceptions. Buffalo scored fewer than 10 points in seven of its 16 games. The team's point-differential of negative-181 points is the third-worst in franchise history.

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1985 NFL draft

In 1985, the Bills used the first overall pick in the draft to select All-American defensive end Bruce Smith. Smith would dominated the late 1980s and early 1990s. Smith was an 11-time All-Pro selection, two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and logged an NFL-record 200 sacks by the end of his career.

Fourth-round pick Andre Reed, a wide receiver out of Kutztown (PA) State, would go on to be the leading receiver in Buffalo Bills history. When he retired after the 2000 season, Reed's 951 career receptions were third in NFL history behind Jerry Rice and Cris Carter.

Maryland quarterback Frank Reich would become famous for quarterbacking "The Comeback," a 1993 playoff game in which Buffalo, down 35–3 in the third quarter, would score 35 unanswered points to win 41–38 in overtime. It is the largest deficit overcome to win a game in NFL history.

Reed played more games with the Bills, 221, than any other player. Smith was second with 217 games.

1985 Buffalo Bills draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	1	Bruce Smith * †	Defensive end	Virginia Tech
1	14	Derrick Burroughs	Defensive back	Memphis
2	29	Mark Traynowicz	Guard	Nebraska
2	42	Chris Burkett	Wide receiver	Jackson State
3	57	Frank Reich	Quarterback	Maryland
3	63	Hal Garner	Linebacker	Utah State
4	86	Andre Reed * †	Wide receiver	Kutztown State
4	112	Dale Hellestrae	Offensive tackle	Southern Methodist
5	130	Jimmy Teal	Wide receiver	Texas A&M
6	141	Mike Hamby	Defensive end	Utah State
7	169	Ron Pitts	Defensive back	UCLA
8	197	Jacque Robinson	Fullback	Washington
9	225	Glenn Jones	Defensive back	Norfolk State
10	253	Chris Babyar	Guard	Illinois
11	282	James Seawright	Linebacker	South Carolina
12	333	Paul Woodside	Placekicker	West Virginia
Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Personnel

Staff

1985 Buffalo Bills staff
	Front office President – Ralph Wilson Senior Executive Vice President – Pat McGroder Vice President of Administration/General Manager – Terry Bledsoe Vice President of Football Operations – Kay Stephenson Vice President of Player Personnel – Norm Pollom Director of Pro Personnel – Bill Polian Assistant Director of Player Personnel – Bob Ferguson Head coaches Head Coach – Kay Stephenson Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator – Hank Bullough Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line – Jim Ringo Quarterbacks – Kay Dalton Running Backs – Elijah Pitts Receivers – Bob Leahy Tight Ends – Art Asselta			Defensive coaches Defensive Line – Ardell Wiegandt Linebackers – Monte Kiffin Defensive Backfield – Dick Moseley Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning Coordinator – Rusty Jones

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 8, 1985	San Diego Chargers	L 14–9	67,597
2	September 15, 1985	at New York Jets	L 42–3	63,449
3	September 22, 1985	New England Patriots	L 17–14	40,334
4	September 29, 1985	Minnesota Vikings	L 27–20	45,667
5	October 6, 1985	at Indianapolis Colts	L 49–17	60,003
6	October 13, 1985	at New England Patriots	L 14–3	40,462
7	October 20, 1985	Indianapolis Colts	W 21–9	28,430
8	October 27, 1985	at Philadelphia Eagles	L 21–17	60,987
9	November 3, 1985	Cincinnati Bengals	L 23–17	25,640
10	November 10, 1985	Houston Oilers	W 20–0	21,881
11	November 17, 1985	at Cleveland Browns	L 17–7	54,478
12	November 24, 1985	Miami Dolphins	L 23–14	50,474
13	December 1, 1985	at San Diego Chargers	L 40–7	45,487
14	December 8, 1985	New York Jets	L 27–7	23,122
15	December 15, 1985	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 30–24	35,953
16	December 22, 1985	at Miami Dolphins	L 28–0	64,811

Game summaries

Week 7

1 2 3 4 Total Colts 3 3 3 0 9 • Bills 7 7 0 7 21 Date: October 20 Location: Rich Stadium Game start: 1:00 p.m. EST Game attendance: 28,430 Game weather: 47°F; wind 8

Scoring summary Q1 BUF Bell 7 yard run (Norwood kick) BUF 7–0 Q1 IND Allegre 41 yard field goal BUF 7–3 Q2 IND Allegre 27 yard field goal BUF 7–6 Q2 BUF Bell 1 yard run (Norwood kick) BUF 14–6 Q3 IND Allegre 38 yard field goal BUF 14–9 Q4 BUF Metzelaars 3 yard pass from Ferragamo (Norwood kick) BUF 21–9

Week 10

1 2 3 4 Total Oilers 0 0 0 0 0 • Bills 10 0 10 0 20 Date: November 10 Location: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, New York Game start: 1:00 p.m. Game weather: 45°F, wind 14 mph

Scoring summary 1 BUF Scott Norwood 24 yard field goal Bills 3–0 1 BUF Greg Bell 2 yard run (Scott Norwood kick) Bills 10–0 3 BUF Scott Norwood 23 yard field goal Bills 13–0 3 BUF Bruce Mathison 5 yard run (Scott Norwood kick) Bills 20–0

Standings

AFC East
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
Miami Dolphins(2)	12	4	0	.750	6–2	9–3	428	320	W7
New York Jets(4)	11	5	0	.688	6–2	9–3	393	264	W1
New England Patriots(5)	11	5	0	.688	6–2	8–4	362	290	W1
Indianapolis Colts	5	11	0	.313	1–7	2–10	320	386	W2
Buffalo Bills	2	14	0	.125	1–7	2–12	200	381	L6

External links

• 1985 Buffalo Bills at Pro-Football-Reference.com